About Ipsy
Ipsy is a company that was created to provide answers where beauty questions are concerned. The beauty market is certainly flooded with a host of endless products. All products claim to work impeccably, and as a consumer of beauty products, you are bound to get confused. To mitigate this problem, Michelle Phan founded Ipsy. This is a service that allows users or members to choose the ideal beauty products to fit their individual needs. Michelle came into the lime light thanks to her extensive beauty resource content on YouTube.
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Her video tutorials have been able to guide countless women on how to choose the right products. Moreover, she guides people on how to use the products correctly to attain optimal beauty. At Ipsy, Michelle works with a team of able stylists to provide you with an assortment of beauty products. They do all the groundwork so that your choices can be simplified. This service works in a unique way and this article will delve into the details in this regard.
Quick Facts: Ipsy is a beauty product retailer which sends a package of makeup samples to its members every month for a price of just $10.
Is It Ipsy Or Glam Bag?
If you haven’t heard of Ipsy before, then don’t be surprised: the company was initially called Glam Bag, but recently rebranded itself to Ipsy after receiving negative reviews online.
When Glam Bag launched, customers complained about shipping problems, duplicate payments, missing products, and all sorts of other problems. These complaints scared away new users, so a rebranding made sense.
But is Ipsy just a rebranded face on an inferior product? Or is Ipsy everything Glam Bag should have been – offering 70% discounts on premium makeup and a powerful collection of products for just $10 per month? Let’s find out in our Ipsy review.
How Does Ipsy Work?
As hinted to above, this service works in a unique way to give every member personalized care and attention. To access the service, you can visit their website and become a member by subscribing. After this, you will get your first Glam bag full of luxurious beauty samples. These are actually full-sized beauty products. Then, watch video tutorials by Michelle and the team of stylists to know exactly how to use them. When you subscribe, it will cost you only $10 a month to get all the products you need on a regular basis.
4 Steps To Using Ipsy
Here’s how Ipsy works:
Step 1) You go to Ipsy website and click the “Join” button
Step 2) You fill out a quiz asking you about your skin tone, skin color, eye color, makeup preferences, brand preferences. Finally, you enter your name and email address and you’re officially signed up.
Step 3) After signing up for your free account, you can enjoy a number of unique benefits. You can watch product tutorials from Ipsy stylists and sample “amazing products tailored to you.” You can also save 70% on members’ only offers.
Step 4) Many people sign up to enjoy the Glam Bag subscription program, which sends a package of 4 to 5 different makeup products to your address every month for a small $10 per month subscription fee.
That’s it! $10 per month doesn’t seem like a lot to pay for a bag of brand new makeup every month. However, keep in mind that you receive 4 to 5 sample-sized products (although you’ll occasionally get 1-2 items that are full sized).
Your makeup products are personalized based on the beauty profile you filled out when you signed up for Ipsy – including your skin tone, eye color, brand preferences, etc.
How To Get A Custom Glam Bag
When you are new to the service, you will get some samples that you can try out. To order your custom Glam Bag, you will need to take a simple beauty quiz. This custom approach will ensure that you get beauty products that suit your skin tone, special needs, and other personalized elements. Below is a look at the 2 minute beauty quiz that you will answer to get a bag of suitable beauty products. The first question will seek to know your skin tone. Using beauty products that do not match your skin tone can be detrimental to your beauty endeavors. For the skin tone, you can choose from fair, light, and medium to tan, olive, dark, and deep.
If you are not sure about your skin tone, look at some video tutorials by Michelle Phan and get some idea in this respect. The next question will be the color of your eyes. Beauty products must bring out your eyes effectively to have the proper look. Eye color choices include amber, gray, violet, green, blue, hazel, and brown, among many others. The next important factor when creating your custom beauty Glam Bag at Ipsy is the color of your hair. The color options are red, gray, white, black, dark brown, light brown, blonde; the list goes on and on.
Also in the beauty quiz, you have to answer how comfortable you are with makeup. If you rarely do makeup and do not really know how to do it properly, choose the option given that states you are not very comfortable. For those who like makeup but cannot get it done the right way or would like more guidelines, you can indicate that you are somewhat comfortable with makeup. There is another category of people who never leave the house without looking glamorous. This is the category of people who are very comfortable with makeup. No matter where you are, answer the question accurately.
The beauty quiz will then give you a list of beauty brands and ask you which ones you might like. You can also indicate brands you would love to try out. The list of beauty brands given is long, including Glossire, L'oreal, essie, bareminerals, benefit, elf, smashbox, Tom Ford, Josie Maran, and many others. After you have chosen some preferred brands, the next step is to choose the types of makeup you love most. You could choose eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, lip gloss, primer, lip liner, lipstick, powder, blush, tinted moisturizer, highlighter, bronzer, and others. Indicate the elements that you love most in this category.
