January Ipsy Review

Finally taking the time to write a review for my January Ipsy bag (referral link here if you are still interested after my rattling on for a bit here). I may have won Ipsy: Black Girl Edition this month. It started with what was already the best bag I've received since starting in April and then the month just doubled down on awesomeness with some items I scored from coworkers. Swatches beyond the jump.

My bag included:

• Crown Brush Beaute Basics C405 Contour Blush Brush ($7.49, Cruelty Free)
• Trust Fund Beauty Lipgasm Lip Gloss in Blame Game ($9.00, Cruelty Free, Vegan)
• Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel ($11.50, Cruelty Free)
• Temptu Base Smooth & Matte Primer ($8.17)
• Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment in Desert Sunset #2 ($14.99)

Bonus items include:

• Promise Organics Nourishing Coconut Milk Face Lotion with Hibiscus (redeemed with points, $4.41, Cruelty Free)
•  TheBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer ($5.50, Cruelty Free)
• SLMissGlam Blend Beauty Brush L34 (estimated at $14.50, unavailable on their website)

 

Let's start off with this bag though. It has to be the most interesting I've seen so far. Definitely one of the most adult (yet somehow extremely cute) that I've received with it's two layers: an outer ice blue layer and an inner silver lining that shows through. November was pretty strong if it weren't a neoprene type material and October grew on me with it's offensive cuteness while August might be the outright winner still for overall cuteness followed by the Mid-Century vibes of September (I may have been on a Mad Men bender when that particular bag came out).

I will always appreciate new brushes and this Crown C405 brush is different from any of my other brushes because it is natural hair and not a stippling brush. So far it's pretty soft and dense but I would like to take a little more time to get to know it, maybe over a candlelit dinner, before I form any solid opinions of it.

I had some reservations regarding the Trust Fund Beauty Lipgloss but man, the shade is pretty hot. The two options this month were Method to the Madness and Blame Game, and when browsing for any swatches online, neither looked promising. I am prepared to eat crow on that one because this gives the perfect MLBB (my lips but better) shade.

Naked Cosmetics in Desert Sunset #2 blended (left), unblended (center) and Trust Fund Beauty in Blame Game (right)

Trust Fund Beauty in Blame Game with the usual shitty lighting

I already had an experience with Real Chemistry from a previous Birchbox but that was only the body peel. I felt less ripped off with the face peel honestly. I could see getting multiple uses on my face from it (because I absolutely didn't use the body peel on my face under very cautious conditions... Never would I ever consider using a small amount on my face for a reduced amount of time after patch testing on the back of my hand or inner elbow). I must say though, I think I preferred the body peel. For um... body. Yeah, that's it.

Not sure how I feel about the Temptu Base Smooth & Matte Primer. My only experience with the brand was getting my makeup airbrushed for a wedding (the bride insisted) and Jesus if that wasn't uncomfortable. My face felt sticky and I was worried that the slightest movement would make my face melt off (I was 6 months pregnant and the wedding was August 31st). My face didn't melt off but I also felt like I was in drag.
Unrelated tangents aside, I don't hate this primer, though I do hate the packaging. It feels more moisturizing than your typical silicone primer but that same property makes me wonder how well it's filling in my pores. This will probably get an update as well after a spin or few.

My final item I got was a beautiful pigment from Naked Cosmetics. It is a similar nude shadow that I've received twice before now but it's much lighter than both Nomad and Nyx. It is bright enough to be used as a highlighter or a shadow and it's a hot mess when I try to apply it, either because it is a loose powder or because I've failed just about every art class I've ever taken and that translates to my makeup application.

That rounds up the bag proper. I cannot complain. The shades I got were beautiful, I love getting skin care items since I feel I get more use out of those than makeup items overall, and who the hell am I to look a gift brush in the bristles? The total value of my January bag was $51.15. My inner Scrooge just giggled a little.

Bonus Items:
I redeemed the Promise Organics face lotion for points and I may or may have propositioned it one night when my husband was out working. It turned me down, naturally, but it was sexy af so I figured it was worth a shot. I should note: I'm not one to poo-poo getting drugstore items in my bag because sometimes they're pretty fucking phenomenal and they're more easily attainable (see: affordable) than higher end items.

One of my coworkers gave me her Bahama Mama bronzer from theBalm stating that she just isn't a bronzer person. I'm not either, but it's my skin tone but cooler. Eyeshadow maybe? It might be too dark to use as a transition shade. And before you call me that greedy whore, this chick got my TreStiQue lip crayon back in October.

Naked Cosmetics, theBalm (center) and Trust Fund Beauty

My greedy whore self also got a SLMissglam blending brush from my other coworker who outright said she doesn't know how she would use it and that she doesn't wear eyeshadow. Guilt: none.

 

Below I'm wearing theBalm Meet Matt(e) Moskowitz, theBalm Bahama Mama and Naked Cosmetics Desert Sunset #2 on my lids, Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara and the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Mascara.

I also adopted a pet zit that day. Not amused...