Time to talk about the Spring ICON Box! It was a little complicated but I’m mostly really enjoying the stuff I got.
Like we’ve said before, the ICON Box happens every three months, so once a season, and it’s basically a vamped up version of the BoxyCharm (previously Glam Bag Plus). It has a celebrity curator usually, so the marketing is that these are this person’s recommended items, they “curated” the box. And like, fair enough. It’s cool to think that not only is IPSY selecting for you, but also a professional makeup artist or makeup enthusiast had a hand in it too.
This month Anastasia Beverly Hills was the curator, so the first three products are actually from her brand. I guess I don’t mind so much that their favorite products are from their own brand, that’s a smart thing to do. Obviously these curators need to be incentivised, and maybe instead of paying them, IPSY just lets them plug their brands?
But before we talk about ICON, I’d like to briefly give an honorable mention to some of the April products I got from that disaster of a box. Neither the box I received nor the extras I ordered from the drop shop arrived in good condition, but there actually were some products that I’ve been consistently using. I didn’t get photos or swatches because by the time April arrived it was already May and I had zero time to get two boxes done in May.
So I ordered April’s box on the 2nd, and picked my add-ons and everything as well. Then on the 11th I placed another order through the new Mega Drop Shop – which was a little underwhelming. I was hoping after the merge there would be more products and better prices, but actually there were less options and worse pricing. But I tried to find some things I would enjoy and placed that order. Maybe a week later, around the time I’d expect my actual box to arrive, the Mega Drop Shop got here, with a busted open shampoo. Sticky everywhere all over the box and the products.So it’s a metal bottle, not plastic like any other shampoo ever in the world, and it had this hole right through it. And you’d have to try to make a hole like this in this type of bottle, it would have had to make an impact with something sharp and heavy. The pack job in this package was also awful, they threw the items in with shreds of paper, so I’m not surprised that everything came in covered in shampoo.
Anyway, I reached out to support and got refunds for the damaged items, which was fine. The shampoo was usable after I taped it up, but the other products had some damage to their packaging.
Then, around the 23rd, I got tracking for my April box, and got an e-mail saying sorry, your May might be processed and shipped before you get your April. Okay, I get the merger has been a lot, so fine.
Then my box comes in, probably around the 28th, missing a bunch of items. One was the actual item chosen for me, the Ginzing Into the Glow Brightening Serum, which I was really excited for. One was an add-on I was really pumped about, the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in the shade Lemon Lava, which I picked specifically because I didn’t feel like I had enough actual makeup in the box. The other two were a rescue mask from Ren Clean Skincare and the Probiotic Power Whipped Cream by Saturday Skin. I was looking forward to these too because I’ve been desperately needing a new moisturizer and I love cream masks.
So I wrote in and was like hey, I just had an issue with the MDS and now you’re sending me my April box with half the stuff not in here? I want my FENTY. And they were like sorry, we let you know a few weeks ago that one of those items wouldn’t be in your box, we’re sending your Origins, replacing one item, and refunding the other two. You can’t have your FENTY it’s out of stock.
So then when my May box showed up, it came with the Origins serum from April and a random blush palette I do not want from a brand they own that’s I guess supposed to replace the Ren Clean Skincare I was supposed to get >.> Not how I’d have handled that mishap but ok…
So! From the April bag I really enjoyed:
The Ciate London Smiley Lip Mask. My lips aren’t dry all the time since I’ve been using it a few times a week! I can actually put glosses, lipsticks, and most importantly lip liners on without catching on the dry bits of my lips. I also haven’t had any sores on my mouth since I’ve been using it, which I think is because my lips aren’t dry and splitting into wounds.
The YC Collection Bold + Matte eyeshadow primer. This is a great texture, I like it just as much as the one from Love+Craft+Beauty. It does grip a little stronger and I do have to be a little careful going over it with mattes because it holds them tight, but I find that if I apply with a fluffy brush, really light handed, and then go back over with a firmer blending brush the blend is incredible.
The LYS beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer in the shade Harmony. Just a really nice, super melty bronzing cream with a good handle and cute packaging. Also a good shade for me. And that’ll be all for April, I’m really here to spill tea on May.
To preface this a little more, things have been crazy at work and I have not had as much time to dedicate to testing and trying all these products out as usual. That being said I can certainly give my thoughts on the choices and whether they’re good choices for me.
Up first! IPSY chose The Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer in the shade Amber for me. It comes in a little jar, with a lid the color of the product, and I like this packaging a lot. I’m not sure why, but I like this a lot more than compacts that flip up and have cream products inside. It just feels a little more expensive to have it in a little jar.
