UNBOXING - Ipsy October 2014

by - October 15, 2014



As I said in my spoilers post, I was somewhat torn but cautiously excited about this month's bag. My very first impression was a little bit of saltiness about getting another hand cream and cautious excitement about a couple of the other things, but closer inspection just made me sigh. You're making me sigh, Ipsy. This bag is fine. I'm pretty excited about two items, generally satisfied with one, and downright ranty about two. I'd place that reaction squarely in the middle-of-the-road sigh zone, wouldn't you?

The theme for this month's bag is "Beauty Candy" and I've gotta tell you... I feel like Ipsy failed on keeping to theme, at least with my bag. There's nothing really candy about this, even a little bit. Okay, that's not true. The hand cream smells like candy that's probably not made out of actual food, which is impressive for a product that claims to be natural, so there's that. 

Anyway, keep reading and we'll take a closer look at the contents!



First off, I actually do like the bag itself. The obsessed-with-symmetry nitpicker in me wishes that the quilting was centered, but I guess you can only ask for so much. It seems to be well constructed, it's not at all obnoxious, and I actually like this style of bag with the zipper on the front more than any of the other typical designs. So really, the bag gets one thumbs up while I pretend the quilting is centered.

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths - 10 Sheets Sample Size - Value $5
"With White Willow Bark & Cucumber Extract
No-water-needed foaming cleansing cloths to refresh, soothe and purify stressed skin on-the-go."


I'm actually pretty happy with the inclusion of these cloths. As I said in my spoiler post, I always like to keep a little sample pack of cleansing wipes in my desk drawer at work and I recently ran out and hadn't yet replaced them. Also, to be honest, I might swap these out with the cleansing cloths I keep in my nightstand and bring those to work, because I feel like I'd like to try these for actually taking all of my makeup off on those nights where a full skin care routine just isn't in the cards.

KISS iENVYbyKISS Lashes - 1 Pair Full Size - Value $2.99
"The Diva collection features a montage of “look at me” lashes that make bold and dramatic statements. These captivating styles are ideal for nights out on the town, special events or whenever there is a need for a total transformation."

I pretty much wear false lashes not at all, I have to say that straight up. However, there are sometimes those special occasions when you want a little punch to your lashes. Since I have an anniversary night out coming up, these might just get put to use then. They're actually really pretty and they look soft and natural, so I feel like I could wear them without feeling like I look like a crazy person. (Which isn't to say that I think other people look crazy with lashes. Other people look gorgeous with lashes. I look crazy wearing them generally.) The thing that I like right off the bat is the band on these lashes. It's basically invisible. Perfection! One question though... What makes human hair "premium"? Is there "economy" human hair?
City Color Be Matte Lipstick in Cappucino - Full Size Product - Value $5
"The new matte lipsticks claims  is every girl’s must-have secret. Its rich formula is highly pigmented and enhanced for a long-lasting color. In 36 stunning shades, your lips will never feel dry and maintain the perfect shade throughout your day."

It seriously bums me out that with "36 stunning shades", this was the one we ended up getting. Maybe I'm nitpicking. Maybe I'm being a whiny baby. But this lipstick looks so ugly on me that I can't even. I feel like this is probably pandering to the explosion of Kylie Jenner trend lips. I get it. But I absolutely hate that lip look. I remember the ugly "mocha" lipstick that I owned in junior high and would probably be bang on trend right now. I also remember how it washed me out and made my teeth look yellow long before I started drinking coffee every morning. Can we get past this trend as quickly as humanly possible? I realize that it's pretty much 1994 out there in the world, but... can we stop? This lipstick pulls really orange on me and looks pretty much garish and I hate it. Which sucks because I love a matte lipstick and after looking on the City Color website I see so many other shades that make my eyes pop out of my face. I want. Sigh. Down with Kylie Jenner. 

Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Eyeshadow Powder - 2g Full Size Product - $3.99

I GOT THE SHADE I WANTED AND I'M SO HAPPY!!!! This is just so pretty. The first swatch seemed a little dry and powdery without much pigmentation, but the second swatch was much more pigmented and creamy. This shadow has a really nice sheen when swatched as well. I swear, I'm so anxious to try this out that I'm tempted to use one of those cleansing wipes that I got to take off my eye makeup so I can try out... but I'm restraining myself because that's just not a good idea. Trust. But in case I wasn't clear, I'm really excited to get to try these out - especially since Jesse's Girl isn't available locally at all so I've never gotten to try anything from the brand. And you know I love a drugstore brand.

Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Rose Berry - 20ml Full Size - Value $6.29
"Figs & Rouge Rose Berry Shea Butter Hand Cream softens, nourishes & thoroughly pampers hands throughout the day!"

Ugh. Ugh, IPSY!!!!! If this is the beginning of a trend of getting hand cream every month, I'm not gonna be on board. Oh, right... So I was supposed to receive Mango Mandarin, which I feel fairly certain I would have liked more than this, since I tend to find berry scents too cloyingly sweet and feel like rose scents should just go away and never come back. The combination of those two scents is hideous to me. Eau de Old Lady & Little Girl at the same time. Ugh. If this was another month and I hadn't just gotten a hand cream in my last bag, I might be a little more gentle on this, but not by much probably. This is just no good. It probably works just fine and I can get behind the "pure & natural" product thing. But still. No. I'm done with this hand cream. DONE, I SAY!

Total value: $23.27

So there you have it. Middle of the road sigh zone and by far the lowest value bag that I've ever received from Ipsy. By the end of writing this post, I'm definitely a little more disappointed than when I started. Oh well, at least next month I'll be receiving a 1000 IpsyPoints bonus. Of course... I had to grab it the moment I reached 1000 points, for fear that they would steal another 100 points and call them expired. Do not even get me started. I'm crossing my fingers that next month's bag blows this out of the water.... PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE?

If you have yet to sign up for Ipsy, CLICK HERE to head over to the site and join the waitlist. From what I understand, it doesn't take too long to get off the list and I sincerely think it's worth the money every month even if you don't love all of the products. It's under $20 a month for Canadians ($10 a month if you're in the US) and you receive a unique makeup bag every month filled with 5 new beauty products to try out. Usually the sizes are deluxe sample size, but sometimes you get really lucky and get a couple of full size products in the mix. Either way, it's almost always a good value and an exciting package to get in the mail. 

XO.

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