End of the Month Reviews: Ipsy Winter 2025 Icon

I received this box earlier this month but it is still technically an edit from last year, 2025. At the beginning of the month, it's always easy to get enchanted by all the pretty new things in the pretty boxes. Over time, this changes. As we're coming to the end of the month, I thought I would go back and see how well the products I received from the subscription boxes did. This is my criteria.

1. Did I use this?
2. Was it a good amount?

3. Did I enjoy it?
4. Did it live up to my expectations?
5. Would I repurchase?

Natasha Denona I Need a Nude lipstick 36NP Amorosa

1. Did I use this? Yes, although I find that I'm saving it for special occasions. I shouldn't do that. I should use it as often as I want because I deserve luscious lipsticks and I do own this.
2. Was it a good amount? It is a very standard bullet of lipstick, so yes.

3. Did I enjoy it? Ahhh, so much. I have never had a lipstick that felt better on my lips.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and my expectations were pretty high too.
5. Would I repurchase? I would. I have never had a lipstick that felt so velvety on my mouth.

8 Faces Brilliance Serum
1. Did I use this? I use this morning and night. It's really helped to soften my skin.
2. Was it a good amount? It has a decent amount of product and given that you only need drops of it at a time, it will last for quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? I love this serum. I love the way it feels on my skin. I love the scent of it. I love the beautiful bottle. It very much pleases me. In fact, the bottle is so beautiful I plan to display it when I'm finished with the serum.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I really had no expectations for this before I started using it but as you can tell, I love it a lot.
5. Would I repurchase? I certainly would.

Rodial Glass Powder
1. Did I use this? I use this a lot. It's become my go to setting powder.
2. Was it a good amount? It's a standard amount of loose powder. I will say that the holes in the sifter insert are a bit too wide and allow more powder to escape at a time than I would like. I've wasted some of the product because I couldn't control the sifter well.

3. Did I enjoy it? I'm not the biggest fan of loose powder. I find pressed powders to be easier to control. Despite that, I'm using this as my regular powder because it's so good at blurring my skin.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I have very high expectations for Rodial. It's a company that I hold to a lofty standard and aside from the sifter issue, it's certainly lived up to what I expected.
5. Would I repurchase? No but I would purchase the pressed version of this. I know I could control it better.

Natasha Denona Retro Palette 15 Eyeshadow Palette
1. Did I use this? Some? Not a lot. Nothing wrong with the palette itself but a majority of the shades just don't appeal to me.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes, this is a large palette and really, maybe that's part of the problem for me. I tend to like palettes with fewer than nine pans because I think they tell a better color story and make more sense in my head.

3. Did I enjoy it? I would say I enjoy it more in theory than I do in application. I'm just not using this very much. Maybe that will change over time, but I find this just isn't quite working with my coloring.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? The quality of the product is certainly there. It's beautiful and heavy and very well made.
5. Would I repurchase? Not at this size and not these shades. Maybe one of her more neutral warmer palettes.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic SkinRenewal Mask
1. Did I use this? My skin gets irritated so quickly with masks that I have to use them sparingly. I did decide this would be my go-to mask for when I used one though.
2. Was it a good amount? Yeah, it's a very decent amount of product. It's going to last quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Yes. It dries down quickly and comes off easily. It leaves my skin so very soft and what else could you really want in a mask?
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It did. I feel like it does what is required.
5. Would I repurchase? I think so. It's certainly been easy on my skin, and that isn't something I can say about a lot of skin mask-type products.

Persona Cosmetics Volumizing Tubing Mascara
1. Did I use this? I used it once to see if I liked it better than my other one. I didn't. I haven't used it since.
2. Was it a good amount? Yeah this is actually a pretty large tube of mascara.

3. Did I enjoy it? I was unmoved one way or the other.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It's okay. It's just not as good as my other one.
5. Would I repurchase? No. Not a bad product, but just not thrilling for me.

Lithe Beauty Soft Fill Lip Pencils
1. Did I use this? I used these more than I thought I would. Unlike a lot of lip pencils (that can be too dry and hard), these glide over the lips well and fill in your lips very smoothly. The soft aspect of them has been quite beneficial for me.
2. Was it a good amount? I think so. You don't need much of the product so it will last for quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Again, I find that I enjoyed them quite a lot. They're really good about blending with other colors and blurring the edges of my lip line to help it look fuller, more even, and softer.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It exceeded them by a long shot.
5. Would I repurchase? I would. This product has really upped my lip shaping technique.

Bisha Essential Eye Designer Duo Set in Downtown Black and Uptown Brown
1. Did I use this? I tried for quite a while to make these work for me but they just never did. Eventually, I gave up and went back to other things.
2. Was it a good amount? It's a standard size.

3. Did I enjoy it? I found them frustrating. That probably has more to do with the way I react to liquid liners than it does with any fault of the product. If liquid liners work for you, these are probably great.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Given that I expected to not have any more luck with these than I ever have with this kind of pencil, I guess so.
5. Would I repurchase? No. Again, nothing against the product. It just doesn't work for me.  

