Ipsy Review – April 2018

ByLiz CadmanApr 13, 2018 | 47 comments

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month you get full-size or deluxe-sized products, plus a cute makeup bag. I think it’s one of the best value beauty subscriptions and a great way to build out your makeup collection on the cheap!

This is one of my top recommendations if you are looking for a beauty box - the value and sample sizes are amazing. (Check out my list of the Top Beauty Boxes for 2017 and our reviews of Cheap Subscription Boxes for more recommendations!)

(FYI – Just like Birchbox, Ipsy sends out many different variations of their bag each month – so my review is just one of the bag variations you might receive!)

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

The Subscription Box: Ipsy

The Cost: $10 a month (free shipping)

The Products: Full size and samples of makeup and beauty products. (Plus a makeup bag!)

Ships to: US and Canada

Delivered via: USPS

Check out all of my Ipsy reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box List!

Visit the Ipsy Swap Page to swap for any of the items you see in this review!

Each month, ipsy subscribers get a makeup bag in addition to their 5 items.

This month's bag has a butterfly print on one side, a lilac panel on the back, and rose gold hardware accents.

Now, on to the items!

Delectable Triple Moisture Body Lotion in Coconut & Cream - 2 oz (Travel Size) Value $6

(Good to know for swapping - this item has an inner foil seal.)

With a name like "triple moisture", I expected this to be a decadent body cream, but it actually is a pretty light lotion. No complaints, though, because it's hydrating, absorbed almost immediately, and has a sweet coconut scent!

Bellapierre Banana Setting Powder - FULL SIZE! Value $35

This yellow setting powder is designed to help counteract redness and discoloration. (Great for setting concealer for undereye circles, too.)

It has a translucent matte finish, but I was surprised to see that there are some very fine micro shimmer particles in the mix! Nothing blatantly sparkly, though.

Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick in Miss Conduct - .03 oz Value $5.54

This is a cool berry shade with excellent pigment. The formula lasts for a while, wears down nicely, has a matte finish and wasn't drying!

(Swatched in lower photo.)

TRUST FUND BEAUTY That Glo Tho Liquid Highlighter in Lit - FULL SIZE! Retail Value $20

This liquid highlighter has a subtle rose gold tint, and it's pretty easy to blend (but this is a shimmery highlighter - not for subtle looks!) I was also a little disappointed that this tube was about half air. Considering the full size of this highlighter is only 8 ml, we're already at a smaller size.

Here it is swatched above the Smashbox:

Biorace Pore Tightening Pearl Clay Mask - 1 oz Value $6.44

I love that the instructions are to "apply an appropriate amount of clay mask." Thin? Thick? Who knows - just keep it appropriate! 🙂

This clay mask is designed to help reduce the appearance of pores and brighten your complexion. You put it on for 10-15 minutes, allow it to dry (it tightens a bit), then remove with warm water.

It left my skin feeling smooth, soft, and clean - I'm happy!

Verdict: This box has a value of about $72.98. I think that's a great value, and I'm happy with the sizes of the items and the glam bag design this month, too! Every product worked for me this month!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, if you sign up in this month, you'll get next month's box as your first box. (Check out our Ipsy Spoilers to see what's coming up next)

Value Breakdown: At $10 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

Lotion: $.82
Banana Powder: $4.79
Smashbox: $.76
Highlighter: $2.74
Clay Mask: $.88
Bag - Not counted toward value

Good to know: Ipsy sends out variations. You may get a completely different bag than me.

What do you think of the April Ipsy Glam Bag? What items did you get in your bag?

Starting at $14.00

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Ipsy

4 overall rating

1813 Ratings | 300 Reviews

IPSY Glam Bag is one of the most popular and affordable subscriptions around, and our readers have selected it as one of the top beauty boxes for the last 5 years running! IPSY Glam Bag connects members with five makeup, skincare, hair care, and other beauty sample... read more.

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Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Cheap Subscription Boxes, Makeup Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

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47 comments

Nikkim

I’m in the minority here but I’ve been loving my ipsy bags. Ipsy and boxycharm are not going anywhere. I cancelled beautyfix and Sephora play. I only mark my top 3 favs on my profile. I don’t mark every item I like

Cynthia

New Ipsy rewards, woot woot!!

misfitmorgan

I’m really glad i didnt end up subbing this bag….i almost did in hopes of getting the bannana setting powder…but thats literally all i wanted. The star liner i could have used for the non-star stamp end. Otherwise it is all things i wouldnt use/were not in my color.

I still want that powder but i will probly just swap someone or buy it.

