I canceled my IPSY subscription. 16 months later I got a notification that IPSY charged me for something. I go to my old account and see they were sending another Glam Bag to my former address. I updated my address and then contacted them. I provided proof of previously cancelling my subscription along with their confirmation of the cancellation and explained I didn't authorize this charge. They argued with me that by updating my address a full day after they charged me I gave consent for the charge. They said interacting with their site gave them permission to reactivate my account and charge me, and it didn't matter that they charged me prior to my interaction. Eventually they refunded me and cancelled the new unauthorized subscription, but the idiocracy I had to go through to get them to do that was insane.
Wow…. I came from boxycharm and it’s only been like 6 months and the amount of emails between cust service and I well ….. buuuut my icon box is free for nov cause it was free for august and I never received it the first time ever in 4 yrs I was with boxy …..but I have too say that if you keep at it and at this point I’m on a first name a basis lol jk they really try too make up for their screw ups….. i miss the palettes that we for tho from boxy …. They were killer and high end …. Like the iconic London palette ours was made in Italy like most of their products until it’s for us and then they’re made in china ….. bastards!!!! Lol So I’m by lad that things needed well for you ….. you shudda kept pushing and prob gotten months of free boxes lol …. I’ve gotten two so far lol in 6 months of being with Ipsy lol
Yeah.. doesn’t surprise me. Lots of people have stories like that. For me I repeatedly canceled my subscription just to be charged for the next month. I’d call customer service again and they’d say it must not have “gone through” even though I had the confirmation email, and we’d do it all again with them saying the one I just paid for would be my last bag. They immediately purchased shipping when they charged me so if I wanted to cancel the bag I’d have to pay that shipping and get nothing, so I was like okay fine. Finally after like 5 months of this I contacted paypal to block any charges from Ipsy and they did. I then kept getting emails saying my Ipsy subscription was canceled bc payment failed, for another 3 months at least. So clearly not?? And why I wanted to cancel in the first place was the products I was getting were almost all samples I could’ve gotten for free/cheap at Sephora, it was mostly skin and hair care when I said I ONLY wanted makeup, and the makeup products were almost always in the wrong shades for my skintone.. Almost everytime I listed those reasons off when canceling, I was told to just update my beauty profile instead of canceling. I was like, that’s literally what I already have, you guys are just disregarding it. Ipsy is a terrible company all around
I think it’s weird that they would put products in their advent calendars that skin tone specific. If they are going to do that, they should give you a skin tone option to choose from when you purchase the advent calendar.
So true! And products for multiple different skin tones, which means they know that the opposing product will absolutely be unusable by the customer. I can't figure out the logic of the people putting it together? Actually, yes I can. It's a scammy cash grab.
They always offer a “free gift” for signing up, valued at $75. Well, they’ve been sending people an expired Beauty Blender foundation in a shade equivalent to coffee. It’s also been in the shop for like $9 for over a year now. It’s turning into a scam
I stopped my subscription partly after the Tarte Concealer incident (plus it just felt super cheap and not at all catered to your interests as they’d claimed). Im a very pale girl and got a medium brown concealer sample and in the reviews for that particular bag, they’d sent quite a few darker skinned customers the shade someone like MYSELF SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN.
Just for funsies, I decided to create my own 25 piece Ipsy "calendar." I easily curated one that was worth $640 and only cost $112. The AUDACITY of Ipsy charging $150 for their box!
I have no idea why companies still do this. It just makes them look bad in my opinion. It's a huge sign flashing "this is how much we failed to scam from you"
This just drives home a thought I've been having the past several years: the whole idea of "regular price" is a scam. A Pat McGrath Mothership palette is $173 here in Canada. That's regular price. But those palettes are always going on sale. If they are always on sale, they are not actually worth $173 and never were. That number exists to make the sales look good. I'm just going to spend the money I feel comfortable spending on exactly what I want.
I agree about the beauty boost, but it made my box so expensive. Especially when I was getting the icon. So I ended up just canceling. I was getting maybe 3 things every few months I liked and everything else was trash. It's good for people that are reselling the excess, which is what everyone seems to do
You and Alexandria Ryan are getting me through one of the worst months of my adult life with these reviews. Thank you for the lolz, they’re much needed xx
I'm going through it too & these are oddly comforting. I truly hope that you are doing better and that things get easier for you and everyone else too. I missed these bc I just found this channel & so glad I did!!
I love when YTers do these advent calendar unboxings because they look like so much fun & yet you usually buy it for a family member or friend thinking that this is something they are going to LOVE! But from what I’ve seen most advent calendars suck. Sadly, brands seem to put a lot more value into the “opening the daily surprise” rather than “giving people the value promised”. It’s a real bummer when brands do us dirty like this.
Just want to reiterate how much I appreciate your frugality. I love that you still get boxy (even tho, w PR too, you must be swimming in product lol) and, even though you've had a collab & are likely making some real money, you still value your own dollars & encourage us to do the same. I see a lot of youtubers become very casual about insane levels of spending, or change their definition of "affordable" when they want to get more luxury PR & be known for that content (am NOT thinking of anyone specific btw, just a general trend), and it's very offensive to us poors - and it encourages brands to keep overpricing. Lauren Mae, you really do provide me actual measurable value thru your content & very solid research work (which isn't super fun to do in bulk, I know), and I really appreciate your work!
