Hi hi! Once again, I have maxed out add-ons and went all-in on this box. I do not have the budget for this. Please send help. IPSY ICON is just so tempting! There’s so much good stuff and so many good brands.
So far, from what I’ve seen online, this ICON box is one of the most popular yet. People are saying they love it, they love the selection, and they’re thrilled about the brands offered. It just so happens that this is one of the first ICON boxes from IPSY that had two curators whose products were not in the lineup. Typically, the ICON box curator adds some of their products to the selection and it works like an advertisement for their brand (in my opinion). I wonder if the resounding positive feedback is a coincidence, or is it because the curators had less to do with product choice?
Either way, people are loving this August ICON box and I’m so excited to talk about it.
First Aid Beauty
I’ve been getting to know this brand over the last few years, and it hasn’t been love at first sight. I really enjoyed their Coconut Smoothie Primer and it was a staple for possibly a whole year in my routine, but more recently their Bounce-Boosting Serum had a stale smell, and felt too heavy to be a “serum.” But I was in Sephora a few weeks ago and purchased one of their SPF moisturizers for my sister, which has been exactly what she needed. So I’ve been looking forward to trying these Facial Radiance Pads. They contain glycolic and lactic acids and also claim to be compostable, which I guess is neither here nor there for me but it’s nice I’m sure for some people.
The items come in a jar with a twist-off lid that stays completely within their notable blue-on-white packaging with red and silver accents.
BUT they weren’t in the box. So I haven’t gotten the chance to try them yet and am waiting for my replacement order. I’ll put something here if they end up replacing it or sending something else I guess.
Retail on these pads is $38 but I can also see it at places like Kohl’s for $20, so I’m assuming they’re doing a repackaging or a discontinuation. I would definitely pay the $20 for an item like this, although people do say it’s bad for the environment and everything. But for me, an extra cleansing step can be a huge help especially where I’m not used to doing anything but makeup removal.
[Update: they came! It’s just about the end of August and I finally get to try these out. ICON box complete! But meh, these aren’t anything revolutionary. They come in a tub, they have a texture on one side, and they’re very good at removing makeup. The packaging says they help exfoliate, and I’ll be honest, they do have that smell. I did feel very smooth after using a couple of them to do another makeup cleanse.]
Iconic London
This brand is so repetitive in IPSY and ICON boxes, they’re lucky it’s good. This product has a big long unnecessary name that I’m not going to dignify by writing it out, but it’s a face palette with six cream shades. Now I know that for some people, a shade can be a highlighter and then on other people, it can be a contour. So I’m just listing the shades as what they are for my skin, not in general.
For my skin, this palette has a nude shade, two blush shades, and then three contour shades of varying depths. I typically don’t enjoy items like these but part of that is because they’re typically powder products, and I use more cream products. This item being in my ICON picks isn’t actually that bad and I’ve been genuinely looking forward to trying it out. Especially the cream contour shades.
The first thing I noticed when I received it is the packaging. That’s not usually my thing that can really attract me to a product, but I was absolutely stunned. It seemed to shine and glow and sparkle and reflect all at the same time. Also it was heavy and felt very expensive.
The formula is very malleable and pigmented, so I went way too heavy with my contour brush the first time. Same thing with the blush. You’ll really want to dab instead of wiping if you’re applying with a brush. I had to go back over everything with a tap of my beauty blender to get the excess, after which it looks very good. I don’t know where I’d ever use the darkest contour shade – maybe just for a day that I’m very brave.
This face palette retails for $49 which is mind boggling. There is no way I would pay anything like this for a face palette, cream or powder or anything. I do see some of their other palettes and old packaging online for more like $29-35 though, which I would absolutely pay, especially for shades that I could work more with.
JLO Beauty
JLO products again in this ICON box! Since the Body Cream wasn’t ideal for me, I’m glad I get to try another product from her line. This is the Beso Balm Ultra-Hydrating Lip Mask, and I think this is a great choice for my ICON box. The packaging is right on brand in that bronze/rose-gold tub.
