Makeup Mondays: ipsy

ipsy

Monthly Subscription $10 (plus tax)

For anyone who isn't familiar with it, ipsy is a monthly subscription service for beauty products. It's probably one of the most popular beauty subscriptions alongside Birchbox. For $10 a month, you get a themed makeup bag and at least 5 products that range from sample sized to full sized. When you sign up for the subscription, you complete a questionnaire designed to get an idea of your style, taste, and preferences, and that contributes - to a degree - to what items you receive. And if at any point you think you're getting too much of a product you aren't happy with, you can always redo the profile questionnaire to change up your preferences!

I have been receiving an ipsy for over a year at this point, and I am incredibly happy with it. Do I love every single item in every bag I get? No, of course not. But even in my most disappointing bags, I've come away with one or two great items. And one of the best parts about ipsy, for me, is that you really do get a good range of beauty products to try out. I've received hand creams and hair products and makeup removers and full sized brushes alongside my makeup items, which is great. Everything in the picture above I received from an ipsy. It's by no means a comprehensive shot of everything I've received, but I think it does a good job of showing off the range of items you can expect to receive.

And unlike most of the brands featured in Birchbox, I find that the ipsy brands tend to be more affordable. It's a good mix of "drugstore" and "prestige" level items, so if you do find something you love, odds are you won't have to break the bank to get a full sized version.

Another great feature of the ipsy subscription has to be the bags! Every month your samples come in an adorable new makeup bag that denotes whatever the theme of the month is. And what I've found is that you can really always use a handful of these little bags. I keep a few in my purse - one for tampons and one for a battery pack and phone cord - and I use a few others to store things or to organize my makeup products. They're incredibly convenient to have on hand and some of them are gorgeous!

And finally, I couldn't leave this review without commenting on the fantastic customer service I've received from the ipsy care team on Twitter. In the 14 bags I've received, I have only gotten 2 damaged items. Both of those times, I've sent a direct message to the ipsy care team with a photo of the broken product, and they have immediately sent a new one my way. I don't think it's ever taken longer than 3 days for the replacement to show up. They're always quick to respond and even quicker to act, which makes it incredibly easy for me to overlook a broken doefoot here and there!

Ultimately, if you have the money and you're a makeup junkie like I am, I highly recommend giving ipsy a shot! I've been introduced to so many new brands through this subscription, and a number of the items I've gotten have become favorites and staples in my regular routine. And if you found my review helpful and would like to signup, I'd love it if you did so through my referral link! I do get reward points for the ipsy store if you subscribe through that link, but other than that, there's no difference from signing up from the main page!

If you're already subscribed to ipsy, what's your favorite bag and what's your favorite item that you've received to date? My favorite bag is a tie between the makeup princess and the pixelated love letter, and my favorite item is probably going to have to be the blue makeup brush in the first picture - it's the perfect brush for dragging out eyeshadow or eyeliner and the wand is covered in adorable little whales!