I’m dying to see THIS one as someone who got glam bag+ for years too long. Lauren, I’m absolutely loving this series. So fun to watch. The cult, selfridges, etc video was sooo cool cuz I always wonder & they were great!! Such a fun series idea. 💜
What I appreciate about this advent calendar is that is has more makeup and isn't 80% skincare like the other calendars are. I like skin care, but don't need 50 million skin products
Loving the advent calendars series! Honestly what me and my mom do every year is we both make eachother an advent calendar for December. I feel like it’s the best way to do it because honestly it is so fun to put them together, and you can always get good deals for the stuff you put inside as long as you start looking a couple months in advance.
You didn't even get like a nice eyeshadow palette. What they say that box is worth is absolutely laughable. Even for 150, it's not worth it. Maybe like 60 dollars.
I love this series. Thank you for being a savy shopper. I wouldn't know if this box was a good buy or not without your help! Please open a calender a day❤❤❤❤ that would be me living vicariously through you since I won't be doing any of them😂😂😂
I greatly appreciate your honesty, and I think you are actually being generous with Ipsy! When assessing the personal value of a mystery/value box like this, I'd only count the monetary value of the things I like enough to have bought individually. Otherwise, the product gets no real use and just clutters up my space until I finally feel "allowed" to get rid of it...items like that are never a "good value".
When Ipsy first came out I got SEVERAL products I loved. But then the first problems started when I’d noticed that the actual products vs some of the samples were just terrible if you got them in full. Like the Tarte Maracuja Oil. The samples they sent me were amazing but when I went to Sephora to get the full size, it had such a weird smell and the feel was sooo different. But my all time favorite was the Privai gel green tea masque. It smelled amazing, felt amazing and to this day is still a 100% yes for me. But very quickly they stopped feeling as “catered” to your preferences as they’d claimed and people weren’t getting anything they’d actually use. I got a medium brown Tarte concealer and I am a very pale girl and I know the reverse happened to alot of darker skinned customers as well from all over because the reviews were oooof that month. Not to mention the bags just got more and more unattractive. I cancelled mine after it literally just started to feel cheap and a lot of the products I’d get would be products I’d literally walk by and ignore in the store because they simply weren’t for me. They started with a boom and quickly flatlined.
The MAC advent calendar looks really good. These calendars are fun but does anyone really only open one each day? I don’t think I would buy one for myself because I would definitely spoil it but would love receiving one as a gift. Edited to add that the MAC appears to include the little pin-looking mirror as well 😂
Honestly, I am having fun with my project pan advent calendar and I’m glad to not have spent on any new stuff. For those that don’t know, project pan advent calendars are where you take a random colored product (eyeshadow, liner, lipstick, blush, highlighter, etc…), and put them in boxes marked 1 - 25. Then you grab your random item for the day, and challenge yourself to use it that day for your look.
I've never gotten an advent calendar for beauty before as they seem so extortionate especially here in England lol but watching unboxings makes me happy to get my one Beauty Bay brand mystery box a year and that's it. Lauren you are awesome ❤
I got the MAC advent calendar this year. I'm not good at waiting, so using the random number generator, I open whichever number comes up that day . My challenge to me is to use the product that day in my look. Fabulous MAC quality, almost all full size products and suitable for all tones. Just an idea for people who feel they aren't having fun yet! Ps today's number is 10.
lauren! i got the selfridges box and i can’t wait. i used your strategy of like “would i rather just buy $250 of products i select myself?” and the answer was no lol the value there was too good.
I think the British calendars are definitely vastly superior to ours in the U.S. There's really no comparison between Harvey Nichols or Space NK and even the priciest ones from stores and brands here. I hope companies up their game soon so we can get decent items for our money instead of leftovers they're trying to clear off their shelves.
I’ve actually saved a few past years advent calendars and throughout the year put aside Ipsy & other monthly box items to create a new advent calendar that I get my husband to put together. I love all the days and I honestly forget most of what I’ve saved!
Really glad you made this video. Saved me the cash. You are so correct, I would have been ashamed to gift this to someone. Seriously need to rethink what they did. Not a deal at all. As always, you are the best.
The KVD gel liner was also stuck on the top for another UA-camrs channel as well, so it’s probably just old. Same with the perfume balm, hers was also old & cracked.
They bite their nose to spite their face cuz I feel like w/ the advents once they get a bad or cheap reputation (Sephora) they become a joke. Like, I’d absolutely never buy this. You’d think they’d wanna put their higher end products in there & try to get repeat biz in future years. Not ONLY a sponge for Xmas day compared to the ones in the last video. NoTTT worth it at all!!! The scuffed up facial tool, the broken dry eyeliner, MINI BAG BALM, wax scented perfume?? It’s like the too faced Xmas releases where they’ve made it an annual joke. I’d rather hand select what I want & know I’ll use from the pop up shops… & I’d spend way less.
