May 2019 Ipsy Review

(As of this posting) Ipsy is a $10 monthly subscription that provides members with 5 beauty items and a cute makeup bag. Items can vary from sample to full size and brands range from private label to mid-range and even the occasional high-end product. Prices will increase to $12 a month starting with the September glam bag. Details about the price increase and other Ipsy subscription levels can be found here.

May’s bag was actually pretty cute. I love the rose gold detail even if the glitter can be a bit much when hit with direct light. This was also the first time I was really excited for a big in months. Sorry about the garbage picture quality. I was trying to outmaneuver the kids while taking advantage of the last of the day's sunlight.

April 2019 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a $10 subscription that delivers 5 beauty items (sometimes deluxe or sample sized, sometimes full sized) to your doorstep in a makeup bag. Ipsy was my first subscription box ever and it was an amazing way to build up not only a daunting makeup collection but an almost crippling makeup and subscription box addiction. Alright, that might be a bit of hyperbole but if you saw my closet you would agree that my relationship with makeup and subscription boxes isn’t the healthiest. The bag was far from my favorite with its zipper position being half an inch from the top, which I consider a waste of space, and the overall design being a complete miss for me. Inside the bag, April’s products included:

·         Buxom Lash Volumizing Mascara in Black

·         TonyMoly Peach Punch Sweat Foam Cleanser

·         Laura Sanchez Moods Eyeshadow in Alien Turquoise

·         Jelly Pong Pong Lip Oil in Watermelon

·         Vasanti Contour Eyeshadow Blend it Out Blush

·         Billion Dollar Brows Fan Brush (add on)

 

February 2019 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a subscription box that sends subscribers 5 beauty items for $10 a month. Items range from sample to full sized and drugstore to prestige. Ipsy has been at the top of my subscription boxes for years. It was my first and it's been the most consistent with the mix of sample and full sized items that I actually enjoy. I have to admit the scope of the company has changed a bit over the years where now the themes are more vague and reminiscent of Birchbox or Boxycharm (Look at August 2018 versus August 2016 for reference). I can't say I'm a fan of the change since I'm just a giant child but hey... I guess their marketing team is going with what works. Anyway, if you're interested in subscribing I do have a referral link which allows me to accrue points for bonus items, otherwise feel free to go to their main page.

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:

June 2018 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription that provides members with 5 skincare, hair care or makeup samples (with the occasional fragrance). Samples range from sample sized to full sized and from drugstore quality to high end. Ipsy really is a mixed bag but the best subscription choice if you 1) like Las Vegas (or gambling in general) or 2) are trying to build up a starter makeup collection at low cost or expand your horizons a bit with minimal risk.

 

Macro shot of June's bag

Melted spots on the bag

I appreciate the pride month theme of June’s bag but holy shit, this was probably one of the least aesthetically pleasing bags I’ve ever received. Regardless of the color I received, all of the available colors for June (red, yellow and blue) just looked oddly garish. I also felt like this bag was cheaply made: I have a few spots that seem to be missing some pigment and other spots seem worn thin, almost melted . At least the contents fared better than the bag itself. 

September 2017 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription service that provides subscribers with 5 sample, deluxe and sometimes full sized items as well as an exclusive-to-that-month cosmetic bag. Brands represented range from drugstore and indie to high-end and it's a great way to build up a makeup collection or experiment with new-to-you brands on the cheap. Ipsy has also recently provided an option for subscribers to skip a month. (Referral Link enclosed). The bag itself was really nice this month. It has a blue inner lining (that I forgot to photograph), a classy gold zipper and the outer portion of the bag is a pretty minimalist studded black faux leather design. It reminds me of the evening version of the January Glam Bag somehow.

• NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Flower Cleansing Water-Calendula - $1.47, CF
• Luxie Beauty Rose Gold Medium Angled Shading Eye Brush 207 - $12.00 CF, V, Full Sized
• MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite - $2.40
• Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Toasted - $4.55, CF
• Dirty Little Secrets Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Nude Beach - $14.00 Full Sized

July Ipsy Review

A primer for the uninitiated. Ipsy is a $10 a month beauty subscription service that sends subscribers a unique bag design, and 5 items ranging from skincare, hair care, makeup, tools, polish and fragrances. Items are curated for subscribers based on a personal profile that is set up upon subscription. Disgusting, I know but it was my first and gateway subscription, leading to Birchbox, Target and now Sephora Play! but so far I want to say Ipsy does it best. The items are more closely tailored to my preferences than any of the other subscriptions, thus far, and the points system is superior to Birchbox (if you can manage to earn enough points, that is). The sample sizes are pretty decent and often include deluxe and full sized items. One thing to note though is that Ipsy's  inventory ranges from high end to drugstore so if that is an issue for you you may want to opt for Sephora Play! which has better sample sizes and more makeup items or Birchbox which has high end products and the occasional full sized item.

Quick and to the pointless: not the best month, Ipsy. Not bad, just not the best. This month was a collaboration with the Sanrio character Gudetama, the world's laziest egg. I see a depressed egg and I'm pretty sure if he had an opposable thumb he'd pull the trigger. Poor little guy. I can't say I'm a fan of the bag design, nor am I a fan of the zipper position but it's very well constructed. The bag has a bit of a pearlized finish, a matching yellow satin lining and the outside feels waterproof/easy to clean. The contents were equally underwhelming: staples but boring. Side note: I've already updated my profile last month to mix up the items I will receive but I believe it takes a month or two to for any changes to reflect. This month's bag included:

June 2017 Ipsy Review

Hey guys. My Ipsy post is way late this month because I had to get some shit settled through Ipsycare. I had collected enough points over the months to redeem like 11 items, of which I only got one. After a ton of back and forth and fighting the temptation to tantrum quit Ipsy I finally got almost all of my points back minus two foundations and a concealer worth (which I'm calling bullshit on but I digress). And by back and forth I mean a shit load of angry one-sided emails that were completely ignored.

My bag itself was pretty strong this month. Items included:

Beauty For Real I-Line 24-7 Eyeliner in Chocolate Fix - $14.00 FULL SIZED, CF
skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash with White Willow Bark - $4.00 CF, V
Vasanti Cosmetics Power Oils Lip Gloss in Super Mom - $5.85 CF, V
theBalm Cosmetics INStain Blush in Pinstripe - $3.38 CF
Doucce MaxLash Volumizer Mascara - $4.58 CF

CF = Cruelty Free, V = Vegan

May 2017 Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a beauty subscription box that sends out 5 samples in a (sometimes) cute bag every month and it costs $10 a month. Ipsy is perhaps one of the best valued beauty subscription boxes out there in terms of cost-to-value ratio. Members often receive a mix of full sized and deluxe/sample sized items. I've had months where I've received only one full sized item and other months where I got four full sized items but I would say two seems to be about average for me. Keep in mind I also have brushes selected as one of my preferred items so those do contribute to the number of full sized items I receive. Of course items received are based on the user profile and preferences members create. I recently realized I was in a comfortable beauty rut so I mixed up my profile so I could receive items I'm unfamiliar and uncomfortable with in order to force some change on my part and keep things interesting. If you're interested I've dropped a referral link for you here.

This month's theme was pool parties. Being mid-May in the Midwest this theme feels a little premature but I can't fault Ipsy for trying. If I were back on the West Coast I don't doubt I'd be feeling pool vibes already. The bag itself was pretty effing hideous this month, but to each her own. I do appreciate how they kept with the inflatable pool toy theme though: the bag itself is a cheap see-through vinyl with a plastic zipper and childish cute ice cream printed all over. The only thing I do like about this bag is how wide the zipper spans making it one of the largest opening bags I've received so far. Unfortunately that does not help me like the crumpled plastic any more. I've never been a fan of clear bags or cabinets because it always makes me feel exposed and cluttered. 

