Ipsy: January 2019

I meant to post this on what would be 6birds’s ninth birthday, although I’m not sure about when my blog’s actual birthday is anymore, but I went to Ben Wheeler and hadn’t a sunny day to photograph it until now. I’ll probably just use my own birthday, since I’ve integrated my previous blog archives with this blog. It still feels awkward.

Also a bit awkward is probably reading about my Ipsy bags a month later, but I spend the duration of the month playing around with the products and concocting my reviews. So far, it’s quite routine. I like this better than rushing to get my thoughts out the day I receive the bag, or within the same week span. I’d rather put out reviews of each item after I’ve gotten some kind of hang of it, or the majority of the Ipsy bag’s contents, than just share what I got. Feels less messier this way.

I lack swatch photos for this bag, because I’m not in the mood to work to remove it from my arms after I’ve been sick lately. I used the back of a small feed bag upcycled as a calendar to photograph January’s bag to add texture. I considered using a sheet, but I realized I could fit my Ipsy bag and its contents creatively into the upper half of the back, or the only blank spot with ample space to do so. Who needs marble lining when they’ve got white sheets, plaid flannel, and feed bags??

Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner Travel Size in Carbon Black

This is amazing! It goes on like a permanent marker and doesn’t smear. As I’ve been working up the nerve to try liquid eyeliner, this was timely.

The only downside is that I’m not yet skilled at applying eyeliner to the top lid and flinch when I try.

Hempz Ultra Moisturizing Herbal Lip Balm

This is going to Charlise (cousin). It goes on smooth, but feels heavier and oilier than I’m used to. It smells like citrus. It doesn’t taste like anything, but my tongue feels spicy when I touch it. Whatever it does to my lips feels weird. I’m sticking to my Blistex. Like, I actually feel like removing this stuff from my lips it’s that weird.

Though this one was not for me, I’d love to try other Hempz products.

Illamasqua Coloring Lip Crayon in Lust

I love how this doesn’t smear, although I surmise such is the purpose of lip liner. Ipsy says this color works with all lip colors, so I’m excited to have something that’ll qualify as a staple—I love the idea of staples when it comes to makeup, so I don’t have to guestimate which items to take for travel or to put on in a pinch. My lip colors have also been smearing more lately, whether it’s because I’m getting lazy or a natural side effect, so this is a brilliant addition.

A downside is that this color isn’t cruelty-free, and I’m more interested in cosmetics that are. I’ve tried it with other lip colors, and it feels a bit…I don’t know how to describe it. I’m not sure whether this is staple quality or not.

Color Club Nail Polish in Feverish

Ahhh. I prayed for this one. Literally—prayed. Williamsburg (shimmery navy) is gorgeous and all, but I am all about that dark red nail polish. On paper, as the brush loses paint, it looks a bit like smeared blood. On my fingernails, it’s a deep, dark red. The color makes me think of vampire blood.

The brush is what I most love about this nail polish, though I do love the shade. Other nail polish brushes tend to be small, or at least unable to cover my whole nail in one go. This nail polish brush covers the entire shape of the nail, so I can use a full brush of paint and still make thin, leveled layers. I really like this in a nail polish!

I does smell, though—it filled my room—but it dries quicker than other nail lacquer I’ve received via Ipsy and is easily my fave polish from them. The color is also deep, so if you layer it on too thickly, it’ll appear as mostly black and not really show deep red.

SLMissGlam SB68 Eye Brush

This brush is lightweight and stylish. I mean, it’s glittery and has two rhinestones on it, so of course. I really love this brush already, but on the end is a slightly sharp edge wherein the plastic meets. The lack of smoothness is enough to make me wonder what the point of the price tag (even if for a set, it’s approx. $6-11/brush) is—expensive and cute, yet low-quality, brushes that even dollar store brushes could beat (even if they lacked the fancy glitter). I’m not a fan of buying low-quality products from high-end brands, courtesy of “brand tax”.

I could never justify such a buy. I know it’s only one brush, but…come on. That’s a bit much for what it is. As I’ve reviewed menstrual cups before, I’m applying the same standards. A menstrual cup that had imperfections where the silicone met, regardless of the rarity, would still be taken seriously as-is in the community, because first impressions matter. So that’s what I’m applying here, in regard to my review of the SLMissGlam SB68 eye brush.

The bag

…is cheap-feeling. The inside crinkles like tissue paper. The picture on the website shows a different cosmetic bag—one with a wider, silver circle and zipper; the “ipsy” logo in the same pink as the tassel and sides. The bag I received has the same gold zipper as used on December’s bag, with the logo in gold as well. So it’s not only misleading in regard to the bag received, but misleading in the quality.

What’s more, the lip liner and brush packages fit not into the makeup bag, but were loose in the package. This isn’t the part I’m complaining about, however—it’s that I received a makeup bag that barely holds the very things it should, ideally, be able to hold.

The crinkly inside, when handled, is noisy, so this couldn’t even be used for a makeshift menstrual survival kit—because I use reusable menstrual products, not anything with crinkly ish. I’m not an advocate for discreet period products, but I’m so over the crinkly-sounding things that remind me of the disposable counterparts.

Bright side—because I’m all about not wasting things with alternative uses—is, this will make a good gift bag.