Spot on. That Sephora advent calendar is retailing for $100 here in Australia and I genuinely hope no one buys it for that ludicrous price. An advent calendar should be a discount or give you products usually out of reach eg some of those expensive minis
ugh I went to use a kvd gel liner in the most beautiful cobalt blue shade the other day and it was so dry despite having only been swatched 😭 I love these advent calendar videos btw!!
For the solid perfume, you might have to swipe it a few times get it really really warm for the scent to actually come through because that wax is a coding
Honestly is out of my understanding why would I want to spend money in stuff someone else choose and to put it in a box 🤯 as fun as Advent calendars are its still a solid no for me, you get some random stuff that may worth it, but usually what I see in these boxes are not the formulas, colors or products I usually go for. I rather spend my loonies in what I really really want. I've seen so many Anastasia products at Marshall's for peanuts 😒 Usually is disappointment guaranteed haha.
I got that 3 pack of brushes as an add-on for about $12 I believe. I really like them actually, they're super soft and don't irritate my skin so I use them around my eyes.
The best thing I've managed to snag on an Ipsy sale is the Natasha Denona Retro pallette. I got it for $25, such a steal. The advent calendar didn't entice me at all, and this made me confident I don't want it lol. I'll just shop their sales the old fashioned way.
I have really been wanting to buy this and have been holding off. I avoided spoilers because I really wanted to open it daily. I was about to order it and decided to spoil it and see if it was worth it or not and I AM SO GLAD I came across your video. It was very informative and helped me make my decision to not get this. Thank you for doing an honest review and comparing the items to what they sell them for. Great video!! 🎉🎉
I have the State of Change Joy fragrance and I absolutely love it!!! It’s like a musky/floral unisex scent that is divine. I’m so bummed you got a dud bc I would’ve loved to hear your thoughts on it.
I have to thank you for doing the review of this Advent calendar, as it’s something I would have considered. And your luxury reviews were over the top amazing! I would have been wary of an Ipsy calendar, just because they have older and discontinued makeup for such excellent prices. Your nails today are incredible!
Great revue. I subscribed. I agree! I’ll take my $150 and buy Anastasia lipstick, etc. in my shade for only the few good items a skip the filler that is their surplus stuff. 👍🏻😃
Love the series- and you're bound to get a few calendars that don't hold up I guess!! This one reminds me of that Tyra clip "We were all rooting for you!!!"
Enjoying your video and subscribing. I am buying NO beauty box advent calendars this year. I bought an advent book calendar- I have purchased these in the past. Enjoying your unboxing.
So appreciate your research! I've really loved the Tresluce products I've gotten, a beautiful glitter liquid shadow & a matte lippie dupe for pillow talk, but they are an ipsy brand & they are elf-like in quality, imo. Gorgeous products but not real long lasting
I still do the Ipsy shop… pro tip is to wait a while til you make the purchase bc the items go down to the old school Boxy pricing after a couple weeks.
@@sophia-marieyoung6773 yup I had a a tense bronzer brush set in my cart for 7.99!!!! Now it’s 28$ 😂. At the moment the Natasha Denona retro is 35$ (the plummy one with neutrals) and the Anastasia Glam palette (with a full size clear brow and mascara) is 25$.
The triple threat mascara from iconic london is really nice for a couple of weeks. I like the skinny defining brush but the formula dries out too quickly so I no longer use it.
I added the State of Change Joy perfume to my IPSY bag last month and. I can confirm. It smells like a really old candle in the back of a thrift store.
There’s a ton of people who shopped the sale you’re talking about and they haven’t shipped or even provided tracking numbers yet. We have orders pending from mid November that have no movement. When you contact support they respond with automated replies. Some that aren’t even related to the order. One lady received a response thanking her for asking how the points system works.
I pause every month, or try to remember to pause just to get access to the sales. But its been months since i saw anything i wanted. The Retro palette was there for $25 i almost got that, but i passed, i dont need another mauve palette. Lol
Iconic triple threat is my current favourite mascara. The two elemis items are high value, especially the PCM which has been my favourite moisturiser for over 10 years. It retails for £63 here. I rely on getting the 15 ml tubes in boxes and calendars 😁
Ipsy does have some good sales for sure. I just bought the Soft Glam Mini for $6. I checked Ulta and they’re still selling it for full price. I also stocked up on the ELF whoa glow sunscreen a few months ago when they had it for $3 a tube.
Ya it's cute...I pike it as an add on for 3.50....ugh...I would complain.....I still get my boxy tooo...but boy do I miss them and the beautiful palettes we would get
Since we are talking Ipsy and I know you have a lot of fragrance cross-over... The Etat Libre D'Orange discovery set in the drop shop is a good deal IF it arrives intact. I was lucky and no samples broke but it did arrive completely in shambles as the packaging had literally come unglued. All 20 2mls were in the bottom of the mailer.
Typically when I see what items are in these (or read the spoilers on the box) the majority of the items either arent something I will use, don't really appeal to me, or don't much seem "worth it" for the price. I get that it's more about the fun of opening them and that they make nice gifts. Especially for someone who doesn't already have a lot of products or hasn't tried much. Since this gives you a bunch of different items. In general I feel like I'm usually sort of let down by the choices of products and sizes.
