u/blackunycorn

I’m so sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, but I (48F) haven’t the foggiest idea as I’m not religious, but I went to church at least ~5-8 times a year as a kid and teen with my grandparents. None of my friends are religious, or at least not Baptist, so I can’t really ask them.

My neighbors who I’m decent friends with have announced that their kids (4M and 11M) are being baptized today and there is a barbecue to celebrate after (about 2.5 hours from the time I’m making this post). I totally understand that this is a big deal for them, and it’s super exciting.

My question is, do I bring a gift for each of the boys to the party? If so… what size and type of gift is appropriate? I do NOT feel comfortable gifting a bible (or really anything super religious), especially with me not being religious (they know I’m not), and definitely not wanting to attend their church. I do support the boys’ decision though, and I think it’s a huge important moment for them.

I’m so sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, but I (48F) haven’t the foggiest idea as I’m not religious, but I went to church at least ~5-8 times a year as a kid and teen with my grandparents. None of my friends are religious, or at least not Baptist, so I can’t really ask them.

My neighbors who I’m decent friends with have announced that their kids (4M and 11M) are being baptized today and there is a barbecue to celebrate after (about 3 hours from the time I’m making this post). I totally understand that this is a big deal for them, and it’s super exciting.

My question is, do I bring a gift for each of the boys to the party? If so… what size and type of gift is appropriate? I do NOT feel comfortable gifting a bible (or really anything super religious), especially with me not being religious (they know I’m not), and definitely not wanting to attend their church. I do support the boys’ decision though, and I think it’s a huge important moment for them.

Me: light bordering on fair, neutral undertone, skin as dry as the Sahara. Aging skin that I care for well and get compliments on, but I know that life in Texas makes for skin damage.

Key:
😍 love, truly excited for this and I know I will absolutely pan/use it all up personally
😌 happy with it and will probably use most of it up, at least until it expires
🙃 not for me, but a great choice for someone else and I appreciate it and will gift it
😬 what even is this, will I ever use this? Immediately giving away or tossing, or this was damaged.

Glam bag contents:
Blue gingham bag 😍
BellaPierre Waterproof volumizing mascara in black 😌
Dermalactives deep collagen care mask 🙃
E.L.F. holy Hydration! Clean Freak cleanser 😍
AKAR skin soothe face oil 😌
Toy factory Dollpaint brown gel eyeliner 😍

Add-ons:
IBY Confessions of a Chocolatier eyeshadow palette 😌/possible 🙃 depending on how warm it wears
Natasha Denona My Dream Cheek Palette 😍
Red gingham powder brush 😍/😌

More info on product specifics/initial impressions: Super adorable bag this month, I am absolutely in love with the bag. Material is nice and durable. Happy with my small selection of add-ons, too. Probably won’t use the mask (they almost always make my face break out in a rash, ugh, but that is just me, I LOVE the concept of masks!) but I am happy with my monthly small haul. The IBY eye palette is VERY warm toned (aren’t they all, lately?) but I’ll try it. The ND cheek palette was my splurge, and I’m thrilled it arrived unbroken. I LOVE powder brushes of the size offered by the red gingham one, so I’m in love with the aesthetic - the small inset gems were a great surprise, but the brush itself is soft and not super high quality, so that’s fine but I’ll not be surprised if it doesn’t last very long. I’ll save the mascara, since I already have a waterproof one I like a lot that’s not expired yet. The elf cleanser was my pick, I love my classic daily cleanser and I’m hoping this refreshed packaging is even better. I am excited about the brown eyeliner and will try it out. I like that it’s nice and thin but some have complained about the quality of Toyfactory products, I’m cautiously optimistic about this though.

Edit: oops, mega drop shop question.
Anyway.
Are the $5 deals only for one day or do they go until they run out during the sale? Also same for the free gift with $50 purchase.
See… I really want a backup bottle of the snail mucin, but I am not seeing a ton of stuff I want - even for $5. Tomorrow is the $9.99 deals. I am wondering, if I wait, will I be able to get some other good stuff? Will the free gift with purchase still be there?

I’ve seen a lot of folks talk about “white label brands” and while I’ve picked up what that means (from what I’ve read, I’m assuming it’s brands that are almost exclusively sent or launched via beauty boxes, with highly inflated prices listed, that aren’t really carried in large stores like the orange store or the black and white striped store). The other day (I can’t remember where, but it was in this thread or in r/ beauty boxes), someone called Elemis a white-label brand, but they are carried at both stores so I can’t even imagine how someone could claim that.

My question is, which IPSY brands would you consider “white label”? What makes that brand or brands white-label for you? And finally: How can someone relatively new to the service know which ones are indie brands and which are truly white label?