IPSY Glam Bag Review & Unboxing

Contents of IPSY Glam Bag for April 2015

This month's IPSY theme was "Beautifully Bohemian", and just as with any other themed month, I'm not sure what the products inside had to do with it! As usual, there is a large assortment of products and each subscriber will receive 5 items (mix of full and deluxe sized samples) and the complementary cosmetic bag. If you want to join IPSY for just $10 a month (you can cancel at any time) click here. IPSY will ship to you via DHL if you are in Canada or the USA.

Contents of IPSY Glam Bag April 2015

I was pretty disappointed in this month's bag for quite a few reasons. I feel as though because I am a long-time subscriber of IPSY they have really stopped trying to impress me with my bags. 

The KCO Colors Lipstick in "Natural Born Beauty" (Retail Value: $8) was broken when I opened the seal and I basically had to MacGyver it back together for the photos I took - the color was also pretty underwhelmingly blah (brownish red). The Olive Lips lip balm (Retail Value: $5) is an absolute waste of space so I'm not even bothering to open it; they send me lip balms in almost every bag and I'm always disappointed with them since I already have ones that are thousands of times superior which I use daily.

Close up of theBalm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in "Flirty"

The theBalm NUDE 'dude Eyeshadow single in the color "Flirty" was probably my favorite sample in the bag since it had adorable packaging and was from a reputable brand. I also like the eyeshadows from theBalm since they have a smooth, buttery consistency and perform well on the eye. The Retail Value is around $3.75. I like the shade of this color, it's a shimmery golden violet, which complements my amber eye color.

Photo from Lawless Lacquer 

I was happy to get a Julie G Nail Color since I'd never tried one before, but this is really not my color. I have so many pink nail polishes as it is and this color is really just too generic for me - I'll probably just give it to my mother since it's more her color palette than mine. Retail Value is $3.99.

Close Up of MicaBeauty Eye Primer

This may be the first time I receive an eye primer from IPSY and this is one of those items that I would use - except for the fact that there was some funky discoloration and weird bubbles in my product. I even received a mass email from IPSY stating they were receiving complaints about the MicaBeauty Eye Primer - so I'm really not putting that anywhere near my sensitive eyes. Supposedly the Retail Value for this primer is a whopping $22.48. 

Swatches of April IPSY Glam Bag Products

The total retail value of my IPSY bag this month was: $43.22

 What did you get in your IPSY bag this month? Did you enjoy it? Leave your comments down below!

IPSY January 2015 Unboxing & Review

 

A new year, a new IPSY bag! We bring in January with a bang this year by getting what appears to be like all full sized products! Let's hope that this trend continues throughout 2015.

The contents of my IPSY January 2015 Bag:

• Elizabeth Mott - "All Over Shadow" Brush - Retail Value: $9.99 (Full size)
• Pacifica - Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow - Retail Value: $3.50 (Full size eyeshadow but only sold as part of palette, which usually come as 4 for $14)
• Malin + Goetz - Mojito Lip Balm - Retail Value: $12.00 (Full Size)
• BellaPierre Cosmetics - Shimmer Powder in "Whesek" - Retail Value: $14.99 (Full Size)
• Probelle - Nail Lacquer in "Into The Blue" - Retail Value: $6.00 (Full Size)

Not much I can say about the bag this month except that I am not impressed. This bag isn't cute, one side is navy blue and the other side is white with a coral-orange zipper. It also features a crosshatch texture that I can best explain the texture of by telling you to rub your hands on some dried glue which came from a hot glue gun.

The first, and frankly my favorite item in this month's bag is the Elizabeth Mott "All Over Shadow" Brush. This baby retails for just $9.99 and I am super impressed with the good quality of the bristles and how densely packed they are. I haven't received anything from this brand that I didn't didn't like... IPSY please keep it coming.

I have tried some Pacifica shadows in the past and I was not impressed, so my expectations for this one were very low. Let me begin by saying that the Pacifica eye shadows are only sold as palettes or sets so you get the absolute cheapest packaging imaginable in makeup subscriptions (it literally falls apart). I was actually very impressed with the pigmentation, creaminess and coverage of the shade "Treasure" of their Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow. If this was part of a set, the approximate retail value would be $3.50 and I think it's well worth that.

Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm is one I frequently see making the rounds among beauty subscription services. This is a luxurious lip balm that easily absorbs into the lips, is not sticky whatsoever (which makes it much more tolerable than most lip balms) and has a pleasant citrus-fruity cocktail scent. I'm happy to have finally received this product to test it out and my verdict is that it's worth every penny of the $12 price tag.

Surprisingly, I was sent 2 eye products this month, and since those are my favorite of all beauty product, you'll hear no complaints from me! BellaPierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in "Whesek" was sent - this is a dark gray base with lighter gray shimmer. The packaging of this product seems to have changed recently to a translucent cap and there's a sifter included (this is always very important to me when I receive pigments). The price for these was fairly steep at $14.99, but mineral powders are a very pure form of color so I'm sure you would get great color payoff - I didn't swatch it because I don't think the color is for me, so I might just pass this on.

I receive so many nail polishes that I never feel the need to purchase more, this month it was Probelle "Into The Blue" Nail Lacquer. This is a beautiful, mid-tone blue shade which has almost a slight gray-undertone. This polish is DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free (or 3 free) so it's better for your nails than just the average polish. The retail price is $6 which is a steal for the quantity and quality, I achieved full opacity is one thick coat or two thin coats and the formula is not watery in the least so it is easy to work with.

The total value of my bag this month is $46.48 and all the products were full sized! 

I am a very happy girl with IPSY this month. You can sign up for your very own subscription for $10/month. You can choose a recurring subscription and cancel at any time before the beginning of the next month.