What Do You Get in Your First IPSY Bag? Full Breakdown of Contents and Value

When you sign up for your first IPSY bag, you’re not just getting a few free samples-you’re stepping into a personalized beauty experience designed to help you discover products you actually love. No two bags are the same. What lands in your box depends on your beauty profile, skin type, tone, preferences, and even the trends hitting that month. For many, that first bag feels like a surprise gift wrapped in mystery. But what’s really inside? And is it worth the $13 a month?

What’s Actually in a First IPSY Bag?

Your first IPSY Glam Bag (the most popular option) includes five full-size or deluxe-sample beauty products. These aren’t random leftovers from a warehouse. They’re handpicked based on the beauty quiz you filled out during signup. If you said you have oily skin and love bold lip colors, you’ll get a mattifying primer and a bright red lipstick. If you’re into clean beauty, you’ll see brands like Ilia, RMS, or Youth to the People.

Typical items you might find in your first bag:

• A mini or full-size foundation or tinted moisturizer (often from brands like Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, or CoverGirl)
• A lipstick or lip gloss in a trending shade (think mauve, brick red, or glossy nude)
• A sample of a popular serum or moisturizer (like The Ordinary or Drunk Elephant)
• A mascara or eyeliner you’ve never tried before
• A bonus item-sometimes a makeup sponge, a travel-sized cleanser, or even a haircare product

On average, the total retail value of the five items is between $40 and $60. That means you’re getting at least three times the value you pay. And because IPSY partners with over 1,000 beauty brands-from indie startups to big names like L’Oréal-you’re likely to discover something you wouldn’t have picked up on your own.

How IPSY Chooses Your Products

IPSY doesn’t guess what you want. It asks. When you sign up, you answer about 10 questions: skin type, concerns (acne, dryness, aging), favorite brands, color preferences, and whether you avoid certain ingredients. You can update this profile anytime. The algorithm uses that data to match you with products that fit your needs.

For example, if you marked that you’re allergic to parabens and prefer vegan formulas, your first bag will exclude anything with those ingredients. If you said you love bold eyeliner but hate clumpy mascara, you’ll get a precise liquid liner instead.

IPSY also tracks what you rate after opening your bag. If you give a product a low score, you’ll see less of it in future boxes. That feedback loop is what makes IPSY smarter over time.

What You Won’t Find in Your First Bag

It’s important to set realistic expectations. Your first IPSY bag won’t contain:

• Full-size luxury products like La Mer or Chanel (those are too expensive for sample boxes)
• Products you already reviewed as "hated" in your profile
• Every product from your favorite brand (IPSY rotates brands monthly)
• Skincare staples like sunscreen or retinol unless you specifically asked for them

Some people expect high-end full-size serums or designer perfumes. Those are rare in the Glam Bag. But you might get a full-size product from a rising indie brand-something you’d never find on a drugstore shelf.

Real-Life First Bag Examples

Let’s say you’re a 28-year-old with combination skin who loves glowy makeup. Your first bag might include:

• Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Balm (full-size, $19 value)
• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum (15ml sample, $28 value)
• ColourPop Super Shock Shadow (mini palette, $12 value)
• Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (full-size, $11 value)
• Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (7ml sample, $14 value)

Total retail value: $84. You paid $13.

Another user, 35, with dry skin and a preference for clean beauty, got:

• Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara (full-size, $28)
• Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser (30ml sample, $20)
• Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansi Exfoliating Mask (10ml sample, $18)
• Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer (full-size, $22)
• BeautyCounter Countermatch Moisturizer (10ml sample, $16)

Total retail value: $104. Again, you paid $13.

Is the First IPSY Bag Worth It?

Yes-if you’re open to trying new things. If you stick to the same five products you’ve used since college, you might feel disappointed. But if you’re curious, willing to experiment, and want to avoid wasting money on full-size products that don’t work for you, IPSY is one of the smartest beauty investments you can make.

Many users say their first IPSY bag introduced them to their all-time favorite foundation, their go-to lip color, or even a skincare product they now repurchase monthly. One user in Auckland told me she found her holy-grail moisturizer in her third bag after trying seven different ones in her first two. Without IPSY, she’d have spent over $200 testing brands in stores.

And if you don’t like something? You can sell it, swap it with friends, or donate it. IPSY doesn’t lock you in-you can pause, skip, or cancel anytime.

How to Maximize Your First IPSY Bag

Here’s how to get the most out of your first box:

1. Update your profile before the 15th of the month-that’s when IPSY finalizes your bag for the next shipment.
2. Rate every product after you try it. Even if you hate it, give it a 1-star rating. That helps future boxes get better.
3. Try everything-even the weird colors or unfamiliar brands. You might be surprised.
4. Check the IPSY app-you’ll get tutorials, swatches, and tips for each item in your bag.
5. Join the IPSY community-Facebook groups and Reddit threads are full of people sharing hauls, dupes, and swaps.

Don’t treat it like a free gift box. Treat it like a beauty experiment. The goal isn’t to get luxury items-it’s to learn what works for you.

What Comes After the First Bag?

Your second and third bags will start to feel more personal. By month three, most users report that 70% of the products feel like they were made for them. You’ll stop getting products you hate. You’ll start seeing repeat favorites. And you might even find yourself buying full-size versions of items you loved in your box.

IPSY also offers upgrades: the Glam Bag Plus ($25/month, 7-9 items) and the Glam Bag Infinite ($35/month, unlimited samples you can pick from an online store). But for most people, the first Glam Bag is all you need to start your journey.

Final Thoughts

Your first IPSY bag isn’t about the price tag. It’s about discovery. It’s about breaking out of the same old routine and finding something new that actually works. You might not love everything in it. But you’ll probably find one thing-a shade, a texture, a formula-that changes how you think about beauty.

And that’s worth $13.