My first week of working from home was terrible. I looked a mess, I just barely rolled out of bed every day to start at 9, and I was still somehow late to every Zoom meeting (How? I was at home!!).
Facetiming with my best friends, I was complaining about how much I missed routines. I mentioned how I even missed the ritual of putting on makeup every morning when my friend reminded me that there was absolutely nothing stopping me from doing that.
I didn't feel like spending all my free time searching for makeup, so my other friend told me her sister loves IPSY, the makeup subscription. I'd get at least 5 deluxe-sized sample beauty and skincare products in the mail every month, in a cute pouch.
It sounded great! And it would be a nice treat - at just $12 a month, it was beyond worth it to me, especially since I wasn't buying lunch outside my office anymore. Plus, it'd be a great time to start practicing more challenging makeup looks.
With IPSY, you get to customize your preferences when you sign up, so your bag will always be personalized to your tastes. I have a lot of neutrals in my collection, so I signed up to try out bold colors, especially on my eyes.
I looked up past IPSYbags and found brands like Glossier, Benefit, Murad, Clinique, Bare Minerals, Bobbi Brown, and IL MAKIAGE - I was excited to see big luxury brands, and smaller cult favorites, so I figured my bag would have a cool mix.
When my IPSYGlam Bag arrived, I loved the floral pattern - it was made from a sturdy fabric and was a fantastic size for travel or overnights.
Inside I found:
- Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
- Helios Livin' Lovely Nail Polish
- Bellàpierre Cosmetics Mineral Lipstick in Incognito
- Oryza Beauty Nude Shimmer & Contour Eyeshadow
- Ahava's 24K Gold Mineral Mud Mask
I'd heard of two of the brands, and I was so excited to try the others! The nail polish was a really pretty lilac color and was supposed to last 10 days without chipping - I set aside some time that night to do my nails and try the gold mud mask!
My nails came out great, and they really lasted. With IPSY, you can buy full-size versions of any of the products and get them at a discount, so it's less expensive than at stores like Sephora.
The next day, I set an alarm with the reminder that I was doing my makeup. I woke up on time, excited to try my new products. I moisturized and used my new lipstick and eyeshadow. The shimmery eyeshadow was such fun and would look so cute on camera. The lipstick wasn't the color I thought it would be, but oh my goodness, it was gorgeous. Nice to know that if I ever buy anything from this brand again, I should look at pictures of the product on users before I choose a color.
I love my products, and I'm learning so much about the different brands, and types of products I didn't even know were out there. IPSY has made me a much more informed buyer, and I got one of my friends to join, too, so we can compare our products.
IPSY is the perfect self-care treat - when it arrives in the middle of my workday, I allow myself to drop everything - every Google sheet and email - and just focus on pretty packaging for a minute. And I'm really impressed with the quality.