The tub is absolutely tiny. Unwrapping it, I was like, lordd this is for a doll! But after touching it and applying it, I wasn’t even mad. It’s the richest, most un-slippery gel texture, and I only needed one swipe on my lips to feel instantly hydrated. It doesn’t travel when I press my lips together, it just hangs out right where I put it and does its thing. This tiny little bottle will likely last me an entire year.
UPDATE: It turns out that the one they sent in our ICON boxes is a smaller size than the one on the website when we chose them! I’ve reached out and received a partial refund for this item being too small.
Is anyone else surprised that it’s only $19 retail? That just seems low for a brand like this. Like, it’s JLO, right? Does this mean they’re not doing that good or I misjudged the brand? I don’t know. Anyway, I’d buy it again at this price, or honestly more.
Kat Burki
Do you guys remember this brand? I loved their Silk Protein Primer, I still have a bottle! Wow I completely forgot about this. For ICON this month, IPSY chose me their Form Control Marine Collagen Gel. First things first; you should all know that I’m aware that collagen can’t be directly absorbed by the skin to do anything meaningful. You can’t just add it to the skin’s surface and suddenly have more of it. However, there are products that can boost collagen production. So we’ll see what this claims to do.
From reading the description on their website, and also looking at the price (HOLY CRAP $140 DOLLARS???) I am able to see that they do claim this contains collagen and other elasticity ingredients that are proven to increase collagen production in the skin, which I’m sure is a thing. If it does do that, then maybe the price isn’t out of this world.
Yes, you read that right. A hundred and forty dollars.
The packaging is actually identical to the primer, just a different color, and the pump and everything is the same too. I did really like the primer packaging and the feel of the bottle, so I don’t mind this at all.
The first thing I noticed is it’s a thick formula, similar consistency to the FAB serum I tried earlier this year, except it’s a gel so it’s transparent not opaque. The second thing I noticed is the fragrance. What I expected to be very sweet and maybe nautical for some reason ended up being a warm, nutty fragrance. I couldn’t find anything on the website to indicate what the scent might be. I don’t know, I figured since it was marine collagen and all that, that it’d smell like inis. Nope!
I could obviously never bring myself to purchase something like this, even at half price. This is just a one-time luxury.
KVD Beauty
KVD has had ups and downs. On one hand, the concealer I tried has excellent coverage. On the other hand, the liquid contour was nice at first but I noticed that it gums up over certain primers.
This item is the Lock-It Pore Refining Primer. You might know that I haven’t been using primers since I discovered the Byroe Peony Tea Glow Oil, which they advertise as something you can use to prime before foundation, apply after foundation to add glow, or mix with foundation to lighten the coverage and add glow. So I’ve just been using this.
That being said my skin has recently been having issues and I’ve been needing more full coverage products that can stick to the patchiness on my skin, so I have been thinking of going back to regular primers. And when I say my skin has been having issues… I just picked it. I got hormonal acne on the right side of my mouth, and from there I just picked and picked all the way to my temple on that side. My left side is actually fine right now….
Anyway. The formula is white but obviously doesn’t leave a cast. It’s very similar to other pore-targeting primers, comes out looking more matte than silvery. I’m still figuring out the right amount to use, but I did notice it mattifies my skin very well before applying foundation with the blender. I don’t typically go for a matte vibe so it was an interesting try. I think I’ll continue to use it and maybe just do smaller quantities so as to avoid the mattified look.
[Update] I have been applying a very small amount of it to the middle of my face and working up and downwards, and I think it’s wonderful. My foundation just seems to be more full coverage when put over this primer, it seems to slip and slide less, etc. I really like it, it reminds me of what I used to think primers should do before I got jaded and swore off them.
It retails for $34, which is a lot for 30ml. I’d pay that for 50ml but not 30. I do plan to snag it if I see it in the future though, this is a great product.
Picks
IPSY’s picks were okay here for an ICON box. There were three skincare items, a skincare/makeup hybrid (the primer) and a pure makeup item. So maybe a little skincare heavy. But that’s just how I like it most of the time so I can’t complain. The brands were also a good variety. Iconic London is not inexpensive but also not unattainable. Kat Burki is way off the charts in terms of affordability. KVD, FAB, good brands, repeat offenders on ICON boxes. So I like the variety. Not to mention the value. It would have been nice to receive all these items, but I have it on good authority that the replacement item is coming so I’m hopeful. Now let’s move on to choice and add-ons!