I totally agree with you on this calendar. No way a $600 plus value. And most of the things you haven’t seen on sale are definitely on the sale at some point. Not good :/
I bought the selfridgr’s calendar because of your review, then went down a rabbit hole and bought a few other different calendars for family. Ask them for an affiliate code! lol
I got something similar to the little gold device (it was nearly identical but the part that vibrates was a straight bar) for 6 bucks out of curiosity, and noticed something weird with the box, so I messed around with it… the packaging was a sticker with whatever brand’s branding on it and underneath was Chinese text with totally different branding 😭 I’m like 90% sure their doodads are dirt cheap drop shipped stuff under a private label
11:54 Omg! So I haven't tried anything else from "Givd them LaLa" but girl, GIRRRŔL! I subscribe to ipsy, and over the summer I got full sz "Give them LaLa" of their dark black mascara and o m g, I am in LOVVEE! It's honestly one of the best I've used, including beating out more expensive ones. I have decently long lashes but I do not feel like I have makeup on unless I have mascara on. Like I can do a quick color correct under the eyes(I have clinical severe insomni), foundation(sometimes tinted moisturizer if I'm feeling myself, lol) and I can go eyeshadow free- but you woll almst NEVER catch me mascara free, lol.
I think that compared to some of the other boxes you got, especially the louboutin advent calendar, you did end up with items that you realistically can use. Since you are a savvy shopper that knows how to look for deal to save money, for you it might not be the best use out of your money in that regard. I do think that for people who want to experience of advent calendars, aren’t necessarily those who go out of their way to find deals, and don’t want to spend a house payment amount on one, it does seem like a plausible option. For someone who is just getting into makeup, this seems like a fun thing to get for that purpose.
I agree with you on the value not being worth the cost because of the value you can get in the shop. That ABH lipstick went for the same as the highlighter because I got one of the other colors they had from the shop. I got that Huda mascara in my last icon box. Mine was BAD, completely unusable. Hopefully yours is better because I was disappointed. Yeah shopping their sale is a much idea than this calender. You were not to harsh. Great video
I canceled my IPSY subscription. 16 months later I got a notification that IPSY charged me for something. I go to my old account and see they were sending another Glam Bag to my former address. I updated my address and then contacted them. I provided proof of previously cancelling my subscription along with their confirmation of the cancellation and explained I didn't authorize this charge. They argued with me that by updating my address a full day after they charged me I gave consent for the charge. They said interacting with their site gave them permission to reactivate my account and charge me, and it didn't matter that they charged me prior to my interaction. Eventually they refunded me and cancelled the new unauthorized subscription, but the idiocracy I had to go through to get them to do that was insane.
👀 Wow. The audacity of Ipsy… this story is WILD.
That should be illegal
Did you file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau?
Wow…. I came from boxycharm and it’s only been like 6 months and the amount of emails between cust service and I well ….. buuuut my icon box is free for nov cause it was free for august and I never received it the first time ever in 4 yrs I was with boxy …..but I have too say that if you keep at it and at this point I’m on a first name a basis lol jk they really try too make up for their screw ups…..
i miss the palettes that we for tho from boxy …. They were killer and high end …. Like the iconic London palette ours was made in Italy like most of their products until it’s for us and then they’re made in china ….. bastards!!!! Lol
So I’m by lad that things needed well for you ….. you shudda kept pushing and prob gotten months of free boxes lol …. I’ve gotten two so far lol in 6 months of being with Ipsy lol
Yeah.. doesn’t surprise me. Lots of people have stories like that.
For me I repeatedly canceled my subscription just to be charged for the next month. I’d call customer service again and they’d say it must not have “gone through” even though I had the confirmation email, and we’d do it all again with them saying the one I just paid for would be my last bag. They immediately purchased shipping when they charged me so if I wanted to cancel the bag I’d have to pay that shipping and get nothing, so I was like okay fine. Finally after like 5 months of this I contacted paypal to block any charges from Ipsy and they did. I then kept getting emails saying my Ipsy subscription was canceled bc payment failed, for another 3 months at least. So clearly not??
And why I wanted to cancel in the first place was the products I was getting were almost all samples I could’ve gotten for free/cheap at Sephora, it was mostly skin and hair care when I said I ONLY wanted makeup, and the makeup products were almost always in the wrong shades for my skintone.. Almost everytime I listed those reasons off when canceling, I was told to just update my beauty profile instead of canceling. I was like, that’s literally what I already have, you guys are just disregarding it.
Ipsy is a terrible company all around
I think it’s weird that they would put products in their advent calendars that skin tone specific. If they are going to do that, they should give you a skin tone option to choose from when you purchase the advent calendar.
So true! And products for multiple different skin tones, which means they know that the opposing product will absolutely be unusable by the customer. I can't figure out the logic of the people putting it together? Actually, yes I can. It's a scammy cash grab.
