June Ipsy Extra: The Forced-Choice Hunger Games

June’s Ipsy Extra lineup dropped, and as always, I approached it with equal parts excitement and dread. You know, the emotional cocktail only a subscription box can deliver. It’s the familiar ritual: scroll, squint, whisper “don’t you dare,” and pray the algorithm doesn’t decide I need yet another mascara.

This month’s offerings are actually… good. Suspiciously good. Good enough that I’m already bracing for the two YOU HAVE NO CHOICE, YOU WILL TAKE THIS items Ipsy loves to assign like a chaotic fairy godmother.

But before we get to the predictions, here’s the lineup:

• Dew of the Gods Maui Glaze Oil Cleanser

• Moonslice Beauty eyeshadow & pigment palette

• Pinky B Beauty Hot Commodity bronzer palette

• Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly

• Tower 28 LipSoftie tinted balm

• Lucky Chick eye brush trio

• Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Platinum

• Dieux Air Angel Gel Cream

• Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush

A surprisingly solid mix of skincare, lips, and the usual “we found this in the warehouse” suspects.

My Ranking: The Joy-to-Utility Index

1. Dieux Air Angel Gel Cream

If Ipsy wants to force something on me, let it be this. Please, beauty gods, please.

It’s lightweight, elegant, and the kind of moisturizer that quietly earns its keep. I have plenty of skincare right now, but this is the kind of “future me will be smug” product I never regret.

2. Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly

A no-brainer. A must-have. A “yes, I will take another” moment. I'm a little obsessed with Tower 28 anyway because they're supposed to be really good for people with sensitive skin. Mostly I've been eyeing their skin products, but Tower 28 lip products are joy in a tube, and this one was already on my mental wishlist.

3. Rare Beauty Melting Blush

Do I have a lot of blush? Yes.

Do I still want this? Also yes.

It’s soft, melty, and natural — the kind of blush that makes you look like you’re lit from within by a gentle secret.

4. Tower 28 LipSoftie Balm

I probably won’t be allowed both Tower 28 items, but if the stars align, this is the one I’ll snag. Getting both would be the score of the month, really. Even if I end up with brushes and mascara because I have no choice.

5. Moonslice Palette

Pretty, fun, and absolutely unnecessary for someone who already has more palettes than eyelids.

6. Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Platinum

NO.

No more mascara.

No more tubes.

No more “but this one is platinum.”

I refuse to build a mascara mausoleum in my drawer.

7. Dew of the Gods Oil Cleanser

Cute name, cute vibe, mid performance.

I don’t need novelty skincare right now.

8. Lucky Chick Brush Trio

Ipsy has been brush-happy lately, and I’m fully stocked.
And while the brush they sent out with Ultimate last month was really great and I love my Iconic London brushes they sent out a few months ago, yeah no. No more brushes. These aren’t special enough to break the streak.

9. Pinky B Bronzer Palette

I have a soft spot for her — I follow her on Instagram and I’m genuinely thrilled she made it into Ipsy Extras.

But I do not need more bronzer.

This is a “support from afar” moment.

The Forced-Choice Fear: What Ipsy Might Do

Every month, Ipsy assigns two items you cannot decline — the Dreaded Duo of Doom.

Worst-case scenario?

They saddle me with:

• the mascara

• the brushes

The Twin Horsemen of the Forced Choice Apocalypse.

But realistically, June’s lineup is too strong for them to waste both forced slots on pure filler. When they have Rare Beauty, Tower 28, Dieux, and a palette in the mix, they usually anchor at least one forced item with something mid-tier but respectable.

Most likely forced combos:

• Moonslice palette + Dieux which I will live with with a contented heart.

• Moonslice palette + Lucky Chick brushes Please no.

• Dieux + Lucky Chick brushes Sigh. Fiiiiine. At least I'd still get the one I want.

Least likely:

• Mascara + brushes Pleasenopleasenopleasenopleaseno.

• Mascara + anything, honestly

Mascara is too polarizing. Too many people have it marked “rarely.” Ipsy knows better than to start a riot.

The Best Possible Outcome

If Dieux is one of my forced items, I’m fine with that.

It’s the only product on the list where a forced slot feels like a gentle nudge instead of a punishment.

If Dieux is locked in, my choice slots become pure joy:

• Tower 28 ShineOn

• Rare Beauty Melting Blush

• maybe LipSoftie if the universe is kind

That’s a perfect June.

