5 Delightful Duochromes

Purchased

This week we'd like to bring you a spin-off from our Colors of the Rainbow series, our favorite duochromes! Last week we had the opportunity to do a guest post on Luna's fabulous blog, Toxid Lotus, where we showed our favorite indie matte products.

Lisa's pick - Backstreets Makeup Co.'s Lugh's Chain

I don't own a lot of duochrome shadows, but I keep coming back to one of my earliest indies: Lugh's Chain from Backstreets Makeup Co. This shadow is a bit high maintenance in that you really should be applying it atop a sticky base and get the best results from patting it on, but it's so worth it! Lugh's Chain is ever-morphing between a twinkly deep brown to a shimmering emerald-black and a few flashes of fuchsia in between. My preferred use is to pair it up with Darling Girl's Superstar Serum and turn it into a glitzy liner if I'm feeling sassy.

3 coats, no top coat. Top left image photographed indoors in indirect sunlight, remaining three photographed in direct sunlight outdoors.

Jeannie's pick - CrowsToes' Tequila Sunrise

When I first saw swatches of CrowsToes' Tequila Sunrise, I was stunned by how pretty the shade was. Described as a "hot pink shimmer polish with color-shifting shimmer that goes from pink to green to gold," the pink base makes it subtle enough for everyday but provides an additional interest with the flashes of greenish gold. I purchased Tequila Sunrise from Femme Fatale, but it is also available at Llarowe (USA).

Kristin's pick - Scaredy Cat Cosmetics' Niflheim

Scaredy Cat Cosmetics is on the smaller end of the indie scale but I was blown away by the color shift in this eyeshadow. Niflheim looks like a pale, almost creamy grey on first glance but when applied over a black base, turns into a blue-based steel.

Valentine's pick - I Love Nail Polish's Cygnus Loop

I'm still crazy about the multichromes from I Love Nail Polish. ILNP Cygnus Loop is shiny, morphing rainbow perfection. I have quite a few duochrome polishes, but I don't think I have anything else with quite this level of duochrome/multichrome flash. I get so many compliments on my nails from random people when I wear this color out--multiple people have told me it looks like scarab beetle wings.

AG's pick - Shiro's Smelt of Elderberries

The indie world is probably best known for its duochrome eyeshadows, but brands are putting out gorgeous and unusual finishes in lip and cheek products as well. One of my favorites this summer has been Shiro's gloss in Smelt of Elderberries. Appropriately enough, this fuchsia gloss with a violet flash is exclusive to Australian duochrome master Femme Fatale Cosmetics. The duochrome effect is fairly subtle - I'll catch a glimpse as I'm turning my head in the mirror but otherwise the base color dominates. It's softly scented of sweet berries, but the fragrance fades quickly once it's on the lips. Best of all, Shiro's gloss formula is the best I've tried. If you're making an order from Femme Fatale, make sure to check it out!

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Random Product Review! Darling Clandestine Balm for Live Bodies!

Free Sample/Gift With Purchase

Hey everyone! Today I'd like to tell you about Darling Clandestine's body balm, called Balm for Live Bodies. It's one of the shop's largest and priciest items, but I think it's worth a look as my fellow northern hemisphere folks and I start preparing for colder, dryer weather.

Side view of a full size body butter. These things are huge!

On a disclosure note I want to say up front that I have a couple different versions of this product, and both of them were very sweet freebies from Evonne. Last year she kindly sent me a little tin of it on request so I could try it out. Then, in a later order, I received a full size balm out of the blue. It was completely unexpected, extremely generous, and one of many reasons why she will continue to receive the majority of my "fun money" budget every month.

Here's Evonne's description of the product:

"Inspired by the silky, ever-so-applicable texture of my solid perfumes, I've created a rich balm that you can smooth all over your skin (and also use as a pretty wonderful hair gloss)."

"The scent concentration is moderate, so you can apply it to your public parts and smell lovely, but not overpowering, to your adoring public."

