Boxycharm by Ipsy May 2024 Unboxing & Review
Boxycharm follows the same monthly theme as Ipsy, so our May box was inspired by The Secret Garden. Think, plant-powered skincare and makeup that nods to seasonal blooms – lilacs and cherry blossoms, anyone? The monthly theme is more pronounced in this box, more so than in my Ipsy Glam Bag, and the colors totally reflect the seasonal spring botanicals.
HOW IT WORKS:
Each month as Boxycharm by Ipsy subscriber you will receive a new box with a mix of 5 full-sized beauty products customized according to your beauty profile. Members can watch videos and play along with the stylists, all for only $30/month (up to $200 value). Click here to check it out.
IN THE BOX:
1 // CIATÉ LONDON I Am Woman 24 Shade Eyeshadow Palette V2 ($45) – This large 24-pan eyeshadow palette barely fits in the Boxycharm shipping box, and it’s definitely one of the biggest we’ve gotten so far! The color story leans heavily into warm-toned pinks and purples, with a few neutral shades sprinkled around for depth, definition, and shimmer. While these particular colors don’t look great on my complexion as eyeshadows, I’ve since repurposed a few of them to wear as blush and loving them so far. CIATÉ eyeshadow formula can be a hit and a miss, and some of the darker shades are a bit patchy, but most of the pans in this palette are pretty good: pigmented, blendable, and easy to apply. 4/5
2 // Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Good Cleanup Foam Cleanser ($29) – I think it was smart of Benefit to release a line of skincare for oily and combination skin, after all they’re famous for their POREfessional makeup that helps minimize the look of enlarged pores and reduce excess oiliness. I tried most of the new products and this cleanser was among my favorites. It’s a solid no-frills formula that creates soft, foamy lather and thoroughly cleanses the skin, leaving it smooth and mattified. I recommend following up with a toner immediately after. Special thanks to Benefit for their smart choice of packaging – aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, and among the most recycled worldwide, making it a fantastic eco-friendly choice, better than glass and plastic. 4/5
3 // Eight Saints Skincare Soulmate Brightening Treatment ($68) – I’ve been seeing ads for Eight Saints mini set on my IG feed for years, looks like they’re going heavy on promoting themselves. This treatment is one of the brand’s bestsellers and their most-reviewed offering. It combines the brightening benefits of Glycolic Acid with moisture-boosting Hyaluronic Acid in a single do-it-all product that can be used as a resurfacing mask or an overnight serum. I didn’t notice the AHA percentage listed but it must not be very high because my face didn’t sting after the application. Obviously it’s still too early to talk about any results, but the ingredients look solid, so if this formula contains everything that it says it does, then this is going to be a nice gentle brightening treatment for everyday use. 4/5
4 // M.I.A. by Massiel Eye-Brush Trio ($35) – Ipsy and Boxycharm love to spoil us with brushes and brush sets, so by now I’ve accumulated some favorites and re-homed the duds. This set is somewhere in the middle – it’s not remarkable in any way or good enough quality to choose over my other brushes, but I wouldn’t call it bad per se. These brushes just seem kind of flimsy and the bristles are not that full, which means you’ll need to do more passes over the skin to get the same effect as you would with fuller brushes [by full I don’t mean how thick it is, but how many bristles the brush has.] The reflective metallic handles are forever going to be fingerprint magnets, too, which makes them look instantly dirty. 2.5/5
5 // Polite Society Greatest Lashes of All Time Volumizing, Lengthening, Lifting & Curling Mascara ($27) – If this isn’t the longest mascara name ever, I don’t know what is! I’ve been looking forward to trying this brand, they’re currently popular on TikTok. First of all, the tube is heavy, I thought it must be made of metal or something. I would say, it weighs as much as several lipsticks! The wand has domed spiky bristles that can separate the lashes and build up the length and volume without looking spidery… unless you keep on building, then it will definitely turn spidery. The end result is very dramatic, and if you’re going for that falsies look, this is the one to try. It does smudge on the undereye after a while on my oily lids, so keep that in mind if you plan on using it on lower lashes. 4/5
BOTTOM LINE:
Lots of great products this month but I can’t pick a clear favorite, all of them left something to be desired. The eyeshadow palette is so colorful and fun, but I can’t use most of these shades on my eyes. Good thing it works well as a blush, otherwise I would have to give it away. Benefit cleanser and Eight Saint serum both work well but there’s nothing remarkable about them and I can’t think why I would choose them over other skincare products in my stash. Same thing with the brushes, they just feel cheaply-made and I have received way better brushes from Ipsy and Boxycharm in the past that I’d rather use instead. The mascara is fun but I would only use it for nighttime looks, since I typically prefer very natural no-makeup makeup and this formula definitely gives a more dramatic effect that will look out of place.
What do you think about the May 2024 Boxycharm? Which of these products would you try first?
