January 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag Review

Another month, another solid Ipsy bag!

Date of arrival: January 15, 2013

Packaging: Standard pink bubble wrap mailer and card with limited product and discount details.  This month's bag is super cute - I love the shape and the star lining.  I can't get over how Ipsy has stepped up the quality of the bags so much over the early myglam days - I actually USE them now instead of just giving them to Adriana to play with.  I'm also loving that we are getting different shapes to accommodate bulkier items.  

Theme: Super stars.  Obviously the bag reflects the theme, as do the ipsy.com spoilers and promo pics featuring star glitter.  There was also a subtheme about getting back to basics and going for a classic look.  Michelle's ipsy YouTube video this month was a really simple look, and I remember reading that the nailtini color selections for the month were intended to be basic, classic colors.  

Contents and mini product reviews: Argan oil, nail polish, body butter, hairspray, and a crease brush.  

I put a bit of the Josie Maran Argan Oil on the tips of my hair, but I haven't really had a chance to fully test it yet.  I already have tons of hair and skin oils in my stash, and I kind of feel like they are all more or less the same.  I am really excited to try out a Josie Maran product though, this is my first. No rating since I haven't fully tested it.  

The Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange scent is AMAZING.  The formula seems nice (it's a thick white cream), but let's be honest - I don't even care if it works well as a body butter.  I could slather myself in this all day every day just so I can smell it.  YUM, YUM, YUM.  I would absolutely purchase the full size.  A+

Like the argan oil, I spritzed a bit of the bigsexyhair spray & play, but haven't fully tested it yet.  It has a standard hairspray smell (boo) but seems like it will hold nicely (yay).  I really like getting hairsprays and texture sprays in my sample boxes since they are so convenient for travel.  No rating since I haven't fully tested it.  

The Soho crease brush seems pretty cheaply made - the plastic handle is really light.  It's hard to really tell until I wash it though.  I haven't had any problems with the Soho brush I received in a past Glam Bag though, so I'm sure it's fine. No rating since I haven't tested it. 

When I saw that ipsy was giving us another nailtini polish (we just got Millionaire in November), I was disappointed.  When I opened my bag and saw Frappe instead of Bloody Mary (I love me a good blue-toned red), I was again disappointed.  But clearly I am an idiot; Frappe is the most perfect nude ever.  I haven't loved a nude this much since OPI's Tickle My France-y.  

With and without flash

The pictures above look like it might be a little streaky, but it doesn't look like that in person, I promise.  The formula is great, not thick and chunky like that other nude I got this month.  Sure, you have to baby it a bit, using three of the thinnest possible coats you can possibly paint, but it's so worth it.  This is such a clean looking, pretty color.  I seriously can't stop looking at my hands.  I will totally buy more when I run out, and am adding other nailtini nudes to my wishlist for whenever my no buy ends.  A+

Value: This month's bag juuuuust edged out my Birchbox, at $32.12.  B-

Click to enlarge

Overall impression of the bag:  I was pretty disappointed to not get any makeup items this month, as that is what has been setting ipsy apart from the other beauty subscription services the past few months.  That being said, this month's bag was pretty awesome.  I will absolutely use all of the items, and was really excited about 3 of the 5.  A

Overall impression of the service: After reading through the December makeuptalk thread and seeing people talk about how they saw suggestions they sent to ipsy posted on the board in Michelle Phan's follow me to work video,  I am bumping ipsy up to an A.  I think it's really cool that the ipsy powers that be have paid attention to all of the complaints and suggestions and basically busted their asses to improve the service.  I truly believe ipsy has fully redeemed itself since the early myglam days, and am so excited to be a subscriber.  You may only call me an ipster over my dead body, though.  (Stop trying to make ipster happen, it's NOT going to happen!)