Beauty | September Ipsy Review

THEME: This month’s theme is “Lashing Out,” which can mean anything from some fluffy falsies to bold beauty trends. IMO, this isn’t really a “theme” per se, but at the very least, it’s a cute play on words.

BAG: I really like this month’s bag. The outside is a simple black with gold trim at the bottom. Inside, it’s hot pink fabric with a little ribbon sewn on the inside that says “rules were made to be broken.” It’s this kind of attention to detail that builds brand loyalty (at least, for me it does).

CONTENTS:

MARC ANTHONY TRUE PROFESSIONAL: Bye.Bye Frizz Miracle Treatment

• According to Ipsy, this is a hair mask designed to “fight frizz, moisturize, and repair hair.” It has argan and sweet almond oils to help keep hair smooth. My only qualm with this product is that it’s tacky to the touch, so I’d definitely recommend a shampoo after use (it’s not a leave-in mask).
• If you have colored hair, this should be okay to use because it’s paraben, sulfate, and phthalate-free.
• I’ve tried this brand in another Ipsy bag and didn’t really like it. Most of the products have strong scents (this product is no exception), and IMO aren’t that effective.
• This sample is 1 fl oz, which at Walmart retails for $2.97.

LUXIE BEAUTY: Harley Quinn Detail Flat Definer 110

• I’m torn about this brush. I really like Harley Quinn as a Warner Brothers female superhero, but as a single makeup brush that’s bright red and says “good night” on it, it’s not really my jam. It doesn’t really go with anything that I have…so right off the bat I’m tempted to donate this item. That being said, Luxie makes great brushes that are both vegan and cruelty-free. (I do have a few Luxie brushes in my arsenal).
• The brush is super soft and the handle is nice and sturdy. If it wasn’t for the red bristles, I’d probably keep this. Also, it’s a densely packed brush, which is great for applying and blending shadows.
• This brush retails for $20 on Luxie’s website. This is the only “full-sized” item in the bag I received.

BRTC: Velvet Mask Duo

• I’m a sucker for a good face mask, and these K-beauty sheets are great! My bag included both the Vitamin C and the Vitamin F masks. C helps brighten skin and clear complexion; F helps moisturize and condition skin.
• These mask retail for $20.25 for a pack of five, so that comes out to an estimated retail value of $4.05, or $8.10 for both.

SMASHBOX COSMETICS: Photo Finish Primerizer

• This is one of my favorite cosmetic brands. Their primers are well-formulated and this sample size is great for travel (yay, TSA-approved).
• With its lightweight formula, it minimizes the appearance of lines and pores, in addition to helping makeup stay on all day! This is probably my favorite item in the whole bag, because it doesn’t feel tacky or greasy and actually holds makeup on quite well.
• Full-sized this item is 30 mL and retails for $42; this sample is 4 mL with an estimated retail value of $5.60.

WINKY LUX: Eyeshadow in Ursula

• I’ve tried this brand before and really liked it. The packaging is usually super cute and the shadows and highlighters always feel very luxurious.
• The good: this is a highly-pigmented eyeshadow that blends easily and doesn’t leave much of a crease on your eyelid.
• The bad: cheap packaging and difficult to extract to put into a z-palette.
• The other stuff: this shadow is paraben and gluten-free, as well as cruelty-free (all good things). If you’re not a fan of glitter in your shadows, then you may not like this shade because it swatches like a purple foil with sparkle.
• This shadow is from Winky Lux’s Mermaid Kitten palette, which has 9 shadows and retails for $25. That gives this single shadow an estimated retail value of $2.78.

TOTAL VALUE OF BAG CONTENTS: $39.45

Overall, I don’t think the items in this bag are worth almost $40. This isn’t my favorite bag, but it also isn’t my least favorite (super helpful, I know). I like the bag, I’ll probably use the primer and the face masks…every thing is just kind of meh for my personal taste.

If you subscribe, what’d you get this month? Anything a great find? Definitely something to donate?