At least the contents were better? I received:

May 2017 inflatable pool float Ipsy Bag

• Briogio Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray - $3.00 CF
• Urban Decay Afterglow in Sin - $9.18 CF
• Jelly Pong Pong Supercharged Super Intense Eyeshadow Duo in Electric - $22.95 FULL SIZED CF, V
• IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Mascara in Black - $13.60 CF
• CAILYN Cosmetics Pure Lust Extreme Matte Tint + Velvet in #32 Practicable - $19.00 FULL SIZED

       CF = Cruelty Free, V = Vegan

I am not sure how I feel about the Briogio Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray. It only lasted a day so I did not get much experience with it for myself but it worked wonders on the tots' hair. Lizzie has 3A hair so hers is fairly easy to work with if not a little dry or occasionally matted. Liv, my 3B/3C baby, is a pain in the ass to comb out because she just turned a year old so sitting her down is a taxing job to begin with. This formula was so moisturizing and made an extremely difficult job much less painful. Between the three of us we blasted through a 22mL (0.75oz) bottle in one day so I am hesitant to spend $20 on a 5 oz bottle, but holy damn is it tempting after being able to comb through Coconut's hair. I can see myself biting the bullet on this soon. If you know of any dupes please let me know.

I think I like this highlighter but the jury is still out on that. It is a decent sized deluxe sample and had a very soft formula for a powder while not feeling like a cream-to-powder finish. It is a very pretty champagne color with a high shimmer while not looking glittery. I would say it definitely looks like the grown-up way to shimmer. I did find it rather difficult to blend out properly and not have it look patchy though. If I blended even the slightest bit too much I would lose the color on my face but I want to chalk that up to some combination of not knowing to highlight and not having the proper tools for the job. I am also a little concerned that the shade isn't right for my skin tone and might come off as a bit ashy in person. Any patchiness in the photo below is due to my complete makeup noobishness, not the product itself as that blends beautifully.

Jelly Pong Pong without flash (above) and with flash (below)

It only took 13 months but I finally got a non-brown shade of eyeshadow (sort of). Jelly Pong Pong Supercharged Super Intense Eyeshadow Duo in Electric is a beautifully creamy eyeshadow duo with really cute packaging and its own mirror. The fact that it's cruelty free and vegan is a bonus. I honestly did not know it was possible to get such a creamy formula for a vegan pressed powder eyeshadow. The colors are very neutral but with a very subtle "pop" of color that is great for everyday, shimmery but not glittery, creamy, and quite pigmented. I also noticed that the shades apply much better with my fingers than with a brush, for whatever reason. Swatches will be dropped below.

Eyebrows distracting from applied highlighter, eyeshadow and mascara from this months bag under poor lighting

It Cosmetics Superhero Stretch Mascara

The aptly named superhero of this glambag, I fell in love with my IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Mascara. It lengthens and defines so well and it isn't even a fiber mascara. I haven't loved a mascara this much since the Smashbox X-Rated mascara from last April which I did not realize until recently actually has fibers. Two coats gives a "falsies" look without clumping and I haven't noticed any flaking or drifting at the end of the day either. I had been wearing a deluxe size of the Smashbox Full Exposure mascara but it's been more or less entirely replaced with this little dude. Definitely my favorite item this month.

Second shittiest liquid lipstick ever

Naturally I wanted to save the worst for last: CAILYN Cosmetics Pure Lust Extreme Matte Tint + Velvet in #32 Practicable. Finally, a liquid lipstick in a mauve shade that isn't red. So now you say "Look, ho. You've received like 4 various formulas in this exact shade since October. What's your deal?" Well you see, I traded for those. I am fortunate enough to have friends that receive Ipsy bags who happen to be a bit melanin deficient, if you will. So while I trade shades that are far too pink for my skin tone I receive colors they would never wear outside because they are too dark on them for everyday wear (we are lab nerds so we don't get all Prom'ed out often and when they do, they wear reds). This is actually the first time I've had one of the shades sent in my bag. It is almost unwearable because it is a little more pink than mauve, but that is an issue I can overlook (swatched below). What I cannot overlook is this hideous formula. I dropped some photos below of this god awful lipstick. At least it lives up to its waterproof claim but unfortunately it just does awful things to lips. It dries and flakes and leaves such horrible lines in the lips that I look like I tried to apply sfx to look like a wizened great grandmother of 27. When I pursed my lips together the lipstick came off of my top lip and had adhered on top of the layer on my bottom lip. I also tried to apply this multiple ways: over a liner, over a stick balm, over a liquid balm, over petroleum jelly, alone, under gloss. The end result remained the same: dry, cracked wrinkled abominations of lips.