Amanda

I am new to subscription boxes and I subscribed to several of the beauty ones just to see what I liked. Ipsy is the first one to arrive for me and I must say I really enjoyed it. Not everything really works for me, but I honestly wasn’t expecting them to. I got a full size Dirty Little Secrets lip gloss, and Ciate Fierce Flicks eyeliner. Then I got the handcream in the review, a Hempz lip balm, and finally Doucce mascara all in the smaller sample size. 😊 The eyeliner is probably the only thing that I wouldn’t have really picked, but I may just have to try it sometime. And I just loved the bag! Overall I was pleased with it and look forward to seeing what next month brings.

Mel

Wow, guess I’m in the minority because I loved my bag more than I thought I would. The bag itself is cute. I got the Hempz lip balm, which is great, a corner brush that I really needed, the star liner which is actually a nice liner, a lipstick from Real Her that is pretty and moisturizing, and some eye masks.

Juliee

I received the Bubble T hand lotion, NYx lip cream in São Paulo, H2O Oasis (on June sneak peak), Sahi eyeshadow in Doha, and the Bellapierre banana setting powder. All new items for me and besides NYX, new brands. I’m quite happy!

Susan

I canceled a while ago-same brush over and over, Black liquid eyeliner, and same lip color over and over. I’m done for good!

C B

Me too! I don’t like paying for samples and so far I have only had one full sized product in each of my bags.

Oma

Ipsy used to be so spot on! This year has been a miss every month so far and I have not changed a thing. I noticed that I finally got the survey last month. They sent me something I said No Thanks to and nothing I said Yes Please to. After being subscribed for almost 3 years, I take everything in my profile into consideration, including all of the months products. This month could have been a really awesome month imo but it was not. I did get some good products and even 2 full sized products but they don’t make sense for me at all. 4/5 products don’t match a single thing in my profile, product type, brand, scent, what it’s for… you name it, it’s not a match. Some months when it seems like I’m only getting a couple of matches, I go through my profile and the months products and go, oh, ok, I get it… but definitely not this month. So I sent in a polite email explaining why I’m not thrilled with Ipsy so far this year and why, especially April. I don’t really want to cancel so what can we do??? Sam writes back that if you’re not happy, you’re not happy. Our algarithm does what it’s supposed to. If you are that picky, maybe Ipsy isn’t for you and you might consider trying another service. Seriously. WTH? Yes, I emailed back and asked if his boss or suppervizor knows he suggests people cancel after months of mismatched bags? He responded that HE IS THE SUPERVISOR!

Katelynn

Thank you, I was looking at reviews to see if I wanted to subscribe and after this I definitely am not. That is terrible customer service. Thank you for your post

Jackie

Whoa!! I canceled last month and was having a little fomo, but now hearing this, I have no intentions of signing back up. How horrible to be treated that way!!

Sounds like Sam may not be suited to customer service and should maybe consider employment elsewhere.

Oma

Agreed. Looking back, I did send an email in February asking why I was sent an eyebrow product for some one with blonde hair? It’s a great product for me as I’m loosing my hair and eyeshadows but regardless, I still have some left. May I please send this one back and get the right shade please as it’s a full-size product I would really love! I offered to pay return shipping and shipping for the right shade.
Oh no! No problem! No need to send back… shipping you out the right shade ASAP, so sorry about that. We do hope you feel better soon. I see you are interested in skin care so I’ve hand picked a little something extra for you for any inconvenience and hoping it helps you feel a little better. It will ship in your next Glambag. I hope you enjoy it and your next Glambag. Thank you for being a loyal customer. I do purchase at least one offer a month. It was a bottle of Bio Oil.

In Sam’s pissy email, he basically brings up that I’m opted out of a couple of things, he can see the extra perks I’ve already gotten (extra perks? Plural?) No, I’ve only requested replacement of damaged products, 1st perk and unrequested at that.
Last year, I was such a happy subscriber, I was given 5 free Glambags to give out. I sent out 4 to people I know and only 1 kept their subscribtion. I still have one left to give away but nobody wants it! Wonder why?!
I’m seriously considering screenshoting the emails between Sam and I and sending them in on a different email.

Ipsy is hit or miss for me. But- I tried the charcoal hair mask I got this month and it’s one of my favorite Ipsy items ever- definitely buying the full size!

Pink5

I’m done with Ipsy.

I got ANOTHER lipstick that is basically the same color as my lips (like I don’t have enough of those already), Girl Power. It’s nicely creamy but does not last.

I got one of the Star Stamp liners, which will be going up on the swap board as soon as I’m allowed.

