Unboxing! Starlook's Starbox Happy Holidaze Box!

What it is: Starlook's is an online cosmetics company that releases a new Starbox of makeup every month.

Where to get it: starbox.starlooks.comHow much is it?: $15.00 monthly + tax
Types of Products: High end, cruelty free cosmetics
What are the Perks?!: Starlooks.com just recently rolled out a points program where every $ spent on the site equals 1 point used towards discounts on their site.

So, little disclaimer. I've made a huge mistake! A number of days ago, I posted what I thought was a spoiler for the Starlook's holiday box. Due to the confusing wording on the Starlook's website, I thought subscriber's would also be receiving Starlook's Panty by Post Set. Apparently I lied and that wasn't part of the holiday set. I am SO sorry about any confusion this might have caused anyone. I was a little let down. But, I did receive one GORGEOUS pallet! Let's have a look...

Starlooks Starbox December 2014: Happy Holidaze 

Unboxing and Review!

The Box:

Upon Opening:

The Palette!!:

The palette is one variation of Starlook's $99 15 Shade Shadow Palettes. The palette I received is not actually on their list of palettes on the site. I received 15es10 in Mermaid (Ultimate Satin).

And like all palettes, I can't use 100% of the colors. But the greens are OUT of this world and there are many beautiful shades. I'm sold!

The Final Verdict!

Box Value: $99.00!

 Box Score:8/10

Final Thoughts: For only $15 I got this awesome palette. So, I'm insanely happy. Though I'm not sure if other would be the same. And, I'm a little upset that with the odd working on the website, I was expecting to receive the additional set. But, overall, it's been a great holiday season when it comes to subscription boxes and Starlooks pulled it off!

Did anyone else get a different palette? Feel free to share here!

Escape Monthly November 2014: Hawaii Unboxing!

What it is: Subscription box with items from all around the world. 
Where to get it: EscapeMonthly.com
How much is it?: It used to be $39.99, now it is $49.99. They often offer $10 coupons
Types of Products: Snacks, Beauty Products, Souvenirs, Gift Items and Toys from around the world.
What are the Perks?!: $10 off coupon + monthly entry for a vacation voucher.

Escape Monthly November 2014: Hawaii 

Unboxing and Review!

It is a sad day... This will be my very final Escape Monthly Box. Part of me is sorry to say good bye after only a few months of exploring different parts of the world. But, most of me is resigned to the fact that this box is just not worth it anymore. I will fully explain at the end of this unboxing review.

Let's Take A Look...

Upon Opening:

Ok, this looks a little weak. But, it's Hawaii, stuff's expensive there! Let's see what we got!

Our Menu:

1. Moon Hawaii Travel Guide: Listed at $19.95

2. Honey Girl Organics Gift Bundle: Listed at $38.00

3. Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple Body Wash: Listed at $3.00

4. Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple Body Lotion: Listed at $3.00

5. Kona Glazed Macadamia Nut Bag: Listed at $6.00

6. Royal Hawaiian Orchards Papaya-Lime Crunch: Listed at $6.00

7. Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals Stress Release Bath Crystals: Listed at $4.00

8. Bonus Seashell Lei: Listed at $10.00

1. Moon Hawaii Travel Guide:

Listed at $19.95

As opposed to last month's travel guide that was listed at $19.99 and ended up retailing for $12.99, I was actually able to find this listed for $19.99 on Moon's website.

But, all in all, I am just stacking up travel guides that I most likely never use in reality that have a very low resale value on Amazon.

2. Honey Girl Organics Gift Bundle: 

Listed at $38.00

Oh boy. I received a full sized Honey Girl Face and Eye Cream that is available on Amazon for $33.99 and on the Honey Girl Website for $32.99. Though, the listing is in red- so it may be on sale. And, a tiny sample of Honey Girl Night Creme. 

At least these two items technically make up for the cost of the box. Though, I don't see how they add up to $38.00...

**I want to add an edit- I do not think this is the full-sized product as it has been advertised**

3. Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple Body Wash: 

Listed at $3.00

Soooooo Escape Monthly actually sent me the shampoo instead of the body wash. This would be ok if this wasn't like, the 5th time this has happened. I have tried to err on the side of being optimistic and supportive of my subscription box companies. I am honestly kicking myself for not mentioning this in past reviews. But, this has also occurred in boxes I have received well before I started blogging here.

