Ipsy Bag - December - Review

Hey there!

Soooooo. Let's just jump into what I did with what I got this month. I mentioned earlier in December that my 5 items were a Beauty Without Cruelty A.H.A. 3% Facial Cleanser, NYX Cosmetics Butter Lip Balm, Pixi by Petra Fairy Dust, Swissco Electroplated Eyelash Curler and a tarte deluxe lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara.

I gave my mother the tarte deluxe lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara ($20 on the tarte website, no Ipsy discount offered). One of her Christmas gifts was a bag of mascaras. She is always looking for a good mascara so I thought I'd give her several to try out.

The Swissco Electroplated Eyelash Curler ($5 on its website, no discount offered by Ispy) was gifted to a friend. I didn't ask her to tell me what she thought of it. The Pixi by Petra Fairy Dust ($10 with a 20% discount offered by Ipsy) was also gifted to a friend. She seemed to like it well enough.

I kept the Beauty Without Cruelty A.H.A. 3% Facial Cleanser and the NYX Cosmetics Butter Lip Balm. I liked the facial cleanser well enough. I didn't see anything good or bad. It's a cleanser. It's nice that it didn't break me out or do anything negative but at $11.95 for a 8.5 oz cleanser, I think I'll pass (15% discount offered by Ipsy). The NYX Cosmetics Butter Lip Balm at $4.00 is a much better deal (25% discount offered by Ipsy). The product was very nice on the lips and moisturizing but I got the color Parfait and it wasn't good for my complexion. I would have liked Panna Cotta, Biscotti or Brownie better but I'll still wear it at home.

I also mentioned that the bag itself was on the cheap side. I wasn't a fan and have it at the ready to give to my young niece.

So, I paid $10 for $50.95 with of products. I am not a fan folks. I just didn't enjoy this month. It was good for giving gifts but now that the holidays are over, I don't think I want to give half of my bags away. I've seen this month's bag (preview on the site) and I'm still not a fan.

So...I think I'll be cancelling my subscription.

What have you guys thought of your bags? Worth it?

What is an Ipsy Bag?(<-- a link to the about Ipsy page only, however my personal link is below), Ipsy is a subscription service makeup bag and for $10 a month, you get a bag and 5 beauty items -- sometimes full size, most of the time sample sizes. Some of the companies that supply items are very well known and some are lesser known companies. 

Ipsy Bag - October - Review

Hey there!

Happy November!!

I told you good people that this month my Ipsy bag included an Épicé International Purifying Exfoliant, a Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Mango Mandarin, A ModelCo Volumeyes Extreme Black Mascara, a Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer and a Starlooks Lip Gloss, all crammed into a teal, bag.

I'll go out of order and begin with the ModelCo Volumeyes Extreme Black Mascara. I personally didn't try it. I gave it to a co-worker to try out for me. She wears mascara everyday and did a much better job reviewing than I could have. Her quote -  "I didn't love it, it didn't lengthen or thicken my lashes even though I used my eyelash curler prior. And it smudges and it was hard to take off." Ooooh. There you have it folks. She's not a fan but I did hear that quite a bit in reviews. The regular price of this is $20 (minus your Ipsy discount of 15% = $17). The tall girl has spoken -- this is a no go.

Épicé International Purifying Exfoliant was nice. It was grittier than I prefer but it’s an exfoliant so I guess that’s its job. I did try it alone and with my favorite cleanser. It was fine. That’s it -- Nothing great, phenomenal or spectacular. It was just nice and fine. The regular price of this is $32 (minus your Ipsy discount of 50% = $16). But, I think even if this were at the dollar store for $1 I’d probably leave it. The amount of grit bothered me.