Cakeface and mustache exhibiting the shittiness that is Cailyn liquid lipstick immediately after application

I cheated. Lipstick worn is NYX Stone Fox and Ciate London Pin-up, Eyeshadow worn is ColourPop Paradox, Stereo and Porter

Left to right (without flash): Cailyn liquid lipstick, Urban Decay highlighter and Jelly Pong Pong eyeshadow duo

Left to right (with flash): Cailyn liquid lipstick, Urban Decay highlighter and Jelly Pong Pong eyeshadow duo

I really enjoyed the contents of this bag overall. Aside from the liquid lipstick that couldn't, the only unfortunate thing about my bag this month was that I got a non-neutral eyeshadow shade after I dropped some cash on ColourPop (to be reviewed soon). I don't regret a thing though since the shades I bought would be too intense for an every day look while I could get away with Jelly Pong Pong for a wash of color and shimmer (my preferred style, really). I don't hate anybody in my life enough to give them a Cailyn lippie so I will see what I can do with it (not much really, not much). This month's value was $67.73 which is pretty incredible since I now have a highlighter to play around with, a new everyday eyeshadow, a holy grail mascara and a new hair product that Mother Nature is more or less strong-arming me into purchasing (thanks, kids!). While the bag design wasn't a favorite, everything inside is new to me, most of it is useful to me and most I can get tons of future use out of.

April 2017 Ipsy Review

It has taken me a while to write up a rundown of my April Ipsy bag (we’re rapidly creeping toward mid-May here) but here you go. I’m tired of coming up with the excuse of “I couldn’t find the time” but it remains the truest excuse I can provide. At least this month was a winner?

March 2017 Ipsy First Imperssions

Both of my subs came in the same day this month (best day ever?) Let's start with the easy one. Ipsy is always pretty easy, low maintenance, a cheap date. Works for me though.

Ipsy is a subscription box that sends a (sometimes cute) bag and five beauty products a month. Ipsy usually ranges the gamut from sample, deluxe to full sized. I don't recall ever receiving any single use foil packets in my (holy shit!) 12 bags from them and the value is usually at least double the bag (referral link here)

Full shot of bag

Folded over

This month I received:

• Eyeko London Fat Eye Stick in Satin - $12 CF,V
• Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Vibin' - $3.33, CF
• Elizabeth Mott Blending Brush - $15, CF,V
• Curl Keeper Leave-In Conditioner - $2.24, CF
• Cake Desserted Island Supreme Body Mousse - $2.75 CF,V

Per usual, CF=Cruelty Free, V=Vegan.

February Ipsy First Impressions UPDATED

Ipsy bag review. Same shit, different month. For those of you that don't know, Ipsy is a subscription boxthat sends a different makeup bag with 5 items every month for $10 and free shipping. Ipsy is based off of your personal style profile so bags are generally personalized. I would say they matched to my style overall, but then lately I realized my style is pretty effing boring: usually a mix of non thrilling makeup that I would actually use and skincare. I also snagged two bonus items with points this month because why not?

VENeffects Anti Aging Lip Treatment ($25.36)

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in You're Toast - ($22.5, Cruelty Free)

Rodial Smokey Eye Pen in Black ($11.11)

Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser ($8.00, Cruelty Free)

Luxie Rose Gold Blush Brush 514 ($18, Cruelty Free)

I hate hate hate this VENeffects lip balm. I hate it so much I asked my two coworkers "try this and tell me what you think" (it is a squeeze tube with an opening that makes it look like the tiniest bottle of lotion ever) and I lost two friends that day as a result. One threw it angrily at my desk after she tried it. And it's only 3mL but it's the largest 3mL volume I've ever seen.