The product is firm, which is actually my preference over very milky formulas. It warms up on the fingers pretty well, but I typically use a brush, so I’ve been going in and just dotting it around my face where I want it and buffing it out after a minute of sitting.
It blends out very very far – almost too far though? Like eventually just the entire cheek has been covered. I’m not sure if that’s because the application is wrong, like the brush I’m using might just be too wide? I need to play around with other application methods.
Biggest complaint is the shade. It it waaaay too yellowy on my skin, just makes me look like I wore a slightly too yellow foundation in some patches on my face. I’ll only probably be able to use this when I am very very pale.
The next item chosen for me is also from ABH – sensing a pattern – the Magic Touch Concealer in shade 4. Funnily enough, I have already received this, I believe from IPSY, but I’m pretty sure it was just a sample size and an add-on. So I’ll just say I have really enjoyed this concealer, it was definitely very good coverage and it’s a great shade for me, very lightening.
Very cute and easy to use packaging, a win for me, but I won’t get into all of it again 🙂
Next! The pattern continues, but I’m not at all upset; I got the Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette! I know very little about this brand but even I know this palette. It was released in 2016, and I feel like it was so successful, it’s iconic, everyone’s heard about it.
And now I know why.
So the packaging is amazing – the unit carton is a pretty lavender, and feels thick and expensive. Then when you touch the actual palette you realize it has like a velvet cover on it! Like a cloth cover. And it has one of those little satin ribbons that you can use to open and close it.
The palette itself, the color story, is stunning. It’s like if a bright field of flowers were just slightly more warm toned? It’s hard to describe what it reminds me of, but it’s beautiful. I also really like the ratio of mattes to shimmers. There are some really nice very light, middle, and deep mattes as as well as shimmers, but it’s nice that the deepest shades are matte.
I have used it a handful of times and my thoughts are overall positive. Obviously I like the colors, and I think I look better in warm tones on my eyes than cool tones, so most of this palette is very flattering to my eye.
Today, for example, I used Red Ochre, which is a dusty red, in the crease and buffed it out with Burnt Orange – which is a burnt … orange ….
And then I used Vermeer, a bright silver shimmer, in the inner half of the lid to brighten up.
It turned out really pretty, especially the red ochre shade which I felt was just so flattering on my skin. The pigment was off the charts and I’m very glad I started out with a light hand. I had to go back in and blend out with a whole other brush and this time I didn’t blend too far, which I tend to do.
So I like this palette a lot and intend to use it all the time, it’s an excellent formula and the colors are mostly for me.
Next IPSY gave me the Volition Beauty Golden Eye Brightening Serum with Vitamin C and Niacinamide.
This was pretty frustrating at first, as I had to pump it for three or four minutes straight and pump out a ton of air before the product started coming out. But once it did, it was surprisingly good. The formula is thick and creamy, a sort of tan-yellow color, and it took a while to turn translucent on my skin. Under the eyes it felt very cool and refreshing, and I’ve been using it for my morning and evening routine. I like it more for night because it is a little heavier.
I haven’t honestly noticed anything startlingly amazing about it, but it does keep me hydrated throughout the day. The packaging isn’t anything really special, just like a little bottle with a pump. It didn’t wow me.
Last product that IPSY picked for me is from a new brand – like new to me, maybe not new. I don’t know half these brands or when they happened.
Brand is called SKIN INC, and the product is called the Body Sculpt Fit Serum. It comes in a really beautiful bottle, oblong instead of round with a wide cap. It reminds me of the packaging for the Ciate London Dewy Skin Tint, where it’s like thin and a little easier to hold and squeeze.
It’s one of those caffeine moisturizers that’s supposed to help tighten and firm the skin. I’ve seen these before, but the catch is you obviously need to use it consistently to get that effect, although caffeine certainly does have that tightening and firming effect.
I don’t have a ton to say about it – I used it once out of the shower, it went on very smooth and definitely lightweight and serum-esque. I’m not very good about using body products regularly though, so I can’t really say if it works long-term.
It didn’t leave me sticky, which is what I’m looking for in a body serum. Also, it retails for $65, which is absolutely crazy. So I will use it alongside exercise, eventually, to try and get toned again.
On to choices! I chose the following items:
I accidentally chose the Reduit Boost in Lavender Calm, which turns out not to be any kind of relaxing overnight mask or calming supplement, but is actually a small vibrating pod that apparently helps your skincare sink into your skin? Or something? But I didn’t realize and I’ll be honest, I haven’t tried it. It looks scary and unfamiliar and I just haven’t been able to bring myself to use basically a vibrator on my face.
If I do end up giving it a go, I’ll post an update, I promise.
