Danielle's Beauty Blog

ipsy glam bag boxy charm icon box review november 2024

IPSY is a personalised makeup and beauty monthly subscription service based on your preferences which I have been lucky enough to receive in PR the last couple of months! I thought since this month includes the release of the Icon Box (which comes out every three months), I’d do a quick round up of the subscription!

Once you sign up, you take a Beauty Quiz to determine your preferences including details like hair colour and skin tone as well as how often you want certain products like lipsticks and blush and what shades you prefer. Products included could be anything from makeup brushes to body moisturiser and haircare products to lip gloss so there is a wide variety! You can also go in and update your answers to any of the questions as often as you like! Each month there is a theme, for example October’s was Beauty Nightmares and November’s theme is Glow Off This Winter!

Here’s what I got in this month’s selection!

Glam Bag* – 5 deluxe size samples for $14 USD each month and a cute makeup bag!

Marc Anthony Repair Bond +Rescuplex Leave-In Treatment

Huda Beauty One Coat Wow! Mini Mascara

Anastasia Beverly Hills Crystal Lip Gloss in Glass

Saturday Skin Carrot + Niacinamide Moisturizing Cream

Goldfaden MD Eye Defy Radiance Restoring Eye Treatment

There are quite a few brands I haven’t tried in this month’s selection and I have a couple of weekends away planned so I am most excited to try the Saturday Skin and Goldfaden MD products!

BoxyCharm* – 5 full size products for $30 USD each month!

Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Violet Voss Disco Drip Eye Shadow Palette

Cinta London Aqua Forte Super-Hold Setting Spray

Iconic London Lit & Luminous Baked Highlighter in Universal

Eleman Beauty Liquid Eye Liner

I was so happy to see the Murad cleanser in here, this is a brand I love but I haven’t tried this cleanser before! I probably will pass the Violet Voss palette onto a friend as it's too colourful for me but I appreciate it fits the theme of this month.

Icon Box* – 8 full size products curated by a celebrity (this selection is by Lisa Vanderpump) every 3 months (February, May, August and November) for $60 USD!

Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-in Conditioner

Glow Recipe Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner

Tarte Tartelette Juicy Amazonian Clay Palette

Korres Santorini Grape Volcanic SkinReset Mask

Elemis Skin Buff Deep Cleansing Exfoliator

Polite Society Polite Pout Glossy Lip Balm in Pink Grapefruit

LYS Beauty Speak Love Moisture Matte Lipstick in Sincere

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Smokey Eye Mascara

I’m definitely most impressed with this selection – not surprising since it’s the quarterly celebrity curation! Looking forward to trying out the Amika leave in conditioner, Glow Recipe essence toner and Tarte eyeshadow palette!

ipsy november glam bag boxycharm icon box 2024 review

This has been such a treat to receive each month and for paid subscriptions you can actually choose one product for your Glam Bag, three products for your BoxyCharm and three products for the Icon Box! I’m obviously super grateful I’ve been sent these in PR but as someone who likes to have some control over the products I receive, I love that this is an option! Overall, these are so fun to receive and there is a nice mix of products, so I think if you are looking for a treat or have some disposable income it's a great option!

IPSY offer monthly or annual subscriptions and deliver to Canada, the US and Mexico (Glam Bag only). Shipping is free in the U.S. and Mexico and for Canadian members, Glam Bag shipping is $3.95 USD, BoxyCharm shipping is $6.95 USD, and Icon Box shipping is $9.95 USD.

Do you have any beauty subscriptions? What do you think of this one? Sign up to IPSY here!

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

Danielle xx

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Well, it’s that time of year again! Although it seems to have launched a bit more quietly than previous years, the DECIEM “Slowvember” Sale is back for the month of November and actually running until December 6th - and I’ll assume they will include their yearly “blackout” where they shut down their website on Black Friday! Today I thought I would share what products I currently have in my skincare collection and talk through my recommendations! I have a number of DECIEM skincare posts on my blog as they are one of my favourite brands and I love NIOD in particular. It’s a little pricier than The Ordinary but worth it in my opinion and if you have been eyeing anything up now, this month is the time to get it with the 23% discount! They also have 50% off a couple of NIOD products – my favourite hyaluronic acid MMHC, and the Hydration Vaccine.

deceim the ordinary slowvember sale picks best products

Starting with a couple of The Ordinary picks and you really can’t go wrong with this brand, it’s so affordable yet still gets results! I have been through quite a few of the Squalane Cleanser RRP $26.20 CAD | £14.90 and it’s such a good all-rounder! This is such an effective makeup remover and cleanser, emulsifying from a creamy balm to an oil and removing makeup easily as well as feeling hydrating and never leaving my skin feeling tight! It works just as well as a second or morning cleanser as it’s so lightweight.

