May 2013 Ipsy Sample Bag Review

So my May bag has arrived! It showed up at the house on Saturday and I was so happy to see that over the top bright pink envelope in my mailbox before heading off into work. I've noticed that this month, Ipsy has started to send out different bags and not just in a nail or lip color.

Let's get right to it!

adorable chevron

First, let's start with the bag. Adorable, right? I love the chevron print, and have noticed that Ipsy has really listened to their customers who have been asking for more fun prints, than just plain solids. Chevron had been another print that people had been requesting on facebook, so it's great that they took their input. The blue and orange look cute together and make for a fun summer bag. Definitely taking this on my trip to Houston next month.

concealer

Yaby Concealer Refill- Okay, saw this and was very excited! I finally got a concealer in an Ipsy bag that I could actually use! A few reviews back when I had been discussing the pros and cons of the various bags, I noted that they never seemed to listen to people's beauty profiles, so I was always getting colors for darker skin tones. Now, I doubt that they started listening, and I'm sure this is more of an amazing fluke, but I'll take it. Adorable little concealer, that will be great for travel. According to their website, the concealer is highly pigmented and vegan friendly. This was valued at $4.95.

a color I can use!

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss- I love that Ipsy has teamed up with Juice Beauty since I've been so curious to try their products. This was a full size gloss valued at $15.00 so it paid for the bag in itself. When I first took the color out, I thought that Ipsy had sent me another color that would look horrible on me since it looked quite brown, but its actually quite sheer, and really pretty. I loved how it looked, wasn't sticky, and glided on easily.

More Mirabella!

Mirabella Lip Lustre Lip Liner- More Mirabella! Love Mirabella products, but my wallet does not. In December, Ipsy sent out in their bag a Mirabella primer that is absolutely amazing, so soft and smooth, but expensive at $30.00! So I've been rationing it, and was excited to see another product from their line, and a full size one! This was valued at $18.00 and came in the color "Charming" which looked very orange. I was skeptical at first, but tried the color out with one of my lipsticks and loved it. Glided on really smoothly, easy to apply, and it lasted.

didn't even finish it since I didn't want to waste it.

Zoya Nail Polish- This was another full size, and the color was blu (yes blu). It is a very pretty color, BUT as you can see from the pic above does nothing for my skin. So my friend Crystal will be reaping the benefits of this little number and I told her she can have it, because she can pull off the color much better than I. The value for this was $8.00.

you are of no use to me.

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion- So this will also be another giveaway most likely to my coworker who I gave the tanning sheets to the other day. I have no use or luck with glow lotions and always end up looking splotchy or something in the color wheel of an oompa loompa. This was not a full size but a deluxe sample that valued at around $7.00.


So overall,  I did like this bag, even if I will end up giving away two items, but that's no big deal to me, I'm glad someone will get some use out of it. The total value was this bag was around $52.00 not including the value of the cosmetic bag, so I have to say another great deal when you consider the price tag of $10.00.

What did everyone else think of the May Ipsy Sample Bag?

Sample Society May 2013 Box Review

So my May box from Sample Society arrived on Friday. Friday! I think that is the fastest the box has ever made it to my front door. This is why I love Sample society, they get their boxes out the door right at the start of the month, none of this waiting and guessing, and boxes going missing like other companies.

So let's get to it.

Alterna Bamboo Shine Luminous Shine Mist-Deluxe Sample - okay the other month they sent another product by them, their oil mist, which is pretty great. I passed it along to my coworker (since it was my second bottle after getting one in a sample thing from Sephora) and she loved it. This product was pretty fabulous too, I used it on my hair last night when we went to see Iron Man 3 (side note- loved it- go see it) and I definitely loved how my hair looked, nice and shiny.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream Deluxe Sample- Very excited to get this in this month's box. I have really interested in trying the Yu-Be brand, but haven't gotten around to ordering any of it yet. I'm really trying to work my way through all my samples and lotions before ordering new stuff since I don't think my husband loves the drawers of samples that have taken over our house. I did use on this on my skin before going to bed, and my skin felt so soft.  However, it is also very greasy, and does not blend in easily. I thought I was putting on sunscreen with how thick and white it was. So its definitely for night use and I would most likely not use it during the day. 

Dr. Brandt Flexitone BB Cream SPF 30 SS- Another BB cream. Very happy with this, tried the other day with my makeup and loved it just like last month's. I know, it was a little disappointing to get another BB cream in this month's box, BUT I like trying the different varities especially since companies are pushing BB creams like crazy right now, so its hard to navigate through all of them to find the one right for you, especially since it gets pricey to try them only to have it be a disaster. So bring on the BB creams Sample Society, I am all for trying different ones. 

Kate Somerville 360 Tanning Towelette Deluxe Sample-SS- So this is a very interesting product, wipes that give you a self glowing tan. Unfortunately I have completely embraced the pale-vampire like state of my skin, so this was of no use to me. I passed it on to a coworker who I am sure will love it.

