Ipsy Glam Bag December 2014 Review

As always, my Ipsy Glam bag was amazing this month.  I'm constantly impressed by the samples they give me for only $10 a month...they're almost never boring and they tend to include newer products I've been wanting to try which is just so great.

This month's bag included:

Bumble and Bumble Repair Blow Dry- This is a really new product that I've been wanting to try and I'm so glad I didn't buy it yet because now I can try it for free!  It's supposed to be a serum-in-cream for dry and damaged hair that seals split ends...perfect for my hair type!

NYX Butter Lip Balm- I love NYX and this is a full-sized product which is great.  This butter lip balm is so soft and gives a sheer wash of color that really pops.  The shade they sent me, Parfait is a fuchsia with blue undertones an it's actually pretty pigmented yet it still allows my lips to show through a little bit so it's not an intimidating color.  I'm in love with how easy it is to just swipe on and go!

Nourish Organic Eye Cream- This eye cream is perfect for my dry skin.  It has no scent and contains avocado oil, argan oil and shea butter.  I can't wait to use it tonight!

Cailyn Just Mineral Eye Polish- This is a full size product and it's a loose eyeshadow in the base with a sponge-tipped applicator in the handle.  This shade, Orchid, is a beautiful shimmery pinky taupe that goes on smooth and pigmented.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara- This is an old favorite of mine and I'm super happy to get a travel size!  You can never have too many mascaras.

Here are swatches of the NYX Butter Lip Balm and Cailyn Just Mineral Eye Polish...I was really surprised at how much color is in this lip balm...I really want to try more shades now!

Coupon Codes:

Free Gift and 20% off any purchase at Cailyn Cosmetics using code IPSYCAILYN.

30% off any purchase at Nourish Organic using code LOVEIPSY30.

25% off NYX Glam Collection at NYX Cosmetics using code NYXGLITZ.

20% off at Tarte using code IPSYDEC

Overall, I'm super happy with this month's Glam Bag.  There were two full sized products and it had a total value of $31.99 not including the eye cream because I don't know how much it costs yet (it's going to be released in January). I always feel like they send me products that are tailored to my skin type and makeup preferences.  So many other subscription boxes have you take the quiz but then ignore your answers.  I've never found that to be the case with Ipsy.  If you're thinking about trying a  beauty subscription, I highly recommend Ipsy!  Click here to sign up (you can cancel any time- there's no long term commitment).

Ipsy Glam Bag September 2014 Review

I got my September 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag today, and this month's theme is Street Style. Take a look...

What it Is: A monthly beauty subscription service.

What it Does: Offers 5 samples/full sized products in a cute little makeup bag.

What it Costs: $10 a month

Where to Get It: Online at Ipsy.com

Similar To: Birchbox, Beauty Box 5, Sample Society.

Quick Rating: Love (mostly)!

Ipsy August 2014 Glam Bag Review plus Coupon Codes

My Ipsy Glam bag seemed like it was a little later than usual this month, but I'm always glad to see it arrive since Ipsy is one of my favorite subscription services! For $10 a month, you get 5 deluxe samples, sometimes even a full size thrown in, and I've found that Ipsy usually gives products from a mix of high-end and drugstore brands and at least one is a super hot new product I've been wanting to get my hands on.

Ipsy Glam Bag July 2014 Reveal

I always look forward to my Ipsy Glam bag...it almost never disappoints. This month's theme is Sensationally Sunkissed and I got a good variety of different products.

July's bag is hot pink with scalloped edges.

 The first product I got is Befine Food Skin Care Daily Moisturizer with SPF 1.5 oz. ($24 for 1.7 oz.).  This was almost full size and at first I thought it was body lotion due to the larger sample tube (usually face samples are much smaller). Then I read about it online and found that it's actually  face moisturizer featuring Rosemary and Pomegranate extracts as well as rice bran. It's a nice lightweight daily moisturizer with SPF 15, but I'm not super excited about it because I usually use anti-aging skincare and this seems pretty basic, ingredient-wise. To get 20% off any Befine product at Befine.com, enter IPSY at checkout.