The next question in the quiz is to choose your favorite skincare and hair care products. You can also choose nail care products. The options are cleanser, mask, exfoliant, face oil, eye treatment, serum, acne cream, body scrub, lotion, hair treatment, hair styling, and many more. Simply give your areas of focus when it comes to your daily beauty routine. The next step is to indicate the types of shades you would prefer for the above beauty products. For eye shadows, you can choose from an array of options including smokey, blues, neutrals, greens, plums, and adventurous shades.
The eyeliner shade options are brown, black, plum, gold, bronze, and adventurous. For the lips, you can choose reds, neutrals, berries, and others. Nail polish shade options are also many, and they include dark, pastels, berries, reds, and neutrals. For blush, choose shades such as peaches, mauves, pinks, neutrals, and adventurous kinds. The next step in your custom beauty Glam Bag quiz is to choose the types of fragrances you would prefer in your beauty products.
You can choose spicy, floral, fresh, and earthy tones. For spicy tones, you can have clove, nutmeg, saffron, and cinnamon. If you like fresh tones, bergamot, aquatic, lemongrass, and citrus are good options. If you choose to go floral, you will find gardenia, violet, rose, and jasmine fragrances. Amber, cedar, patchouli, and sandalwood are your options when you go for the woodier earthy fragrances.
Those who would like caramel, cacao, vanilla, and honey tones can choose the gourmand category. The next question in the beauty quiz is to indicate where you like to shop for beauty products. It could be Target, Macy's, Nordstroms, Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, QVS, or HSN, among others. The next step is crucial and it has to do with concerns that you may have with your skin. It could be acne and blemishes, dryness, hyper pigmentation, redness, fine lines and wrinkles, oiliness with large pores, and more. If you have more than one skin concern, it is wise to indicate them clearly.
Then, you will need to describe your hair. Does it need volume, is it dry and damaged, or do you have extreme curls? Some will have split ends while contending with frizzy hair. Choose from the options given carefully for accuracy. The next and final step is to provide some information like email, age, and to create a password for your account. Before creating your profile, you will need to read the user agreement so that you can know the terms and conditions for the service.
Before you subscribe, you will be given a list of subscription options where you can pay monthly, for 3 months, and even yearly. Choose a plan that suits you best. Starting with the $10 monthly option is the way to go when you are new to Ipsy. Keep in mind that the plan will renew automatically and can be canceled at any time. You can pay using Paypal or a credit card. The shipping is free and you can wait to receive your Glam Bag that is customized for you personally.
Ipsy Versus Birchbox and Other Makeup Subscription Services
Ipsy and Birchbox are the two biggest players in the “monthly makeup subscription” niche. Both services charge $10 per month and both send 4-5 sample products to your address every month in a small bag.
Birchbox arrives in a box, while Ipsy arrives in an envelope with a bag inside. Some people like the fact that you get a makeup bag with every Ipsy order, while others don’t need more makeup bags.
The two services are very similar in most ways but one: they give you different types of products. Birchbox typically delivers skin care and body care products, while Ipsy Glam Bags contain almost exclusively makeup.
A typical Ipsy bag will contain all of the following products:
— Gel Liner With An Included Brush
— Eye Shadow
— Lip Liner
— Blush
— Eyeliner
— Eye Cream And Moisturizers
Each bag is different, and each Ipsy customer gets a different bag every month. Most people won’t use every single product in their bag, and it’s not unusual to throw out one or two products after sampling them just once.
The point of Birchbox and Ipsy isn’t to get a monthly supply of the makeup you need: it’s to discover new makeup and products that you might like.
Ipsy Offers
This company offers its clients great products with highly discounted prices. People can access these offers every week day at 9 AM PT. From nail polish to cleansing foam and contour palates, you will discover a host of excellent products. The company also has great brand offers where you get up to 30% discounts on brands like clariSEA, CLE, Nomad cosmetics, Sanrio, Chelle, and more.
Ipsy Community
Ipsy has a thriving community of members who converge on various online platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, among others. This is a fun place where people can share all things beauty and much more. The site recommends a certain code of conduct to ensure that proper order is maintained. Therefore, if you are not sure of what to do in the Ipsy community, below is a guideline in this regard.
- Members of the community are casually referred to as Ipsters. Every Ipster must accord every member their respect. To this end, putting down others with nasty comments is frowned upon. In the end, when you give respect, you will be accorded the respect back. There is no room for profanity because Ipsters come from all spheres of society. To fruitfully engage in this community, you must have respect for others.
- Another tenant that is required is positivism. Being positive ensures that all criticism is constructive and not meant for negative purposes. This is not to say that all feedback should be positive. It is simply a call to make sure that people ask and comment with the right intention.
- In the community, members are required to help each other. Those who are struggling with certain beauty problems should find a knowledgeable community that is willing to provide practical solutions. This way, the community maintains its intelligence and fun.
