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| image from myglam.com |
My experience with MyGlam Glam bags has been...well, terrible.
Let's face it. After seeing members get FULL SIZE items and neat cosmetic items in December 2011 and January 2012, I was expecting a whole lot more for my money.
My February Bag was down right awful. Lame samples, gross chocolate and a "Gift Certificate" that was neither a gift nor certificate.
My March Bag seemed better until I was hit by the noxious fumes from the bag. I could not get rid of the stench. I remember reading somewhere that Michelle Phan went to some cosmetic expo in China and was able to procure a whole bunch of "goodies" for the MyGlam Bags. I'll tell you what. There is NOTHING good about the smell of that bag nor the quality of that brush.
Now comes April.
Here is the bag in Pink Metallic pleather. The bag reeks...again.
The theme is a Girls Night Out.Which is a nice departure form all the "Earth Day" and "Green Beauty" crap that is being tossed around this month. Kudos for the MyGlam girls for not being so regimented.
And here is my bag:
So basically I received two more cheap brushes ANOTHER lip balm, a sample size Urban Decay Liner and fake lashes from I'm supposing Taiwan or Japan or I don't know.
The brushes smell, but not as bad as the bag. And they are kinda useless to me. I don't use brushes that small and they are really small. Trust me. At least they feel better than the one sent in March. I do wonder what type of hair is used in these brushes....then again I'm not sure if I want to know.
Lip Balm. Wow. You know I guess since I haven't even made a dent in the lip balm I was sent last month this one is gonna really be put to good use...not. What about LIPSTICK? That would have been nice. Regardless. THIS lip balm feels nicer than the one from last month. I'll keep it.
The UD Pencil is a sample size, but unless it is Zero (the black one) I haven't finished a UD pencil yet, so I'm OK with the size. It's the one nice thing in the whole bag. That's not saying much.
As for the False Eyelashes, I did look them up and I found out two pieces of conflicting information.
1) All-Belle are Handmade False Eyelashes. And it is the first fake eyelash certified SGS in Taiwan (I have no idea what that means) and has gamma ray sterilization. OK.That sounds pretty good actually.
2) These eyelashes are not 100% handmade. The company is being sued with many lawsuits right now due to false advertising. The company admitted that the term "100% handmade" is just a figure of speech.
2) These eyelashes are not 100% handmade. The company is being sued with many lawsuits right now due to false advertising. The company admitted that the term "100% handmade" is just a figure of speech.
::sigh::
So I have not used the lashes yet because...well, I just don't wear false lashes. In fact. Looking at the girl on the cover of this product with her round contact lenses, and teeny tiny hat and overall kawaii style. I can tell you I am NOT the target demographic at all for this.
In fact. looking at the pictures of all the girls in My Glam I can tell you I'm not the target demographic for this company. They are looking for customers that are a good 15 to 20 years younger than me. Perhaps that's why I just didn't like any of the offerings they had. Perhaps that's why I don't feel like I identify with any of the women in this company. I'm not kawaii. I don't give the peace sign w/ my fingers in photographs. I don't have long hair/hair extensions I don't wear little hats or circle lenses or cute tiny dresses and huge high heels. That must be it, right?
Regardless of the complete alienation I feel every time I browse through the MyGlam website, it really was the low quality of the bags and the low quality of the items in those bags that led me to my decision to cancel my subscription. It's just not worth it. Too much hype and not enough substance. Not worth my money.
From now on I'm going to just put $10 away in savings and use it to buy makeup I WANT every few months. Adios MyGlam.
With my luck They will have a super awesome bag next month and I'll be kicking myself for not getting it.
And that is why I LOVE you!!! I cancelled after my first bag. In fact, I cancelled all my subscriptions and said why am I paying $10 for things I don't want and end up giving away. I might as well save $10 and get something I really want later. I only got one bag, but seeing the pictures of the last couple of bags I feel as thought those were things I might have used when I was in high school or early college but not now.
ReplyDeleteI should have cancelled after the first bag. I wanted to give it three strikes & you're out. In hindsight I should have just said good-bye in February. Oh well.
DeleteI always appreciate hearing peoples opinions, but overall it seems like you're pretty uneducated about the stuff in these bags. Maybe it just isn't for you, like you said. The brushes aren't small at all, the shadow brush is very typical sized. Last months brush was huge. Also, the urban decay liner isn't sample size. Anyway, I still appreciate the fact that you respectfully gave your opinion instead of "bashing" myglam like most do.
