Happy St. Patrick’s Day for those who celebrate it! I usually do a green eyeshadow look or a green mani, but truth be told, I forgot about it. Shame on me. So I’m going to go with my regular post. Have fun today. Don’t drink the green beer, yuck.
I’ve been trying to decide for several months which $10 beauty subscription to keep. Unfortunately or fortunately, both Ipsy and Sephora Play have been making that decision next to impossible, and this month was no different.
Ipsy Pretty Is As Pretty Does
One of the key reasons that Ipsy has the edge with me is that I love the bags! Now not every single makeup bag is a winner (see February 2017 ;-)), but the majority of them are. This month’s bag is wonderful. it’s a good fit with the “Pretty Is As Pretty Does” theme. I absolutely love it. First, I love the blush color of the fabric. Second, it’s huge. The fold over top makes for a really spacious bag, or if I don’t need the extra space, it looks so chic folded over. Third, the soft suede-like fabric on the inside feels so nice. Fourth, I like the rose gold zipper and the cool benzene ring pattern on the other side.
Inside, the goodies were mostly a hit.
- First the meh: yet another haircare product. This time a generous travel size tube of Marc Anthony Deep Repair Conditioning Treatment, aloe vera jasmine, that surprisingly smells terrific. Heck, I guess I can use a deep conditioner.
- I am always happy to receive another makeup brush, and Ipsy has been sending me a lot of them. Keep it up! This time it’s an aqua, travel size blending brush from Elizabeth Mott. Very soft. I’ve used it already.
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer, deluxe sample: I hadn’t tried this particular moisturizer from FAB before, and I’m happy to have this deluxe sample. In fact, I wish the tube were just a little bigger.
- Doucce Freematic Eye Shadow, shade Marisa shimmer, mini pan: A very pretty quilted powder eyeshadow from a brand I am unfamiliar with. I’m assuming it’s an inexpensive brand because it’s made in China and talc is the first ingredient. However, the shade itself is a beautiful marsala/bronze duochrome with a pink shift. I wore it already. Surprisingly no fallout at all, and it wore very well over primer (which is how I wear any eyeshadow). I love it.
- The last item which most would consider the star of the bag was a disappointment to me. It’s the second travel size tube of Tarteist Matte Lip Paint I’ve received over the past couple of months. The first was from Sephora Play, I think. In spite of not loving the formula and the nude shade I got from Play, I thought the shade I got this time, Rosé, warranted trying because it’s so darn pretty in the tube. I tried it out immediately. And immediately, pretty Rosé made me look like a corpse. How could the color that looks so good in the tube look so awful on me? Also, it dried out my lips terribly, and then it pilled and pealed off my lips. Sorry I used it that once, so now I can’t give it away. I guess it’ll get tossed. Sad.
This month the only “full size” product was the travel size Blending Brush from Elizabeth Mott. But the other goodies were nice in spite of the Tarteist Lip Paint being a failure for me personally. I’m sure most women would love it. I’ll use 4 of the 5 items.The bag itself was worth the $10 IMHO.
Sephora Play! The Gleam Team
This month Sephora Play! is back to its white cotton drawstring bag. The saying on the front, Glow Your Own Way, is cute and definitely communicates the well-executed theme of makeup that makes you glow. What about the stuff inside?
- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, shade Golden Pink, travel size: You know I’m a big fan of cream shadows and stick shadows so I was very excited about this one. Plus it’s a rose gold shade. I used it last night when I was in a rush to get out of the house. I applied it over primer. Not sure if it’s the metallic shade itself or what, but it didn’t look like it went on smoothly. It looked patchy and I tried using a brush to even it out. That made it worse because it removed quite a bit of the shadow. I applied more, and wasn’t so crazy about it so I put the Doucce powder shadow from my Ipsy bag in the V and crease to add something. I’ll try it again.
- Benefit Watt’s Up? Cream to Powder Soft Focus Highlighter, travel size: A pale golden shade, Watt’s Up? is easy to apply and while it definitely highlights, it isn’t like wearing a headlight. I like the stick because it’s easy to apply.
- Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, travel size: Since I have a ton of coarse hair, I don’t really need volume. I’ll give this away to someone with fine hair.
- Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm, deluxe sample: The info says that this cream is a makeup/skincare hybrid that primes and gives a luminous glow. From the swatch below, it is subtle illumination. I haven’t tried it yet on my face, but if it’s a winner, I’ll let you know.
- Glamglow MegaIlluminating Moisturizer, deluxe sample: I’m excited to use this because I love what I’ve tried so far from Glamglow.
- Chloe Fleur de Parfum, sample: With notes of verbena and freesia, I thought I might have a chance at liking this pretty scent but alas it is too green for me. I will pass it on to a lover of fresh floral scents.
All in all a nice bag. I’ll use 4 out of the 6 items. Again, worth 10 bucks.
So I’ll keep ’em both for another month. I’m weighing the pros and cons of each: The pros for Ipsy are the cute makeup bags that I never get tired of, the fact that I get quite a few makeup brushes, the occasional full size product, and indie brands that are sometimes worth discovering. The cons are more inexpensive brands. The pros for Sephora are more prestige brands, but the cons are no full size products, perfume that I almost never like, and boring cotton bags. What to do?
