Glamorous!

If you know me, you know I love my beauty products. I become a kid in a candy store in places like Ulta and Sephora. I just can't get enough nail polish, eye shadows, lip gloss, etc etc etc! It's a beautiful obsession (quite literally), but can make my bank account very angry. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out about Birchbox, a monthly subscription service that delivers sample-sized beauty products to my door in a pretty box with pink tissue paper. When I discovered Birchbox a little over a year ago, I decided that $10 a month for some new products would curb my appetite for Ulta and Sephora and save me some serious cash. I promptly signed up. After a short stint on their waiting list, I received my first box in the mail...and it was glorious. I got a beautiful full-sized lipgloss in a shade I loved, a cute bronzer called "Hot Mama," and a couple other exciting samples (but ones that aren't exciting enough for me to remember right now). I was pretty happy with the box, until I went online to try and order the lip gloss and saw that it was $28.00. Now, if it were an amazing foundation or something that I needed for my skin, $28 wouldn't seem so bad. But lip gloss? For $28? No thanks. I know that Birchbox is very clear about the fact that their products are "upscale," but I still had hope. So I waited. I got my next few boxes and started getting weird items. By weird I mean orange lipsticks, tiny bottles of nail polish that dried out quickly, a pen (yes, a pen), and post cards. Post cards. I held out for my Birchboxes, believing that things would get better and still getting excited every time the box came in the mail. Unfortunately, things didn't get better, and I ended up with a big bin full of too-tiny, overpriced beauty products and random weird things. So I decided to cancel. It was hard, I'll admit. But worth it.

Then, something incredible happened. My friend Jenna posted some pictures on Instagram of her Ipsy Glam Bags. I saw brands that I loved. I saw products that were full-sized and in gorgeous colors. I saw a real bag that came in your package every month. And I saw the price tag. $10 a month. The same price as my Birchbox, but full of all amazing items? I had to have it! I sent Jenna a message and she sent me her own Ipsy link, so I could sign up through her and she'd get a kickback. I went on the website and signed up as fast as I could. One of the main differences I noticed right away was the quiz that Ipsy has you take to determine the products they'll send you. They asked me specific questions about my beauty routine and my type of skin and hair, colors that I like, and brands that I like to use. I already felt more confident about my new subscription. I was waitlisted, which is normal, but couldn't wait for my new bag! A few days ago, I received confirmation that it was shipped. Yes! I checked my mailbox religiously as soon as I got home, and yesterday it was there! A shiny, hot pink package with my name on it. I could hardly wait to rip into that thing. And when I did, I was more pleased than I ever imagined I'd be!

I got some incredible products! A Bare Escentuals lip gloss in a color that I love, a gorgeous full-sized Zoya nail polish (that my husband says is too "Vikings"...go Pack go), some delicious-smelling and super soft strawberry hand cream, a volumizing hair gel (which we all know I need desperately!), and a nice moisturizer. And here's the best part of all: it's all affordable, quality product that I'd actually consider purchasing, from brands that I love! I can't wait for more Ipsy Glam Bags! I feel more beautiful already. :)

If you're interested in signing up for Ipsy (and obviously I'd recommend it), would you please sign up through this link? Sign up for Ipsy!  I'll get an extra item in my bag if I refer people. You'll get your own referral link once you sign up! 

Woo! Happy beauty-ness!

xoxo,

Angie