The first item I tried was the Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Mango Mandarin. I opened it and used it almost the second I opened the bag. I like hand creams. The consistency was pretty nice. It was thick without being too oily (but it was kinda oily). The smell was the worst mango and/or mandarin smell I have EVER smelled. I couldn’t get past it. It did dissipate after a while but who had time to wait on that?! The regular price of this is $6.56 (minus your Ipsy discount of 15% plus delivery = $8.58). That’s not tooo bad. I might have actually considered it if I could have gotten past the smell.

The nail polish was the Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer. I got the color Feeling Very Cherry. I really liked the color and the formula was great. It’s a vampy color (I know, I hate that word too but what else describes this?). My only downfall was that I wasn’t able to clean up around my nails successfully. The color was so dark that you can still see red streaks after my clean up. And, any chips are very, very noticeable. As a person that types all day, I can’t get away with a full week with this color. The regular price of this $5.99 (Target price) and Ipsy doesn’t offer a discount. I normally get my Nicole by OPIs from T.J. Maxx or Marshalls (after the season is over) for two or three dollars each. As of yet, there hasn’t been a color that jumped out at me when a collection has first come out.

And last but not least was the Starlooks Lip Gloss. It was in the shade Guilty Pleasure. I really liked this lippie! It’s a tiny bit thick but that’s ok. And the smell is sooo good. I am a sucker for a good smelling lip product. It’s a beautiful pinky nude that you can wear by itself (and get a decent color) or on top of a lipstick. The regular price of this is $12 (minus your Ipsy discount of 20% on $35 or more so….) BUT they also have an Ipsy special feature set of a liner, lip gloss and lipstick for $24 or the liner and lipstick for $22. Not a bad deal, I think.

Oh! That teal bag. That is the best Ipsy bag so far! I loved it. So chic, stylish and functional. It made a D Ipsy bag move up to a C. This month was a $59.57 bag that because of the polish, gloss and teal bag, was worth the $10. Ipsy is still on a month-to-month lease folks. I can say that it’s worth the $10 you spend so I have no problems with it, but it hasn’t really introduced me to any new brands that I have fallen in love with. The things that I loved were by brands that I already loved.

How are you feeling about your Ipsy bag? What? You haven’t joined yet? Well, you don’t have to but I think it’s worth it. What do you think?

Ipsy Link  <--- I've put my link right here in case you are interested in checking this out for yourself. I personally think it's a great deal for $10 BUT that is completely my opinion and if you don't want to use my link, that's okay too! If you are interested and would like to try them out, I'd be super stoked if you did use my Link. If you do decide to, come back and tell me how you like your first bag!!

Ipsy Bag - September Review - Follow Up

Hey there!

I wanted to come back and touch base on the Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair deep conditioning mask that came in my Ipsy bag. When I did my initial September Ispy bag review I hadn't used this sample yet. Well now I have.

And it's ok.

That's it. Just ok.

For $26, I wanted more. I mean I wanted a spa hair experience. I didn't get that. It was like a regular ole' conditioner. It wasn't even better than my Organix conditioner that I buy BOGO $7.99. If I price it out, 6 products plus a cute bag, comes to $1.43 per item. This conditioner at $1.43 for 1 oz of product is fine. My Organix is .31 cents per oz and magical. I think unicorn tears are on the ingredient list.

So, as a sample, I am glad to have tried this. As a purchase...no way.

Ipsy Bag - September - Review

Hey there!

Let’s start this Ipsy bag review with the gray, studded bag that everything came in, shall we? I thought it was very cute! I think it’s one of the best one’s I’ve gotten so far. I have been using it quite a bit.

In my Ipsy bag got the NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Chandelier ($4.50). I wasn't able to really test the performance. I do know there was a lot of glitter and very little color. I’d like to say that the Eyeshadow was just a bad color but I’m not sure about that. I’ve had bad NYX eyeshadows and I’ve had good ones. This one was supposed to be intense (according to the website) and I don’t think that was the case with this color. Let's leave it at that. 

The Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lipgloss ($19) was a pretty color. The formula left a bit to be desired. My lips felt very dry with this gloss, not moisturized at all. I would have liked it to be a bit more wearable. After 3 hours of wear I had to wipe it off. My lips were not a fan. I saw that others really like the formula, so perhaps I got a bad batch but I’m not betting so.

I love my new Crown Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush ($6.99). But, we all know that Crown Cosmetics does a great brush. I used both ends several times and I have to give it two thumbs up.  The Ipsy special offer was 30% off of a $25 or more purchase. That’s not a bad deal because Crown Cosmetics has quite a bit of stuff that I like.

The Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye pencil ($11) was just so-so. It is soft and buttery smooth but it wasn’t highly pigmented. I tried it in my waterline and with a winged eye. It stayed in my waterline for about two seconds before transferring to the lash line. Because it was brown it was ok. And my wing lasted about 5 hours. For $11, I need you to do more than that. I have $4.99 eyeliners that last longer. This was not good for me.

I'll have to get back with you on the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair hair conditioner ($26).  I didn't get a chance to try it. I wanted to get this post posted but, I’m sure that it’s probably a good product. I’ll report back. I can tell you that unless it is a standout product, the price tag leaves me with a scrunched up face. My favorite hair conditioner (OGX Conditioner) is $7.49 if you pay full price (and I don’t).

All-in-all, my $67.49 bag was worth about $10 to me (plus the bag), so if it weren’t for the Crown eye brush, Ipsy would be on probation. But, I know that the eye brush is good, my co-worker likes the lip gloss, the hair mask is probably going to be good and the gray studded bag is pretty durn cute. As of now, Ipsy is on notice. If the October bag isn’t better, we might have a problem. I’m just saying.

Does anyone else get the Ipsy bag? How are you feeling about it right now?

Ipsy Link  <--- I've put my link right here in case you are interested in checking this out for yourself. I personally think it's a great deal for $10 BUT that is completely my opinion and if you don't want to use my link, that's okay too! If you are interested and would like to try them out, I'd be super stoked if you did use my Link. If you do decide to, come back and tell me how you like your first bag!!

Ipsy Bag - August - Review

Hey there!

Are you ready to find out what I thought of the goodies in my little pink bag? Are you on pins and needles? Well even if you aren't, here goes!

I mentioned that this month's Ipsy bag has an Urban Decay Perversion mascara, Coastal Scents Forever Blush duo, Absolute New York's 'You're The Balm' Lip Balm, Dr. Brandt Pores No More and Lord & Berry eyeliner. I made sure to take adequate time to try most of the items, but not all.

I'll be honest with you (cause when do I lie?) I didn't even try the Dr. Brandt Pores No More. I've used a lot pore shrinkers and vanishers and I've come to realize, my pores aren't very noticeable and I'm wasting money on products like this. I'll probably give this one away instead of using it. Someone will need it more than me.

I also didn't try the Urban Decay Perversion mascara. I had already tried another sample of this about 6 months ago (Sephora I think) and it was ok. I've had better though. My holy grail mascara (Jordana Best Lash Mascara) does about the same job. I'll pass this along to my mom. She will probably like it. She doesn't like "POW" lashes that reach out for days but she does like black lashes. This definitely did make my lashes black back during the holidays when I tried it.

The Coastal Scents Forever Blush duo was great! The pink shade showed up very well on my skin. The peach shade gave me a fresh glow. They wore well and lasted almost all stinkin' day! I love that in a blush. The packet boasts that there are 18 Forever Blush colors to choose from and it gives you 25% off of blush (not to be used with any other offer). But honestly, Coastal Scents has so many offers, you can always get their blushes at a discount. Right now the deal is 35% off of the 10 blush palette (there are 2 different ones). But if you wait a bit, you can find the perfect sale for you.

