Facebook PixelIpsy January 2021 Review: Sugar Cosmetics, Item Beauty, and More! | MSA
My Subscription Addiction
My Subscription Addiction
Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.

Ipsy January 2021 Review: Sugar Cosmetics, Item Beauty, and More!

Naomi Pandolfi
ByNaomi PandolfiJan 22, 2021 | 16 comments

Envelope for Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021

Ipsy
4 overall rating
1811 Ratings | 298 Reviews

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month you get 5 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 2020 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!)

Envelope Open for Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021

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

Full Contents for Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021

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

My Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021 Review

 

Card Inside for Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021

Included is a card that usually details each of the items but also outlines beauty tips and tricks, as well as an exciting introduction for Ipsy refreshments! I, for one, am super intrigued by this new 2021 introduction by Ipsy.

 

Each month, Ipsy subscribers get a makeup bag in addition to their items. This month's theme is "Dream It." I love the waterproof texture and the transparent design.

 

Complex Culture Time Pressed Lip Balm, 2.3 g - Estimated Value $9.20 (Buy a full-size 3 g for $12.00)

Wearing a mask all the time has given this girl a case of crusty lips. It is the worst! This Complex Culture Time Pressed Lip Balm could not have come at a better time. The silky-smooth formula is enriched with vitamin E, jojoba oil, and squalane for maximum hydration. This sleek, modern-looking balm has found its place on my nightstand for both morning and night applications. With its light, refreshing peppermint scent, this balm moisturizes and instantly polishes my lips, leaving behind a cute glisten.

 

KINSHIP Naked Papaya Gentle Enzyme Face Cleanser, 15 g - Estimated Value $2.21 (Buy a full-size 149 g for $22.00)

This Kinship Naked Papaya Gentle Enzyme Face Cleanser smells like a delicious fruit smoothie. With amazing ingredients like papaya, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, and Kinbiome, this cleanser strikes the perfect balance between leaving my skin feeling fresh and clean while still being gentle enough not to strip and dry my face, leaving behind soft glowing skin. I am super sensitive to scented skincare products, but this cleanser is so sensitive and pleasant that I find it very enjoyable to use. I would definitely purchase this product at full-size.

 

Item Beauty Air Hug Concealer in Medium Warm (#340),  2.4 ml - Estimated Value $4.00 (Buy a full-size 10.8 ml for $18.00)

I have found my new fave concealer! Item Beauty’s Air Hug Concealer in Medium Warm offers me full-coverage while still being incredibly lightweight. It is an “air hug” for your face. I have been filming a project all this week and have used this concealer every single day from dawn ’til dusk. It’s done a commendable job hiding the dark raccoon circles under my eyes, breakouts, and dark spots. The shade works perfectly with my skin tone, and this concealer has a perfect consistency — airy, creamy, and hydrating. It applies seamlessly without ever creasing, caking, or fading, and is cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and dermatologist-tested for sensitive skin. Don’t sleep on Item Beauty; their concealer is definitely a win!

 

Here is a swatch of the Item Beauty Air Hug Concealer in Medium Warm (#340). Check out the scar the concealer completely covered!

 

Firma Beauty 403 Round Blending Brush, 1 pc, FULL SIZE! - Retail Value $14.99

If you know me, you know I’m the kind of no-fuss girl who applies eyeshadow with a finger. But Firma Beauty’s 403 Round Blending Brush has had me stepping up my game and getting all fancy with my shadows. The brush has silky synthetic vegan bristles and works well with cream and powder products. Blending and shading are a breeze with this brush; it’s not too densely packed or too stiff. The soft and fluffy bristles make the application seamless.

 

Sugar Cosmetics Matte As Hell Crayon Lipstick in Viola, 2.5 g - Estimated Value $18.74 (Buy a full-size 2.8 g for $20.99)

Sugar Cosmetics brought their A-game with this super soft and creamy Matte as Hell Lip Crayon in Viola. The texture is silky and the color is to obsess over. I love the deep, rich rosy shade. The lip crayon goes on smoothly, offers full-coverage, is highly pigmented, and stays vibrant all day long. This crayon is definitely matte, so be advised and moisturize that pucker before applying. This product will elevate a Zoom look so quick, your head will spin, lol.

Sugar Cosmetics Matte as Hell Lip Crayon in Viola Swatch for Ipsy Glam Bag January 2021

Here is a swatch of the Sugar Cosmetics Matte As Hell Crayon Lipstick in Viola.

Verdict:  I really enjoyed this month’s Ipsy Glam Bag. The concealer from Item Beauty was excellent. I love how it’s lightweight but also full coverage. I’m also happy to receive the Complex Culture lip balm. You can never have too much balm when it comes to crusty lips. Sugar Cosmetics delivered with the silky texture and beautiful rich color of the Viola Lip Crayon. The Kinship Naked Papaya Cleanser is so gentle and literally could not smell more delicious. Lastly, the Firma Beauty Brush, I love how the soft, fluffy bristles make blending a breeze. With a retail value of $49.14 on a $12 bag, the Ipsy Glam Bag delivers the best bang for your buck yet again.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, sign up now to get the February bag!

