Ipsy Glam Bag Review - May 2015

This is my first Ipsy glam bag. I signed up for an annual subscription to Birchbox, so I figured I should also get a year of Ipsy. They are similar in concept and pricing, so it makes sense to track and compare them. Plus, I'm always open to more beauty products.

The most time consuming aspect of signing up for Ipsy is they make you follow all of their social accounts and share their subscription with all of your friends. Otherwise, you are stuck in a "waitlist". In other words, unless you tell everyone about Ipsy and follow all of their stylists, you are not getting your glam bag for I-am-not-sure-how-long. In my opinion, it's a good tactic but not-so-great customer experience.

With that said, I went through the shares (sorry to those I spammed) and follows, and got a bag to review. Let's hope the goodies are worth all the trouble!

Read more Ipsy reviews.

Ipsy is popular for their monthly makeup bag, which is also known as the glam bag. All of the products come packaged inside the bag. This month's theme is Jetsetter, featuring a canvas makeup bag with pink lining inside. The outside has the print VIP: Very Important Products. Love it.

A close-up shot of the pink lining.

Product: Urban Decay Ozone 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil (0.03 oz) + Bonus Revolution High-Color Lipgloss
Retail Value: $15.00

The Urban Decay Ozone 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil is an invisible waterproof lip primer. It is used to fill in fine lines, prevent feathering, and correct mistakes. Most importantly, it helps lip colors stay on longer. It applies very smoothly, and I can easily go over any troubled spots with the fine tip. It's also 3/4 of the full-size, which makes this a deluxe sample, I assume. In addition, the lip pencil is accompanied with two small bonus samples of Urban Decay's Revolution High-Color gloss shades. I don't think I can use the purple color, it looks like I just ate a bunch of blueberries.

Product: Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture & Volume Spray
Retail Value: $25.00 (Full Size)

I'm pretty impressed that there's an Oscar Blandi full-size hairspray. Although I won't be using it, it's perfect for my mom. I also love that this product is formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and etc.

Product: Jesse's Girl Pure Pigment Eye Dust in Brown Sugar
Retail Value: $4.99 (Full Size)

This eyeshadow has a matte finish, which is a nice change since I have lots of shimmery ones. Brown is pretty neutral so I don't have to worry about not being able to use the color.

Product: Luxie Rose Gold Tapered Blending Eye Brush 205
Retail Value: $12.00 (Full Size)

I like getting makeup tools in subscription boxes because they are useful. This brush is soft, blends well, and I love the pink handle. It's also 100% cruelty-free. The synthetic bristles is coated with antibacterial solution for minimal brush cleansing. I like how Ipsy coupled an eye brush with the eye shadow.

Product: NUXE Rêve de Miel Face Cleansing and Makeup Removing Gel (0.5 oz)
Retail Value: $1.41

I can always use some more makeup remover. This product has a nice scent, and is formulated without soap. It cleans just as well as any other makeup remover.

Final Thoughts: If this month is any indication, Ipsy has much better value than any of the Birchboxes I received. In addition, I feel that the products are more relevant to me in my Ipsy subscription. My preferences in both accounts are very similar, but Ipsy did a better job at tailoring the products to my profile. While I don't like the sign-up process, they have good value and curation. Also, I really like this month's canvas makeup bag. It's cute and functional.