The Absolute New York's 'You're The Balm' Lip Balm is very nice. It smells great! There's a slight sparkle but nothing too bad and it smells great! It goes on smoothly and you only need a dab and it smells great. Did I mention that it smells great? Ipsy offers a 30% discount at the Nicka K website making it $10.19 for the duo (30% off plus $6.00 S&H). Spoiler alert, I've seen these duos at T.J. Maxx for $3.99. I'm just saying folks. The down side? The container. I hate tins of lip product. What if your fingers are dirty? Love the product - hate the tin - because of that I probably won't buy it.

Last but not least was the Lord & Berry eyeliner. It's a soft eyeliner that glides on your waterline (where I wear my eyeliner) and stays for a decent amount of time -- several hours. The Lord and Berry website sells them for $18 (with and extra 25% off Ipsy discount). No way these are worth $13.50. It was fine but not great. I have $5 brands that are better.

So, this bag wasn't as great as the others were but I do fill that I got my $10 worth. The eyeliner will last me about 6 weeks. The lip balm will go to work with me and after I wash my hands, I'll moisturize my lips. The Blush sample showed me that I can trust Coastal Scents blushes to work (and this sample will last about 2 months in rotation, if not 3). I can give my mom the mascara because she is ALWAYS looking for a good mascara that isn't wet. The Dr. Brandt, well that was a fail for me. And, the bag that it all came in is currently holding scrapbook essentials.

So there you have it! Another month of Ipsy love. I still think it's worth the $10 and I still recommend you try it.

Ipsy Bag - July - Review

Hey there!

I spent the last 2 weeks really trying out the items in this month's Ipsy bag. I like trying out new things and the Ipsy bag always seems to have great new stuff to try in addition to one or more of my favorites.

The old favorite this time was the Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow in Divine Wine. The full size is $18. I picked up a sample of Candle Lit Peach about 2 months ago and I have been loving it ever since. I had no doubt that I'd love this too.  The shade is a tad bit darker than I'd have picked but it looks really good. It's a nice cocoa shade that is a great base for your browns and goes well with almost any color that you are using. I love the formula. It stays on for such a long time. It's creamy and rich and a little bit goes a long way. If you've been with me for any time at all you know that I love products that "a dab with do ya".

I know. It looks like a weird color, but on your eyes...
oh on your eyes, it's so pretty.
This is a slather. You only need a touch.

One of the products that I knew about but had never tried was the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm. It's a lip balm (duh, yeah I know). But, that's about all it is and not a very good one either. I didn't even realize (until I went to research the product) that mine was a color! My Pixi Balm is in Unique Pink which is supposed to be pH reactive and change to my own personal pink. I'm a woman of color and my personal pH reactive pink must be -- lip color. Sigh. It's not very moisturizing either. My $1 ChapStick is better. Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm is $14. Even with the Ipsy discount (that we learned last month, doesn't always work) I wouldn't buy this.

I tried the Whet brand refined nail lacquer. The color was...Facetious, a rich, royal blue color. It retails for $15 on its website. The brand is supposed to be free of harmful chemicals, chip resistant, high shine and a vegan formula. The formula is the bomb. It lasted quite a long time and the glossy blue finish was great. I was scared when I saw the bottle but my toes loved it! The Ispy 30% discount does apply on the website and gives you a $6 flat shipping option in addition to other shipping avenues. I'd probably spend the extra 50cents and go with a tracking option. There are lots of colors to choose from, so with my discount, I wouldn't be opposed to trying another color.

I also had the honor of trying Be Fine Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15. I liked it. It was a thin consistency which I look for. I'm not into heavy moisturizer. I wish they offered a SPF free version because sometimes that can break me out. This one didn't but it made my face feel warm for about 2 minutes, so I was a bit scared. I received a 1.5 fl oz size to try. If you want to purchase the 1.7 oz size (with a pump) the price on the website is $24. After shipping ($6.95 USPS) and the 20% Ipsy discount the total was $26.14. That wasn't too bad but I wasn't THAT sold on it. Maybe after I use this sample up (and I will) I'll feel differently.