I’m sure that everyone who wants to subscribe to Ipsy has already done so, but in case you’re the unusual person who hasn’t tried it yet and wants to, please consider subscribing via my referral code. (Another con to Sephora is that there’s no reward program or discounts through the Play! bag like Ipsy has.)
What did you get in your subbie bags or boxes this month?
I’m a huge huge fan of Bobbi Brown and the shadowstick is in the shade that I extremely love and I am pretty sure I will love Sephora Play. But I do agree with you that Ipsy and all in it’s bag is something I will use more too. Loving the Ipsy bag, it’s so chic. Sharon Elsie | diva-in-me.com
Thank you, Sharon, for stopping by to comment! It’s so hard to make a decision about which to cancel. I keep putting off the decision because it’s so difficult every month. It’s so fun to get these subscription bags – a surprise every month!
Both of these bags look great, but I would be more likely to wear the rose gold makeup from the Sephora Play bag. That said, I think that I prefer the overall contents of the Ipsy bag because I know that I would use all of the non-makeup items.
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Both bags were meritorious this month! The glowy items in the Sephora Play bag are very pretty. I’m gonna give the Bobbi Brown shadow stick another chance tomorrow. Fortunately, my college roommate, an art prof from Ohio, came to visit today and I was able to send her home with lots of beauty samples from ipsy, Sephora and Birchbox – as long as they would fit in 1 quart size bag to put in her carry-on luggage! So happy to move some of this stuff that’s taking over my office and house!
I got a decent ipsy bag this month, Beau Ghais eyeshadow brush, rose gold eyeshadow which surprisingly a huge pan, eva NYC 10 in 1 hair primer oil, that Tarte Lip Paint but in a stunning red shade and a ModelCo black eye liner.
I find your Sephora Play box is better than ipsy this month, maybe they are finally improving and giving out better samples.
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This was the best “theme” month from Sephora yet, I think. I love all the glowy stuff. But I love the ipsy makeup bag and I like the Doucce shadow I got too. I wish I hadn’t used the Tarteist Lip Paint so I could give it away. Now I feel awful that I have to toss it. As much as I would have preferred the red that you got, I still couldn’t wear the drying formula. I’m glad you can! I’ll bet it’ll look gorgeous on you!
I really need to pull the trigger on Sephora Play. I canceled my subscription to Ipsy probably more than a year ago and every time I see a cute bag I regret it!!!
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I really should stop them both, Judy, because I just can’t even keep up! But as a blogger, it gives me a chance to try products that I wouldn’t go out and spend the money to try a full size just like that. But do I need both ipsy and Play, no, but I can’t figure out which one to cancel. I love those ipsy makeup bags and the products from them keep getting better with more prestige brand, and I like the all prestige brands approach from Sephora. Oh such problems, right?
I was this close to cancelling Sephora last month but didn’t. I ended up with the exact same bag as you and I’m pretty happy with it. I haven’t tried the Bobbi Brown yet so I hope I have less trouble than you since I love the color.
My Ipsy bag was different than yours and I’m pretty happy with it.
Ah, I’m glad you didn’t ‘coz I agree, this was a good month for Sephora Play! Lots of pretty glowy things! I’m glad you liked your Ipsy bag too. Wish I didn’t use that Tarteist liquid matte lippie so I could have given it away to someone who could wear it (while I wear Jesse’s Girl lol)!
This is tough, both bags are really great! I have a full size BB shadow stick and really like it, maybe the travel sizes are off on the formula 🙁
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Good to know that you like the Bobbi Brown shadow stick. I think maybe it was just that I was in such a rush. I am try it again tomorrow night because the color is so pretty
I would be happy with the Sephora Play bag. The FAB moisturizer is great by the way!
Cindy, I was looking for something in my stash, and I found a full size tube of FAB Ultra Moisturizer that I forgot all about, yikes!
Both bags are good if you factor in the price. I still haven’t subbed to any just because I am swimming in so much products
I just gave a whole bunch of subbie bag samples to my former college roommate. I definitely need to cancel one of these subs, I just have to figure out which one!
I like the actual bag this month – it’s a lovely blush color with adorable mermaidy design!
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The bag itself is one of my faves too!
They’re both pretty good this month. I agree that the bags with Ipsy are fun, but how many is too many? I like my Sephora bag this month, but most of it is things I already have.
I give away the the ipsy makeup bags that I don’t love to the winners of my giveaways and to friends when I give them samples so I haven’t reached my limit yet 😉
Pretty Tarte lippie!
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Tarteist is too drying for me unfortunately, and the shade though so pretty makes me look like a corpse. How sad!
Enjoyed your Ipsy and Sephora March reviews…seems like they all had the same color theme if you ask me!!
Ursula
Gee, I don’t remember, Ursula. Sephora had lots of glowy rose gold, champagne shades. I think the Tarteist was from ipsy, and it was a neutral so I guess you could say it goes with the Sephora stuff 🙂