An Introduction to ipsy! Plus My First Glam Bag!!

It's September 2nd, and I'm browsing through my email. One certain email catches my eye. It's the one I have been waiting for. I finally had been taken off the wait list for an ipsy Glam Bag! Now what is ipsy and what is a Glam Bag? Well ipsy is a website founded by beauty vlogger Michelle Phan. Michelle Phan posts beauty tutorials on Youtube and she currently has over 7 million followers. Many people would comment on her videos and would ask her what are the best products to use. So she created ipsy, an online beauty community, where members share their opinions on the products that Michelle recommends and they can also share their favorite products. On ipsy members can also create their own "looks" (photos/collages) and videos and tag which products they use.

Now for the best part and main reason why I personally joined ipsy. For only $10 a month members receive a Glam Bag containing full size and sample size beauty products which have been picked by Michelle and her team of stylists. In order to join ipsy, you take a beauty quiz and this helps determine which products will be put in your Glam Bag because it caters to your answers. Each Glam Bag has products specifically chosen for that member. Now when I first joined I decided to put off joining the wait list, because I am a beauty product hoarder, I love make up so much. Now two of my sorority sisters were Glam Bag subscribers and they'd always show off what they got each month. I liked all the stuff they got so that convinced me to sign up and join the wait list back in May.

Also on ipsy there are these things called ipsypoints. ipsypoints are reward points that you can cash in for even more beauty products! You get them by joining, referring members, reviewing Glam Bags, sharing your Glam Bag on Facebook, and answering the question of the month.

My First Glam Bag!
I was on the wait list for four months, which wasn't too bad at all! And hence the excitement. So in my first ever Glam Bag I received: Nourish Organic face cleanser, Pacifica eyeliner, Crown Brush infinity shadow and crease duet brush, Mitchell and Peach luxury hand cream and Cailyn touch tinted lip gloss all in an adorable ipsy travel size make up bag!

First I'll start with the Nourish Organic face cleanser. I love trying out and experimenting with new face products but I'm also very picky because my face is super senstive. I was not a big fan of this cleanser. The cleanser is really watery and even though it is "fragrance free" that smell does not smell good. It did make my skin feel good and I do like that it is organic and cruelty free. Even though I would not buy it myself, I'm happy to have had it in my Glam Bag.

Next I wanted to test out the eyeliner, I love eyeliner and use it daily. I love that the eyeliner was waterproof. But I was disappointed the Pacifica eyeliner wasn't black, it's more like a shiny gray. I like to wear eyeliner on my bottom eyelids and putting this eyeliner on the bottom eyelid is a little tricky. You have to be careful because it smudges easily. Overall it is an okay product, I just wish it was black instead but that wasn't an option. I might give it another try in black.

Now a product I was really excited to use was the Crown Brush infinity shadow and crease duet brush. Oh my what a long name for a make up brush. Now I don't really buy many makeup brushes, I think I've only bought three, and the rest I use are those free ones that come in makeup kits or have gotten them as gifts for spending a certain amount at Ulta. Anyways, this brush is magical and I can't use those cheap little sponge sample ones any more. The brush is very soft and feels so good on your skin. I love that it is two sided, a big side and a small side. The bigger part of the brush is perfect for applying lots of eyeshadow and the smaller side is perfect for a light amount of eyeshadow. I prefer the smaller side because I don't use too much eyeshadow in my everyday look.

Alright now to talk about the product I hated the most in my Glam Bag, the Mitchell and Peach luxury hand cream. I don't even know where to start with this product. I guess I'll start with the one good thing, it did make my hands a little softer. But only a little. The reason why I hate this product is because of the smell. It smells horrendous. Personally I think this hand cream was made for someone who is 80 and above. It just has a very elderly smell and I'm 22 years old, I don't want to smell like an elderly woman! If this is how a "luxury" hand cream smells then I'd prefer not be luxurious.

And lastly, my favorite part of my Glam Bag, the Cailyn lip gloss. I wasn't too excited to get this at first. I already have too many lip glosses and I don't use them that often. I received the Love Affair color which is a very deep red, a color I love to wear because it makes me feel like Snow White. So the color definitely played a big part in why I loved this lip gloss. If I would have received a nude tone I don't think I'd be as big as a fan. Most lip glosses I own are sticky and my lips end up sticking to each other, which is why I don't like to wear them so much. But this lip gloss is not sticky at all. It goes over your lips smoothly. And honestly I wouldn't even call this a lip gloss, I like to think of it more as a liquid lipstick. The color stays on for a long time and you don't need to reapply constantly. I definitely want to buy more Cailyn lip glosses in colors I know I'll like. I was definitely impressed by this product and I want to try more of what they have.

Here is my look, using all the products I received in my first Glam Bag.

Overall, if I had to rate my first ipsy Glam Bag I would give it 3 out of 5 stars, which isn't too bad. Another great thing about ipsy is that after you receive your Glam Bag they have you rate the products and give feedback. They take that feedback into consideration for when they put together your next Glam Bag. All I can say is that I'm excited to see what is inside my October Glam Bag! Also if I've convinced you to join ipsy, feel free to click here and join! Also if you're already on ipsy feel free to connect with me!