- If you have things to share like videos, photos, and looks that are beauty-related, this is the ideal platform to do it. It is important to make sure that you share content that is yours or that has been acquired through permission. This is the sure way to bolster utmost inspiration.
At the Ipsy community, there are things that should be avoided. Spam content is one of them. Promotional links from competitors should not be posted. Cruelty, rudeness, and intolerance are other vices that this community seeks to avoid. Personal information like phone numbers, email, and home addresses should not be posted. This is to ensure the safety of every member. Some people like to impersonate others in the community and this is greatly discouraged. Other things to avoid are using trickery or fraud to win giveaways or competitions.
In essence, the Ipsy community is a beauty platform that prides itself in offering Ipsters a safe place to express themselves. This community is a crucial part of the company and it is really at the fore of its business plan. It is all about engaging the clientele to offer worthy, lasting beauty solutions.
Benefits Of Using Ipsy Products
There are many benefits of using the products sold by Ipsy, and the following highlight will show some of them.
- First, the consumer will buy products that have been tried and tested in the market. This is because Ipsy has a team of stylists who know exactly how the products work. If you fear using new cosmetics for the possible ill effects, this is a good platform to start. The products come in very high quality from well-known leading brands.
- Ipsy gives you products that are effective. There is really no point in buying a product that is safe but will not give you the results that you need. From skincare products to hair care, you will get products that make a difference in your beauty. These are products that actually work and this give you full value for your money.
- Ipsy does not sell all products to all people. This means that one product might not be suitable for everyone. Therefore, they give you a chance to customize your products. By answering a simple beauty quiz detailed above, you will arrive at the most suitable cosmetics for your needs. From skin concerns to eye color and skin tone, we are all different. Ipsy products are therefore highly customized to answer your individual needs.
- Ipsy is a one stop shop for all your beauty needs. They sell skincare products, cleansers, nail care products, eyeliners, eye shadows, lipstick, mascara, creams, lotions, blush, bronzers, contour powders, acne creams, and more. You want to cater to all your beauty needs in one place for optimal convenience. Ipsy delivers this very well.
- Beauty products do not have to cost an arm and a leg. To this effect, this company has given you flexible options to make sure you get discounted products at very fair prices. As alluded to above, you can subscribe for $10 monthly to get all the beauty products you need. They are shipped free of charge to your delight. In addition, the company has great offers on different brands. You can get excellent discounts to save on your overall beauty bill.
- The team behind Ipsy is made up of passionate beauty experts and stylists. To this effect, they are not just selling you products; they are giving you worthy beauty advice so that you can attain the highest level of elegance in this regard. This is an added advantage compared to those who are just selling products without the passion and know-how.
- This company has a vibrant community of members online. From the website to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. This community is able to share resources with fellow members for better knowledge where beauty matters are concerned. This is also a community where members can share passions, inspiration, and experiences. It goes beyond beauty to give a deeper purpose that brings people together.
- Ipsy.com is a very easy site to navigate. With a simple interface and clear guidelines, you are able to create your custom bag in no time. Payment methods are also convenient. This goes a long way in making the customer or user experience impeccable.
- When you are an Ipsy member, you get to earn points that you can redeem for wonderful beauty products for your Glam Bag. This is a valuable incentive that seeks to give you more for less.
Are There Any Risks Or Downsides To Ipsy Products?
When you are creating your Glam Bag at Ipsy, it is imperative for you to provide accurate information. This is to ensure that you get products that promote your beauty and don’t harm it. For example, if you have acne and blemish prone skin, you must indicate this clearly to avoid products that can make the problem worse. Therefore, if you provide incorrect information on the beauty quiz, you can suffer risks that come with using the wrong products. There are no other downsides to speak of.
Conclusion: Who Should Try Ipsy?
Ipsy is certainly an edgy, electric, and inviting platform that is all things beauty. They collaborate with a host of beauty brands to give the customer an unparalleled solution to their glamorous needs. If you are new to makeup or simply want to take your prowess to a higher level, this is the right place for you. It is a learning platform as much as it is a shop to buy all your favorite cosmetics. Take advantage of all the beauty tutorials by the founder Michelle Phan, as well as the other members of the team.
Learn how to do makeup perfectly while steering clear of the major pitfalls. Learning to do makeup the right way never stops, and you have to keep upping your game. This platform gives you a unique opportunity even through its community to explore more about beauty. Users who have any questions can get answers easily through the feedback tools on the site and online community pages. This company is highly recommended to all people who love glamour and beauty.
Ipsy works in a similar way to other monthly makeup subscription packages: you get a monthly supply of makeup for just $10. That makeup is customized based on a beauty profile you filled out. You’ll like some of the products, but not all of them.