ReplyDeleteHi Candace. Thanks for your comment. But I have to disagree with you on a few points. I am not uneducated about the "stuff" in these bags. I do my research and have been using and wearing cosmetics for almost 25 years. The UD pencil is NOT full size, therefore it is sample sized. I have several full size UD pencils and this one is about 2/3 of the size of a full one. The eyeshadow brushes are smaller than your average all over color shader. This is smaller than my MAC 214 Brush.
DeleteCandace, it sure looks like a sample sized UD liner.
DeleteRude much, Candace? Pretty uncool of you to say Elvira is uneducated. She is very knowledgable and you are very rude!
DeleteI said nothing rude whatsoever. If you actually read what I wrote, you would see that I didn't call her uneducated. I honestly don't even know who she is, but she posted this on the myglam website, so she should expect opinions from both sides. That's what a mature person does.
DeleteActually candace you said "it seems like you're pretty uneducated about the stuff in these bags. " So that IS calling me uneducated. I also didn't post it on the MyGlam website either. I don't have access to post it there. I did TAG MyGlam in my post on Facebook, but I did not post it on the MyGlam page on Facebook personally. Just Sayin'
DeleteI'm not going to bother argueing about whether or not you posted on the myglam page, cause your post was on there, so that's it. But I will say they I did *not* call you uneducated. I don't personally like MAC, so I obviously don't know the product line like most women would. That would make me uneducated about mac, not calling myself stupid. Theres a big difference. But like I said, I dont even know who you are, so you shouldn't let my opinion of their company bother you. I'm just another stranger on the internet. Have a nice day!
DeleteOh how I agree with you. My UD eyeliner pencil is PINK - hot pink. Am I really expected to wear hot pink eyeliner? This was not a happy or Glam bag.
ReplyDeleteI thought after all the complaints last time that they'd improve but I doubt that's going to happen.
I'll trade you the pink liner for the Blue one I have Marcia! ;-)
DeleteI'm sorry to hear you're canceling your subscription. I've enjoyed reading about your terrible experiences :) At least you can save your money now.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. It's kinda of a schadenfreude experience to read about all the horrors that show up in the mail each month. I promise to find something equally entertaining in the future. :-)
DeleteSchadenfreude was exactly was I was thinking!
DeleteGot to say I wouldn't be impressed with any of this stuff and I'm 21! So don't really think it's an age thing. This stuff is absolute rubbish, obviously aimed at someone building up a makeup collection from scratch who doesn't necessarily need quality items. I don't blame you for cancelling at all, save up and buy a lovely taupe eyeshadow!
ReplyDeleteYou have a really good point here Joanna. I think you're right about this being aimed at people that are building up their MU collection. For those people, MyGlam is excellent for that! OK. So if anyone reads these comments, I endorse MyGlam if you are a N00b to MU and want to build up your collection. However (Isn't there always a however?) You could do better by reading blogs and asking questions.
DeleteWow that was pretty dissapointing. I don't think I'd want anything other than the UD pencil, I'm comfortable with my MU brushes and I never wear fake eyelashes because, well, I'm happy with the ocular hair I have xD
ReplyDeleteIn Spain we only have 2 relatively new and meh sample suscription services, and my friends bitch about it constantly, but I think you just proved that even with a fair amount of competitors this companies aren't prefect.
Also, I'm SHOCKED you haven't finished any other UD eyeliner other than Zero, did you know Underground and Stray Dog are taupes? I probably buy a new one every 6 months!
Thanks for an honest review!
LOL @ "happy with the ocular hair" I'm gonna use that in the future if that's OK w/ you. Yeah. I think these things are really hit or miss...but I think, in all fairness my expectations are fairly high and perhaps overly so. who knows.
DeleteLoved reading your honest review. I have been thinking of signing up for one of the beauty subscription services but none of them seem to be really impressive and consistent. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteYou want my real honest opinion? If you live close enough to a Sephora or Ulta and you order fairly regularly on line from places that do give samples with your order, then you will get all the samples you really need. Don't bother signing up for any of these services, save your $10 a month and buy makeup you actually want every few months.
