IPSY Extra

IPSY Extra (formerly Glam Bag Plus) delivers 5 full-size beauty products monthly with up to $200 in value. Choose 3 products yourself during the Build Your Box window (1st-3rd) while IPSY curates 2 additional picks based on your Beauty Quiz. Perfect for those who want full-size products without the guesswork.

IPSY Extra (formerly Glam Bag Plus) offers a full-size upgrade to the Original tier, launched to meet demand from members who wanted to skip samples and go straight to full-size products. At $32/month with 3 product choices, it provides more control than most beauty subscriptions.

Pricing

Membership	Price	Handling	Total	Products	Value
IPSY Extra	$32/month	$1.99	$33.99	5 full-size	Up to $200

Optional Add-On:

• Beauty Boost: $15/month for premium full-size product (IPSY-selected)

Included Benefits:

• Choose 3 products monthly
• Add-Ons shopping ($3.50+)
• Members-only shop access
• Quarterly Mega Drop sales
• Option to upgrade to Ultimate

What’s Included Each Month

5 Full-Size Products:

• Makeup (lipsticks, mascaras, palettes, etc.)
• Skincare (serums, moisturizers, cleansers, etc.)
• Hair care (shampoos, treatments, styling products, etc.)
• Beauty tools (brushes, devices, etc.)
• Fragrance (full-size perfumes)

Your 3 Choices:

• Select during Build Your Box (1st-3rd)
• Preview options in advance
• Choose products that match your needs

2 IPSY Picks:

• Curated by IPSY editors
• Based on Beauty Quiz
• Complement your chosen items

How It Works

IPSY Extra’s monthly subscription cycle balances member control with expert curation:

1. Sign Up and Complete Beauty Quiz: Create your IPSY Extra account and complete the comprehensive beauty profile covering:

• Skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive) and concerns (acne, anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, etc.)
• Skin tone and undertone
• Hair type and concerns
• Age range
• Product preferences (bold vs. neutral makeup, fragrance preferences, willingness to try new brands)
• Category priorities (skincare vs. makeup balance)

This quiz creates your personalization baseline. Update it anytime as preferences evolve.

2. Build Your Box Window Opens (1st-3rd of Each Month): Around the 1st of each month, IPSY opens your Build Your Box window. During this 3-day period:

• Browse 20-30 full-size product options across categories
• Choose 3 products from available selections (typically 4-6 choices per category)
• Preview your “2 IPSY Picks” - products IPSY editors selected for you based on your quiz
• Browse and purchase Add-Ons at member pricing ($3.50-30)
• Add optional $15 Beauty Boost for premium item (IPSY-selected, not your choice as of 2024)

The selection window shows product details, retail values, brand info, and reviews from other members. If you miss the window, IPSY auto-selects your 3 choices based on preferences, but active selection gives better control.

3. Billing (Last Day of Previous Month): IPSY charges your payment method around the last day of the month before your box ships. For example, your February box is billed approximately January 31st. The charge is $33.99 total ($32 subscription + $1.99 handling). If you added Beauty Boost, expect $48.99 total.

4. Box Assembly and Fulfillment: After billing and the Build Your Box window closes, IPSY assembles your customized box:

• Your 3 chosen full-size products
• 2 IPSY Picks selected by editors
• Optional Beauty Boost item (if purchased)
• Product information cards

Boxes typically ship within 7-10 days after billing.

5. Shipping and Tracking: Expect your box to arrive 10-20 days after billing (mid-month). IPSY provides tracking information via email, though shipping times vary by location and demand. Some subscribers report delays exceeding this window - a recurring complaint in reviews.

6. Unboxing and Testing: When your Extra box arrives, unpack your 5 full-size products (or 6 with Boost). Unlike Original’s deluxe samples, everything is retail-sized - full bottles of serum, full-size mascaras, full palettes, etc. Test products over the coming month to determine what works for you.

7. Rate Your Products: Log into your IPSY account and rate each product 1-5 stars with optional reviews. Ratings directly improve future curation:

• Low ratings tell IPSY to avoid similar formulas, brands, or categories
• High ratings encourage more of what you love
• Specific feedback (e.g., “too heavily fragranced”) helps personalization

The algorithm learns your preferences more accurately than the initial quiz after 3-6 months of rating.

8. Shop Members-Only Perks: Between boxes, leverage your membership:

• IPSY Shop: Weekly product drops with 20-70% off retail
• Flash Sales: Limited-time offers on popular items
• Mega Drop Sales: Quarterly blowouts (February, May, August, November) with 30-80% discounts on full-size products

Strategic Extra members report that combining the monthly box with Mega Drop sales provides the best overall value.

9. Optional Beauty Boost: Each month, you can add the $15 Beauty Boost option for a premium full-size product. Note: Recent changes removed the ability to choose your Boost item - IPSY now selects it based on your profile, which has frustrated members who valued that control. The Boost ships with your regular box.

