Ipsy (MyGlam) September 2013 Review

It feels weird to not have a Beauty Army post this month, but I didn't have a great selection in my window, so I skipped August.  Now here we are again at Ipsy time! I know I usually post a little more about my life, but honestly, I've been so busy living it, and preparing for my Lash Bash this past week, I haven't had time to write about it!  Here's an update for anyone who is interested (feel free to skip to the next paragraph if you have ZERO interest, it won't hurt my feelings, I promise!): my tween-angel loves middle school, has band every day, joined TWO youth groups and plays volleyball on Tuesdays.  Tiny love is upset that she doesn't go to school, and it finally dawned on her that when she DOES go, I won't be there with her; yes, there was a major freakout.  The weather has taken a cold snap, but is still in the 70's after noon.  Scouts has started again, and of course, it's Fund Raising season (why must school and Scouts have a fund raiser at the EXACT same time, with the EXACT same stuff??!!).  The Hubster is working, as usual, and we all love relaxing at night in the hot tub.  Last night for dinner, we had homemade chicken noodle soup, courtesy of the Hubster (I don't cook.  I bake.  The difference is huge.).

Ok, enough about me and my craziness.  You came here to read all about Ipsy's September bag, right!  Don't know what Ipsy is?  Ipsy is a beauty subscription service that sends you 4-5 full size or deluxe sample sized items for only $10 a month (plus tax in CA, NC and NY, plus $4.95 shipping in Canada).  It's a great deal, and it's so much fun to receive a cute bag of goodies each month.  Upside of Ipsy: you get something new each month, and it's usually a decent variety of items, mostly makeup.  They have contests and a way to review products, to hopefully get more of what you want and less of what you don't want.  Downside of Ipsy: shipping takes forever and it's basically a gamble: they now send so many items, it's the luck of the draw if you get a "good" bag or a "meh" bag.  Even with a "meh" bag, I think Ipsy is worth the $10, and if you want to try them out, please consider using my referral link: I receive points, and you receive my eternal thanks and some good karma.

I love seeing these in my mailbox!

It seemed like shipping took forever this month, and my bag was one of the later ones shipped.  I KNOW I have NO right to complain because I received a Lash Bash this month, but darnit, I really wanted my bag to be timely. Finally, it arrived in my mailbox.

First Look

I love getting that first peek into the pink envelopes.  I want to see what's on top!  

Classic Beauty

The insert card is styled a bit different this month.  It took me a moment to read "Classic Beauty" as the theme.  I love this theme, and was hoping for things to give me a real "Bombshell" look.

The deals

The first thought I had when I flipped over the card was, "Holy cow, that's a LOT of discounts!"  And then I saw brands like Butter London, Jesse's Girl, and Cailyn, and got super excited- I want THESE in my bag!!!

em Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan, the mastermind behind Ipsy, has launched her own cosmetics line.  In this month bag, I received a card promoting her "Life" palette, that retails for $75.  This palette looks to be pretty huge, I don't think it would fit in my train case!  I do like that the pans are removeable and refillable, though, and when you purchase a life palette, you receive an empty travel size palette so that you can take one of the looks with you on the go.  One thing that I DON'T like about this, is that it has cream products (lipstick/gloss) and powder products (eyeshadow/blush) in the same palette, where the powder can get into the cream and make yuckiness.  I'm probably NOT going to buy it at this price, but I will check out the single use sample:

sample of Look 3 from the Career Life palette

This is called "Out to Lunch", and features neutral shadows and a peach cheek color.  If you want to check out this for yourself, you can find it HERE.

September's bag

I seriously LOVE the bag this month, it's a beautiful TARDIS blue, with a butterfly pattern on it.  SO gorgeous!  I couldn't get the color correct in the photos I took, but I am telling you- it's the perfect blue.  The pattern is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes' walls at 221B Baker Street from Sherlock.  Yes, I'm a geek girl.  What?! I have no idea what use I will put this bag to, but it WILL be used, you can count on that!

Freeman Beauty Feeling Beautiful Facial Paper Masks, set of 3 (Hydrating, Purifying and Brightening), each 15g (single packs), $1.99 each, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYFB will get you a free Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Foaming Bath, with the purchase of the Sweet 16 Sachet Set, until 11/30/13 (US and Canada only).

Skincare for me is either hit or miss. I have weirdly sensitive skin, and it's oily in some areas and uber dry in others.  I was interested to try these masks and see how they worked for me.  I cracked open the Hydrating mask, with blue agave, and gave it a try:

Late night beauty pampering session- does anyone NOT look silly in these things?

It felt really nice on my skin, and smelled appealing.  The eye holes didn't match up perfectly with my eyes, but I could still see.  I was a little worried about getting the serum in my eyes, but it was ok.  The masks are single packs, and once you remove them from the packaging, there is a white liner that is peeled off and discarded.  After wearing the mask for about ten minutes, I peeled it off and massaged the serum into my skin.  I was sticky for a few minutes, but the morning after, my skin felt clean and hydrated (except for one dry patch.  I don't think anything can help that).  The brightening mask has slightly different directions: leave on for 3-5 minutes, and rinse after use.  While this isn't a product I would have requested to try, I am happy to have received it, and would probably repurchase, especially since these are sold at mass market stores.
Grade 4/5

Nyx Eyeshadow single in Cryptonite, full size (2.5g), retail value $4.50, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYPRIME will get you 30% off eyeshadow bases and high definition eye shadow bases, until 10/15/13.  US only (sorry, my international friends!).

