You may notice something a little different about this Ipsy bag: I have 6 items here. Well, this month, I redeemed some of my points for a bonus item: a tube of Cake Beauty's Delectable Body Lotion. I've been needing a new hand lotion to keep at my desk and this was a perfect opportunity.
The theme of this month's bag is travel--and surprisingly, the makeup bag is much roomier than past Ipsy bags! I'm excited to cover everything I received this month, so let's jump in.
You can read my past Ipsy bag reviews here. And as always, you can sign up for Ipsy using my referral link here.
1. Elizabeth Mott Shimmer Eyeshadow Single in Mermaid Teal, $13
You know what's funny? I received a half-size Elizabeth Mott eyeshadow in my very first Ipsy bag; I received the shade Toasted then and while I quite liked it, I'll be honest when I say I haven't used it since probably October. However, unlike the past eyeshadows I've received, this is not a bronze, warm brown, or copper. It's teal! I was really excited I got this color.
I am not a blue eyeshadow person, but I know I need to challenge myself when it comes to my eye makeup! This is a really beautiful teal-blue; it's super buttery and blendable. I've been experimenting with ways to use it and I quite like it blended into a more wearable, everyday color like gray.
2. TonyMoly Painting Therapy Pack, $6.50 for 30ml ($2.17 value)
You all know I love a mask and I love TonyMoly products. This mask "contains bamboo charcoal which helps to extract impurities and break down dead skin cells so skin is cleansed from the inside out. Perfect for controlling sebum and oil." Oh, girl! That sounds awesome! I tried this mask out the first time I got it. I saw some reviews that said this sample tube only gave them two uses. It has 10 ml (and a full size is 30 ml); I would say I could get probably 4-5 uses out of this tube! That's pretty good value. It made my skin feel quite soft, but not tight and dry like some clay masks can.
3. SLMISSGLAM Sparkle Everyday Glam Beauty Sponge, $17.50
I love a sponge and I was excited to receive this one... but it's so small! It's retail price is $17.50, which actually made me gasp. I even checked, several times, that I'd searched for the right sponge. $17.50 for this little thing? But the thing I hate the most is that I absolutely love it. I love this expensive sponge! It's way better than my Real Techniques sponge! I'm spoiled now. I'm spoiled by this $17.50 sponge.
4. Taste Cosmetics Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder, $33 for 8.5g (~$8.25 value)
I only recently purchased the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores powder when I found out I was getting this finishing powder in my ipsy bag. I definitely grumbled--how did they know I'd just committed to a pretty big purchase!? I was excited to try a different style of powder though because you never know when you might need to buy something different. Is this powder as good as my It Cosmetics? It's a lot finer and definitely less dry, if that makes sense; it's a softer powder in general. I do find that it doesn't control my oil and set my makeup as well, but I think for those with dry skin, it's an absolutely great option.
5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cairo, $6.50
You all know I love NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams... but I just received one in my Ipsy bag! What gives!? The color I received this month is Cairo, which is described as a "pure, pale nude." Pale is absolutely correct; this is very nearly my skin tone! It's not the most flattering color, but as usual I love the formula. I just wish I had gotten one of the other colors. Or better yet, one of the 10 new shades that NYX has introduced recently. This was my one big disappointment of my bag.
BONUS: Cake Beauty Delectable Lotion, $6 value
Did I need another lotion? Not really! But enough people had signed up with my ipsy referral code that I had so many points, I just needed to redeem something! I got this lotion for 250 points if I remember right. It's vegan and cruelty free and smells super coconut-y. I don't like eating coconut, but it's one of my favorite smells ever; I love that nostalgic sunscreen smell. It dries really fast, so I keep it by my computer for quickly applying, as my hands are very often quite dry.
Final Thoughts
The value of my bag this month was $47.42. If you add in my bonus item I received with redeemed points, it's $53.47. It's not the highest valued bag, but I only really didn't like one thing in this bag (the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream), so I don't mind. The sponge is my favorite item and being $17.50 (seriously), it makes the bag absolutely worth it! I also love the Delectable lotion, as it smells so good and makes me feel like summer time personified. As always, you can sign up for Ipsy using my link here..
