The Unboxing - Ipsy May 2013

I never was a huge fan of the  monthly beauty box / beauty subscription services that have cropped up all over the place. Some of the more well known ones are Glossybox (previously called Joliebox in the UK), Birchbox and Ipsy (previously called Glam Bag). Of course there are plenty of others, some are country specific and others are global. There are lots of boxes for men too.. it's not just make up or beauty, some boxes offer food products, others are all about home decor, the list goes on. I even heard of a Bark box (for your pets) yesterday.

The idea behind these subscriptions is that they allow you to try new products every month without leaving your home or spending lots of money on something you may not like. The products you receive are (in theory) tailored based on your profile (skin colour, hair type, skin type, etc.) so they should be suitable. A lot of people like them because it feels like you are receiving a surprise gift every month (even though you paid for it!!).

There are lots of price points to choose from, in the US, most beauty boxes are between $10 - $20. There are various subscription options too, for example you can just sign up for 1 month or for 3 months or for 6 months or a year. Some of the service providers offer you points in return for referrals or for reviewing products on their site. There is lots of competition between the different companies so there are quite a few opportunities to snag some good discounts on their usual prices. For example, I ordered 3 Glossy boxes in December - 1 for me, 1 for my mum and 1 for my cousin. I got them all at 50% off and since it was a Christmas edition, there were more goodies than usual in them. They make good presents, but it can be hit or miss.

I did a lot of research on which one to choose as there are many in the States and decided on Ipsy (started by Michelle Phan). You can read all about it here and if you would like to subscribe, I would be grateful if you used this link as I get referral credits - http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hbyfzlzraj26c9b

I have been really pleased with the service and products so far, last month's bag was amazing. I also love that instead of the usual cardboard boxes or tubes, Ipsy sends their products in bags that can be reused. However, this month was just so so. Here is what I received this month -

(L to R - Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia (10 ml), Zoya polish Blu, Nume Finishing Serum (10 ml), Juice Beauty Champagne (4 ml),  Yaby Concealer Buff)

The products :
Zoya Nail Polishes are nice, although pastel shades tend to make my hands look too dark so I will have to top it off with a glittery top coat or give it away.
Nume Finishing Serum is ok, but I have so many of these that I don't need any more.
Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia perfume is awful, smells like oil. But I do like that it is completely organic and cruelty free.
Yaby concealer - wrong colour :(
Juice Beauty lip gloss - this is my favourite product in the bag. Love it and it's organic!

I was going to do a giveaway with all the contents of this bag (before receiving it). However, since I am not in love with the products and since I cannot send nail polish by post outside the States (something I only learnt recently), I am thinking of a different giveaway. You will have to wait for a post next week to learn about what you could win!

Do you subscribe to any of these beauty subscriptions? Which are your favourite? Let me know if you want me to show you the contents of my future Ipsy bags.