Grown Alchemist
I never thought I’d get to the point where I was wondering, “Have I tried this product before?” But I am. I am wondering this. This item is the Regenerating Gel Mask. I know I have had a gel mask from them before and I know they don’t have like, lines and lines of items.
The packaging for this product is just as painful on the hands as all the others. Once you’ve squeezed a little bit of it, you need to start squeezing the sharp edges that the packaging creates. Eventually you start to be in actual, real pain trying to get product out, until no matter how much you like the formula, you start to hate the brand. I only chose this so I could see if it’s the same one I had before, and I did like it.
And after trying it, I still don’t know! I remember liking the gel mask I tried in the past, but not this much! This item is amazing. It’s a very lightweight texture so it was very easy to cover my face with it. It is very minty and cooling when it goes on, and then when rinsing it off, same thing! I left it on for about an hour and a half, and after taking it off my skin felt incredibly hydrated anc conditioned.
See this is what I was talking about! On one hand, the packaging is painful. On the other hand, the formula rocks! I haven’t even researched what the product costs and I know I would buy it.
Danessa Myricks
Shes back! I can’t stop choosing these items. This is the Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed in the shade Rose n Brunch. I chose this item because obviously it’s Danessa Myricks, but also because it’s the most confusing product I have ever seen on IPSY or in an ICON box.
First of all it’s pink. It says it’s a blurring balm, but it’s pink. Second, it has “balm” and “powder” in the name. So I wasn’t even sure if it was cream or powder. And why is it a balm? And pink?
My research from opening it and trying it reveals these things: It is definitely a balm texture. It’s completely dry and matte until I touch it, when it starts to get the slippery balm texture. It is also definitely pink like blush. It is definitely not blurring. And it’s definitely not a powder.
Also it is not yummy although I did not try it.
So I’m still baffled. I tried it as a blush, but it is almost too pigmented to blend out properly. It really is trying to be a balm foundation, but pink. So how is it going to do it? I don’t know. I haven’t figured out yet a way to use it and I’m scared to try it as blush again.
It retails for $25. Once I figure out what it’s for, I can let you know if it’s worth it. As of now I really don’t know.
Drunk Elephant
I give up on scalp scrubs. This was an awful experience, just terrible. I love this brand and I’m sure there are people this works for, but awful. All because of me.
First off, it says to use it on your scalp dry. But how do you use something on your scalp?? There’s hair there?? What the hell? So I just squeezed it out onto the part in my hair and just … started rubbing it around? At which point it immediately got soaked up by my hair. So I picked another part. And rubbing it around just felt like rubbing my hair. Then it said to leave it in for a few minutes before rinsing and follow up with shampoo. So I just stood there with this scrub in my hair for ten minutes, knowing what I got into and knowing I can’t get out of it. I rinsed it out and tried again now that my hair was wet and more manageable. I tried rubbing it on the back of my neck and then like up onto my scalp… but nothing felt different so I rinsed it out again and decided to skip the shampoo because I had used so much scrub, and just got out. Now my hair is oily, greasy, disgusting because it’s an oily scrub that just got everywhere in my hair.
I’m never doing this again. I’m just going to continue using regular shampoo and come to terms with the fact that my scalp will never be exfoliated.
My scalp doesn’t even feel different because the scrub never reached it. And I also can’t reach it. You can’t just touch your scalp. There’s hair there. Am I crazy? You can’t just scrub your scalp. You’d need to cut all the hair off first?? Do I just have thick fine hair?
I hate this, it’s so frustrating I could cry. How are girls just getting exfoliated scalps without shaving bald??
I don’t care how much it costs, I’ll never get it again. I’m never buying a scalp scrub again. I’m never going to ever try this again unless I go bald.
Commodity
We have talked about this brand before! And so has Robert Welsh from the Welsh Twins. This is a brand that makes different intensity levels for their perfumes, and you can buy it with high intensity for some events and low intensity for just general wear. It’s a great idea.
