**Disclaimer: Since writing this post, I have switched to using clean & non-toxic makeup products exclusively. With an IPSY subscription, it's not always possible to choose only brands that are clean or EWG-verified, so I no longer use it. However, I decided to leave this post up for anyone who is curious about what IPSY is and if they'd like to try it out for themselves. To read more on clean makeup, click here! 6/21/22
If you haven't heard about it by now, you may have seen the cute, pink envelopes delivered to your apartment lobby once a month for other IPSY subscribers and wondered what it was. I used to have a roommate that was a subscriber, and she'd get so excited about her monthly IPSY deliveries that from then on, every time I saw those packages in the lobby I thought to myself, "Oh yay, someone just got new makeup!" So what is IPSY, exactly?
What it is: A Monthly Beauty & Makeup Subscription
Ever spent a lot of money on a certain type or brand of makeup, just to find that you don't like it? Or had your eye on an expensive new skincare product, but never bought it out of fear that it wouldn't be for you, and all of that money you spent would go down the drain? Enter: the IPSY monthly subscription! Each month, they send you different products to test out and try, so you can see what you like, don't like, or maybe even discover a new brand to fall in love with!
How Does it Work?
First, you start off by taking a quick beauty quiz to help them better curate products that fit your specific needs. You'll answer questions like your skin type (dry, oily, combination, etc), eye & hair color, and what kind of brands you like. Then, you get to answer a bunch of questions about your beauty preferences, and this is how they decide what items to send you each month. For example, they may ask, "How often do you want the following products?" For each product (mascara, lipstick, nail color, moisturizer, hair care, etc), you can choose from three answers: often, sometimes, and rarely. After the quiz, you choose and pay for which subscription you'd like, then get ready for your IPSY package in the mail!
How Much Does it Cost?
For the monthly subscriptions, you have three options to choose from:
Glam Bag: $12/month. You get five beauty samples sent to you in a different makeup bag each month; four chosen at random based on your beauty quiz preferences, and one you get to choose! Products valued at over $50!
Glam Bag Plus: $25/month. Not only do you get five full-sized products each month, you get to choose three out of the five products in each shipment. This will be sent in a different themed drawstring bag each month as opposed to a makeup bag. Products valued at over $120!
Glam Bag X: $55/quarter. Once every quarter (February, May, August, and November), members will have the option to replace their usual monthly bag with an upgrade to the Glam Bag X for that month. This upgrade will include seven to eight full-sized products (three of which you get to choose), all specifically hand-picked by the hottest and trendiest names in makeup! Products valued at over $350!!
As an IPSY member, you also have the option to shop directly through their site, where they have great deals on trial-size & full-size products as well as mystery Glam bags! The best part? You can shop for these products after you make your beauty picks for the month, and they'll add those purchases to your monthly bag and ship it all together! No extra fee for shipping!
What are some of the Brands & Products Included in Previous Glam Bags?
Some of the top brand products I have received are:
Pros & Cons of Signing Up with IPSY
Pros: My absolute favorite feature is that it is so easy to pause your monthly subscription at any time. With this, it's awesome to test out and there's no financial commitment of locking down an annual subscription like most other companies. If you're trying to save on spending the following month, or will be out of town, or just want to take a break from the subscription, all you have to do is log on to their site, click on "Account" in the upper right hand corner, click on the arrow to the right under the "Your Memberships" section, and from there, you can easily pause, upgrade, or cancel your subscription. You can also change the frequency from once a month to every other month.
IPSY is great at sending you emails every month notifying you that it's time to choose your product for your next bag, letting you see what's in your next month's bag when it's all put together, and how to track your package once it's shipped. So there's no need for me to set a reminder to pause the following month if I'm deciding to do that; whenever I receive the heads up email asking to choose my product for the next bag, that's my reminder to myself to go to their site and pause the next month's subscription.
I also personally love how much money I save on makeup & skincare with this subscription. When I go to the store, there are so many options to choose from for every type of product that I never know where to start on what to buy, and it can get expensive trying to experiment with several brand new, full-size products. With the products I've received in my IPSY bags (I have the Glam bag membership), even though they're trial-sized, I haven't had to purchase a new mascara, setting powder, or eye shadow in almost a year. In that way, I love the convenience!
Another plus: each bag comes with information about the products included, so you know how to properly use each one. After you've tried them all, you can go on the IPSY site and rate your products for the chance to win free products in upcoming Glam Bags!
Cons: honestly, the only con for me is that though they take your preferences into consideration, you don't have a choice in all the products that come in your bag. Now, you know this going into it from the beginning, but even though you may say you "rarely" want to receive hair products, that does not mean that you won't ever receive hair products. There have been bags where I'll receive several products that I know I won't use, and since there are only five products, when that happens it can be a bummer. However, this is not a big enough con to make me cancel my subscription. I've gotten to discover some great products that I never would have bought otherwise, and I get to test out some expensive products to see if I like them before I splurge on the full-sized product.
Ready to Try it Out?
What's there to lose? Like most companies, they'll also give you bonus points if you refer friends to IPSY! What's great about this? For starters, more points equals free products! You'll also have a buddy to swap products out with if you find that there are some in your bag that you probably won't use. If you'd like to try it out, click here for my referral link!
**Some other helpful links:
When do I get my Glam Bag?