10. Manage Subscription: Through your account dashboard:

• Update Beauty Quiz as preferences change
• Pause subscription (skip a month)
• Change payment method
• Upgrade to Ultimate ($60/month, quarterly boxes with 8+ items and 4 choices)
• Downgrade to Original ($14/month, deluxe samples)
• Cancel subscription (though this has documented difficulties - see FAQs)

IPSY Extra offers flexibility to adjust membership as needs change, though customer service limitations affect the experience of managing accounts.

Members-Only Perks

Add-Ons Shopping:

• Available during Build Your Box window
• Bonus products starting at $3.50
• Free shipping with subscription

IPSY Shop:

• Weekly drops and exclusive deals
• Up to 70% off full-size products
• Member-only pricing

Quarterly Mega Drop:

• February, May, August, November
• 30-80% off full-size beauty
• Limited-time sales

Who It’s For

Best For:

• Full-Size Product Seekers: Those who find deluxe samples frustrating and want actual usable quantities - full bottles of serums, full-size mascaras, complete palettes that last months rather than weeks
• Control-Focused Beauty Lovers: Members who want significant input (choosing 3 of 5 products) without doing all the work of researching and selecting everything themselves - the hybrid model between full control and full surprise
• Value Hunters: People who appreciate $200+ product retail value for $32/month and actively use most items received, making the math work in their favor
• Product Experimenters: Those who enjoy trying new brands and formulas in full sizes before potentially repurchasing favorites, using subscription as a discovery tool
• Makeup Collection Builders: Enthusiasts gradually building comprehensive collections across categories (skincare, makeup, hair care) who benefit from monthly full-size additions
• Beauty Sale Shoppers: Strategic members who use the monthly box as a baseline while leveraging Add-Ons, IPSY Shop, and quarterly Mega Drops to maximize overall value
• Gift Subscription Givers: Those seeking generous monthly beauty subscriptions for friends, family, or themselves - full-size products feel more substantial than samples
• Beauty Quiz Trustors: People comfortable with algorithmic personalization who enjoy rating products to improve future selections over time
• Intermediate Beauty Knowledge: Those with enough experience to know their skin type, undertones, and general preferences but still wanting exposure to new brands and trends
• Flexible Preference Holders: Members who like variety and don’t mind receiving products outside their usual comfort zone occasionally - the 2 IPSY Picks ensure some surprise

Not Ideal For:

• Tight Budgets: At $33.99/month ($407.88/year with handling), it’s a significant discretionary expense - if $32 monthly affects your budget, skip or downgrade to Original ($14/month)
• Sample Preference: If you prefer testing products in small quantities before full-size commitment, IPSY Original ($14/month, 5 deluxe samples) suits better
• Customer Service Priority: Email-only support with slow response times (reported 2.8 customer experience rating) frustrates those needing responsive assistance
• Easy Cancellation Requirement: Multiple reports of difficult cancellation processes, charges continuing after cancellation requests, and confusion about cancellation policies create risk for those wanting easy exit
• Premium Luxury-Only Focus: If you exclusively use prestige brands (La Mer, SK-II, Drunk Elephant exclusively), IPSY Extra includes many emerging and mid-tier brands - consider IPSY Ultimate quarterly for higher-end focus
• Impatient Shipping Expectations: Shipping delays beyond advertised windows occur frequently - if you need products to arrive on specific dates or within tight timeframes, delays will frustrate
• Complete Control Seekers: You only choose 3 of 5 products; IPSY selects the other 2 - if you need 100% control over every item, subscription curation won’t satisfy
• Sensitive Skin with Strict Restrictions: While you can note sensitive skin and ingredient concerns in your quiz, IPSY cannot guarantee all products meet strict avoidance requirements (fragrance-free, parab en-free, etc.)
• Zero-Waste Advocates: Monthly packaging creates waste, and receiving full-size products you may not fully use contradicts minimalism and environmental goals
• Brand Loyalty Extremists: If you only purchase specific trusted brands and won’t try new ones, subscription discovery loses value - just buy your favorites directly
• Phone Support Expectations: IPSY offers zero phone support - all communication is email-only, which delays resolution for urgent issues or complex problems

The 2.6/5 Trustpilot rating (sharing IPSY parent profile of 6,083 reviews) and A+ BBB rating (though with 435 complaints in 3 years) warrant serious consideration - while many subscribers love the full-size value and product choices, customer service difficulties, cancellation challenges, and shipping inconsistencies create friction affecting overall satisfaction. IPSY Extra works best for beauty enthusiasts comfortable with email-only support who value full-size product discovery and can tolerate potential operational hiccups in exchange for strong per-product value. Starting with a month-to-month subscription rather than prepaying helps mitigate cancellation risks.