For those of you who are unfamiliar with ipsy, it is a beauty subscription service that costs $10 per month {awesome deal IMO}, and consists of a collectible makeup bag {can also double as a clutch} along with 5 beauty samples that are customized to your personal beauty profile {which you can change/update at anytime}. I love getting subscription boxes, but don't have a ton of extra cash to spare, so I find ipsy to be the best value as each month's bags are adorable, the products are of fantastic quality, and their stylists are top-notch {and some of my fave beauty bloggers}. That being said, let's get to the bag!
September's theme was GLAMAZON {a sentiment we can allllll get excited about!}. Inside my bag was a travel size Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme, mini trèStiQue Perfect Multipurpose Highlight Stick in MALDIVES LUMINESCENT, full size Be A Bombshell Nail Polish in HOLY FUCHSIA, travel size Eva NYC Forget Me Knot Dry Conditioner, and sample size NUXE Crème Fraîche De Beauté Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask.
I lovelovelove receiving new polish brands in my ipsy bags, so when Holy Fuchsia appeared in my bag I was beyond! Not only was it a color that would rock for fall; but it was also from a beauty brand that I had yet to try. Double win! Holy Fuchsia doesn't fit my personal thoughts on what a fuchsia shade should be, as it leans more raisin berry than pink purple; but it sure makes a great hue for autumn! I liked the formula here. It's fluid and smooth, but can look a bit thin on the nail, so you have to use an extra coat for complete opacity. What I didn't like was the smell. Maybe I got a bad bottle, as I didn't see anyone else mention this anywhere, but the smell is horrible - almost reminiscent of an extermination smell. I'm not sure what would cause that, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that my bottle was already open when I received it. Whatever the reason, I was able to almost entirely mask the smell with top coat, but it's still strange. Ho hum.
As a die-hard Too Faced fan, I wanted to capital L love Too Faced's Lip Injection Extreme {after all, who doesn't covet a perfectly plump pout?}, but I can't say that I liked it. At all. While the glossy finish and smell {a mix of strawberries and Red Bull} is v nice, the whole plumping effect isn't what it seems. It burns and tingles from the time of application to about 10 minutes after {something I can deal with}, but once it plumps the lips {and it does plump them nicely}, it leaves a raw-looking red ring around your entire lipline that looks like wind burn or severe chapping that can't be covered up {even with concealer}. Obvi not a good look. Maybe it's just me, as I have slightly sensitive skin, but I wouldn't recommend. Womp womp.
Dry shampoo I've heard of, but dry conditioner? I'm a total newbie to that one, so clearly was excited to try Eva NYC's Forget Me Knot Dry Conditioner. I don't typically use dry anything as I wash my hair every. single. day. {at least during the week}, but I thought it would be interesting to give it a whirl on the weekend when I was just hanging around the house. Truth: I really dug this. It added shine and volume to my hair that I usually don't achieve unless I'm washing. Bonus: it smells amazing. Personally, I think you could use this without the accompaniment of dry shampoo {like I did}, as the results are v similar. I probably wouldn't re-buy; but if you're a dry shampoo / conditioner fanatic, I think you'd like it.
You ladies allll know about my undying love for highlighter, so you can imagine how excited I was to un-bag trèStiQue's Perfect Multipurpose Highlight Stick in MALDIVES LUMINESCENT. True story: I almost used my ipsy points to get this product as an add-on last month, so I'm thinking fate is at play, yes? Aaaanyway, I just about died when I applied this to my skin - that glow! This is just two light strokes of Maldives Luminescent on non-primed skin and it is magically delicious! It applies creamy, adding a more subtle glow than some of the powder products out there. I'm obsessed with how it glides on, and doesn't crease after long periods of wear. Out of every highlight product I have received from ipsy, this is my hands down favorite!
Another bag, another face mask. I seriously don't understand why I receive face masks in all of my ipsy bags, but I'm seriously over it. NUXE Crème Fraîche De Beauté Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask is a light moisturizer that feels creamy, and doesn't weigh down the face. I left it on my face for 10 minutes and washed it off to super soft skin. It's a nice product, but I don't feel I'd use it often as I'm happy with my usual face regimen.
What was in your September 2016 ipsy Glam Bag? Not a subscriber yet? Sign up here!