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Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate Review – October 2019

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Oct 19, 2019 | 131 comments

Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate october 2019 beauty box review

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus
4.3 overall rating
242 Ratings | 28 Reviews

Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate is a monthly makeup and beauty subscription box - each month includes 8 full-sized & 4 deluxe samples, in addition to a beauty bag! 

open box

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

all included items

About Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate

The Subscription Box: Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate

The Cost: $50 a month +free US shipping. Save with an annual subscription.

The Products: Full-size makeup and beauty products every month.

Ships to: US

Our Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate October 2019 Review

 

Here is our info card complete with all of our items.

 

Our bag was covered in matte black sequins and features a red Betty Boop design.

Now, on to the items!

 

Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Browns - Full Size! Retail Value $27.00

I have yet to hate a Huda product and I am always pretty pleased to see one show up in a box. This palette is pretty much fall incarnated. It is a mix of 8 matte shades and one bold, shimmering gold shadow. As usual, the pigmentation is great, the formulas were smooth, and all of the colors are perfect together. I have a pretty fair yet neutral skintone, and though a few of these did feel too warm, the majority were very pretty on my lids.

These shades just scream "FALL!"

 

Kaleido Cosmetics Obsidian Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, 2 g - Full Size! Retail Value $8.00

I have enough black eyeliner to last me years. I also rarely use it, so I wasn't too excited about this addition. I will say that the formula is awesome, and the blackest black! It is also waterproof. The marker tip makes lining your eyes super easy and you can press down a little harder if you enjoy a bold line.

These are a wee bit squiggly since I did them left-handed, but you get the idea!

 

L.O.C.K. Color Unicorn Glow Longwear Primer, 10 g - Estimated Value $4.00 (Buy a full-size 30 g for $12.00)

This was a deluxe sample-sized product from a brand I don't think I have ever tried. This formula contains jojoba oil, shea, and chamomile extracts for calming your skin while it smooths out your complexion and preps it for makeup. It doesn't have a noticeable shimmer but does give your skin a natural glow-from-within sort of look. It worked well under my minimal makeup, though I did notice my mascara seemed to end up under my eye somehow, more than usual. This is probably from my lashes touching my skin while blinking all day and the mascara being attracted to the super creamy formula.

 

Betty Boop x IPSY Cheek to Cheek Blush Palette, 8.4 g -Listed Value $28.00 (from my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Booklet)

This trio is made of a highlighter, a shimmer blush, and a matte blush. I had issues grabbing this product up with a brush. Even if the bristles looked loaded, there was very little payoff on my actual skin. These worked much better with fingertips, but I would have liked to have seen more pigment. The color choices themselves are lovely, and I would totally wear shades like this for any daily look, but the lack of pigment really dampens my feelings on this palette.

I had to really work to get these swatches this pigmented.

 

Biorace L'eau Hydrating Treatment Serum, 30 ml - Full Size! Retail Value $68.00 (currently on sale for $62.00)

I have never heard of this brand, but it is Korean, meaning I was pretty sure I would end up liking it. As far as serums go, this one is pretty straightforward and is an instant moisture upgrade for skin because of the hyaluronic acid, along with a healthy dose of niacinamide inside. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B that helps your skin repair damage, and is a great addition to any routine, but especially an anti-aging one. This was a little tacky, so I would reserve it for your night regimen. It also smells fantastic!

 

F.A.R.A.H. Brushes Midnight Pro Trio - Retail Value $48.00

These brushes are beautiful to look at, but I didn't love the overall feel of the synthetic bristles. They felt very synthetic and the bristles felt too slick. I did love the matte, ergonomic handles and the deep moody blue shade of the bristles. This set contains a buffing foundation brush, a blush brush, and a stipple.

 

Farmacy Green Clean, 3.4 fl oz - Full Size! Retail Value $34.00

I am always game for a good cleansing balm, especially in the winter. They can feel so much more gentle on skin than traditional cleansers. They are also awesome for on the go since you can apply to your face dry and then simply wipe away with a cloth. I have even used them on dry skin (while camping!) and just wiped the balm away with a dry paper towel and it was totally fine! Of course, you can also wash this away like a normal cleanser in the shower too. Variety is the spice of life. This particular balm comes in a giant tub and includes its own little scoop! I actually found it to be lighter than many other cleansing balms I have tried, so if you are new to the balm routine or you have oilier skin concerns, this is an awesome one to try. If you don't want to commit to using a balm on your entire face, this stuff literally destroys even waterproof eye makeup if you apply a little to a cotton round and wipe away.