Final Prediction

June is shaping up to be one of those rare Ipsy Extra months where the math actually works out. Even if the algorithm wakes up and chooses mild violence (which is mascara, another mascara is violence), I’m still walking away with at least two items I genuinely want.

But if they force that mascara on me?

Just know I’ll be here, icing my foot from the Selena Gomez jar incident, muttering at the universe, and adding yet another tube to the Mascara Drawer of Shame.

The Secret Life of Seconds: A Meditation on Hummus, Medicine, and the Tiny Frictions of Being Human

 Last night I was trying to open a container of hummus.

Not the lid — though that can be its own boss fight — but the inner seal.

That hateful, cling-wrapped, vacuum-fused membrane of plastic that exists “for our protection,” as if chickpeas are a biohazard.

And as I was wrestling with it, I had a thought:

If technology (or aliens, or gods, or even humans) ever wants to truly understand humanity, it needs to start with this.

Not poetry.

Not philosophy.

Not the grand sweep of history.

But the seconds — the tiny, stupid, maddening seconds — we lose to packaging.

Because those seconds add up.

They accumulate into minutes, hours, years.

They shape our moods, our patience, our sense of competence.

They are the invisible tax of modern life.

And they fall into a few very specific categories.

1. The Food Plastics of Doom

The hummus condom.

The yogurt membrane.

The salsa skin.

The peanut butter seal that requires the strength of a minor deity.

These things are designed to be tamper evident, hygienic, and shelf stable.

But they are also designed by someone who has clearly never tried to open them with:

a. wet hands

b. arthritic hands

c. disabled hands

d. tired hands

e. or, you know, even normal human hands

There is no greater test of the human spirit than trying to peel a plastic film without splattering yourself in chickpeas.

2. The Medicine Packaging That Hates Us

If you want to understand suffering, watch a human try to open a blister pack while already in pain.

Or a “childproof” bottle that is also adult proof. And probably, ironically, not childproof.

Or a safety seal that requires tools.

Or the cotton stuffing that feels like a trap.

These are the moments where you can hear the faint whisper of the universe saying: “Hah, yeah, good luck with that, loser.”

3. The Threaded Things That Never Thread

Jars.

Bottles.

Thermos lids.

Anything that requires “just line it up.”

You twist.

It resists.

You twist harder.

It cross threads.

You swear.

You try again.

It’s wrong again.

You swear louder.

This is the human condition.

4. The Alignment Rituals

The “no, not like that, like that” objects:

a. Tupperware lids

b. battery covers

c. shampoo caps

d. USB ports (which famously require so many attempts: wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, right)

e. anything with a hinge

f. anything with a snap (ugghhhh, baby clothes!)

g. anything with a notch

These are the tiny betrayals that define our relationship with technology far more than any grand innovation.

The Deeper Truth

If technology wants to understand humanity, it needs to understand friction.

Not metaphorical friction.

Literal friction.

The micro struggles.

The wasted seconds.

The tiny failures.

The small victories.

The quiet swearing.

The moments where we mutter, “Why is everything designed by someone who has never used their own product.”

This is where the real story of human technology interaction lives.

Not in the big questions about AI ethics or automation or the future of work.

But in the stupid, daily battles that shape our days.

The seal that won’t peel.

The cap that won’t align.

The blister pack that won’t blister.

The lid that won’t thread.

The zipper that won’t catch.

These are the places where humanity actually feels technology.

And if AI ever wants to understand us — really understand us — it should start with the hummus.

White Tea, Deep Yellow Light: A Late May Scent Meditation

Some mornings, the ritual is the point. Not the transformation, not the performance — just the quiet sequence of steps that remind me I have a body, a face, and a moment to myself before the day starts making demands.

Today’s lineup was simple and steady:

SUNDAY RILEY Good Genes, DERMELECT Rapid Repair Radiance Remedy Oil, and MURAD SPF. A trio that gives me that “I drink water and mind my business” finish without trying too hard. My skin looked bright, calm, and a little luminous — the kind of glow that feels earned rather than engineered.

But the real story today was the scent.

I’ve been wearing KORRES White Tea Eau de Toilette more often lately, and I’m realizing it’s becoming one of those quiet keepers — the fragrances that slip into your daily life without fanfare and suddenly feel like they’ve always belonged there.

White Tea isn’t loud. It doesn’t trail behind you or announce your presence. What it does is hum — a soft, steady presence that stays close to the skin and somehow still feels intentional.