DeleteI would be very cautious using *anything* that came from a massive bulk deal from China, especially if it has such a noticable odor. The fact that the eyelashes come from China *and* have a conflicting history is a huge cause for concern; there is no way I'd put them anywhere near my eyes, even if I did wear them. I'd also wonder if the UD pencil was counterfeit...
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all worried about the UD pencil being counterfeit. I know that MyGlam have worked a deal with UD for supplying product for their bags. I am also not worried about the lashes as I have read reviews from other blogs that say these lashes are safe. Not EVERYTHING from China is suspect. You would be surprised how many of the products you regularly trust and use are made in China. I only mention that I remember reading about M. Phan going to some cosmetic expo in China or some place because of the brushes. Which I probably won't use anyway.
DeleteWell, I'm not sure if products from China aren't questionable, not in that they are fake, but that they may be contaminated by various things during manufacture or materials that are unacceptable to US standards are being used. With so many recalls of items coming from China laced with lead or arsenic, etc. I would not be happy getting "goodies" that originate there. No thank you and I prefer to pay the higher prices for European and American made goods which hopefully (as far as we can tell) are made to acceptable standards.
DeleteI have to agree with you...at first I was excited about getting UD and some false lashes...I have been wanting to try lashes and figured this was perfect...but then I got the bag and felt...underwhelmed? The bag is hideous...I'm sorry, I do like pink, but that was like...1980's or 70's disco pink, really ugly. The liner I got was in ransom...I have that liner already. :-/ I actually would have been excited to get one of the more odd-ball colors like woodstock or junkie. The brushes are really not that great, and I have lots of good brushes. The lashes...I don't know, they look too plastic-y for me. Lipbalm...I have not tried yet, but I hope it is good. Overall with the past three bags, I have gotten one item(2 if you count the balm) that I have been able to try. The brushes are being given to my younger sister(along with the NYX shimmer), my mom took all the stuff from last month's bag and I am left with...a liner I already had. I don't know if I will stick it out one more month, or cancel. We'll see. I appreciate your honesty! Thanks for solidifying my feelings!
DeleteGreat review! I haven't received my April Glam Bag yet, but I've been subscribed since January and haven't been very impressed =/
ReplyDeleteI think I may cancel my subscription this month too.
Well at least you got the nice January Bag...but I think you must be disappointed with the quality of the selection since January. Huh?
DeleteI didn't say full sized, but it isn't their sample size. It's considered travel size. It's .03 and full size is .04
ReplyDeleteWOW! Why do you care so much? Sample size, travel size, who cares? You sound like you work for them or something, Damn!
DeleteWhy do you care so much what my opinion is? It says leave message, comment, thought, opinion. It doesn't say I have to agree with her. If you don't like it, don't read it.
DeleteOK. Kids. Let's not fight. I don't need anyone attacking people for their opinions. Candace is perfectly within her rights to disagree with me.
DeleteElvira, I have been reading your reviews of these (and other) bags/boxes for a while and paying close attention to those reviews. Thank you for the complete, and IMO, honest reviews. I have never really been tempted to sign up for any of these but I was curious what was in them. After seeing several reviews by you and others, I have to say most of it looks like crap. Cliches become cliches for a reason and one just leaps to mind here...you get what you pay for.
ReplyDeleteYou do get what you pay for...and in some cases you get even less.
DeleteI actually think I'd like the angled brush you got. I like using cheaper brushes for cream/gel liners because with all the scrubbing it takes to clean them out I don't care for pricier ones. (plus if I have backup brushes I can be lazy about cleaning every time I use one!) Other than that can't say any of this looks appealing (a blue eyeliner, not really something I could/would use) thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteHumm. I never thought of it that way. I actually wash my brushes right after using them...well the ones that I use cream products with. But you have a good point indeed! I like the blue liner.it's not terrible and UD is good quality. I just think the liner was the only nice thing in the whole bag. :-/
DeleteWow love this review!! I agree. I don't knife but to me, putting together a nice sample kit is not that hard. Why can't anyone get it right? I guess it's the cost???
ReplyDeleteI think it is the cost. The profit margins would be pretty low if more lux brands were used, I think.
DeleteWoops I mean know (auto fill again!!!)
ReplyDeleteI got what you meant. LOL
DeleteI wonder if that terrible smell is the same one that came with the UD Anniversary pencil set. I just got their Roller Girl shadow palette on sale and that has the same stench too. I think it's the velvet packaging that comes with it and is likely made in China.
