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. 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!
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes).
First Impressions
Everything comes packaged snugly in the signature pink Ipsy bubble mailer.
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Included is a product card that features a list of the products and any beauty tips.
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Each month, Ipsy subscribers get a makeup bag in addition to their items. This month’s theme, ‘You Are Loved,’ is perfectly suited to February, going hand in hand with Valentine’s Day. I enjoy the sentiment almost as much as I enjoy the bag design this time around. I’m really digging the fun tie-dye look as opposed to the more typical heart aesthetic most often associated with the holiday.
Now, on to the items!
SATURDAY SKIN Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask, 8 ml - Estimated Value $4.64
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So far this bag is off to a great start! I immediately found this Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask from Saturday Skin to be visually stunning. With a bright yellow color, it’s definitely one of the prettiest skincare products I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. It’s also packed with powerful ingredients for improving skin’s radiance and texture while simultaneously fighting signs of aging. From the unique jelly texture, which doesn’t clog my pores overnight, to the active components of yuzu, retinoid, and niacinamide, which helps to combat skin issues personally relevant to me, this product truly provides everything I want in a sleep mask.
I applied this after the final step of my nighttime cleansing routine, and I was impressed to see how plump, smooth, and hydrated my skin was the next morning. Although I’m often sensitive to high doses of Vitamin C, I’m happy to say that this sleep mask didn’t cause any irritation. The texture is moisturizing rather than greasy, and it absorbs rather well. This product gets five stars from me, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from this brand.
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo, 3 g - Retail Value $22.00
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MAC is a sought-after brand, I know, which is why I was thrilled to see a product from them included in this month’s curation. The shade ‘Ruby Woo’ is a bright, bright red with cool blue undertones, and it is beautiful. For me, though, it’s not exactly a go-to color. I tend to gravitate more toward darker shades, and that’s just my preference. As far as the texture goes, MAC surely delivers. The lipstick itself is indeed matte just as they say, and it goes on smoothly and cleanly with little to no transfer.
Plus, the pigmentation is top-notch. If you put this on before a night out, it’s almost certain to last from start to finish, which is not something I can say about every other lipstick product out there. I have to say, I was quite surprised that it didn’t dry out my lips like other lipsticks (especially mattes) can sometimes do. Based on the quality of this product, I’m going to keep this on hand for those special occasions when I might desire an intense color such as this classic red.
Here is a swatch of MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo.
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Prêt-à-Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Mist, 25 ml - Estimated Value $8.90
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What an incredibly unique product we have here. This Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Mist is unlike any hair product I’ve ever seen before. I’ve seen dry shampoos in an aerosol type of can… But as an actual mist? Never. Then again, it could have existed in the past, and I likely wouldn’t have been aware. Dry shampoos don’t exactly work for my very thick, curly hair. Those with hair similar to mine will understand, but for those who aren’t familiar, my hair craves oil. One of the main purposes of this dry shampoo mist is to help rid the hair of oil accumulated after a workout. In other words, it’s specifically made for those finer-haired folks out there whose hair creates ample (sometimes too much) oil naturally. People out there with my kind of hair are always in search of the best way to lock in that oily goodness.
For the sake of this review, I did give this dry shampoo a spritz. It has quite a floral scent to it, which I found incredibly overpowering, but it doesn’t seem to leave behind any kind of white cast, which is a positive. I did notice that it comes out as a pure liquid, so for the purpose of refreshing your hair after a workout or otherwise, it seems one would do best to use a hair dryer in combination with this product as the instructions suggest. I’ll be passing along this product to a finer-haired friend of mine who can get more use out of it than myself.
SMASHBOX COSMETICS Original Smooth and Blur Primer, 5 ml - Estimated Value $7.00
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Another incredible brand in this month’s curation: Smashbox Cosmetics. Wow. I haven’t tried many products from Smashbox, but this primer is one I’ve always had my eyes on, so I was thrilled to see it included. Smashbox’s The Original Photo Finish Smooth and Blur Primer is hailed as iconic by beauty gurus and makeup artists everywhere. Never having tried it before, I will admit, I was skeptical. A primer is a primer, right? Well, I gave this primer a good old-fashioned test. Does it smooth fine lines and blur pores? Check. The silicone texture helps out a great deal with making this primer effective, but where this primer really excels is how nicely it extends the life of my makeup. Thanks to my somewhat oily skin, my makeup can only last so long, or so I thought. Enter this primer… Something about the texture really does make a difference in adhering the makeup to my face.
Despite the minuscule sample size, a little bit of this primer goes a long way, and I can get multiple uses from this tube. Do I think it’s worth the high price point? That depends on how much your makeup routine means to you. Personally I’d never purchase the full size because I can’t justify spending that much money on a single makeup product, but that’s a story for another day. Regardless, I appreciate Ipsy for including this product so everyone has a chance to try it for a fraction of the cost, and that’s really where subscription boxes like this shine.
BEAUTY FOR CERTAIN Eyeliner Pencil in Aubergine, 1 g - Retail Value $20.00
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I’m not familiar with this brand, so I was curious to give this Beauty For Certain Eyeliner Pencil a try. I received the shade ‘Aubergine,’ which is supposed to be a dark purple. Some people are fans of lining their eyes with various colors, depending on their mood, but my go-to is a classic black liner. I went out on a limb and gave it a try, and I’ll admit the color, along with the bit of shimmer, adds a unique dose of personality to any basic look. That being said, this isn’t something I’ll use on the regular but it’ll likely go in my stash for when I feel like creating an eye look. It’s not as pigmented or easily buildable as I expected, so for my skin tone, it kind of just fades in with my natural shade.
However, I was very impressed with the texture of the pencil itself. I’m always wary of eye pencils because the point can be a bit harsh on my lash line, so I tend to prefer non-pencil applicators. That being said, I’m happy to say that I found this pencil to apply smoothly and without any pulling or tugging whatsoever. Now, if only the pigment from the swatch on my wrist carried over to my lash line… Nice idea to stray from traditional black eyeliner, but the formula could use work especially when it comes to color matching.
Here is a swatch of Beauty for Certain Eyeliner Pencil in Aubergine.
The Verdict
This was a solid month for the Ipsy Glam Bag! The highlight for me was Saturday Skin’s sleep mask. The incorporation of Vitamin C for rejuvenating and brightening skin, along with additional anti-aging effects, is a win for me, and I appreciate how smooth my skin feels in the morning after applying this overnight. Smashbox Cosmetics’ primer does an excellent job of smoothing out skin texture, and it very much assists in all-day wear for your foundation. The matte lipstick in ‘Ruby Woo’ from MAC is a lovely color but one that’s not for me. That said, the quality is there, and I appreciate how it doesn’t transfer easily to glasses or other surfaces. Next up, the eyeliner pencil from Beauty For Certain should have been a pretty purple shade but unfortunately doesn’t show up too well on my skin tone (it looks brown instead), and it could use more pigmentation in general. Lastly, Bumble and Bumble’s dry shampoo mist… This isn’t a product for me, but for my finer-haired friends, it seems this could be a hit or miss depending on your preference over a liquid versus an aerosol spray. Overall, I thought this was a good bag. The product curation included some high-end brands with a nice balance between makeup and skincare, and the value is there.
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Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $13
Value Breakdown:
- Sleep Mask: $4.64
- Lipstick: $22.00
- Dry Shampoo: $8.90
- Primer: $7.00
- Eyeliner: $20.00
The total retail value of these five items adds up to about $62.54, which is a good value for a $13 box.
Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, but sign up to receive the March 2023 bag while stocks last.
What do you think of the February 2023 Ipsy Glam Bag?
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