As of writing this post, the balm comes in two sizes. Full sizes come in a four ounce tin for $22 and "Sharkling Sized" balms come in a one ounce tin for $8. You can purchase a full size in any of the perfume oils (not solids) currently available in the shop, with the exception of Aequitas and Morderteile Kelah (for performance reasons) and Tilt-A-Whirl (for safety reasons, due to the high amount of citrus oils). Sharkling balms are available in a limited number of scents - you can see the current scent offerings in a drop-down menu on the listing. Both the full size and Sharkling size are always available unscented, as far as I know. I believe I've heard the fabulous More Tea, Wesley? say that Evonne is working on a vegan version of this balm, but I don't think a vegan version is currently available.

This is what the giant full size looks like:

Full size body balm with the lid off. It's much paler and more opaque than the perfume solids!

And this is what the one ounce Sharkling tin looks like (though note this contains a perfume solid rather than a body balm):

This one ounce tin holds a perfume solid, but the Sharkling body balms come in the same tins.

Here's Evonne's description of the ingredients, which will tell you a lot about the product's performance:

"It's crafted with nourishing organic avocado butter, shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and vitamin E."

In case all the rich butters and oils didn't say it clearly enough, this is a very heavy duty balm. I cannot stress enough that this is not something I carry around in my purse for casual application through the day. I use it mostly as a serious treatment for my perpetually dry and itchy legs. Last time I used this product, I applied it to my legs around 5 or 6 pm. I then walked (and sweated) outside in the heat for a couple of hours, came home, took a hot bath around 9 pm, went to bed, and could still smell and feel traces of the balm on my legs the next morning. I didn't feel any need to moisturize my legs until the following day.

The longevity comes with a price, though, because I could feel the waxy/balmy (though thankfully not greasy) texture sitting heavily on my legs for many hours after I applied it. The bath finally took the "edge" off the balmy feeling, but I was astonished that I could still touch my legs under the hot water and feel the product hanging on tight to my skin. I also noticed it took at least a couple of washes with soap to get the balm off my hands after application. Other folks may have different experiences, but for my skin and me, this balm is a serious commitment! I want to mention that despite the heavy oils, this balm doesn't make my skin shiny, so I feel comfortable putting it on my legs before going out in shorts or a dress.

Here's a closeup to show the balm's texture. This stuff is seriously thick!

I also want to touch on the scent. I agree that these are moderately scented - when I apply it to my legs, I can catch faint whiffs of it pretty regularly without getting overpowered by it. I haven't broken into my full size yet (Evonne isn't kidding when she says a little goes a long way!) but I'm working my way through my mini in Step Right Up. I own Step Right Up in perfume oil form as well, and I think there's a significant difference in how the scent presents itself between the two products. In perfume oil form, I find Step Right Up is a reasonably complex mix of blue notes and spices. In balm form, the scent is pared down to a simple, cloyingly syrupy note and is missing all the complexity and spice of the oil. I don't know how other scents translate to balm form, so others may retain more of their notes. I will say my full size (a Suicide Mix that has a lot of Aragon in it) seems more complex on cold sniff, so I'm reserving judgment until I give that one a try.

Overall, I give this product a thumbs up, but with a giant caveat that you need to know what you're getting yourself into. If you have very oily skin or little patience for heavy products, you may want to steer clear of this balm. But if you're a fellow lizard-skinned person like me, I encourage you to pick up a Sharkling and see what you think. I'd love to hear your experiences with it!


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Company Overview: Life's Entropy Cosmetics!

Purchased

I first stumbled upon the Life's Entropy blog when I was looking for a lipstick dupe--I discovered her ridiculously great series of dupes and comparisons, including debunkings of some commonly recommended dupes like MAC Ruby Woo vs. Wet 'n' Wild Spotlight Red--all comprehensive and well photographed. I was also obsessed with the L'Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stains, or whatever their actual name is--the dupes for YSL Glossy Stains--and found the best set of swatches out there on Jane's blog. (It helps that her skin tone is similar to mine!) However, earlier this year, I was sad to see that her posts slowed to a crawl and then a halt. I left her blog in my feed list but figured she'd moved on to other interests.

Then this post showed up on reddit, and I was happy to see that she had indeed moved on to other interests--but interests that were highly relevant: a new science-themed vegan cosmetics shop!

