sample swap with ThatWinsomeGirl

Last week I talked about how my friend Amy over at That Winsome Girl turned me onto the Ipsy beauty subscription service.  Last month we decided to utilize our growing sample supply and do a little swap.  I had a few products that just weren't for me that she wanted to try, and since she is subscribed to four different programs, she had quite a few things for  me to try.

This all began from her post here about the January Ipsy bag.  She received the SOHO concealer brush and Nailtini nail polish in Frappe, while I received the shadow brush and Nailtini nail polish in Bloody Mary.  I have plenty of shadow brushes and have too many red nail polishes, so I asked my dear friend if she cared to trade.  She was very excited to!  She then took it a step further and started sending me lists of things she was willing to part with from other services, so I started cleaning out my stocks of things I would never use.

I quickly realized that I was getting the better end of this deal, and sought to fill in the gap a bit.  I remembered that a few years ago I had offered her a vintage apron to use on her dress form for her jewelry show display.  Of course I kept forgetting to send it to her right after I offered it and well at least she has it now!  Then I threw in a handmade burlap rose from my little table arrangement.

I popped it all in the mail and waited for the trade to be complete!

And I waited.

And waited.

Haha, poor Amy right about this time had a ton of parties to plan and prep for so she was a little delayed in sending mine out.  But oh my.  It was worth the wait.

The haul.

Of course there were the items we swapped; the Nailtini in "Frappe" and the SOHO brush.  Both of which I LOVE and am SO glad we switched. 
Next were the nail lacquer items that didn't work for her:  Essie nail lacquer in "sexy divide", Color Club polish in "blue-ming" and "put a pin in it", Julip Nail Vernis in "Holly". 
The makeup samples:  what looks like a full size Stila bronzing serum, and a sample size of Urban Decay's Naked Skin Beauty Balm; both of which look like they will be best used in the summer when I have a little color to me. 
Last was Epsom Salts white tea bath salt.  I have never used bath salt before and can't wait to try it out.  It smells really good!


The things I sent her: Photos by Amy/ThatWinsomeGirl (I sent this weeks before beginning the blog so I never thought to take my own).  I love seeing photos of how she really may be using the extras :).

cute little apron for her display

a burlap rose

a few beauty products

Not shown: SOHO shadow crease brush

I really hope that we might turn this into an annual event!  I really had a great time searching for things to send her and enjoyed my box of goodies that she selected for me!!

Ipsy review: Feb 2013

If you missed the explanation of what Ipsy is, you can check it out here. This month's bag was a "red carpet ready" theme.  The bag was shiny black lined in bright red with the Ipsy logo sewn inside.  Inside were these goodies:

This month, subscribers received a shadow palette sample from Coastal Scents with four handpicked shades by Ipsy.  There were two different options that could have been put in a bag.  The one I received was gold tones.  While the other was black and silvers. While I am not entirely thrilled with the colors in my bag (though they are growing on me), I have used Coastal Scents from a previous bag and LOVE the quality of these highly pigmented shadows so was nonetheless pleased to see a recurrence of this product.
Next was the MicaBeauty gel eyeliner in black.  It looks like from the Ipsy site that there were 6 color options that might have been received this month: black, brown, bronze, green, blue, and purple. I was extremely excited to get this in my bag.  I have tried it out using my angled liner brush from a past Ipsy bag and I was very pleased with the results.  This was my first experience with a gel liner and I liked the amount of control I had with it and its staying power.
Third in line was the Lash Card, meant to aid in the application of mascara.  The trial pack came with 4 cards.  They are meant to be placed behind the lash line to keep smudging from occurring on the lid. This was the product I was least excited about.  And by least, I mean not at all. While I am sure for some it is handy, I feel like this is a waste of money, and so, would never consider purchasing them in the future.
Fourth was Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara by POP Beauty.  It is a trial size sample that would probably last a decent amount of time for me.  I will eventually use this when I run out of what I have.  So while not super exciting, it is useful.
Last, I had the Pixi Flawless and Poreless primer.  This primer is unlike others I have tried.  It is a creamier consistency than the gel like primers I own and is meant to help control shine and clear pores.  I do enjoy this product and was glad to get to try a Pixi product for the first time.

Each company offered 20-30% off an order within a month or two of the Feb glam bag receipt.

While not the most exciting of bags, I definitely feel like it has provided me with some good staple products that I would not ordinarily purchased for myself at the store, all in much higher quality brands than I ever spend money on.  Well done Ipsy.

subscription service review: Ipsy

For a little over a year now I have been subscribed to a makeup subscription service called Ipsy.  I was first introduced to the concept by my good friend Amy over at That Winsome Girl.  Amy and I grew up two houses from each other and became best friends in middle school.  We haven't seen each other since my wedding but have kept in touch online over the past 5 years.  She has in the meanwhile become quite the domestic queen, serving up amazingly elaborate homemade treats at every get-together she and her husband host, and whipping up some pretty amazing jewelry in her spare time (her Etsy shop is here).  Definitely check out what she has to offer on her blog or in her shop.  You will not be disappointed.

The neighborhood trio (Gracie, Amy, and Me) Photo from Amy

When Amy turned me on to the concept, she was subscribed to Birchbox and had just gotten in on the ground floor of MyGlam glambags in Dec.2011.  I subscribed to MyGlam shortly after her, but after a few months of service issues, she cancelled her subscription and I stuck with it.  A few months ago, MyGlam made the brand name switch to Ipsy.  And about the same time, Amy came back.  Ipsy has really gotten their act together and is really beginning to deliver great products.

What is Ipsy?

image source

Ipsy is a beauty product subscription service that was started by Michelle Phan, a youtube beauty guru.  For $10/month (this amount includes shipping), you receive a makeup bag, and generally 4-5 deluxe size samples, one+ of which is usually full size.  Bags ship around the 10th of the month and can be a fun little surprise in the mail if you don't pay attention to all the product hints on their Facebook page.  The Ipsy website has many interactive features to allow you to rate the products you receive, and interact with others in the Ipsy network. Each month a few of the assorted makeup stylists on staff produce how-to videos of recommended uses for each of the products in the bag. They also host several competitions for larger samples or complete sets of products through the website or Facebook page. Most companies that provide the products also give discount codes for full size purchases made within a few months of trial. 

Currently, Ipsy is only available at the $10/month price in the USA.  For an additional $4.95 S&H fee, they will now ship to Canada.

Subscriptions are limited, so if interested, join their waitlist to be informed when subscriptions are opened.  They usually open it up each month as customers come and go. 

To me, it is an opportunity to try something new each month.  Usually there is a product in there that I have never been bold enough to try (lipstain) or not seen the use of before (gel eye liner).  Whether I am in love with what I receive or just happy to receive some snail mail, I truly enjoy this service.

What if I don't like something I receive?

This is where it can be fun.   Remember my Valentine's post that mentioned generosity?  Make someone's day.  Hand over the goods to someone that could use it, or would enjoy that color of eye shadow or lipgloss that just isn't you.  Another option, switch with someone that got a product you would rather have.  Or take it to the extreme with your friends who also subscribe to similar services and host a swap party for a fun girl's night.

Each month I plan to have a review of what I receive in the mail from this service.  Feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments below.