 Next is Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 8 ($11.99). This is quite a throwback- first, I didn't realize that the Cali Surfer clothing brand Hang Ten was still around (I found out they sell it at Kohls) or that they made sunscreens! The bottle is very 80's retro which is cool and it reminds me of when I used to lie out and bake at the beach with my SPF 8 oil, then I'd drop it to SPF 4 once I got a base tan. Ahh memories...BUT I have to say I'm disappointed that Ipsy included this because it's basically promoting getting a "deep tan" naturally from the sun, which research shows can cause skin cancer. Now I'm not knocking anyone who wants to do that, but this skin cancer survivor won't be using this type of product anymore...pass me the SPF 50! To get 25% off one product at Hang tensunscreen.com, enter code IPSYtan at checkout.

Next is Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink ($14). This twist up balm starts out clear and then adjusts to your skin's pH to give you your own custom shade (they also make this balm in regular shades but this one, Unique Pink is self-adjusting). I love the ease of use and the texture is great! It hugs the lips and stays put a long time while keeping lips super hydrated. Here's how the color came out on me...I love it! It's a beautiful shade of pink. 

To get 25% off at Pixibeauty.com, enter flawlesspixi at checkout. 

This next brand, Whet is new to me, but I am loving this deep blue nail polish shade called Facetious ($15). These are free of harmful chemicals, chip resistant, and made in the USA.  I'll be keeping this for fall! To get 30% off a purchase at Whetnails.com, enter Ipsy30 at checkout.

Finally, this 5-in-1 BB cream eyeshadow ($18)from Bare Minerals is amazing! It has 5 benefits- 12 hour wear, built-in primer, brightening benefits, smooths fine lines and protects with SPF.  

  I don't have lines on my eyelids yet, so I can't speak to that, but the rest of the claims hold up. I got this in the shade Divine Wine. Which I thought would be plum colored but its more brown. It goes on SO smooth and silky and is heavily pigmented. It also stays soft long enough to blend it out. I just can't say enough about how amazingly soft and smooth this feels- I wasn't expecting that!

This swatch is when I first applied it...

 ...then this is blended out a bit.

 Here it is on my eye- it stayed like this all day- no creasing, patchiness or fading! I'm definitely going to pick up the full size of this one...maybe in a lighter shade for summer.

Overall I wasn't crazy about the first two products, but the last 3 were awesome and made up for it! How was your Ipsy bag this month? Not a subscriber? Click here to join- its $10 a month (cancel anytime).

Ipsy Glam Bag June 2014 Revealed

I am always excited for my Ipsy Glam bag and this month it was the last of my sample subscriptions to arrive so I was happy to finally see it in the mailbox yesterday! 

First, let's start with the bag- Rebecca Minkoff designed it exclusively for Ipsy and the design is so tropical and summery!

She actually has a very similar small pouch on her website for $75 that is strikingly similar!

First is Laneige BB Cushion. This Korean brand is a sister to much more expensive Amore Pacific and their products have recently landed in the US at Target. I actually bought the full size of this a while ago, and I'll review it soon (I'm so backed up with reviews right now!).

This sample has little pods that have different shades in it so you can find the best one for your skin. Here's some info on how it works:

Next is Marc Anthony Beach Waves spray. This is a pretty decent sized sample and I'll be taking it to the Shore with me next week for sure! You can use it on damp or dry hair, just scrunch and go. They claim that even the straightest hair can get beachy waves from this, so we'll see!

I've heard a lot of buzz about this next product, SKINN Olive and Enzyme Cleanser ($25 for 4 oz. - this sample is 2 oz!). Its a cleansing balm that not only removes dirt and makeup but also dead skin. The reviews everywhere on this are really good so I'm looking forward to trying it!
Now through 10/9/14, get 20% off any purchase at SKINN by using code IPSYSKINN at checkout.

