IPSY Ultimate

IPSY Ultimate (formerly Glam Bag X) is a quarterly luxury beauty experience delivering 8 full-size products with up to $400 in value. Choose 3 products yourself while IPSY curates 5 based on your Beauty Quiz. Ships in February, May, August, and November, replacing your base subscription during those months. Perfect for those seeking curated luxury beauty quarterly.

IPSY Ultimate (formerly Glam Bag X) launched as IPSY’s luxury tier, offering a quarterly collection of premium beauty products. With 8 full-size items and up to $400 in value for just $65, it’s positioned as the ultimate (pun intended) value for beauty enthusiasts.

Pricing

Membership	Price	Handling	Total	Products	Value	Ships
IPSY Ultimate	$65/quarter	$1.99	$66.99	8 full-size	Up to $400	4x/year

Shipping Schedule:

• February (Spring Collection)
• May (Summer Collection)
• August (Fall Collection)
• November (Holiday Collection)

Important: Ultimate replaces your base subscription during ship months - you’re not charged for both.

What’s Included Each Quarter

8 Full-Size Products:

• Premium makeup from luxury brands
• High-end skincare (serums, treatments, masks)
• Professional hair care products
• Beauty tools and devices
• Fragrance (designer perfumes)

Your 3 Choices:

• Select during choice window
• Preview options in advance
• Control over key products

5 IPSY Picks:

• Curated by IPSY experts
• Based on Beauty Quiz
• Focus on luxury and prestige brands

How It Works

IPSY Ultimate’s quarterly subscription cycle delivers luxury beauty with a hybrid of choice and curation:

1. Subscribe to Base Membership First: Ultimate is not standalone - you must have an active IPSY Original ($14/month) or IPSY Extra ($32/month) subscription. Think of Ultimate as a quarterly upgrade option, not a separate membership tier. If you’re new to IPSY, sign up for Original or Extra first.

2. Ultimate Offer Window Opens: Four times per year (late January, late April, late July, late October), IPSY emails members inviting them to opt into Ultimate for the upcoming quarter. The invitation includes:

• Preview of featured brands and product categories
• Spoilers showing 2-4 products confirmed in the box
• Choice window dates
• Billing date reminder

Not all members receive offers simultaneously - IPSY sometimes releases Ultimate in waves based on account tenure, subscription tier, or availability limits. If you don’t see the offer, check your account dashboard or contact support.

3. Opt In During Window: If you want that quarter’s Ultimate box, opt in through your IPSY account before the deadline (typically 3-5 days before billing). Opting in authorizes IPSY to replace your base subscription that month and charge $66.99 ($65 box + $1.99 handling).

4. Billing on Last Day of Month: Around the last day of the month before shipment (January 31 for February box, April 30 for May box, etc.), IPSY charges your payment method $66.99 for Ultimate. Your base subscription (Original or Extra) is automatically paused for that month - you’re not charged for both. You only pay for Ultimate.

5. Choice Window Opens (1st-3rd of Month): Similar to Extra’s Build Your Box, Ultimate members select 3 of their 8 products during a 3-day window at the start of the month. The choice interface shows:

• 15-25 product options across categories (skincare, makeup, hair, tools)
• Brand names, product details, and retail values
• Reviews from previous members who received these items

Choose strategically - these 3 ensure you get products you’re excited about. IPSY curates the remaining 5 based on your Beauty Quiz, product reviews, and past ratings.

6. IPSY Curates Remaining 5 Products: After choice closes, IPSY’s algorithm selects 5 additional full-size items based on:

• Your Beauty Quiz preferences (skin type, concerns, color preferences)
• Historical product ratings (items you’ve loved/hated in past boxes)
• Category balance (ensuring mix of skincare, makeup, hair, tools)
• Luxury brand availability

The curation aims to complement your 3 choices with items you’ll love but might not have selected yourself - balancing control with discovery.

7. Box Assembly and Fulfillment: After billing and choice, IPSY assembles your personalized Ultimate box containing all 8 full-size items plus:

• Product information cards
• Insert magazine with beauty tips and tutorials
• IPSY branded packaging (larger than Original/Extra boxes to accommodate 8 full-size products)

8. Shipping and Delivery: Ultimate boxes ship mid-month (typically 10-20 days after billing). Shipping times vary:

• Domestic US: 5-10 business days after shipment notification
• Alaska/Hawaii: 10-15 business days
• International: Not available for Ultimate

Track your box through the IPSY app or email notifications. Some members report Ultimate ships slightly later than base subscriptions due to premium product sourcing.

9. Unboxing Your Luxury Haul: When your Ultimate box arrives, unpack 8 full-size products valued at $300-400+ retail. Typical contents:

• 2-3 premium skincare items (serums, moisturizers, masks)
• 2-3 high-end makeup products (palettes, lipsticks, liners)
• 1-2 hair care products (shampoo, styling tools)
• 1 beauty tool or fragrance (brushes, devices, perfumes)

Everything is retail-sized - full 1oz serums, full palettes, full-size mascaras. No samples or deluxe sizes.