 

 

The SAEM Natural Avocado and Shea Butter Mask Sheet Set, 14 g - Estimated Value $3.98

I use a sheet mask almost nightly these days, and I really like this brand! Their natural line is really calming to my skin and very moisturizing. My favorite of these two masks was the avocado because it smelled so earthy and nice! The serum was milky and very hydrating, and the mask itself fit great!

 

C'est Moi Beauty Reflect Lip Gloss in 'Opulence', 3.4 ml - Full Size! Retail Value $10.00 (currently on sale for $8.50)

I am not crazy about this gloss for a few reasons. It is technically fragrance-free but did smell a little chemical-esque. I also didn't think the shine was really significant or different from any of my other lip balms, and we actually couldn't capture it in a swatch photo. It was a little sticky, but nothing too major for a gloss.

 

Cela Crème de la Crème, 30 ml - Estimated Value $12.00 (Buy a full-size 75 ml for $30.00)

I was super excited to try this cream from the spoilers, and it did not disappoint. It smells like cream and citrus and is so over-the-top moisturizing. It also feels luxuriously winter skin appropriate and I plan on stashing it in my purse to prevent chapped and irritated skin as we move towards the cold months. I also think the packaging is quite lovely, and I am actually really happy it is packaged in a flexible plastic tube instead of metal, since I always seem to bend holes into those over time.

 

Coloured Raine Cosmetics Eyeshadow in 'Glamour', 1.6 g - Full Size! Retail Value $6.99

I really, really like this shadow. I have never heard of the brand before, but I am impressed. It is a sheer sort of shade, but on purpose as opposed to just lacking pigment. It gives my lids a shining wash of shimmer and adds just enough extra to an everyday look. The shadow formula is butter smooth, blendable, and there wasn't a ton of fallout with my favorite eyeshadow brush, which was awesome!

My new fave everyday shadow!

 

IBOM Lemon Verbena Clay Mask, 1 fl oz - Estimated Value $4.90 (Buy a full-size 3.88 oz for $19.00)

I avoid clay masks because I have dry skin and they often just make it worse, especially in fall and winter when I am trying to hold on to all of the hydration I can. Will, on the other hand, weirdly loves clay masks, but only on his nose? For a guy who doesn't regularly use any sort of skincare products, he is really concerned with pore minimization, but only on his nose (which, as a side note, has totally normal, nonremarkable pores). He was a little concerned about the lumps in the formula at first, but I explained those were pretty normal. He also remarked that this smells nothing like lemon or verbena, which I would agree with. All in all, this wasn't his favorite mask but he said he would use it again.

TRÈSTIQUE Good Vibes Mascara, 9 ml - Full Size! Retail Value $25.00

UPDATE: This item was included for subscribers to both Ipsy Glam Bag Plus + Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate since they both included the same bag design this month. This retail value should not be counted toward the total retail value.

Finally, our last item is a mascara with a built-in mini eyelash curler, which is pretty genius. The formula was fine, and easily coated my lashes. There was quite a bit of lengthening as well as volumizing, which is always a plus. As someone who doesn't use curlers, I was surprised how much my opinion of them changes with just a narrower one. It allowed me to curl my outer lashes without feeling like I was going to pinch my eyelid, which is a weird fear of mine after a few bad experiences. Would this replace my go-to mascara? Probably not, but I liked it much more than I thought I would.

Verdict: This box has a value of around $279.87, which is great for a $50 box. There was a ton of hype when this premium box was announced, and though the retail value is there in numbers, I think there could certainly be improvement when it comes to the brands and products included. I think I was expecting more brands I knew and recognized, and more of a high-end feel. I totally understand that one of the magical elements of Ipsy is discovering new brands and this sub has always been great about delivering that aspect. But I think when you are spending $50 a month, some familiar and higher quality products should be a given, and while they did deliver that for me personally with the Farmacy balm, I honestly expected a little more, especially for the price. This was the first Ultimate box, so I optimistically look forward to next month to see what that mix looks like before I make a definite decision.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Possibly! As of publication, there was no Ipsy waitlist. Check here to see what month you’ll get first.

Value Breakdown: This box costs $50. Here is approximately what you are paying per product:

  • Huda Beauty Eyeshadow Palette $4.82
  • Kaleido Cosmetics Eye Liner $1.43
  • L.O.C.K. Primer $0.71
  • Betty Boop Palette $5.00
  • Biorace Serum $12.15
  • F.A.R.A.H. Brushes $8.58
  • Farmacy Balm $6.07
  • The Saem Mask Set $0.71
  • C'est Moi Beauty Gloss $1.79
  • Cela Cream $2.14
  • Coloured Raine Cosmetics Eyeshadow $1.25
  • IBOM Mask $0.88
  • TRÈSTIQUE Mascara $4.47

Alternatively, each of the 13 items has an average cost of $3.85.