I was so happy to see this full size NYX Butter Gloss ($5)! I had reported in my Ipsy spoilers post that all Ipsy members would be getting one but I wasn't sure what shade. I got Eclair which is a soft, summery pink. This gloss smells delicious (like cookies) and melts into the lips. Its not sticky at all!
Now through 8/9/14, get 30% off NYX Blush Sticks ($6 regularly) using code NYXJUNEBLOOM.

Finally, I also got a full size NickaK New York Shimmer Eyeliner ($4.99) in a gorgeous teal shade. This liner has a super thin brush that makes it easy to get a slim line. Or you can add more easily. You can get 30% off at NickaK through 7/11 by entering code IPSY at checkout!

Overall, this months Ipsy Glam bag more than made up for last month's, which was one of the worst I've gotten from them. But in 2 years of Ipsy, I've gotten maybe 2 bags that I wasn't crazy about. The rest have been amazing- they always give you so much more than your $10 worth. Even this month's bag- the SKINN cleanser was worth $12.50, NYX Butter Gloss $5, and the NickaK Eyeliner $5- that's $22.50 not even counting the Laneige, Marc Anthony or Rebecca Minkoff Makeup Bag!
If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, click here.

Ipsy June 2014 Glam Bag Spoilers

Ipsy is releasing spoilers this week for June's Glam Bag, and so far its looking great! 

For $10 a month, Ipsy has consistently been the best deal as far as beauty subscriptions go. I've been with them for over a year and I've only had like, 2 bags I wasn't crazy about. So I can say they are probably my favorite subscription! 

So here are the spoilers so far...

Spoiler #1: "Headed to paradise with the one you love? Make sure your lips are pout-perfect with one of these pretty picks."
Everyone will be getting one!  NYX Butter Gloss worth $5 in various colors.

Ipsy Glam Bag May 2014

Happy Monday everyone!  I got my Ipsy Glam Bag over the weekend, and I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed in the products I got this month.  It was almost all skincare, and I saw on Ipsy's website that other people got a Too Faced Bronzer, an Eva NY hair mask (which I could really use!), and a Revlon Matte Balm.  So I wish they had included more variety in this month's bag, but oh well.  Ipsy is usually my favorite bag every month, but I guess they can't be #1 all the time! Here's what I got...

Pacifica Mineral Eye Shadow Duo- These are coconut infused shadows and they gave me some pretty shades, although very neutral and a tad boring.  I already have so many colors like this, but I do like the finish these have and I'm sure I'll use them.  This was the only makeup that was in my bag this month.

Pur~lisse Pur-Moist Hydra Balance Moisturizer- This is a nice moisturizer and to be fair, I did say that I had dry skin when I took Ipsy's quiz.  I will definitely use this, but again I'm a little bored by it.  I have so many face moisturizers.  That's not Ipsy's fault though.

Hey Honey Take It Off Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask- This is the one product I got excited about in this month's bag, because it's different and interesting!  This mask is supposed to exfoliate and smooth the skin, and after wearing it for 10 minutes or so, you peel it off (reminds me of the cucumber peel-off masks I used in high school!).  

Avene Eau Thermale Themal Spring Water- Ok, so I know plenty of people use these water mists, but I've always found them to be a little silly, at least for me.  I don't really travel on planes much or live in an arid climate where I would feel like misting water on my face, and if I did, I think I'd probably just put my 100% pure well water into a mister and use that rather than spending crazy amounts of money on WATER, even if it is from France. A can of this stuff is $18! So yeah, I'll probably take this on vacation next month and use it, just because I have it. But I don't think I could ever bring myself to actually buy this.

Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Pure White Mineral Sunscreen- I like the idea of an all natural mineral based sunscreen, but this was thick and sticky and hard to absorb into my skin.  It felt oily and was separated when coming out of the tube.  Plus since it's mineral based, it left a white coating on my skin so I wasn't too impressed by this one.