ReplyDeleteIf it's the smell I'm thinking of, I am sorry for you! It's horrible. O_o;
I got the roller girl palette and it didn't smell. That's so strange...well I don't think it smelled. The smell of this bag was not as bad as the March bag, but still bad.
DeleteTHANK YOU for saying just what I was feeling about this month. Weird thing--my stuff wasn't smelly last month OR this month but I was not pleased w/ the lipbalm or the eyelashes. They look SO fake, like doll eye lashes (and I have falsies w/ glitter so that's saying something).
ReplyDeleteI think.....yeah. Time to cut loose. Thanks for the courage, Pink Sith!! xo
Actually the lip balm is nice...for what it is. Lip Balm. The lashes I believe are supposed to look like doll lashes...but I could be wrong. Either way, you didn't like the bag and that's what important. Sorry you didn't like your bag either. :-(
DeleteAlthough I don't/haven't used Asian fake eyelashes myself I know a bit about Asian makeup (from reading blogs and Japanese fashion and beauty magazines), I know that when Asian girls (or Western girls who are into that look) go for the "dolly eyed" look they still use soft, realistic looking lashes. They are just in a "dolly" style.
DeleteSo I think these are just cheapo lashes, from what people seem to be saying about them they appear to be more stiff or plasticy than proper fakes?
girl, I think their target demo is about 15 years younger than ME and I'm 31 lol since they are steadily getting a bit better I'm keeping for one more month.. but if it's not carrying something that'll make me fall over then I'm done as well.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. I really thought long & hard before I hit unsubscribe, but I decided that in the long run, I would save my $10 and if people got something truly remarkable in the May bag, well I would just go buy it and not have to worry about all the other stuff...or I could save up for it $10 a month at a time.
DeleteDear Ms. Sith (may I call you Pink?) I am heartened by your honest and balanced review of these "gift boxes. I had a similarly not-so-great experience with TestTubes from New Beauty. I canceled my subscription after two consecutive tubes arrived stuffed with GIANT-sized Elnet hair sprays. (The world has largely moved away from such a product, non? I remember the beehives of the '60s...)
ReplyDeleteI concluded that they sorta had their "thumb on the scale" and were padding their tubes with low-value offerings to obscure the thinning core content inside. I finally donated the two hairsprays to Bottomless Closet (along with more useful stuff). It was also a decidedly NOT earth-friendly product in a decidedly NOT earth-friendly container - the hairspray can can't be recycled. WRONG in so many ways.
My point? Most of these gift boxes start off with an alluring bang - the first one was really cool. After they've got you signed up, they seem to dim the lights and hope you won't notice. I agree that we're probably better off taking the same money and investing in products we really like, that really work, that we'll really use. Thanks, again, for a useful contribution.
You may call me Pink or Elvira or EB. OMG. Test Tubes!!! Yeah a long time ago they were AWFUL. I think I unsubscribed after I got my 2nd tube of TOOTHPASTE in that thing. I have heard that QVC does a Beauty Test Tube every quarter or so and you a) get to see what is in it b4 you buy it and b) the stuff in it is pretty nice!!!
DeleteThanks for your comment and thoughts!
Actually, Elnet is a European brand that only recently became available in the U.S., to much fanfare, and is all the rage. I would have very much appreciated two cans of it; it's $12 *on sale* at the drugstore. You really should have tried it! It is a firm hold that makes your hair nice and shiny, and has SPF to protect you from the sun.
DeleteAnyway, if you like the *idea* of the Test Tubes because of the full-size products, try Beautyfix. You get to pick your products, and it's quarterly.
This bag looks like something I'd give to my 14 year old niece. Maybe that's their target demo? 14 yr old nieces? LOL.
ReplyDeletePerhaps!Shall I send the bag to your 14 y.o. niece? LOL. But along that line of thinking, I think that MyGlam bags might be perfect for a young individual or someone who is NEW to makeup. This way they get samples and get the support of the videos on MyGlam on how to use said samples. Of course they could just read beauty blogs for advice as well...but we hardly give out samples. :-)
Delete...these comments and reviews are interesting!! I wonder ~ do many 14 year old's have $10.00 a month?? I guess if they babysit maybe so. Just a thought.
DeleteThe e/s brush is pony hair and the e/l brush is nylon, according to the myglam website. It was my first myglam bag and I liked it, but I didn't own a 24/7 pencil, or false lashes before this bag and had been looking to try them. I agree these types of services are better for people who are still building a collection.
