Report Card: My First Ipsy Bag

Spoiler alert...I love ipsy. For those of you who dont know, ipsy is a monthly service that sends you a cute makeup bag with sample-sized (and a few full-sized!) products in the mail every month. It's $10 per month, and you can cancel whenever you want.

What you get is customized for you after you fill out a beauty quiz. That way, if you love perfume, hate blush, etc...they will do their best to personalize your monthly bag with products you'll love.

One aspect of ipsy I really enjoy is that you can give the products reviews and feedback on their website, which helps the companies and also earns you points towards free products. For someone like me who loves talking all things beauty, it's perfect. Plus, you have direct links to be able to purchase products you fell in love with at a discount.

I received my first one earlier this month, and if August's bag is a precursor of things to come, I'm all in. Plus, how adorable is the hot pink packaging? It's the little things that make me happy...

Here's a report card of the products I received. I'll include the retail price of each item, and if it was full or sample-sized. This month's theme was "Prep School", so the makeup bag is a black and white houndstooth pattern with a pink zipper.

1. Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eyeliner Pen - Full-Sized ($19 Value) - Grade: A

LOVING this felt-tip easy-to-apply liner. Perfect for creating a cat-eye. I wouldn't say I like it better than my absolute favorite liquid liner Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, but it really is a great product. I think the Kat is a littttle bit more smudge-proof. I'll be using it a lot, though, especially on my upper lid.

2. Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in 'Elegantly Wasted' - Full-Sized ($15 Value) - Grade: A

Score! Another full-sized item. Even though this isn't a color I would normally pick up at a store, I like this polish a lot. Seems like a cool little company. The polishes are 100% vegan and have fun names like "Credit Card Workout" and "Resting Bitch Face"... lolz.

Plus it dries really fast which is a big selling point for me. It looks great with a coat of Sally Hansen Gel Top Coat. Would I pay $15 for a nail polish in the future? Eh. I'd much rather save my splurges on makeup-y shtuff. Nice item, though. I'm not mad at it.

3. Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Volumizing Blowdry Spray - Sample Size (Full Size is $18) - Grade: A+

Products like this is why ipsy is so great. I would have never heard of this brand, bought this in a store, known it worked, etc. Not only does it smell wonderful, but the results are definitely there. I sprayed it on after my hair was a bit towel-dried, then blow-dried (blew-drew?) my hair. Wow. Fuller, fluffier, and thicker-looking. I struggle with limp hair a lot and this is definitely something I will be seeking out to purchase after my sample size is used up (which might take a while because it's a nice sized sample!)

4. Hikari Lip Gloss in 'Merlot' Full-Sized ($13 Value) - Grade:B+

This gloss is just a bitttt too sticky for my liking, plus the color is a little too burgundy/red for what I normally like in a gloss. But hey, it's a nice gloss to just throw in your bag to have, and I'm sure a lot of people would like it.

5. Lather Ultra-Mild Face Wash - Sample Size (Full Size is $19) - Grade: A+

Sshhh...don't tell my main bitch Philosophy Purity Made Simple....but I lerrrrve this face wash and kinda want to bring this stuff on as a side chick. Just a small amount creates the nicest lather, and leaves your face feeling so refreshed and clean after. Took off my eye makeup too.


 So overall, three full-sized items, two trial-sized, with an approximate value of over $50. For $10 a month, and being introduced to some really great products I wouldn't have normally looked into, I give ipsy a big fat thumbs up. To sign up for a monthly ipsy bag, click here. Can't wait to see what I get next month. Cheers! Xx