I debated whether or not I really wanted to post this month’s bag up, as I was slightly underwhelmed by it. That’s not to say that I disliked it, or thought it was a dud, but compared to the other months, I wasn’t overly impressed. But, like I mentioned in my last post, I decided I had to just jump over that hurdle and write even though I didn’t much feel like it.

This month’s bag is a bright blue teal with black lace flower print. It’s rather pretty. :nod: So, let’s hit the jump and see what I got!

Also, it seems Michelle Phan has released a new makeup line called em. I suppose she’s banking on the fact that new fans won’t remember the iQQU fiasco… With the September ipsy bag, I received a sample of the “Out to Lunch” look from her “Life” palette, which is a palette which can be customized by popping the refill pans in and out.

To be honest, I personally think the palette looks extraordinarily ugly, and most reviews say that the line is overpriced. After hearing about people being harmed by her iQQU line, I declined to even swatch this card. I threw it straight into the trash after taking pictures.

The Cailyn tinted lip balm comes in a pot with a mini lip brush hidden in the handle. This packaging may seem unique at first glance, but I know for a fact that this packaging is actually pretty standard from most packaging wholesalers — I actually received another Cailyn product, the gel eyeliner, in a previous ipsy bag, and it came in this same packaging. I think it’s a novel idea, but I don’t like the idea of shoving a dirty brush back into the holder.
Tinted lip balm is completely the wrong name for this product. It wasn’t a tint; the color was completely opaque like a lipstick. More than that, it felt very uncomfortable on my lips and provided no moisture. It didn’t feel like a balm at all. Very strange.

I also received the J.cat Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp. Honeycrisp apples are sooooo delicious, but I was less entranced with this lipstick. It’s a pale peach nude that totally washes me out and looks horribly mod. Despite that, the formula is rather nice. It is vanilla scented, not unlike a MAC lipstick.

The It’s So Big! mascara seemed to me that it was trying to be a dupe of Benefit’s They’re Real!, complete with stylistic exclamation mark. It has a barbell-shaped wand somewhat like Fairy Drops, but only with one dip instead of two. It doesn’t seem to be waterproof, and provided good volume but failed to hold a curl. This is par for the course, but I can’t use any mascara that isn’t waterproof.

The Jesse’s Girl liquid eyeliner comes in a weighty silver tube, and has a calligraphy brush type tip. You can get a super thin line from it, but it’s rather weakly pigmented (and yes, I shook that thing like a British nanny). I still prefer my Heroine Make liner.

Finally, I received the NYX single eyeshadow in Purple. I’m a big fan of NYX normally, though I’ve found that their single eyeshadows tend to be very hit or miss in quality. Luckily, Purple was great — pigmented, buttery smooth and blended easily. It’s not quite a basic purple — it’s more of a lightened violet with a subtle blue sheen.

And here are the swatches of everything!

Overall, I was happy with the products I received, but none of them were a knock-out to me. The whole bag was just meh, especially compared to my other bags.
In addition, it seems some subscribers received butter London polishes in their bags, which I feel is a bit inequitable — either have a range of high-end products if you don’t have enough for all bags, or just leave it out, you know? :nope: Well, I suppose I shouldn’t complain considering not all ipsy subscribers received the Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in their bag last month.

Anyway, what did you think of this month’s bag? Am I being too harsh for feeling ‘meh’ about it?

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UGH, EXACTLY! Supposedly she grew up rather poor herself, so it seems she ought to have a little empathy…The packaging is just heinous, too. Stahp, Michelle. Stahp. I can’t find any good things to say about the brand, and that’s even before trying it!