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Ipsy April 2017 Glam Bag Review

  • ashleyellebeauty
  • Apr 19, 2017
  • 6 min read

Ipsy is a monthly subscription service that delivers makeup, haircare, fragrance, and skincare right to your mailbox (or front door). Every month, Ipsy sends a mixture of high-end and low-end brands, as well as well-known and indie skin/hair/makeup brands in a cute little makeup bag.

The subscription costs $10 per month (free shipping!) and they claim to always send you a beautiful glam bag with deluxe and full-sized beauty products.

This month's theme is Sideshow. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I think it has something to do with a fair? I don't know. I couldn't find what it said on the website, but here is the card and this month's bag, along with the products featured.

I've heard that a lot of people don't like this bag, but I think it's cute!It feels as if it's made of really sturdy material, so I can see this lasting me a long time.

Here's what I got in my bag this month:

EM Cosmetics Illustrative Eyeliner Brush Tip: 0.55 ml: full size! Value: $15.00

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I received 3 full-sized items in the bag!

I love getting highlighters in my beauty box subscriptions. As you all may know by know if you've checked out last week's Favorite Fridays post, I'm a highlighter junkie. I would bathe in highlighters if I could. This is why I was very excited to see this little guy in my bag! It's itty itty bitty and it was hard getting my fan brush in the pan, but I still managed. The highlight applied nicely and stayed all day, but it was a liiiiiiiiittle too light for my skin tone. Just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit (but that also could've been because I applied too much. Sorry not sorry). I'll have to remember to diffuse it out a little more next time. Here is the product claim from Ipsy's website (there was nothing up from Elizabeth Mott's website):

"This powder is ultra fine which means it’s totally layerable, so you can go for a subtle, daytime gleam or score a glow that can basically be seen from space.Use it literally anywhere. To name just a few spots: along cheekbones, eyelids, down the bridge of your nose, along collar bones, and even down the front of your legs to add sheen and elongate.It’s cruelty free!"

I can definitely agree with seeing the glow from outer space. I was shining to the gods when I wore this. Not too sure if I'll throw this in my sample box or my regular makeup drawer. We'll have to see. I'll have some swatches at the end of the post.

This is the first time I've gotten a nail polish in an ipsy bag, and I'm really loving it. I'm loving what isn't in the nail polish even more! The color may be a little bit light for my skin tone (no swatches yet- I may post some on my Instagram later this week), but I don't mind. I can work it. Here's the claim:

"Southern sand will take you to the sunny Southern California beaches, and goes with any outfit! A fairly neutral color with a cream finish.PS Polish nail polishes, lacquers and treatments do not contain Formaldehyde or Formaldehyde resins, Toluene, hazardous Phthalates, or Camphor. We developed our nail polish by using a non-toxic alternative ingredient. After five years of studying the best solutions for your nails, we found the addition of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), when combined with other key ingredients, created a polish with superior colors and healthy nails."

I'm doing my nails in a few days, so I'll have to see if it lives up to the claim!

Hold. The. Phone. Did you just get a blast from the past like I did? When I was in elementary school, Lisa Frank was my religion. I had the trapper keepers, the folders, the notebooks...just abut anything you can imagine, I had. I was more than excited to open my bag and see this LISA FRANK brush! I even think I did a little squeak.

The brush is super soft! I don't wear blush very often, but I may just start just so I can use this brush. I'm completely biased on my mini-review for this, but I think it's perfect (even if it does feel a little cheap). Here's the little excerpt from the Glamour Dolls website:

"Glamour Dolls has partnered with the legendary LISA FRANK to bring her art to the makeup community. Glamour Dolls is an indie brand that's been curated by makeup artist Jessica Romano on a mission to put out high-quality cosmetics at a price that every doll in the world can afford! Lisa Frank is known for her bright rainbows and adorable characters: unicorns, dolphins, leopards, and more! This line is geared toward the 80's and 90's kid that grew up loving Lisa- but also revved up to introduce her to a whole new generation of fans in the form of premium quality, affordable, cruelty-free, vegan makeup."

I can't wait to see what else they come out with! Nothing is for sale now, but the collection should be launching soon. This is definitely my favorite product of the entire bag.

EM Cosmetics Illustrative Eyeliner Brush Tip: 0.55 ml: full size! Value: $15.00

Before we get started, here are some outdoor and indoor swatches. See what I mean about the highlighter looking a tad bit too light for my skin tone?

I was disappointed in this eyeliner. It was full sized which is wonderful, but I had to go over the swatch bout 3 or 4 times to get it black. Even then, it's not as black as I'd like it. I'm not sure if I got a bad eyeliner or if it is the actual consistency of the liner.

I wore this liner last week and I really did enjoy the tin brush tip. I was able to get close to my waterline for a natural look. I would advise against trying a wing with this though. You may really have to work to color it in.

I couldn't get a value for you guys because the EM Cosmetics site isn't up yet, but I'm assuming this will be on the higher end of the scale (I remember looking at he makeup products a few years ago-- they weren't drugstore priced). Here's the product claim that I found not he Ipsy website:

"Whether you’ve been acing a cat eye since freshman year or ready to give it a whirl for the first time, DO NOT WING IT WITHOUT THIS BABY IN HAND. Your flawless flick will thank you.No need to fan at your just-lined lids or wait around for them to dry. This formula dries crazy fast.The applicator was inspired by a calligraphy pen. Time to get artsy!It was created by our OG muse and co-founder, the fairy godmother of beauty tutorials, Michelle Phan. Do we really need to say more?"

I'm not sure how much use I'll be getting out of this. I have an ELF eyeliner that I love that does a much better job (bonus: it's just $2!)

This is a very generous sample size, and I am happy that they included a cleanser in my bag! I would've been a little happier if it was a cleanser target towards my skin type- I'm combo/oily, so I'm worried that this may add to my oil production.

There's a foil seal on this (which always makes me feel better), so I haven't tampered with it to try it out for you guys or 'swatch' it. I'm still deciding whether or not to give this away, or to keep this. I may hand it over to my husband who often suffers from dryness.

Here's the product claim:

"This luxurious face cleanser, with Water Lily extract, smooths and quenches as it gently washes away dirt, oil, and makeup. It preps your complexion for whatever comes next, whether that's your pillow or more makeup"

Sounds like a great cleanser! I'm all for getting them in my boxes/bags, so I appreciate the gesture.

Final thoughts: I was overall happy with my Ipsy bag this month. I LOVED the brush (my favorite item in the bag), and I'll use the bag itself, the nail polish, and the highlighter. Even if I wasn't crazy about the eyeliner I'll still use it. As for the cleanser, I'll pass it to my husband and have him decide whether he likes it for not. I believe that the bag was well over the $10 value, which pleases me!

Until next month!

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