Today I'm going to be reviewing the ipsy Glam Bag for the month of August 2013. This bag is called the Glamour Academy bag, seeing as to how many students, including myself, are preparing for back to school. The bag is a really cute purple and gold bag, that has a seal reminiscent of something you'd see in Harry Potter. Me likey a lot! This is my second ipsy bag, and I am really impressed with ipsy so far. As an avid fan and admirer of Michelle Phan, I knew to expect good things, however, the August bag completely blew my away with the higher end make-up that it featured. You get what you pay for and then some! Now, here's the review!
1. Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub (1 fl oz)
This one was my second favorite product in this bag. I am a huge fan of skincare and masks, however, was a bit frightened by the comments other ipsters were posting on the ipsy website about the pumpkin mask burning their face. However, this mask worked great for me! It is a black/grey color, has a sugary feel to it, and has a fragrance. I couldn't quite pinpoint the exact fragrance, but it smells floral to me. I like to apply this and leave it on for 10-20 minutes. I find that it really does exfoliate my skin in a gentle manner and leaves me with brighter looking skin. This is a definite must for days when you feel your skin is looking a bit dull. In terms of helping with acne, I can't quite attest to that. I have normal/combination skin and will occasionally break out, but didn't find that this helped or aggravated any spots. I did not break out from this scrub, but did not find it to help my hormonal breakouts during my period. I'd definitely recommend checking this out! This scrub alone has made me want to purchase the Michael Todd complete skin care line, which appeals to me when I pay almost $40 for Lush's Ocean Salt Scrub (my holy grail face scrub)
2. Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream all-in-one (.34 fl oz)
I was not particularly excited to receive a BB cream. Most BB cream shade ranges are too light for my skin tone or have a pink undertone that washes me out. I have a medium skin tone that tans easily, and have a very yellowy undertone. I was a bit disappointed to receive this, but however, ended up rather content with the product. This is easily the best smelling BB cream I have ever smelled. It smells very fresh, and a tinge fruity, however, it is not overwhelming. This is a one-shade-fits-all kind of product, which I thought would be an issue, but isn't, simply because this is just so sheer! It has a yellow-undertone (thanks ipsy), is shimmery, and blends in easily to your skin. Almost too easily, because I found this had 0 coverage. Instead, I use this as an illuminating primer before I apply my foundation or concealer, and will sometimes use it as a highlighter on my cheekbones. If you're expecting a traditional BB cream, you will be very disappointed in this. I, however, found an alternative use for this that makes me content.
3. Pixi Lash Booster Mascara in Very Black (travel size)
I was very excited to be receiving a mascara in my glam bag. Mascara, next to foundation, is my must-have beauty product. If I don't wear any make-up, mascara is always the product that I miss the most. I don't have the most impressive lashes, or the thinnest straightest sparsest lashes, but I do like the boost mascara gives me lashes. If you're like me, you like your mascara to give you the appearance of almost fake eyelashes. I used this mascara expecting those results and was very disappointed. This mascara gave me little to no length, little to no thickness, and I could have gone sans mascara and the difference would not have been noticeable. A lot of users rave about this holding a curl well, but my eyelashes are naturally curled, so this wasn't too great of a feature for me. The only thing I liked about this mascara was the staying power. Although hardly visible on my eyelashes, this mascara is extremely difficult to take off. For me, this was not an issue since I'm used to using waterproof mascara and requiring an oil-based eye-makeup remover. If you enjoy the natural lash look, or have long, curly blonde lashes, this will give you the dark color that you need. If you have short, straight, sparse eyelashes, I don't feel this would be a winner in your book.
4. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Anarchy (deluxe sample size)
This was my favorite product in the bag. This was the most anticipated product in the glam bag, not only for me, but for everyone. A lot of ipsters were disappointed that they did not receive this product, and I can see why. The sample ipsy sent out was fairly small, smaller than my pinky for comparison. However, this lipstick delivers full color in a single swipe that you should be able to get a few good uses out of this sample. I was really hoping I'd receive 69, since I am already familiar with red lipsticks with a slight pink undertone. I was disappointed to receive Anarchy, since I find bright pinks a little hard to pull off with my skin tone, however, immediately fell in love with the color after trying it on. This is one of the best lipsticks I have ever used. The formula is opaque in one swipe, creamy, cushiony, light (without being too light that it'll transfer), long-lasting, and even leaves a stain afterwards to maximize the look of brightly colored lips. This lipstick is so comfortable to wear that you may even forget you're wearing a bold color unless you look in a mirror! Thank you so much for this ipsy! I think sometimes we forget that the point of ipsy is not only to send us makeup, but to also get us our comfort zone and help us try new things without breaking the bank. Thank you so much for getting me out of my makeup rut ipsy!
5. NYX Powder Blush in Silky Rose (.14 oz, full-sized)
And finally, there's the NYX Powder Blush. I've been an avid fan of NYX for a while now. I love the quality and affordability of NYX, as well as the versatility that NYX offers. I don't know if it would be too bold to say that NYX is the Urban Decay of the drugstore, but it really is. NYX offers such a wide range of color selections in eyeliners, eyeshadows, lip colors, and blushes, all of which are kept to a minimal selection by other drugstore brands. But okay, enough of my love for NYX! This blush was just as lovely as other NYX products I've used. This is a matte, mauve-toned blush, that can be a little harsh if applied too heavily. This blush is very pigmented and only requires a single brush stroke to pick up enough color for both your cheeks. The blush itself is very soft, however, this shade does require a quite bit of blending to achieve a more natural blush. The packaging is one of my favorites. The blush is squared and has a nice raised quilted design, different from most other drugstore brands. If you're in the need for a new wearable blush, do check out this blush!
This is a look that I completed using my ipsy Glam bag!
In this look, I am using:
- Michael Todd Organics Jojoba and Charcoal Facial Scrub (used before applying my make-up)
- Pacifica BB cream as an illuminating primer
- Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 310
- Milani Multitasker Powder in Light Tan
- Wet n Wild Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana as a highlighter
- BH Cosmetics 120 Eyeshadow Palette, matte dark brown, to fill in my brows
- Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner
- Pixi Lash Booster Mascara in Very Black
- Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Very Black (waterproof)
- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
- NYX Powder Blush in Silky Rose
- Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Anarchy
*This post was not sponsored. I pay for ipsy using my own money. I also purchased any other items I mentioned in this post with my own money.*
Much love,
Gracie