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

Value Breakdown: At $12 for this box, I calculated a value of $49.14. Here's how that breaks down per item:

  • Lip Balm: $2.25
  • Cleanser: $0.54
  • Concealer: $0.98
  • Brush: $3.66
  • Lip Crayon: $4.57

Alternatively, each of the 5 items has an average cost of $2.40.

Check out all of our Ipsy reviews and the best beauty subscription boxes of 2020, as recommended by our readers!

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

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

Starting at $14.00
Subscribe Now

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.

Naomi Pandolfi
Naomi Pandolfi

Naomi Pandolfi is a skincare obsessed subscription box junkie who is always on the hunt for the best curl defining cream. She is a producer and contributing writer at several online publications, including MSA, The Knockturnal, and Hey Beauti Magazine. Naomi is also the Head of Development at Starfury Productions and is dedicated to helping Black, minority, and underrepresented creators develop and sell projects.


Join the Conversation

Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.

16 comments

Jamey

I wish you and my subscribers addiction did more reviews with photos of the process and how the items look on…I know a couple girls do it and it’s the beat ones to read every month

Reply ButtonReply

Jacki

I didn’t get any of these things, but I enjoyed your review! The sugar lip crayon is gorgeous

Reply ButtonReply

Kate

I’m really disappointed in Ipsy this month. All my products are clear like a face wash, a brush, a moisturizer, a leave in conditioner, and a mask. Plus, it’s taking forever to get to through DHL, I ordered add ons after the bag shipped and they were here a week ago. My profile is the lowest priority on skincare so I don’t know how I ended up with this bag.

Reply ButtonReply

Charlotte

Great review! I appreciate the rundown on the Item beauty concealer. I’d kinda given their products a pass because it was an influencer’s brand, but I ended up loving Brow Chow and that concealer sounds right up my alley. Hoping Ipsy has it available as an add-on at some point.

Reply ButtonReply

Marion

Honestly, Item Beauty isn’t even an influencer’s brand. It’s an Ipsy brand that uses an influencer’s face to seem like it’s not an Ipsy brand.

Reply ButtonReply

SheriH

Great review! My teen daughter loves her Ipsy.

Reply ButtonReply

nikkim

Not sure if it’s the exact same one but that I got an eye brush in an Ipsy a long time ago by that brand and it is one of my favorite eye brushes I use! I love that it’s really fluffy, but not large in size. I love that thing lol Mine has like a teal tip. And item beauty, I have tried their mascara and liked it. Really curious about that concealer, great review!

Reply ButtonReply

Jennifer

I got the Complex Culture lipbalm, and it was all right. I don’t “love” it – probably doesn’t crack my top 10 – but I don’t dislike it, either. It’s moisturizing for a couple of hours, but there is just something weird about the texture. The plastic case was a little chinzy and arrived askew, so I wonder if it might have slightly dried out or degraded some of the oils?

I also got the Sugar lip crayon which I haven’t tried yet, but I’m pretty excited for. I can’t wait to try the salmon cream, too, and the sample size was so much larger than I expected!

The bag was clear, which I didn’t expect – thought from the first spoilers it was white – so I actually ended up liking the bag itself way more than expected. Since it’s clear, I could probably get away with using this as a toiletry bag for airplane trips.

Reply ButtonReply

Jemnifer

My Raw sugar balm duo I bought as an add on arrived today, and I love the watermelon mint! It was the one marked “moisture loving” and it is very hydrating. I like it a lot better than the CC balm. (Though I’d still give the complex culture a 7 out of 10. This watermelon mint Raw Sugar balm is easily a 9 for me, though!)

Reply ButtonReply

Randie

I would have loved to see pics of the concealer and lip products in action.

Reply ButtonReply

Sherri

I grabbed that lip balm as an add-on (I’m a bit lip balm obsessed) and I love it!

Reply ButtonReply

Tat

Is Liz back?
Proofreading. Is. Good.

Reply ButtonReply

Kimberly Gonzales

Still waiting on my Dec bag. They sent a replacement but that won’t leave the warehouse for 10-15 days

Reply ButtonReply

Jen R

Kimberly, I’m in the exact same boat as you! My December bag got stuck somewhere in the transition between DHL and USPS, and is actually my second bag in six months where that’s happened and they’ve had to resend my bag. Luckily they also agreed to resend the free Refreshments starter pack that was supposed to be included, so I’ll finally get to try those things two months after everyone else. Sigh…

Reply ButtonReply

Doxy Mama

I’m with you guys. My GBP arrived on time and no Ipsy base. I had a weird “reveal” email where they showed me the mascara that was I getting. It was labeled as a sneak peek. Guys, you ARE Ipsy. I’ve known what to expect in my bag at the FIRST reveal (weeks ago). I’m sorry to say that your game isn’t nearly as close to your stellar customer service you used to have. Maybe it’s time? I think I’m headed over to Ali Express…..you guys look for my new palette in a month.

Nicolette

Ty for your review! You received great products and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them! That lip crayon is beautiful

Reply ButtonReply