Ipsy Review January 2013

Ipsy!  It's just fun to say.  It's also a beauty subscription service that, for $10 a month, sends out 4-6 beauty items and a makeup bag.  I've subscribed since November of 2012, and my first two months were almost entirely makeup.  One of the many things I love about Ipsy is that they listen to their subscribers, and when people started complaining on their Facebook page and website about getting too much makeup, they sent out a January bag with NO makeup.  Cheers, Ipsy!  Here's this month's bag:

My precioussssss....

They always send the bags in these awesome hot pink bubble mailers.

It just makes my whole mailbox happy!

Another great thing about Ipsy is the size of the items.  With Birchbox, another beauty subscription, you often get foil packets or one-use samples in your box.  With Ipsy, it's all deluxe samples or full-size items.  Some people prefer Birchbox because they use more "high-end" brands, but personally I'd rather have a deluxe sample of a brand I can afford than a foil packet of a $400 face cream.

Ipsy also leaks previews of the items, both on Facebook and their website, so I already knew what I was getting (I'm a huge sucker for spoilers, what can I say!), but there's nothing like finally holding the bag in my hands. This month's theme is "A True Star Will Always Shine." And so, without further ado... the January 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag!

Here's my first glimpse inside

The first item, which didn't fit in the bag, is a SOHO Crease Brush.  The packaging says "The SOHO Crease Brush has soft and fluffy bristles tapered to a slight point, perfect for applying eyeshadow to the crease of your eyes.  It's also ideal for blending multiple shades of eyeshadow together." There were three brushes sent this month, the crease, an eyeliner brush, and a concealer brush.  I was kind of wanting the eyeliner brush, but now that I see the crease brush, I love it! I don't have anything this fluffy!

SOHO Crease Brush

The rest of the items were sent in the bag:

Isn't this the perfect size for a clutch?

It's a navy blue bag, and the texture is a bit hard to describe.   To me, the fabric almost feels like a gym bag.  But a nice gym bag.  I preferred the satiny texture of December's bag, but this month wins on the bag liner! It's blue with stars, and it's so pretty!

Starry bag liner!

The first item I pulled out was the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil.  This stuff is supposed to be an all-over beauty miracle product.  You can put it in your hair, on your face, on your nails - it's incredibly hydrating and it's supposed to help fight acne!  The Josie Maran brand also supports women's co-ops and fair trade in Morocco.  The sample size is .17 fl oz/5 ml, which should last me a few weeks, long enough to decide if this product is the miracle it claims to be.

And it's organic, too!

The next item is Pacifica's Body Butter in Tuscan Blood Orange.  It smells AMAZING!  Here's the description of the scent:  "Sparkling, juicy blood orange with notes of red raspberry and spicy sweet Italian mandarins.  The scent of the Mediterranean beach."  It makes me think of a summer evening, and just breathing it in makes me feel relaxed.  The 2.5 fl oz tube should get me through the winter months with no problem!

Mmmm... Sweet Citrus

I love traveling, but I hate packing a big ol' can of hairspray.  Ipsy has helped me out by sending a travel-sized can of Big Sexy Hair's Spray and Play Hairspray!  It's a volumizing hairspray that has a little bit of play to it - no helmet head here!  This will be perfect for when we visit the in-laws for Easter.  The 1.5 oz can will fit right into my cosmetic bag!

Vaca hair spray!

The last item is actually something we were sent in the November bag - a full sized Nailtini Nail Laquer.  The November color was Millionaire, and it was clear with gold and blue-green glitter.  This month they sent out two colors, either a bright red called Bloody Mary, or a pale pink called Frappe.  I honestly wasn't excited about this at first until I realized that most of my nail polish collection is either metallic or sparkly, and I don't have many creme colors!  Well, I opened up the little box that the polish came in, and found...

Bloody Mary! Ta-da!

Yay! I got the bright red!  Now I'm planning all sorts of vintage, classic looks.  I could be a '40s vixen with a perfect manicure! Or a beatnik in all black, and the only thing you can see through the smoky bar is my polished nails, gripping my poetry... Aw, yeah!  Ok, back to Earth.  So that's the Ipsy bag!  I'll be sampling all of my new pretties in the coming week, so stay tuned for reviews!

Here's a few extra pics of the bag and content card that shows our exclusive discounts for the brands this month.  Enjoy!

The bag and starry liner, with Ipsy logo

This month's theme

The brands and discounts

Disclaimer:  I purchased this bag with my own money, and was not asked by Ipsy to review it.  Nor was I compensated for the review.  Want an Ipsy bag of your own? Just click here and sign up!  This is not a referral link, just the link to their website.  I get nothing if you sign up.  But you should sign up anyway, because it's fun!

Love, Leigh