Ipsy January 2016 Review + No Waitlist!

Subscription: Ipsy

Cost: $10/monthly + Free Shipping

What's in the box: You'll receive 4-5 mix of full-sized and deluxe-sized beauty products tailored to you in a collectible bag. You complete a profile upon joining and the products you'll receive will be matched based on that. You can update this profile any time and you'll also be able to review the products you receive for points which you can redeem towards a selection of beauty items.


Ipsy Glam Bag Packaging

Ipsy always ships their bags in bright neon pink padded envelopes, it's hard to miss it in your mailbox!

Ipsy is very similar to Birchbox where all subscribers receive different variations in their bag, and is mostly dependent on the answers you give in the Ipsy beauty quiz. They try to give you products that match your needs and concerns so not everyone will get the same items. And you can retake the beauty quiz at anytime if you feel that the products didn't really match you.

This review is for my profile so it's just one of the many variations that they sent out.


My Ipsy January Glam Bag!
Ipsy January 2016 Bag


Every month Ipsy sends their items in makeup bags with an exclusive design. This month's design is festive red with a diamond pattern stitching and glossy finish. It's nice and simple, not my favorite but will still be used.

Here's a look at the back of the bag:

My Ipsy January Glam Bag!


Every bag also includes a note from them depicting the theme of this month's glam bag.

This month's theme is "All Eyes on You", so most of their glam bags will include eye products.


And here are my items:

My Ipsy January 2016 Glam Bag Items!

Items in Detail:

J.Cat Beauty Blinkle Shimmer Eyeshadow in Tangerine Light
Full Size 0.09oz., Value $4.99

Note: This eyeshadow came sealed

I didn't post a picture of the eyeshadow opened because I don't plan on using this. I'm not a fan of the brand and definitely not the color either. It's too shimmery and glittery for my taste, and too orange as well. A definite miss for me!


theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write (Now) in Jack B. Bronze
Full Size 0.01oz., Value $17

Note: This eyeliner came sealed and subscribers will receive the shade Jack B. Bronze (rich bronze) or Scott B. Bordeaux (deep purple).

I like theBalm Cosmetics, they come up with good products with really catchy and fun names. This eyeliner is a rich bronze color and at first I thought it would be too light, but it's actually quite dark and looks great on me. See below for a swatch.


Not only is the color great on me, but it also is very long lasting. I tried to wash my hands with just soap and water, and this swatch would not budge no matter how much I scrubbed. I ended up having to use eye makeup remover to finally get it off. Needless to say, this is a keeper and I just might have to buy more colors!


OFRA Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil
Full Size 0.04 oz., Value $13

I've received this eyebrow pencil from Ofra Cosmetics before in my Little Lace Box subscription. I tried it then and did not like it at all. It wasn't very long lasting and in order to get a precise line or filling for my eyebrows, I had to constantly sharpen it because the pencil itself is quite thick. This was both annoying and wasteful in my opinion. Because of that, this eyebrow pencil will be gifted and another miss for me.


skyn ICELAND Travel Size Glacial Cleansing Cloths
Travel Size 10 cleansing cloths, Value $5

I'm super happy I received these facial cleansing clothes! I'm a fan of their eye patches and have always wanted to try these since it has gotten great reviews.

"When you're too tired to deal with the whole cleanser and wash cloth routine, these on-the-go foaming cloths are the ultimate skin savior. Infused with Icelandic glacial waters and beneficial natural extracts, they sweep away makeup, dirt, oil and other impurities while refreshing and soothing stressed skin. Best of all, there's no water required. It has a clean scent, never tacky. Great for travel or every day!"


Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes CURL Mascara
Full Size 8 ml, Value $21.95

Note: This mascara came sealed.

"Fairy Lashes CURL is a sculpting, curling mascara that continually curls lashes throughout the day with a unique synthesis of Moringa Seed resin that dries down and holds the curl of lashes for long-lasting results. The unique brush instantly creates dramatic volume and intense definition."

Although this mascara sounds great and may be perfect for me, unfortunately the ingredients have paraben in them and that's a total no-no for me, so sadly this will have to be passed along.


My Thoughts: Although I'm happy that I received 4 full-sized products out of the 5 that's in the bag, unfortunately most of the products were a miss and will not be used. I did like the eyeliner and the cleansing cloths, and those 2 items alone are worth double the subscription cost, so I'm still happy with it. I have now updated my beauty profile to see if I could get a better match in products next month, and I hope I do.

If you haven't joined yet, you can subscribe to Ipsy here and start receiving their monthly bags filled with beauties! And right now for a limited time (48 hours only!) there's no waitlist to join! FYI, normally when you want to subscribe to Ipsy, you'll be put on a waitlist that can sometimes last for 2-months or more, so this is a great time to subscribe. Go to their website www.ipsy.com to subscribe now with no waitlist!



My Items

Product Price
J.Cat Beauty Blinkle Shimmer Eyeshadow $4.99
theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write (Now) Eyeliner $17
OFRA Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil $13
skyn ICELAND Glacial Cleansing Cloths $5
Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes CURL Mascara $21.95
TOTAL VALUE $61.94
Subscription Cost $10