Marsk eyeshadow in You're Toast is a loose powder eyeshadow in the same nude neutral style that I've received 3 times already (comparative image at the end of this post). I'm not a fan of the loose powder but at least it has a sifter? I have enough neutral. Rinse/copper shades to last me 4 lifetimes now. That and black eyeliner which...

Marsk eyeshadow and Rodial eyeliner (smudged on left, straight in center)

I also got another black eyeliner, this time in an automatic pencil form (it's been felt marker for a few months straight now). Rodial isn't bad... but the pencil its is very thick and extremely smudgy, which is great for a smokey eye look. I um, I don't like the smokey eye look.

The Indie Lee Cleanser isn't bad: its gentle, it lathers, it smells fragrant like a rose hip tea. It has a gel like consistency. No hatred here.

I also snagged a Luxie 514 Rode Gold Blush Brush and it's pretty cute it isn't very ends which would be great for the very highly pigmented blushes that I do not own. So it mostly just pushes my lightly frostily pigmented blush around. One day I will buy something on the cheap (my discontinued Wet n' Wild blush would have been a perfect contender but it broke beyond repair after encountering Lizzie). This, like two other previous blush brushes I've received, will have to wait on the back burner until I find a suitable product to use it with.

The total value of my bag was an incredible $84.97, a record high so far I believe. All in all, not a bad month but it certainly wasn't exciting. In Ipsy's defense, none of the offerings this month excited me. The only thing I outright hate is the VENeffect lip treatment. I'm pretty sure I lost friends over this piece of shit. And I can't bring myself to throw it out because it's only 3 endless milliliters of product.
ETA: I'm an idiot. Rodial looks like it's an automatic liner (compared to the true pencil format of the full sized product) but what you see is what you get. The pencil is not automatic and does. Or dispense extra product so I will be pretty quick to kill this guy off. 

Bonus items:

I HAD to replace my Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum ($23.33 value, Cruelty Free). I still have my old tube but I loved it so much I wanted to replace it but didn't feel like paying $35 (I'm cripplingly cheap).

While I was at it I decided to grab something I would generally be upset if I found it in my bag: so I grabbed St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion ($4.73 value). I mean, what more could a black girl want besides a self tanner? I'm still missing my Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect SPF Lotion (available for price gauging here) and am desperately seeking a suitable replacement. I am an idiot and don't read bottles so Jergen's Natural Glow in Medium to Tan about a week ago and started using it last night. My expectations are non existent. Hopefully it moisturizes? 

St. Tropez swatch (blended on right)

St. Tropez stains if you don't move quickly

Nowhere near exactly the same but Ipsy has helped me realize how boring and predictable I am, especially regarding my beauty routines and preferences.

Left to right: Nomad, Nyx, Naked, Marsk

December Ipsy First Impressions

Another month, another "meh" bag. I think I've fallen into a rut of having a subscription for far too long. Bright side, I just got a year's subscription for Birchbox as well so there will be something new to complain about! I no longer know what I would get excited about, product wise. Just discovering new brands at this point, but I have so many duplicates that it feels like a waste when I don't get to something I love a bit less. That and I can't justify giving things away once I've tried them and I feel obligated to try everything at least once. I sound extremely entitled and critical though so let's tuck it in and be objective about this. Scroll down for some incredibly shitty photos due to a combination of not knowing how to utilize technology, inability to operate a phone camera, zero sunlight for days now and poor apartment lighting. 

 

And a closeup of the bag

Angry muppet!

September/October Subscription Product Reviews

It's too late for preamble. Here are some analyses:

September Haul
 

September Ipsy bag

ToGoSpa Undereye Collagen Gel Masks in Green Tea Eyes-I think I like them. Mild tingle, cool texture but without that cooling minty feeling if you hand sensitive skin. I would typically pass on a product like this but it saved my life when I was sick two months ago, if you'll excuse the hyperbole. I had a massive head cold and a pretty hefty headache, all while I was roasting to death from a combination of fever, chills and summertime Chicago humidity so these things were great for cooling my head. They tend to slide though so I find they work best when I'm lying down. I'm half tempted to buy theses and just leave them in the medicine cabinet but I wouldn't have the will power to save them exclusively for that use. They were absolutely useless for reducing redness and bags and dark circles under eyes but then, I never believed this company's claims because, you know, science. 