Well, that's what I got!  I would say that so far this month, Ipsy falls third on my list after Beauty Box 5 (#1) and Julep Maven (#2).  I normally love Ipsy, and they're usually at the top of my list, so I have to cut them some slack this month.  But I'd love to see a bigger variety next time, not just skincare- maybe some perfumes, makeup and hair products!  Also, it would be helpful if Ipsy started including a card like Birchbox, Julep and Beauty Box 5 that lists what's in the bag and has a short description and pricing.  That way I won't have to look everything up to see what it's supposed to do, the ingredients, etc. 

So what did you get in your Ipsy Glam Bag this month?  Was it like mine, or a little more interesting?

Ipsy Glam Bag April 2014 Beauty Rocks Reveal

My Ipsy Glam bag arrived yesterday and more than made up for the so-so bag I got last month. Check it out! 

 This month's theme is Beauty Rocks and what says rock & roll better than black eyeliner? I got a huge sample size of Urban Decay's new 24/7 eyeliner in a new shade- black Velvet! Unlike Zero and Perversion, this is a soft black, almost bordering on charcoal gray (see my swatch at the end of the post). This sample will last a long time as its not too far off from being full size!

 Next is Demeter Jasmine roll-on perfume. Demeter is known for their single-scent roll-ons and this one is a true Jasmine. It smells wonderful, like summer in a bottle!

Next is a sample tube of Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion. I recently got a sample of this in one of my subscriptions but can't remember which. No matter, I love it and can always use more.

Next is a Mary Kay @Play Jelly Lip Gloss. This Berry Me shade is so pretty. It looks dark in the tube but as you can see from the swatch (below) it's a subtle flush of color and I love it! My only complaint is that the texture is very thick and sticky, however the trade off is that it lasts longer.

 Finally, is Elizabeth Mott's Pop!Goes the Shadow in Champagne. This is such a pretty color and this shadow is super soft and pigmented.

 Here are the swatches...Urban Decay Black Velvet 24/7, Mary Kay Jelly Gloss, Elizabeth Mott Shadow.

 Finally, I got a bonus this month with my Ipsy points... A full size Tokyomilk Dark La Vie en Rose Lip Balm. It smells like Rosewater and is so so moisturizing! I put it on and it was so thick and hydrating it made the lines in my lips pretty much disappear! To get Ipsy Points, you can review products, your whole Glam Bag, refer friends, etc.

I have to say, my favorite subscription this month was Ipsy! Such an amazing bag for only $10! To sign up, click here.

TokyoMilk Dark Femme Fatale Collection Lip Elixirs

Ipsy March 2014 Glam Bag Reveal and Swatches

I got my Ipsy Glam Bag over the weekend and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't one of my favorite bags. This month, I actually liked my Beauty Box 5 the best, then Birchbox, with Ipsy in third place.  Here's what I got...

First is NYX Love in Rio Eyeshadow Palette, Full Size, $6.  I was happy with this product, since it's neutral brown shadows.  And I love NYX.

Next is Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Ready .05oz. Sample Size $7.20 (Full Size.12oz $18) I wasn't happy with this color. It's bright rosy pink and I like neutral lip colors, mainly.  But this is a nice lipstick...I might pick one up in another shade.

Next is Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer 12ml Mini $9 (full size $22). This primer is nice...it's a peachy color with some shimmer in it to brighten the skin and glow through your foundation.

Last is Chella Eyeliner Pen in Indigo Blue Full Size, $24. I like that this is an eye marker with a fine tip but I'm not really into blue eyeliner, especially with blue eyes.  I might try it on vacation or something.

Here are swatches of everything, left to right: Pixi Primer, NYX Eyeshadows, Chella liner and Bare Minerals lipstick.

Overall, this $10 bag had $46.20 worth of product in it.  Usually there are 5 products in my Glam bag, but Ipsy's website says you'll get 4-5 so I guess I've just been lucky.  I saw that other people got Pacifica Coconut Body Butters in their bags, which I would have preferred, but oh well.  They can't all be winners. I still love Ipsy, since most of my bags have been awesome.

How about you?  What did you get?