July 2018 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription service that provides subscribers with 5 deluxe (and sometimes full sized) beauty items and a makeup bag. July was surprisingly amazing; it was the strongest bag I’ve received from Ipsy in months.

The bag itself was holographic, water resistant, gave pool water vibes an the contents themselves weren’t half bad:

  

 

This photo better illustrates the holographic bag while at the same time making the items look like garbage

Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lip Gloss in Papaya -$8.25 (estimated at one third of the full sized item)

Hempz Body Moisturizer in Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon -$1.35, Vegan

BKR the Water Balm -$10.00

Sunday’s No. 45 Nail Polish -$18.00, Cruelty Free, Vegan

theBalm Cosmetics Nude Beach Eyeshadow in Bodacious - $5.50, Cruelty Free

  

 

Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lip Gloss in Papaya

Orange is a color I never saw myself being able to pull off very well but this is one of those cases where I can admit how wrong I’ve been. This gloss is not sticky and has a semi-transparent orange hue that by some miracle is not garnish. It gets its sparkle from glitter that gives it a beautiful shimmer but does not leave a grit like the old E.L.F. glitter glosses used to. I was genuinely surprised by his much I ended up liking this gloss since orange certainly is not a color that I ever reach for and I don’t typically go doe glossy looks. The only complaint I had was how wonky the wand was when I first opened it, but over time the bristles seem to have fallen into place. The want was such a small issue that I had completely forgotten about it until I was uploading the pictures I took when I first unbagged the gloss. This will provide a fun pop of color as the cooler months start to roll in (written as it’s currently 92°F outside).

Hempz Body Moisturizer in Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon

I have received so many compliments on the scent of my lotion at work because of this little guy. The smell is a-fucking-mazing (yes, it’s actually that good). It smells like pineapple and heaven. It moisturizes wonderfully without leaving my hands greasy and did I mention that smell? I hate that the scent makes me hungry though-I’ve taken to buying canned pineapple to sate my cravings.

BKR the Water Balm

I love lip balms but I have about a thousand and a half to get through right now. This cute little guy came through for me. The packaging is adorable, it’s very portable and it hydrates. It’s a bit sticky but I can see that consistency being perfect for winter months when I am fighting Windy City weather with a wind chill of -10°F out. Apparently, the full size fits into the lid of a BKR water bottle, which would be awesome if I owned one. I love how cute and trendy BKR bottles are but I’m just asking for trouble if I decide to tote around a glass water bottle, especially with this many toddlers. Maybe after I start hitting the Shale Snacks, champagne flavored gum and Starbucks hard? It’s a lifestyle I just cannot afford. And I say this facetiously but I love the Tangerine Shale Snacks, champagne flavored gum is pretty delicious, especially when crossed with a lime flavored La Croix, and every now and then I miss my old coffee slinging Barista days back in college. Yes, I truly am that basic bitch at heart, much as I try to hide it.

This is a couple of days after application without a top coat.

Note the pinkish separation at the top of the bottle.

Sunday’s No. 45 Nail Polish

I’m wearing this polish right now. It’s a beautiful baby blue shade, perfect for spring or summer, and it only takes two coats for a fully opaque, beautifully smooth appearance. I’ve never had this smooth of an application with Essie or OPI polishes. Really, the only brand that I would consider comparable in my limited experience would be Sally Hansen, arguably the best polish brand I’ve ever tried. I also love how quickly this polish dries down making it a great option when the girls run up to me wanting me to paint their nails.The polish did show some separation though which gives the impression that it's been sitting in the Ipsy warehouse for a while.

theBalm Cosmetics Nude Beach Eyeshadow in Bodacious

This was the sleeper hit of the bag. Every indication on the Ipsy website shows that this was a foiled, coppery shadow that of course comes in the adorable theBalm packaging. What this actually is is a matte coppery shadow that is finely milled, creamy, not powdery in the slightest, pigmented enough that I won't accidentally overdo it and it makes a beautiful transition shade. While the foiled image on the Ipsy website is beautiful, that looks too similar to many shadows I already own. Because this is actually a matte shade, it stands out amongst the other tons of single shadows I have and the warm coppery tone (as opposed to my other cooler, bronzy shades) sets it apart as unique.

Jessica Liebskind Gloss in Papaya and theBalm Nude Beach eyeshadow in Bodacious

Close-up of the glitter shimmer.

This is the first Ipsy bag in a while where I will not only put everything to use but I actually liked everything right off the rip. I was surprised by how much I loved the gloss, the lotion is to die for, the lip balm is not only cute but very useful, the nail polish floored me and the eyeshadow is not only beautiful but remarkably different.