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Ipsy Review – November 2019

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Nov 16, 2019 | 50 comments

Ipsy November 2019 makeup subscription review

Ipsy
4 overall rating
1811 Ratings | 298 Reviews

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month you get full-size or deluxe-sized products, plus a cute makeup bag.

This is one of Liz’s top recommendations if you are looking for a subscription box - the value and sample sizes are amazing. (Check out our list of the best beauty boxes for 2019 and our reviews of Cheap Subscription Boxes for more recommendations!)

(FYI – Just like Birchbox, Ipsy sends out many different variations of their bag each month – so my review is just one of the bag variations you might receive!)

opening pink mailer to show leopard print bag

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

group shot with all products

About Ipsy Glam Bag

The Subscription Box: Ipsy

The Cost: $12 a month + free US shipping. Save with an annual subscription.

The Products: Full-sizes and samples of makeup and beauty products. (Plus a makeup bag!)

Ships to: The US for free and Canada for $2.95

Delivered via: DHL or FedEx + USPS

Visit the Ipsy Swap Page to swap for any of the items you see in this review!

My Ipsy Glam Bag November 2019 Review

cover of info card full item list with info back of info card

Included is a card detailing each of the items.

 

Each month, Ipsy subscribers get a makeup bag in addition to their items. This month was a very cute mini leopard print made of a tan, brown, and blush color palette. I really like it!

 

Eva NYC Freshen Up Dry Shampoo, 0.75 oz -  Estimated Value $1.70 (Buy 5.3 oz for $12.00)

I am a maybe 2-3 times a week shampoo-er, so dry shampoo is a must in my routine to keep my hair big and fluffy like I like it! This little spray is the perfect purse size and I enjoy the design. I like pretty things! It works just fine and it has a fresh, clean scent that is just a little sweet.

 

IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, 0.237 fl oz - Estimated Value $5.69 (Buy a full-size 2 fl oz for $48.00)

This is one of my mom's HG products that she uses daily. Since I gifted her a full-size pot recently, I think I will keep this for myself. It is a great cream for anyone who has dry skin or who wants to add some anti-aging to their routine. It has all the good stuff: ceramides, oatmeal, hyaluronic acid, shea, vitamin E, and more! I like the super thick texture and how nicely it absorbs.

 

dome BEAUTY Cheek Envy Blush in 'English Rose', 2.5 g - Full Size! Retail Value $28.00

I also received a blush last month, but since I am a total blush-o-holic, I don't mind. Especially since this shade is another winner! This is a very subtle blush color-wise, but pick up too much with your brush and you will know it! Loads of pigment here and it just takes the tiniest amount to give a natural peachy pink flush. I like this shade a lot because it is still pink enough to make me smile, but a little more subdued than some of my others.

This is an easy win for me.

 

Layba Nail Polish in 'Sexy in Jeans', 5 ml

I have never heard of this brand and I had a hard time locating any info on it that wasn't in Italian. This made-in-Italy polish is a really pretty blue color with a little purple. As far as blues go, it is really sophisticated! I wasn't crazy about the watery formula, but it did coat nicely. The image below is of 2 coats.

A truly interesting blue.

 

Gigi Gorgeous Living Lip Balm in Natalia, 4 g - Retail Value $14.00

I am happy to report that I think this collab is miles better than Betty Boop was and also nicer than Tetris too! The packaging is really pretty and I love the minimal white and lilac color-blocking. Interestingly enough, it does say manufactured by Gigi Gorgeous Cosmetics LLC with an address that belongs to a talent agency in Los Angeles, so maybe this isn't Ipsy made? It is an Ipsy exclusive, like the rest of the collection. I have no clue. Aside from these mysteries, I really like this balm and I think it is nice that a celeb collab included such a basic necessity. It has a slight vanilla scent that is pleasant and is made with vitamin E and sunflower oils for hydration. The retail value seems high for a basic balm, but I am happy to have this in my bag this month.

Verdict: This Ipsy Glam Bag had some good stuff in it. I actually enjoyed everything, though the formula of the nail polish was not my favorite. The blush was my top pick this month and I am happy it was a full-size item. I am pleasantly surprised by the Gigi balm, and the dry shampoo and cream will certainly be used. The overall value lands somewhere around $49.39 even without the polish so it was a good month value-wise too! 

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.

Good to Know: Ipsy sends out variations. You may get a completely different bag than me.

Value Breakdown: At $12 for this box, each of the 5 items (not including the makeup bag) has an average cost of $2.40.

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

Visit the Ipsy Swap Page to swap for any of the items you see in this review!

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

What do you think of my November Ipsy Glam Bag? What items did you get in your bag?

