Ipsy Glam Bag – April 2016

Hi, Pixies!

After reading ipsy creator Michelle Phan’s amazing book and seeing honorary fairy Natalie’s glowing recommendation, I decided to sign up for ipsy and received my first Glam Bag last week:

April 2016: The Dreamers

First Impressions:

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of items I received in my Glam Bag! I received 1 lipstick, 1 eye shadow, 1 blending brush, 1 bottle of hair oil, and 1 tube of mud mask.

I loved that I had to take a quiz before placing my order so my Glam Bag would be customized to not only my main features (hair, skin, and eye color), but also to my makeup style, skin care preferences, and brands I like and/or want to try.

I’ve seen where some other Glam Bag subscribers sometimes receive items they didn’t select in their preferences (like receiving a face mask when they specifically didn’t select it as something they use or like in their quiz), but my Glam Bag contained nothing but items I had listed in my preferences, so I was very happy 🙂

 

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Here are the items I received + reviews:

 

The Dreamer Makeup Bag – I admit, I was disappointed by the look of this bag after I saw last month’s GORGEOUS floral bag (click here to view it). Although the colors of this bag are bright and vibrant for Spring, and the size is perfect for holding all the makeup I need with me on a daily basis, the psychedelic image is not something I would have chosen for myself

Bag Rating: ★★★☆☆
Use or Lose?: Use…until I get a better one 😉

 

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Tarte Cosmetics: LipSurgence Lip Crème in Wonder (Poppy) – I have always wanted to try makeup from Tarte, because they only use pure, natural ingredients (and their product packaging is beautiful), but the brand’s prices are too expensive for me to purchase without trying first, so receiving a sample through ipsy was the perfect solution!

The red-pink shade of this lipstick is way too bright for me to comfortably wear on a day-to-day basis, but if I apply just one line of it on each of my lips and use a finger to spread it out, it gives my lips a soft pop of a pretty rose-colored tint. The lipstick glides on easily and makes my lips feel very soft. The only issue with it is that the color wears off easily, so reapplying is necessary for all-day wear.

Weight: .05 oz (received half-size sample)
Price: $24 from Tarte’s website for full-size (.1 oz)
Lipstick Rating: ★★★★☆
Use or Lose?: Use 🙂
Buy Again?: I would consider buying one, but in a more subtle color

 

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OFRA Cosmetics: Eye Shadow in Bohemian – I’d never heard of this makeup brand before, but I read on ipsy’s site that it was created by beauty pro Ofra Gaito, and her award-winning skincare and makeup is often used by celebrities and other beauty professionals.

I was initially disappointed to receive such a dark bronze shade of eye shadow, because I typically don’t wear brown eye shadow, and I didn’t think this particular shade would look good on me. I was totally wrong! My opinion of this eye shadow drastically changed once I tried it, because it’s actually a very neutral, earthy shade of brown that went on light and was easily buildable, so I could wear it sheer or intense depending on the application. Love it! ❤

Weight: 0.7 oz (half-size sample)
Retail Price: $12.00 from OFRA’s website for full-size (0.14 oz)
Eye Shadow Rating: ★★★★★
Use or Lose?: Use 😀
Buy Again?: Definitely!

 

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L.A.B.: Just Blending In Brush – Ever since I started using quality makeup brushes to apply and blend my makeup, I’ve noticed how much more natural and even my makeup looks versus using the cheap applicators and tiny brushes that come packaged with most makeup.

This blending brush was one I didn’t already have, so I was excited to receive it in my bag! It’s super soft, picks up eye shadow easily, and seems to be well-made since it hasn’t shed during application. I’ve used this brush multiple times with different types of eye shadow, and the tapered top blended the shadow with ease. I just wish the brush was a little smaller, because I’m used to using smaller brushes for more control, and this one sometimes spreads a tad more than I would prefer.