I love the ease of application and blending I get from cream blushes, so I'd been looking for a good cream contour option for a while. Pumpkin and Poppy Michelle, Illamasqua Hollow, and OCC John Doe all seemed too light, and the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow Duo in Sculpting/Candlelight seemed tiny and incredibly expensive. So I was incredibly excited to see that one of the main offerings from Life's Entropy's new shop was a set of cream contour sticks, ranging from pale to dark. I decided to use the introductory 20% off coupon code she was offering and try out a few products. I ordered a la carte instead of opting for the blogger pack, so my experience should mirror the typical customer's.

Packaging: 

My package arrived with some festive little extras on the wrapping, as you can see in the photo--a sticker, a fake flower, a 15% off discount card tied with a bow.

Cute packaging!

The Lip Theory samples (a very pigmented liquid lip product similar to OCC Lip Tars) come in 1.5 mL Eppendorf centrifuge tubes, which means nothing to me, but this apparently made a lot of redditor scientists very happy. I prefer this packaging to the squeeze tubes that Lip Tars come in, even though they're less hygienic, because you can dip a lip brush right into the tube instead of having to messily squeeze out the product onto your lip or the back of your hand.

On the other hand, I'm not quite sure how to mix the samples in a gloss tube--the package doesn't lend itself well to pouring out just a little bit.

Clockwise from upper left: gloss tubes; Lip Theory samples in Nucleus, Quantum, Apoptosis, and Big Bang Theory; Placebo gloss; stoppers for gloss tubes; Neutrino Particle Contour Stick sample; eyeshadow sample in Enchant; Neutron Particle Contour Stick full size 

The empty gloss tubes come with a holographic atom sticker. One of mine did not.

The Placebo gloss came in a normal clear squeeze tube.

The full-sized contour stick I got came in a chapstick-style twist tube, which I loved, because you can swipe directly and blend with your fingers--no need to use a brush. The contour sample came as a crumbly chunk in a little plastic baggie, which I liked a lot less because the baggie got immediately dirty and gross-looking when I put my finger into it to swatch the contour.

Selection: 

Life's Entropy carries items in the following categories:

Face

• 5 colors of Contour Sticks
• 1 color of Foundation Elixir (this is a white liquid you can mix with too-dark foundations to lighten them--a yellow one is on the way soon)

Eyes

• Secret Shop collection of 12 loose eyeshadows (inspired by DOTA 2)
• Animal Sanctuary collection of 12 loose eyeshadows (all shadows named with puns involving animals, primarily neutral shades with gold sparkle)
• All shadows are available either individually or in sets

Lips

• 16 colors of Lip Theories (OCC Lip Tar dupes)--the header suggests you can also use these on cheeks
• Placebo clear lip gloss for mixing with Lip Theories or custom-mixing your own lip gloss using loose pigment
• Empty doefoot tubes for filling with custom-mixed Lip Theories or gloss

Misc

• Blogger Pack
• Monthly Mystery Bag 

As I mentioned, I think the most interesting product Life's Entropy has is the cream contour sticks, which seem to me to be unique in both the indie and mainstream makeup worlds. The Placebo gloss is something you could also duplicate yourself, e.g. by buying cheap dollar store lip gloss as a mixer, but with the packaging and instructions, Life's Entropy makes it easy. The lip tar dupes and foundation elixir are also pretty unique in the indie world, but have some mainstream equivalents.

Samples: 
Samples are available for everything but the Placebo gloss. You can see the pricing for samples in the "Cost" section below.

Quality:
I'm pleased with the quality of what I received. The only quality control issue I noticed was that the atom symbol sticker was missing from one of my three empty gloss tubes.

With my Contour Stick, I found it a little hard to get a balance between an obvious contour line and the contour blended away into invisibility; also, it didn't really seem to set the way I would like it to, so I had to make sure to set with powder.

