Dear Eloise: About your Goddess Palette

Hello, Eloise. We need to have a talk.

In fact, the truth of the matter is: I need to apologize to you.

I received the Goddess Palette as a free gift from IPSY. I opened it. I snorted.

Look.

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the shades were… intense. Out there. They had names someone would give a show poodle. Majestic. Empress Elegance. Divine Aura.

I snorted again.

And then I tossed you into my makeup drawer without a second thought.

Here’s the thing, Eloise.

A few days later, I was headed out. I looked good — I always look good — but I wanted something… more. I wanted brightness. I needed an eyeshadow topper.

There you sat, in your demure pink‑and‑gold glory. I sighed. I opened you up. I selected Regal Radiance and tapped it onto the center of my lid.

Just a tiny bit. A little wiggle of the brush. A soft blend.

I looked at it.

Stunning.

Just stunning.

I did the other eye.

And I fell in love.

Eloise, your Goddess Palette is my topper now. The colors are amazing. They blend beautifully. They last beautifully (a miracle on my skin), and they do exactly what I need them to do. They are the perfect accent to the symphony my makeup creates.

I am a woman of harmonies. My makeup is usually built on a common undertone that winds its way through bronzers and blushes and bases and lippies. There is always a unifying connective thread that allows the whole look to make sense.

But toppers? Toppers are the counternote. The pause. The sparkle that rises above the harmony and makes the entire composition sing.

And you, Eloise — you and your Goddess Palette — this is where you shine. This is where you are in your glory. And for that, I adore you.

So please, Eloise, accept my humble forgiveness.

I will never doubt you again.

IPSY ULIMATE Spoilers for August 2026

IPSY usually trails out spoilers like Hanzel leaving breadcrumbs in the forest, dropping only a few at a time until the month ends. This time, they put up an image that had a lot of stuff in it. I had to take a screenshot and enlarge it so I could see some of the labels, but I found them. I searched websites to find the exact shapes of some of the other items, and I found them. Now I have a pretty comprehensive list of what we're in for as summer winds down.

PART ONE: WHAT I KNOW I’M GETTING

MERIT Shade Slick Gelée Tinted Lip Oil

MERIT lip oils and I have a long, happy history. They’re beautiful on my lips, they feel good, and they give that soft, plush shine that makes me feel like I’m starring in my own summer montage. Do they last a long time on me? Absolutely not. But honestly, that’s part of the charm. A lip oil that disappears quickly is a lip oil I’ll actually finish, and finishing a product in this economy is practically a spiritual achievement.

I already own one of these—yes, technically this will be a duplicate—but I’m not even pretending to be upset. Depending on the shade they send, this could easily end up being one of my favorites for the entire month. MERIT rarely misses, and this formula is one of their best.

Makeup By Mario Master Mascara

I feel like I say this every single time IPSY tries to hand me a mascara:

I do not need another mascara.

Universe? Are you listening? Hello? Bueller? I do not need another mascara.

But here we are again.

Having said that, this is an excellent mascara. Mario knows how to make lashes look good, and this formula is one of the few that consistently gets rave reviews. My hope—my dream, really—is that they send me the brown shade. It’s supposed to be the brown mascara. The one everyone loves. The one that makes people say, “Oh, you’re wearing brown? It looks incredible.”

If they send me brown, at least it’ll be different from the army of black mascaras already living rent‑free in my drawer. And if they don’t… well, I’ll still use it. I’ll just sigh dramatically first.

PART TWO: WHAT I HOPE I GET

Korres Kyma Eau de Toilette

With the exception of one night cream that tried to set my face on fire, I have loved everything I’ve ever gotten from Korres. Their scents are bright, clean, and always have that interesting twist that makes them feel like a story instead of just a smell. They tend to bloom beautifully on my skin—Korres and I have a very stable relationship.

Top Notes: Lime, Mandarin, Orange

Heart Notes: Marine, Watery, Pepper

Base Notes: Cedar, Vetiver, Nutmeg

I respond extremely well to citrus and pepper. Vetiver and nutmeg? Two of my favorite base notes. Cedar surprised me—I didn’t think I’d like it, but in perfume it adds this crisp, clean backbone that I really enjoy. The marine and watery notes will be new territory for me, but that actually makes me more curious than nervous. If anything, it feels like Korres is handing me a little adventure.