Even though you might think that I wouldn't, I did try the Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil. My sample size was 1 fl. oz. I tried it on my feet and legs. Those are the parts of me that don't tan but I'd like for them too. Twice, on the sunniest weekends we've had so far, I followed the directions and waited for my feet and legs to get a golden brown(er than my normal color). I sprayed product all over my feet and legs(and all over the floor of my bathroom) and waited for gorgeousness to happen. It didn't happen. After two tries the only thing that happened was that my bathroom floor needed a good mopping and the bottom of my feet got really oily and dirty. Not exactly what I was hoping for. So, this bottle went in the trash. I don't have many friends that try to tan so I couldn't pass it along. Even my white friends don't slather on lotion to tan. They are mostly SPF freaks. I knew this wouldn't work but I thought I'd try anyway. What could it hurt? Well, it didn't hurt but it wasn't for me. Oddly enough, this is one of the products that had a good discount that made the price plus shipping work. The full size, 8 oz bottle is $11.99 with $5 flat shipping. After the 25% discount, it would cost you $13.99 to get it home. Not bad if the product works for you.

Oh! And the bag itself was cute. It was a pink, faux leather pouch that I use in my craft area. I really liked it! It's something I wouldn't have picked up myself but I enjoy having it.

So over all, how was my Sensationally Sunkissed Ipsy bag? I liked it. One of the products was something I was going to purchase (maybe not that color, but yes to that product), a nail polish that I would never have purchased but I am so glad that I have and a moisturizer that is almost what I want so I'll be on the lookout for other products from that company. Again folks, I say to you that for $10 this ain't a bad deal. You get to try 5 new products and get a cute bag to boot! So far, I don't have any qualms with Ipsy and can't wait for next month's bag!!

Ipsy Link  <--- I've put my link right here in case you are interested in checking this out for yourself. I personally think it's a great deal for $10 BUT that is completely my opinion and if you don't want to use my link, that's okay too! If you are interested and would like to try them out, I'd be super stoked if you did use my Link. If you do decide to, come back and tell me how you like your first bag!!

Ipsy Bag Review - June - Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray

Hey there!

I am so excited to have my very first guest blogger!! If you remember, I mentioned that 1 of the items in my Ipsy bag wasn't exactly for folks of color. One spritz of The Marc Anthony Dream Waves Spray and my hair would have been in an afro, which is fine if that was the look you were going for.

But my good friend, (let's call her Mel B, shall we?) volunteered to try it out for me and here are her results....

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Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray

I used to have kinky curly hair.  The kind that you could pull down and it would spring back up.  That is not the case today.  As I’ve gotten older, my hair has changed textures a bit (thanks hormones!).  Now it is now more curly-wavy, less springy-curly.

My friends who writes the Make It Up As You Go blog asked me to test Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray.  And it was perfect timing as I just cut my hair and have been trying every product in the hopes that my curly hair will some how spring back.

I was pretty excited when my friend gave me this bottle.  I had already tried one sea salt beach spray that didn’t work at all.  I was now onto the next victim (Not Your Mother’s Texturizing Sea Salt Spray) when the little bottle appeared on my desk.  Now I had two to compare side-by-side.  Perfect. 

My routine is pretty easy…I am not one to spend a lot of time on my hair because it is what it is, and it’s not going to change much.  When I wear it curly, I spray product on, flip my head upside down, and diffuse it until it’s dry.  

When I first smelled the Dream Waves Beach Spray out of the bottle, I liked it.  It was very subtle.  When I sprayed it on my hair initially, I did not.  It has a lemony, grassy scent.  I guess you could say there’s a hint of “beach” smell, but not much.  At first, I hated how it smelled on my hair, but gave it an hour and it got better.   When I diffused my hair on the first try, it was mega wavy (Love!), then as it normally does, it settled down a bit.  The other days I’ve used the spray, it sometimes is as curly, and sometimes not as that first day.  But, it definitely achieves the “beach wave” look.  One thing I like about this spray is that it doesn’t leave your hair grimy, dry, or sticky like some other sea salt sprays can.  My hair is still soft and I can run my fingers through it to tousle it without any problems or residue on my hands. 