Weight: 0.7 oz (full-size)
Price: $6.99 from L.A.B.’s website
Brush Rating: ★★★★☆
Use or Lose?: Use 🙂
Buy Again?: Very possible – the brush seems well-made

 

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Moroccanoil: Moroccanoil Treatment for all hair types – This brand was the one that started the hair oil trend that’s everywhere today, so I was excited to receive “The Original” that’s won tons of awards for its insane hair-perfecting power. According to ipsy, “Just one use transforms lackluster locks into the super shiny strands of your dreams!”

A few years ago, I had a hairstylist use Moroccanoil on my hair that smelled AMAZING, so I was hoping this would have the same warm scent – and it did!!! I assumed that this itty bitty bottle of hair oil would only last for 2-3 uses, but a little actually goes a long way, so I’m hoping to make it last for a couple weeks or more.

I followed the instructions and used a small amount on my hair while it was still damp, and it did make my hair very shiny. It also made my hair silky smooth and soft, so I could brush through it and style with ease. I would love to use this product all the time, because it keeps my hair frizz-free and tangle-free, but it’s so crazy expensive that I will have to wait until it’s massively on-sale.

Weight: 0.34 fl. oz./ 10 ml (1/10-size sample)
Price: $44.00 from Moroccanoil’s website for full-size bottle (3.4 fl. oz. / 100 ml)
Hair Oil Rating: ★★★★★
Use or Lose?: Use 🙂
Buy Again?: Definitely, but it would have to be massively on-sale

 

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Jor’el Parker: Fango Mud Therapy – This mud mask sounded promising with its all-natural ingredient list and eco-friendly stance. However, I was very concerned that using it on my face would cause breakouts since it contains avocado and almond oils (which can be pore-clogging/irritating for acne-prone skin), but the instructions say you can use it on face AND body, so I decided to try it on my hands, elbows, feet, and knees.

After using it, my skin did feel very soft and smooth. I was also pleased that the mud washed off easily and had a light, herbal fragrance. The positive effects from the mud didn’t last for more than a day, though, so it was basically like using a rich lotion or oil on my skin. It’s nothing ultra-special or revolutionary, but it’s still a good daily-use natural product to use if you have dry skin.

Weight: 1 oz. (full-size)
Price: $3.00 from Harvey Prince Organics’ website for 1 oz. tube
Mud Mask Rating: ★★★☆☆
Use or Lose?: Use – body only
Buy Again?: No

 

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Overall Glam Bag Review:

For the total fee of $10.00, I thought my purchase was VERY reasonably priced since I received a total of 6 items (if you include the makeup bag). That works out to about $1.67 per item – and that’s not even including ipsy’s expense for the bubble-lined packaging envelope and shipping! Plus, you can easily unsubscribe from the monthly Glam Bag at any time, so if funds are tight or you don’t like what you’re receiving, you can cancel the subscription from your account within seconds.

The items I received were 100% customized to my preferences (which can easily be changed by retaking the quiz), and I didn’t hate anything I received, so my overall ipsy experience was very good! I highly recommend this beauty subscription to anyone who loves trying new makeup and beauty products 😀

If you have any questions about ipsy or the items I reviewed, please leave me a comment below ↓

♥ Marigold

 

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P.S. If you are interested in buying any of the products I reviewed, I have some discount codes you can use if purchasing from the brands’ main websites:

tarte cosmetics
Shop Here: www.tarte.com
Use code: IPSYAPR
Offer valid 4/10/16 – 05/10/2016. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Some restrictions apply.

OFRA Cosmetics
Shop Here: www.ofracosmetics.com
Use code: IPSYOFRA
Offer valid thru 05/31/2016 at 11:59 PST. Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.

Jor’el Parker
Shop Here: www.jorelparker.com
Use code: ipsy
Offer valid thru 05/31/2016. Offer valid in US and Canada only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. One time use only.

Moroccanoil
Shop Here: www.moroccanoil.com
Use code: IPSYTOTE
Offer valid thru 05/31/2016. Free Moroccanoil Tote Bag with any purchase. Offer valid in US only. One time use only.

 

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