This month is the third rendition of my monthly Glam Bag reviews. There are a lot of different beauty box subscriptions on the market, and I was inspired by Kristin’s monthly Birchbox reviews to offer a perspective on the Glam Bag for comparison for people trying to determine which makeup subscription might be right for them.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Glam Bag by Ipsy Beauty is a monthly beauty bag subscription that delivers samples of beauty products inside of a makeup bag to your door for $10 a month. The products you receive are determined by a quiz you take on your beauty preferences, your reviews of the products you receive each month, and a little bit on random chance. They also provide discount codes for the various companies of products that were available each month, giving you the chance to buy a bigger size or try one of the items you didn’t receive (you can view these on their site as well). You can find links to Ipsy’s page for all of the products I received by clicking their pictures below; from there you can find links to the various vendors to purchase them yourself.
I was much more pleased with my bag this month than I was last month. For starters, the bag is decorated with adorable orange polka dots, my favorite pattern! It’s kind of an odd shape but it is the perfect size to be reused for a pencil case or to stash other similarly shaped items for storage.
Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara | $22 Full Size
The brush on this mascara is great. It goes on smoothly and lengthens your lashes as much as any other mascara I’ve owned has (though I can never really tell the difference). Since it’s not waterproof and costs three times more than the drugstore brand I buy, this won’t be a product I purchase in the future, but it’s a great sample and perfect for traveling or to stash in your purse and use on the go.
Jersey Shore Sun | Mongongo Lip Conditioner | $5.50
Since I never leave the house without at least one lip balm, I was super excited to receive this lip conditioner this month. It did not disappoint. The flavor is great—it’s called Mandarin green orange ginger, but tasted like lime to me. The balm is super moisturizing and stays on for a good length of time. It’s also USDA-approved organic, a nice added benefit. It’s definitely a product I’d consider paying the higher price for in the future. This is my favorite product of the month and the item I’d most likely buy again out of all of them, even given its higher price compared to the typical lip balms I purchase.
Klorane | Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk | $19.50 Full Size
I don’t use dry shampoo so I don’t have much to compare this to. It smells pretty good and seemed to make my hair look better after a day of not washing it so it seems like it does what it should. I’m not convinced it’s worth $20 though. This is a sample I’ll use to try it but I wouldn’t buy again mostly because I don’t know how and find it unnecessary.
Lord & Berry | Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil | $15 Full Size
I’m not a huge fan of pencil eyeliners; I much prefer crayon, gel, or liquid. This one goes on almost as smoothly as gel, however, and has a nice pigment. It’s a pretty bold black and not something I’ll use for everyday wear, but it’s a perfect nighttime look for going out.
Manna Kadar Cosmetics | Sheer Glo | $29 Full Size
I still haven’t quite figured out what this product is for. It’s called a “shimmer lotion” but the website describes it as a bronzer/highlighter. It’s a little too shimmery for my tastes, and not something I’d mix with foundation (which I don’t use) as they suggest. I would consider using it as a cheek highlighter over blush, however. I also think it would be good over a nude eye shadow primer to add some shimmer for a basic, natural look.
Overall, this was a good month! There were several cool products to try and I found a new lip balm to buy in the future so I’m very content. It was, as always, well worth the $10 subscription price.