Also, with some sleuthing work, I was able to find out that the full sized bottle of shampoo is $9.95. So, the sample price seems about right. However, I was also able to find out that this size and product is typically given in Westin Hotel rooms as complimentary body products... o_O

4. Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple Body Lotion: 

Listed at $3.00

I actually did receive the body lotion though. 

5. Hawaiian Host Kona Glazed Macadamia Nut Bag: 

Listed at $6.00

This was the highlight of the box to me. The macadamia nuts were delicious. My particular bag was glazed with Kona coffee. Which I loved. They were also listed for $6.00 on the Hawaiian Host website.

Though, I have to say, I'm gotta to be careful with these- the fat content is out of control!

6. Royal Hawaiian Orchards Papaya-Lime Crunch: 

Listed at $6.00

This was actually another mistake I got in the box. Instead of Papaya-Lime crunch, I received Kona Coffee Banana Macadamia Crunch.

Whatever, I thought this would taste better than Papaya-Lime anyway. But, I did feel like they were slightly overdoing it with the Coffee/Macadamia situation. I rationalized it like- I love coffee, I love banana, I love macadamia nuts. Who am I took complain?

I just apparently don't like the combination of these 3 things together because I didn't enjoy this snack at all. And, I mean, I had a melt down about how much I love cookies last month... You have to pretty low on the snack totem to get a thumbs down from me. Oh well, I can't win 'em all.

7. Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals Stress Release Bath Crystals: 

Listed at $4.00

The Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals website has this listed nefarious for $4.00 but what seems to be a perpetual sale of $2.80

I can dig these. I like bath salts. They smell pretty good. And, it will be used. I can dig it.

8. Bonus! Seashell Lei: 

Listed at $10.00

I still don't get these "bonus" items. They're always listed well overpriced souvenirs that look like something you would purchase quickly for a coworker that you despise but have to keep face with.

This time, I received a broken and mangled shell necklace... Ok... And, I would literally be angry at anyone I know who would pay $10 for this item.

I'm really at a loss for words in regards to voicing my reasons for ending my Escape Monthly subscription and reviews for everyone. Although every reasoning I have had I can definitely foresee counter arguments for. But, I'll break it down in a list to give an overall feel for why I chose to opt out.

