Ipsy
is a $10 monthly subscription that delivers 5 beauty samples and full-sized
items in a cute makeup bag. March’s bag was particularly cute. I also happen to
be a sucker for anything rose gold. The bag also includes the text “and off she
went to change the world” which honestly, I’m not opposed to. Inside the bag I
found:
This eyeliner is very interesting in that it appears more of
a smoky grey shade than a deep olive/emerald green. It’s a great shade for my
lower waterline if I want something that isn’t stark black but rather a pop of
color that isn’t too stark. It does melt a bit throughout the day due to the
oils on my skin increasing throughout the day. I enjoy it a lot but a tiny
piece of me does wish this was a bit greener since I have so many black and
brown eyeliners of varying intensity.
I love this shade. It’s a very sheer but beautifully shimmery
gloss that adds a very sheer watermelon hue to the MLBB (my lips but better)
look. Amazingly, the gloss is not sticky, which is almost amazing. Almost because
instead it has a very slightly gritty texture. 7 out of 10.
Ahava did not dry or extract oils from my pores as
effectively as other mud masks I have used. On the other hand, I only have to
leave it on for 2 minutes, per the instructions. I’ve tried leaving this on for
2 minutes and leaving it on for 5 minutes and in both cases, my face felt clean
afterwards but my pores are not as clear as they are after using a charcoal mud
mask that has to stay on for 20-30 minutes. It’s nice that the formula isn’t nearly
as drying though and it’s great for a quickie spa night when I’m trying to
maneuver around the kids’ schedule. I would say this is ideal for people with normal
to dry skin who have absolutely no time to treat themselves.
Whew boy, where do I start on this one. I’m sorry for being “that
bitch” but I do not trust Morphe as a brand and I was quite upset to see that I
received this product in my bag even though it’s a shade and product I’d would
hope to have a go at. Without getting too much into it, I have a hard time
trusting a brand that depends so heavily on influencers and has had so many
issues with one problematic influencer in general. I understand Morphe is a
business but I feel like they care more about their bottom line than they do
about their product quality and company integrity just based on some of the
controversies I’ve seen them involved in. That said, I have nothing against private
labeling in makeup; I’m pretty positive at least ½ of my Ipsy hauls are indeed private
labeled.
*packs up soap box*
I did get around to trying out this bronzer, eventually. It’s
more neutral than orange and finely milled. It’s also insanely pigmented so I
need to be very careful when applying lest I end up looking insane. I tend
to have a difficult time blending it out but I want to chalk that up to user
error, not formulation. If this was made by No-Name-Suzie’s brand I wouldn’t
spare it a side eye or a glare. I don’t hate the product but the giant “M” on
it will always give me pause and make me debate the pros and cons of applying bronzer
that day.
I balmed the shit out of my face (huh?). I’m not really a
fan of the oily texture of using makeup removing balms on my face but this was
so effective on face makeup that it’s a sensation I will tolerate. I prefer the
feeling of this balm than I do Pond’s Cold Cream (which I use nightly to remove
face makeup because I’m secretly 73 years old). This balm is very hydrophobic
so I found it easier to use a cotton pad to remove the balm and makeup (I know,
this method is probably pretty bad for my skin) and follow it up with a soap-based
cleanser chased with micellar water. It’s also great for (unintentionally)
removing eye makeup but it’s ill-advised since it left me with blurred
vision for hours.
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L to R: Foundation swatch from March 2019 Birchbox, Lord & Berry eyeliner, Ciaté London lipgloss in indirect sunlight.
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L to R: Birchbox Foundation, Lord & Berry eyeliner, Ciaté London lip gloss in direct sunlight with shadows from the screen.
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I loved March’s
Ipsy bag and got use out of every item in the bag. Lord & Berry is
great for a bold yet understated makeup look, Ciaté London is great for a fresh-faced
look, Ahava is wonderful for skin care on the run, Morphe is simultaneously a practice
tool and a veiled threat against me, and Farmacy is an effective everyday
makeup removal tool. Even if it’s not my favorite bag ever, it was a very well-balanced
and interesting bag. I hope Ipsy can make a trend of this.
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