There’s always a reason to celebrate the season! This month Ipsy curators stuffed our bags with beauty essentials to help us get ready to celebrate anything and everything worth celebrating – a new car, a second grandchild, a new day, a new pair of shoes, a new lipstick… you name it. Get dolled up with the most glamorous selection of products to welcome new and exciting things into your life!
HOW IT WORKS
If you would like to use my referral link click here to join Ipsy. Thank you!
POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare – This eye shadow trio came in the perfect colors, because I love neutrals and nudes a lot. The left and middle shades are very buttery and pigmented, and feel great on the skin. The darkest pan is not as pigmented as the other two, but I still managed to get decent color payout with a little extra effort.
Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset – Sunset is a very nice shade, it’s pretty versatile for using on the lips and on the cheeks. I found it very pigmented as well, and I almost overdid my cheeks because of that. Overall, I think The One stick is very convenient for touch ups because it saves space in the makeup bag, but it’s a petrolatum-based product, which means I probably won’t be using it on my lips.
J. Cat The Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha – Another petrolatum-loaded product, meaning I most likely won’t be using it much. Too bad, because the color is gorgeous, and it feels great on the lips – not too dry and not too greasy. The formula is very pigmented and long-lasting, I wore it for at least 2-3 hours without needing touch-ups, and that’s a lot for me, considering that I’m a terrible lip-licker.
Nicka K Nail Color in Ripe Apple – Nicka K polishes are 3-free, meaning they don’t contain formaldehyde, DBP and toluene. They come in 44 vibrant shades, and Ipsy subscribers received two variations this month. I was kind of hoping to get the taupe color, but after seeing some swatches, I’m glad I didn’t. Ripe Apple looks like the color of a red velvet cake, and makes me want to eat my nails 🙂 Swatches coming up tomorrow!
Mirabella Eye Blender Brush – First of all, SCORE! I really wanted to try this brush ever since I saw the spoilers, and I’m so glad I actually got it. Mirabella brushes are handmade and look like true works of art with those exclusive laser-etched aluminum ferrules and handles.
[Extra] beautyblender® and blendercleanser® – Another fun tool for me to play with. I already own both beautyblender and the cleanser, so I know they’re amazing. The cleanser cleans even the dirtiest spots with ease within seconds, and the sponge makes the application of any type of foundation or BB cream a breeze. It’s nice to have a spare!
Here are some swatches of everything, both inside and outside. The swatches were done with dry sponge applicators, each swiped twice. The lip/cheek products were also swiped twice.
Bonus – a full-face look using all of the makeup products in the bag: eyeshadows on the eyes, The One stick on the cheeks, and the lip pencil on the lips.
THE VERDICT
I wish I wasn’t so picky about my beauty products, because all of the colors are the perfect match, and represent everything I would have chosen for myself. I’m extremely happy about the Mirabella brush and a spare beautyblender, because those two will become my staples. And of course, the nail fanatic in me is delighted to try out a new brand of nail polish. Overall, the bag left a very good impression, and if I wasn’t so particular about mineral oil, it would have been the best bag of the year for me.
Are you an Ipsy subscriber? What was your favorite product this month?
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio | $7.20 |
| Be a Bombshell The One Stick | $16.00 |
| J. Cat The Big Lip Pencil | $3.99 |
| Nicka K Nail Color | $4.99 |
| Mirabella Eye Blender Brush | $27.00 |
| beautyblender® and blendercleanser® | $22.34 |
| Box Retail Value | $81.52 |
That is a great selection of goodies for ten clams. 🙂
Haha, indeed, what a steal!!
I like the eyeshadows!
They’re pretty nice and buttery, and that middle shimmer color is very pigmented.
I actually really like all the makeup you received in your bag. What a nice look with all of the products, too!
Thank you, Tina 🙂 I wish I wasn’t so picky, but petrolatum often breaks me out, so I have to use those products very sparingly.
Wow, yours is like the best ipsy seen for this month! Love that lip color!
Haha, I know right? I was like “dangit, why did everything have to have mineral oil in it!!” 🙂
Dang. Every Ipsy bag just makes me want to subscribe…
Well, Ipsy has good months and bad months, so you never know, but it’s always amazing value for the money.
Sounds like a good bag. I like the lipstick on you.
Thank you 🙂 I agree, it was a pretty good month.
I’ve found my self curious. Why don’t you like to use petroleum on your lips? Just wondering if it’s bad or something. Thanks 🙂
Well, petroleum aka mineral oil is an oil byproduct, so it’s not super healthy to begin with. I have a bad habit of licking my lips all the time, and I usually reapply lip products 5-6 times a day because of it, so I try to avoid “eating” too many nasty chemicals. Instead, I prefer using more natural alternatives from brands like Burt’s Bees or Lavera; or at least long-lasting stains and lipsticks that I wouldn’t have to reapply more than twice.
I also try to avoid using petrolatum products on my face and body, but I’m not as strict about it. Mineral oil creates a film on the skin ensuring the moisture is trapped under it, but it also traps any and all dirt or bacteria, so unless you apply it after you’ve thoroughly cleansed your skin, the chances are you are letting the bacteria breed under that foil all day in a nice and moist environment, while not allowing the skin to breathe. Anyhow, basically, these products make me break out about 40-50% of the time I use them.
Oh! Well that makes perfect sense! Thanks for clearing that up for me! I was confused, and didn’t realize petroleum was such a icky thing!
You’re welcome! Not everyone is as sensitive to it as I am, so if you never had any breakouts using mineral oil products, then maybe you’re safe 🙂
I love the palette!
It was a nice addition to the bag, that’s for sure 🙂
love the makeover <3
Thank you!
I got a similar box and loved it this month!
Glad to hear that you loved your box 🙂
I’m so jealous that you got the Beauty Blender (and the brush). I wonder how they decide to give those extras to. I love my cosmetics from the bag at least.
I bought beautyblender with my Ipsypoints, I think it might actually still be available. And the brush was one of the regular products that anyone could have gotten.
You got a great box! Very similar to mine but I didn’t get the brush. I am getting the Beauty Blender next month and can’t wait! Sheila, Painted Ladies.
A beautyblender is always nice, I’m sure it already made the January bag worth it 🙂
Love the lipstick!
It’s a lovey color, isn’t it?
I’m having a heart attack moment with them having added the beauty blender that month I cancel it !
Oh nooo, I’m so sorry you missed out 🙁 Maybe the month when you re-subscribe they will add something totally awesome 🙂
I love the look you did! I haven’t had much luck with Pop Beauty, but maybe I’ll add their eyeshadows on my to-try list.
Thank you 🙂 I think their eyeshadows can be a hit and a miss, but I believe all of the shimmery colors always had good color payout and blended well.
Idk if it was just my color of the One Stick (I got girl crush), but it was really thick. It could be used in tiny amounts as blush, but it looks SO weird on lips, I kind of hate it for that because i’ve been looking for a perfect pale pink. It’s a great color, but goes on horribly.
I just googled a few reviews just to see what the color is like, and seems like it’s almost a pink highlighter. I think if I wore it on my lips it would make me look like more of a corpse than I already am LOL 🙂
I got the smokey es trio and the pay off was horrible for me. It came off as chunky and just awkward. I’m still not super impressed with Ipsy. I hope my second month is better :/
Bummer about the eyeshadows 🙁