For my first birthday together Matt made a reservation at a really fancy restaurant and we both got all dressed up and went out and ate delicious fancy food.
I got food poisoning.
Here’s how ipsy works:
ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription. Each month you recieve a themed makeup bag stuffed with five (mostly sample sized) products. I can’t emphasize enough that they are sample sized, although at least one item will be full sized. It’s a “try before you buy” type of subscription, and a generally fun way to find new things that you love (or hate). Every person’s bag is a different variation based off of the style quiz they complete upon signing up. That means you probably won’t get the same thing as your friends, which is pretty cool!
The cost is $10/month or $110 for a year.
Ready to take the plunge? Use my referral link —> ipsy
#5 (June 2017)
I just do NOT like this bag. I can’t even put my finger on why, but I think it has to do with the big cartoon-ish lips. I mean, I get the theme behind the bag. I just feel like maybe it could have been executed better? The bag is a beige color with white polka dots. It had a black inside lining and the zipper is black in the shape of a cloud. There’s a lot going on here.
NYX Professional Makeup Whipped Lip & Cheek Souffle in Pink Cloud
This product should be pretty versatile, based on ipsy’s description of it. I tried it on my cheeks, but couldn’t stand the sticky sensation while waiting for it to dry. It was featherlight as described, and gave a very subtle color to my lips. I wasn’t surprised that it wasn’t long lasting. It had less stay power than a gloss. It’s nice for that “casual, effortless” look. As long as you don’t mind reapplying ten times throughout the day.
Beauty For Real I-LINE 24-7 Eyeliner in 24 Karat
I was a little concerned about this eyeliner at first, because my skin tone is so fair that I wasn’t certain you’d be able to tell I was even wearing it. I was wrong though! It’s incredibly pigmented and gave my eyes a beautiful pop of color. It’s a gel formula and glides on smoothly. It’s long lasting and self-sharpening – my favorite!
City Color Cosmetics Shimmer Shadow in Beach Cottage
Whoa. This color is gorgeous and this shadow is incredibly pigmented. It’s a turquoise color with golden flecks. It’s velvety soft and easily bendable (even though I clearly need more practice!). The shimmer in this shadow is REAL. I think I’m in love.
BioRepublic SkinCare Aloe Rescue Revitalizing Fiber Mark & Green Tea Detox Purifying Fiber Mask
I decided to use my Green Tea Detox mask for this entry, because who doesn’t need a little detox from now and then? This mask was packed with hydration, as most are, but thankfully it wasn’t swimming in an ocean of serum so I didn’t have a chance to spill it all over myself this time. It stayed in place on my face, which was a nice change. It’s nothing against this mask, I just hate how cold they are! I did love the smell, although I’m not sure how detoxed I am. I think that it’s pretty cool that these masks are biodegradable. The hippy in me is happy about that. All in all, I liked this mask better than the last. Thumbs up!
theBalm Cosmetics Balm Springs Blush
This blush is a rosy shade that is really pretty for a natural flush. My one qualm with theBalm is that this is NOT an appropriate size for a blush sample. It’s hard to even get enough powder picked up by swiping your brush across, which is annoying. And if you try to manipulate your brush to fit you risk picking up too much powder. Double annoying.
I rated this bag two out of five stars. It’s absolutely my least favorite I’ve received so far (sad face). The good part is, the items I got that I liked I LOVED. The eyeliner and eyeshadow are some of my favorite products to date! The blush is a nice color, but the sample size is obnoxiously too small. I’m not a fan of sheet masks, so I’ll probably gift the other one, and the lip stain isn’t anything special to me. It doesn’t last long enough on the lips. I didn’t even like the bag! Bummer!
#6 (July 2017)
I’ve never heard of this little fella until ipsy featured him, but I think he is just so gosh darn cute! The theme this month was “over easy,” and it really paid emphasis to my chill side. The bag features the character Gudetama, a little lazy egg. The front shows his face, while the back shows his.. well, you know 🙂 The lining of the bag is a vibrant yellow color and the zipper tab is a speech bubble with the word “meh..” in it. So cute!
TONYMOLY I’m Real Sheet Masks in Green Tea and Lotus
Wow.. more masks.. huh.. To be fair, the packaging is really cute. I chose the Luminating Lotus mask for this review. These masks were not at all easy to keep in place, and SOMEHOW they made me look more like a serial killer than any other mask I’ve worn before. I was ready for radiant, luminous skin afterwards.. but I just felt cold and sticky for a long while. I think I’m giving up on masks. They just aren’t relaxing for me!
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
I don’t care what anyone says. This lotion totally has a scent to it, and I like it! (I’m not crazy!) I love receiving skin care products in my bags, because they’re usually so crazy expensive for full size. Not to mention, who wants to buy an expensive, full size product and then find out they hate it? Not this girl! This moisturizer was nice. It did make my face feel soft, but it also made it feel a little bit greasy. I probably won’t buy this product (thanks ipsy!).
Ciaté London Wonderland Gel-Kohl Hybrid Liner in Black
This liner is nice. It is kind of a dull black on the eyes, but can be built up to be darker if many layers are added. Its best feature is how well it smudges. It comes with a small brush on the opposite end to make it easy for you. I just really don’t like pencil liners that aren’t automatic sharpen. So call me lazy. There are plenty of other black liners out there that will do the same thing and don’t require a pencil sharpener.
Seraphine Botanicals Lychee + Gold
Wow, I really like this blush. It’s such a pretty pink, and it is has a beautiful sparkle to it. I’ve never heard of this company before, but I’m going to definitely be looking into some of their other products.
OFRA Cosmetics “Gold Rush” Eyeshadow
This eyeshadow was super pigmented when I swatched it on my wrist, and it didn’t disappoint when I incorporated it into my eye look for Halloween this year. This shimmer is to die for, and it lasted all night without budging. I didn’t experience any patchiness when applying, but maybe a little fallout. Which is a small price to pay, in my opinion, for such a pigmented shadow.
(I was the Wild Thing from Where The Wild Things Are)
Overall, I give this bag two out of five starts. The items I loved were the blush and the eyeshadow. The eyeliner was nice, but not better than anything I already own. Nothing amazing. The moisturizer was fun to try, but also not my favorite. And, of course, I didn’t really like the face masks. I did, however, really like this month’s bag more than the last.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time! 🙂
– Tia
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