Glow For A Cause Body Butter in Inspire-I know I said this wasn't my favorite scent because it smells very perfumes and very adult but this stuff is going quickly. I suppose fruit smells are "cheap" smelling but I'll admit I have absolutely zero class and I prefer those to this highly perfumery (with a hint of citrus crispness). 

Update: it's gone. One of the fastest I've blasted through a sample. Blame the cold. It's so expensive though and no better or worse than any hydrating cream or body butter. 

Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner-I love how incredibly black this is, but it doesn't glide on as easily as others and it creates a thick line, but I have small, hooded eyes (I think?) and my line goes on a little too thick for my taste. I fail at liquid eyeliners and the learning curve is steep with this one. I must note however that even though this eyeliner brags of being smear proof and waterproof, it is absolutely neither of these two things. A slight rub of my eyes after it dries or a warm day and my eyes have slid straight to my chin. That much said, I still love how black it is. I just wish I did not have the hand dexterity of a two year old with advances Parkinson's. Part of the problem is that it's felt tip and therefore not overly flexible. It's too expensive for me to repurchase for face scribbles and will be designated as a backup at this point. Judge's score: 6.2 out of 10. The dive started out great with the color but somehow resulted in a belly flop, open mouthed with execution. 

Onomie Powerful Priming Serum-I enjoyed the hell out of this serum. It's slightly (ever so slightly) radiant with micro shimmer and very hydrating. It's miles ahead of Too Faced's Hangover primer. I've used it as a serium, which by the way absolutely works, but looking at the cost per unit, I preferred using this as a primer. Even though this performed better as a serum than a primer, I learned that I cannot hold a grudge against all lotion primers. I would never drop $50 for a bottle though, tyvm. 

 Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme-this product grew on me. It did have a mild plumping effect but it does one hell of a job irritating my lips to get to that point. I also find that for maximum effect this needs to be worn alone, and that won't fly going into the winter months. I like it, but I don't think I dislike my natural lips enough (they are pretty full to begin with) to buy this in the future. That and especially with the upcoming months, protective lip balms will interfere with this gloss's efficacy. 

October Haul
 

October Ipsy bag

Trust Fund Beauty Gimme Good Face primer-the makeup gods have heard my prayers. It's a silicone based primer that my face so needs. I love how filling this is. And it came at the perfect time since I finally ran out of my Elf primer which was embarrassingly old. I have to repurchase the Elf primer for two reasons: 1) to see if they've ever updated it the formula and 2) because the Trust Fund Beauty primer is available for pre-order on the company website at $25 for 10mL and there's probably a pretty long waitlist. Incidentally, that's how large my sample was.

Lottie London Perfectly Precise brush-I'm loving this cute little guy. It's smaller than anything I've used in the past so it's crazy precise. That and it's just so damned cute and soft. Bunnies should be made of this brush's fibers. 

October eyeliner-I should shake Kat von D's hand for this one. The brush is not a felt tip but rather "325 bristles in [a] super tight point" and oh my Jesus, is this thing flexible and crazy easy to handle. It is a complete 180 from the Eyeko liner I struggle to use. I could probably still apply eyeliner properly after 5 cups of coffee spiced with more coffee. The only complaint I have is that it isn't the blackest black that I've seen. The product says it is waterproof though and it does resist water well enough. I would buy the shit out of this. 9 out of 10. Points lost for being glossy and not the blackest black, but I would love to try other things in her line.

Pūr~Lisse Daily Lip Nourisher-I can't say no to a lip balm. This lip balm is very hydrating and what I would look for- it isn't sticky or waxy feeling, tastes a little sweet and I love the applicator. I cannot tell you what it smells like but it has a very nice, almost fruity scent.