Swatches, from top to bottom: custom gloss made with Placebo and Shiro's I Survived The Apocalypse (hard to see,  it's the gold shimmer up by my wrist); Enchant eyeshadow over Urban Decay Primer Potion; Big Bang Theory Lip Theory; Apoptosis Lip Theory; Quantum Lip Theory; Nucleus Lip Theory

The Placebo gloss is quite liquid and runny, but hydrating and absolutely non-sticky. It smells a bit like vanilla cake frosting, but the smell goes away quickly, and I don't notice a particular taste. In my first draft of this post, I wrote that I made a mess with it several times while sealing the tube after use, because even though I only filled it about halfway, the gloss would often get pushed up around the threads of the top and ooze out. However, I then realized I had forgotten to install the wiper piece into the top of the gloss tube--no problems once I did that! However, it is somewhat hard to mix the gloss thoroughly using the doefoot, since it doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of the tube. The gloss I mixed up was 1/4 tsp of Shiro's I Survived The Apocalypse mixed into a tube filled slightly less than halfway with gloss.

I'm lukewarm about the formula right now. It's not sticky or tacky (my biggest pet peeve) but I kind of wish it were thicker, because I keep feeling like it's slowly oozing off my lips. Also, while this is my fault in color choice rather than any issue with the gloss itself, I can feel grit in my custom gloss when I rub my lips together. I think I've been spoiled by the recent gloss hybrids like Dior Addict Fluid Sticks and Maybelline Color Elixirs, which have more of a thick, plush texture. I'm not a huge lip gloss girl in general, though, so my enthusiasm for the gloss was at a fairly low level to start with.

The Lip Theories seemed indistinguishable from Lip Tars to me, but I only had one Lip Tar and sold it, so I can't do a side-by-side comparison. I find them a little drying and patchy, and easy to smear, but I felt the same about OCC Lip Tars.

Nucleus Lip Theory, two layers applied with a lip brush. A bit patchy-looking.

Cost:

Product	Full size	Sample size	Notes
Contour sticks	$8	$1.50
Placebo gloss	$8	n/a
Lip Theory	$8	$1.50	the full-sized Lip Theory is 10 grams, making this 80 cents per gram; compare this to Lip Tar at $18 per 0.33 oz/9.4 g ($1.91 per gram, more than twice as expensive)
Eyeshadow	$6	$1.50
Foundation Elixir	$8	$1.50

Customer Service:
I have not had to contact Jane with any customer service issues. The store has a contact form--no email address or phone number are listed.

TAT:
The current estimated turnaround time is clearly stated in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. I ordered on July 23, with TAT estimated at 3-14 days. My package arrived on August 5, just within the estimated TAT window.

Shipping:
Shipping is a flat rate of $3 for US orders and $8 for international orders--I love that this is very clearly stated in the upper right-hand corner, by the currently estimated TAT.

Personal Thoughts:

Life's Entropy has a lot of innovative and niche-filling products. I think the cream contour sticks are definitely worth a try, particularly if your skin is medium to medium-dark toned, since there are color options here that I haven't seen elsewhere in a cream format. If I were going to order just one item from this store, I'd get a full-sized cream contour stick.

Particle Contour Stick swatches, top to bottom: Neutrino, blended; Neutrino, applied heavily; Neutron, blended; Neutron, applied heavily

If you are interested in OCC Lip Tars, the Color Theories are a good alternative, especially since you can easily buy cheap sample sizes to play with. They have the same problems as Lip Tars, in my opinion (drying to wear, somewhat messy to use) but are fun to play with, of course. And you can do things that make them easier to use and take with you for touchups--put them in the doefoot gloss tubes, melt them into lip balm to make a solid balm, or follow Portrait of Mai's tutorial for creating custom jumbo lip pencils. Big Bang Theory is a gorgeous color, my favorite of the Color Theories I ordered, a deep burgundy that leaves a nice stain behind.

Lip Theory: Big Bang Theory with a smidgen of Apoptosis mixed in. It's far from foolproof--I managed to smear the edges between applying upstairs and going downstairs to take a photo in natural light.

The Placebo gloss is an inexpensive alternative to ordering a million custom gloss colors from Shiro. So it's fun, even though I'm not a huge fan of the formula. I'm planning to try making a sheer black gloss to duplicate YSL's Smoking lip gloss, meant to go over other colors to darken them.

Personally, I'm not particularly interested in most of the eyeshadows, I guess because I've seen hundreds of swatches of indie eyeshadows at this point and nothing caught my eye as especially exciting. The eyeshadows are definitely the least unique product in the shop, so it may also just be the contrast with the other shiny things in the store that makes them seem less interesting to me. I did try the sample I got and it was lovely, acid green with shimmery gold, but unremarkable.

