Icon Box by Ipsy May 2024 Review: Is it Worth It?

The Icon Box by Ipsy is a new quarterly upgrade for Ipsy Glam Bag and BoxyCharm members. This beauty subscription service delivers 8 personalized, full-size beauty products (worth up to $350). If you’ve been around for a while, you may remember Glam Bag X which the Icon Box replaced. If you opt for the Icon Box upgrade, it will replace your Glam Bag or BoxyCharm in the months of February, May, August, and November. Each box is a limited edition curated by beauty’s biggest icons or celebrities.

I decided to give it a try this year as I was really intrigued by the lure of full-sized items. I like Ipsy and the deluxe beauty samples, but sometimes it’s nice to get some full-sized beauty products that you can use more than a couple of times.  I think it’s a great way to find new favorite brands or try out some of the buzziest products from beauty’s most trusted team of experts. Bonus: you get to pick three of your eight products each quarter.

Icon Box Subscription Details

Icon Box by Ipsy is a quarterly subscription upgrade for Glam Bag and BoxyCharm members that replaces their Ipsy Glam Bag or BoxyCharm subscription once per quarter (February, May, August, and November). If you have both Ipsy Glam Bag and BoxyCharm, it will replace your BoxyCharm subscription. The Icon Box includes 8 full-size, personalized products (you choose 3!), including fan-faves and buzzworthy brands, worth up to $350, for only $60/quarter.

Icon Box members receive 5 Power Picks, which are superstar, must-try products or brands handpicked by IPSY’s team of experts.

Unboxing the May 2024 Icon Box

Here’s a look at the personalized assortment of full-sized products that we received in our first box.

The May box was curated by beauty industry icon, Patrick Starrr. He’s the founder of popular beauty brand ONE/SIZE and our box was filled with unique beauty products from ONE/SIZE.

Cheek Clapper by ONE/SIZE: This might have been one of my favorite products inside the Icon Box. It’s a blush trio that comes with a cream, a matte option that has a blurring effect, and a prismatic hyper cheen.  It can be layered or used singly. I love the color! Retail Value: $38

Saturday Skin Pro & Pre Biotic Whipped Cream: The packaging on this one stole my heart! I love the iridescent label. The cream is nice and soft, there’s no scent which is ok, but I definitely prefer scented hand cream.  I’ll be tucking this in my beauty bag for on the go hydration. Retail Value: $45

Water Therapy by The Nue Co: This is super cool – it’s a functional fragrance to help you destress and unwind.  It has a very light, fresh, aqua scent – maybe a hint of floral. I don’t know if it makes me feel calmer, but it’s definitely nice.  I’ve never heard of anything like this before, so this was a fun find for me. Retail Value: $104

Lip Snatcher by ONE/SIZE: This is a hydrating liquid lipstick and lip gloss duo. I honestly wasn’t sure what it was at first, I realized it was a gloss, but the lipstick looked more like a concealer to me. I don’t think it’s a very flattering shade. But I do really love the lip gloss, it’s the perfect berry shade for summer. Retail Value: $28

Fantasize Mascara by ONE/SIZE: Lifting and lengthening mascara made with coconut, argan, and castor oil helps condition lashes and lifts and holds.  I like this mascara, It has a nice full wand and I do think that it provides that extra length that I’m always looking for. Retail Value: $25

Eye Popper Sparkle Eyeshadow by ONE/SIZE: This is what I love about being an Icon Box subscriber – you never know what you’re going to get, and there are some really unique products included. I think it’s a nice way to step outside of your comfort zone and try new products! This is one of those for me for sure!  I don’t normally opt for super sparkly eye shadow, and this is cream based so it’s even more pigmented, but I gave it a try and I actually really loved it!  It definitely wouldn’t be an everyday wear for me, but I can totally see myself wearing it for date night or drinks with the girls.  Retail Value: $24

Fenty Beauty Semi Matte Refillable Lipstick: This matte lipstick came with a rechargeable case. I received color 04 “Motha Luva” – which totally made me laugh. But I love matte lipsticks and this color was a great pick. The only thing was it took me far too long to figure out how to use the case!  I finally got it, but I don’t know why that was so hard for me! Retail Value: $32

Kinship Exfoliating Pads: These lemon honey exfoliating pads are great! I really love how they make my skin feel. I know I should be exfoliating more than I have been (which is pretty much never) so this was a great skin care product for me. Retail Value: $26

Icon Box Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed receiving the Icon Box in place of my usual monthly bag, and felt that there was a nice variety of product selection.  The Icon Box curator, Patrick Starrr put a fun spin on things and included some fun products that I definitely wouldn’t have ever tried on my own.  It’s nice to switch up my beauty routine where I can – and I really do think that subscribing to a box like Icon Box or Ipsy is the best way to do that.

As far as value, the products I received in my Icon Box had a total retail value of $322.  That was pretty impressive! I would definitely say that I am happy with the variety of products and the value of the items I received, but there were a few that didn’t totally blow me away. I’m super excited about the blush trio and the Kinship Exfoliating Pads (which is strange because I don’t usually love receiving skincare in my beauty boxes – but this one was the rare exception!). I also thought the Water Therapy fragrance was a fun find and probably the only way I’d ever try something like that.  I love getting everyday beauty essentials like mascara, especially if it has a nice wand and lengthens – so the Fantasize mascara was also a hit for me.  Out of everything in the box, I would have purchased at least the mascara, the exfoliating pads, and the blush trio, which totals $89 so by paying $60 for the box I feel I definitely got my money’s worth.

I would say in general Ipsy does a good job of following my beauty profile and preferences well.  If I start to get things that I don’t like or types of products that I’ll never use, I just pop back into my profile and update it.  They do a good job of following it which I appreciate.  When I get products that I don’t love, or are the complete opposite from my personal style, I save them in a box for my nieces. They love to go through the products, sampling some and keeping others. Since the products in the Icon Box are full-sized, they make great gifts too for friends, family, or co-workers.  Just pop them in a little bag with a nice note, and it’s a great way to show someone they’re loved and thought of. I don’t love to have a lot of product that I won’t use hanging out in my bathroom, so I make an effort to pass it along to those who will enjoy it regularly.

If you’re a beauty, skincare or make up lover and you like to try a lot of different types of products then the value for the box is absolutely there and I would definitely recommend that you give it a try. I think it would make a great gift to for beauty lovers or someone who wants to up their beauty game!

How Do You Upgrade to the Icon Box from Ipsy Glam Bag or BoxyCharm?

If you already have an Ipsy Glam Bag or BoxyCharm subscription, simply visit the Icon Box tab and click on the “GET ICON BOX” button. Since the Icon Box is a quarterly upgrade, if you don’t have an Ipsy membership, you’ll need to sign up for one first to be eligible for Icon Box.

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If you got the May 2024 Icon Box by Ipsy let me know in the comments if you received any of the same items that I did. Everybody’s box is going to be slightly different based on your beauty preferences, but it’s always fun to compare and see what others get too! If you didn’t get this season’s box, which item above would you be most interested in trying?  I’d love to hear from you!

-AYOB, Jessica