Cosmoholic Liquid Lipstick in Mysterious Mocha-I'm still enjoying this guy. It's more of a taupe/mauve shade on me than brown) and shiny a f. It is pretty sticky sp I've been patting translucent powder on top to get a matte look. It also solves my problem of never being able to find nude lip colors for my skin tone.

Please excuse the shit/repeat pictures. It's all i have to work with right now.

November Ipsy First Impressions

Not only am I exceedingly overdue for this post, but I only have one shitty photo of my own because a combination of holidays and traveling, life and work have teamed together to kick my ass. I have a couple of equally uninformative posts in the queue also, so let’s jump into this so I can procrastinate on something else. If stock photos and shitty swatches are your thing, feel free to use my my referral code.

October Ipsy First Impressions

Another month, another late post. So I may have convinced two coworkers to sign up for Ipsy, which for those of you don't know, is a $10 a month beauty subscription bag. I promise, I did not proselytize or subscription stalk them (not my style, having grown up baptist). I cannot see it being overly useful to your average person since most of the samples are deluxe or sample sized and there are a LOT of black eyeliners that are sent out, and the profile one creates for oneself does not always correlate to the products one gets in one's bag, but it works for me (and the coworkers) since we are admitted nerds who have a minimal makeup "collection" to begin with. One of the coworkers has stated that she does not have a blush brush *GASP* though I only have one because I got married three years ago and did not feel like going Sarah Plain and Tall. I will admit my occasional disappointment (Tarte Lipsurgence and Thrive Causemetics Eyeliner, to name two) but I just ended up re-purposing those items. If you are sold from that piss poor pitch, feel free to use my referral code.

Subscription Box Review Part 2

I'm back for round two of subscription box reviews. I will try to make a concerted effort to post more or at least be more timely about reviews. No excuses, as I look at the clock, see that it is 12:30, and know that I have to be at work at 6:00 AM on a weekend. But enough bemoaning my insomnia, let's dive right into the analysis.


September Ipsy First Impressions

It's mid-month so that means once again, it's bag time. Fortunately this time I'm actually posting within the same month that I got my bag-it's like all of my terrible high school qualities have followed me deep into adulthood. I've been thinking of changing my profile because lately I have not received many overly swatchable or interesting things. Useful? Yes. Pretty for unboxing? Meh. On with this boring shitshow.

Subscription Box Review Part 1

Alright, this has been a very long time coming (and will end up being a two parter) but I finally found the time (will power) to sit down and do a detailed review of my Ipsy Glam Bags that I've accrued since I started back in April. For this I'm just focusing on the products themselves, not the bags themselves, there have been a couple of actual bags that I've loved, some that I hated and a lot of overall indifference. And boy, are there a lot of words (I'm sorry). Anyhow, let's get into this.

August Ipsy Bag Review

Alright, so remember how I promised I would be patient and not sneak any peeks at my bag this month? Yeah well... that didn't happen. Once again, I was a little disappointed, until I got my items that is. And then I was still somehow a little disappointed afterward.

For those of you who aren't even reading this don't know, Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription service that sends 5 full, deluxe and sample sized products a month in a makeup bag that is usually pretty cute. Ipsy is one of the cheapest makeup subscription services out there (right next to Birchbox, which I haven't tried yet). If you a are interested in Birchbox reviews or want to see a comparison of Ipsy vs. Birchbox check out My Subscription Addiction.

I received my bag on August 16th and this month Ipsy only offered one beauty tool, which seemed uncommon. I've been a subscriber since April and it seems like they have at least two brushes per bag (or the dreaded nail file) but this month the only offering was a sponge.

I won the lottery and scored the Beau Gâchis Paris Pro Series Applicator Sponge. A two pack of this and another sponge runs for $28 on the store's site (at the time of this writing they are on sale for $23 for the duo pack). Ive been wanting to try a beauty sponge for a while now but I hadn't quite worked up the nerve to buy one so I'm extremely glad this rolled through that door...