This review is way late, and I was actually contemplating not writing it at all, but someone somewhere still might find it useful so here it is. As some of you might know, my original bag arrived damaged, so I had to wait several weeks for replacement.
HOW IT WORKS
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| Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow in Penny |
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| Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion |
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| Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Sugar Scrub |
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| MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm |
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| Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner |
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| KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Starter Kit |
Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow in Penny – If you go to the product’s Ipsy page, you will see lots of people raving about this eye shadow pencil. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me at all, and honestly, none of Elizabeth Mott products did. I found the pencil too hard to apply and almost impossible to blend. After several unsuccessful attempts to smudge it nicely, I ended up with really bad creases and super sticky lids. In the end I just gave up and threw it away; a shame, considering the color is very pretty.
Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion – This lightweight lotion felt really nice on my combination skin. It has a milky consistency, that becomes slightly runny when applied on the face, which helps to spread the lotion evenly. I would have probably picked up a full-sized bottle just to try it long-term, but I didn’t like the scent, and that’s kind of a big deal for me since my nose is very sensitive.
Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Sugar Scrub – And here’s our main offender! This sample leaked all over my bag, so I had to wait for Ipsy to send me a new one. Seems like it’s a common issue, because a lot of fellow ipsters are reporting the same problem with their bags. As for the product itself, it’s actually a pretty decent sugar scrub. Exfoliating sugar crystals are suspended in a mix of oils: monoi, sweet orange and safflower; to exfoliate and deeply moisturize the skin. I used it on my legs and they felt really soft after the shower.
[Bonus] KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Starter Kit – This was a referral bonus product that I picked up with points. The kit has everything to get you started with nail art: brushes, dotting tool, foil tape, nail art sheets and decals, rhinestones, charms, and glitter pouches. Each kit also includes a small bottle of top coat [you’d be surprised how many people don’t use one], and a pro design guide written by professional nail artists, including Gina Edwards, Patricia Yankee, and Masako Sasaki. It will be fun to play with.
THE VERDICT
As you can see, In January Ipsy featured lots of non-makeup products, and I guess I was okay with that. I’m constantly overloaded with makeup, and sometimes I would just rather try a new moisturizer than another mascara.
Are you an Ipsy subscriber? Did your bag arrive undamaged?
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow | $7.00 |
| Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion | $6.46 |
| Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Sugar Scrub | $1.49 |
| MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm | $18.75 |
| Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner | $6.00 |
| [Bonus] KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Starter Kit | $9.99 |
| Box Retail Value | $49.69 |
I guess I got lucky with my bag. I also received the same sugar scrub but fortunately the safety seal was in tact and I had no problems with it leaking. I’m not a huge fan of oil based scrubs typically, because I always feel like they leave a residue on my skin. So, if that had ruined the rest of my bag I’d be pretty upset!
Glad to hear yours didn’t leak, I think the majority of bags with that sample ended up damaged, and the company even acknowledged that their seals must have been a bit loose. I’m right there with you, I hate the residue some products leave on my skin, but if it’s natural oils (like in this case) then I actually kind of like it 🙂
There’s a little tip for people who feel some residue, mis equal parts with a shower gel. I shaved after I used it on my legs and there was definitely residue but my skin is so dry in the winter, I found it helped just the way it was! Try it out and see if that helps!
Great advice, Angie!
I am so behind in trying the products that came in my ipsy bag. I did try the Mica Lip Balm and it went on dry, and came off within an hour or two. I already tossed it 🙁
Oh really? Mine was nice and creamy, even after it set, and lasted several hours. I wonder if your pot was from a defective batch.
There’s some good stuff here. I like the nail art kit.
I haven’t opened it yet, but it has some cute things to play with 🙂
I am not an Ipsy subscriber but I’m thinking about it. I love the Soy Tri Wheat leave in, my hair is a protein hound, I would have loved the bag just for that! 😀
You and me both, our hair must be really dry 🙂 Mine also sucks up any and all leave-in treatments and oils, after all those years of coloring and flat ironing.
I just subscribed to Ipsy starting in February. I’m excited to get my first bag 🙂
Sweet! I hope you get a perfect bag!