1. Pricing, Billing, and Shipping: Escape Monthly is not a cheap subscription box. It is by far, the most expensive sub box that I personally subscribe to at this time and I have the $10 discount coupon. It is enough that I spent $40 on items of this quality. But, it would be another to spend $50. It is often the very first sub that I am billed for at the beginning of the month- kind of like the clock strikes 12 and the funds are gone. However, it remains to this day, the last box that I receive at the very end of each month. There has always been quite a large discrepancy between the date I get a shipping email and the actual date of shipping and date I receive the product. As an Ebay seller, I would imagine that I would receive quite a bit of negative feedback if items I sold arrived week(s) after apparent shipping date.  
2. Mistakes: Everybody makes mistakes! I totally get it. And, I'm totally okay with receiving an incorrect item. Hindsight being 20-20, I now realize that I should have been completely transparent and candid that I have received many mistakes in my Escape Monthly boxes. This is my first real attempt at writing a blog and there is a learning curve. That's my mistake! I have never had a missing item from Escape Monthly. But, the misrepresented items did rack up and that is cause for concern. In my first box, I received 2 body washes instead of a body wash and body lotion. I rationalized it that there will probably be oversights on products from time to time- I psychologically gave E.M an out and didn't even realize it. But, if you compare this with all my other subs- some of which I have been a subscriber of for over 2 years- I have never received ANY mistake items! Missing- yes, broken- absolutely, off or bad - once or twice. It's just the consistent oversight that every box I have ever received from them had an error.
1. Paris: Two body washes instead of a body wash/body lotion.
2. Puerto Rico: Expired plantain chips.
3. London: Two dry oils instead of one (that I wrote about favorably). That upon opening later on were leaking and cracked at the top of BOTH!
4. Hawaii: Shampoo instead of body wash, wrong/double flavored snacks, broken necklace.
3. Quality of Products/Overall box: There are a few philosophies of thought in regards to the value of subscription boxes. Most of the rabble you hear is arguments for/against the value of a specific month sub box value. I'm a big picture type of girl and never throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think Ipsy is a great example of this. Ipsy is inexpensive and also seemingly random in regards to product distribution. Some months I get items that I love that are worth the full $10 or more. Other months, there might be only one item I love and it's worth less than, say, $4. Or, I may be initially disappointed then find a product I love. It evens out and at worse, I'm stuck with some items I can resell on Ebay to make some money back or I can trade the items for something I may want on the Ipsy website. I just don't feel that E.M. has found their niche yet for creating a comprehensive monthly escape box. The execution just isn't there yet. Money is wasted on the travel guides. Some boxes will maintain an even cost of items. Some cheap, some more expensive, some in between, etc. Other boxes, like this month, will completely be lopsided with one expensive item and cheap snacks and free shampoos. There's no consistency with product.
4. Misrepresentation/Box "Padding": Void all arguments of discount purchases from wholesale to our "retail" sub boxes. If it is not obvious to you, sub boxes make a lot of their profit from buying mass amounts of an items at low wholesale prices then reselling to the consumer at a more fitting retail cost. That being said, as the consumer, we are not obligated to sit and count up the retail value of the cost of a sample of an item then count that into the cost of an overall sub box to rationalize our expense. But, I always felt I had to do this with Escape Monthly. I just didn't trust the company. I would look at an item and say to myself, "Hey now. This cost just doesn't add up..." Upon researching, it was fairly transparent to me that EM was padding a lot of their products to give the box more value. Having a $13 book listed at $19, complimentary hotel soaps listed at $3 dollars, or toy cars listed at $12 when you could easily look up the manufacturer and find the item for less than $5, put a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not saying it's fraud. I wouldn't miss the $12 die cast buggy if it wasn't included. But, it's pretty insulting to try to convince me my box has a much overall high value and worth due to item padding. Yes, you can argue that I may spend over $40/$50 if I bought all those items individually. But, I wouldn't buy an item from a shop owner if it's tagged at $4 and he willy-nilly just decides to charge me $12 because he feels that's the value of it that day. For most sub boxes this works the opposite. You spend $10, get maybe $15-$25 worth of retail priced items and they back that claim with product/price break down that is fairly transparent. EM does the opposite by completing making up their price per product list to create a nonexistent value. Most subbers I know are aware and expect a sub box value to be OVER the actual the amount that they are spending- that's why they sub. Yes, I may be getting "$50" worth of items back with EM. But, that's if for what I've seen. The additional extras are fake. 

If you made it this far, congrats! You have a better attention span than I do. All in all, I will have to give Escape Monthly's Novmember 2014: Hawaii Box a 5/10. It was a fun box. But, with too many misplaced, broken, and lopsided items- I felt I was pushed to say good bye for now! 

StarLooks StarBox November 2014: Mineral Inspired Unboxing

What it is: StarLooks.com is a newer cosmetics company that has a monthly StarBox

Where to get it: starbox.starlooks.com
How much is it?: $15.00 monthly + tax
Types of Products: High end, cruelty free cosmetics
What are the Perks?!: Starlooks.com just recently rolled out a points program where every $ spent on the site equals 1 point used towards discounts on their site.

StarLooks StarBox November 2014: Mineral Inspired 

Unboxing and Review!

Woo! Starlooks coming in for the win this month! Last month, I was really disappointed with only receiving a brow set, which I do not need. Oh man though, they totally made up for it this month!

Let's take a look!

Upon Opening:

Our menu and special holiday insert:

I'm already excited for next month!

1. Longwear Matte Lip Liner in Terri's Choice:

Full Sized Listed at $14

Ok, I'm not a lip liner person. But, the liner is a new, unique color. Instead of staying in the prototypical color shade zone. For a $15 box, to get a full sized $14 lip product right off the bat, I'm cool with that.

2. Cosmetic Glitter in Quartz

Full Sized Listed at $18

THIS is the type of stuff Ipsy should have sent with their glitter bag this month. So, I'm insanely happy I was able to get an item like this at all this month. Starlooks suggests the cosmetic glitter can be mixed with primer to create a sparkly gel liner or mixed with polish, among other uses. 

The glitter has nice pink and silver undertones and has a nice shine. I think it may even work mixed with a little gloss for some lip shine!