Jane Iredale Forever Pink Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain-SS- I tried this on Saturday as a lipstick but it was a bit too orange for me, had to mix it with a pink and some red to get a shade that was closer to a pale magenta. So on its own for a lipstick, it wasn't for me. I will have to experiment with it as a blush, but not sure how that will work, since I have little experience with cheek stains. Fingers crossed that it works, since a peach shade should work with my skin. 

cute little container

very peachy pink. 

So what did everyone else think of the May 2013 Sample Society Box? Were you pleased?

Ipsy Sample Box February 2013 Review

Ipsy

Ipsy is a sample box subscription that costs only ten dollars a month (this includes shipping). You are billed monthly the first of every month, and the boxes are shipped out by the 15^th. Thus far, I have never had an issue with either shipping or billing, in fact most months by the time they send me an email notifying me of the shipment of my bag- the box has already arrived or will arrive the next day.  The sample bag comes each month in a bright pink (really bright pink) envelope and inside you get a cosmetic makeup bag (each month it’s a different one and often a different size, for example in December the bag was the perfect size for carrying makeup brushes because it was longer in length).  Included in the subscription are four or five deluxe size samples of hair, makeup, face, or nail products.

My Sample box this month was the theme of Red Carpet Ready. The makeup was black patent leather. 

February 2013's cosmetic bag

Inside were the following products:

The Goodies.....

Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow- This was a full size sample that was valued at $18.50. I had never heard of this brand before, the packaging is cute, but I haven’t tried it yet.  I feel like I am swimming in mascara samples recently. I'm sure its fabulous- Ipsy has yet to steer me wrong with their mascara selections.

Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Mascara

MICA Beauty Cosmetics Mineral Makeup Gel Eyeliner- This wasn't labeled for the size, but a full size is valued at over $35.00 and this was a very substantial size- so who knows,  it might actually be full size.  I was very excited that this was in this month’s bag because in January’s bag one of the products had been an eyeliner brush.  I love this product! Easy to apply and really creates an impact.

MICA Beauty Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner

 Lash Cards- This was valued at $3.50. They are supposed to prevent mascara from clumping. I love them! Others have complained about this being a product this month because they often just use business cards for the same effect.  They felt they were worthless, I don’t think they are, and when I am done, I can use business cards like them.  Sometimes, I just like getting things in the bags, because I hadn't heard that this was a trick to use, and now I know.

Lash Card Packaging 

Coastal Scents Mini Eyeshadow Quad- I couldn't find a value on these, and I hated them. I hated the colors that came in my bag. None of them looked good on me, they had sent out two varieties of this, and neither variety looked like it would work on me.  Mine had a weird gold color and from the other colors that I saw- can’t imagine that they would look good on many people at all. However, I think this the first ever product that I have received from them that I didn't like.

Worst colors ever for me.....

Pixi Flawless and Poreless- 0.5 oz- This was valued at $15.00. Primers are my thing right now; I’m obsessed with trying them since I lost the lottery when it came to the size of my pores.  I've only used this once since like mascaras, I also have quite a few primers right now from either previous subscription bags or samples from Sephora.  I liked the consistency of this primer and helped to fill in my pores for a smoother look. I will continue to use this after my Mirabella primer (so amazing) from the December Ipsy bag is finally gone.

Value- The total value of this bag was hard to gauge since sizes weren't included on some of the products, or values couldn't be found.  From the values I could find, and by guessing that the eyeliner was a full size product, this bag would be valued at over $70.00!!!

PROS

Fast shipping- as I said there has never been an issue with the bag going out late or not arriving before the 15^th

Sample sizes- Many sample boxes out there give out only deluxe size samples, but Ipsy gives out both deluxe and full size products. They also claim to send out four or five samples each month, but since my subscription started last October I've never had anything less than five products in each bag.

Variety- So far I've not had any repeat products from Ipsy except for getting mascara in two bags but considering that you are supposed to throw those out pretty fast- this is not a complaint at all- you get lots of variety of brands and products- some months it’s all makeup while January focused on hair, nails and face. I love that it has introduced me to new brands and while in the past I may not have splurged on a lipstick not being sure if I would like it, but getting a sample size of it to try without guilt, would win me over as a consumer.

Value- Since I joined in October my bags have been valued at no less than 30 dollars each month, this is much higher than the ten dollar price tag. I've had in some bags, one product alone being worth thirty dollars in its size.  I’m a sucker for a good bargain, and to me this often feels like a steal.

CONS

I only have one complaint about my Ipsy subscription and that is some variety for different makeup profiles. They have you fill out a makeup profile, and yet everyone pretty much gets the same shade of lipstick (and it’s always a super bright orange red).  Orange red lipstick on a pale person just made me look like a clown.  Why bother with the profile if you are going to send everyone the same shade???

I really love my Ipsy subscription- I just find it to be a great value and worth the little splurge each month.  I really can’t say enough good things about it. Who doesn’t love getting a makeup kit each month??!