Check out all of our Ipsy reviews and the best beauty subscription boxes of 2019, as recommended by our readers!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the October Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate? Which items did you get?

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Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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131 comments

Redhed36

I finally received my Ultimate after shipping delays. I am not mad about the content. Not impressed though. I ordered the plus and ultimate and there was a free mascara in the Ultimate. My only real issue is that my Colored Raine eyeshadow was in crumbles. It was so bad I thought maybe it was a loose eyeshadow. I had to look it up. I reached out to Ipsy.

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Daisy

Thank you Debbie for pointing out the packaging for the Coloured Raine eyeshadow.

Specifically made by Ipsy for Coloured Raine”. I reached out to Coloured Raine and asked if we received Ipsy products disguised as Coloured Raine, and these were their responses:

“We have partnered with Ipsy on a program where they reverse manufacture our products to offer in their subscriber monthly subscriptions. These products are not made by Coloured Raine which is made in the United States.”

“They are not Coloured Raine made products. They are specifically made by Ipsy for their monthly subscription in partner with Coloured Raine.”

“To further elaborate, Coloured Raine does not own the formula for the products made by Ipsy. So no we do not own the products. Just our name.”

WOW!

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Alice

Thank you for share this information.

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Daisy

After reading Debbie’s comment here regarding the Coloured Raine shadow, I reached out to CR for comment. They responded in 3 different emails as follows:

“We have partnered with Ipsy on a program where they reverse manufacture our products to offer in their subscriber monthly subscriptions. These products are not made by Coloured Raine which is made in the United States.”

“They are not Coloured Raine made products. They are specifically made by Ipsy for their monthly subscription in partner with Coloured Raine.”

“To further elaborate, Coloured Raine does not own the formula for the products made by Ipsy. So no we do not own the products. Just our name.”

Wonder how many other counterfeit products Ipsy has given us?

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Amanda

I am fairly confident that this might be the case with 111skin as well. The ingredients list is different on most items, manufacturing company, sometimes packaging. Not too long ago I think the eye cream/gel was a $3 add on and half size. $3 add on but supposedly worth a crazy amount made me suspicious right off the bat.

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Amanda

Manufacturing country I mean*

Kay

Thank you for sharing this.

Wow! So it’s more than just brands cutting corners on the formulas for products that go into the boxes. In some cases, the brands aren’t even making the products st all- Ipsy is.

I cancelled Ipsy a couple months back and based on this information, they can stay that way.

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Kristin

Is there a phone number to contact them I didn’t get my Farmacy and can’t find any contact info on their website.

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Your Friends @MSA

Hi Kristin! You can try emailing them at [email protected] and they will be able to assist you.

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Sherri

No, they just have IpsyCare to email, no phone number.

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emma

The Huda Beauty palette is amazing and I’d love to try that eyeliner and mascara. The Coloured Rain eyeshadow looks like a lighter version of my favorite “one and done” eyeshadow, Nars Himalia.

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Christi

I actually got a second glambag plus instead of my ultimate box. It had 5 products plus the bonus item, and none of the things were what was listed on my ultimate reveal or the thing I selected. And 2 of the items were things I received in my legit glambag plus. I emailed ipsycare.

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Dorie

Hi Christi ~ Sorry, I’m not understanding your post. For your 2nd Plus bag, do you have it on another account? Or is it because you emailed Ipsy for it?

I was thinking of subscribing 2 Plus bag instead of the Ultimate, but was unsure how to not receive duplicate. TIA for a reply.

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Christi

Sorry, I can see how that is confusing. I was supposed to get 1 of each bag type. Instead I got 1 glam bag and 2 glambag plus, even though i was charged for an ultimate. They emailed me back this morning and said they are shipping me out my ultimate bag but they ran out of 3 of the things it was supposed to have so i got a partial refund.

Olivia

I was so fn disappointed in Ipsy. $50 and my box cam tore up and the lid was open they never taped it shut. I had products missing. Not sure what because the pamphlet showed what I should have got. But so did others and they didn’t get those products. There were no prices on the pamphlet at all which is sketchy. So I looked up prices. My box only had a $212 value. Which is not the $250 plus promised. The best things I got were the add ons. And the Farmacy makeup remover and the Huda Palette which is the 3rd time I have got the same palette from Ipsy. The other stuff was all sample sizes. Yes I got 2 full size products and that was it. I have now cancel Ipsy. I sent them a long email and pictures. Of course 6 days and I have not received a email back. I have signed the petition for a refund because we were all ripped off. I had been with Ipsy for 4 years and I am done. The $25 box had way better products then the $50 joke box.

