Ipsy Glam Bag May 2014 Review

I know... this post is about a month late! Sorry! I wanted to post a review after I had the chance to try all of the products out first. I knew it would take a while, because I got two lotion products and a makeup brush. One was a sunscreen, so that is why this post was so late in the game.

Included in the May Ipsy Glam Bag was:

• Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 
• Pur~lisse "pur~moist hydra balance moisturizer"
• Pacifica Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in "Moonbeam and Unicorn"
• Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in "Champagne"
• Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff Brush

I will talk about the nail polish first, for obvious reasons ;) Because, let's be honest, it's the only item I really look forward to receiving every month... and also why I didn't even bother reviewing the April glam bag on my blog after I didn't get the nail polish in my bag last month. *tear*

 

Anyways, the "Nailtini" polish I received is in the color named "Champagne". It's a good name for it, because it seems like it could be the color of champagne and bubbly with it's pearly sheer finish.

Here is one coat of Nailtini "Champagne" on my thumb without flash

Three coats of Nailtini "Champagne" with flash on camera

I am happy they sent a full size bottle ($13 value), because it seems like a nice nude polish that you can wear to a formal event without being too showy.The only negative is that the streaks still appear even after three coats, and it highlighted the imperfections on the surface of my ring-finger nail. But if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, then this is a nice color.

Something cool about Nailtini ('tini Beauty - they sell other products than just nail polish) is that all of their polishes are named after alcoholic drinks and other beverage terms! According to their website, they are also "Cruelty-free, vegan and 5-free: no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toulene, dibutyl phthalate or camphor. Made in the USA."

Here is the ingredients label on the box that was in my glam bag:

Notice the "Vodka:", "Simple Syrup:", and "Dry Gin:" ingredients?

 

 Next I will talk about my second favorite item I got: the eyeshadow! This is from the company called "Pacifica" and the eyeshadow duo I received was in the colors of "Unicorn" and "Moonbeam."

The online store for Pacifica does not have the same eyeshadow duo, but instead are sold in larger eyeshadow sets from $14-$32 range with recyclable packaging.

"Moonbeam" is the darker color, which is hard for me to explain. To me, it is a dark dark purple-grey. I swatched it in the picture above on my hand next to "Unicorn." It reminded me of a bruise-color after I swatched it. It washed out my blue eyes when applied to my lids, but it would look nicer on someone with a darker complexion than mine. I am too pale for such a dark color.

"Unicorn" is the lighter golden-white color. I like this one better out of the two, because it can be used as a great highlighter shadow. It is so shimmery, and really a beautiful shade.

Pacifica's website states their eyeshadow is: "Coconut infused for a longer lasting eye shadow that applies easily with a velvety finish. Natural mineral color. 100% vegan. No animal ingredients or testing."

I also received a sample of SPF 50 sunscreen lotion from "Hang Ten." They sell this on their website in a 6 oz. bottle for $12.99. I received a 1 oz. sample in my Ipsy Glam Bag.

It applied smoothly, and rubbed in nicely.

Funny story: I had bought some generic brand natural, paraben-free sunscreen from Meijer the other day but it did not rub in at all. I was walking around with a weird pale-white tone of skin, and greasy white lotion getting everywhere because it wouldn't rub in at all. Not good with a black swimsuit! I thought that maybe it was because it was natural and didn't have the harmful chemicals in it, and that it was just going to have to be this way. BUT!
...I am glad I was sent this sample because it proved that good, paraben-free sunscreen can also be good quality and rub in nicely! I love the smell too! It is a lighter version of the classic sunscreen lotion smell. LOVE that smell!

According to the website, this sunscreen is:
• Oxybenzone Free
• Paraben Free
• Retinyl Palmitate Free
• Non-Greasy
• Non-Nano
• Synthetic Fragrance Free

I will definitely be ordering some Hang Ten sunscreen to replace my nasty generic brand of sunscreen lotion very soon!


Next up, is the anti-aging cream from "Pur-lisse." I received "pur-moist" which is supposed to be a hydrating moisturizer. The sample size I received was .5 oz size, and the full size is 1.7 oz. for $55 on their website.

I only used it once and I could tell that I wasn't ever going to use it again. It left me kind of sticky. The website says that it leaves your skin with a "dewy and supple" texture, but all I got from it was an akward ...sticky feeling.


Lastly, I received a makeup brush. This is from the company "Crown Brush" and is called a "Pro Blending Fluff." It retails for 60% off right now on their website for $5.49.

Now, I know that this isn't just an ordinary makeup brush. But I don't know enough about makeup brushes for me to be able to tell you much about it. Like lipstick, I also do not use makeup brushes, but instead I use my fingers to apply my makeup, (except for blush, which comes with a mini application brush on the side of it.)

From the description on the website, it looks like this is for applying eyeshadow. It is a great quality brush, the bristles are nice and fluffy, and soft. 



Overall, I would say that this Ipsy Glam Bag was a success! I paid $10 total for the month, including shipping, and after I visited each brand's website and added the proportionate product costs up, I think I received over $30 in merchandise in my May Glam Bag. 

I would highly recommend this monthly beauty subscription, especially if you like to experiment around with new brands, new colors, and different products.

If you are unfamiliar, Ipsy has you fill out a beauty profiling quiz, and they choose which products they think fits you best each month. It is the cheapest monthly subscription box that I could find, and even if you're like me and subscribe just for the nail polish, it still pays for itself because this month I got a nail polish that retails for $13! Along with that I got some makeup, lotion, makeup brush and free shipping! Not to mention, the makeup pouch with a different print that you get each month. This month's was a canvas bag with Springy green design.

If you think you would like to try the Ipsy Glam Bag and receive your own 4-5 beauty products each month, follow this link to give me referral points: http://www.ipsy.com/r/7v8m 

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed reading my review! ❤

*This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. The products mentioned have been purchased with my own money, as part of a monthly subscription box.*