They always offer a “free gift” for signing up, valued at $75. Well, they’ve been sending people an expired Beauty Blender foundation in a shade equivalent to coffee. It’s also been in the shop for like $9 for over a year now. It’s turning into a scam
I stopped my subscription partly after the Tarte Concealer incident (plus it just felt super cheap and not at all catered to your interests as they’d claimed). Im a very pale girl and got a medium brown concealer sample and in the reviews for that particular bag, they’d sent quite a few darker skinned customers the shade someone like MYSELF SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN.
Just for funsies, I decided to create my own 25 piece Ipsy "calendar." I easily curated one that was worth $640 and only cost $112. The AUDACITY of Ipsy charging $150 for their box!
WAIT SERIOUSLY???
Ok but $38 isn’t that huge of a deal. Your curated box didn’t include packaging and paying employee healthcare and other overhead
@bleepbloopskrrr the employee still needed to pick and pack said box.....
@@bleepbloopskrrr I'm sure Ipsy is still paying their employees their hourly minimum wage whether people order a calendar or 25 items.
I decided to do the same thing! The 25 items I most want from the shop (not counting Flash sale) total $316 (but according to Ipsy is worth $890).
The fact that gold thing was 94% off is a clear indicator that it’s a bad product that no one wants
I have no idea why companies still do this. It just makes them look bad in my opinion. It's a huge sign flashing "this is how much we failed to scam from you"
@@paulmaccaroni it's the biggest red flag!
It’s a ripoff. I think you’re spot on in your value analysis! I’d much rather take the $150 and spend it on 3 items that I know I’m truly excited for.
This just drives home a thought I've been having the past several years: the whole idea of "regular price" is a scam. A Pat McGrath Mothership palette is $173 here in Canada. That's regular price. But those palettes are always going on sale. If they are always on sale, they are not actually worth $173 and never were. That number exists to make the sales look good. I'm just going to spend the money I feel comfortable spending on exactly what I want.
Exactly!!!!
They never were on sale like they are now, it's only within the past couple years where she's started doing the 30% off sales on the site
It's marketing psychology.
You are too kind, this box was junk! I don't even think it was worth the $75 you spoke of. Love this series!!
Haha😂 these advent calendars are always leftovers. So awful. The deals in the shop and the beauty boost is usually where it’s at.
Good point!
I agree about the beauty boost, but it made my box so expensive. Especially when I was getting the icon. So I ended up just canceling. I was getting maybe 3 things every few months I liked and everything else was trash. It's good for people that are reselling the excess, which is what everyone seems to do
Advent and mystery boxes always disappoint, always seems like clearance items, clearing stock for new products.
But ahe had amazing advent calendars in the last video!
I saw Charlotte Tisbury looked good,Anastasia Beverly hills was good,eves st Laurentiis too
@@jacquelynsharp9354the vogue ones are incredible as well
You and Alexandria Ryan are getting me through one of the worst months of my adult life with these reviews. Thank you for the lolz, they’re much needed xx
I've watched Alexandria for years, only just discovered Lauren Mae they are helping me through too
@wonderfulectric hope things look up soon, sending you hugs 🫶
I'm going through it too & these are oddly comforting. I truly hope that you are doing better and that things get easier for you and everyone else too. I missed these bc I just found this channel & so glad I did!!
You were way too nice about this box! At $150 for 25 items that's $6 a product. I would not pay $6 for most of the products in those boxes lol
I love when YTers do these advent calendar unboxings because they look like so much fun & yet you usually buy it for a family member or friend thinking that this is something they are going to LOVE! But from what I’ve seen most advent calendars suck. Sadly, brands seem to put a lot more value into the “opening the daily surprise” rather than “giving people the value promised”. It’s a real bummer when brands do us dirty like this.
Just want to reiterate how much I appreciate your frugality. I love that you still get boxy (even tho, w PR too, you must be swimming in product lol) and, even though you've had a collab & are likely making some real money, you still value your own dollars & encourage us to do the same. I see a lot of youtubers become very casual about insane levels of spending, or change their definition of "affordable" when they want to get more luxury PR & be known for that content (am NOT thinking of anyone specific btw, just a general trend), and it's very offensive to us poors - and it encourages brands to keep overpricing. Lauren Mae, you really do provide me actual measurable value thru your content & very solid research work (which isn't super fun to do in bulk, I know), and I really appreciate your work!
I agree
This is random but you’re really good at wording things.
@@Stella-fd2hy thank you so much! I write press releases & marketing copy lol, so I do get a lot of practice!
I’m dying to see THIS one as someone who got glam bag+ for years too long. Lauren, I’m absolutely loving this series. So fun to watch. The cult, selfridges, etc video was sooo cool cuz I always wonder & they were great!! Such a fun series idea. 💜
I bought that waxy scent thing for $3.50 as an add on for glam bag in October. The scent lasted about 5 minutes on me 😅
What I appreciate about this advent calendar is that is has more makeup and isn't 80% skincare like the other calendars are. I like skin care, but don't need 50 million skin products
Loving the advent calendars series! Honestly what me and my mom do every year is we both make eachother an advent calendar for December. I feel like it’s the best way to do it because honestly it is so fun to put them together, and you can always get good deals for the stuff you put inside as long as you start looking a couple months in advance.
You didn't even get like a nice eyeshadow palette. What they say that box is worth is absolutely laughable. Even for 150, it's not worth it. Maybe like 60 dollars.
