IPSY is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. For $13 per month, you get five full-size or deluxe-sized products, plus a cute makeup bag.
This is one of our top recommendations if you are looking for a subscription box - the value and sample sizes are amazing. (FYI – Ipsy sends out many different variations of their bag each month – so my review is just one of the bag variations you might receive!)
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First Impressions
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Your IPSY Glam bag will come in their standard pale pink bubble wrap mailer. When you open it up, you can always expect to find a makeup bag storing your new beauty products and an info sheet with additional details.
Every month you receive a makeup bag in addition to your five products. This month's bag was an incredibly cute pale pink bag covered with daisies and a daisy-shaped enamel zipper pull.
The Breakdown – What’s Inside My April 2022 Ipsy Bag
Note: If you're wondering where my March review is, you're not alone. My March bag actually got lost during transit. I could tell by the way there were no updates to the status that the package has been lost by March 28th, however, when I reached out to customer service they told me my bag should arrive "no later than April 5th." April 5th came and went with no sign of my bag and no updates on the tracking number, so I contacted customer service again and my replacement bag was processed on April 12, however the bag didn't arrive until the last full week in April- after my April glam bag had already arrived. Ipsy did include an extra sixth item as an apology of sorts, and I am glad I eventually got the bag, but I wish the process was a little more streamlined.
Benton Deep Green Tea Toner, 30 mL - Estimated Value $3.20 (buy the 150 mL version for $16)
I've tried this toner before because Benton products appear frequently in my K-Beauty subscription boxes, but I am happy to have this mini version of their hydrating toner. It's formulated with green tea water as the first ingredient (is green tea water just.... tea?) along with green tea leaf, seed, and root extracts, and I find it to be really hydrating and soothing while absorbing quickly into my skin.
Context Skin Nude Balm in Girlschool, 5.6 g - Retail Value $20
I love when we receive a full-size item in our glam bags that retail for more than the cost of the entire bag, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this lip balm from Context Skin. It's a sheer nude pink color that looked really pretty when I applied it, and it was really nourishing to my lips and comfortable to wear thanks to an ingredients list that features prickly pear extract, vitamin E, and candelilla wax.
COSRX Master Patch Intensive, 36 ct - Retail Value $12
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This was my choice item this month.
I have been dealing with what feels like a constant hormonal acne breakout along my chin and jawline, so as soon as I saw these pimple patches were a choice option it was a no-brainer to select them. And, honestly? I think these may be the best pimple patches I have ever tried. They're oval-shaped instead of a perfect circle and are a little bigger than your typical patch, which means these are perfect for covering those spots where I have two pimples forming right next to one another. The hydrocolloid material is infused with tea tree oil and salicylic acid to help the pimples heal more quickly, and the patches have a tapered edge so they look more seamless when you're wearing them (I'm not scheduled to meet with clients today, so I actually wore one to work and have it on my chin as I type). They really aren't that noticeable when you wear them unless you have a pimple with a lot of fluid that the patch is able to absorb, in which case the patch will become a cloudy-white shade as it absorbs that gunk from the pimple. I had one pimple that I used these on that was genuinely flat the next morning when I removed the patch. Honestly, at the end of the year, don't be surprised if you see these on a roundup post of my favorite 2022 subscription box discoveries. I do think this is a newly reformulated version of the Intensive Master Patches from CosRx- only the CosRx website has these patches in packaging that matches the product I received. Ulta sells these, but they come packaged in yellow. I'm not sure if they're exactly the same but I will be finding out soon- these have quickly become a must-have product for me, so I included a set in my recent Ulta order.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, 5 mL - Estimated Value $4.25 (buy the 40 mL version for $34)
I'm not quite sure if I have fully figured out these dew drops from Glow Recipe yet. It's a niacinamide-infused highlighting serum designed to give your skin a glowy, radiant finish, and you can use it as a serum before your moisturizer or as the last step in your skincare routine. I think where this would work best for me is using it on the high points of my face, but I don't know if I am supposed to apply it before or after my sunscreen. When I tried this out I didn't find it to feel heavy or greasy on my skin, and I liked the light watermelon scent that faded quickly. If you use this product, how do you make it work?
Kokie Professional Micro-Fine Brow Pencil in Dark Brown, 0.08 g - Retail Value $8
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This brow pencil was a solid miss for me. I don't really like brow pencils as it is because I am much more of a "swipe and go" kind of gal, but as soon as I picked up this pencil I was turned off by how lightweight it was- the first thought to cross my mind was that it felt cheap. I love affordable products, but I don't want them to feel so flimsy that if I press too hard I'll snap the product in half. This features a fine-tipped brow pencil on one side and a spoolie on the other, and I'll admit the dark brown shade was a good color for me.
Here is the brow pencil swatched above the lip balm.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $13
Value Breakdown:
- Benton: $3.20 → $0.91
- Context Skin: $20 → $5.70
- COSRX: $12 → $3.15
- Glow Recipe: $4.25 → $1.21
- Kokie Cosmetics: $8 → $2.28
This month everything in my Glam Bag added up to $45.65, which is pretty solid for a $13 subscription box. Alternatively, it breaks down to paying $2.60 per item, not including the actual bag.
Key Takeaways
Honestly, even though the Kokie Cosmetics brow pencil was a miss for me, I found my April Glam Bag to be stellar because I truly loved the CosRx pimple patches and Context Skin lip balm so much- if my bag had only included those two items, I still would say it was worth the $13 price. It's rare I get something in a subscription box and re-order it within a month of trying it, but that's exactly what happened with the pimple patches. The Benton and Glow Recipe samples were nice- I'm happy to have a TSA-friendly sample of that toner ready to travel, and while I am still working out how to best use the dew drops it's fun to get something that is so wildly popular on Instagram and TikTok. Ipsy is one of the most affordable subscription boxes out there, and I love being able to look forward to getting my new bag every month (and being able to select one item in each month's bag, too).
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Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, but sign up now to get the May bag!
Am I able to customize my bag? Yes, towards the end of each month you are given the ability to choose one product to be included in next month's Glam Bag!
What do you think of my April 2022 Ipsy Glam Bag?
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