It’s Ipsy time! As you may have gathered from prior unwrappings, I haven’t been quite as happy with Ipsy lately. In a way, not knowing what you’re going to get is why I like these subscription services, but it’s so disappointing to see other people receive products I would love, while my bag is full of stuff that isn't so exciting. But that’s the gamble you take, I suppose! And, to me, that is part of the fun. Anyway, this month’s bag was chocked full of stuff. I was so excited when I saw it because the bag was bursting! J That doesn’t guarantee goodness however, so let’s see what’s inside!!!
This month the bag itself is white with pink detailing. It has a really beautiful quote on the front – “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.” The theme of the month is “the Art of Beauty,” so it’s a perfect quote. Possible brands include: be Delectable from Cake Beauty, bella terra Mineral Cosmetics, Buxom, Coastal Scents, h2o+, La Fresh, Nourish Organic (they have some seriously great smelling products!), Ofra Cosmetic Laboratories, Ole Henriksen, Sexy Hair, Starlooks, Wet n Wild Fergie Center Stage Collection, and Zoya. Whew! That’s quite a list!
Outside of this month’s makeup bag, there is a travel-size pack of Oil-Free Face Cleanser from La Fresh. I must say, I’m getting a bit tired of seeing La Fresh products, but I don’t really dislike them. I’d just like to see a different brand I guess. Back to the wipes…these are biodegradable (awesome!) and compostable (also awesome!) wet wipes that are 99.25% natural. It says “removes light makeup,” which I’m going to interpret as “doesn’t NOT remove makeup.” J These are cruelty-free and they appear to be Vegan as well, so I’ll be interested to see how well they really do (or don’t) remove makeup since that’s typically why I use these kind of products.
The first product out of the bag is from Big Sexy Hair. It is their Blow Dry Volumizing Gel. I’m not a huge fan of gels and I rarely blow dry my hair, but I always need volume, so maybe I’ll see if it works with just air dried hair. It smells pretty good, especially for a hair gel. It’s a great sized sample at 50mL/1.7 fl oz. There’s no pump or anything to help dispense the product, which seems a bit impractical, but you take what you get I guess! J
Next we have a deluxe sample size of the Full-On Lip Polish from Buxom in the shade “Dolly.” It is a pretty nudish-pinky-mauve with sparkle. It looks very pretty. This gloss is supposed to tingle, plump and shine for fuller looking lips. I have another Buxom gloss and they do tingle, but in that minty way that’s not uncomfortable. As for fuller looking lips, I’m not sure they make any more difference than other lip glosses, but they’re comfortable and wear relatively well for a gloss…well, the one I have does! J It smells a bit like cake batter to me, which is probably one of my favorite scents, so bonus! J
Now for some nail excitement!!! J There is a full size Zoya Nail Polish in the shade “Giovanna.” This is the most gorgeous shimmering emerald green and I absolutely adore it! I believe this is the same shade that was in a special limited edition set that I bought last season, just with a different name. I actually bought that set just for this shade, so I kind of wish I had waited a little longer, but it’s so beautiful that I would buy it again and again! J The Zoya polish formula is amazing and I am always thrilled to receive one from a subscription service. The fact that this is the most beautiful color (and full size!!!) is just an added bonus! J
Finally, there is an Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream from be Delectable by Cake Beauty. It is in the scent “Coconut & Cream” and it smells sooooo good! It’s a really sweet bakery scent, so it’s not for everyone, but it’s right up my olfactory alley! J I will say that it the scent is seriously strong – even before removing the seal yet, I could smell it without even being near the tube. I’m not sure that’s something I like in a hand cream. A subtle scent is fine, but strong smelling hand creams are a bit much. The company also makes shower gels, body lotions and body mists, which are probably better suited for this scent in such a strong concentration. I may try some out because I love this scent! It’s more creamy icing or cake batter-like than coconut to me. The cream itself is made with Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera – all wonderful ingredients for a hand cream. It goes on a little heavier than I would like, but it does absorb pretty quickly and completely, leaving hands soft and silky. And scented. It’s not too too strong, but you can smell the cream. It’s a rather large tube of cream (it may be full size), but not so large that it is not travel-friendly. The brand is cruelty-free as well!!! J
So there you have my October Ipsy bag. I’m pretty happy with it! The nail polish alone made me happy – even though I’m pretty sure I already have the same color! The hand cream I love, if nothing more than to try a new brand and smell something delicious. The lip gloss is quite pretty too, so I’m sure I’ll get use out of it. Well done Ipsy! You’ve redeemed yourself from last month!!! J I should add that Ipsy now allows you to review products for points, and in the process, they use your input to better tailor each bag to your liking. Definitely worth taking the time for reviewing because of that!!! J If you’re interested in subscribing to Ipsy for $10/month, you can use my referral link here, or go directly to Ipsy’s site. Hope you enjoyed taking a peek inside October’s bag with me!!! J