Ipsy Icon Winter Box

 Ipsy Icon Winter Box

I didn't get to choose anything in this box, so everything was a big surprise. In some ways, that's actually more fun because nothing is expected. However, I think getting to choose a few of the products would have been better. I really didn't need another mascara or lip pencil or face mask. If I had options, I would have skipped those items. This somewhat puts them at a lower ranking just because I really didn't need them. Anyway, this is what I got.

I only got two skincare items. The first of these is the Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic SkinRenewal Mask. It's supposed to help with signs of aging and uneven skin textures. The cream is very thick and lux feeling. It smells vaguely of mint. You are supposed to put this on clean, dry skin and leave for 5-10 minutes to let it do its thing, then wash off with lukewarm water. My skin is pretty sensitive so this stung. It stung a lot. I didn't enjoy the sensation of having it on at all. After about the first five minutes, either the stinging settled down or I got used to it or my face was numb. My skin did feel nice and smooth afterward. It's a fine mask. We'll see if it helps with anti-aging over time.

My next skincare item was new to me as well. It was 8 Faces Brilliance Serum. I was completely drawn to this from the beginning. For one thing, the packaging is beautiful. The bottle is glass and so beautifully decorated. It also has a glass pipette with a rounded tip. It has rosehip and pomegranate oils, with lotus plant cells, Vitamin C, cica exosomes, and collagen peptides. It smells richly and warmly of citrus. I am discovering that I really love beauty oils. This one glides on gently and absorbs into the skin really well. I've been using it as part of my skin routine, and even after I use the bottle up, I'm keeping it because it's just so lovely.

My first makeup item was the Rodial Glass Powder in translucent. I love Rodial. I use some of their eye creams and they seem to be doing a good job. Even though it's translucent, it has some soft peach undertones that are supposed to help make your skin look poreless and flawless. I was pretty pleased with the results. The first time I used this, I'd made the mistake of using an older, thicker, matte foundation. My skin looked patchy and messy, but the powder made it work. I applied it with a large brush and it went on like a dream. The only issue I had with this powder at all was that the protective plastic cover over the holes inside was very difficult to remove.

Next, I received the Persona CosmeticsVolumizing Tubing Mascara in black. This is a pretty standard mascara. The wand is really nice. It has short bristles and a curve to it. Everything applies well. Is it the best mascara I own? No, but for day-to-day use, it's fine.

The next box actually had two items in it. Bisha Essential Eye Designer Duo Set in Downtown Black and UptownBrown. I was pretty excited about this to begin with because yay two items. I also really loved the packaging. Both were in sleek gold tubes. The black was very black and the brown was a darker chocolate brown. I find that they don't have much lasting power on my skin though. Not too long after application, both had faded and started to migrate. I'm still looking for eyeliner that won't do this to me.

I also received a double set with the Lithe Beauty Soft FillLip Pencils in Scarlet and Dusk. I have some questions. First of all, neither of these seem to be lip pencils. They're really thick. They're more like lip crayons. Second of all, neither color really seems to represent what they say it is. Maybe Dusk does, but the Scarlet one is really not scarlet colored. They glide on well though. I enjoy them.

The last two items were from the featured beauty icon for the season, Natasha Denona. First we got the RetroPalette 15 Eyeshadow Palette. The palette itself is a solid metal and a good size. It has a beautiful mirror. It contains one duo-chrome shade, one with a multi-color sparks topper, 4 metallic shades, and the rest are mattes. Five are cream powders. The colors are in the burgundy and mauve ranges, and are very passionate. Now, admittedly, these are not usually shades I wear. I tend to lean toward nudes or warm autumnal shades. However, I am giving this a chance. Everything is very pigmented and glides on well. I wore them for several hours and they seemed to hold up on my eyes very well.

The other Natasha Denona item that I received was the I Need a Nude lipstick in the shade 36NP Amorosa. It contains Gotu Kola and Orchid extracts that are supposed to heal and nourish your lips. It's described as one of those 'your lips but better' shades and I would say that's true. It looks really good on me. It's also supposed to be universally flattering and work with all skin types. Besides the shade (which I do love) there are two other things I adore about this lipstick. First of all is the packaging. As you can see from the pic above, it's a decadent, bright red metal container. It also has a magnet in it that snaps it back into place when you're done with it, which makes it feel so lux. The other thing I like about it is the feel on the lips. So often lipstick feels waxy and thick. This one feels so light and easy. It's something you could wear all day and not feel like you have something on your lips.

ORDER OF FAVORITES FROM MOST TO LEAST

1. Natasha Denona I Need a Nudelipstick 36NP Amorosa

2. 8 Faces Brilliance Serum

3. Rodial Glass Powder
4. NatashaDenona Retro Palette 15 Eyeshadow Palette
5. Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic SkinRenewal Mask
6. Persona Cosmetics Volumizing Tubing Mascara
7. Lithe Beauty Soft Fill Lip Pencils
8. Bisha Essential Eye Designer Duo Set in Downtown Black and Uptown Brown