I love this series. Thank you for being a savy shopper. I wouldn't know if this box was a good buy or not without your help! Please open a calender a day❤❤❤❤ that would be me living vicariously through you since I won't be doing any of them😂😂😂
I greatly appreciate your honesty, and I think you are actually being generous with Ipsy! When assessing the personal value of a mystery/value box like this, I'd only count the monetary value of the things I like enough to have bought individually. Otherwise, the product gets no real use and just clutters up my space until I finally feel "allowed" to get rid of it...items like that are never a "good value".
When Ipsy first came out I got SEVERAL products I loved. But then the first problems started when I’d noticed that the actual products vs some of the samples were just terrible if you got them in full. Like the Tarte Maracuja Oil. The samples they sent me were amazing but when I went to Sephora to get the full size, it had such a weird smell and the feel was sooo different. But my all time favorite was the Privai gel green tea masque. It smelled amazing, felt amazing and to this day is still a 100% yes for me. But very quickly they stopped feeling as “catered” to your preferences as they’d claimed and people weren’t getting anything they’d actually use. I got a medium brown Tarte concealer and I am a very pale girl and I know the reverse happened to alot of darker skinned customers as well from all over because the reviews were oooof that month. Not to mention the bags just got more and more unattractive. I cancelled mine after it literally just started to feel cheap and a lot of the products I’d get would be products I’d literally walk by and ignore in the store because they simply weren’t for me. They started with a boom and quickly flatlined.
The MAC advent calendar looks really good. These calendars are fun but does anyone really only open one each day? I don’t think I would buy one for myself because I would definitely spoil it but would love receiving one as a gift. Edited to add that the MAC appears to include the little pin-looking mirror as well 😂
I always open them all on the same day I get it😂 I have no self control!
I open one a day, unless I skip some days, then I open all the ones I skipped the same day
@@KaareneRNHealthLifeCoachI might TRY to do one a day; however, if I were unsatisfied/disappointed by one day, I would def keep opening more hahaha
Honestly, I am having fun with my project pan advent calendar and I’m glad to not have spent on any new stuff. For those that don’t know, project pan advent calendars are where you take a random colored product (eyeshadow, liner, lipstick, blush, highlighter, etc…), and put them in boxes marked 1 - 25. Then you grab your random item for the day, and challenge yourself to use it that day for your look.
I've never gotten an advent calendar for beauty before as they seem so extortionate especially here in England lol but watching unboxings makes me happy to get my one Beauty Bay brand mystery box a year and that's it.
Lauren you are awesome ❤
I got the MAC advent calendar this year. I'm not good at waiting, so using the random number generator, I open whichever number comes up that day . My challenge to me is to use the product that day in my look. Fabulous MAC quality, almost all full size products and suitable for all tones. Just an idea for people who feel they aren't having fun yet! Ps today's number is 10.
That’s an awesome idea to use the product in your get ready routine the day you open it! That’d make a great video collection!
lauren! i got the selfridges box and i can’t wait. i used your strategy of like “would i rather just buy $250 of products i select myself?” and the answer was no lol the value there was too good.
I think the British calendars are definitely vastly superior to ours in the U.S. There's really no comparison between Harvey Nichols or Space NK and even the priciest ones from stores and brands here. I hope companies up their game soon so we can get decent items for our money instead of leftovers they're trying to clear off their shelves.
Have you seen the Korean ones? All the ones I’ve seen also seem way better
I love this series! Thank you for taking the time to buy all of these and open em up for us! I value your opinion!!
Sending love and best wishes
I’ve actually saved a few past years advent calendars and throughout the year put aside Ipsy & other monthly box items to create a new advent calendar that I get my husband to put together. I love all the days and I honestly forget most of what I’ve saved!
That’s a great idea!
Really glad you made this video. Saved me the cash. You are so correct, I would have been ashamed to gift this to someone. Seriously need to rethink what they did. Not a deal at all. As always, you are the best.
The KVD gel liner was also stuck on the top for another UA-camrs channel as well, so it’s probably just old. Same with the perfume balm, hers was also old & cracked.
They bite their nose to spite their face cuz I feel like w/ the advents once they get a bad or cheap reputation (Sephora) they become a joke. Like, I’d absolutely never buy this. You’d think they’d wanna put their higher end products in there & try to get repeat biz in future years. Not ONLY a sponge for Xmas day compared to the ones in the last video. NoTTT worth it at all!!! The scuffed up facial tool, the broken dry eyeliner, MINI BAG BALM, wax scented perfume?? It’s like the too faced Xmas releases where they’ve made it an annual joke. I’d rather hand select what I want & know I’ll use from the pop up shops… & I’d spend way less.
Spot on. That Sephora advent calendar is retailing for $100 here in Australia and I genuinely hope no one buys it for that ludicrous price. An advent calendar should be a discount or give you products usually out of reach eg some of those expensive minis
It's cut your nose, unless there's some cultural variation I'm unaware of.