I think the website is nicely done, with well-lit, well-photographed swatches of all the products and a clear, professional layout. One nitpick about it--it annoyed me intensely that the Lip Theory Samples page offered just a dropdown list of shades without any swatches or color descriptions, so I had to keep another window open so I could look at the actual colors in order to make my selections from the samples page.

I was sad to see the Life's Entropy blog slow down and then stop updating, so I'm really glad to see Jane back in the mix with this exciting new store!

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Swatch Post! Glamour Doll Eyes : Ahoy Sailor, Cloud Coverage, Frat Boy, and Going Green!

Purchased

From the website: Ahoy Sailor! is a gorgeous matte dark blue. 

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Ultramarine Blue Pigment, Iron Oxide Black.

Vegan?: Yes.

Approved For: eyes, face & nails.

Personal Comments: A very dark blue matte base with added silver shimmer. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Cloud Coverage is a matte white. 

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Magnesium Stearate.

Vegan?: Yes.

Approved For: eyes, lips, face & nails. 

Personal Comments: A cream tinted, off-white matte eyeshadow. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Frat Boy is a blackened gold with green and silver sparkles.

Eye Shadow Ingredients:  Copper Powder, Zinc Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Silica.

Vegan?: Yes.

Approved For: eyes, lips, face & nails. 

Personal Comments: This shade reminds me of a darker version of Darling Girl Cosmetic's Lizard Spock. The green is very apparent in direct light though the eyeshadow looks more gold in shade. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Going Green is bright yellow, almost chartreuse with green sparkles and a slight green duochrome.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Tin Oxide, Yellow 5 Lake, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Ferric Ferrocyanide.

Vegan?: Yes.

Approved For: eyes, face & nails. 

Personal Comments: A part of the Blogger collection. This is a bright yellow with a soft undertone of green. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link



Perfume Review: BPAL's How Doth The Little Crocodile

Purchased

How Doth the Little Crocodile is a perfume that makes up part of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's series of Alice in Wonderland-inspired General Catalogue scents--the portion of their permanent collection that first lured me into trying their perfumes. It's named after a poem in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that satirizes a moralistic poem of the time called Against Idleness and Mischief, which in turn has its own lovely scent in the BPAL catalog that smells like honey and chamomile.

Price: $17.50 for a 5 mL amber glass bottle of perfume oil with polyseal cap.
Samples: $4 for a 1/32 oz sample.
(More details about price and shipping can be found in our Company Overview post about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.)
Description from the website:
"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!


How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!

Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar."

Review:
How Doth the Little Crocodile is a rich, woodsy cedar scent sweetened by chocolate and mint. The mint, while it gives a hint of freshness to the scent, isn't a terribly strong presence in my bottle (which is a few years old now, so it may have smelled different fresh). There are hints of creamy vanilla, and it's grounded by dusty, dry, green oakmoss. I can't make out the pistachio as a separate element.

The cedar is a dry, clothes-chest type cedar to my nose, not a green cedar as described in the notes list. I definitely think of this as a woody scent, not a gourmand, in my mental categorization of my perfume collection.

I honestly wasn't sure about this scent when I first smelled it, but it grew on me, so I now own a bottle, and it's one of my go-tos for when I want to smell good, but not too sweet or girly--I think it could definitely be a unisex scent, despite the strong sweet chocolate presence, because the oakmoss and cedar carry it into masculine territory, and keep it sexier than just smelling like a Peppermint Patty.

So which wins out--the scent named after the poem that teaches a lesson, or the poem that satirizes it? I like both the scents a lot, but ultimately, in the scent sample showdown, this was the imp that got upgraded to a bottle--it's much less sweet and more complex than Against Idleness and Mischief.

Note: this scent is vegan.

Swatch Post! Darling Girl Cosmetics : Black Moon, Blue Flame, Hot Rocks, and Joust!

Purchased

From the website: Sooty green base with orange red flash and a shift to a golden green

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Carnauba Wax, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Silica, Iron Oxide(s) and Chromium Oxide Green.  