I’m so tired of those hair products in my bags. I was disappointed in this bag considering how great they’ve been in the past.
Too much of anything is never a good thing, and they’ve been sending hair products for many months now. I believe this month is the last time we’re seeing Sexy Hair products though, if I remember correctly, the contract was for 5 products, and this one is the 5th.
That sugar scrub is so amazing! I didn’t get it in my bag but because of the great ipsy deal a big one is only 9$ with free shipping! I bought the full size on a whim and my hands are so much softer since!
Ooh nice! Good to know you got to score a great deal on that scrub, seems like many items on their site sold out quickly due to that awesome ipsy code 🙂
Oooh the sugar scrub looks nice!
The smell actually wasn’t that great, unless you like monoi oil, but that scrub was surprisingly effective 🙂
The nail kit looks awesome! I would be excited about the sugar scrub, too
Agreed, Ipsy bags are always stuffed with fun new things that inspire creativity 🙂
I always think the ipsy bags look great, i just wish they would let you choose to only receive cruelty free products. Though if you want more moisturizers, go for Glossybox. I swear 90% of what they sent was moisturizer. Drove me up the wall.
Great suggestion! I get one-off Glossyboxes every few months as a special treat, and I always liked the products in them, but you make me feel like I should just go ahead and subscribe full-time 😉 On the topic of Ipsy, I believe they work with several cruelty-free brands (including Zoya and Nourish Organic), so I’m sure they could get enough samples to have a CF-only version. Someone needs to throw that idea at them, you never know they might actually consider it.
I really wanted the Manoi scrub. I got this serum, moisturizer thing that I will never use. But I got the as you for the others. 🙂
It feels nice to share 🙂 I always just keep my unwanted goodies for family and friends. Most of them aren’t as beauty-obsessed as I am, but they would never turn down a sample.
I got the Mica Natural lip balm, too. I didn’t think I would like it, but I actually do! The color is really flattering for me, which was a total surprise.
I know right? It really doesn’t look like much in the jar, then you put it on your lips and suddenly there’s that “Hey, I have pretty lips!” moment 🙂
The sugar scrub looks sooo good 🙂
Judging from the ingredients, it’s good enough to eat, too 😀 Yum!
Because I like lippies more, you made me want to try Mica lip balm!
If I wasn’t short on time I would have included a selfie and a nice swatch, but trust me, it’s a nice opaque color, true to the pan 🙂
love that you include the retail value chart at the end
Thank you Chrissy, that helps the readers appreciate the value of the bags they get 🙂
That seems like a nice variety of items to try out.
With Ipsy, it’s always a nice bag of goodies to play with 🙂 Looking forward to February!
This month’s box looks great, if not just for the nail kit!!!
Right? I haven’t had a chance to play with the kit yet, but I plan to post a few nail art looks as soon as I can.
Wow! Great bag this month. I really like ipsy. I had signed up then cancelled and signed up again and cancelled. I think it’s one of the best bags out there for the price, but I have so much stuff I didn’t end up using the products and I pretty much just gave them away. If I ever re-sub to something it will probably be Ipsy, it’s bags like this that make you realize what a good service it is.
I know what you mean, at one point I also unsubscribed for several months due to product overload, but then resubscribed because I felt like I was missing out on a nice deal. That’s the thought process of a true addict 😮
Man, that was a killer set! Is anyone doing Birchbox anymore?? It seems like Ipsy is kicking their @$$$$. Am I right?
I feel like Ipsy and Birchbox are different, so I still subscribe to both. I get smaller samples, but nicer brands from Birchbox; and with Ipsy I get more stuff/bigger samples, but most of them are from less expensive/drugstore/PLM brands.
I turned in points for the nail art kit too! It’ll come this month! It looks so awesome in a real time pic!!!
Great! Looking forward to reading your review, and maybe some nail art you come up with 🙂
You got a better bag than me! I’m getting that nail art kit this month and cannot wait.
Nice! Looking forward to reading your review and drooling over your nail art skills 🙂
I also didn’t like the Elizabeth Mott eye shadow pencil. It didn’t apply smoothly to my eyelids at all (although I did really like the color). Everything else in my bag was great though!