I reviewed this brand’s perfume Commodity Gold in my November post last year, and now I get to try Juice. This one is much more fruit and citrusy than Gold, which was warmer, like amber and chocolate chip cookies. I honestly think I like Juice more, it’s like sugar on grapefruit slices. Mouthwatering. The packaging is the same, same size and everything – I’m just so excited to be able to wear it. I’ve already had several people say I smell nice and what am I wearing.
This size perfume retails for $75 – except it doesn’t. Basically you can buy the 100lm for $145, or two 30lm for $120, but they say it’s a $30 saving. Which mean they’d charge you $150 for the two, or $75 full retail each.
Anyway I’m going to say it retails for $60-75 depending on how you do your math. If I bought one of these perfumes, I’d just get the biggest size as it’s obviously the best deal.
[3 Days Later] I have only fallen more in love with this perfume. I smell beautiful, sexy, fruity, summery, I smell amazing. I might be dishing out to buy a full size of this perfume. It’s by far the most delicious one that ICON has ever gotten for me.
Patchology
I have heard of Patchology but I’m pretty sure this is the first product of theirs that I have tried. I had the impression that Patchology was more of the pimple patch type of brand? But the first product I get to try is an undereye patch! This is their Serve Chilled on Ice Firming Eye Patch. These are very different from any other patch I’ve tried in the past so there’s a lot to talk about.
The biggest difference is they all come together in a tub instead of wrapped individually. This is actually probably better for the environment and allows them to package a lot more patches all together. The tub is filled with their serum liquid, so I did have to be careful opening it and setting it down. It’s just a little denser than water so it will definitely spill.
The next big difference is the shape. These ones are thicker at one end and thinner at the other than the regular ones which vary only a little in thickness. So they look chubbier. They fit the eyes a lot closer due to this though, so it is better.
I will say, since they’re so doused in their liquid from their tub, they are incredibly slippery and don’t stay put until they’ve dried a bit. So for the first five minutes or so, it’s all touch-ups. But after that, they stay very well. I’ve started putting them on and then putting my face in front of my AC unit which feels INCREDIBLE and also dries them out enough to stick. The other night I forgot I had them on and left them overnight. But one of them stayed on!
The only thing I didn’t do – I didn’t serve them chilled or on ice or anything. So maybe tonight I’ll put the jar in the fridge and try that.
These patches retail for $35 and the package contains 15 pairs. This works out to be about $2.30 a pair, which is pretty good compared to $4 per individual pair which is also on their site. I would definitely purchase these at full price when I run out, that’s a good value.
[Update: I did end up putting these in the fridge and then applying them! I had the Grown Alchemist mask on at the time, and then I put these on over a little of that. I don’t know if it was the temperature or the mask, but they slipped around a lot less and generally stuck better to my skin this way. I’m going to try again tonight without the mask and see if the cold really does impact these masks this much, and maybe that’s one of the reasons for their name?]
Keys Soulcare
We’ve tried their face wash, then their face cream, now it’s time for some makeup! This is the It’s Like Skin 2-in-1 Concealer + Tint in the shade 130 N – Fair. I’m unfortunately not impressed with this product so far although I’m going to keep trying. First off it’s a little yellow for me, not by much but enough that I noticed. It’s also pretty light but that’s my fault.
But my biggest thing is the consistency and coverage. I guess I expected, since they say it can be a skin tint or concealer, that it would have more substance. But it’s just a very watery foundation that just disappears as soon as I apply it. Then once I built it up a little, it just draws out all my imperfections on my face. It’s enough to correct my skin tone but not enough to cover any of my red marks so it just seems to exacerbate that. The wand applicator is also not sanitary at all, foundations should be in a pump. Concealers I understand and it’s different somehow.
Anyway I do plan to try it more, maybe mix it like a potion and see what we can do. If nothing else, it’ll be good to have for mixing. But I was hoping I’d be able to really use it.
[1 day Later] I applied it today as a foundation again, and this time I just kept going and going until I got the coverage I wanted, but it still was barely enough. The texture issues did start to fade as I added more, but seriously, I needed like eight or nine wand strokes of this stuff before it got to that point. I’m going to give it another go during the winter when I’m paler and see if the color can match better and maybe I’ll like it more.
This item retails for $28, so nothing crazy, but as it is right now, I wouldn’t pay it. Maybe in the fall my skin will be smooth again from all the abuse I’ve put it through this summer, that would be nice.
