IPSY Glam Bag Plus is a $25 a month subscription box from IPSY. Every month you’ll receive 5 full-sized beauty products. The box will have a retail value of at least $120. (This box was voted as a best makeup subscription box and a best beauty subscription box by MSA readers!)
FYI, COVID-19 Update: Keep up-to-date on Ipsy shipping delays right here.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About IPSY Glam Bag Plus
The Subscription Box: IPSY Glam Bag Plus
The Cost: $25 a month (free US shipping)
The Products: Full-size makeup and beauty products every month.
Ships to: The US for free
Our IPSY Glam Bag Plus September 2020 Review
Here is our info card complete with all of our items.
This is the second month of the new drawstring-style bags for the Plus level subscription and this one was a deep burgundy corduroy fabric.
It was also the second month of choice! Subscribers can pick THREE items per month with IPSY selecting the remaining two.
Now, on to the items!
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in 'Bite Your Kiss', 14 mL - Retail Value $18.00
This was my choice item!
Of course, I just had to choose this nail polish! I love Smith & Cult and they are one of those brands that sticks around nicely on my peeling prone nails. This deep eggplant shade is moody and oh-so fall ready. It is also a two coater, IMO. The first coat is sheer a little streaky and looks like a jelly. Add coat number two and you have a deeper jelly with a flawless finish. It looks almost black but there is enough purple here to give it a very interesting take on a bad gal fall mani.
Dark shades like this are super difficult to apply to my tiny nails without a little mess, but this application was easier than many others out there because the brush isn't huge inside this bottle.
Nature's Cartel Cream Eyeshadow Trio in Champagne Scandal, Tan Lines From Tahiti, and 90's Nude
FYI: I couldn't find these same shades in cream formulas, but I did find them in pressed pans here!
This was my choice item!
I snagged this trio as my second item choice this month. I don't really need more shadows but these shades looked pretty and I liked that these were creams. These are pretty sheer but very buildable, and super smooth and buttery. You could actually probably use them as highlight and contour shades if you really wanted to. I loved each of them on my lids because they had that very trendy sort of sheer shimmer look that stayed put all day. These shades also fit really well into most of my minimal "no makeup" looks. All in all, these are pretty and versatile, and I am happy I picked 'em!
Pretty, pretty, pretty.
Dr. Brant Skincare PoreDermabrasion, 2 oz – Retail Value $58.00
This was my choice item!
I specifically picked this item because I wanted to compare it to another exfoliating fave of mine, Kate Somerville's Exfolikate! One of the biggest differences is that this formula uses micro-size aluminum oxide crystals while Exfolikate uses silica for the physical exfoliation element. The aluminum crystals felt smaller on my face and a little more gentle. Both exfoliators use salicylic acid for chemical exfoliation. Exfolikate also has the addition of lactic acid and I will say I liked that formula a little more than this one, though both are pretty great and give similar results. Simply add a little to your damp face, and massage for a minute. You can then leave this on for 1-2 minutes then rinse off with water. I recommend rinsing in the shower because you really want to be sure to get all those crystals safely off your face! I tend to use something like this 1-2 times a week to help with my overall skin texture and shrink my giant pores.
STARSKIN Close-Up Coconut Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Firming Face – Retail Value $12.07 (€10)
STARSKIN Glowstar Foaming Peeling Perfection Puff – Retail Value $12.07 (€10)
IPSY chose this for me!
STARSKIN makes one of my favorite masks, but I wasn't a huge fan of this month's mask. It was one of those cellulose sorts that feel like actual skin on your face, but It felt kind of dry somehow? I highly recommend applying the excess serum to your face before applying the mask, but this still was one that felt dry after like 5 minutes. Meh. The yellow pouch wasn't a mask at all, but some sort of magical peel puff! I opened the outer sleeve and inside was a smaller pouch of liquid and a branded puff. I opened the smaller pouch, added a few drops of water, and poured it in the bigger one, massaging it to create a mixture. I then soaked the puff and rubbed it on my face for about 3 minutes. Then, a rinse with water! I did find this left my face feeling ridiculously awesome. But the steps are a bit of a hassle. You can actually store the puff inside the mixture to use a few times, but you'll need a ziplock bag unless you want to spill it everywhere.
There actually is a puff inside the yellow pack along with a smaller pouch of peeling liquid.
And here is a peek at the peeling liquid!
PUREHEALS Centella 80 Eye Cream, 30 mL – Estimated Value $? (buy a 15 mL pot for $33.90)
IPSY chose this item for me!
IPSY surely knows I am a Centella enthusiast! I really love this calming ingredient. I also liked this gel sort of eye cream. It has many delights inside! A few callouts (other than my beloved cica) include niacinamide, squalane, tea antioxidants, sodium hyaluronate, and more! It actually has so many different things I would literally want to see in an eye cream to provide hydration, reduce irritation, and soften fine lines. The interesting thing about this product is that this tube is literally twice the size of the pot you can buy directly from the brand, which leaves its retail value as a point of confusion for me. Either way, I love it and I am glad it's in my bag!
Verdict: I am pretty pleased with my IPSY Glam Bag Plus this month! I am loving the option to pick three items. IPSY did a fine job selecting my other items, thought he mask was a bit of a bust. Who knew? Otherwise, the value and brands inside were great for my tastes. I love the nail polish and eye shadows and plan on using them a lot this fall. The Dr. Brant exfoliator is pretty great, and of course, I loved that eye cream. Super excited for choice next month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You'll likely start with September as your first month. As of publication, there was no IPSY waitlist!
Value Breakdown: I totaled a value of around $100, not including the Nature's Cartel Cream Eyeshadow Trio and PUREHEELS Centella 80 Eye Cream. This box costs $25 meaning each of the 5 items has an average cost of $5.00. I calculated both masks as a single item and the trip of shadows as a single kit, though you can buy all of these items individually.
Check out all of our IPSY Glam Bag Plus reviews and our favorite beauty and makeup subscriptions!
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What do you think of the September IPSY Glam Bag Plus? Which items did you get?
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