Ipsy Bag- October 2018

Today we once again delve into the world of make-up & beauty with the October 2018 Ipsy Bag.

For anyone who may not know, Ipsy is a mail order subscription service through which one can receive 5 sample to deluxe sized products each month for the reasonable price of $10 plus whatever tax might be in your area. I first learned about Ipsy from a work mate who, like myself wanted to explore more in the realm of beauty without spending a ton of money on full-sized products. I had never heard of such a wondrous thing so I decided to give it a go and was hooked after my first bag. I've been subbed to Ipsy for about 6 years or so and I've rarely been sent bags that contained more than one or two products that I simply couldn't stand. **I'm thinking of you, mac-n-cheese orange lipstick from 2013.** 

Unlike some subscription services Ipsy will have customers answer a questionnaire when they sign up which will help them curate a bag that will better suit each individual subscriber. You may also review the products in each bag which will further help them send you products you actually want and will be pumped to use. Reviewing has another benefit in that it will earn you Ipsy points which can be used on extra samples to add to your bag. More recently customers have also been able to take advantage of Ipsy offers, which features a selection of different beauty products at a special price and cash back to use on future purchases. 

Each month when I see that bright pink bubble-wrap envelope in the mail box my day gets a little bit more exciting. Every month has a unique bag which goes along with the theme of the month which this time is about after midnight essentials. The bag this month is red faux leather embossed with a masquerade mask made out of a cute flower pattern. The bags themselves aren't always the cutest or the most functional but I'm quite fond of this one. The bag will also include a card but it only has minimal info on it and nothing pertaining to the contents of the bag itself. I would recommend downloading their smartphone app as it has all the product info and you will be able to review your products there as well. Now that we have covered all the preliminary info, we can now have a look at the products contained in my October Ipsy Bag.

Slmissglamm L50 Lilac Sparkle Eye Blender Brush- $10

One of my favorite things about Ipsy is

how often they include tools like brushes. This month included a very cute and girly one from Slmissglam. Unfortunately, I could not find this for sale on the brand site but I am seeing individuals selling it on Poshmark & ebay for around $10. I am personally not a fan when they do this because if I should decide I want to purchase duplicates for myself or a friend then I can't and a huge part of why I love subscription boxes like these is sharing products I love or know others will love. Can't really do that if the product isn't really available.... **sigh** Anyways, back to the brush! It is fully synthetic and cruelty free with incredibly soft ombre purple and teal bristles. The handle is covered in purple and pink glitter with a rose-gold collar decorated with two lime green stones. The look is fun but I'm not a fan of the fake stones on the handle as they make me think of something I might pick up at Claire's in the kids make-up section.  It does work fairly decently for blending shadows in the crease of the eye and I like that it's a smaller size for a more precise blend.

theBalm Cosmetics Take Home the Bronze travel size in Oliver or Thomas- $5

Next, I was sent a bronzer from theBalm.

This is a matte bronzer that is supposed to be formulated to avoid orange undertones for those of us who aren't into the Oompa Loompa look. I am not a bronzer user and this still looks pretty dark for me despite receiving Oliver which is the lightest shade they offer. For those of us who may be concerned, theBalm isn't vegan as they use animal by products including bee's wax & carmine but they do refrain from testing on animals. 

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer travel size in 12N Fair Neutral, 205 Light Sand, 29N Light-Medium or 53N Deep - $8

This is a cult classic that took the beauty

community by storm a few years ago and not without good reason. The coverage of this matte concealer is incredible and a little goes a very long way for max opacity. As the name suggests this concealer isn't just for the under-eye area but for contouring & brightening the entire face. It is enriched with mango seed & shea butter to help moisturize the skin. (I find this interesting because I am very allergic to mango and typically can't use products which contain mango but this one doesn't irritate my skin at all. Curiouser & curiouser....) This product is cruelty-free, vegan and formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phtalates, triclosan sodium lauryl sulfate & gluten. This sample is a very decent size at 1ml, especially since you need such a small amount to achieve full coverage. Tarte has been a well loved and trusted brand for me for many years and this products is already a firm member of my club of regulars. 

Blaq Hyaluronic Acid Eye Mask x2- $12

I feel like masks and eye masks in particular

have been gaining in popularity in recent years and this one is very intriguing. This mask is a jelly style mask which is opaque and black in color which I assume is due to the charcoal. It is the first eye mask I've seen that contained activated charcoal and it claims it will detox, de-puff, hydrate and reduce dark circles.  As someone who needs a lot of help in the under eye department I am very curious to see if it actually lives up to those claims.

INC.redible You Glow Girl Iridescent Jelly full-sized  in Cosmic Blur or Show Glow- $12

This last product is also strange territory for me.

I love highlighters and use them everyday as an important part of my make-up routine but this is the first highlighter jelly I've ever come across. The texture is pretty firm and reminds me of a gel moisturizer. I received the shade Cosmic Blur and it is an ethereal looking cool toned ultra-violet shade with a blue shimmer. The directions say to dab the product onto the high points of your face and it can be built up for an intense shine if desired. I think this is a product I will need to practice with, it is beautiful but the texture is very strange and unfamiliar. I may also try mixing it into my foundation to try and achieve an all around glowing look. 

Total Bag Worth- $47

This month's bag was full of great and interesting products for me and I am really looking forward to trying the highlighter jelly and the eye masks in particular. The only dud is most likely the bronzer but if nothing else it will work just fine as a single eye shadow. If you would like to check out Ipsy and would like to use my referral link you may do so here. If you'd like to check out the unboxing video then feel free to check out the video below. Until next time, bye!