November Ipsy Glam Bag Plus

Bonjour!  The holiday season has officially begun and I am giddy with excitement!  Bust out the hot cocoa and decorate your abode until you’re dizzy.  Our apartment is already decorated with tiny pastel bottle brush trees and kitschy vintage ornaments.  In addition to loving the change of scenery inside of our little home, I love this time of year because everywhere you turn you can find many delicious treats to shove down your pie hole.  I’m a sucker at the grocery store for buying crazy amounts of unhealthy sweets because….well….it’s the holidays!

Do you love to get all dolled up and glammed out on holidays?  Or do you like to play it more low key with wearing minimal or no makeup?  I am all for spackling on tons of color and sparkle.  But who am I kidding?  I don’t need an excuse like the holidays to pile on the makeup.

In a nick of time before the calendar flips to the month of December, I managed to get this post up to share with you my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus box for the month of November.  *Awkwardly pats self on the back.*

In the chance you aren’t familiar with Ipsy Glam Bag Plus, you can read about my first impressions in my previous post.  But here’s a brief lowdown:

For $25 per month, you will receive five full-size products that will always have a total retail value of $120. Starting with your first box, you will receive a deluxe makeup bag. You’ll then receive a different deluxe makeup bag on every third shipment. Ipsy has just started Glam Bag Plus so there are limited quantities and a waitlist.

Find out more about Ipsy here.

November’s Theme Is…

This month’s theme is, well, I couldn’t find a theme on the card inside the box.  I’m not sure if Ipsy is moving away from having monthly themes or if this specifically pertains to the Glam Bag Plus.  If you know the answer to this mystery, please leave a comment below!

Here’s what I snagged in November’s Ipsy:

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser

Value:  $20.00

I have a very specific skincare routine that involves applying a zillion and one products.  Even though I am a creature of habit with my routine, I still love receiving skincare products to try because you never know if you’re going to find a miracle potion.  I’ve received some of First Aid Beauty’s products in previous Ipsy, Boxycharm and Allure Beauty Box subscription boxes.  Their formulas have impressed me with their ingredients as well as how my skin responded to using them.

I received a full size Pure Skin Face Cleanser that claims to remove all traces of makeup and dirt in “one swoop”.  The formula contains aloe which calms the skin, glycerin which hydrates and various antioxidants.  The consistency is creamy yet really foams up when lathered.

I always use Burt’s Bees Cleansing Oil prior to applying my water-based cleanser.  I then tossed on First Aid Beauty’s Cleanser and gave my face a decent massage.  My first observation was bubbles!  Lots and lots of bubbles!  I then noticed that it has the scent of a traditional bar soap similar to Dove or Ivory.  I couldn’t escape the smell as my nose was filled with a bunch of soapy bubbles.  Once I rinsed it off and gave my face a gentle pat with my towel, my skin felt very clean but slightly dry.  It didn’t feel like it was pulling or tight but just ever so slightly dry.  It has been getting pretty chilly outside so my skin has been extra dry so I can’t totally blame it on the cleanser.  After using it for a week, I haven’t noticed any breakouts or irritation.  I’m going to incorporate this into my routine for a few more weeks and I will report back with my results.

Find First Aid Beauty’s Pure Skin Face Cleanser here.

Makeup Geek Foiled Lip Gloss in Mixtape

Value:  $12.00

I’ve been a long time customer of Makeup Geek shadows, blushes and highlighters for years.  They are typically pretty consistent with creating products that have stunning pigmentation while remaining relatively affordable.  Are they as cheap as Colourpop?  Nope.  But Makeup Geek is much more budget friendly than companies like the insanely expensive Pat McGrath.

I’ve seen Makeup Geek’s lip products gracing the lips of the lips of makeup artists and enthusiasts on Instagram for some time now but I never got around to purchasing any.  So it was bittersweet when I received a Foiled Lip Gloss in my Ipsy box.  Why would that be bittersweet?  Because the shade that I received is a shade that I will never end up wearing.  Mixtape appears to be a plum shade with taupe and brown undertones.  With my fair skin that has cool undertones, this shade is going to end up making me look completely washed out.

From Makeup Geek Cosmetics:

I can’t speak to my personal experience with this lip gloss but I plan to have a giveaway in the near future and this lil’ sucker will be part of the prize.

Find Makeup Geek Foiled Lip Glosses here.

Tarte Make Every Moment Count Cheek Palette

Value:  $32.00

Any time I see anything by Tarte Cosmetics stashed in one of my subscription boxes, I do a little happy dance.  I find that their products consistently perform well.  But I feel the need to mention that I do not forget that they’ve had some horrendous missteps with lacking in a variety shade ranges for all different types of skin tones.  Unfortunately Tarte is not alone in the beauty industry when it comes to having diverse shade ranges for their products.  One can only hope that companies will continue to do better by becoming more inclusive to have products available for all skin tones.

Tarte Make Every Moment Count Cheek Palette is a blush palette with one shimmer shade and two matte shades. Wowie zowie!  This palette has some heft to it.  The weight and feel of the palette feels high end.  The blushes blend and layer easily and have buildable coverage.  They also have Amazonian Clay which helps to create a silky texture.

The Shades:

• Live – Peachy pink shimmer
• Learn – Matte nude pink
• Love – Matte rosy pink

Find Tarte’s Make Every Moment Count Blush Palette here.

SLMISSGLAM Eyeshadow Brush Trio

Value:  $45.00

I can’t remember the last time I’ve purchased makeup brushes since I receive them so often in my beauty subscription boxes.  Which I find fantastic since it saves me a lot of dough.

SL MissGlam is a beauty YouTuber who created the makeup brush line SLMissGlam.  You’ll find adorable products that remind you of unicorns and cotton candy.  I already own a few of her brushes and the quality is pretty fantastic.  The bristles in the eyeshadow trio that I received this month are soft and dense that are perfect for blending.

Their kawaii pink handles are accompanied by tiny gemstones that add some sparkle to your makeup application.  I’ve found that her brushes hold up after repeated washings and have zero shedding.

Find SLMissGlam’s Eyeshadow Brush Trio here.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More Baggage Eye-Depuffing Gel

Value:  $42.00

Oh, Dr. Brandt, why must you do this to me?  You create fantastic products yet you sell them in China where animal testing is required.  However, I am thrilled that China is on its way to ending animal testing as a requirement to sell products in their country (read all about it here).  Until then, I won’t be going out of my way to purchase any of Dr. Brandt’s products.

Find Dr. Brandt Needles No More No More Baggage here.

To Sum It All Up

The total value of this month’s box is $151.00.  Not too shabby!  I’m eager to see what magical finds will be in next month’s box.  Are you an Ipsy subscriber?  If yes, what did you snag in this month’s bag?