I love me some eye shadow.  I think I have a shadow addiction problem, honestly.  I was happy to try out Nyx eyeshadow this month, and was excited to see what shade I would receive.  When I popped this little gem out of my bag, I was a little sad to see the shade, Cryptonite, despite it's awesome name. 

Swatch of Nyx eyeshadow single in Cryptonite

Despite being sceptical when I first saw this, I gave it a try- and LOVED it!  It isn't super pigmented, but is easy to layer, so I was able to get a pretty wash of color in the corner of my eye, to help create a smoky eye effect. Honestly, I thought I would HATE this shade, but after I tried it out, I really liked it! I am still super jealous of the ladies who received a purple or white shadow, as those are what I was hoping to receive; but on the other hand, I'm really glad I didn't get a bright yellow or orange.  I love how Cryptonite is sparkly and shimmery.
Grade: 4/5  

J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp (FL107), full size (3g), retail value $2.49, available HERE.  Discount code fabipsy will get you 25% off of any purchase, until 10/15/13, US and Canada only.

In my opinion, nude lipsticks don't match the "Classic Beauty" theme that Ipsy has going this month. I would consider a red lip to be part of the "Classic Beauty" that lives in my head.  That being said, I was intrigued to give J. Cat Beauty another try, and for lipsticks at $2.49 each, I wanted to give them a try.  When I saw the shade in person, I was very sceptical:

Swatch of Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp (FL107)

At first glance, this is just too close to my skintone to be flattering.  The formula itself is super creamy, and not at all drying, but this color does absolutely nothing for me.  I tried it on my lips, and my husband came home for lunch, and immediately asked me what was wrong with my lips!  Honestly, it looks like I put concealer a couple shades too dark on my lips.  I will however, give this a go, and use it to tone down some bright shades of 'stick for a more wearable look.  I also want to say that the first time I used this, my lipstick bullet broke right off of the tube- I didn't have it twisted all the way up, and wasn't pressing overly hard.  I emailed Ipsycare, and they are sending me a replacement.  I was impressed at how fast I heard back from Ipsy, and am happy that they are replacing my defective item (hopefully with a different item?  Ipsy? Do you hear me?).
Grade: 3/5 (great formula, the color is just a miss for me)

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian, full size (2.4), retail value $12.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 20% off of a purchase of $35 or more, until 10/15/13, valid worldwide, unlimited uses.

The next item in my beautiful blue bag is the Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in the shade Obsidian, a dark black.  Side note: the word Obsidian brings back memories of my dad and me, reading The Far Side comic strips.  One of them was of cavemen, making a promise to each other: Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a sharp piece of obsidian in my eye (because they hadn't invented needles back then.  get it?).  Ah, good times.  Ok, back to the makeup.  I have a TON on eyeliner pencils, but I don't think I have ANY kohl pencils.  My favorite eyeliner is the Urban Decay 24/7 line, and I honestly don't think anything will ever come close to UD's level of awesomeness.  I also don't wear a lot of black eyeliner, but it is definitely a Classic Beauty staple.  

Swatch of Starlooks Kohl eye pencil in Obsidian

This swatched really nice for me, and was very blendable.  Because I have hooded eyes, eye pencils have to have a good sense of permanence, or I get major transfer.  I tried this out for a day, and was surprised by how well it did- no creasing or transfer!  I'll definitely add this to my rotation, to when I feel like using a pencil, and not liquid or gel.  While I was hoping for the liquid liner, this is a nice liner with a good formula, and I am not disappointed.
Grade: 4/5

It's So Big volumizing mascara by Elizabeth Mott, deluxe sample size (4 ml), retail value approx. $7.99, available HERE.  Full size (10 ml) retails for $19.99.  Discount code IPSYBIG will earn you 50% off of your purchase, until 10/30/13.

Mascaras.  We all have a TON.  I currently have THREE open tubes that I try to rotate, although I've been using Benefit's They're Real! the most (my Lash Bash is Saturday- do you blame me??!!)  As THIS mascara has been launched exclusively with Ipsy, I cracked this tube open and give it a try.  The first thing that I noticed is that the brush is different. I don't think I've ever seen a brush with a shape like this- sort of like an hour glass.  I gave this a try, and really, really liked it!  The formula and brush did amazing things to my lashes.  This mascara is super buildable, and I had NO spider eyes, and only minimal raccooning late in the day (SO normal for me).  I will definitely be using this on the regular!
Grade: 5/5

That's all the items in my Ipsy bag, but I DO have one more item to talk about: my REFERRAL BONUS for September!