3. Long Weat Pot Eye Liner in Star Dust

Full Sized listed at $16

I was SO happy to get this liner in Star Dust. The other option would have been Wyld, which is a brown tone.

Since Urban Decay has discontinued my light silver every day shadow (Strip)- I've been desperately in search of a replacement. And, I think I found it here!

4. Bonus! Surprise pink rhinestones just for fun!

In reality, I probably won't use these. But, they were a fun surprise!

I'm going to have to say, this is what I look for in a perfect subscription box. Although I'm not going to use all these products, there was a nice selection of different and NEW things to try. Starlooks had a theme this month and followed through with it nicely. The contents of the box was worth the $15 topped out at $48! And, there was a nice little extra surprise too!

This month, I am going to give Starlook's StarBox a 10/10 for being absolutely fabulous and fun!

Birchbox November 2014: Giving (RED) Unboxing!

What it is: BirchBox 
Where to get it: Birchbox.com
How much is it?: $15.00 monthly + tax
Types of Products: Skin, hair, body, and beauty products and make up.
What are the Perks?!: Review your products monthly to earn BirchBox points. Every 100 points earns $10 to use at BirchBox. If you refer a friend and they sign up, you get 50 points. You can stock pile up to 500 points at once. I've yet to do that though!

BirchBox November 2014: Giving (RED) Unboxing and Review!

It's Birch Box for the win this month! Seriously, after the last two boxes I reviewed, I was getting really worried that I would have to abandon all hope of blogging and buying up my subscription boxes! I was so utterly disappointed. As opposed to my fiasco of a Birch Box in October, Birch Box really stepped up their game this month. Though, I could be totally biased compared to the other subscriptions I've already gotten this month.

BirchBox is offering to donate $1 every time a photo of their (RED) box with #shaRED tagged to help raise money and awareness to fight AIDS across the globe. Here's mine- feel free to steal it to share some good karma!:

Upon Opening:

I'm not gonna lie, with preconceived notions from the hell that unboxings have been so hard this month and the let down of October's Birch Box, this looked like a disaster at first. And, I was VERY worried!

As usual, the Menu was included, this time with a holiday gift guide:

 

1. Amika Nourishing Hair Masks:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $40 for 50ml jar

Sample Sized At 20ml

Now THIS is some hair product I can get down with. Everyone's hair needs a little pampering sometimes. And I think going into the winter weather, I'm going to have to use a few hair masks. In addition, being that I have rather fine hair, a little mask goes a long way- so I'm satisfied with the size of the mask sample. I will be able to get a few uses out of it. May be an issue for others with thick or curly hair. But, I'm content with my little some

2. Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Heartthrob:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $20 for .17 oz tube

Sample Sized at .079 oz

Birch Box, I gotta say- give up on the tiny lip glosses. I have too, too many. Give me a balm. Give me a tiny eyeliner. Send a cookie. I don't care. These one/two time lip gloss tubes drive me nuts. I lose them before I can even form an opinion on the product. That being said, I have been extremely happy with the Cynthia Rowley beauty line and I'm glad it's getting promoted a little more. I swear, their black eyeliner pencil give's Urban Decay's Perversion a run for it's money. So, to err on the side of being optimistic, I'm not gonna hate on the mini red lip gloss too much

3. Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion in Relaxing Sea Fennel:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $15 for 8 oz.

Sample Sized at 1.35 ml

First things first, I had to google "Sea Fennel." This is something that apparently exists and looks like this. I know I've been ornery about getting so much hand and body lotion in all my sub boxes. But, to be fair, I like the fact that unlike many of the other promoted lotions, this one is relatively in expensive. And, if I were looking for a new body lotion, it is a nice sized sample. I'm kind of "meh" about the scent- it's the pro-typical "spa" cucumbery scent. I'll probably actually end up using this one instead most that I try to resell.

4. Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $58 for 6 tubes of .33 oz each

Sample Sized at 1 .33 oz tube

This was the sample I opted in for. The reason being that I haven't received many masks in my subscription boxes. I only receive gritty feeling exfoliants - which apparently drives me into a fit of rage (if you've seen my Ipsy post this month). Regardless of the completely ridiculous name, I'm excited to try this little guy. 