The Lactic Acid 10% + HA RRP $12.20 CAD | £8.80 is another gem from The Ordinary! This makes my skin feel much smoother and doubles up as a body serum for me too as it’s so effective on KP on the backs of my arms! It’s also available in a 5% formulation but I prefer the stronger one and don’t experience any sensitivity personally (it contains Tasmanian Pepperberry extract to help reduce irritation and sensitivity associated with acids).

Moving onto some NIOD favourites and before I get into the serums, the Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (SDSM2) RRP $61 CAD | £40 is one of my favourite mists. It acts against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation of the skin. I love the fact it’s antioxidant and my skin feels so calm and hydrated with every use! It’s in a huge 240ml bottle too so I don’t feel guilty using this all over my chest as well as face!

Launching into the rest of the serums now and I’ll start with my absolute favourite – the Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3) RRP $108 CAD | £70. I have been using this on and off since around 2016 and always go back to it. It’s a copper peptide, pro-collagen, pro-repair serum that is watery in texture and blue in colour with a slight scent of vinegar that dissipates very quickly. This sinks in quickly and can be used in the morning and evening, but it is recommended to not use with acids, Vitamin C, EUK, or strong antioxidants. I keep my routine simple when using this serum as it works so well by itself! It maintains healthy looking skin by targeting signs of skin ageing including textural damage, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance and my skin looks and feels much healthier when I use this consistently leaving it more even, clear and firm.

Similarly, the Copper Amino Isolate Lipid (CAIL) 1% RRP $108 CAD | £75 is a copper peptide formula but this one is suspended in squalane so melts into skin and takes on more of a balmy, oil-like feel and it’s designed for evening use. Again, its pro-collagen, pro-lipid and pro-fat and aims for healthy looking skin. It also has the added benefits of building and enhancing skin elasticity. I tend to keep my routine simple with this one as well and use this after cleansing and toning my skin. My skin feels well supported and hydrated overnight and like with CAIS, overall, it looks better and healthier with consistent use. It reduces the look of wrinkles and leaves my skin supple and plump. My personal favourite is still the serum as it fits better into my routine as I can use it both AM and PM. See my full review of CAIS3 and CAIL here!

Modulating Glucosides (MG) RRP $34 CAD | £27 is an emulsion that targets sensitive, irritated skin and encourages a calmer complexion. It supports the skin barrier, encourages hydration and repair and contains oat synthetic analogues, ceramides and purified ginger root to help reduce redness, itching and burning. Despite its viscous appearance, it feels lightweight and sinks in easily - I find the scent a bit like paint though it doesn’t linger. I replied on this a lot while I was on Roaccutane as it was so calming and it is such a comforting, soothing serum. Definitely a great one to have in your stash!

Lastly, Survival 0 (S0) RRP $30 CAD | £22 is an antioxidant, reparative serum targeting damage caused by environmental stressors like pollution, smog and blue light. It also comes in 10, 20 and 30 versions which offer some SPF protection as well but I use this at night and let it work its magic. It’s a lightweight, orange-y serum that absorbs easily and has a faint herbal scent. Over time, this reduces photo damage and I have noticed my skin tone is healthier overall. It also feels hydrating (it includes glycerin and squalane) and layers well with other skincare! MG and S0 have their own dedicated blog post here!

I honestly can’t recommend DECIEM skincare enough, both NIOD and The Ordinary have so many amazing products and if you have been eyeing anything up, now is the best time to get it with the 23% off! As DECIEM say though, don’t rush and only buy what you need! Honourable mentions to some of my other favourite NIOD products that I don’t have in my stash at the minute include the Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2), Sanskrit Saponins, Flavanone Mud and the Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum.

On my list to buy this year are the newer Ordinary Cleansers, bodycare and the lip balm! Will you be buying anything?