An eyeshadow brush which is okay, and a lip scrub.

Oma

Read my post above. I don’t get it. I’ve had a couple of months in a row before that were off but this is really off. 1 thing.

Sachai Thorson

This bag is not very good for me at all. The gloss I am receiving is definitely not my color. They are sending me yet another make up brush, some hand cream, and bronze eyeshadow. None of which are in my preferences. Apparently, you have to email them to opt out of products for two months. Your preferences mean nothing. The only thing I’m looking forward to is the bag. I may cancel after this month.

Lisa

This was my most disapointing bag I am getting tweezers which I never use I shave my brows, mint lotion I already own, NYX lippie which I am so afraid I will get only shade I own which is Stockholm, a tiny sample of hair finishing cream , and the one and only thing I wanted the SAHI eyeshadow. Luckily my daughter claimed one of my free bags and is trading me the tweezers for glamour dolls brush.

Victoria

I agree with the comments above. I have been a subscriber for years. I redeemed my points and April is probably my last month. It seems to have started going downhill when the original founder had some personal issues and they brought in different folks. They have also been promoting the heck out of it and adding too many new subscribers. The last year or so they have been giving away “free bags.” I got my sister to sign up during the promo and I’m embarrassed that I did. She has been so disappointed. I used to give her stuff all the time from my subscription and she was excited to finally try it herself. Now I literally take my entire bag and just dump it in my giveaway tote.

Julia

I was really disappointed with my Ipsy bag this month. It’s only my third bag, but pretty much everything was a miss for me. I was happy with my previous bags, so I’m going to keep my subscription for now. Hopefully next month will be better for me.

Brigitte

I agree – I can only use one of the 5 items I received. The others were for teenage girls (I am 56 . . . ).

Julia

Me too! I got the star eyeliner and wondered if they even looked at my profile. I’m 44, what possessed them to send that instead of the myriad of other products that I might like better? I can’t imagine taking my kids to the grocery store with stars stamped on my face. I was happy with my first two bags, so hopefully next month is better for everyone, or Ipsy is going to lose a lot subscribers.

Sachai

Same here. I am only look Oh my forward to the bag.

Sky

Did anyone else see the May 2018 spoiler for ipsy on here? It will not load for me! It says the page is messed up! 🙁

Lisa

I saw that too!! I did see some spoilers on Youtube and these were shared on Reddit.

ELIZABETH MOTT Shimmer Eye Shadow Single in Mermaid Teal

-111SKIN Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask

-TONYMOLY Painting Therapy Pack in Black

-TRÈSTIQUE Mini Matte Blur Stick

-EYEKO Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner Travel Size in Black

-LORD & BERRY 20100 Maximatte Crayon Lipstick in Spice

-ORYZA BEAUTY Dewy Glow Balm

-SLMISSGLAM N15 Eyeshadow Brush

Cat

None of my bag matches any preferences for products, colors of products, zip. The only thing I got that I normally love and have checked is a shadow brush. Every other item they had this month, it feels like fit my profile even in the slightest bit compared to the nonsense I got. I don’t know why they bother asking brands or where you shop even. Normally I get some hits and misses, but I’ve been a member since 2011 (!!!) so you’d think I’d get some consistent matches more often. At least there wasn’t a product from the balm in there lolol

Julia

Me too. Not one thing except an eye brush. I have normal/dry skin and they sent me an acne/oily skin mask. And the star eyeliner. I’m 44, it’s just not something I can use. I’m going to see what they send next month and decide if I’m canceling or not.

Sachai

Your preferences mean nothing anymore…at least that’s the impression them gave me when responding to my comment the other day.

Julie

Yours was a good bag, but this was the month I decided to cancel. I started about a year ago and at first I got great bags. It just keeps going downhill 🙁 – I keep getting bags with like ONE thing from my preferences and this month it was in a color they already sent. I always review, I use exclusions, etc. I wrote them and they said “Review, use exclusions, etc.” I really feel like there was some kind of a shift a few months ago, idk what happened. I do all the stuff I’m supposed to do. I redeemed all my points and next month will be my last.

Wendy

I’m right there with you! I also do everything they say you should do to get better matches and it just keeps getting worse. I have the survey thing on my account and that hasn’t made it any better. So I redeemed all my points and I’ll be canceling after next month as well. Paying $10 to be disappointed on a monthly basis is not for me (I’m sure I can find free disappointments lol).

justmissjamey

Thank you!!! I’ve been with then years and years and I have been having the same issues and had the same thoughts.