@@yourfuturewaifu9061 bite your nose to spite your face is what I’ve always heard & said. There could be a few riffs on the phrase. Idk
ugh I went to use a kvd gel liner in the most beautiful cobalt blue shade the other day and it was so dry despite having only been swatched 😭 I love these advent calendar videos btw!!
I’d rather give myself a 150 budget and choose my own items 😅 ❤
Pleaseeeee Lauren do moreeeeee! Loving this series.
For the solid perfume, you might have to swipe it a few times get it really really warm for the scent to actually come through because that wax is a coding
your little laughs are so cute 😂 i appreciate your reviews ❤
That HUDA mascara is slept on - it’s my favorite
The singular Sephora scrunchie joke made me cryyyy😹😹😹😹😹😹😹😹
I looooved the boxy shop. I bought 2 Natasha Denona 5 pan palettes and a Huda 9 pan all for $10 each. Incredible deals there.
Honestly is out of my understanding why would I want to spend money in stuff someone else choose and to put it in a box 🤯 as fun as Advent calendars are its still a solid no for me, you get some random stuff that may worth it, but usually what I see in these boxes are not the formulas, colors or products I usually go for. I rather spend my loonies in what I really really want.
I've seen so many Anastasia products at Marshall's for peanuts 😒
Usually is disappointment guaranteed haha.
I completely removed make up from my life. My skin has been looking beautiful and I have so much money now 🎉 all I need is sunscreen and chapstick
Oh Lauren is serving us MATH today 😍
You’ve got me cracking up at the end. Throwing in a comedy skit for free!!
I do love that DIONIS brand lotion!! idk much about the makeup but that lotion is so good!
Thanks for showing this. It was a joke. It should have been $25. After seeing those lux UK boxes, what could compare?
This is my first time on your channel, but your makeup is SO BEAUTIFUL I trust your judgment on these products 100%💕
Love the eye look!!🤗
I got that 3 pack of brushes as an add-on for about $12 I believe. I really like them actually, they're super soft and don't irritate my skin so I use them around my eyes.
First time I've watched one of your videos! Im glad to know it's better to shop the deals and get the colors and other stuff that you actually want! 😊
The best thing I've managed to snag on an Ipsy sale is the Natasha Denona Retro pallette. I got it for $25, such a steal. The advent calendar didn't entice me at all, and this made me confident I don't want it lol. I'll just shop their sales the old fashioned way.
I have really been wanting to buy this and have been holding off. I avoided spoilers because I really wanted to open it daily. I was about to order it and decided to spoil it and see if it was worth it or not and I AM SO GLAD I came across your video. It was very informative and helped me make my decision to not get this. Thank you for doing an honest review and comparing the items to what they sell them for. Great video!! 🎉🎉
You totally could DIY an advent calendar for someone on there!!!
That box was total BS ! I feel like you are owed an apology & a refund !! What a total sham
You are so funny and tell it like it is! Totally agree with everything you said!
the handcream will get you compliments! love it
I have the State of Change Joy fragrance and I absolutely love it!!! It’s like a musky/floral unisex scent that is divine. I’m so bummed you got a dud bc I would’ve loved to hear your thoughts on it.
I shop Ipsy’s sales and you can get great deals. I do like the Keys moisturizer.
I have to thank you for doing the review of this Advent calendar, as it’s something I would have considered. And your luxury reviews were over the top amazing!
I would have been wary of an Ipsy calendar, just because they have older and discontinued makeup for such excellent prices.
Your nails today are incredible!
I have so many little IPSY cosmetics bags I look like a hoarder.
Great revue. I subscribed. I agree! I’ll take my $150 and buy Anastasia lipstick, etc. in my shade for only the few good items a skip the filler that is their surplus stuff. 👍🏻😃
Love the series- and you're bound to get a few calendars that don't hold up I guess!!
This one reminds me of that Tyra clip "We were all rooting for you!!!"
Enjoying your video and subscribing. I am buying NO beauty box advent calendars this year. I bought an advent book calendar- I have purchased these in the past. Enjoying your unboxing.
So appreciate your research! I've really loved the Tresluce products I've gotten, a beautiful glitter liquid shadow & a matte lippie dupe for pillow talk, but they are an ipsy brand & they are elf-like in quality, imo. Gorgeous products but not real long lasting
i’m so glad youtube recommended you to me! this series is so fun
I still do the Ipsy shop… pro tip is to wait a while til you make the purchase bc the items go down to the old school Boxy pricing after a couple weeks.
I've seen a Half Magic liquid eyeshadow go from $16 to $4...
I've also seen an Ofra palette go from $5 to $16. Their pricing is all over the place 😂
@@sophia-marieyoung6773 yup I had a a tense bronzer brush set in my cart for 7.99!!!! Now it’s 28$ 😂. At the moment the Natasha Denona retro is 35$ (the plummy one with neutrals) and the Anastasia Glam palette (with a full size clear brow and mascara) is 25$.
Love your hair! You look good with the blonde highlights 🍒
I have never seen your reviews before. You are precious and you give bombastic side eye 😁
What Eyeshadow are you wearing? Love it!
Putting together an advent calendar as a gift is such a cool idea!!
The triple threat mascara from iconic london is really nice for a couple of weeks. I like the skinny defining brush but the formula dries out too quickly so I no longer use it.