Ok! I also chose the Polishing Facial Exfoliant by Grown Alchemist. This product is wonderful! It’s exactly the right consistency for an exfoliator for my skin.
So the packaging is the same as the other Grown Alchemist bottles, where it’s made of like that hard almost metallic feeling plastic that once you bend it you can’t like unbend it? Do you know what I’m talking about?
That type of packaging is actually really annoying to me, because it’s hard to roll from the top down and make sure all the product is out of the bottle. So it feels like you’ve left a lot in there.
But the actual formula is so nice. It’s those small exfoliating bits that really feel like a polish, and it scrubs really deep. Also, it doesn’t dissolve very quickly in the water that’s already on my face like some other facial scrubs do. I’ve been using it over the last few weeks and I feel incredibly smooth.
Next is the Stripped Nude Skin Tint by Kevin Aucoin. I got it in the shade Light 03, which is going to be a very good shade for my summer skin but in the meantime I need to mix it with my lighter products.
The formula is incredible and it really does feel like a second skin, but more even and soft. It goes on very lightweight and at first I felt like oh no, I’m going to get no coverage, but the light coverage still does a good job and I’ve found that especially when I mix it with my Natasha Denona Foundation X it definitely improves it a little.
I feel very pretty with this foundation on. Like my skin just looks happier, more hydrated, more of everything I want. I will definitely be looking into shade 01 for the wintertime.
It retails for $42 which is higher end but I’m sure I can find it on Poshmark and save some money.
Next up! The Fenty Beauty Bomb Posse Mega Mix + Match Eyeshadow Palette. This was a little underwhelming for me (considering it came in the same shipment as the aforementioned ABH palette). It has a good mix of colors, warm vs cool tones, and all that. But there are a lot of very deep shimmer colors and the two light shimmers are basically the same color. Would have been nice to replace one of these light pinks at the start of the palette with like a sparkly lavender or silver or even a sparkly yellow/lemon.
The mattes are a good mix of tones, good transition colors, and then there are two deeper contour mattes as well. But nothing felt buttery soft like the ABH palette did. The shimmers felt a little dry and like they were more for an understated look. That being said, the first few times I wore the lightest shimmer shade on my lid I actually did get complimented on my eyes.
So I do like it and have used it, but it didn’t make me feel like whooaaaa, another slay from Fenty!
I’ll play around more with the deeper shimmers, but that just isn’t my preference for my eyes so I doubt I’ll have much luck.
Time for Glow Recipe! I’ve been dying to try more of their products. This is the Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist and bitch means ultra-fine, like it’s such a sheer spray it’s hard to feel like you really got enough out of the bottle.
One gripe! The shape of it means you can only set it down with the cap on it. The other end of the product is rounded. So like with a foundation, right, the cap goes on one end and you have the other end which is round and you can put the foundation down to pick something else up. Unless you want to lay this down sideways, you have to put the cap back on it.
That being said, the Kevin Aucoin foundation had this same thing going on…
But! This was the one that bothered me. Because I keep dropping the MFer on the vanity early in the morning when I’m trying to be quiet.
The fragrance and the vibe of the whole this is honestly ethereal, like spraying it just makes me happy. It smells like summertime and chill, like fruit salad and stuff like that.
100% recommend this. I use it with and without makeup, and have used it to set my highlighter, it’s just a really good product and brings joy 🙂
And Fenty Beauty is also up last! I added on the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer in Soft Matte. I have always wanted to try this primer and I’m so glad I did, I enjoy it just as much if not more than the Skin Smoothie from FAB.
It is a gorgeous package. Tall and thin and unassuming and just classic. The pump is very good and disperses a lot of product. This girl has so much product. I have been using it every day since I got it and have barely made a dent in the amount in there, and I use like four pumps each application.
I didn’t think Fenty could outdo themselves with any fragrance after the Fat Water had me in tears searching for a perfume oil with that cherry, but this takes the cake. I can’t even describe it. It smells like warm sugar cookies? Or cake? Or something like that. Makes my mouth water.
The actual formula is very hydrating and feels like somewhere between a gel and a cream moisturizer. It takes a little bit to sink in, but with how it makes my skin feel I have actually just been using it as a primer and moisturizer some mornings. I get a long-lasting application with it, although I wouldn’t say it makes my foundation more mattified. If it does, I haven’t noticed.
Love love love this product, it’s going to be in my top discoveries of the year, I can already tell.
And that’s the Icon Box for May! I’m thrilled with everything I discovered and I’m using a lot of these things daily.
I just placed my order for June! I spoiled myself a little just because it’s my birthday month and the order time was literally on my birthday, so really it was a gift, but I’m looking forward to a lot of the items 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Talk soon,
Dani