Thursday, October 16, 2014

October Ipsy Glam Bag


It's Ipsy time again.  That time when my glam bag finally shows up and I'm a little disappointed, and yet somehow I keep sticking around for another month.  I probably should cancel this subscription but I don't for three reasons.

1.  They always have brands that are new to me and I get to try a wide variety of products.
2.  There is usually at least one item that I really enjoy and would repurchase if I ran out.
3.  The $10 price point is about the cheapest in beauty box land and I'd miss the surprises.

After canceling everything except this and Blush Mystery Beauty Box (which I just haven't gotten around to cancelling yet because they make it difficult by forcing you to call and then not being reachable by phone), I don't think the ten bucks a month is a huge price to pay for a little beauty excitement.  I know I could swap the items I don't care for but that gets really expensive really quickly because I often fail to factor in shipping costs and it really just boils down to me getting more products to try that I don't need.  I can find room for five samples and it keeps me out of the stores and from spending much more on makeup and skincare that I really don't need.  So really $120 a year versus the outrageous amounts I used to spend is a bargain.  Honestly no one I interact with on a daily basis cares about this stuff, so if thirty cents a day keeps me satisfied then that's cool.

This month i received one full size sample - Jesse's Girl Baked Eye shadow in Plum Frost, and four travel size or deluxe size samples - Starlooks mini lip gloss in Pout, Fig and Rouge Berry Rose hand cream, Epice exfoliating skin care for face and Ecru Acacia BB Cream for hair.  As close as I can tell the products are worth about $25.  $3.99 for the shadow, $4.99 for the exfoliator, $6.50 for the hand cream $7.00-ish for the hair product and possibly $2.50 for the lip gloss.  This doesn't include the cost of the bag which was a really cute turquoise quilted patent leatherette.  I love the position of the zipper on these new Ipsy bags and the Ipsy zipper pull.  They don't break as easily and I throw them in my purse all the time, so I also appreciate this one will wipe clean.

The shadow is really pigmented and becomes foil like when you wet the brush before you apply it.  I love pink and rose toned shadows, so this is a color I will get a lot of use from.  I was surprised at the quality and size of the single for the low price point.  It is much better than the standard powder pans from the same company.  This was the highlight for me.

The mini lip gloss was okay, but I find it annoying that Starlooks is a company that has the same formula as Ipsy and they mainly sell their cosmetics in a monthly subscription.  I think their single priced items are very high and not a good value unless you subscribe.  I have successfully refrained from ever subbing to them because I have now tried their eyeliners, lip liners and lip gloss through Ipsy but their products didn't justify the escalated prices.  If you want to grab my attention, you need to send a full size product.  This mini gloss just didn't excite me enough to bite on a subscription of solely their branded makeup.  I did appreciate the full size liners I received in previous boxes but they weren't in colors I really liked.

This is the third Epice exfoliator I've received and I have yet to open one.  I guess with my Clarisonic and sensitive skin I just don't need this type of product.  I've marked that several times on Ipsy reviews but seem to get it a lot.  I don't know why, but I wish they would get the hint.

I get really itchy and occasionally develop hives from some products containing shea, and the Fig and Rouge product I received in a Glossybox gave me that reaction so I will pass this on.  I am curious as to the scent, but don't want to open it.

Finally, it may just be me but it drives me crazy that EVERY product now touts itself as a BB something.  Beauty Balms are multi tasking products.  Awesome.  I get it.  I was really excited over what I thought was a full size skincare BB cream facial cosmetic but instead I got another travel size hair product.  I can pretty much guarantee my hair will never be frizzy again thanks to sub boxes because it is a constantly reoccurring item.

This wasn't a great month but it was okay.  I will give some of it as gifts and I'll use the shadow, bag, lip glosss and even the hair product although I still think it has a dumb misleading name.  It was worth exactly ten dollars to me this month.

One more quick thing - I was in love with my new Baltimore Orioles winter hat my friend Curt gave me and posted a picture of it on my noggin on Instagram.  Unfortunately my beloved Obi-Wan thought it was a new toy and completely killed the cute pom pom on top.  I didn't recognize its toy potential and left it within his reach (although he had to hop up on the bench and then get on the table to grab it before he dragged it under the table and obliterated it.  I will have to try and fix it but for now I was too frustrated to put it back together.  Grrr.

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Sigh.
 Hope you all have a lovely tomorrow and that things aren't quite so unraveled for you.





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