I added the State of Change Joy perfume to my IPSY bag last month and. I can confirm. It smells like a really old candle in the back of a thrift store.
There’s a ton of people who shopped the sale you’re talking about and they haven’t shipped or even provided tracking numbers yet. We have orders pending from mid November that have no movement. When you contact support they respond with automated replies. Some that aren’t even related to the order. One lady received a response thanking her for asking how the points system works.
I am loving this series, I watched the whole thing even though I already ordered Selfridges!
I pause every month, or try to remember to pause just to get access to the sales. But its been months since i saw anything i wanted. The Retro palette was there for $25 i almost got that, but i passed, i dont need another mauve palette. Lol
im so happy about this series. thank you for sharing these with us!
Please girl your eyes are slaying the video. What shadow palette are you using!!
i love this series
Iconic triple threat is my current favourite mascara. The two elemis items are high value, especially the PCM which has been my favourite moisturiser for over 10 years. It retails for £63 here. I rely on getting the 15 ml tubes in boxes and calendars 😁
Ipsy does have some good sales for sure. I just bought the Soft Glam Mini for $6. I checked Ulta and they’re still selling it for full price. I also stocked up on the ELF whoa glow sunscreen a few months ago when they had it for $3 a tube.
That Lottie mauve quad looks pretty.
Ya it's cute...I pike it as an add on for 3.50....ugh...I would complain.....I still get my boxy tooo...but boy do I miss them and the beautiful palettes we would get
Love your videos, so informative, authentic and refreshing too! ❤
Love my ipsy bags 3years now❤❤❤
Since we are talking Ipsy and I know you have a lot of fragrance cross-over... The Etat Libre D'Orange discovery set in the drop shop is a good deal IF it arrives intact. I was lucky and no samples broke but it did arrive completely in shambles as the packaging had literally come unglued. All 20 2mls were in the bottom of the mailer.
Me too! A F miracle nothing was broken- their packers are trash!
YOUR SKIN IS BEAUTIFUL 😍
Typically when I see what items are in these (or read the spoilers on the box) the majority of the items either arent something I will use, don't really appeal to me, or don't much seem "worth it" for the price. I get that it's more about the fun of opening them and that they make nice gifts. Especially for someone who doesn't already have a lot of products or hasn't tried much. Since this gives you a bunch of different items.
In general I feel like I'm usually sort of let down by the choices of products and sizes.
I totally agree with you on this calendar. No way a $600 plus value. And most of the things you haven’t seen on sale are definitely on the sale at some point. Not good :/
I cancelled Ipsy years ago! Had fool for Boxycharm for awhile but Ipsy ruined itself and Boxycharm! Don’t miss it
18:06 girl I bursted out laughing 😭😭 I love how real you are ❤️
I am loving your advent calendar videos!
I bought the selfridgr’s calendar because of your review, then went down a rabbit hole and bought a few other different calendars for family. Ask them for an affiliate code! lol
Good morning, Lauren!💗💕🦋
I got something similar to the little gold device (it was nearly identical but the part that vibrates was a straight bar) for 6 bucks out of curiosity, and noticed something weird with the box, so I messed around with it… the packaging was a sticker with whatever brand’s branding on it and underneath was Chinese text with totally different branding 😭 I’m like 90% sure their doodads are dirt cheap drop shipped stuff under a private label
Praying you’ve ordered the PLouise box, I’m dying to see what’s in it plus your reaction
11:54 Omg! So I haven't tried anything else from "Givd them LaLa" but girl, GIRRRŔL! I subscribe to ipsy, and over the summer I got full sz "Give them LaLa" of their dark black mascara and o m g, I am in LOVVEE! It's honestly one of the best I've used, including beating out more expensive ones. I have decently long lashes but I do not feel like I have makeup on unless I have mascara on. Like I can do a quick color correct under the eyes(I have clinical severe insomni), foundation(sometimes tinted moisturizer if I'm feeling myself, lol) and I can go eyeshadow free- but you woll almst NEVER catch me mascara free, lol.
The Josie Maran retinol serum is amazzzzinnggg! I have purchased bottle after bottle
Somebody should make a makeup brush advent calendar with different brands of brushes because that way it can fit all skin tones and needs
I think that compared to some of the other boxes you got, especially the louboutin advent calendar, you did end up with items that you realistically can use.
Since you are a savvy shopper that knows how to look for deal to save money, for you it might not be the best use out of your money in that regard.
I do think that for people who want to experience of advent calendars, aren’t necessarily those who go out of their way to find deals, and don’t want to spend a house payment amount on one, it does seem like a plausible option.
For someone who is just getting into makeup, this seems like a fun thing to get for that purpose.
I agree with you on the value not being worth the cost because of the value you can get in the shop. That ABH lipstick went for the same as the highlighter because I got one of the other colors they had from the shop. I got that Huda mascara in my last icon box. Mine was BAD, completely unusable. Hopefully yours is better because I was disappointed. Yeah shopping their sale is a much idea than this calender. You were not to harsh. Great video
I canceled IPSY a while back. Their boxes just aren't worth it anymore, including this advent calendar.