For $10, you get beauty products delivered to your front door every month. That price point is tough to beat: even if you don’t like some of the products, you’re not losing a lot of money by throwing them out.
If you’re looking for an easy way to sample new types of makeup and skin care products, then Ipsy may be the makeup subscription service for you.
If I order today will they charge on the first
I LOVE IPSY–ALWAYS ARRIVES EARLY, NICE PRODUCTS! AWESOME!
Good ispy I have tried on several attempts through email to get some one to respond to in December I
Signed up for a monthly bag its going to March I have yet to receive a bag but you gladly took my money I want out I want My $20 return to my account ASAP I hope to hear from some one soon your I will have to go BBB thank you my friend says it worked for her wish things were different
If you do a 1year subscription how many products come in the one a year bag? And do you still get the cosmetic bags like you would every month?
I love ipsy!! I waited SO long to sign up because of all the negative comments and overly dramatic folks. I love my bags. My so called ‘waitlist’ was no longer than a minute. I immediately shared a post to my fb(private it) and sent a message to myself. Voila! There’s no such thing as big time spamming. I’ve gotten a mixture of blushes, eyeshadows, mascara, lipsticks and face oils! Fantastic quality. They last a long time for me and I use them almost every day. The ‘sample’ sizes are not an issue for me. I also switch up my profile every month to see what I can get from them. I like the surprise. They always ship mid-month.. Around the 10th and it arrives on the 13th!! if it doesn’t fall on a weekend. So quick! I also live in the midwest. Idk if that makes a difference. I hope people give them a chance! Don’t let a couple of bad eggs deter you. Keep an open mind.
You sign up and WHAM! Placed on a waitlist that forces you to spam people to get off of. This is AFTER you’ve given Ipsy your credit card/payment info.
There is NO customer service line, nor refunds. Emails are automated & do not address your issue. Facebook page comments are answered by 2 women, who I suspect are employees, in an incredibly rude manner. Tweets are ignored. If you try to email them again, after being ignored, you get bumped to the end of the line- regardless of how long you’ve been waiting for a response.
Ipsy is quick to take your money on the 1st, but slow to ship. Shipping is done in three batches. You may not get your bag for the month in THAT month, or at all. Shipping estimates & actual shipping dates change constantly, getting further out each time. Any inquires are met by the same bot response about the shipping being done in 3 batches, regardless of your actual question or how late your bag is.
You DO get to “peek” into your bag & see what you’re getting (that is, IF you get it), only to find that your beauty preferences are completely ignored by the company.
My one & only bag, which never arrived, didn’t even have makeup in it, just mascara & a highlighter stick. The rest appears to be the type of samples you get in the mail.
When you go to cancel your service, the buttons you must click are purposely misleading, but even worse- your purchase history & shipping info for any bag you’ve yet to receive are completely wiped clean. Be sure to screenshot & copy down all this information prior to cancelling your subscription!
Ipsy is terrible & I would recommend it only to someone I hated.
Ipsy absolutely does NOT use the profile. I’ve never haD eyeliner, brushes or hand lotion marked and I get tons of it. The last 3 months the bags have been horrible. They have soiled us, and then it went downhill badly. 3 of my last 4 bags have had black liner pencils. My July bag had lotion, eyeliner pencil, and yet another useless brush!! Three of the things I keep getting not on my profile that I usually only get one of at a time. I keep saying if the next bag is this bad, I’m canceling. I keep hoping the old ipsy will come back!!
I’ve been with Ipsy for 2 years. And I’m still happy to get my bags. They have beauty quiz that lets them know what kind of products you like the most, which works for me .I have retaken the quiz and my bags contain has changed. Of course, nobody can guarantee you won’t receive something you don’t like, but it’s absolutely normal, since it’s still sample service. The quiz is a guide for them, but they have to work with products featured. Their points system is great, I was able to get full size Benefit Cha Cha tint,Too Faced Born This Way foundation and Better Then Sex mascara and many more. Also they have this Sneak Peak thing, it feels like surprise every month, keeps you excited! They send a lot of full size products, sometimes it’s high end, sometimes drug store (i don’t see anything terrible in drug store brands). Sometimes you’ll get brands that have never heard about (we’re here to try new things and play around, aren’t we?) Plus products come with a cute cosmetic bag, you can always give them to somebody or keep it all for yourself. Whole concept is just awesome. If you do use all type of make up products, if you’re open for trying different shades, if you do understand that it’s a sample service you’ll be happy with Ipsy as much as i am. $10 a month. It’s totally worth it!
How to order a product you really like?
I did not revive my bag for June
Love the glam bags
I would like to know the initial cost, the first payment?
$10 if you’re doing month to month. They usually take out payment on the first of every month, if you go that route.
Please reply.
My info has changed and I need to update my info. How do I go about it…….I miss my products
Go to the ipsy site and sign in here will be a option to update any info needing to be updated