NOT Lip Approved.

Personal Comments: A soft neutral taupe with a noticeable green highlight and a satin finish. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website:  It's a deep indigo base with fiery red overlay. 

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Ultramarines, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide(s), Carnauba Wax and Magnesium Stearate. 

NOT Lip Approved.     

Personal Comments: The bright red highlight steals the show for this eyeshadow. The blue base peeks through and there are golden shimmers throughout but the glowing red is really the focal point of the shadow for me. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Dusty grey with fiery red to gold shift.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Silica, Carnauba Wax, Iron Oxide(s) and Chromium Oxide.  

NOT Lip Approved.

Personal Comments: A soft copper with hints of a green grey and a golden highlight. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Sooty grey brown with green flash and a noticeable shift to violet.  

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Silica, Carnauba Wax, Iron Oxide and Chromium Oxide Green. 

NOT Lip Approved.

Personal Comments: In direct light, this is definitely a mossy green but it turns more muted in shade where  the purple highlight becomes more apparent. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link



Random Product Review! Take it Off Makeup Remover from Silk Naturals

Purchased

Makeup remover with a bit of sass from Silk Naturals.

I was so proud of my mascara today. Granted it wasn't indie (cheap Almay mascara from an overstock store), but it really worked overtime. I was in a minor car accident and cried way more than I ought to, yet somehow it still managed to stay put. But this isn't a review about my cheap mascara, this is about realizing later that I still needed to remove said mascara even after crying the rest of my face off.

Company Overview! Limnit Lipsticks specializes in vegan, semi-matte lipsticks!

Purchased

Limnit Lipsticks has been getting a ton of love over on Reddit lately and I couldn't resist picking up a few (read: 9) of their raved about lipsticks. Limnit specializes in semi-matte lipsticks and they offer an assortment of bold and interesting colors. Between the color selection and the quality of the formula, Limnit has garnered a large following in a pretty short period.

I really like the name "Limnit" and at first I assumed it was just a play on "Limit" (as in "taking it to the limit") but according to their facebook page, "limn" means "to paint or draw on." Double cool.

Packaging: 

I ordered a variety of different lipstick jars and they all came individually shrink wrapped. They were packed in plastic baggies and then in a paper bag and sealed with a Limnit Lipsticks sticker.

The package also came with a photocard that has instructions on the back. It details the best ways to apply the product. This is an extra that I haven't seen included in other companies.

Selection: 

Limnit currently offers 18 different colors, all in the semi-matte formula. There is a note on the Etsy shop that explains that some shades are sold out (with removed listings) and will not be restocked until late August/early September. Hopefully they'll all be back in stock soon!

AG adds: And hopefully they'll keep expanding the color range! I absolutely love the formula and finish, and I'd love to see it come in even more unusual colors. The world can never have enough matte black, purple, and navy blue lipsticks if you ask me.

Samples: 
Limnit sells their lipsticks in both mini jars and in lipstick tube form. As of this writing, the owner is reworking the lipstick tube pouring process so the shop is currently restricted to just mini jars.

Mini lipstick jars are currently selling at $4.60/each.

AG adds: Though I was worried about the little sample jars at first (some lip products are a huge pain to dig out with a lip brush), these work. The formula feels pretty hard in the jar, but it only takes a few swipes with my lip brush to get enough for application.

Quality:
Excellent. I've tried all 9 of my mini jars at this point and the opacity and feel of these lipsticks are fantastic. Though some colors are more of a dud on me, I haven't found significant differences in staying power between the shades. They're all very pigmented and require a very small amount of product to build to full opacity.

AG adds: I agree, these look and feel excellent on! I have no tolerance for drying lip products, but provided I prep my lips before applying these, they're comfortable to wear.

Cost:
These are a little bit more pricey on the indie scale. The full sized lipstick tubes sell for $12.95 and the mini jars sell for $4.60. I made my order during their grand re-opening sale and everything was happily 20% off but I'm not sure how often sales take place.

Customer Service:
I didn't need to contact customer service so I have no experience here but someone is responding to queries on their facebook page.

TAT:
Listed at 7-14 days. I placed my order during the sale but everything still shipped within the stated TAT. I received a shipping notice 8 days after placing my order and it was in my hands 3 days later.

