It's time to go back to school, prep school that is! The houndstooth pattern Ipsy chose for this month's Glam Bag is more than just a throw-back to the 90s, it's the first in a collection of products that could be a blast from the past. Bright, shiny gloss. Neutral lips. Jet-black eyeliner. Lots of eyeshadow. But are the products as good as the theme? Read on!

What Is Ipsy?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty box subscription that customizes your monthly offerings to your beauty profile. Unlike several other subscription boxes that CLAIM they do the same thing, Ipsy usually has 20+ different products every month so you're more likely to have customized options than boxes that only have 5-10 products in their rotation. Also? Ipsy focuses more on makeup products, which is great because I'm tired of all the skincare products I was receiving from other boxes. Ipsy costs $10, + $4.95 for shipping. But the catch for Canadians is that it's charged in USD so this box can be anywhere from $18-20 depending on the dollar. They do offer points for reviews on their website though, so you can build up to redeem for more products.

What I Received In My Ipsy August 2015 Glam Bag:

Hikari Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Salsa
I was prepared to dislike this product, because the packaging reminded me of all those generic lip glosses out there that are streaky, and goopy with no colour payoff. But Hikari is different. The lip gloss is sticky, but less than glosses by Bite for example, and the colour payoff is AMAZING. Salsa is this great, bright berry red that screams pin-up and also classic at the same time. I love it. It also TRANSFORMS depending on the lip liner beneath it. I built it upon this months Lord & Berry lip liner and it resulted in a much more burgundy pout which also rocked my world. (Keep reading.)
Cost?$13 for full-size from Hikari Cosmetics

Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Blow Dry Spray
This stuff works about as well as any other volumizing spray, in that it can add a bit of volume but can also make the hair a touch sticky. But the one thing it has going for it is the GORGEOUS smell. It reminds me of the citrusy 90s perfume like Clinique Happy or Gap Day. It's a total throwback and I love spritizing this on my hair after a shower.
Cost?$23 for full size from Sephora.

Marsk Eyeshadow Brush
A bit of a more structured brush than what I'm used to (I use a lot of brushes with softer bristles) but it seems to be ok. I really don't know what else to say about it. It's a good, average brush.
Cost? $26 but I don't think it's worth it.

Starlooks Pro Luxe Longwear Eyeliner Pen
Just when I think Starlooks is gone, it comes back to haunt me. I don't know how they get into every beauty box, except for the fact that they MUST just give tons of product to the companies. While the pen works rather well to draw a neat line, you need to be careful because this eyeliner is a bleeder. It does dry neatly but then it takes a real scrub to get it off. Unneccessarily wet upon application, and too dry upon removal. Just spend a few more dollas for Kat Von D.
Cost? $19, but no.

Lord and Berry Nude Lipliner
I swatched this lipliner on my hand the second I took it out of the bag and was dismayed at how DARK it appeared on my skin! Normally, I don't use non-transparent lip liners but for some reason, I decided to give this one a shot and THANK GOODNESS. The liner runs really smoothly, doesn't pull on the lips, and is very easily built upon. It really deepens and darkens a bright colour, helping transition bright lippies into Fall, as well as giving some structure to a neutral lip.
Cost? $18 at Lord and Berry online.

The Prep School Bag
I love this bag! Houndstooth is always a fantastic pattern no matter the decade. And the hot pink zipper and lining adds a modern touch. It's a good size to tuck in my bag to make sure I've always got some emergency makeup on hand.

The Verdict?

August was a bit of an average month, which is probably why it took so long for me to write this. There's no OBVIOUS hit like Too Faced or Tarte, but I was happy with the Hikari Lipgloss, the Lord & Berry Liner (which I NEVER would've purchased myelf) and gorging myself on the scent of the Briogeo. I could REALLY do without Starlooks though, ugh that brand. But I'll take a 3/5 this month.

Do you subsribe to Ipsy? You can sign up for Ipsy with my referral code here!