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.
One of the perks of being an Ipsy subscriber is access to their shop- along with discounted products and bundles, you can also shop mystery bags! This is a review of the Ipsy Bling It On Mystery Bag, which is still available for purchase but only available for current subscribers.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes).
First Impressions
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This mystery bag comes with six items and a pearlescent, sequined makeup bag to store all of your loot. I think the bag is beautiful, but heads up: the material isn't smooth and leans a little scratchy.
Here's a screenshot of what the description looks like from my personal Ipsy account.
The Breakdown – What’s Inside My Ipsy "Bling It On" Mystery Glam Bag
Grace & Stella Foaming Face Wash, 2 oz - Retail Value $9
Truly, there's something to be said for a foaming face wash that dispenses the cleanser in an already foamy state. Most foaming cleansers foam up when you add water and massage it into your skin, and usually I find those cleansers drying to my skin. When the cleanser dispenses and it's already foamy like a cloud, it's oftentimes a lot more gentle to my skin. This is cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and has rose water, aloe, and hyaluronic acid- it's a solid-performing second cleanse to have in your travel-sized skincare arsenal.
Briogeo Superfoods Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Hair Mask, 1 oz - Estimated Value $4.87 (buy the 8 oz version for $39)
I've used this hair mask before, and while it isn't my all-time favorite, it is definitely a solid performing hair mask. If I were to rank this hair mask among popular hair masks, I like this one more than Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair! mask, but not nearly as much as I like the Amika Soulfood mask (if you've heard of none of these, you may think I am a little crazy. That's okay. I can assure you that even if you have heard of all of these hair masks, I am still a little crazy). As the name implies this mask is made with avocado oil and kiwi extract, and this also has nutrient-rich spinach, aloe, biotin, and cocoa seed butter. When it comes to solely adding moisture to my curls it does a good job, but it doesn't help as much as I need it to with detangling my hair. I do like that this doesn't weigh my hair down at all- those with fine or thin hair should still be able to use it with success.
TONYMOLY Plump-Kin Retinol Eye Cream, 10 mL - Estimated Value $8.33 (buy the 30 mL version for $25)
If you've read my recent TONYMOLY monthly bundle review you know I am a big fan of this brand and their cute products. I didn't even know TONYMOLY made a retinol eye cream, but I liked this. It's also made with pumpkin extract and ginger, and this had a mid-weight texture that absorbed into my skin easily (honestly, I was expecting something a little thicker). Sometimes I have issues with products making my eyes burn and water, I didn't have any problems here. The full-size version of this eye cream looks like it comes packaged in a mini pumpkin, so I wouldn't be surprised if I bought this for myself in the future.
Sophia + Mabelle Tinted Lip Oil in Beach Please, 0.13 oz - Retail Value $20
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Most of the time if a Glam Bag (mystery or otherwise) is going to come with a full-size product, it'll typically be a lip balm/lip oil or eye liner/lip liner. Sometimes it's a little lackluster, and sometimes you're pleasantly surprised by how much you like the item. Luckily, This tinted lip oil falls in the second category! I like how it's on the thicker side and feels like it creates a nourishing barrier over my lips the way a gloss would, while still providing some hydration to my lips (vitamin E and shea oil will do that). This has a light pink tint that I find to be quite pretty- it's much more sheer on your lips compared to how it looks in the tube, and overall I have really enjoyed using this.
Shades by Shan Eyeshadow Duo in Honey Peach and Tangerine, 2.2 g - Retail Value $12
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This eyeshadow duo is perfect for travel, and I was really happy with the pigment payoff of the shades. One shade is a matte peach neutral shade while the other is a shimmery champagne rose, and they complement each other really well and looked great on my blue eyes. I used this when was in a bit of a hurry, and I applied the matte shade all over my lid before patting the shimmery shade in the center- I thought the end result was pretty while also being a very wearable look.
Half Caked In Bloom Blush in Liv on Sunday, 1.8 g - Estimated Value $4.26 (buy the 3.8 g version for $9)
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This blush was the one item in the Mystery Bag that fell flat for me. I gave it a fair chance even though I am a blush-averse person, but the warm-toned burnt-apricot shade looked ruddy on my cheeks, and even though I went in with a light hand, it was still hard to blend out.
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Here I am wearing the Shades by Shan eyeshadow, Half Caked Blush (tempered with some of my powder foundation), and the Sophia + Mabelle lip oil.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $14
Value Breakdown:
- Grace & Stella: $9 → $2.15
- Briogeo: $4.87 → $1.17
- TONYMOLY: $8.33 → $1.99
- Sophia + Mabelle: $20 → $4.79
- Shades by Shan: $12 → $2.87
- Half Caked: $4.26 → $1.02
Everything in my Bling It On Mystery Glam Bag adds up to $58.46. That's a few dollars short of the promised $68 value, but Ipsy may be including the value of the actual bag in their calculation where I am not. Regardless, I do think the value is pretty fair for the $14 Mystery Bag cost.
Key Takeaways
After an MSA Forum user asked a question about Ipsy's mystery bags, I knew I wanted to revisit them (I've reviewed them before, but it's been a few years). I was curious about the Bling It On bag in particular due to the gorgeous makeup bag the products come in. I think overall Ipsy delivered here- you're saving more than 75% off of retail price, which is high enough that even if you feel like the retail values of some of the products aren't worth it, you still feel like you're getting a good deal. TONYMOLY and Briogeo were definitely the star brands in this set, and luckily both of the products performed really well for me. Other than the blush, this Mystery Bag feels like a bag that could show up on my doorstep as a regular Ipsy bag- and since this Mystery Bag came with 6 products instead of 5, it's easier for me to not be bothered by the blush not working out. There's always going to be a little bit of risk associated with buying a Mystery Bag, but if all of them are like this one, I have high hopes they would be safe bets.
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Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this is still showing up as available- but you have to be a current Ipsy subscriber.
Am I able to customize my bag? N0- you can customize your monthly glam bag, but not this mystery bag.
What do you think of my Ipsy Bling It On Mystery Glam Bag?
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