Shipping:
On the site, shipping is listed as a flat $2.75 in the US and $9 elsewhere but when I placed my order, it was an additional $0.20 per item.

Personal Thoughts:
I want all the colors. I was pretty hesitant on the price at first but swatches drew me in (especially the ones that Mai posted). They're wonderful and I have no regrets! Keep an eye out for soon to be coming swatch posts!

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Swatch Post! Scaredy Cat Cosmetics : Artifact, Bear Necessities, Caledonia, and Don't Be Koi!

Purchased

From the website: Like a precious reminder of an age past, Artifact is a rich coppery-bronze.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, ferric ferrocyanide, iron oxide, calcium sodium borosilicate, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, boron nitride, magnesium myristate, silica

Safe for: eyes and face. 

Personal Comments: An orange based brown with a soft satin finish. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: Golden Brown

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mmica, ferric ferrocyanide, iron oxide, calcium sodium borosilicate, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, boron nitride, magnesium myristate, silica

Safe for: eyes and face. 

Personal Comments: A muted gold shade with an extra golden highlight to make it glow. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: A rich mossy forest green with subtle shimmer. Enchanting, mysterious, and alluring; like being deep in a magical glade.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Boron Nitride, Magnesium Myristate, Silica.

Safe for: eyes and face. Caledonia is a vegan formula.

Personal Comments: One of my favorite Scaredy Cat eyeshadows! Caledonia is a deep green with reflective darker notes. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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From the website: A warm autumnal metallic infused with lots of sparkles. All that glitters may not be gold, but this pigment is rich enough for the bluest blood.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, calcium sodium borosilicate, tin oxide, boron nitride, magnesium myristate, silica

Safe for: eyes and face. Don't Be Koi is a vegan formula.

Personal Comments: A shimmering orange. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

Perfume Review - Posset's Fascinator

Purchased

Fascinator is mature elegance packaged up in perfume form.

What does being grown up smell like? That's something I've been seeking the answer to almost as long as I've been experimenting with indie fragrances. When you're short and sport baby-face features (at least I've been told as much), sometimes you'll do whatever you can to get a leg up, and if that means gingerly setting aside your beloved Super Zingy Sparkle Grapefruit of Adolescence perfume in favor of something a little more mature... sometimes you've just gotta do it.

I've been a bit lukewarm on Possets. Some of the fragrances I've tried completely fell flat for me (Silver Bells, I'm looking at you! I wanted you to be lovely so badly) and others were so fleeting that they barely lasted beyond two hours. However, one I come back to again and again almost as frequently as my other Possets darling Massachusetts is Fascinator.

Collection Spotlight! The Hagelstram Arsenal by innocent + twisted alchemy!

Purchased

Happy Monday everyone! Today we're taking a look at innocent + twisted alchemy's Hagelstram Arsenal Collection.

From the website:

the Hagelstram Arsenal Collection is part of "the Lurvlies" Collection and was made for my friend who went by Hagelstram. 

The "Lurvlies" is a special collection that features eyeshadows named after people that the ITA owner knows. We've previously swatched Kelah Leigh from this set. The Hagelstram Arsenal is a subset of the Lurvlies collection though the artwork differs slightly from the others.

This is a very "spring" collection to me. It features a mix of almost pastel-like shades and all five eyeshadows have a golden highlight that gives them an additional light.

Purchase Link

Individual Swatches after the jump!

Random Product Review and Sale Alert! BKD Signature x Femme Fatale Deepstone Earrings

Purchased

BKD Signature Deepstone Earrings

Today I've got something a bit different to show you today, handmade jewelry from BKD Signature that features Femme Fatale Cosmetics' nail polish! All of the BKD Signature Jewelry pieces on Femme Fatale Cosmetics' site are on sale for around half their original price, and stocks are low so I recommend checking them out ASAP!

BKD Signature is a handmade jewelry business based in Sacramento, California. Femme Fatale Cosmetics and BKD Signature have joined forces to create a very unique line, combining BKD Signature's handmade jewelry with Femme Fatale's handmade nail lacquers. In addition to hoarding collecting makeup, I also collect jewelry, so I was very excited to hear about this collaboration! 

