Ipsy Glam Bag August 2023 Review: Dew Not Tell Me Summer is Ending

Ipsy. You know her. A trustworthy companion who is there for you each month with cute bags and samples galore. Some from brands you’ve heard of, some you’ve not. Well, she’s back, donning a funky fresh pink and green bag for August. At $13.00 (plus tax & $1.99 handling) per month, it’s a guilt-free pick-me-up and a way to try new things. Let’s dive in.

Contents:

1. GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, 5ml Sample (~$4.25, $34.00 for 40ml)
2. KORRES Santorini Grape Poreless Skin Cream, 20 ml Sample (~$18.50, $39.00 for 40ml)
3. GROWN ALCHEMIST Anti-Pollution Primer, 12ml Sample (~$10.00, $42.00 for 50ml)
4. FLOSS Lip Advocate in Proof, Full Size ($18.00)
5. CIATÉ LONDON Glow-To Highlighter in Starburst, 2.5oz Sample (~$14.50, $29.00 for 5g)

Grand total: ~$62.50 ($18 for full-sized item + estimated $47.25 for sample-sized items)

“The Dew” – I’ve heard nothing but great things about Glow Recipe, but I’ll be honest – I’ve never tried any of their products. I’m really excited that this came and can’ wait to try it out. I typically don’t like strongly scented items and while the scent isn’t faint, it is HEAVENLY. The sweet, watermelon scent feels so summery and refreshing.

“The skin cream” – we all know that grape is the best flavor, so let’s hope it’s an equally awesome skin cream. It does contain salicylic acid, which I’m afraid might be a bit drying but I’ll report back.

“The primer” – I’m not sure how often I’ll use this, but I’ve tried Grown Alchemist Balancing Toner and I like it, so hopefully this works well on my sensitive skin.

“The lip” – The packaging for this is 10/10. It’s effortlessly cute. We’ll see how the rich color works on my pale skin tone, but I’m thinking this might be a contender for my sister’s wedding. It also has shea butter which adds points in my book, no one wants crusty crust lips. IYKYK.

“The highlighter” – the highlighter has a beautiful shimmer and makes me want to go to the beach! The container itself isn’t of exception quality: the lid doesn’t close completely flush to the bottom, so I could see it “shedding/leaking” out if you threw this in a bag with other items, but the highlighter itself seems nice. This might be a product where you want to save the cardboard sleeve to keep it in.

“The bag” – this month’s bag is cute. It gives me Vans vibes, and the tassel is adorable. I’ll definitely try to reuse this bag.

Is it worth it?

While there wasn’t anything in the box that I couldn’t live without, this month’s Ipsy Glam Bag turned out to be a decent value. The price point is perfect for when you don’t want to commit to something large, but love a monthly treat and the opportunity to try a ton of new products. As a monthly member, I pay about $16.00 or so after tax + handling. I’m still a little salty that they raised their price, but who hasn’t at this point (ugh). Are you always going to love everything you get? Fat chance. But overall, I think Ipsy is worth it if you’re looking to try out new products on a budget. Also, the bags themselves are GREAT for repurposing as well as for giving your family/friends samples that you may not have tickled your fancy.

PS. I have grommets that I bought for converting an Ipsy bag into a small clutch or crossbody – I really need to get around to trying that. Maybe there will be an off-topic post just for that. TBD.

Maybe quarterly boxes with more lifestyle-type items are your thing? Check out my review of the FabFitFun Fall 2023 Box.

Or perhaps you’re looking for to splurge a little more and want to try out Allure Beauty Box.

Want to try Ipsy out for yourself? Feel fee to use my referral code.

This post is not sponsored.