Another great month for ipsy!  I was a little worried this month, because many of the products from the sneak peeks were things I have in excess.  Not only did they spice things up this time, but there are some much needed things here.  Pore lotion, blow dry creme, a highlighter pencil?  You rock, ipsy!  Let’s see the breakdown.

Dr. Brandt Skincare, Pores No More Anti-Aging Mattifying Lotion – (full-size 1.7oz 60.00) ipsy sample 0.26 oz. $9.18  Are you even serious right now?!  This makes me so happy.  Now technically there’s no way to actually shrink pores. You can firm up the skin around them, minimize the oiliness, and fill them with non-clogging primers.  This lotion has those things covered.  The description on the website gives bizarro details on how exactly this stuff is supposed to combat the effects of aging, so I’m hoping they’re onto something with the apple stem cells.  The full size is $60, and I’d be very unlikely to purchase that without testing it out.  I’m prepared to be very surprised.  I would love for this to be just what my pores need, but I anticipate 3 out of 5.

Sexy Hair, HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal Creme Oil – (full-size 4.2 oz. $22.95) ipsy sample 1 oz $5.46 This is a brand I’ve heard great things about, but I typically don’t spend this much money on hair products.  When I started getting ipsy bags in November, I had little use for heat style protection.  My short hair could easily towel dry.  That’s not the case lately.  It will be very beneficial to moisturize and protect my hair while I’m busy trying out new styles.  I predict 4 out of 5, because my hair isn’t totally wrecked, so it will be hard to see any huge improvements.  Again, I reserve the right to be surprised.

NYX Cosmetics, Butter Lipstick (Colors: Hunk, Little Susie, or Pops) full-size $6 You could say I have solid expectations from this lipstick.  NYX is a well-established favorite brand, and I tried out the Butter Lip Balm in a previous month.  It had more pigment than I expected from a balm, so I expect even more from the lipstick with a more matte, longer-lasting coverage.  Little Susie is the color most like the last NYX product I received, but I will be happy with any of the three.  After using the lip balm, I gave it 3 out of 5, so I’ll keep that score as my lipstick prediction.  It can be higher with a more even texture.

Chella, Ivory Lace Highlighter – full-size 1.4g $18.00 Turns out this is something I was ready to buy soon.  I love versatility.  In fact, I was so dissatisfied with my local store’s absence of any sort of cream contour that I bought a matte eyeshadow stick in a perfect contour shade.  What better compliment than a highlighter pencil?  If it’s as versatile as the product description says, it’s a 5 of 5.

MARSK, Mineral Eyeshadow – (Colors: Pretty Penny or 50 Shades) full-size 1.2g (.04oz) £14.49 -($22.11) I’m already blown away that the ipsy size is the full-size product, especially at this price.  I checked and double checked my conversions.  Each month, I get a sort of nude eye product, and there were a few things in this month’s lineup that I was just certain I’d get.  I did not expect this, and it makes me so happy!  Either color will be wonderful.  Silvery grey or rich copper, I don’t care; I’m ready to give this 5 out of 5 already!

Total value: $60.75; ipsy price: $10

Last month could have been my best bag if it weren’t for the ‘Tini Beauty shadow being totally invisible.  This month, I’m getting color and utility.  Dat wholesale discount tho, right?  I can hardly believe the value of this bag.  Will I get nothing but drugstore products in April?  Glam Bag karma is set to snap back after this set.  Either way, the bag is always worth more than $10, so I highly recommend a subscription.

Check back later this month to see my reviews!