Ipsy Extra [formerly Boxycharm] October 2025 Unboxing & Review
I always think of every October Boxycharm as the Halloween box, so I was looking forward to digging into some spooky products and having fun with all things pumpkin. Ipsy certainly delivered on the pumpkin side with their latest Work Your Magic themed box, although the box as a whole left me disappointed. Let me know if you agree after reading my thoughts on each of this month’s products below.
HOW IT WORKS:
Each month, as a IPSY Extra (formerly Boxycharm) subscriber, you will receive a new box with a mix of 5 full-sized beauty products, customized according to your beauty profile. Members can watch videos and play along with the stylists, all for only $32/month (up to $200 value). Click here to check it out.
IN THE BOX:
1 // Purlisse Pumpkin Chai Latte Cleansing Balm ($37) – Thick, balmy cleanser to remove all traces of Halloween makeup. This smells like a cup of comforting chai tea with a touch of soymilk. It’s an ok cleansing balm, I’ve used better, but at least it fits the the vibe this month. 3.5/5
2 // Dew of the Gods Glowasis Vitamin Blend Body Lotion in Pumpkin Sugar Cookie ($36) – I’m a huge fan of gourmand fragrances and love edible scents, but this one was very disappointing. it’s supposed to smell like pumpkin spice cookies but to my nose it’s more of a chemical pumpkin-cinnamon candle smell. A shame, because the lotion itself is actually pretty decent and has a nice moisturizing formula. I was planning to leave it by the sink to use it as my hand cream after hand washing, but I just can’t stand the way it smells and how long that scent lingers on my skin afterwards. 2/5
3 // Just Ximena JX BlendPro 5-Piece Brush Set ($18) – I don’t mind getting brushes in my Ipsy boxes, and most of the time we get pretty decent ones. These felt flimsy, cheaply made, and too fluffy for eye application. I guess they’re supposed to be for blending, but does anyone really need 5 different blending brushes, other than a pro MUA? I’ve repurposed the two flat brushes for concealer for now, but honestly this whole set was a dud. 2/5
4 // Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Dewy Liquid Blush in Believe ($25) – I’m a huge fan of Rare Beauty Soft Pinch blushes and have multiple in my collection. Believe was the first shade I ever bought that got me hooked on this formula and the main reason I wanted to own several shades. I’m not exaggerating when I say this blush will last you for years. My oldest tube is several years old and still going strong – whatever preservatives they put in there are clearly working because the formula shows no signs of turning, despite almost daily use. Now that I got a replacement from Ipsy, I should probably toss my old one and use this one instead. 5/5
5 // Lithe Cosmetics Astral Eyeshadow Palette ($25) – Love the size of this palette – it’s the perfect little compact for travel! There are six pans in total, featuring a mix of mattes and shimmers inspired by the cosmos. One of the shades is particularly mesmerizing – Nova, a silvery duochrome shimmer in the bottom middle row. The rest of the pans are pretty standard colors, just your usual browns and pinks and grays. The formula is nothing to write home about, and I found the mattes kinda dusty and prone to fallout. Ipsy claims this palette is worth $32, however it’s listed for $25 on the brand’s own website so that’s the price value I’m going to use here. 3.5/5
BOTTOM LINE:
For $32, getting $141 worth of products feels like a steal and yet I’m left a little disappointed this month. Sure, some of these fit my personal beauty preferences more than others, I guess I just expected more from the Halloween month, you know? I get that not every mystery box is going to be amazing, but this lineup came across as an assortment you could pick out at a local TJ Maxx, if that makes sense.
What do you think about the October 2025 IPSY Extra box? Am I overreacting or do you feel the same way?