Hi all! I wanted to go over the add-ons for my August IPSY box because they were honestly amazing (besides one) and I’ve been using them for a week and need to go off about it.
Add-ons are a part of the IPSY box I have never been able to hold off from, because the deals are so juicy and the brands are brands I have often always wanted to try, like Fenty and Rare Beauty and all those ones.
I added five items to my bag this month, which is about how many I shoot for. One was a face mask, two were makeup, one was a serum, one was a fashion item, and one was a surprise! That I didn’t actually pay for!
So let’s start with the one I didn’t like; the first item I added-on is the Aceology Lifting Treatment Mask. I didn’t know at the time that this is a peel-off mask, so I shouldn’t have ordered it. I don’t enjoy peel off masks; I like to leave masks on for a while, and peel masks tend to start curling around the edges and itching/making me uncomfortable.
But the formula for this one was ✨sparkly❇ so I did want to give it a try. It’s a yellow-gold color and very thick and sticky, kinda like rubbing honey all over my face. It went on pretty smooth and did have a little bit of a chemical smell.
I left it on for as long as I could, probably an hour, and when I peeled it off it did hurt a little in the areas of my face that I hadn’t shaved. It did start to come up at the edges and dry out, so I took it off.
It did stay together really well when I took it off, which is nice because I hate how they tend to come apart.
So I think someone who likes peel-off masks would love this one honestly, but it’s not my thing and I just don’t enjoy them the same way I love mud masks. I’m putting it up on my poshmark, since I only used it one time and still have the packaging and everything.
This mask retails for $69 and I paid $18 for it, which is a whole lot. I’m honestly shook at that price, but again, I don’t know much about these kinds of masks so maybe that’s totally normal. I put it on my Poshmark a few days ago, hopefully someone can enjoy it. I listed it for a little more than the 18 because Poshmark takes a fee, so hopefully I can break even on the item. I also have been trying to offer free shipping for as many items as I can.
I also added on the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation in the shade 3N. I was so excited to try this item because I had recently tried a new foundation, the one from Yensa, and I was looking forward to comparing them. Also, it’s a brand I’ve heard a lot about.
First off, the packaging is adorable. It’s very luxurious, and it has a textured cap and it’s just really nice looking. When I first looked at it, it seemed far too light for my skin tone in the summer but I thought I could make it work in the winter.
I did do a trial of it though to see about the undertone and texture.
It’s a thicker texture, still watery enough to move but not super slippery at all. It is definitely lighter than my summertime foundation shade but I actually made it work with bronzer.
My cream products blended over this stuff beautifully. It’s a much more matte finish, which is very new to me, but which actually made my other products blend out way more seamlessly. I think because it’s less liquidy, things don’t move as much. I tend to go for more liquid foundations but I like this one a lot.
Since it’s too light for everyday wear, I have actually been mixing it with my Yensa, since that one is slightly more orange than my skin tone. They mix together very well and turn into a nice demi-matte finish on my skin.
My cream products still blend excellently over it, so I’m happy with my current habit of mixing them together. I think once my skin starts to get more fair into fall this will be a really nice one to use. I’m looking forward to it. And to fall.
This foundation retails for $44, and I added it onto my box for $18. And I’m super happy with this, it was a great choice. The deal wasn’t that great compared to all the other deals on IPSY’s add-on shop, but it was still a good purchase.
The next item I added on is the highlight of this entire box – no pun intended. It’s the Illamasqua Beyond Liquid Highlighter in the shade OMG. This is the most incredible liquid highlighter I have ever tried. The formula is lightweight and dries down but not all the way dry, and you need barely any of it at all to achieve a blinding highlight.
It’s like when you’re watching beauty youtubers and they turn their face and you see that🎇😍💗 on their face. And it doesn’t bring out my texture like a lot of powder highlighters do! It’s seriously good. Since I got it I’ve been using it on my cheeks, browbone, inner corner, and nose. And I glow to the gods.
The packaging is a little squeeze tube, not super cute or anything, but easy to use. The product squeezes out smoothly and it’s easy to control the amount, and it comes with a twist-off cap instead of a pump so it doesn’t get gross.
