As far as the bag goes, it seems kind of cheap to me (I mean, they’re all cheap and I don’t subscribe for the bags, but this one looks cheap). I don’t really dislike it, it just looks like a handmade craft project – which could be fantastic, but this just isn’t. It has cute scalloped edges, but it’s a rather cheap feeling vinyl. Whatever. No big deal, just not an impressive addition to my rather large Ipsy bag collection. I really need to get rid of a bunch of them! J
Moving inside…. The first thing I grabbed is the Big Look Extreme Mascara Waterproof from Pur Minerals. I really don’t think I’ve tried anything from Pur Minerals before, so that’s kind of exciting. I’m not a huge waterproof mascara person, but I always love a new mascara to test out. Apparently this contains Argan oil which, to be honest, I’m getting a bit sick of seeing in everything, but it is a fantastic oil. The mascara wand has plastic bristles, which isn’t my favorite, and it has tons of little spikes around it – kind of intimidating actually. The formula itself looks quite wet, which I’m not a fan of, but we’ll see how it goes. The sample is a decent size as well – most mascara samples I find to be plenty to use before they either expire or dry out, so that’s always a plus too.
Next item is from a company called Lavilin and it is their Jojoba Skin Soother Gel Cream. I’m fairly certain this company is not cruelty free, so that’s not nice. In addition to that, I’m not a huge skin soothing gel type of gal either, so I probably wouldn’t be using it much anyway. The directions say that the gel is intended to be used after physical activity. I don’t know if that means for sun exposure or muscle relief. Regardless, my physical activity level is never high enough that I need a gel to make them feel better and I tend to avoid the sun. Not much use for this one, though it’s a decent size as well.
Here’s a product from Hang Ten! It is their Dark Tanning Oil SPF 8. This is probably the only Hang Ten product I haven’t tried yet, but there’s a reason for that. I hate the idea of tanning. I like my pale self – even if it scares little children. J I’m sure it’s lovely if you’re a tanner, but it’s just not for me. Should you be interested, it comes in a spray bottle and it is a natural sunscreen that is water resistant (40 minutes). The bottle contains 1 ounce, which I’m not sure how far that would go. It seems like a good sized sample, but I’m just not certain how much is needed for tanning purposes. Again, nice enough, but just not for me.
Woo hoo! A Pixi Beauty product! J Boo hoo – it’s in danger of breaking. L This is their Tinted Brilliance Balm in the shade “Pretty Pink.” I have a few of these, but I don’t typically reach for them. I remember liking them, but I’m not 100% certain of that. The color is quite pretty – a nice medium pink shade. I guess I should add that this is a mini lip crayon. Unfortunately the tip of mine has tipped to one side and cracked so I’m quite frightened it will break when I use it. I think it was just in my mailbox for too long and melted a bit, causing it to sort of sag to one side. It’s a fantastic sample – I love lip product samples because it’s a rare day that I actually go through an entire lipstick-type item. So great sample, crappy time of year to sit in my mailbox!
Finally we have something brand new from Bare Minerals. It is the 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow and it also has Broad Spectrum SPF 15! I have the shade “Divine Wine.” I’ve been seeing rave reviews of these shadows so I’m excited, though I’m not sure I would have gone with this particular shade. There are a total of 10 shades ranging from light to deep, so these could easily be used as a primer or a stand alone shadow. It’s not a huge sample (1mL / 0.03 oz), but I think it’s plenty to determine if you want to try a full size. I’m excited about this one mainly because there’s been so many positive reviews about it – plus I’m always looking for a great non-creasing shadow that can either be a base or a quick wash of color. I also always love an eye product with an SPF in it because your eyes need protecting too dang it! Definitely a thumbs up from me on this one…at least until I try it! J
Initially I was kind of disappointed with July’s Ipsy offerings, but after going through it again to write this post, I’m more impressed. It’s not the best bag ever, but it’s got some solid products to try in it. Obviously I wish the Pixi Crayon weren’t half broken, but I don’t blame Ipsy for that. What are they gonna do, refrigerate the bags in the summer? J I’m excited for that, and if all else fails I’ll decant the tip into a pot and use it with a brush or my finger. I’m also excited to try the mascara and the cream eyeshadow. So, three out of five isn’t bad. I am a bit concerned with the direction Ipsy seems to be going because more and more the bags are starting to resemble BirchBox with larger samples. We’ll see how things go, but I’m getting a bit nervous! What do you guys think about July’s bag? Is the thought of declining bags all in my head, or are you noticing it too? Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this peek into July’s Ipsy bag and hopefully the next one won’t be to far away! J Thanks so much for stopping by!!!
