Friday, November 2, 2018

September 2018 Ipsy Review


Ipsy is a $10 monthly subscription service that provides members with 5 beauty, skincare or hair care samples that range in size from sample to full sized. I’ve been subscribed for over 2.5 years and it is still my favorite subscription box. I can tailor my bag to fit my needs by completing a profile and reviewing items I receive while maintaining that element of surprise since I am not specifically picking any item. This can lead to the occasional disappointment but that is what keeps the gamble fun. September was a pretty strong month. I received:





The bag itself was pretty cute. I love the eyelashes, I like that the canvas fabric is black to hide stains and I love the gold accents and red inferior. All in all, it’s a good looking bag.

I realized I am an idiot and used Marc Anthony True Professional entirely wrong. I used it as a leave-in conditioner, not as a hair masque. It wasn’t the worst as a leave-in but it did weigh down my kids hair a bit. Let’s just say when they got their next wash their hair was so freaking hydrated. It was as if I had marinated them in a vat of eggs, mayonnaise and avocado.




I was most excited to see the Luxie Beauty Harley Quinn Detail Flat Definer 110 Brush in this bag. I love Luxie brushes and if this was the only thing I liked in the bag it would still be worth my $10. I love Harley Quinn and the overall aesthetic of this brush so that was a win. I’m not quite sure how to use it though. It is a flat top brush, like a mini kabuki brush that is a bit too dense to blend eyeshadows unless I accidentally went ham in the first place. There were a couple of stray bristles that I had to trim down so for Luxie, the quality wasn’t fully there this time. I’ve also trolled the brands website hoping to find more Harley Quinn themed brushes and unfortunately there are zero links for any others themed like this one (except Wonder Woman) so... what’s up, Luxie Beauty?

There were two shades of nail polish available in September from Trust Fund Beauty and while initially I thought I drew short straw with Mermaid Vibes, it all evened out in the wash. The formula is a thin, iridescent lavender that appears almost gray in certain light when painted in a single coat on my nails but it layers beautifully over another Trust Fund Beauty polish I have. Mermaid Vibes is a perfect match as a top coat for the lilac shade of (the wonderfully named) Elegantly Wasted to give it an iridescent effect just to change things up. Speaking of changing things up, I’m going to have to switch up my Pandora playlist from Pixies/Spacehog to INXS for a little bit. 


I had the pleasure of trying the Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer back in January of this year. It is a fine moisturizer even though it isn’t exactly my ideal primer. It has a thin, serum-like texture which is great for providing moisture without overdoing it, great for combo or oily skin. However, it did not make much of a difference for me as a primer. I did not notice any improvement in the wear-time of my makeup and I still felt a little slick after a full day of work. I also happen to prefer a matte-to-natural finish, not the dewy glow people have been seeking out in recent years. 


I want to love Winky Lux Eyeshadow in the shade Ursula, I really do, but I’m not sure if I can. The shade is a bit off the wall for me, pretty dark and way outside of my comfort zone. But my biggest issue with the shadow is application. It is a very creamy powder formula that does not play well with brushes. I tried using several brushes and for all my efforts I just could not pick up any pigment. I had to use my finger instead which worked well enough but using my finger sacrificed precision and blendability. The color and packaging are cute but I don’t know if it is worth it to keep reaching for this in the future.

If you’re counting 6 items and an extra swatch that’s because I used my points to claim a bonus item this month. After trying a Steve Laurant eyeshadow in a previous month I couldn’t pass up Blossom ($16, full sized) which is a beautiful rose gold shade. It applies beautifully but appears a little on the shimmery-ashy side on my eyes.

Left to right: Smashbox Primerizer, Steve Laurant eyeshadow in Blossom, Winkie Lux eyeshadow in Ursula.
September was a pretty good month: I got a primer, a wonky brush that had a few bristles trimmed down (fitting of the character Harley Quinn), a bonus eyeshadow in a gorgeous rose gold shade worth more than the value of the bag itself and a pretty cute nail polish color that my kids absolutely adore. Once you consider the cost of these three items alone I would say the bag was a definite win.
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