I have a tendency to place online orders and forget what I ordered. I know it’s not only me who has done this. Admit it! Brown or white boxes arrive and I have no idea what the contents are before I tear it open. You’ll then hear my screaming “Ahhhhh! I forgot I ordered this pug pajama onesie!”. However, there is a specific package that arrives that I always immediately recognize and can spot from a mile away. A shiny pink envelope that holds all the promise of a good day…my Ipsy bag.
Once a month, I receive my Glam Bag from Ipsy. Ipsy (check Ipsy out here) is a popular beauty subscription service where you pay $10 each month to receive a fabulous cosmetics bag filled with 4 or 5 sample-size to full-size beauty products. When enrolling, you take a beauty preferences quiz. Based on your answers, Ipsy attempts to match the products it sends to you to match your tastes.
I love Ipsy and I’ve been a subscriber for nearly two years. Even if I headed over to my local drugstore and purchased a cosmetics bag and five products, it would be difficult to not exceed spending $10. I’ve discovered lots of brands that I may have never even stumbled upon. And if I receive a product that just isn’t for me, I pass it along to a friend who is stoked for the freebie.
May’s Glam Bag’s theme is Summer Friday. Adorable illustrations of little ice cream cones and popsicles dance all over the clear plastic bag. But it’s the goodies inside the bag that I want to talk about. Here’s what I snagged in this month’s bag:
Mellow Cosmetics – Creamy Matte Lipstick in Nude
Mellow Cosmetics is one of those brands that I discovered through Ipsy. Their packaging has a mod, 60’s vibe that is right up my alley. I’ve tried both their lipsticks and blushes and the formulas were on point. This lipstick is no exception.
The lipstick has a subtle sweet scent that is not overwhelming. Even though it’s called “Nude”, on my fair skin it appears as more of the depth of a berry shade. I prefer color to a neutral so I was delighted that it didn’t make me look like a zombie. The texture is super smooth and it feels more hydrating than a matte liquid lipstick. While it’s not transfer-proof, it is long-wearing and comfy. If you like a satin/matte finish but hate the feeling of most matte liquid lipsticks, this would most likely be a good match for you. I recommend exfoliating your lips prior to application so you get any gnarly dry skin off for the smoothest possible application. No one like a crusty kisser.
I need to get my paws on more of Mellow’s products because not only do I dig their slick packaging, their formulas are pretty fantastic.
IT Cosmetics – Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara in Black
IT Cosmetics is one of those brands that I’ve used for years. They load their products with great for your skin ingredients. They’re pretty consistent with their formulations even if they are a bit pricey. But hey, you’re paying for quality.
I received a travel-size mascara. I love travel-size because I often have a rotation of mascaras that I use and they need to be tossed before I get to use all of a full-size tube. The first thing that I noticed was the long brush. It’s longer than most other mascaras that I’ve tried. But the length helped to fan out my lashes. It did a great job at coating each lash in product without being clumpy. I would consider this more of a lengthening formula rather than volumizing. My personal preference is I like the best of both worlds. I like to fatten those puppies up while adding to their length. I applied three coats and my lashes looked long and wispy. There was a tiny bit of product transfer on my lower eyelid but it was easily removed. I liked that it didn’t smudge or flake and didn’t make my lashes feel like brittle twigs.
Starlooks Artist Edition – Luxe Longwear Star Stamp + Liner Pen
Starlooks is one of those brands that you may not have heard of but you should try them. I received my first Starlooks liquid eyeliner over a year ago and I fell in love with it. I am super duper particular about liquid liners since I pretty much wear winged liner every time I apply makeup. When I found the liner in this month’s bag, I was ecstatic. Plus, this liner comes with a felt-tipped liner on one end and a cute star stamp on the other end. You can line your eyes and add a cute little star or two. This felt-tipped liner meets all of my needs:
- It does not fade.
- Very opaque and provides a matte black finish.
- Eyeshadow does not transfer onto the liner. If you have hooded eyes, try this!
- The felt tip maintains its shape.
- No flaking or smudging.
- Super long-wearing.
The star applies pretty easily. If you gently press the stamp and remove it without sliding the applicator, you get a perfect little star. If you notice the star is slightly faded, you can fill it in with the felt-tipped side. I can’t wait to play around with this more.
Urban Decay – Afterglow in Sin
I’m pretty pale. I will often see a beautiful highlighter that looks like it will provide the brightness of a sparkler on the Fourth of July. But then I apply it to my fair skin and I will see a hint of shimmer. Or worse…chunks of glitter. No thank you! So anytime I get to try out a new higlighter without commiting to buying the full size first, I’m all in. Urban Decay touts “You dew you! If you’re looking for an IRL version of that amazing Snapchat filter glow, this champagne-hued highlighter is IT.”. As per usual, I was skeptical. When I first touched the product, I noticed that it felt buttery and had shimmer without chunks of glitter. Whew! I swatched the powder on my arm and it applied smoothly and created a beautiful glow. And I could actually see the highlight (which is the whole point). On the face, it blends easily and provides a gorgeous glow. Apply with a dry brush for a more subtle shimmer and wet your brush for a high-impact sheen. It’s long wearing and makes me long for dewy, Summer skin.
Briogeo – Rosarco Milk™ Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray
A few months ago, I made the decision to chop my waist-length hair to a short bob. I had become style lazy with my long hair and mostly ended up pulling it back in a ponytail or tossing it in a bun. My roots became angry at me because I was always putting stress on my scalp. Combine that with medications that make my hair shed like a waterfall, I always love anything that helps make my locks look more luscious.
People often say that shorter hair is less work than long hair. I disagree. With my long hair, I didn’t have to use a blow dryer or a flat iron. I could just toss it up and go. But with my blunt cut bob, I need to put some effort into the styling. More styling equals more products. I am fanatical about protecting my coif from as much damage as possible so I am often dousing my hair in treatments.
Briogeo is another brand I’ve been a fan of for a couple of years. Their products always smell lovely yet don’t leave a build-up of residue on my hair. This leave-in conditioning spray was lightweight yet left my hair feeling soft and hydrated. Sometimes leave-in conditioners make my baby fine hair greasy. But Briogeo’s absorbed well without leaving me feeling like I needed to wash my hair at the end of the day.
Another fantabulous Ipsy month! These little gems will keep me feeling luscious all month long until the next little pink envelope arrives.
Lipstick and Nachos 