December Ipsy Glambag Review
Christmas has apparently arrived early for me, since not only did I get my best Stitch Fix ever this week, but my December ipsy Glambag arrived too, just in time for me to doll myself up for the holidays! Now not only do I have a few different clothing options to wear for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I've got some sweet makeup to complete the look.
As some of you may know if you've followed the blog for a little while, I used to subscribe to Birchbox, but after 3 months of getting what seemed like the same kind of samples, I decided to cancel my subscription after getting the November Box and give ipsy a try! The premise of ipsy is very similar to that of Birchbox - you go to their website and fill out a beauty profile that includes questions about things ranging from your skin tone, hair and eye color, to preferences on types of products you like (makeup, skincare, etc), different brands that you currently like or want to try, and colors of things like eye shadow, blush, and nail polish that you like. In my opinion, the ipsy beauty profile "quiz," as they call it, was far more user-friendly AND more comprehensive than the Birchbox beauty profile, so right off the bat, I was already liking this beauty subscription more. Based on your beauty profile, ipsy then selects 5 samples and sends them to you once a month, for $10/month, which is also the same as Birchbox, so I knew I wasn't going to be spending any more money by making the switch.
As far as the item selection process goes, there is a pretty noticeable difference between Birchbox and ipsy. With Birchbox, you choose from 3 options every month: The curated box, which you will know exactly what is in it before selecting; the sample choice box, in which you will select one item ahead of time from a specific list of options and the other 4 items will be chosen for you based on your profile; and the complete surprise box, in which all 5 items will be chosen based on your profile. For ipsy, there are no choices, it's always just a complete surprise. Which honestly, I'm totally fine with! Sometimes it was nice to know that I'd for sure love at least one thing in my Birchbox, but it is not really a must have for me in terms of a beauty box.
The other major difference between Birchbox and ipsy is that Birchbox comes in, well, a box. It's a super cute box, but it's a box. I have saved a few because they are a good size for small gifts, but a lot of them I end up throwing in our recycle bin. Ipsy comes in a cute little pouch! Yes, I'll have a lot of pouches if I continue with ipsy, but I have 2 girls, so there will be no shortage of bags for dress up or pencil cases as they get older.
Let's get to the goods!
Rather than the items themselves being part of a theme, ipsy makes their glambags themed, which I personally think is a cute idea! This month's theme was inspired by all things winter - "frosty days and twinkling nights" - and I'd say they did a pretty good job with matching the bag to that theme:
Now, on to the rest of the bag - the actual beauty items!
GLOBAL BEAUTY CARE Dead Sea Wash Off Mask
I've yet to try this mask, but I'm on a mask kick at the moment, so this is perfect. Maybe it's because I'm turning 35 in the next few weeks, but I've been much more acutely aware of taking care of my skin over the past few months. I'm really excited to try this mask out - probably tomorrow after the kids go to bed. The sample size of this is much larger than any face mask sample I've ever gotten, so I'll definitely be able to get a few uses out of it.
SMASHBOX COSMETICS Always On Gel Liner in Fishnet
This is another one I haven't tried quite yet, because I think it will be a bit darker than what I use for everyday wear, but I've tried other Smashbox products and have been very very pleased with the quality. This is definitely one I'm keeping for my holiday parties/Christmas Eve look. It's waterproof and is said to stay put for 24 hours, so it's a perfect eyeliner for when we are bouncing around from party to church to party on Christmas Eve and I won't have to worry about it running or smudging. Score!
GLAMOUR DOLLS Glamour Dolls x Lisa Frank Eyeshadow in Stargazing
Gals that grew up in the late 80s & early 90s in the US, remember Lisa Frank? I couldn't walk through school without spotting a glossy folder or trapper keeper with the Lisa Frank Color explosion assaulting my eyes. In case you have never heard of it or need a reminder, feast your eyes:
I kid you not, this stuff was everywhere. When I saw that I was getting something with Lisa Frank on it in my ipsy glambag this month, I was 1) Intrigued, as I had no idea they had branched into makeup and 2) super giddy because it gave me some major nostalgia. I was really curious to see what the packaging looked like too - would it be typical Lisa Frank? Would it be more plain? It. Was. PERFECT:
It is the perfect blend of all things Lisa Frank with a bit more of a grown-up feel. Packaging aside tho, here's the actual eye shadow:
It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but this is a really pretty golden shimmery shadow. I'm definitely more of a shimmer shadow than a matte shadow gal, so this is right up my alley. It's a nice neutral that offers more of a golden hue than say a tan neutral. I like blending my shadows, and this is a great addition to my makeup bag. The sample size is great, too!
M·A·C In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara in Black Extreme
I had received this in a previous Birchbox and love it, so when I saw this was coming this month, I was stoked. I LOVE IT. You guys, I have stubby short lashes. This made me feel like my lashes looked longer, and the brush does a fantastic job of separating lashes so it doesn't look clumpy. I'me wearing it today (check the selfie below) and love that it feels light. The only thing I don't love about this mascara is the sample size. I just wish it were bigger!
COSMOHOLIC Liquid Lipstick in Mysterious Mocha
This is a nice liquid lipstick. And by nice, I mean just that. Nice. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a good natural color, so if I want to wear a lip color but don't want it to stand out too much, this is a great choice. I'm wearing it at work in the below picture, and that's probably the capacity in which I'll continue to wear it. It's not really a date night lipstick, nor a special event lipstick, but it's a good everyday wear option. I've been wearing a lot of Maybelline 24-hour lip stains lately, so am used to the color staying all day without the need to re-apply. This does NOT do that. One bite of food and I need to re-apply. Like I said, it's nice, but probably not something I would buy for myself.
My overall take on my first ipsy Glambag is a resounding thumbs up in terms of quality, item variation, bag cuteness, and resources on their website, which is very user-friendly. I like that they gave me a really good selection of different items, and didn't do things that were all in the same family of products (they weren't all makeup items, for example). I got a lot of eye makeup products, but that is pretty closely in line with my beauty profile. I'll be interested to see how much variation they offer in the next few bags before I make a full decision on whether I want to continue. So far though, I'm pleased!
Do you own any of these products? Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? I'd love to hear from you!