Ipsy February 2017 Review: Much Love

I’ve had an Ipsy subscription for over a year now, and I’ve always wondered if the bags are as customized as the company claims — so I decided to compare a friend’s bag to mine this month for the ultimate subscription showdown. Are they really as customized as they seem, or does Ipsy just send out random products?

The Service

Both of us have been receiving Ipsy for a while, so in theory, the bags should be extremely customized. I do have to say that the service is pretty great. For just $10 per month, you can get five to six cosmetic and beauty products to boost your beauty routine. I’ve never received my Ipsy Bag later than the 15th, which gives me plenty of time to try the products before I review them on their website.

Why review products? Because that’s how the customization works! After you try one of your products, you get to tell Ipsy how you felt about the item. If you loved it, you can expect to see more products in the same color, type, and maybe even the same brand. If you hated it, Ipsy slowly stops sending you that type of product.

For example, I hate brow products. I don’t really use them, but I kept getting them in my bag. For a few months, I just grumbled until I went online and reviewed the products, giving them one heart. It took a couple of bags, but I haven’t received a brow product in the last two months! That leaves room for more stuff that I love.

The Products

Bag A:

Bag A is mine, and it came in pretty quick, arriving on February 14th (happy V-day to me!). February being the month of love, my Ipsy Bag theme is “Much Love” and included:

• Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser: $4 value ($32 full-size)
• Luna by Luna Highlighter (in Calypso): full-size/$23 value
• Nyx Butter Lipstick (in Ripe Berry): full-size/$8 value
• Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow (in You’re Toast): full-size/$22.50
• Lord & Berry Europe Eyeliner (in #221 Black): $9 value ($18 full-size)

I will say a lot of the products this month are customized toward my tastes. I even got a cleanser that’s designed for sensitive skin and aims to combat redness, which is an issue I’ve been battling for years. I told Ipsy I had redness issues, and it sent this cleanser. Score!

Overall, this bag is exactly what I want from Ipsy. I would love a more expensive brand lipstick like Tarte or Marc Jacobs, but I’ve wanted to try Nyx Butter Lipstick for a while now. There’s nothing in this bag that I won’t use, and isn’t that the mark of a good beauty subscription?

Bag B:

With the same “Much Love” theme, my friend’s Ipsy bag received the following products:

• Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish (in $12 Latte): full-size/$19.99 value
• Nyx Butter Lipstick (in Ripe Berry): full-size/$5.99 value
• The Organic Pharmacy Lip & Eye Cream: full-size/$48 value
• Bella Pierre Volume Lash Waterproof Mascara: full-size/$20 value
• Soo Ae Purifying Black Charcoal Mask (1 Application): $4.95 value
• Soo Ae Luminous Hydration Collagen Essence Mask (with Green Tea): $3 value ($15 full-size)

Bag B had more products than Bag A, but the two masks were in this package in place of the Rosehip Cleanser. My friend states that this bag is perfectly customized for her because she loves getting mascara, and Ipsy is excellent about sending her a mascara or eyeliner each month.

The Value

Bag A: $66.50 Total

As you can see, the value of this bag is super high, which has been pretty common since the start of the new year. Last month, my Ipsy bag was around the same value, so I’m sensing a new theme.

For a monthly price of $10, I received three full-sized products. I do have to say that I rarely get this many full-sized products (typically, I get maybe one full-sized product). It’s nice to get a beauty subscription that’s worth a lot more than the price paid, unlike Birchbox this month.

For the longest time, I felt that Birchbox was the better of the two, but after the issues and value I had with my last Birchbox, I’d have to say Ipsy came out as the winner this month.

Bag B: $101.93 Total

Wow! For just $10, Bag B’s value is a whopping $101.93. Having a value this high is unusual, and it’s certainly uncommon to get four full-size products in one bag. After adding up these two bags, I have to say that Ipsy has shown “Much Love” for its customers. These are great brands, and the value of these products can’t be denied.

The Verdict: Is Ipsy Worth It?

After getting these bags, I have to say that I’ve never seen this kind of value in a $10 beauty box. It’s even hard to find this value in some of the larger, more expensive beauty boxes.

Is it worth it? Yes, yes, a million times yes!