Ipsy (My Glam) Review- February 2014

Hello, my lovelies!  It’s that time of the month again- IPSY TIME!  Ipsy is, in my opinion the best beauty bag available, for the money you spend.  I’ve (to date) never received a foil pack sample, and usually receive makeup and skin care products that I haven’t tried before, and have found lots of new favorites through this subscription.

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service, where you are sent 4-5 deluxe sample or full sized items each month, for $10 (US subscribers, plus tax in some states), or $14.95 (Canadian subscribers).  If you would like to subscribe, and want to send some love my way, HERE is my referral link.

 Enough chit-chat- on to the goodies!

Pink envelope of goodness

I love seeing this pink envelope in my mailbox, because I know that there will be something fun and possibly awesome inside.  Ipsy is my monthly splurge on “me”- and it’s almost like getting a present in the mail each month.

First Peek

I spy a pretty bag…I wonder what’s inside it?

The Bag

I love the shape and color of the February bag- It’s a bit different from the other ones I have received, and the solid dark pink is a great background if I want to add some art, or to send on to a Girl Scout with goodies inside it.  Love it!

The inside is adorned with a pretty leopard print- this makes my inner 4 year old smile.

Insert Card

February’s theme is “The Look of Love”, perfect for Valentine’s Day!  At our house, Valentine’s Day is more about selling Girl Scout cookies than it is about romance, but hey, I AM a hopeless romantic, so this theme suits me quite well. 

The Brands

Ipsy has done a great job finding brands to partner with, for each bag.  I spy a few repeat brands this month (mostly a yay), as well as some that are new to me.  I’m excited about some of these discount codes, too!

This month, everyone received 2 items (with shade variations), and then 3 items from an assortment of products.  I’ll start with the two items that everyone received.

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini Lip Gloss in Peony Petal; deluxe sample size (4g/0.14 oz ); approx. retail value $7.53; full size is 8.5g/0.3 oz and retails for $16.00; available HERE.  Discount code PoppingPout will get you 25% off your purchase, until 3/15/14, US only.

I’ve received POP Beauty items from Ipsy in the past, and have formed a mixed opinion of them.  While I hated the mascara (last February), I really like how pigmented the eyeshadow trio I received in December was, and the lip crayon I received in July (?) is smooth, creamy and wears nicely.  I was excited to try out this mini gloss and see where it falls on the win/fail scale!  Ipsy sent out the Plum Pout Mini glosses in 2 shades; Peony Petal and Fuschia Freesia.  I received Peony Petal.

Swatch of POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini Lip Gloss in Peony Petal

I really love plumping glosses, because I have smallish sized lips.  I gave this a try and was happily surprised with this gloss.  The gloss itself isn't tingly or stingy, and isn’t sticky at all, and lasted an acceptable amount of time.  This pretty, shiny pink gloss is definitely a new favorite of mine.

GRADE: 5/5

Zoya nail polish in Odette; full size (0.5 fl oz/15 ml); retails for $9.00; available HERE.  Discount code IPSYZP4 will get you a buy 2 get 1 free deal, with a free Zoya Remove, until 3/15/14, $5 shipping or free shipping on orders over $50, continental US only.

If you read my blog, you know that I’m kind of obsessed with Zoya nail polishes.  Their 5-free formula and beautiful colors make this awesome brand an easy addiction for me. Ipsy sent out polish from Zoya in two shades; Odette (mauve cream in the Naturel collection) and Dot (petal pink cream in the new Awaken collection).  I received Odette.

swatch of Zoya nail polish in Odette

I gave this shade a try, and as expected, I instantly fell in love.  This taupey mauve is what I call an “grown up” purple.  The polish was opaque in 2 coats, and lasted several days before chipping.  I added a few heart confetti pieces and created a beautiful Valentine’s day look.  It’s terribly tempting to use the discount code from this month and spend all of my husband’s money on polish, but alas, I must resist!

GRADE: 5/5

Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Starshine; full size (0.04 oz); retails for $15.00; available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 25% off any purchase, until 2/28/14, one time use per customer, US only.

I’m not sure how it’s possible, but while I am familiar with the brand name Mally, I’ve never had the opportunity to give this cosmetics line a try.  I was so excited when I saw that I was getting this pencil, and couldn’t wait to try it out!

Swatch of Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Starshine

Seriously, this silver color is gorgeous.  I gave this a try, and was amazed at how long-lasting this eyeliner is.  I swatched this on my hand, and went about my daily business (including washing my hands) and was astounded when 24 hours later, it was still shimmery and bright!  I wore this out a few days (at cookie booths, in the wind and rain) and this liner is every bit as good (if not better!) than Urban Decay’s 24/7 Liner, my current HG pencil liner.  I think I’m in love!

