Ipsy: November 2018

The last time I tried Ipsy was December 2013, and I had no handle on any ounce of my personal style. Now, I’m curious. I subbed up to Ipsy so I could play around with my style and leave the guesswork re: selections up to someone else. I have a lot on my mind and plate these days, and when it comes to makeup, I don’t know where to start. Ipsy sends out five products of sample size up to full-size, of various brands priced much higher than the $10 subscription price. Being thrifty, this is what sold me into trying it. Well, it was also my desire to play with my outer appearance.

Cosmetic bag, four makeup items, one hair item

Twisted Kisses Matte Lip Crayon in Kiss Me Twice by Eddie Funkhouser

The first thing I noticed about this is the smell. It smells SO good, I just want to smell it—all the time! What I like about this lip crayon is how the color is subtle and it’s quite foolproof to put on. (I’m not great at coloring inside the lines.) I’m not one for lip colors that stand out and much prefer the subtle or barely-there tints, so this is perfect. I do notice a difference in my appearance after I put it on, and it will take awhile for me to get used to actually wearing makeup again. However, I do enjoy this change and am looking forward to whatever else happens to be in store for me!

LOCK IT Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner in Pearl Black by L.O.C.K. Color

Okay, so, this? It’s an obvi yes. I wore this to my cousin’s baby shower and enjoyed it. I have another eyeliner pencil by Wet n Wild that is so soft it breaks off, and needs a particular sharpener. LOCK IT twists instead of needing to be sharpened—a much-loved perk because #nomess.

Regarding its waterproof trait: Meh. “It’ll come off eventually” has always been my motto with kids, so it should work for me just fine.

Nail polish in Proud Coat by Inara Cosmobeauty

Pastel polish isn’t my thing, but once I put this on my left pinkie, I began having second thoughts. I like it for a polished-when-lazy look, or when I have no other color that appeals to me (as such is the present case). It looks classy and feminine. It’s grown on me; I’m in love.

A pastel pink might be the key to adding color to my dark wardrobe.

I do have to apply this in multiple light coats, which I’m not used to after using cheap kiddie polish. I also wish the color was listed on the bottle, because I prefer when the color name is listed on things since I’m not keen to remember every. single. color.

Strictly Curls Treatment by Marc Anthony True Professional

Two ingredients, shea butter and argan oil, are derived from tree nuts and the deal-breaker for this product. It works well re: anti-frizz and makes my hair super soft, and I’ve found a workaround by first washing my hair, rinsing it, adding this for 1-3 minutes, rinsing, and then washing the rest of my body, but it’s not ideal because my typical shower time is 10-15 minutes and gets racked up to 15-30 minutes using this…but the whole purpose of me prioritizing it and not washing my body before it gets out is so I can wash it from my skin in enough time before a reaction occurs.

In regard to curls, this treatment doesn’t do anything along those lines to my hair. If anything, it’s straighter; I don’t even awake with wavy hair when I use this stuff.

So, long-term, it’s not ideal. It’s a no from me. I’ll use it until it’s all gone, and then I’m done.

Foiled Again Eyeshadow in Cahoots by THEBALM Cosmetics

This eyeshadow shade looks great for smokey eyes, but it’s not very foil-y so that feels misleading.

The bag

I LOVE THIS BAG! It’s everything YES re: my style. It fits in my purse and I can fill it with a bunch of stuff without it taking up too much space. It’s also convenient to just take out and work with the tools placed in it, rather than my cosmetics running loose in my purse (heh).

You can’t tell in the photo, because I took it on the second day (or something like that), but I’ve used it so much the zipper handle is losing color where my fingers are. 😅


My December Ipsy bag will be reviewed in about a month, but here’s a sneak peek.

Are you, or have you ever, subscribed to a monthly makeup curation? What did you think?

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