Huda Beauty
This is another pretty big disappointment – I had planned to get some new complexion products this month that I could get excited about, but this was really bad. This is the GloWish Multidew Vegan Foundation in the shade 04 – Light Medium. Now, I know it was a little risky to buy anything that said medium in it, but I did take a look at the image online and it looked absolutely perfect for my summer skin! This is a completely different shade, and much warmer and deeper. I pumped it onto my hand vigorously before I realized, and then even when I tried to mix it with a lighter foundation, it still just looked so deep. I never even applied it and, I can’t find anything that works so far.
[2 Days Later] So I mixed it with a lot of my lightest concealer shade and it was still just so wrong. So I don’t think I will keep trying, maybe I’ll give it away. There’s a girl at my work who has a skin tone a lot more similar to this. As far as the texture, I don’t really know. Not a win here, I think the photo online is not an accurate one.
ABH
But this complexion product? I am in love. This is the Contour and Highlight Stick in the shade Fawn. I am so happy I added this onto my box, it’s just the perfect contour shade. Just gray enough to come in neutral on my skin, since everything I put on turns warm.
The package is kind of like a large lipstick with a roll-up bullet, just not with the same shape. I could tell just by looking at the formula that it’d be better to apply with a brush instead of directly onto my skin, so that’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s just perfect.
I also applied a little bit on a dense eyeshadow brush and went in on the outer corner of each lid, and it really tied the whole thing together I think. I have always wanted to find a contour or bronzer that I could use that way as well, so this is a huge step!
These items did retail for $25 but it’s important to note that they are on sale right now for $20 on ABH’s website and I’m thinking that might be why IPSY grabbed them. It’s a smart way to use retiring products to hook new customers.
I’d definitely pay $25 for a refill when I run out of this, which I will, quickly.
Laneige
I feel like I’ve tried almost every item from the Water Bank line at this brand. This is the Water Bank Serum, and it is just as nice as the face and eye creams that I’ve tried.
The packaging is their classic baby blue, but since it’s a thinner consistency being a serum, they packaged it in a tall twist tube. It’s in one of those over-engineered packages like Fenty or Drunk Elephant, where you twist the top of the package and the pump pops out so you can push it. It also has a little spot on the back that tells you when it’s empty after you’ve pumped it all out, which is nice because you get a little bit of a warning when you start to see the red.
The formula has the exact same fragrance as the other items from the line, which makes sense. It makes me want to reach for the eye cream next, etc. It’s not as thin a formula as the Fat Water from Fenty, it’s more like a very lightweight gel moisturizer. It makes my skin feel like it’s had a good glug of water and I notice my skin appears a little more… awake? After use.
The Water Bank Serum retails for $45, which is reasonable I think for the product you get and the overengineered packaging. I would probably wait until I see one on Poshmark before buying again but I know I’ll use this whole thing up for sure.
ICON IPSY OOPSIE
My first one! I’ve never gotten a full-on oopsie from IPSY before but I’ve heard it happens to a lot of people. Getting extras of items they ordered, or getting boxes that just aren’t theirs and having to get a whole new one, etc.
The brand is called Femmue and I received an accidental Brilliant Cleansing Gel from them! It’s a nice gentle cleanser in a pretty pearlescent package, and it has a fragrance as if it was put together at a perfume shop. Very feminine, floral, sweet. I have actually been using it just because it was such a surprise, and I like it a lot. It doesn’t foam up for a deep cleanse like I might need, but it does a little bit, and when I rinse it off, my skin feels conditioned and happy. I actually think I might continue to use it.
It is currently out of stock on their website, and also on IPSY, but when it’s in stock it sells for $32. That’s a lot for a cleanser, and since the website is in another language I haven’t been able to see what the ingredients are, so I’ll have to look on the box when I get home… if I haven’t trashed it yet.
I wouldn’t probably buy it again for $32 but if it comes up online at any discount, I’ll get another, even as a gift. It feels like something you could give as a gift.
And That’s All!
I am super happy with this month’s ICON box. Aside from the catastrophic complexion products, which were a huge letdown, almost every other product is a win.