Typically I apply with my fingers and blend and pat it out with a fluffy highlighter brush, and then just like with all my other products I blend it in with the brush I used for my foundation.
This stuff lasts amazing through the day as well, I check it in the mirror when I get in my car to go home and it’s still a sharp highlight.
It’s a very fair color, but I saw on their website that they do have a more purpley shade and a more rosey shade. The one I got is the one that’s more like champagne, and definitely the lightest. I think this purple one would also look great on my skin tone in the winter months when I’m more pale, and there’s this rosy one that I think is a little too deep for my skin tone but would look amazing on medium deep tones I think.
As you can see from the swatch I posted, this stuff is almost opaque it’s so sparkly.
This liquid highlight retails for $31 (when converted from pounds), but I added it onto my box for $12. I would pay $31 for this item. I would absolutely pay that price. No question about it – the fact that I got this for $12 is honestly amazing to me.
The next item I added on is a big first for me, because it’s a fashion item instead of a skincare or bodycare item. It’s the Henny & Lev Danielle Tote Bag in the shade Cognac. I’ve never purchased any accessories from IPSY before, but this one literally had my name on it. Like, there was no way I couldn’t add it.
It’s an adorable little brown purse but it’s big enough for my chromebook, a notebook, a water bottle, and my knitting alongside my airpods and other accessories. The handles are not as long as I’d like, they fit over my shoulder but only if I don’t have much in my purse.
There’s an outside pocket that’s perfect for my sunglasses and an inside split pocket that’s been great for aleve and my phone. The color is really good and neutral and matches a lot of my closet, and the texture of the outside is very smooth.
The inside is textured and a little rough like untreated leather, but I like it. It honestly feels like just a cute, nonchalant bag that I could take anywhere.
It retails for $130 and I added it to my IPSY for $12. Yes, $12. That’s crazy! That’s just actually crazy though. That’s a legit price online.
You can also find them on mercari, poshmark, etc. But still, those are up around the $50 mark, so I honestly know I got an amazing deal. I’ll definitely use this bag a lot.
The last item I added to my bag is the Alo Radiance Facial Serum. I had never heard of this brand, but the packaging and the name of the serum were really interesting to me.
The packaging is a simple white bottle with a dropper top, so you unscrew it and then it’s a dropper for the product. This is nice, I guess, but only because the dropper is a strong one and actually pulls plenty of product out.
The texture is a little stickier than your average serum, but it’ll still move when on the hand. It’s a lot like aloe in texture and slips and slides a lot when applied, but still sinks in well without a residue.
I’ve been using it mostly under my makeup in the mornings, since I have serums I use specifically for the evening, and it doesn’t conflict with any of my other products or pill up. It’s also very cooling, I enjoy using it.
It retails on their website for $68, so getting it for $12 is a steal. I wouldn’t probably buy it at that price, but if it’s available through add-ons again I’ll definitely purchase it.
And then we have a surprise item! I received, somehow, one of the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascaras in my box as well. I neither ordered nor paid for this item, and honestly didn’t like it very much – it’s listed on my Poshmark.
The unit carton is cute, and the actual packaging is nice and heavy. I’ve never really be into Too Faced or their products, but of course this mascara is legendary.
I was a little disappointed though. The actual wand is huge and a little bulky, like almost bigger than my eyes, but the formula didn’t wow me or turn my lashes into falsies like my Beauty for Real does.
It retails for $28 and I got it for freeee so it’s a total steal if someone wants it on my Poshmark. Maybe I’ll be able to recoup some funds here.
And that wraps up my additions to my box this month! Overall it was an extra $72, which isn’t great, but I got a good value for it and will be able to hopefully resell some of these items.
I’m mostly thrilled with the bag, but I am enjoying the skincare and I’m blown away by this highlighter, I’ll try to post some more on Insta with that as the focus.
Thanks for reading! This was the second of three parts, since I got too much stuff this month. Hope you enjoyed!
Dani