Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Style > Beauty

IPSY Bag Review: Every College Beauty Lover’s BFF

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FIT chapter.

Subscription boxes are one of the hottest trends going right now as everyone is staying at home more often due to the pandemic. During quarantine, I missed being able to go shopping and try out new products, so I decided to look into subscription services to fill that void.

My two main interests have always been fashion and beauty, so I had an idea of what I was ultimately looking for. Once I did some research, I narrowed it down to three services to choose from FabFitFun, Birchbox, and IPSY. During my research period, I was at a friend’s house when she received her IPSY subscription in the mail. Watching her unbox, I knew this was perfect for me! If you are reading this, this is a sign for you too!

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by IPSY (@ipsy) on

IPSY is a $12 monthly beauty subscription. Each month you will receive a “Glam Bag” that includes 5 different beauty products adding up to a $50 value. The Glam Bags include a mix of makeup, skincare, hair care, nail products, and fragrance, all depending on your preferences. In advance, you are allowed to choose one product each month, the rest are a surprise! IPSY has a long list of retail partners, many of them are name brand and well recognized.

Each bag is completely personalized! Upon signing up, you will take a quiz that is very specific and tailors to your wants and needs. It asks what colors and shades you prefer of each beauty item, and how often you would like to receive specific products over others. I was so impressed with how detailed it was!

There are several other features to IPSY. One being you can choose to purchase add-ons products starting out at $3. IPSY also offers the Glam Bag Plus option for $25 a month, and the Glam Bag Ultimate for $50 a month. Lastly, IPSY offers discounts on the beauty brands they partner with! This is super helpful if you receive a product that you love and want to re-purchase!

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by IPSY (@ipsy) on

I absolutely love IPSY and am so happy I subscribed! I was very impressed with how detailed the quiz was based on my beauty preferences because I am picky. I do have a wide range of beauty products that I love and want to stick to using, so the quiz helped me narrow down what I would like to receive instead of products I will not use. The actual bags they come in each month are adorable and I find them useful for so many other things beyond storing beauty products. On top of that, I have received many wonderful products that I would have not thought to try beforehand. Some of my favorite products I have received include Tarte mascara, a hair mask by BRIOGEO, Murad moisturizer, and a Lip Crayon by Kiss & Smink. 

Overall this is the perfect subscription package for any college student as it is affordable and has great products for every preference!

Alexis Kalil is a senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology studying Fashion Business Management and English. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, photography, watching Netflix, and traveling.