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IPSY Glam Bag is one of the most popular and affordable subscriptions around, and our readers have selected it as one of the top beauty boxes for the last 5 years running! IPSY Glam Bag connects members with five makeup, skincare, hair care, and other beauty sample... read more.

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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50 comments

Melissa

I was very surprised when I opened my bag and found an eyeshadow palette. I assumed it was a mistake, but then became hopeful that it was like some sort of bonus for being subscribed for a while. I decided to see what add-ons I had ordered, and it turned out that I had ordered some sheet masks, which were not included, so they sent me the wrong item, and a more valuable one at that. So now I have to reach out to Ipsy care. *sigh* I have seen other people post about mistakes in their orders, but this is the first one I have had.

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Leanne Greisen

Loved my bag contents, although the make up bag itself wasn’t really my style. That’s ok because my 4-year-old has decided he is “Cheetah Boy,” a super hero that is as fast as a cheetah. This makeup bag now holds, “all the things that give him super powers.” Including a Lego block, a plastic head necklace, and an emp candy wrapper. Ipsy has something for everyone 😋

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ajyates20

Sooo… I got the exact same things in my bag. The EXACT SAME. While I didn’t particularly mind this month’s bag, I have decided that I have been spending waaayy too much money on GB and GBP every month, and that if I’m not going to be getting consistently fantastic brands, shades, and variety of products, it is no longer worth my time and money. Don’t get me wrong, I am an Ipsy devotee and I love most of what they have to offer and the prices are just too good to pass up, but when only 2/5 things appeal to me on average every month, I get an overload of products, and wind up feeling like I have lost money in the long run… While this may not be true, I’m about ready to give Ipsy a break. Let’s hope December is wowing… otherwise I might have to press pause.

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Alice

Thars how I started feeling about Birchbox.

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Li

I love everything I received in my bag, I had IT cream, Verso skincare serum,pixi eyeshadow duo, royal brush and Gigi setting powder, three of them have been already in use, and I am pleasant with them, will be considering to purchase the full size. Now I am excited for December bag, Ipsy!

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Darlene

My comments outlining what I received aren’t being posted so I’ll just say I enjoyed everything in my bag this month.

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Darlene

I loved everything in my bag. I got the same It brand face cream, a pretty blush,The Balm liquid highlighter, a serum and a makeup brush. I don’t think any of my stuff was the Gigi brand but if it was I’m ok with that because I loved everything. I don’t care for the actual bag but no big deal.

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Angela

Love everything in your bag! I loved mine also but would have been equally thrilled maybe even a tad more with yours! 🙂

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Alice

I would never tell anyone what to use or not use when it relates to cosmetics or anything else. It’s a personal decision. My personal decision is to use the products I love, talc or no talc. I’ll definitely try the Gigi product in my GB. I’ve said this before on this site – I’m a late 50s baby. There is no doubt that I was doused in talc powder. Everyone was, adult, child, infant. Decades later it was still commonly used. Even today. Sure, everyone is aware of the new talc research. Most people use very little of it day to day now. I’m not going to fret over the tiny bit of it, in the tiny bit of makeup I use. I’m definitely exposed to far worse pollutants and carcinogens in my day to day existence. Use it or not use it. Subscribe or unsubscribe. Personal decision.

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Dawna

For me, talc isn’t simply a decision of wether or not I want to use it or not. It’s actually causing rashes.

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amber

Can someone please tell me why my comment with a link to the nail polish, on the company’s own website, with information on the retail value…. was deleted? In the last few days, I’ve had at least 4 comments deleted off of this site, and I’m starting to get really irritated with the comment policing

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Ab

Might want to double check your link is just below scroll down and Chill

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amber

Chill?? My comment was up and then removed, along with the responses. Get out with your nasty attitude

Dawna

I have been looking at the ingredients on packaging that has them and going to the brands name website and reading the ingredients listed there.

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Marion

I decided to reactivate my old glam bag account (from when you had to have separate accounts for glam bag + plus) to get the Violet Voss bonus palette, so I got an extra glam bag this month with no product choice customization, & it was very similar to Megan’s. It has the lip balm, moisturizer, & dry shampoo. Instead of the nail polish, I got the Huda lip strobe in Fearless (YES!) & the Wander beauty highlighter.

There’s still 13 things I would have liked to try that were sent out in November bags that I would have liked to try, but didn’t receive in either of my 2 glam bags. Think I should get a 3rd? XD XD XD

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Julia

I normally stick to classic colors for nail polish, but I really liked this particular shade of blue. I did not like the watery forumla though and it took me four coats to acheive coverage.

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Megan K.

