Ipsy, Is It Worth It? Mar 2013

After being on the waitlist for what felt like forever, I finally received my first Ipsy glam bag.  First, what is an Ipsy glam bag?  It’s a monthly subscription service started by Michelle Phan. An amazing young woman, who has been instrumental in making women of all ages feel beautiful through beauty tutorials.  For $10 a month, Ipsy will mail you a bag containing beauty products to sample and enjoy. Now, I will say that I had previously been a Birchbox subscriber but I found that the product samples became smaller and smaller and some of the products were from obscure manufacturers that I would never purchase. So I decided to give Ipsy a go to determine whether or not it was worth my ten dollars.

The theme for March 2013 is "’The Great Escape” which is perfect for spring with thoughts of travel, spring break, warmer weather, etc. The products included Juice Beauty hydrating mist, La Fresh travel lite makeup remover wipes, 2 Yaby eyeshadows, and GlamRx  palette.  The subscription arrives each month with a makeup bag included.  This month’s was an exceptionally cute  with a nautical theme.

The Juice Beauty hydrating mist claims to “Tone and hydrate with this refreshing blend of rosehip, ylang ylang, resveratrol grapeseed oil and antioxidant-rich organic juices for a fresh, radiant complexion,” per the Juice Beauty website. I found it refreshing. I don’t really feel it toned or hydrated and the smell was quite off putting. Truthfully, it reminded me of an anesthetic . A 6.75 fluid ounce bottle retails for $22.00; therefore this 1 fluid ounce size would have a value of approximate $3.25.

Next up, are the La Fresh travel lite makeup remover wipes with a retail value of $1.99 for the 8 count size. Per the La Fresh website, they are:
• CARRY-ON FRIENDLY 
• dissolves makeup from eyes, lips & face
• moisturizing formula
• with vitamin e
The have a very faint smell of being ‘baby’ clean.

Now, for the Yaby eyeshadows. The little cuties from Yaby cosmetics are a tiny 3 grams (smaller than a dime) but are reasonably priced at $3.15 each.The size is ok because I feel it’s a size I could actually finish; but,  if I really loved the colors I would want them to be bigger. Mine came in the shades Azalea Petal (on the left) and Seashell (on the right).  I would say they have moderate pigmentation; they don’t pack as much punch as I would like  but they are buildable. The top swatch is without primer and the bottom swatch is with a primer.

Glam Rx to the rescue!  The GlamRx touch up palette, I must say is the star of ‘The Great Escape’ Ipsy bag. The $16.50 retail version of this palette has two levels, one of which is a magnetized empty layer and the other is packed with a brightening concealer, flattering tinted lipbalm, shine erase powder, black eyeliner, and a mirror. Our version has only the single empty layer. As you can see it’s perfect for holding smaller eyeshadows and having them handy for on the go touch ups. Mine is currently holding four limited addition MAC shadows, two Mary Kay shadows and my two new Yaby shadows. It’s just slightly larger than the size of business card and has a magnetic closure. Since it does not contain the products that the retail version does I am going to give it half the retail value at $8.25.


So according to my, probably misguided,  calculations I would say this months Ipsy bag is valued at almost $20. I think it’s a great value and a really fun way to try new beauty products without breaking the budget.  Would I have purchased any of these products if they were available on the shelves? Probably not. Am I pleased with the price I paid to try these products. ABSOLUTELY!  Quality products at an affordable price and the surprise of not knowing what is being delivered in your mail. Plus it comes in an adorable hot pink envelope with discount codes if you can’t get enough of the products included. What’s not to enjoy?!?! I say if you are looking for a new way to expand your beauty horizons look no farther than Ipsy.

These products were purchased by myself with the intend to enjoy them. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your daily dose of positivity.

Ipsy, Is It Worth It? May 2013
Ipsy, Is It Worth It? Apr 2013
Ipsy, Is It Worth It? Mar 2013