What is Ipsy?
Ipsy offers several different varieties of beauty bag subscriptions, each personally curated for every subscriber. This Ipsy subscription review breaks down exactly how Ipsy works, how it stacks up against competing brands, and what real customers have to say about the Glam Bag experience — so you can decide whether it’s the right fit for you. Get ready for some glitz and glamour.
Overview of Ipsy
Ipsy was founded in 2011 by Michelle Phan, Marcelo Camberos, and Jaconetti Goldfarb with a mission to inspire people and help them express their unique beauty. The brand quickly became one of the most popular beauty subscription boxes on the market, thanks to its deep personalization, strong longevity as a brand, and close ties to the beauty influencer world.
Michelle Phan — one of YouTube’s pioneering beauty vloggers with over 8 million subscribers — helped put Ipsy on the map. By 2017, Ipsy had already amassed 3 million subscribers, and today the brand boasts over 800,000 Twitter followers and 2 million Instagram followers. Its influence in the beauty world is hard to overstate.
Ipsy Beauty Profile
At the heart of the Ipsy experience is a detailed Beauty Quiz that subscribers fill out when signing up. Ipsy uses your answers to build a personalized Beauty Profile and customize every monthly Glam Bag just for you. The quiz covers:
- Skin tone, eye colour, and hair colour
- Comfort level with makeup and preferred beauty brands
- Desired frequency for each product category — makeup, skincare, haircare, and nail care
- Preferred shades for eyeshadow, lip colour, eyeliner, and nail polish
- Fragrance preferences
- Where you normally shop for beauty products
- Skin and hair concerns
The sheer variety of products available is staggering — from mascara and foundation to serums, sheet masks, hair styling products, fragrances, and nail polish. Ipsy’s Beauty Quiz takes the guesswork out of the experience, letting you focus entirely on the joy of self-care and discovery.
Beauty Products: Shades
The quiz gives fine-grained control over the shades you receive in each product category:
- Eyeshadow: neutrals, smokeys, blues, greens, plums, and adventurous shades
- Eyeliner: black, brown, plum, gold/bronze, and bolder colours
- Lip liner & gloss: reds, berries, neutrals, and more adventurous options
- Nail polish: reds, berries, neutrals, darks, pastels, and statement shades
- Blush: pinks, peaches, mauves, neutrals, and bold choices
You can even fine-tune frequency — choose “often” for everyday neutrals and “sometimes” for the occasional colourful surprise. This level of customization is one of the main reasons Ipsy stands out from the crowd.
Fragrance Notes
The fragrance section of the Beauty Quiz lets you pick your scent family from five categories: Fresh (lemongrass, citrus, bergamot), Spicy (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove), Floral (rose, jasmine, violet), Earthy & Woody (sandalwood, amber, cedar), and Gourmand (vanilla, caramel, honey). Rather than decoding cryptic perfume names, Ipsy handles the curation for you.
Problem-Focused Products
The quiz also covers specific hair and skin concerns — from frizz and split ends to acne, wrinkles, and scarring. This problem-solving dimension makes Ipsy genuinely functional, not just fun. Your Beauty Profile can be updated at any time as your preferences evolve.
Pros
- ✓ Products curated from many different brands
- ✓ Wide variety of product categories, not just makeup
- ✓ Comes with a new makeup bag every month
- ✓ Lower price point than most competitors
- ✓ Monthly “spoilers” list adds an element of excitement
- ✓ Rewarding points program for engaged subscribers
Cons
- ✗ You don’t get to choose exact samples
- ✗ Cancellation process is unnecessarily complex
- ✗ No phone or email support — chat only
- ✗ Hair and fragrance products sometimes underrepresented
- ✗ Occasional shipping delays
How Does Ipsy Work?
Signing up for Ipsy is straightforward. You start by completing the Beauty Quiz to build your profile, then select a subscription tier — Glam Bag, Glam Bag Plus, or Glam Bag Ultimate. Ipsy processes your order and ships your first bag the following month (sometimes sooner, depending on when you subscribe). Once your bag ships, you receive a tracking code by email, and can also track it through the Ipsy website.