I’ve been trying it for about two weeks now and generally like it.  I’m not sure if there’s much of a difference between this one and Not Your Mother’s, but I would recommend it (and Not Your Mother’s) to a friend until I find something better.  I honestly think it just depends on how my hair wants to act that day.   I just have to hope that if I’m ever pregnant with raging hormones, the springy curls come back.  Until then, beach waves it is!

Ipsy Bag - June - Review

Hey there!

It's time for my June Ipsy bag review. I'll try to review it a bit faster next month but I got it late and wanted to really try things before telling you what I thought. You know I can be a bit harsh sometimes! I wanted to give things a fair shake.

There are 2 things I didn't get a chance to give a fair shake (Great job! There are only 5 things in the bag woman!!). The Be A Bombshell mascara and the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray. I don't wear mascara anymore and after taking a sniff, decided I didn't really want to share this with a friend. It kinda stinks. But, maybe you don't think so. Let me know if you want me to mail it off to you and I will. The Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray went to a friend at work and she is really trying it out for you guys. She should have a full review soon (first guess blogger!).

On with the show. I gave the eyebrow pencil by OFRA a really good try and you know what? I'm in love. It is about the right shade for me, it goes on smoothly and with a bit of eyebrow gel, stays in place (I use the gel because I tend to touch my eyebrows when I put my glasses on and take them off so the gel helps keep the color on my brows and off my hands). I went onto the website and saw the price. It's $13. And, it only comes in 1 shade. That being said, with your Ipsy 30% off discount plus shipping, it's about $14.05. That's not any worse that's anything else you've purchased. And, if it's your perfect shade, that does make it worth it. I personally am thinking about it. Other eyebrow pencils that I have come close but not as close as this one.

I did use the Realtree for her eau de parfum. It was a tiny bit too strong for me. I like soft scents or sweet scents. This was just...strong. Not my fave. On the website this parfum is $19.99. I tried to use the Ipsy code on their website (to see if it works) and it didn't. Maybe I waited too late in the month. Anywho, after flat rate shipping it's $26.98 for 3.4oz. That's not a bad price but I didn't like it, so I wouldn't purchase it no matter what.

I told you that one of these products got a squeal out of me. I saw it and was very happy, even though I already owned the product! The NYX butter gloss in crème brulee make me smile. Have you smelled a NYX butter gloss? I mean let's just start with that! It's a sweet, vanilla sugar smell that I love. And this color is beautiful. It's a soft warm pink color that is great on top of a brown or pink lipstick or, I just use it alone. And this one became my backup because I go through butter glosses like no one's business. I have 3 in my purse right now, so YES -- I will purchase this item!! I tried to use the Ipsy code on the website but it didn't take. That's fine though because I get my NYX BOGO 1/2 off at CVS or Ulta so no worries there.

Which brings me to a little question. Has anyone had luck using the Ipsy discount? In this case, the one item I would purchase, I'd get cheaper somewhere else. But, I know if you earn enough Ipsy points you can purchase things that way. So, what would I'd do? I'd review the items and earn points and when you have enough, treat yourself to a little something.

Do I plan on continuing my Ipsy bag? Yeah, for now. I got to try a few products that I ended up liking. The bag was $10 and to come out a winner with the NYX butter gloss and the OFRA eyebrow pencil, it was worth it to me.

Do you get the Ipsy bag? Do you like it? What do you really like about it and what could they do better in your opinion?

Ipsy Link  <--- I've put my link right here in case you are interested in checking this out for yourself. I personally think it's a great deal for $10 BUT that is completely my opinion and if you don't want to use my link, that's okay too! If you are interested and would like to try them out, I'd be super stoked if you did use my Link. If you do decide to, come back and tell me how you like your first bag!!