5. theBalm Cosmetics Cindy-Lou Manizer Highlighter:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $24 for 8.5 g

Sample Sized at .57 g

THIS is the reason I sign up for subscription boxes. New and interesting products that I don't think I would normally try. Honestly, at first I literally said "What the hell is this?" to myself when I saw the little pack with the mugshot on front. Then I couldn't figure out how to open the thing. Then, I realized it was like a little matchbook and closes with a magnet. And inside was a nice, light highlighter. I love highlighters. I am totally oblivious (see what I did there) when it comes to using highlighters. And, I'm pretty sure I look like a fool when I use them. But, I love 'em. And you know, the theme/design is a little cheesy. But, I'm impressed that so much work went into promote a sample. This is marketing done right! It makes you laugh, you remember the product, and you can tell effort went into putting this together. It's really cute.

6. Bonus Item! Dang Toasted Coconut Chips:

Full Sized Listed on the BirchBox website: $18 for 6 pack of 40g bags

Sample Sized at 20g

OOOOOOHHHH I love bonus stuff! Yay Birch Box for the bonus! And, oh my god. Coconut Chips. As you may have read my Escape Monthly September 2014: Puerto Rico box review , I'm just a little obsessed with coconut anything. I had another little issue with this product as I thought it was called "dong" at first... but hey... we'll leave that potential Freudian Slip be. This was such an awesome little surprise though. And they were DELICIOUS. I'm actually kind of angry at Birch Box for not signing me up for a life time supply- I inhaled these chips. If you really love coconut, you'll love these. If you hate coconut, feel free to message me and I'll take the sample off your hands!

I'm so happy that Birch Box redeemed themselves this month! I'm so glad Birchbox saved my unboxing month that was quickly going down the tubes.

This month, I am going to give Birchbox November 2014: Giving (RED) box at solid 8/10.

Although I'm getting sick of the tiny lip colors and body lotions, the quality of the products I received was on the up and up. There were new, fun items to try that gave me a few chuckles, and the bonus snack was awesome! Two thumbs up!

Ipsy November 2014 Girl Meets Glitter Unboxing!

What it is: Ipsy Glam Bag
Where to get it: Ipsy.com
How much is it?: $10.00 monthly + tax
Types of Products: Skin, hair, body, and beauty products and make up.
What are the Perks?!: By reviewing items and sharing Ipsy info on Facebook, rack up Ipsy points to redeem for free beauty products.

Ipsy November 2014: Girl Meets Glitter Unboxing and Review!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again. But, I hope not to dishearten anyone with another really negative unboxing review. But, I was gritting my teeth from the very moment I had access to my preview in my personal Glam Room. And let me tell you Ipsy, I am not a happy camper this month.

Let me go into a little more detail here. I was elated when I first found out Ipsy's November theme was going to be glitter. It sounded exciting and spectacular for the upcoming holidays. With how much I loved Ipsy's October bag- I thought I was on a roll. But, with every sneak peak, I felt the "glitter" theme was becoming a bit dubious. When glam rooms went live, I saw very little sparkle and shine over all. But, what I was completely floored by was the fact that my bag contained zero glitter products. On top of all this, every single product I received this month are items I have repeatedly try to opt out of. The final nail in the coffin was when I pulled up the full list of items I was not going to receive, I would have literally taken just ONE of any of the other items and would have been perfectly content. 

I am generally aghast at HOW badly Ipsy missed the mark this month. So, let's break it down:

Upon Opening That Big Pink Envelope:

I'd like to point out that my under eye cream was not actually INSIDE the make up bag. It was actually just floating around the envelope, completely detached from its card. Hence, why I have it pictured here.

Total Contents and Bag Close Up:

Ok, I guess the bag is sparkly... I like the bag. It's one of my more favorite Ipsy bags that I have received. But, I don't pay $10 a month for a make up bag.

1. SeaRx Micro-Dermabrasion Face And Body Scrub:

Sample Size of .3 g

I've said it once, I've said it twice, and I'll say it again. I am woefully wary of using new micro-dermal "scrubs" on my face. My apologies for being cursed with the bad genes of having large, unruly pores. But, I'm not willing to risk a breakout - when I'm already in my breakout season to go wily nily putting gritty scrubs on my face. I have opted out of receiving these products through reviews and my beauty profile. Yet, Ipsy still insists on sending them. On top of which, how small of a body am I supposed to have to use it there instead of on my face...?