I do love the color too. I feel like I only got away with two heavy coats because I already had polish on maybe? If this was a thicker polish, I would be SO into it.

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Dawna

I didn’t get this, but I love colors like this on my toes. I was contemplating wether or not to get this if it’s ever a rewards points item or add on. So, I appreciate knowing this.
I got a pretty thin nail polish once but I loved the color. Someone suggested using a nude color as the base coat and it worked.

katie

I do like the color of that polish!

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amber

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SquirrelyGirl

Then we can afford to buy other colors if we like the formula. Btw, your comment with the link is showing up fine

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amber

It was up, and then removed for some time, along with the responses. It’s happened a lot lately. Start counting the number of comments that show up on posts and compare to the # of comments. Lately a lot of them are not matching up.

Holly

I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and saying it’s worth 3.90 Euros so it’s $4.31. A really nice blue – got it in my bag, too ☺️

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amber

Their own website lists it at 2.10 euros

Dawna

Idk… I’ve been loyal to Ipsy for about 3 1/2 years. This year, they just seem more and more off. I got the same blush as shown in this review. It’s not a shade that works for me and then there’s the fact that the main ingredient is talc. Daughter isn’t going to use that. I got the Gigi Gorgeous face powder, and what were they thinking?! It’s talc and aluminum! Is it face powder or antiperspirant for your face? The ingredients are that of my great great grandmother’s era! For a company that is always preaching about natural ingredients and being ingredient conscious, someone at Ipsy sure wasn’t paying any attention to the ingredients going into this awful collaboration! I read a lot of the reviews on ipsys website and they aren’t good. The Gigi powder went from the Glambag to the trash. I did open it and smell it. It smells like what I thought it would, old lady muff powder! That’s what the ingredients are and that’s what it smells like… My review of it has been taken down from ipsys website. Guess they didn’t like me pointing out the toxic ingredients.

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Dawn

My review was removed as well, so I blasted the entire bag on Facebook. I received that awful powder and essentially two bronzers. Never use the stuff. I threw all three in the trash. The Gigi talc powder was broken into tiny pieces as a bonus. I regret the annual sub. I should have skipped the collab bag.

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Kc

The Betty Boop blush palette also has talc in it so I haven’t used it. Ingredients need to be improved.

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Dawna

Omg! Even Tarte is talc!

Dawna

I just don’t understand the use of talc in certain products when there are better options out there.
I recently went through my makeup and other products to see what needs to be used up or tossed. After reading the ingredients on some of the products from Ipsy, I decided to look at some of my all time favorites and I’m shocked! I generally keep 2 blush shades, one darker then the other, winter & summer & blend in between. Tarte replaced my lighter shade, but sadly, my all time favorite is probably the culprit for the irritation on my cheeks because it’s talc. Dang it! So, I’m actually going through everything again and looking up the ingredients. I know what’s in my lotion, shampoo and conditioner, and I am aware of what is in my antiperspirant/deodorant. I have tried deodorants without the antiperspirant and I just can’t do it. Yesterday, I went without any foundation and used concealer, tinted face powder, blush & mascara. Blush and powder both by the same brand, main ingredient in both is talc. 😕 This would explain why my face looks irritated today. I just hadn’t put it together until now… I guess I should thank Ipsy for making me more conscious of what I’m putting on my face. Old habits die hard! But, I guess I gotta toss some old favorites.

Jody

Love the blue shade of polish. Sad month for my teen daughter as she got the It cream! An oily teenager and they sent that? I shouldn’t be surprised because we were bag twins not too long ago. I don’t think the profile does much good.

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Alice R

Use it as hand cream, foot cream, elbows and knees. Nothing goes to waste in my house!

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Darlene

First Aid products are always too heavy for my face but they are great as foot or hand cream.

Kristin

I agree I also use on my chest and neck.

Chalsey

I have extremely oily skin and am 23. Moisturizers and serums are still in my daily routine just after cleansing. Cleansers dry the face out. Also, a lot of people with oily skin really have dry skin that is overcompensating and dumping oils to moisturize. I’d have her dabble with different methods.

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Sarah

I’m in my mid 40’s. I used to get appropriate skincare from Ipsy, but now I’m getting stuff for acne and oily skin??? I do have the it Cosmetics cream shown above. It will be fine for her to use at night. I have my acne prone teen using facial oil at night and it is actually helping.
Writing into Ipsycare about Ipsy not matching helps if you do it a few times.

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Crystal

I can’t even use the it cream as an acne prone adult. Ran the ingredients through the website my dermatologist gave me and it has several trigger ingredients. Especially since it’s a trial size I would say don’t have your teen try it.