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Teresa

I can’t get Ipsy to cancel subscription plus I get the same items every time I have more brushes and eyeliners than I know what to do with I’m over them also they refuse to cancel my subscription for whatever reason

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Monique L. Lopez

I have tried to cancel my account twice now and no response!! Worst customer service eveeer!

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Kenley

Is choice going to be on the 24th every month?

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Lisa

It is 23rd this month.

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Sherri

Thank you for letting everybody know! Where did you see that it was going to be the 23rd instead of the 24th?

Ashley

Did you find that on the website somewhere?

Kenley

Thanks, Lisa. Is there somewhere to access that information?

Anna

The Biroace & Ipsy site show the serum without niacinamide. The label has a different ingredient list. I’m very disappointed because If they’d made it known they were sending something I couldn’t use I’d have canceled.

I checked the ingredients when they released spoilers to see if it was a product I could use.

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h

Thank you for an honest review. It seemed to me that you went into your review giving every product a fair chance. Good job!

So glad that I was not tempted to try Ultimate. I already own the Farmacy balm and it has been depleted with use, so I was glad to pick up my next jar for a great price as an Add On with my Plus bag.

From now on, I’m waiting for spoilers. If the subscription boxes choose to not be upfront and proud of their curations, then I’m going to have to skip. I cannot afford to keep spending money like this to receive things that I would absolutely never buy.

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Megan K.

Thanks so much <3 I wanted to give everything a fair chance, but also somehow balance those with my own lofty expectations. I appreciate your kind words!

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Sandy

I didn’t get the mascara as an extra product in my glam bag plus. Did everyone?

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Jen Graham

I didn’t get the mascara either I have plus not ultimate.

Lisa

You only got mascara if you subscribe to Ultimate AND Plus .

Sherri

Well i think Megan did a awesome job reviewing! I agree with alot of things that she said about the Ultimate bag, i dont think to many people are happy with the Ultimate bag for October, i know i am not to happy, more disgusted than anything! Keep up the good work Megan and Liz!😊

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Megan K.

Thank you Sherri <3

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Olivia

There is a petition to sign to get your money back. It already had over 5,000 signatures

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Sherri

Thank you! I have already signed the petition though, just hoping that Ipsy does end up refunding everybody but i know that wont happen!

Lisa

I didn’t get the 3.4 oz Farmacy with white cap. I got 3.2 oz with silver cap. I bought mine as add on. I messaged Ipsy last night with a picture but they have not got back to me.

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Alice

I got the silver cap,too.

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Lori

I got that one, too. It was a mistake?

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pinkhoo

$7 eyeshadow single, $8 eyeliner, two $1.99 sheet masks, a lip gloss – these are all the kinds of things that have been included with the regular $12 Glam Bag. That the reviewer got all of these things as full size items in an “Ultimate” box is bewildering. There were a couple really great items in the box but I think I’d rather have the Glam Bag Plus and Glam Bag separate again so it’s very obvious that all 5 of the GBP products are full size and then the GB products are clearly samples or a bonus full size. If 3 out of 8 of the full size items in the GBU are only GB quality then I’d be better off getting the GB.

But we’ll see how this goes next month and if the collab is more Chinese made ipsy factory crud.

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Kitty

Has Huda Beauty always been made in China? I’ve never paid a lot of attention, TBH, but recently as I’ve been reading more and more comments here, I’ve started to try to pay attention to where products are made and manufactured. The pic above for the Huda pallet says “Made In PRC”…is that the norm?

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Darci

I’m pretty sure “PRC” means Peoples Republic of China.” I only learned about that on here as well. Like you I wasn’t really paying much attention to that before but I’m making more of an effort now. In some cases certain products from certain companies are basically having to make it more obvious now because of the Prez’s extra 15% tax on goods imported from China. It was meant to punish China, but since he had no understanding of taxes and tariffs relating to imported goods and made a typically uninformed rash decision, we Americans are the ones paying that extra 15% and therefore doing the suffering. And we don’t have much choice because China manufactures the majority of the products we all use every day. So for example, I went to make a purchase with Fabletics yesterday and the total didn’t seem right. I took a closer look and there was the additional tax, although in this case Fabletics is eating some of the extra cost themselves. People that shop mostly at Walmart are going to be hit the hardest and see their bills go way up considering almost every single item in there comes from China. Unless like Fabletics, Walmart absorbs some or all of the extra taxes.

I guess the one good thing that may come out of that baffling decision is that we’ll all become more aware of where our goods come from. I’m not sure we’ll be willing or able to do much about it though.

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Debbie

Whether you agree or disagree, (I disagree because economically China has been sticking it to us for years and we do need to fix the trade imbalance even if it means short term pricing pain) I think it’s great to think about where products come from and all of our buying choices in general. I also think that informed discourse is so much better than not having informed discourse. I enjoyed your comments even though I have a different viewpoint and I think it was brave of you to put your opinion out there. Free speech baby!

