A fresh start. I certainly applaud the idea, Ipsy. The beginning of a new year is for most of us the perfect time to mentally start a new chapter in our day to day life. Most of the time I'm not really sure how the products I get in my Glambag relate to the monthly theme, but I think this time it's a much more understandable fit. Let me show you what I got!
This month's products included a nice range of everyday basics, from a neutral eyeshadow, to black liquid liner, to a basic moisturizer, all tucked inside of a blue and white cosmetics bag. Here's the breakdown:
- Probelle Nail Laquer in Into the Blue
- Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow in Ethereal
- Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush
- Eco-Beauty Good Day. Day Moisturizer
- Coastal Scents Liquid Eyeliner in Jet
Top quality, high gloss, long lasting nail lacquer in Into the Blue, a cool blue cream shade. DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde Free.
Full Size: 0.5 fl oz ($6)
I'll never say no to a new nail polish, and I definitely did not have a similar blue shade to this one in my collection. It'll be a great color for the transition from winter to spring. Unfortunately the brush and formula left something to be desired. The polish itself is really quite sheer, and I needed to apply three coats for an opaque finish. The brush is also extremely thin, which, for someone with larger nail beds, makes it a little trickier to apply a sheer polish without streaking. So far I've only done a test swatch, so I have yet to test out its wearability. But if it ends up being spectacular you'll surely hear about it!
An incredibly innovative formula that pushes natural makeup and mineral color to new bounds. Rich, lasting, creaseless eye shadows are infused with coconut water for a velvety, cream-like finish.
Full Size: 0.08 oz ($5 appx)
I haven't tried too much from Pacifica's range of products yet, but they certainly intrigue me. This coconut infused eyeshadow does have a nice, silky feel to it. Ethereal is a sheer, shimmery nude that leans towards the cool side. It looked a tiny bit ashy against my yellower undertones, but I'm sure that it would be flattering on other complexions. The packaging feels a little cheap to me, but upon further investigation I realized that Pacifica doesn't actually sell eyeshadow singles, so this probably doesn't reflect the quality of the full-sized palettes in that respect. Based on this eyeshadow alone I'm not sure I was impressed enough to run out and buy one of those palettes, but I still would like to see what else Pacifica has to offer.
Don’t miss a spot with this ridiculously soft shadow brush. This brush with its 100% synthetic bristles is the perfect multitasker. Use it to highlight your brow bone and place the right amount of color for perfect and even application! Your lids will thank you later!
Full Size: ($9.99)
I'm not sure why I keep receiving Elizabeth Mott products in my Glambag, despite the fact that I don't love them or rate them favorably in my Glam Room reviews. Personally I feel like their products are way overpriced, and also just generally of poor quality. This eyeshadow brush, with its pink plastic handle, feels sort little girlish and cheap. The synthetic bristles are very soft, but in a way maybe too much so, as I find that it makes it harder to pick up product with them. This brush would be good for putting a sheer wash of color on the eye, or for blending out harsh edges, but I also have other brushes I like better that do the same thing. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but this one just doesn't excite me.
This highly natural day moisturizer provides ample hydration and helps bring back a fresher & happier looking skin appearance. Made with collagen-producing peptides, super-hydrating hyaluronic acid, natural cucumber, aloe, antioxidant panthenol (Vitamin B), Vitamin C & E and a natural anti-aging botanical complex of maqui berry, licorice root, ginko leaf, grape seed and hickory bark.
Full Size: 1.7 oz ($40.00)
Sample Size: 0.5 oz ($11.76)
My face has been SO dry this winter, so I can't complain over receiving a moisturizer. At first I was skeptical based on the fact that this looks like a foil sample, but this resealable pouch actually has a TON of product in it, and I think it'll be easier to use up every last bit compared to your standard tube. This day moisturizer is a very lightweight lotion, with a "wet" texture. I find it tends to sit on top of my skin, and I really have to work it into the skin for it to be completely absorbed. The scent is very fresh (I definitely get the notes of cucumber) and pleasant. It seems to do a decent job of prepping my skin for makeup, and while I haven't seen any real noticeable improvements in the texture of my skin since using this, I haven't seen any worsening of breakouts or clogged pores either.
Add impact to any look with our Liquid Eyeliner in Jet. This sleek onyx hue liner is ideal for creating impressively dazzling eyes instantly. The tiny felt tip brush allows you to precisely line eyes effortlessly. The formula dries quickly and lasts all day without smudging, smearing, or fading away.
Full Size: 0.203 fl oz ($2.95)
I sort of have a love/hate relationship with this eyeliner. It's got a super wet, super black formula that will create a serious cat eye. The felt tip applicator does allow you quite a bit of precision, but is much less fool-proof than a pen or marker styled one. It's also ridiculously smudge proof once dry. On one hand long-term wearability is great. It's just a pain in the butt to take off at the end of the night, and also an even bigger pain to fix should you make a mistake when you're putting it on. The price is stupid cheap, which means you could easily afford to buy a new one every few months (as really you should with eye products), but it does have that sort of harsh chemical scent that often indicates a product is made with less quality ingredients. Would I buy it again? Probably not. But mostly based on the fact that I just find a different style of applicator way easier to work with.
My total bag value tallies up to $35.70 this month, which is a pretty respectable number. All in all I think I'll definitely make use of this month's products, but I can't say that I loved any of them enough to want to repurchase or invest in the full-sizes. I sort of feel like this is my general opinion towards my bag most months. I've been considering cancelling my subscription for a while now, and I think that, considering I'm so close to reaching another 500 points, I might wait to redeem one more prize and call it quits. I really did love Ipsy back in the early days, I just find that I'm less and less impressed with my bags as time goes on. Part of it could be Ipsy, but part of it is also that I've become more difficult to excite having tried and seen so many products in almost 2 years of blogging. If you're relatively new to the beauty scene I still think it's a company worth checking out, I just personally feel kind of ready to move on.
Interested in becoming an Ipsy subscriber? Use my referral link to join! You can also check out reviews of all of my previous Glambags here.