The Opening: Neroli in Sunlight

The official top notes are bergamot, neroli, and mandarin, but what hits me hardest is the neroli. It has that green snap I love — fresh, almost leafy — but with a honeyed warmth underneath. It’s not citrus bright. It’s more like the color of late morning sunlight through a kitchen window. A deep, warm yellow that feels lived in rather than sparkling.

The Heart: Peony, My Unexpected Soft Spot

The heart notes list jasmine, peony, white tea, and freesia, but on my skin, the peony steps forward first. I’m not a deeply floral leaning floral person, but peony has always appealed to me instinctively. It’s airy without being sugary, soft without being powdery. It feels like breath, not bouquet.

The white tea keeps everything translucent — a veil rather than a cloud — and the jasmine stays politely in the background. The whole middle of the fragrance feels like a gentle exhale.

The Base: Oak Moss Doing the Heavy Lifting

The base is cedarwood, oak moss, and musk, and this is where the scent gets interesting.

Oak moss is one of those notes I underestimated for years. It’s earthy, a little leathery, a little ambery, a little mineral — never just one thing. And on me, it’s the oak moss that lingers. It’s what gives the whole fragrance that warm, rich, deep yellow impression. Not bright yellow. Not pastel. Something closer to old amber glass or sun warmed resin.

The cedarwood gives it structure.

The musk softens the edges.

But the oak moss gives it color.

Why It Works Right Now

Late May is a strange little liminal space — not quite spring, not quite summer, just a little feral around the edges. White Tea fits that mood perfectly. It’s clean without being sterile, floral without being girly, warm without being heavy. It breathes with the weather and with my skin.

I don’t know how it will behave in the heat of July, but for now, it’s exactly right. A scent that feels like a soft, steady glow — something I can wear without thinking, but still notice every time it catches the air.

And honestly? That’s my favorite kind of fragrance.

My May Box: A Study in Expectations, Shade Roulette, and Unexpected Wins

May’s box arrived with the energy of a mixed bag — not chaotic, not disappointing, just… full of little plot twists. Some items felt like gifts from the universe. Some felt like IPSY rummaged through my bathroom cabinet and said, “She probably needs more of this.” And some were the classic IPSY gambles that make me question why I trust anyone with shade selection.

Let’s get into it.

KORRES — Apothecary Wild Rose Night Brightening Sleeping Facial

I didn’t choose this, but I absolutely would have. Korres has never let me down. Their products always feel like they were made by someone who respects skin and also respects sleep.

• Will I use it? Yes.

• Excited? I am.

• First impressions? Very positive.

• Cheated? Not even a little.

This is the kind of item that makes a subscription feel like a good decision.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer — Vanilla L2

I didn’t pick this, and normally I wouldn’t let IPSY choose a shade for me. But in this case… they might have gotten it right. Vanilla L2 is about as close to my skin tone as IPSY has ever dared to go.

• Will I use it? If the shade behaves, yes.

• Excited? Apprehensive.

• First impressions? Neutral.

• Cheated? Yes — it’s a concealer. I can’t pretend otherwise.

This is the emotional equivalent of someone handing you a surprise quiz. It might be fine, but you’re still annoyed.

YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick — Showcasing Nude

I didn’t choose this, but I would have. And I’m thrilled the shade is Nude — the only one that made sense for me.

• Will I use it? A luxury lip product? Absolutely.

• Excited? Deeply.

• First impressions? Extremely high.

• Cheated? No. I feel rewarded.

This is the star of the box. YSL, please don’t let me down.

BISHA Essential Setting Powder — Tokyo Translucent

I didn’t choose this and wouldn’t have. I have plenty of powder. I didn’t want to rely on IPSY for shade matching. And yet… the shade is fine. My goal in life is translucent skin anyway.

• Will I use it? Eventually.

• Excited? No.

• First impressions? Frustrated.

• Cheated? Kind of.

This is the “I didn’t ask for this” item. It’s not bad — it’s just unnecessary.

CIELE — The Blush Brush

I didn’t choose this and wouldn’t have. I have plenty of brushes. But then I watched some reviews, and apparently, people love this brush.

• Will I use it? Maybe.

• Excited? Not at first, but now… curious.

• First impressions? Meh.

• Second impressions? Surprisingly positive.

• Cheated? I did, but I’m willing to reconsider.

This is maybe the sleeper hit of the box — the product I didn’t want but might end up liking.

SUNDAY RILEY — Good Genes

One of my choices. A prestige product. A heavy hitter. A skincare overachiever.

• Will I use it? Yes.

• Excited? Very.

• First impressions? Strongly positive.

• Cheated? Not at all.