GRADE: 5/5

Uberliss RituOil, deluxe sample size (10 ml /0.34 fl oz), retail value $3.32; full size is 60 ml/2 oz and retails for $19.90; available HERE.  Discount code IPSY30 will get you 30% off any purchase, until 3/15/14, one time use per customer, cannot be combined, US only, free domestic shipping.

I have really frizzy, uncontrollable hair.  While I don’t have hair products selected on my Ipsy quiz, I have told them about my crazy mop top.  I was excited to see this in my bag, because it might put a dent in my hair’s frizzy curls, and tame my tresses!  My bottle of oil had a wonky cap, and leaked all over my bag.  Ipsy has great customer service when it comes to these issues, though- I had a reply to my email in less than an hour, with a promise for a replacement!  There is enough oil in my little bottle to test this out, though, so I gave it a try.  I tried this on my daughter's hair.  Her hair is moderately curly:

Tween Angel's hair, when wet.

I used the Uberliss RituOil on the right side of her hair, and my personal favorite straightening oil, Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum on the right side.

Uberliss RituOil, after straightening

Super Skinny Serum after straightening.

The directions on the RituOil said to apply to damp hair, and blow dry, then touch up with a straightening iron.  This is exactly what I did.

Both sides, together

As you can see, both sides are very nicely straightened, with minimum frizz, and Tween Angel looks beautiful.  And much older than 11.  But I digress.  I will say, that the next day, the Super Skinny Serum side was much more straight than the RituOil side, but still looked nice and frizz free.

GRADE:4/5

Jesse’s Girl 9 Pan Eye Shadow Palette in Behind Blue Eyes, full size (0.22 oz), retails for $3.99; available HERE; discount code IPSYFEB2014 will get you 20% off your purchase, until 3/15/14, free shipping on US orders over $20 or $5.95 shipping on order under $20, after discount.

From the first time I peeked at the spoilers for February, I KNEW I wanted to try this item.  Jesse’s Girl cosmetics is one I’ve sampled a bit of, but want to try more of.  The full size Jesse’s Girl palettes were sent out in several shades; I received Behind Blue Eyes.

Inside the palette

I gave these shadows a try, and was happy with the pigmentation and staying power.  I probably wouldn’t have purchased this particular palette (I don’t wear a lot of blue eye shadow, generally.), but I am happy to have it, and it is a nice addition to my collection.  My very first impression was that this palette is INSANELY difficult to open.  You can watch in my unboxing video below my struggle to remove the lid.  It’s entirely possible that because the Uberliss oil spilled on my bag contents that it somehow made the clasp more difficult to use, but I did wind up breaking it in my efforts to get to the shadows! 
 

Swatch of Jesse’s Girl 9 Pan Eye Shadow Palette in Behind Blue Eyes.  Top row is no primer, bottom row is over Nyx's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk.

I tried these shadows with and without primer, and while I had to apply a bit more than usual to get the look I wanted, the shadows didn’t creep, crease or fade.  Urban Decay and Lorac are both still my favorite prestige shadow brands, and Wet ‘n Wild is my favorite drug store shadow brand; but I will definitely be picking up another of these, in a different color, in the very near future.

GRADE: 3.5/5 (long lasting, acceptable pigmentation, but hard to open!)

That’s my Ipsy bag this month!  While I have points for a referral gift, the ones currently offered weren’t anything new for me, so I’m holding off for another month.  While that’s all I received, it may not be all YOU received.  Other items sent to subscribers this month are listed below. Sizes and approximate values are based on Ipsy’s listings of what was sent.

Other items sent out by Ipsy that I did NOT receive, but other subscribers DID:

City Color Be Matte Blush, full size (8.9g/0.314 oz), sent in shades Fresh Melon, Blackberry, Dragonfruit, and Toasted Coconut; retail value $2.99; available HERE.  Discount code 14IPSY20 will get you 20% of your purchase, until 3/15/14, one time use only, continental US only, flat rate shipping ($6.96) or free shipping on orders over $50.

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay, deluxe sample size (1 oz/28 g), retail value is approx. $5.11; full size is 134g/4.7 oz and retails for $24.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 20% off of any purchase, until 3/31/14, one time use per customer, cannot be combined with other offers, free shipping on orders over $50, code valid in US, Canada and US Virgin Islands.

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base in One, full size (0.14 oz/), sent out in the shades Spiced Rum, Violette, and Ambrosia, retails for $18.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYLOVE will get you 50% off any purchase and a free nail polish, until 4/10/14, cannot be combined with other offers or Lacquer Cabinet subscriptions, minimum purchase $12, free polish automatically added, valid in US and Canada.

J. Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue, full size, sent in styles EL43, EL747L, EL747XS, EL01, EL05, EL13, EL15, EL20, EL66 and EL213; retails for $3.99, available HERE.  Discount code eyeluvjcat will get you 25% off any purchase, until 3/15/14, US only.

PHYTO-C Velvet Gel (wrinkle and line reducer), deluxe sample size (0.01 oz), retail value $1.25; full size is 30 ml/1 fl oz and retails for $125, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY20 will get you 20% off your order of 30ml Velvet Gel and code IPSY15 will get you 15% off your order of 15ml Velvet Gel, until 4/4/14, $5 flat rate shipping.

skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud, deluxe sample size (one 2 step mask, 0.28 oz), retail value $6.50; full size is 6 mask packets, and retails for $39.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYFSM will get you 50% off one item and 20% off additional products, until 3/15/14, cannot be combined with other offers or gift cards, one time use per customer, valid only in US and Canada.

Dr. Lin Skincare Acne Spot Corrector, travel size (0.5 fl oz/15mL), retail value $4.50; full size is 1.0 fl oz/30 mL, and retails for $8.99, available HERE.  Discount code IPSYDRLIN will get you 50% off any purchase until 3/31/14.

IPKN NY Moist & Firm BB Crème in light, deluxe sample size (0.05 oz), retail value approx. $1.35; full size is 1.3 oz/40ml and retails for $35.00, available HERE.  No discount code available this month, maybe next time!

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter, travel size (2.5 oz/73 ml), retails for $7.00, available HERE.  Discount code ipsy20 will get you 20% off any purchase, until 3/15/14, one time use only, cannot be combined with other offers, valid only in continental US and Canada.

 NuMe Intense Renewal Hair Mask, deluxe sample size (20 mL), retail value approx. $3.28; full size is 6 fl oz/177 mL, and retails for $29.00; available HERE.  Discount code nipsyparty50 will get you 50% off your order, plus free shipping and a free classic curling wand, until 5/11/14, free reverse curling wand in black is valid on purchases of $75 or more, and is automatically added to your order, cannot be combined with other offers, coupons or promotions, not valid on steals and deals, shipping or taxes, free shipping is for US customers only.

 

February Ipsy Glambag 2014

Here’s MY Febuary bag contents, and all in all, I’m very happy with what I received.  The awesome thing, for me, about Ipsy, is that I don’t care for something I receive, I have a whole host of friends who are happy to try things out that don’t work for me.  I do have horder tendancies when it comes to makeup (don’t we all?), but I try to be generous with my overflow and spread the love.  This month, I think I’ll be keeping everything- I’m very happy with this bag!

Here’s the point in my blog post where I do a financial breakdown.  Each item from this month is listed below, the better for you to figure out what your bag’s retail value is:

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini Lip Gloss (deluxe sample): $7.53

Zoya nail polish (full size): $9.00

Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner (full size): $15.00

Jesse’s Girl 9 Pan Eye Shadow Palette (full size): $3.99

City Color Be Matte Blush (full size): $2.99

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base in One (full size): $18.00

J. Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue (full size): $3.99

Uberliss RituOil (deluxe sample): $3.32

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay (deluxe sample): $5.11

PHYTO-C Velvet Gel (deluxe sample size): $1.25

skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud (deluxe sample size): $6.50

Dr. Lin Skincare Acne Spot Corrector (travel size): $4.50

IPKN NY Moist & Firm BB (deluxe sample size): $1.35

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter (travel size): $7.00

NuMe Intense Renewal Hair Mask (deluxe sample size): $3.28

Total retail value of my bag (approx.): $38.84

Total spent out of pocket: $10.00

While not the HIGHEST valued bag that I’ve ever gotten from Ipsy, it’s also not the cheapest.  I am pretty happy with most everything in my bag, too, so that’s always a big plus.  Value and cost have little to do with either other: value is determined by how much you want or will use an item; cost is just what the company wants you to pay for an item.  While this bag has a nice retail pricetag, I am very, very pleased with my bag’s actual value to me.

If you would like to see my unboxing video, and watch me struggle in person with the Jesse's Girl palette clasp, here is the video:

And, here is the look I created with my Ipsy February bag.  I didn't straighten my hair, but left it curly, so I have not included the Uberliss oil in this look. but I did use the rest of the items :)

So, tell me, lovely- what did YOU receive in your Ipsy bag this month?  Anything that I didn’t receive that I simple MUST try?  Leave a comment and let me know! 
Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: I purchased these items with my own money my husband's money.  I was neither requested nor required to review these items, and all links in this post are NOT referral links (except the Ipsy link.  I totally want the Ipsy points).  I strive for honesty.