Ipsy recently revamped their referral program, and instead of getting a gift automatically for every two referrals, now you receive 250 points for each referral, and can redeem gifts for 1000 points.  Instead of getting a gift for each 2 referrals, now you need 4 referrals to earn points to get a free gift.  I saw this gem as a referral bonus option, and snapped it right up, redeeming my points like a champ!

Nyx Bronze Smoky Look Kit, full size (9.4g), retail value $12.00, available HERE.

This super cute little kit comes with 9 brown and bronze eye shadows and 2 lip colors, all in one palette with a mirror, foam applicator (ew!), and dual ended lip brush.  The lip shades and brushes pop out from the bottom and are separated from the powdery shadows- love this design!

Swatches of the Bronze Smoky Look Kit eye shadows

Swatches of the lip colors in the Kit

I love to wear colors on my eyes, but as they are blue, I am trying to do more with neutrals so that my color pops.  I gave this a try, and really liked the look that I created with it.  The shadows blended well, and looked really nice on my face.
Grade: 4.5/5

This sums up what *I* received, but we all know that it doesn't end there.  Ipsy now sends out a HUGE variety of items, and here's what I didn't receive, but other did- with pictures when available (my friends are glammies and we all get different bags!)

Butter London nail lacquer in La Moss, deluxe sample size (0.2 fl oz), retail value $7.50, available HERE.  Full size (0.4 fl oz) retails for $15.  Discount code IPSYbl will get you 30% off any purchase, until 10/31/13, one time use only, US only, and only on full size items.  

Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in Candy Apple, full size (0.14 oz), retail value $19.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY30 will get you 30% off any purchase, until 10/15/13.

Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil by Cella, full size (1.4g), retail value $18.00, available HERE.  Discount code Chella will earn you 20% off of any order, until 10/16/13, US and Canada only.

Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in black, full size (5 ml), retail value $6.99, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYSEPT2013 will get you 20% off your order, and US orders over $20 free shipping, until 10/15/13.

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo, deluxe sample size (44 mL), retail value $1.16, available HERE.  Full size (250 mL) retails for $6.59.  Discount code ISPY will earn you a buy 1, get 1 50% off deal on the Full Repair items, until 10/15/13, US only, full size only.

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Conditioner, deluxe sample size (44mL), retail value $1.16, available HERE.  Full size (250 mL) retails for $6.59.  Discount code ISPY will earn you a buy 1, get 1 50% off deal on the Full Repair items, until 10/15/13, US only, full size only.

POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in either Rose Romance, Coral Crush or Fuchsia Flirt, full size (0.1 oz), retail value $4.17, available HERE in a set of 6 for $25. Discount code POPpout will get you 20% off any purchase until 10/15/13, US only. (shown here in Coral Crush)

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, 2 pairs, retail value $7.50, available HERE.  Full size (8 pairs) retails for $30.00.  Discount code IPSY will get you 20% off any purchase, until 10/15/13, US and Canada only.

Victoria Jackson Brow Pencil in Taupe, full size (0.1 oz), retail value $14.95, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY13 will get you 20% off any purchase OR discount code VJFREE will get you a free foundation duo (just pay shipping), until 10/15/13, US and Canada only, not available in territories.

Ipsy September 2013 Glam Bag

Here's my bag this month- in it's entirety.  Although I still have SERIOUS bag envy, after trying everything in my bag, I really do LIKE the items I was sent.  Pretty much everything will be used- I just really wanted to try other items that I wasn't sent.  Plus the super cute blue bag has the pattern printed is a very attractive way!  

Here's the financial breakdown of this month's Ipsy items:

Items I didn't get:
Butter London nail lacquer (deluxe sample): $7.50
Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm (full size): $19.00
Highlighter Pencil by Cella (full size): $18.00
Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (full size): $6.99
John Frieda Full Body Shampoo (deluxe sample): $1.16
John Frieda Full Body Conditioner (deluxe sample): $1.16
POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon (full size): $4.17
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, 2 pairs: $7.50
Victoria Jackson Brow Pencil (full size): $14.95

Items I DID receive:
Freeman masks (set of 3): $5.97
Nyx Eyeshadow single (full size): $4.50
J. Cat Beauty Lipstick (full size): $2.49
Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil (full size): $12.00
Elizabeth Mott mascara (deluxe sample size): $7.99
Nyx Bronze Smoky Look Kit (full size): $12.00
Total value of my Ipsy bag this month: $44.95
Out of pocket, shipping included: $10.00

Ipsy is like the lottery- you can't win every time you play, but it sure is fun!  I'm hoping for a dream bag next month.  This month wasn't a home run, but it was definitely a base hit, or a triple score.  Don't subscribe to Ipsy?  What are you waiting for?  Give them a try- it's the best $10 gamble around!

Tell me, did YOU like your Ipsy bag this month?  What would YOU have liked to receive?

 

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion, on a product I paid for with my own money my husband's money.  I have not been compensated for this opinion in any way, and it is my honest thoughts on the products listed above.  The referral link in this post is one where I would receive credit for a referral, and be compensated with free product for referring 2 people. Here is a link that just goes to Ipsy, without my referral code. Links to vendor's sites are not referral or compensated links.  I strive for honesty :)