Dea

No political wah-wah here (this isn’t “60 Minutes”), and no one is suffering because of an eyeshadow palette.

pinkhoo

The Huda highlighter palette was made in Italy, so it’s not everything. I was disappointed that this eyeshadow palette was made in China. I’m not always impressed with these new brands but I thought more if Huda when I thought it all might be made in Italy like quality cosmetics used to be. Very disappointing.

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Barbara

Very disappointed in the quality of this box for the $50 price tag. I put my November box on hold and will wait for Dec spoilers before I decide to cancel. My Boxy Luxe had a much better selection and value.

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Annie

My own ultimate box didn’t come with an info card, so all I had to go off of was the prices I found on the internet. Not sales, MSRP. The only thing I had to guess on was the Boop eyeliner, so I added it up once at $8, and then I gave it a generous $20. Both times, my box fell short of Ipsy’s promised size AND value. I really hope November is better. It is the deciding factor whether I continue my Ipsy subscription or not. I hope Ipsy gets back on track.

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Carrie

I was especially disappointed by my GBU. The only item that interested me in the least was the Farmacy cleansing balm which I’ve tried before and like. The rest of the box felt as though it were put together for someone with an entirely different profile and included several items I just do not use (two primers, for example). I didn’t even swatch the eyeshadows because the colors are too warm. Did, however, try the blush palette and was surprised that the colors weren’t half bad and had a decent payoff on my pale, almost blue, skin. Nothing exciting but wearable. The rest was pretty much just trash, IMO, and aside from the cleansing balm and blush nearly all of it went in the donation bin for a local shelter. I cancelled the sub the same day the box arrived. Also, as an FYI, the Colored Raine eyeshadow arrived smashed and the (very stinky) fragrance sample had leaked a bit.

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KS

Love that you donate things that don’t work out <3

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Dani G.

Yes! I love seeing that!
It’s so disheartening to see people comment that they just threw their items in the trash. When I see that I feel compelled to politely post alternatives like shelters or even leaving items in public places where someone might find something free they need or just like. Everyone has such different tastes and different budgets ($0 for some unlucky folks) for beauty items. I’m confident there’s a person out there for every hideous lipstick or cheap eyeliner we get from a beauty box. 😄

Staci

Have to say I was a little disappointed with my first Ultimate box, so much so I decided to make it my last. But since I cancelled I guess I’m not entitled to leave reviews for the products I received. Go figure. I got all 3 versions this month but didn’t get the mascara for the duplicate bag mistake…after reading some of these comments I feel a bit screwed over. lol. I also received 2 of the exact same products. I had the brush trio in my plus and Ultimate this month. I did email about it though and they fixed that mistake by giving me 1800 points to use towards any full size product. I am grateful for that at least. I understand that what you get with Ipsy is a gamble, they don’t promise that you’ll get any certain brand or item *but* I do think they led customers to believe they would get WAY more than they delivered on. So not exactly false advertising but it’s in the same ballpark. I wasn’t even upset about the abundance of seemingly no name brands (personally I’d rather get products from ethical companies rather than well known ones) but I was upset that only 4 or 5 of the items I got were actually full sized. Everything else was either a “deluxe sample” or doubled as a $3 add on. Call me crazy but that is absolutely not full size. Now I’m cutting down to plus and giving Boxy Charm a try. This experience has kind of ruined “ultimate” subscriptions for me to be honest. Hopefully anyone still signed up has better luck next month.

Kerrie

The items I received were garbage. I didn’t even get the farmacy item. I cancelled my ipsy subscription. The value wasn’t there and the items were poor quality.

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Katy

My Ultimate basically boiled down to 4 full sized products and the rest were the same sized sample and deluxe sizes I get in my regular Ipsy bag normally. So yeah, I am exceptionally disappointed in my box this month and if next month isn’t better on the product sizes, I may just cancel out all three tiers. I’m not into being lied to or mislead.

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pinkhoo

I tried hard to figure out what in my box was full size. 6 things were pretty obvious, so that left the other half of the box undetermined. I complained in more than one email, and I don’t like complaining to companies. Usually I just don’t say anything but this was a big let down.

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Jessica

Coloured Raine is pretty well known for an indie brand. They are a black woman-owned brand, especially known for their great eyeshadow. Glad you liked their shadow, Megan! I hope a bigger audience learns about them through ipsy.

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Daisy

This eyeshadow was NOT a Coloured Raine product as confirmed by Coloured Raine.