This is the kind of item that makes me feel like I’m gaming the system.

MURAD — Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50

Another one of my choices. I needed a good SPF moisturizer, and this one has a reputation for being a workhorse.

• Will I use it? Daily.

• Excited? Yes.

• First impressions? Very positive.

• Cheated? No — this is exactly what I signed up for.

This is the practical, grown-up product that earns its place.

RARE BEAUTY — Find Comfort Bouncy Body Cream (Awaken Confidence)

I chose this and was hoping I’d get the chance to. And now that I’ve seen reviews, I’m even more excited.

• Will I use it? Yes.

• Excited? Very.

• First impressions? The container is huge.

• Cheated? The opposite.

This is the indulgent, sensory, “I deserve nice things” item. Selena, thank you.

Final Thoughts

This month’s box is a mix of luxury, practicality, and IPSY’s signature unpredictability. The highs are very high — YSL, Good Genes, Rare Beauty, Korres. The lows are predictable — concealer roulette, powder fatigue, brush ambivalence.

But overall? This is a strong month. More wins than losses. More excitement than frustration. And a couple of items that might surprise me once they’re in my hands.

May 2026 Ipsy Ultimate Review: What They’re Offering vs. What I Would Actually Pick

May’s Ultimate is one of those months where Ipsy clearly wants to look luxurious without fully committing to the chaos or the thrill. It’s a prestige anchored month with a predictable structure: one luxury makeup item, one luxury skincare item, and one cheap brush everyone gets whether they want it or not.

I’m not emotionally invested in this box — not the way I was last month — but if I’m going to do Ultimate for a single month, I’m at least going to curate it intelligently.

Below is the full item pool, followed by the eight items I would choose if I had total control.

What Ipsy Is Offering This Month

Prestige / High Value Items

• YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick — $43 (universal)

• Sunday Riley Good Genes — $85

• Natasha Denona My Dream Cheek Trio — $48

• Natasha Denona Resurfacing Honey & Charcoal Mask — $69

• Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil — $46

• NARS Light Reflecting Foundation — $55

• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer — $36

• Korres Wild Rose Brightening Sleeping Facial — $55

Mid Tier / Crowd Pleasers

• Rare Beauty Find Comfort Bouncy Body Cream — $36

• Murad Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50 — $35

• Makeup by Mario Ultra Suede Cozy Lip Crème — $26

• Bisha Essential Setting Powder — $40

Fake Prestige / Filler

• Dermalactives Resurfacing Honey & Charcoal Mask — $159 (inflated RV)

• Ciele Blush Brush — $32 (universal filler)

What I Would Pick (If I Had Full Control)

1. YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick — $43

Everyone gets it, but I would’ve chosen it anyway.

It’s the sensory anchor of the month.

2. Ciele Blush Brush — $32

Everyone gets it, and I would not have chosen it.

This is the tax we pay for the good stuff.

3. Rare Beauty Find Comfort Body Cream — $36

I’m in a body care era, and Rare Beauty tends to nail scent and texture.

A solid, comforting pick.

4. Sunday Riley Good Genes — $85

The prestige skincare anchor.

If I’m doing Ultimate for one month, this is the item that makes it worth it.

5. Korres Wild Rose Brightening Sleeping Facial — $55

Brightening, hydrating, and something I’ll actually finish.

A practical luxury.

6. Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil — $46

Lightweight, glossy, and fun.

Not a holy grail, but a good “treat” item.

7. Makeup by Mario Ultra Suede Cozy Lip Crème — $26

I’m in my lip era.

This is an easy yes.

8. Murad Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50 — $35

Brightening + SPF is always useful.

Not thrilling, but absolutely practical.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a “thrill month.”

It’s a value month — and a smart one if you curate it carefully.

My eight picks give me:

• Prestige skincare I’ll actually use

• Two lip products I’ll enjoy

• Body care, hair care, and SPF

• Only one dud (the brush)

• A real value total around $310 for items I’ll genuinely use

For a month I’m not emotionally invested in, this is a clean, efficient, regret proof Ultimate.

IPSY MAY 2026 — The Month of Soft Utility and Scented Rituals

Every Ipsy month has a personality. Some months are chaotic little monsters throwing glitter and indie brands at my face. Some months are prestige heavy flexes. And some months — like this one — are quietly competent, built around things you’ll actually finish, actually enjoy, and actually use.

May 2026 is a Skin First, No Miss Month.

Not flashy. Not dramatic. But deeply usable.

And for me, that made the choice surprisingly easy.