ReplyDeletePpph. Thank you very much for the info on the brushes! I appreciate that. And yes. If you have never owned a UD pencil that is quite a nice treat for you in the Glam Bag!
DeleteI had such a terrible experience with MyGlam and quickly canceled my subscription! I experienced poor customer service and a not so impressive bag. I'm 23 and figured I'd be in the range of their target demographic. I hated the bag I got, and kept track of the next few months because I just knew they'd get so amazing.. and I'm glad I canceled. The bags have just seemed so BLAH. On the contrary, I adore my BirchBox subscription and love every sample I get from them. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who thinks MyGlam is a pretty poor beauty subscription service!
ReplyDeleteYeah. I'm finding that I use the stuff from my Birch Box subscription way more other than any other service I belong to.
DeleteI'm pretty sure the target demo for this one is 14 year old Phangirls who will buy anything Michelle puts her mug on. The first one seemed great but it seemed like no one could really get one except for youtube girls, and then it just went downhill. Remember when samples were free and not considered a perk or something worth $10? It boggles my mind that people will pay that much for samples when I used to get them by walking too close to a cosmetic counter. I used to turn them down, and now they're worth $10 a month? I feel so confused.
ReplyDeleteI do remember when samples were free. Oh those were the days.
DeleteI feel like all the sample companies go through an initial period of awesomeness and then they peak rapidly and toss in some random samples that I myself could get free.
ReplyDeleteIt might be relevant to say that the Lip Quench isn't as much of a value as people may perceive it to be. It's actually a GWP item you can get with ANY Dermstore order. Considering that they recently had a Dermstore "gift certificate" with the MyGlam bag, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the subscribers had already gotten one in their order along with this one in the April bag.
YES! Many have a great hit with the first few boxes and then rapidly go down hill. :-(
DeleteI didn't realize the lip quench was a GWP from the Dermstore. Oops!
Another lipbalm? Omg?! I'm sorry Elvira. I cancelled after last months, I was so upset.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you. I cancelled after this one.
DeleteI don't think it's your age is the problem, it's My Glam. I'm 26 and I love "kawaii" makeup, etc....but I am just as disappointed in this as you. The only decent thing you've gotten at all so far has been the mini UD liner...
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the hit to give us your reviews, I was going to sign up for My Glam before but I won't now. I feel like I dodged a bullet on this one!
Yes. I suffer so you don't have to. And I agree. So far the best thing I have received in these bags was the UD liner.
DeleteIf you saw my review today you know how I feel. At least we use our snark to warn people!
ReplyDeleteYour review was great! Snark users unite!
DeleteBased on the shades I've seen on these UD pencils, I'm wondering if My Glam got some sort of deal on the leftovers from the Electric Travel Set they put out at Christmas. Same five shades, and on clearance at their site. (They've also been on Hautelook.) Probably a better buy than a MyGlam subscription, if people are envying the liners.
ReplyDeleteA big thanks to you and the others who comment on these bags, keeping me from being tempted to subscribe.
I'm glad I'm saving you money. And that could be the case with the liners. Either way, it's a nice liner. Too bad It wasn't in a color I'll use all the time. But I'm OK with that!
DeleteI suggest eveyone try the beauty tube.
ReplyDeleteI think May is going to be my last month of MyGlam. I just signed up for the NewBeauty Test Tube & I loooove it! It equals out to a little over $10/month & you get much better stuff than any month subscription I've tried. Birchbox might put in lame stuff too, but I usually find 1 product a month that I actually really like that I never would've even heard of otherwise. Oh but my real point in commenting here is just to say that I think the only reason the 1st month of MyGlam was so good was that Urban Decay just came out with all-new packaging for their shadows, so that's probably how MyGlam got such a good deal on the old style ones & hence why the 1st bag was the best so far.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I read your review. My friend told me about my glam and you just saved me $10. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI agreed with the reviews of the crappy Immature samples especially since I also receive from birchbox which has great quality samples. However, glambag has seriously stepped up their game. I guess we all experienced their growing pains bc recent bags include Josie maran korres kiehls etc so I rejoined and everyone should take a second look!
ReplyDeleteIam still waiting for my glam bag first one of I don't get it as of today Iam going to b pisst and it don't look such of good products that I would want :(
ReplyDelete