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Debbie

Sorry. Hate to be disagreeable but the Coloured Raine product that I received says:
SPECIFICALLY MADE BY IPSY FOR COLOURED RAINE. MADE IN CHINA.

It is private label crap from a Chinese factory specifically so ipsy could add “value” to their box.

Please feel free to fact check me by looking at the label on the eyeshadow box.

If you are a fan of the brand, I encourage you to reach out the brand and let them know they’ve been Booped.

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Marion

I would guess that Coloured Raine’s usual manufacturer does not have the capability to churn out tens of thousands (or possibly hundreds of thousands) of sample-size shadows for ipsy within a few months.

I wouldn’t be so quick to call this “private label crap” just because it was made in China, though. Yes, that could be the case, but it could be that CR shared with ipsy their proprietary formula specifically for these shades.

pinkhoo

How are we supposed to determine if we like a brand enough to rebuy if they don’t send the regular product to try?

Jessica

How disappointing. Their “regular” formula is amazing. Why mess with a good thing? 🙁

Jackie

Wow, that is so sad. Companies like 111skin and Omorovicza have also had products made in China for sub boxes, not cool.

Carrie

I was especially disappointed by my GBU. The only item that interested me in the least was the Farmacy cleansing balm which I’ve tried before and like. The rest of the box felt as though it were put together for someone with an entirely different profile and included several items I just do not use (two primers, for example). I didn’t even swatch the eyeshadows because the colors are too warm. Did, however, try the blush palette and was surprised that the colors weren’t half bad and had a decent payoff on my pale, almost blue, skin. Nothing exciting but wearable. The rest was pretty much just trash, IMO, and aside from the cleansing balm and blush nearly all of it went in the donation bin for a local shelter. I cancelled the sub the same day the box arrived. Also, as an FYI, the Colored Raine eyeshadow arrived smashed and the (very stinky) fragrance sample had leaked a bit.

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Jackie

Loving their Queen of Hearts palette, those foils!! 🙂

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Jamey

YES!!! That pallette is AMAZING!!!!

Marion

From what I’ve seen, I’m not super thrilled about how next month’s Ultimate is shaping up, either. I’d skip or cancel, but since my Ultimate included two products I’d opted out of (blush & sheet masks), and I refused to accept the offer of a measly 800 points, Ipsy offered to comp me November’s bag.

So far, spoilers include the Oribe scalp scrub that was a $12 add-on recently, a Trèstique bronzer stick (that appeared very orange on the Insta live hostess who applied it to her face), & a Juice Beauty wrinkle cream.

I am also ticked off that the Makeup Geek highlighter that was included in October’s Ultimate — which very few people actually received — is now going to be in November’s Glam Bag Plus!

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Tracy

We’re box twins. I was a little underwhelmed but still it was so much better than my plus. I hated it. I’m pausing both for a couple of months .I think it’ll take a while to get it together. I’ll be back though.

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Debbie

First, I congratulate you on writing your review which must have been super stressful considering all of the high emotions and viewpoints vehemently posting their viewpoint both pro and con IPSY. How do you write a review on a box that doesn’t offend someone given the controversy? So thanks for even posting a review.

As for my personal option on my box. Everything but the Farmacy and Huda went straight into the trash.

I have had three eye surgeries in the last 6 months and their is no way I am using a non brand item on my face. Wet and wild would be fine. It doesn’t have to be luxury, it does have to be trustworthy.

I blog (about cats, self improvement and making money online) and have published 17 books. As a result of my experience , within 5 minutes I can analyze a website and be able to tell a lot about a company or brand. Why do I add this info? A $62 dollar serum? Um, no. Biorace is not a “brand.” I can see the traffic, how long the site has been up etc.

Legit brands DO NOT use Shopify. Private labeling a product and making it seem like a brand to support a box value is not okay.

Why is that important? We have to be able to trust a label. If you have doubts about a brand, how do you know what is really in the bottle? Do you really want that near your eyes?

Recently walmart and GNC had to pull private label supplements from their shelves for containing ground up houseplants and no vitamins. Your skin is your biggest organ. Think about that.

I donate what I don’t use to a bartered women’s shelter. I won’t give them something I can’t trust. Just because you are poor or having a hard time doesn’t mean we should care for you any less. So the Farmacy went to me- yay! The Huda and makeup brushes went to the shelter (were they are a treasure) and the rest straight into the landfill. Too much wasted for 50$.

Test tube, which MSA just released spoilers on is not glamorous but they always have real products, every last one. And real indie products as well. Check them out. I have been able to use or donate every item, every time.

Beautyfix drives me nuts with the tiny sizes but always real products as well. I can use or donate every item. MSA reviews them too.

Allure. Not always great boxes but affordable and always real products which means use or donate.

