Ipsy April 2015 bag was much-awaited, because based on the very first spoiler, we would be getting a makeup clutch instead of the usual cosmetic bag. Unfortunately, this was a false alarm, and we got the usual bag, although it was higher quality than the previous one. Not surprising, but the April theme is Beautifully Bohemian, because Coachella festival style is all the rage this month.
HOW IT WORKS: Each month subscribers will receive a new Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products customized according to your beauty profile. Members can watch videos and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using, all for only $10/month. If you would like to use my referral link click here to join Ipsy. Thank you!
theBalm Cosmetics NUDE Dude Eyeshadow Single Fit – This was our very first spoiler, and everyone received one of two colors in their bags. theBalm is famous for their fun packaging and cheeky names, and the formulas are actually pretty good, too. Their Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter is still my HG after all these years! I’ve only worn it once so far, and while I like the smooth and pigmented formula, it still creased a lot on my oily eyelids, so I’d recommend wearing a good primer underneath. Less fallout that way, too.
JulieG Nail Color Damsel – Ipsy describes this shade as a mid-tone pink creme, I would say it’s more of a muted fuchsia. I do like the color, but I have several similar ones in my collection already, from brands that I like more than JulieG. This will make a nice little though, so I’m going to keep it sealed.
Mullein & Sparrow Mini Lip & Cheek Tint – I was hoping to get this product in my bag because it looked kinda cool on the company’s website, and I like vintage-inspired packaging. First of all, I like that it’s a natural product that contains real organic oils, butters, waxes, and plant extracts. It smells like a mix of cocoa butter with blackberries, and even though it’s also supposed to have patchouli oil in it, I didn’t catch any of it in the fragrance bouquet. It’s purple in the tin, but on the lips the color shows up as slightly brownish – definitely a natural look, but it calls for a little more color on top.
MicaBeauty Eye Primer – I am not a fan of MicaBeauty, and found this eye primer too thick and awkward to work with. Also, some people reported that their primers had weird brown spots in them, to which Ipsy replied that they must be bubbles from the time the primers were hardening. There’s such bubble in my pot too [you can see it in the picture above at 10 o’clock], but I don’t care because I had no plans of using it again.
Gallany Cosmetics Petal Lipstick – This is a new brand for me, so I had no prior expectations. The lipstick turned out to be better than I expected, with creamy non-heavy formula and a color that’s not purple, hot pink, ghostly nude, or red, like the ones Ipsy always tends to send. It’s a very lovely your lips but better medium mauvey pink shade that is perfect for the daytime and will complement most complexions.
THE VERDICT: This was an okay bag, I wasn’t over the moon nor did I feel disappointed. My favorite samples this month were Mullein & Sparrow lip balm, and Gallany Cosmetics lipstick, and both happen to be lip products – I guess I’ve been on a lippie kick lately! I also liked the bag itself, it felt sturdy and actually looked like it’s well-made, with proper stitching everywhere and well-aligned pattern.
Do you like discovering new beauty brands or do you prefer sampling new products from your current favorite companies instead? What did you think about your April Ipsy bag? Let me know in the comments below!
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| theBalm Cosmetics NUDE Dude Eyeshadow | $3.00 |
| JulieG Nail Color | $3.99 |
| Mullein & Sparrow Mini Lip & Cheek Tint | $10.00 |
| MicaBeauty Eye Primer | $22.47 |
| Gallany Cosmetics Petal Lipstick | $10.75 |
| Box Retail Valie | $50.21 |
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
