UNBOXING: Ipsy November 2014

by - November 24, 2014


I hate to keep harping on it, but I've recently been somewhat disappointed with my Ipsy bags. I suppose they haven't been terrible... and when you think about the cost, they're certainly still worth it to me. I just haven't felt that excited about them. When I saw my Glam Room this month, I definitely got a little bit of those tinglings of excitement. There are a few reasons for this, which I will get into later, but I have to say I'm a little bit excited about Ipsy again and hoping that next month is going to make me happy as well. Merry Christmas, and all that... I wonder if I'll even receive it before Christmas. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, without further adieu, keep reading for a closer look at the contents of my November Ipsy bag...



I hate this bag. Not the contents, but the bag itself. According to the tag sewed into it, it's Forever21 for Ipsy. And it's gross, to me. It's plastic and sparkly and yucky. It just feels like a pencil case that I would have had in grade 3, you know? There are some bags from Ipsy that I can't wait to throw in my purse because they're just pretty and convenient, but this bag is probably going to end up... Well, I'm not sure where. But it certainly isn't going in my purse or anywhere that actual people will be subjected to seeing it. Am I alone in this? I feel about this the way I felt about that potted lip balm that smelled like gross grape candy and had straight up chunky glitter in it. This bag is not for grown ups. Is it just me?

Marc Anthony Oil Of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Hairspray - 1.5oz - Value: $2.99
"Get extra volume, shine and hold with this dual purpose hairspray; nourishing and styling in one! This Argan Oil, Keratin and Grape Seed Oil infused hairspray gives you strong and flexible hold plus deep nourishment, strengthening and conditioning as you style."

I was actually excited to get this because I'm a little bit obsessed with the hair mask from this line and have been wanting to try some of the styling products. I don't actually use a lot of hairspray in my day to day life, but I've used this a couple of times to give my hair some lift at the root and I think I like it. It doesn't feel heavy or crunchy, but it does give my hair some hold. I haven't tried it with any actual styling other than my flat iron, but I'm looking forward to trying it with curls and seeing how it holds up on my hair - which doesn't really like to hold a curl most of the time.

it cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer in Neutral Medium - 0.11oz - Value: $9.43
"
This best-selling, cult-favorite and award-winning concealer delivers highly pigmented, long-lasting coverage that won’t crease or crack. Infused with anti-aging technology, vitamins and high-performance pigments, this multipurpose concealer improves the appearance of wrinkles and effectively conceals the appearance of skin imperfections including dark circles, bags, redness, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, age spots and discoloration. Finally an extreme concealer that makes you look younger!"

Like I said in my Ipsy Spoilers post, this is the cult product that I really wanted to receive this month. I've been dying to try it because I've heard so many amazing things about it. I was initially really bummed because I felt like the shade was going to be too dark on my skin, but I was actually somewhat pleasantly surprised because this does match me pretty well. There's no brightening for me with this shade but I can use it. The formula of this is really weird to me. It's incredibly thick and creamy with a sticky, almost greasy feel to it. I will say, though, that after using it twice now I've found that it has pretty good coverage and I haven't had any creasing. Still, not sure this can hold up to my beloved MAC Pro Longwear. We'll see!

SeaRx Micro-Dermabrasion Face & Body Scrub - 0.3oz - Value $2.52
"Exfoliate your whole body with this all-over scrub, which utilizes an advanced crystal blend system. The gentle scrub effectively exfoliates, removes dead cells and reveals softer, healthier skin. Featuring minerals and extracts, the formula improves skin tone and leaves you with smoother, firmer looking skin."

So... I've actually gotten a surprising number of microdermabrasion products from Ipsy in the past year and the thing is that I actually really, really hate microdermabrasion. Does anyone actually like it? I'm sure it's super beneficial for your skin but I think it might be too harsh for mine or something. Still, I always try out these products at least once in hopes that  I'll find one that I don't hate every second of using. Know what I mean? Plus, the claims always make me wistful and hopeful that one day I'll have perfect skin. Oh, marketing, it's like you know my deepest desires! Smaller butt, better skin. Oh, to dream!

Starlooks Lip Gloss in Guilty Pleasure - 0.3oz - Full Size Value $13.00
"Starlooks Lip Glosses are created with a truly moisturizing, luxury, non-sticky formula. This neutral-rose, yet glamorous shade provides the perfect glisten for any lip look and complements any skin tone! Can be worn alone or in combination with other Starlooks lip products for a truly customizable finish."

First of all, I think the sizing of this product might be a bit of a falsehood. There's no way that this teeeeeeny tiny sample is 0.3oz like it claims on the Ipsy website. I do believe that 0.3oz is the full size quantity. Anyway, this product is actually quite nice. It's a really neutral mauve-toned pink shade without any shimmer in it. It's comfortable and flattering on the lips and gives a nice amount of shine. Overall, I think I'll get at least some use out of this even though I don't tend to wear a lot of lip gloss. I'm not jumping up and down, but I'm not mad at it. And if truth is being told, I'm just glad this isn't yet another Starlooks eyeliner.

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in Submissive - 0.09oz. - Full Size Value $14.00
"This eye base is a highly pigmented, long-lasting product that can be used as a single cream color or used as an eye base to build color."

Again, I couldn't find the value of this because I couldn't find the weight of the full size, but I'm assuming just by looking at the pot that it's about half.  Based on the description, I'm going to have to cry foul on the claims of this product being highly pigmented. To me, this is really sheer. I was hoping for something that was going to be on par with the Maybelline Color Tattoo's or the MAC Paint Pots and this just doesn't even get close. Also, the texture is a quite thin and a little bit greasy, which makes me think that it will end up creasing. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm not jumping up and down with excitement to do that. We'll see, though. Maybe my mind will be blown. Recently I haven't been overly happy with the quality from Be A Bombshell, but I will say that I have a blush from this company in my collection and I absolutely love it. So I always hold out hope for another BAB winner. Maybe next time, since this company seems to be an Ipsy lifer.


Since I can't find full size quantities anywhere online for two of the products in this bag, I'm going to have to skip the total value of this bag, but it's still worth more than what I paid for it so I'm not mad at it. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this bag.


Extras....

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in 06 Bella Espresson, 22 Bella Gold, and 01 Bella Ivory - Full Size Products - Total Value: $ 13.47

I was finally able to use some of my Ipsy Points this month and I ordered the Milani Bella Eyes trio that was available on the Ipsy website. Unfortunately, these are no longer available for purchase with Ipsy points, but I will say that if you can find these in stores they're well worth the purchase. This trio featured Bella Espresso, which is a deep chocolate brown with a satin matte finish, Bella Gold, which is a super shimmery classic gold shade, and Bella Ivory, which is a satin matte vanilla shade. My favorites are Espresso and Ivory, which I feel like I'll get a lot of use from in the future.

So there you have it, my Ipsy haul this month. I have to say that overall I'm one contented Ipster this time around and holding out hope for another good bag next month. And also hopeful that they feature the J.Cats Beauty lip paints, which I've heard are pretty good OCC Lip Tar dupes, in a future bag, since that's the only product I'm really disappointed at not receiving this month.

XO.

If you're interested in joining Ipsy, click here to sign up. The cost is $10 a month (plus $4.95 shipping in Canada) and you receive a makeup bag with 4-5 sample or full sized goodies every month!

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2 comments

  1. I actually surprisingly really liked the be a bombshell eye base. It is definitely not a dupe for paint pots but I was surprised how pretty it was worn as a neutral eyeshadow.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe I'll bust it out tomorrow for a neutral eye look. Did it crease at all on you?

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