Boxycharm. For $25 and now 35$ I am happy with two real brands that are actually full size, (not an eye pencil counted as full price) and an item or two to donate. Occasionally I do have to trash something from boxy but way less than Ipsy.

So I am letting Ipsy know how I feel with my cash. I cancelled all three levels of glam bag and upgraded to boxy premium.

And all you people complaining about the plethora of Ipsy bags you own, donate them to women’s shelters where sometimes they have to leave their homes with nothing more than they are wearing and it is a treasure to get a new cosmetic bag.

I also fill them with lotion samples, shampoo, chapstick samples (Bite is the only balm on these lips) and toothpaste/toothbrush. When I see a homeless woman I give them one. I have at least four in my car right now. People who live in the elements, appreciate those samples.

Thanks again for the review and noting which items were brands you have never heard of or sold in a single site only. In the end it’s buyer beware like everything else. I think this review did a good job not being a downer for people who enjoyed their bag and not selling out the people who were less than thrilled, which is all readers can ask.

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Ivy

Biorace has an official instagram account and looks like it’s featured in Korean drama, the ingredients are engineered by SILAB in France. This is what I found from 5 mins googling.

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Megan K.

Thank you Debbie! I try really hard to give well-rounded reviews with helpful info. This one did have a ton of hype and emotion attached to it, so your kind words are much appreciated.

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NYAmicas

I just wanted to say thank you for your continued thoughtfulness and kindness to women in need. It always warms my heart when I see how giving people are.

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Nicole

Yes, thank you for this! I think you speak for most of us when you say you want real brands, so do I. I don’t trust private label products on my face and it’s so uncool of Ipsy to decieve their subs like that. I wish they were required to disclose this type of information, but since they aren’t, I’ll definitely be taking a much closer look at the spoilers to determine if it’s coming from an established brand or not. After all of the dishonest marketing and cheap collabs going on these past few month’s, I’m really turned off and it’s not fun anymore. Boxy is every bit as bad with their deceptive marketing in my opinion. I’m going to opt out of November & December and give Test Tube a go, I love skincare most and have wanted to try that one for quite awhile. You just talked me into it!😉 Maybe if Ipsy gets it together, I’ll revisit, but not until they improve their curation.

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Rie

A “brand” doesn’t mean squat, to be honest. It’s just a name. And where someone sells their product means little as well. It’s all about the formula, and how it works for you. Some of the worst products I’ve used are from well-known brands. And I’ve found some of my favorites from new start-ups. It just depends from product to product. And, I I rarely use more than one or two products from the same brand. It depends solely on the product and its formula. Also, some “low end brands” are created in the same factory and with the same formulas as “high end brands.”

It can be a scam. Especially skin care. Retinol is a cheap ingredient, for instance. Markups are ridiculous. I pay little attention to brands until I try them for myself. Just my two cents. 🙂👍

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Cece

I use lots of “house brand” products, as well as high end brands and everything inbetween. I find some companies have more consistent quality, and are more trust worthy in terms of ingredients.

Rie

And I LOVE that you donate to a women’s shelter! What a great way to make a woman at a low point feel pampered and special!! I do the same locally. ❤️

Mary

Sephora sells Trestique and I’ve seen Coloured Raine at Target and The SAEM at CVS, for example. I see your point about the private label supplements, but the brands I’ve noted aren’t private labels for the stores where they’re sold.

I’m also having trouble finding sources about supplements being pulled — are you referring to the controversy over their homeopathic products? Because I don’t think they’ve pulled them, and even Whole Foods sells homeopathic “medicine.” But if you are thinking of a different incident, I’d certainly like to know!

I don’t know about the serum, but don’t see much reason to think most of the rest of the box is too dangerous even to donate.

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Debbie

The New York State Attorney Generals office did the investigation. Perhaps you could try their website? They had the products DNA sampled. If you are interested, there is plenty of information to be found. If you feel good about using or donating please do so.

It’s okay for me to not feel good about it and say so as well.

Coulored Raine May very well be sold at Target, I confess I do not buy my cosmetics there. However, the eyeshadow in the Ipsy box clearly says manufactured by Ipsy for coloured rain. Made in China.

And since you mention Target specifically, it might interest you to know 6 identical bottles were pulled of the shelf and only three contained what was advertised on the label.

City color beauty was recalled after the FDA found asbestos in their products. They distributed to beauty bags.

My point? I don’t feel good about private label products and Ipsy ultimate was full of them. I won’t use them, I won’t donate them, that’s all. You are certainly entitled to do whatever you feel comfortable with.

But I do thank you for your comments. It has caused me to realize that I don’t need to share my research or opinions with other people and I am probably just wasting a lot of time commenting on things people may not be interested in, so I should stop that.