THE CHOICE ITEMS

1. Rare Beauty — Find Comfort Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash

This was my top pick, and honestly? It wasn’t even close.

The scent notes alone read like a miniature perfume:

Top: lemon zest, rhubarb, pomelo

Mid: jasmine petals, violet, black tea

Base: vetiver, tonka bean, cashmere wood

This is not a “celebrity brand vanilla musk” situation. Which is honestly refreshing.

This is bright. Floral tea. Warm-wooded. Which is just up my alley.

This is a story.

It hits every part of my sensory profile: tart fruit, humid florals, vetiver grounding, tonka warmth. And I love body washes — they’re one of the few categories I actually finish. This one feels like a ritual anchor, not a filler item.

This is an easy first pick for me.

2. Saie Beauty — Hydrabeam Concealer

This would have been a contender for #1 if Ipsy let me pick my shade. Hydrabeam is soft focus, hydrating, and forgiving — basically the complexion product equivalent of a warm lightbulb.

But shade roulette is real, and I’ve been burned before.

So it lands at #2: high emotional value, but too risky for the top slot.

3. The Ordinary — UV Filters SPF 45 Serum

A serum + SPF hybrid is always a win for my fair skin. Lightweight, daily use, and practical. This is the “responsible adult” choice.

However, I am deeply into scents right now.

For tha reason, it sits comfortably in third place.

4. Dermelect — Self Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum

A perfectly good exfoliating night serum.

No complaints, no excitement.

This is the workhorse of the lineup — reliable, but not a spark of joy.

5. Smashbox — Photo Finish Original Primer

A classic. A legend.

I have 4 other primers right now. This does not pass the stash test.

There’s nothing wrong with it.

It’s just not what I need right now.

May isn’t a prestige month.

It’s not a chaotic month.

It’s not a “who even are these brands” month.

It’s a use-everything month — and for me, that means leaning into the item that feels good, a sensory moment, a soft place to land.

This month, that’s the Rare Beauty body wash.

And honestly? I can’t wait for my shower to smell like lemon zest, black tea, and cashmere wood.

The City of Good Intentions

 Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of fictional worldbuilding. One of the cities I’ve created has a very strict magic system designed to “improve” standard humans for their own good. The mages in charge of this project view themselves as champions for humanity, as good people, as beneficial researchers. They’re wrong.

They don’t see that every “improvement” they impose comes with a cost. They don’t notice how closely they watch their subjects, how they tally their habits, how they quietly adjust the rules without asking. They believe they’re helping. They believe they’re being responsible. They believe they’re preventing harm.

But from the inside, it doesn’t feel like help. It feels like surveillance. It feels like being managed. It feels like your choices are no longer your own, even when the choices are small and silly and human.

And the strangest part is that the mages don’t understand why anyone would mind. They don’t see the imbalance. They don’t see the asymmetry. They don’t see that autonomy is not a luxury—it’s the air people breathe.

I keep thinking about how easy it is, in fiction and in life, for “I’m just trying to help” to turn into “I’ve decided what’s best for you.” And how hard it is to name the moment when care crosses the line into control.

There is something deeply dehumanizing about being watched. Not witnessed. Not affirmed, but watched, scrutinized, assessed, and evaluated. Monitored. It objectifies you. It makes you feel less like a person and more like someone's failing project.

Out of respect, I do my best to go through life ignorant of most people's daily choices. What they eat, what they love, what they cling to, what delights them? That is not my business unless they choose to share it.  That kind of autonomy should not be a luxury. It should be the baseline.

And like I said, the mages in my story aren't evil. They see themselves as helpful. They believe their vision for the world is correct. But here's the thing, they never asked the people they are 'helping' if they wanted that specific kind of help. It probably never even occurs to them that they should.  Instead of giving humanity the room to figure out their own problems, they step in and make decisions for them. It's deeply dehumanizing. 

Maybe that’s the quiet lesson tucked inside all this worldbuilding: even the kindest intentions can warp when they forget to leave room for choice. Even the gentlest “improvements” can feel like shackles when they’re imposed instead of invited. I don’t think most people set out to become mages of control — in fiction or in life — but it happens easily when we stop remembering that other people are whole, thinking beings with their own rhythms, comforts, and ways of journeying through life. That journey is never straightforward. People make mistakes, sometimes massive ones. 

But trying to steer another person’s path — by watching, correcting, or setting the tempo for their growth — is its own kind of misstep. It’s a reminder that even well‑intentioned guidance can become a cage when it forgets that every person’s journey is theirs alone.