This is easily one of my top hopes for the month.

Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Blush Duo

This is supposed to be one of the best blush formulas on the market. And as a self‑proclaimed blush slut, this is basically a soulmate situation. Cream + powder? Long-lasting? Celebrity cheekbones in a compact? Yes, hello, sign me up.

Now, will it be long-lasting on me? My skin absorbs makeup like it’s trying to win a competition, so we’ll see. As always with shade-based items, you pray IPSY actually reads your profile instead of letting some giant pink glamourbot’s robotic arm randomly select a shade based on pure chaos energy.

But if they get it right? This will be a home run.

Indie Lee Stem Cell Serum

When I first saw this, I twitched a little. “Stem cell serum” sounds gimmicky at best and unethical at worst. But the stem cells in question are plant-derived, not animal-derived, which immediately made me feel better.

As for the viability? Surprisingly good ratings. Shockingly good, actually. It’s the most luxury item in the entire spoiler list this month, so if it shows up in my box, I’ll be very curious to see how it performs.

ILIA Skin Rewind Complexion Stick

This is a natural-matte formula with medium coverage that claims to last up to 12 hours. Again, with my skin? We shall see. Longevity claims often crumble the moment they meet my face.

But ILIA builds skincare into their complexion products, and that tends to work better for me. Anything with a smoother glide is a blessing when your skin is nearing 53 years and has decided it prefers hydration, kindness, and a little structural support.

Shade, of course, is the gamble. IPSY runs out of “does not go out in sunlight” shades very quickly. Hopefully the robot arm will snatch something appropriate for me instead of tossing me a shade meant for a beach volleyball champion.

MUTHA Up All Night Eye Cream

I have a lot of eye creams. IPSY loves giving women over a certain age eye cream. At the moment, I’m staring at three of them—two still sealed like tiny, expensive secrets.

But this one? This is a fabulous eye cream. A luxury eye cream. It has pearl powder and caffeine in it. Pearls and caffeine are two of my favorite things, and frankly, two of the only things that can convince my under-eyes to behave.

If I get the $90 eye cream? Yeah. I will be just fine.

Skin&Co Summer on the Riviera

Sometimes I browse IPSY’s shop.

And when I do, I always pause on this product and give it a little consideration.

Top Notes: Bright fruit, coconut, lemon

Middle Notes: White florals, green pistachio

Base Notes: Vanilla musk, golden amber

This is such an interesting blend. I do very well with whites, greens, and ambers. Lemon is always a fun addition to whatever scent stack I’m wearing. And I can already think of several things I own that would pair beautifully with this—layering possibilities galore.

If this lands in my box, I’ll be delighted.

PART THREE: WHAT I’M PRAYING THEY DON’T SEND ME

AREY Goodnight Grey Serum

This… does not have great ratings. It does not work for most people. And I’m still stuck on the existential question of its very existence. Why are we doing scalp serums for grey hair when hair dye exists? Why are we pretending this is a thing?

WILL they send it to me?

Sigh.

Probably.

I am a woman over 50. IPSY will likely bank on me having some kind of aging‑panic meltdown that renders me submissive to their offering of the anti‑grey potion. They imagine me clutching it in my humbly withered hands, feeling a faint rush of grateful acceptance.

Let me be extremely clear:

1. I am not.

2. I will not.

3. My hands look great.

Do not send me this stuff. I do not want it.

CONCLUSION

Ya know? This lineup is actually great. There is only one thing I truly do not want. The mascara they’re forcing on me is at least a stunning one, so I can’t even be mad about that. In fact, this lineup is so good that I’m a little apprehensive about the round two spoilers. What if they give us all this great potential and then follow it up with off‑brand palettes in avocado and matte gold? Palettes with reviews like, “Do not purchase! Burned my skin before it even touched it.”

We shall see.

As for now?

Yeah. I’m excited for August.