Debbie

I apologize for all the typos. Because of the eye surgery last week, typing on an iPhone is a challenge and proofreading even harder. It’s all double vision-y still. So please try to look past the typos and grammar:( I know better and should be using my computer, not phone but my Bengal cat is napping on my lap and I would never want to disturb the cat by getting up to go to the computer 😹

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Anne

Thanks for your awesome review! I too have been donating to a local women’s shelter. I am unhappy with the ultimate box☹️

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Louise

While I totally agree with you and think ultimate was a disaster, it’s quite possible that biorace serum is fine. Lots of times k beauty products have little presence in the west and it can be very hard to find info in English about them. An English google search will not pull up the Korean info. Is it possible it’s private label? Yeah I think it is. Is the value totally inflated? Definitely. Is it dangerous or not effective? Doubtful. I have a lot more trust for k beauty manufacturers than I do for the other company Ipsy uses.

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Debbie

Yes. I love K beauty, total fan of the double cleanse, and buy a ton from Deciem. I did the work to look into biorace before I posted my comments.
You are right, it may be fine but how could we trust it? It is NOT selling for 62 because their site isn’t showing any traffic, it’s on Shopify, reputable K brands use their own website with enough traffic to know sales are being made. Reputable Indie brands almost always, always disclose a specific founder behind the brand and that person has a footprint online. It doesn’t matter what county a website is being run from. Semrush and similar sites tell you everything about their traffic. So it isn’t likely that they are big in Korea, without a Korean website and all websites can be translated and analyzed.

CJ

I was very disappointed as well. I understand the concept of trying new brands and things but the absolute failure on Ipsy’s part to use our profiles to give us new things we actually CAN try was appalling. And while not every item can be high end luxury, Real Her is not exactly new or trying new things is it? I am receiving November for free so we will see but spoilers are not that thrilling either. I will likely cancel ultimate and drop back down to plus after my 3 months and I signed up for boxy premium will see what they have but they do not have the best track record either.

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Debbie

Good for you! They offered me nothing. I’m glad that they at least took care of you and I truly hope your next bag is good.

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CJ

Thanks Debbie. They did not offer, I had to go back and forth several times and I only pushed for it because I saw others received November for free. Try, they might for anyone else who pushes back saying other Ipsters are getting a free box .

pinkhoo

They didn’t offer me much but I kept asking what the eight full sized products in my box were when there only seemed to be six. You have to persist.

CJ

Free month, not three

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JackieCupcake

The full-sized items should all the full-sized items from the Plus, not full-sized from the regular. I think that’s my biggest issue with this.

The Boop eyeshadow palette is better than the blush palette, but both were disappointing. Probably one of the most underwhelming Ipsy bags in a long time.

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Staci

Have to say I was a little disappointed with my first Ultimate box, so much so I decided to make it my last. But since I cancelled I guess I’m not entitled to leave reviews for the products I received. Go figure. I got all 3 versions this month but didn’t get the mascara for the duplicate bag mistake…after reading some of these comments I feel a bit screwed over. lol. I also received 2 of the exact same products. I had the brush trio in my plus and Ultimate this month. I did email about it though and they fixed that mistake by giving me 1800 points to use towards any full size product. I am grateful for that at least. I understand that what you get with Ipsy is a gamble, they don’t promise that you’ll get any certain brand or item *but* I do think they led customers to believe they would get WAY more than they delivered on. So not exactly false advertising but it’s in the same ballpark. I wasn’t even upset about the abundance of seemingly no name brands (personally I’d rather get products from ethical companies rather than well known ones) but I was upset that only 4 or 5 of the items I got were actually full sized. Everything else was either a “deluxe sample” or doubled as a $3 add on. Call me crazy but that is absolutely not full size. Now I’m cutting down to plus and giving Boxy Charm a try. This experience has kind of ruined “ultimate” subscriptions for me to be honest. Hopefully anyone still signed up has better luck next month.

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Jackie

And plus should get plus full size, not the betty boop eyeliner we got last month. It’s technically “full size” item, but not the type of item we’ve come to expect in plus, it was a 3 dollar add on, clearly a “regular” item.

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Nicole

Yeah, that’s ridiculous! If it’s a $3 item for add on’s then it has no business in the Plus subscription. If eyeliner is going to be included in Plus, it should be Stila, Urban Decay, Smashbox, Lancome, etc., it should be high end. I’d be thrilled to get a basic black liquid liner from any of those types of brands. It also grinds me when they put an item in the regular glam bag (example: a Huda lippie) and then charge the $12 add on price. If it’s a $12 add on, keep it out of the regular glam bag! Smh…