10. Rate Products for Future Curation: Log into your IPSY account and rate each Ultimate product 1-5 stars. Since Ultimate ships quarterly, your ratings significantly impact the next Ultimate box (3 months later):

• Low ratings on skincare steer future Ultimates toward makeup
• High ratings on specific brands encourage more from those brands
• Detailed feedback (e.g., “too fragranced”) refines curation

11. Base Subscription Resumes Next Month: In the months between Ultimate (March, June, September, December, plus non-Ultimate months), your Original or Extra subscription continues normally. You’re billed at your base tier rate and receive those boxes. Ultimate doesn’t cancel or replace your entire subscription - just the specific month it ships.

12. Decide Whether to Opt Into Next Ultimate: Three months later, the cycle repeats. You’re not automatically enrolled in every Ultimate - each quarter is a separate opt-in decision. This flexibility lets you:

• Skip quarters when budget is tight
• Choose only seasonal collections you prefer (e.g., only Holiday boxes)
• Opt in based on brand spoilers

Timing: Ultimate ships in February, May, August, and November. Choice windows occur 1st-3rd of those months. Billing happens last day of the previous month.

Seasonal Collections

Each IPSY Ultimate box follows seasonal themes that align with beauty trends and needs throughout the year.

Spring (February) brings fresh, restorative skincare for post-winter renewal alongside pastel makeup palettes and soft lip colors. Expect light floral fragrances, hydrating masks, and spring cleaning tools like brush sets and organizers. This collection focuses on renewal and refreshing your beauty routine after winter.

Summer (May) features SPF products and waterproof makeup formulas perfect for beach season. You will find vibrant eyeshadow and bold lip colors, refreshing toners and mists, lightweight moisturizers, and travel-sized luxury items ideal for vacation beauty routines.

Fall (August) transitions to rich, warming tones in rust, burgundy, and bronze. Nourishing treatments help skin adjust to changing weather, while seasonal makeup palettes offer deeper hues. This collection often includes prep-for-holidays skincare like retinols and vitamin C serums to get your complexion ready for upcoming events.

Holiday (November) delivers luxurious gift-worthy packaging with party-ready glitter, metallics, and statement makeup. Premium skincare sets perfect for New Year skin goals join festive fragrances and limited-edition brand collaborations. November Ultimate is often the most popular and highest-valued box of the year, making it competitive to access and frequently the first to sell out.

Who It’s For

IPSY Ultimate appeals most strongly to luxury beauty lovers on a budget who appreciate prestige brands like Fenty, Urban Decay, and Tatcha but cannot afford $50-100 products regularly. With 8 full-size products for $65, value maximizers who calculate cost-per-product will recognize the exceptional 80% or greater savings as outstanding beauty value.

Quarterly preference subscribers who find monthly boxes overwhelming but still want regular beauty discovery appreciate Ultimate’s manageable 4 boxes per year. Gift enthusiasts who enjoy treating themselves love the ritual of seasonal indulgences aligned with Ultimate’s quarterly timing. Full-size collection builders wanting actual usable quantities rather than samples will appreciate how 8 full-size products per quarter build legitimate beauty collections over time.

Seasonal switchers enjoy curated selections matching spring renewal, summer glow, fall warmth, and holiday glam themes. IPSY loyalists already happy with Original or Extra can use Ultimate as occasional luxury upgrades without committing to more expensive monthly tiers. The hybrid model appeals to those who are choice-oriented but discovery-open, valuing the control of choosing 3 products while enjoying the surprise of 5 curated picks. Beauty quiz trustors who have refined their preferences over months trust IPSY’s algorithm to select flattering items. Patient box openers willing to wait 3 months between Ultimate deliveries rather than needing monthly excitement find this pace comfortable.

Who Should Skip This

Monthly beauty box addicts needing monthly unboxing excitement will find Ultimate’s quarterly schedule leaves long gaps between deliveries, making Original or Extra monthly subscriptions more satisfying. Budget-restricted subscribers should carefully calculate that $65 per quarter plus $1.99 handling plus maintaining a $14-32 monthly base subscription totals $221-449 annually, which may strain tight beauty budgets.

Non-IPSY members should note that Ultimate requires an active Original or Extra subscription, so if you dislike IPSY’s curation approach or have had negative experiences, Ultimate will not fix underlying issues. Full control seekers will be frustrated that choosing only 3 of 8 products means 62% of your box remains a surprise. Indie and emerging brand lovers should know that Ultimate prioritizes prestige and luxury brands over indie discoveries, making Extra or Original better choices for supporting small beauty brands.

Impatient shoppers face only 4 opportunities per year to join, and some quarters sell out or have waitlists. If you decide in March that you want Ultimate but the February box has passed, you must wait until May. Those needing responsive customer support should be aware that IPSY’s service limitations including email-only contact, slow response times, and cancellation difficulties affect the Ultimate tier as well.

Minimalists avoiding product overload should consider that 8 full-size products quarterly (32 per year) plus base subscription boxes (12-48 per year) creates 44-80 beauty items annually, compounding clutter rather than reducing it. Travelers with variable addresses may encounter timing complications since Ultimate replaces your base box during specific months. Price comparison shoppers who aggressively hunt sales, use coupons, and shop during Sephora promotions might build similar collections for less money while maintaining more product control.

IPSY Ultimate delivers genuine value for luxury beauty enthusiasts comfortable with quarterly pacing and hybrid curation. The $400+ products for $65 math works beautifully if you’ll use most items. However, the requirement to maintain a base IPSY subscription plus Ultimate’s limitations (email-only support, cancellation difficulties) mean this works best for established IPSY members who already trust the platform’s curation and can tolerate operational hiccups.