About a year and a half ago, something started going downhill there. Now your reviews and profiles don’t matter one bit to them. I’m hanging in for another month or two and will be done as well.

Kelly

Oh my gosh! I would of LOVED this one! Mine was very meh. Every single item in this review would of been perfection for me. Especially wanted that banana setting powder! I just can’t bring myself to spending $35 On one item at the moment.

JennWin1980

I would have LOVED the Trust Fund Beauty highlighter and the banana powder, but I’m really happy with my bag this month! I received

*Vasanti Concealer Buffing Brush
*Paula Dorf bronzer in Bora Bira
*NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm
*Laboratories Filorga Meso Mask
*OUAI Finishing Creme

This is by far my best ipsy month yet! All items will be used. Even though there were other products I would have liked to try, I’m 100% satisfied with this months box! Plus, this months bag is super cute!

Patty Bledsoe

They Used To Let you choose 1item that you could request receiving,I VB requested the Tarte Blush and received it,also the IT cosmetics Bye Bye tired eyes and also received it, Then they quit letting people do that. I noticed if it was something I really liked and gave a good review,I wasn’t getting anything like the stuff I liked so Canceled last month but had to send another notice to them

KimberlyB

This was a really good month for me! I’m trying to get my reviews in ASAP to see if that will help get me the items I really love. Last month I got them done the 5th day after getting my bags, and this month will be the 3rd. And I wanted to add up the value of everything, so very happy there too!

Bag #1 = RV $47
1. NYX lippie in Istanbul $6.50
2. Nail Medic nail polish $8
3. Feel Warming Clay Mask — I’ve never tried a warming mask, so that will be this evening. $7.50
4. Purlisse Coconut + Coffee Sugar Scrub $10
5. Luna eyeshadow in Spiced Pumpkin $15

Bag #2 = RV $62.50
1. NYX lippie in Milan — the only duplicate this month, yay! It’s also the first time that I’ve gotten different shades when getting the same product, so that’s cool too. $6.50
2. Trust Fund Beauty highlighter $20
3. Biorace mask $6.50
4. H2O+ Beauty Oasis Hydrating Treatment $7.50
5. Sahi Metallic Foil eyeshadow in Doha — normally I’d just sigh about getting another brown eyeshadow and not even open the box to look at it before putting it up for swap, but I looked on the off chance that foil really did mean foil. OMG this is the BEST most metallic shadow ever! Love!!! $22

Victoria

Your bag is amazing! I wanted the banana powder so bad! I was so disappointed in my bag this month I actually almost cried.

RoguesEn3D

I feel your pain. I cancelled ipsy yesterday. I had to go through a 5 or 6 step process to do it, but I stayed too long. The last few months I have liked only one item in my bag each month. It hasn’t even been worth the $10 most months.

I’m happy to be able to see that Smashbox liquid lipstick reviewed though! I love that color and I’ve been wondering how it wears. Thanks, Liz!

Wendy

Yeah I never get a good bag. Wonder why I even stay. That banana powder was on the survey on my account and of course I checked it, but did not receive it. I don’t know why I even spent the time to take it because I didn’t get anything I chose. Don’t really understand that. Why even get our hopes up?

Victoria

I had the survey also and it was a fluke 😭 so disappointed

Luna

I also took the survey, but rated the banana powder as something I don’t want, and wouldn’t you know… I got it in my bag this month. It was actually the only thing I gifted from my bag too.

KimberlyB

You had a survey with specific products on it? I’ve never gotten anything like that. But I’ve noticed that different people get different communications from them. I get two bags, and sometimes one gets offers and such that the other one doesn’t.

Luna

This month’s butterfly bag is one of my most favorite Ipsy bags I’ve received. I thought it was so much prettier (and felt well made too) in person.

jennjenn

I agree! I’ve been subscribed almost a year now and when it comes to the actual bag, this one is in my top two (right after that great basic black bag they did last year).

I love this bag. It’s pretty, it feels sturdy, and it’s got a great feel.

I’m lucky in that I got multiple products I really liked too, but even if I hadn’t, I think I still would have been happy, due to just the bag design.

Patty Bledsoe

I canceled,This was my Last bag I received the Paula Ford Bronzer,NYX Matte Lip Cream,H 2O+,Oasis Hydrating Treatment,Trifle Cosmetics ,Sugar Bunny Lip scrub Really thought the Bag was Pretty. But I Joined Bixycharm. And decided to cancel post for a while.

Melissa

What an awesome bag!! Thanks for the review, Liz!

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Ipsy Review – April 2018

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