Last week, I posted a quick Instagram video that showed what I got in the July 2013 Beach Beauty Bag. Here’s a little more info on ipsy and the items in the bag.
Again, ipsy is a monthly subscription service for beauty products. The price is $10/month with free shipping in the U.S. You can cancel at any time. Each ipsy Glam Bag comes with a couple of full-size products and a couple of deluxe size samples, 5 products in total. The brands usually range from new/emerging brands and well-known brands. When you sign up, you fill out an online questionnaire about your age, hair and eye color, skintone, hair and skin issues, sense of style etc. Your responses help ipsy select that products from that months array that you would enjoy the most. It’s pretty cool because I recently saw the products that a younger blogger with dark hair received, and several were different from mine, though I was jealous that she got Benetint, and I didn’t! 🙁
In my first ipsy Glam Bag, I received:
- Coola Unscented Moisturizer with Mineral Sunscreen SPF 20
- Sexy Hair Weatherproof Humidity Resistant Hairspray
- Pop Pouty Pop Crayon in Coral Crush
- Nailtini nail polish in Mai Tai
- BH Cosmetics California Collection Eye Shadow Palette in Hollywood, San Francisco, Malibu
What I didn’t receive was the Benetint, Coola Rose Essence Tinted Moisturizer, Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub, Demeter Salt Air Roll On Scent, Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. Some of those products were alternates for products that I did receive. I heard the Coola Tinted Moisturizer was a dark-ish shade that wouldn’t have worked for me. And I’m not big on hairspray products in general, so I would not have preferred the Beach Spray. I would have loved the Benetint and it would have been fun to try the Demeter Salt Air fragrance — they have such creative scents! Oh well.
So what did I think? Overall, I was quite happy with my first ipsy bag. So far, I’ve used everything except the hairspray, and since this was the most humid week of the year, I should have tried it…but I’m doing a test of my new Bedhead Tigi Straightener instead.
Coola Unscented Moisturizer with SPF 20
I wish this sample was larger because I really do like it. The sunscreen is Titanium Dioxide, and I prefer that physical barrier to a chemical one. Usually physical barrier sunscreens are heavy, and this one is surprisingly light. The only downside is that it goes on quite white because of the Titantium Dioxide, but it eventually gets absorbed and looks normal.
Nailtini Nail Polish in Mai Tai
I love the brand’s packaging, very classy! The nail polish comes in a box (probably unnecessary but it looks really nice).
And I especially love the martini glass logo on the front! The product info is on the box so the glass bottle looks especially clean and elegant.
Mai Tai is a bright orange shade that is thankfully not neon. It’s on-trend, great for summer, and a good shade for me. Also, I didn’t own a true orange color, so it’s a nice addition to my summer collection.
The brush is a good size, but still requires 3 swipes on the nail. The formula is thinner than the essie I’ve been using lately, but thicker than essence nail polish. That said, it requires two coats. It dries fairly quickly.
Pop Pouty Crayon in Coral Crush
The Pop Crayon is the product that I’ve used most so far. The Coral Crush shade really suits me. The shade is a little bit neon-ish but it’s sheer, so I think it works. Like the nail polish shade, it’s on-trend for Summer 2013.
The Pop Crayon is a lip balm so it’s soothing when it goes on and has a bit of a gloss. Some women have described it as “minty”, but I haven’t noticed that. The color is buildable. Like other balms, it’s not very long-lasting. I get a couple of hours at most out of it before I need to reapply. As it fades, it does leave behind some color like a lip stain which I think is a plus, and it doesn’t leave the dreaded ring of color around the lips.
BH Cosmetics California Collection Eye Shadow Palette
I was the least enthusiastic about this sample when I took it out of the bag. I was unfamiliar with the brand, and I wouldn’t have picked some of the shades of these shadows: the yellow-gold, Malibu or the dark purple, Hollywood. And I have lots of browns (San Francisco) already. In addition, I am trying to stay away from shimmery shades and go with matte. The Malibu and San Francisco have a slight shimmer.
When I looked up the product on the ipsy website, I learned that each shade is actually part of its own palette — Hollywood, San Francisco or Malibu — that includes other eye shadow shades, lip and cheek colors. They’re actually very cute, and they would make a nice gift or be great for travel.
For some reason that I cannot explain, I always decide to try out new makeup at midnight which makes no sense at all. I put on the eye shadows last night (please don’t judge me, I’m in no way a makeup artist and I’m not even good at it), and I was surprised that I liked the shades, especially the gold. I applied the gold across the whole lid, then the purple on the outer portion of the lid, and the brown in the crease. The gold and brown shimmer was fairly subtle (though it looks very shimmery in this photo). While I don’t see the colors as being particularly good for summer, I think they’ll be lovely for the fall.
Sexy Hair Weatherproof Humidity Resistant Spray
OK, I haven’t really tried this out except for spraying a little on my hair. It has that hairspray smell that I’m not crazy about, but it fades. The good news is that it’s not the least bit sticky. I will leave it on this afternoon and see how it does at the beach.
I’m planning to take the cute plastic makeup case with me to the beach this afternoon. It should be perfect. All in all, I’m enjoying the ipsy Beach Beauty Bag for July, and I can hardly wait to see what’s in the August bag!
So, are you an ipsy bag subscriber? If so, what did you think about this month’s offerings? If you’re not a subscriber, are you considering it?
Cute stuff! I’ve yet to try a subscription service .. I’m always fearful that they won’t cancel my subscription if I decided that it isn’t for me.. Love the nail polish .. the bottle is adorable.
Monica.
Monica P recently posted…Old Navy Hawaiian print dress and shades of blue nail polish
I just signed up too. I was trying to figure out which one would suit me best. ipsy was recommended by another blogger whom I trust. I hope that when I decide to cancel, it will not be difficult, but right now, I’m excited about the subscription. It’s a great way to try new things, and a great way to give me more stuff to review without a huge cost. This blogging is pricey lol!! I love the nail polish, too. The color is wonderful, a true orange without being neon. The nail polish and lip crayon and my two faves. Can hardly wait till next month’s delivery!