Ipsy January 2015
Reviewing my January Ipsy bag on the first day of February is acceptable, right? The theme for January was “Fresh Start”, and I probably don’t need to explain why. Each month, Ipsy subscribers receive a makeup bag with 4-5 deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products for only $10.
Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush $9.99 value
Given my recent obsession with owning every makeup brush I desire, I was excited to see this Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush in my bag. I have a few brushes similar to this and they are my most-used brushes, so I obviously needed another one.
Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush $9.99 value
The brush feels nice and sturdy, but doesn’t perform as well as I’d like it to. The bristles are so dense that it’s pretty much only good for packing shadow on your eyelids. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold onto product very well so it causes lots of fallout. Blending seems to kick up lots of shadow, getting it all over the rest of your face. Needless to say, I’m a little disappointed. $9.99 value
(MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm Full Size, $12.00 value
I was pretty bummed to be getting this (MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm in my bag because I got it in my July Glossybox and it just isn’t my favorite thing ever. It’s actually a pretty nice product and great to use before bed because it keeps lips moisturized throughout the night. The issue I have with this is the texture. It is so thick that it leaves almost a vinyl texture on your lips and you can’t even feel your natural lips through the layer of balm. Obviously, you can use less to keep this from happening, but it doesn’t spread very evenly because it’s so thick and sticky. I’ll probably be finding another home for this one since I own so many other lip balms already that I like a lot more. Full Size, $12.00 value
Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream Full Size, ~$19.99 value
Another eye cream. My beauty subscriptions must have known I was going to be tired after the holidays. I honestly haven’t seen any improvement using the Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream in the past month that I’ve been using it interchangeably with the eye cream I also got in my January Birchbox. The formula is a bit thinner than the one I got in my Birchbox, so a little goes a long way. I assume that this is a new product Nourish Organic decided to debut in the Ipsy bags, because the tube is a bit different than the one on their website. Instead of just renewing, it’s also supposed to be cooling! Instead of just a cream, it’s a treament! You know, the usual buzz words that make it sound fancier and more effective, but it’s the same thing. I get that they are trying to make the product more attractive to buyers, but things like this make me trust a brand less. They shouldn’t have changed it after sending out the samples. While the one in my Ipsy bag is a full size, it does not include the fancy nozzle like the one that is sold on their website. That being said, the full product is sold for $19.99, so this should probably be estimated at a somewhat lesser value, whatever that is. I’m just going to say ~$19.99 because I’m not in the eye cream nozzle manufacturing business, so I have no idea what those are worth.
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure 0.08 oz, ~$3.00 value
After the whole Pacifica eye shadow duo catastrophe in the May bag, I was curious as to why Ipsy would subject themselves to a bunch of angry recipients once again.
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure 0.08 oz, ~$3.00 value
Fortunately, this eye shadow has a significantly better formula and the packaging is slightly better. It still feels pretty cheap, but at least the lid doesn’t pop off every time I try to open it.
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow Swatch in Treasure
Out of the two shades available, I got Treasure, a shimmery golden-brown. It’s soft, smooth, has incredible pigmentation, and lasts all day with a primer without creasing. It’s a major improvement over the last one I got, for sure. Unfortunately, given that it’s so close to the eye shadow color I got in my December bag and that I have 3 Urban Decay Naked palettes with similar colors, I don’t have much use for a single like this. Since Pacifica only sells palettes (this color is in the Solar Complete Color Mineral Palette), I am going to pull a number completely out of the air-0.08 oz, ~$3.00 value
BelláPierre Shimmer Powder in Exite Full Size, $14.99 value
BelláPierre Shimmer Powders have a variety of uses. Eye shadow, cream shadow, blush, eyeliner, lip color, nail polish, tinted mascara, and bronzer. Basically, if you can dream it up, you can use it. They are supposed to be suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive. Not knowing any of this information before using it, I refused to accept the fact that I got two eye shadows in this month’s bag, so it became a highlighter instead.
BelláPierre Shimmer Powder Swatch in Exite
Exite is a shimmery, silvery-white. Obviously, using it full-force like I did in the swatch is a little intense for a highlight. A teeny, tiny amount goes a long way with this stuff, but if you get it just right, it gives off an amazing glow. I’ve been using it on my cheeks, nose, and brows, and I haven’t even been using my usual highlighter at all this month because I love this one so much. Awesome stuff. Full Size, $14.99 value
Here’s how all of the products from the January bag look:
Ipsy January 2015 on Face
Total bag value is $59.97-ish. And that’s a huge ISH, because Ipsy made me do lots of guessing this time around. I really have no use for a lot of the products in this bag, but I really love the shimmer powder, which has a higher value than what I paid for the bag, so I win.
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