Ipsy Subscriptions
Ipsy currently offers three subscription tiers, each designed for a different level of beauty enthusiasm.
Ipsy Glam Bag
The original and most popular option. Each month you receive five sample-size products in a cute branded makeup bag. The estimated retail value of the products exceeds $50 — for a subscription that costs just $12/month, that’s an exceptional value for beauty fans looking to discover new brands and products.
Ipsy Glam Bag Plus
A step up for subscribers who prefer full-size products. Glam Bag Plus delivers five full-size items in a new makeup bag each month, at $25/month. This tier is ideal for those who want products they can actually finish, rather than samples.
Ipsy Glam Bag Ultimate
The premium tier for true beauty devotees. Glam Bag Ultimate sends 12 full-size products each month — a genuinely impressive haul for the most dedicated collectors and enthusiasts, at $50/month.
How Much is Ipsy?
Glam Bag
+ makeup bag
Value: $50+
Most Popular
Glam Bag Plus
+ makeup bag
Value: $120+
Glam Bag Ultimate
+ makeup bag
Value: $250+
Ipsy Subscription Review: What Customers Think
Customer feedback on Ipsy is largely enthusiastic. Subscribers consistently praise the quality and variety of the products they receive, and many note that Ipsy’s pricing feels significantly more accessible than comparable beauty subscription services.
The most frequently cited criticisms relate to occasional gaps in hair product or fragrance representation — likely tied to how the Beauty Quiz options are structured. A smaller but notable number of subscribers have encountered shipping delays, and many have found the customer service process frustrating, given that Ipsy offers no phone or email support.
Overall, reviewers appreciate the diverse range of products, the consistent high quality, and the excitement of discovering new brands every month. For most subscribers, the experience more than justifies the price.
Ipsy Competitors
Ipsy isn’t the only beauty subscription box in town. Here’s how it compares to the key alternatives:
| Brand | Price | Products | Customization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipsy Glam Bag | $12/mo | 5 samples | High (Beauty Quiz) |
| Scentbird | $14.95/mo | Fragrance only | Medium |
| BirchBox | $15/mo | 5 samples | Medium (beauty profile) |
| TopBox | $15/mo | 4 samples | Low |
| BoxyCharm | $25/mo | 5 full-size | None (same box for all) |
| FabFitFun | $49.95/qtr | Mixed (not beauty-only) | Partial |
When considering Ipsy vs the field, it consistently wins on value and personalization at the entry-level price point. BoxyCharm offers full-size products for the same cost as Ipsy Plus, but sacrifices all customization. BirchBox is similarly priced but with fewer personalization options and a smaller product selection.
Is Ipsy Worth It?
Whether Ipsy is right for you ultimately depends on what you want out of a beauty subscription. If you’re looking for a diverse, personalized range of beauty products at a genuinely competitive price, Ipsy Glam Bag is hard to beat. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive about the product quality and variety, and the monthly spoilers list adds a layer of engagement that keeps the experience fresh.
The friction points — a complicated cancellation process and limited customer service options — are real, but for subscribers who are happy with their bags, they rarely become an issue.
Recommended for Beauty Enthusiasts
Ipsy delivers exceptional value for the price, with strong personalization and product variety that most competitors can’t match at the $12/month entry point. Just be prepared to navigate the cancellation process carefully if you ever decide to stop.
Ipsy Promotions & Discounts
Ipsy runs a points program that lets you earn rewards through engagement. You accumulate points by referring friends, following Ipsy creators on social media, and submitting individual product reviews as well as overall bag reviews each month. Those points can be redeemed for free Ipsy products — a great perk for anyone who is already active on social media or enjoys sharing their beauty finds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Ipsy
Ipsy can be reached through the following channels:
- Help Center & Contact Form: help.ipsy.com
- Twitter/X: @ipsycare
Note: Ipsy does not currently offer phone or live email support. All inquiries are handled via their website contact form or social channels.