2. Be A Bombshell Eye Base in Submissive:

Full Sized, Retails At $14.99

Truthfully, I don't even know what this is, and I don't want it. It appears that Ipsy can only get a hold of gold/bronze shades. And, now I just have too much- I'm overwhelmed and I couldn't even get the item to swatch well. I'm not a huge Be A Bombshell fan. And there's nothing I can do with all the other prime products that already stock my arsenal. I'll give Ipsy props for sending a full sized item. But, that's about it.

3. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Cream:

Tiny Sample Size of .11 oz

This sample is tiny. I mean teeny tiny- probably one/two uses max. As per the theme for my bag this month- I have received another item I have tried to opt out of. Sigh. Especially since I just bought my amazing Benefit fake up stick last month. I am actually coordinated to trade this with someone via the Ipsy site- since no one else wanted any of the other products I got... It's only redeemable in the sense that I could trade it for other items I didn't receive this month.

4. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Hairspray:

Travel Sized Listed for $2.99 on Ulta.com

Literally something I could never use. Oil of oil you say? Hairspray you say? I won't even touch this with a 10 foot pole or fear ending up looking like a drowned rat from the mid 80's.

5. Starlooks Lip Gloss in Guilty Pleasure:

Sample Size of .3 oz

Let's completely disregard that I'm already a Starbox subscriber. I'm sooooooo sick of getting Starlooks samples. And, this tiny sample is just an insult.

Ipsy, I've been a subscriber since mid 2012. And, I never had a bag I outright didn't like until this very month. So upsetting. To juxtapose my 10/10 for Ipsy last month, I am going to have to give my particular Ipsy November Girl Meets Glitter bag a 1/10- just because I liked the bag.  

That being said, there was a plethora of MANY other samples this month that were wonderful. My particular bag just didn't hit the mark: nothing sparkly/glittery, products I can't/won't use, and nothing excitable. 

As I stated in my underwhelming Sample Society November post yesterday, I really hope this month's subscription box let downs are just revving up for some great holiday boxes. Fingers crossed!

I also want to make a quick disclaimer as I have stated in an online forum:  I'm definitely not consistently unhappy with Ipsy. I've been a subscriber since 2012. And have adored the bag and love the inexpensive price.

My rationalization with Ipsy has always been that I'm paying $10 for a bag and always get at least one item I want and love and will use from that bag that equals out $10 over the months- everything else is cool extras to try and sample. Or to gift or sell. There's no losing except for the fact that I have run out of room to store everything and I don't know what to do with all these make up bags. Sometimes I get somethings that I want one month that are worth $4, the next I get something that are worth $15. It evens out.

What I find frustrating is the drop off the cliff I have seen in the past 6 months. I never rated or reviewed individual items because although there were products I did not want. I was under the impression that Ipsy was taking into consideration my beauty profile to help expand my look. A great example that I like to use is the bright red lip colors they consistently sent me. I thought maybe I had created a profile that screamed "Gwen Stephani" look. I'm fair, light blond, "adventurous" style etc in my profile. Although I didn't particularly care for these products and would definitely prefer a product closer to my colors- I thought I could see what they were doing there.

That being said, my perception is the reason you don't see people complaining about a lot of the other sub boxes is because they do not put an insane amount of emphasis on the promise of creating a box specifically catered to the individual.

Ipsy has given the impression that they do through the beauty profiles and product reviews. It would be obnoxious for people to consider that they will everything they want in every bag. But, for example, this month I am not getting a single item I would ever want or use. And sans the red lipstick, I would have taken literally anything from the really substantial list of things that I am not getting.

That's fine. It's one bag. I'm not going to go throw myself off the Empire State Building. I really just wanted to see if consistent feedback actually has an impact in curating a more suitable bag or if this is just Ipsy lip service.

And, I think what you're seeing here is the disconnect of expectation Ipsy creates vs what they actually deliver. If they were like Sample Society for example- you get what you get and you don't get upset, here's a coupon. Then I think you wouldn't hear so much rabble about Ipsy. But, as of late, it seems Ipsy has gotten so big that they're far afield of what they used to be in regards to matching products,value of products, shipping dates, etc. That things feel more like a random lottery than anything else.