Ipsy? What's That? - For those who don't know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that provides you with 4-5 products (mostly makeup, but sometimes hair/skincare as well) for $10/month that are either deluxe sample-sized or full-sized. I really loved July's bag, and if you decide to sign up, I would greatly appreciate it if you did so via my referral link.
Anyway, on to the bag! This month's theme was "Beach Beauty," which sounded like a lot of fun. I don't get to go to the beach as often as I would like, but I'd love to look like I go a lot!
It came in the lovely notable hot pink mailer, which I always make sure to save. They come in handy when I want to trade products with my fellow beauty-obsessed friends, or when I forgot something home that I need for school and have to beg my mother to ship to me (sorry, Mom!). This month's bag is a see-through, rubbery-feeling pink bag. It screams "pool" to me, which I really like. Plus, as a fellow makeup lover pointed out to me, it's a perfect size for brushes! I'll definitely be using this to travel with my makeup brushes when I go back to school.
Okay, let's get to the good stuff: the contents! Let me just say, this month's products were 18 billion times better than June's (all the fun without the body glitter!)
Benefit Benetint (.08 fl oz sample size ~ $8)
This is a cult classic in the beauty world, and it's obvious why. This red lip and cheek stain looks natural, adding a natural flush or pop of color to the lips without looking overdone, and it lasts all day. The only con I've found with this is that it leaves my lips looking a little dry, but I added some lip balm over that and it fixed it right up. The sample size is small, so I probably won't use this every day. Maybe just for days when I really need my makeup to last.
Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt (.01 oz full-sized ~ worth approximately $4. Not available for individual purchase, but all six can be bought in a set on their website for €18/$24)
Originally I had wanted the coral color, but I'm so glad I got this one! This is a cute, bubblegum pink color that I've been missing in my collection for awhile now. I've been loving it for summer, and it feels really nice on the lips. It contains petroleum, which is what gives it that smooth texture, and although isn't truly moisturizing, it makes it very comfortable to wear and not drying. The staying power is pretty poor--it will transfer onto anything your lips touch (unlike the Benetint), and even if you don't eat or drink anything, it'll be gone within the hour. Still, it's fun and easy to apply, and most lip products require reapplication anyway, so I'm not disappointed about that. If I had a more disposable income, I might order the whole set for giggles.
Coola Mineral Sunscreen for Face SPF 20 Tint (.23 fl oz sample ~ worth about $5)
I've heard great things about Coola sunscreens, so I was really happy to receive a sample to try. This particular one is water-resistant for up to 40 minutes, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, does not contain nano-sized particles (meaning it won't seep into your skin and clog your pores), anti-aging, and ultra sheer. It contains cucumber extract, organic acai oil (high in Omega 3, 6, and 9), Vitamin B, C, and E. This formula contains titanium dioxide, making it a physical sunscreen that creates a block against UV rays (as opposed to chemical sunscreens, which absorb the sun's rays). This would be good for someone with sensitive skin, like me, because chemical sunscreens can sometimes irritate the skin if you're sensitive to an ingredient. I'm not sure if my face will like the "rose essence," but I do love the smell of roses so we shall see. I didn't want to open this yet, just because I have other sunscreens already open. I will let you know how I like this once I try it, though!
BH Cosmetics California Collection Sample Eyeshadow Trio (Worth about $1.25. The full palettes can be found here for around $9)
I always love receiving eyeshadow! BH Cosmetics is a brand similar to Coastal Scents, in which you can get a big palette of dime-sized eyeshadows for around $9-$10. Here are some swatches: (left to right: Hollywood, San Francisco, Malibu. The swatch on the left is over a prime, the one on the right is without)
The swatches on the right (without primer) needed some serious building to achieve that look. Meanwhile, the ones on the left (with a primer) only required one swipe. (See the magic of eye primer?). I absolutely love the gold and brown colors, but the purple could use some extra help. Then again, finding a good, pigmented purple (and a matte one at that) is always a challenge, it seems. Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray (worth approximately $6.80)
I haven't opened this yet, because this is a salt spray and I'm about to get hot pink streaks put in my hair (and salt sprays can leech out color/dye). Still, I've heard good things about this product, and one day I will try it! I love going to the beach, but never have time, so having I-just-went-to-the-beach hair without the commitment sounds like a great idea to me! I've heard this can be a little drying, yet volumizing due to the salt, but I bet some extra conditioning fix that up. If I were to use this, I would probably shower, spray some of this in my hair, braid it, sleep on it, and then the next morning I'll probably have beautiful waves. I wish I could test this out for you all, but opening it once and then leaving it alone to expire sounds like a waste to me. I'll let you know when I test it out what I think!
The Stats:
- Benefit Benetint (sample): $8
- Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon (full-sized): $4
- Coola Tinted Sunscreen (sample): $5
- BH Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette (sample): $1.25
- Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray (sample): $6.80
- Total Bag Value: $25.05!
My favorite: Either the Pop Beauty Crayon or the Benefit Benetint. I love lip products, especially good ones!
My least favorite: None, to be honest, but probably the Beach Spray since I won't be using it (at least not for awhile)
My verdict: This bag is worth over double what I paid for it! Awesome! I'm really happy with this month's products, and I'm even more excited to see what I get in August's! Stay tuned!
What did you think of July's Ipsy bag? Do you hate me for posting this review in August?
Disclaimer: I purchased this myself. I am not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, Ipsy.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin' | Google + | Email Newsletter