BKD Signature Deepstone Earrings

Deepstone is a Femme Fatale nail polish, described as "a dark plum-almost-brown with subtle golden shimmer." If there is anything more difficult to photograph than duochromes, it has to be holographic nail polishes! I love how the galaxy-esque Deepstone nail polish combined with the antique-looking bronze metalwork and domed glass create a vintage look with a modern twist. Since I have lost many earrings with a similar fish-hook backing, I recommend adding a little plastic/rubber/metal stopper to the back of them just for peace of mind, I'd hate to lose something as pretty as this!     

BKD Signature Deepstone Earrings

If earrings aren't your thing, then there are also some beautiful pendants and rings also currently on sale. BKD Signatures also has customisable pendant necklaces and rings using nail polish from My Ten Friends. Have you ever tried mixing nail polish with jewelry? Let me know below in the comments!

Company Overview! Shiro Cosmetics makes nerdy dreams come true!

Nothing to Disclose

Hey everyone! If you're reading this blog, there's a good chance you've heard of indie heavyweight Shiro Cosmetics, a vegan and cruelty free company based out of Portland, Oregon, USA. The brand has a pretty extensive collection and I've been a huge fan for years, so buckle up for a long post!

Shiro blushes! Top row and lower left are in older jar style, bottom right is new jar style (review here)

I want to share a bit about the company in general. Brand owner Caitlin started Shiro Cosmetics in 2010. User LOLPAL on Reddit put together a great overview of the company, and her interview with Caitlin tells the very cool origin story. In brief, Caitlin wound up with some spare money and spare time all at once. She started researching ingredients and formulating eyeshadows, and Shiro Cosmetics launched on Etsy with a Pokemon-themed collection. A year or two later, Caitlin brought on Lauren to help fill orders, and the two women have been working together ever since. The brand has expanded substantially since its launch - it now carries many eyeshadow collections, blushes, bronzers, a highlighter, finishing powders, lip glosses, tinted balms, a couple pieces of jewelry, and a whole 'nother brand. I'll talk more about all these products in the Selection category below!

Packaging: 
The brand's packaging is pretty standard for the industry, complete with exceptionally nerdy decorations. Eyeshadows are available in 2 gram full size jars with sifters, 1 gram mini jars with no sifters, or little resealable sample baggies folded over with the name and ingredients label on the front.

Example of a Shiro eyeshadow sample bag - this is Triforce from the Legends Collection (review here)

Full sized blushes, bronzers, and highlighters come in 20 gram jars with sifters, and sample baggies are available for all of them as well. If memory serves, all powder products in sifter jars come with a sticker over the sifter to prevent spilling during shipping. In my many (many) orders from the brand, I've never had an issue with shadows leaking during shipping that I can recall.

Shiro blush in You're Making Me [blush], full size (review here)

Lip products have gone through a few packaging transitions over the last year or so, but I think the brand has settled on some great packaging. Tinted balms come in round, twist-up lip balm-style tubes with wrap-around stickers on the sides. The tubes are gray/silver, which appeals to me more than black or white and helps them stand out in my collection. The tinted balms are some of the very few Shiro products which are not available in sample sizes. Full sized lip glosses come in tall hard plastic gloss tubes, complete with a doe-foot applicator. Gloss samples come in clear plastic clamshells, which is disappointingly messy but gets the job done.

Shiro gloss sample in a clamshell - this is Red in My Ledger from the Earth's Mightiest Heroes Collection (review here)

Selection: 
Let's start with the eyeshadows, which I believe are what made Shiro Cosmetics famous. In my opinion the brand specializes in glitterbombs, but they carry a number of other finishes as well, from duochrome to satin and more. I'm quite partial to their metallic finish myself. I do feel the brand was lacking in matte shadows until fairly recently, but ever since the launch of the There and Back Again collection I've been noticing more and more mattes in each release.

The shades' performance over bare skin varies by color, but I recommend using a sticky base with the non-matte shadows to keep the abundance of glitter in place and fully bring out the base color. As Caitlin mentioned in LOLPAL's interview (linked above), she's gotten a lot of praise for making eyeshadow collections that are very true to their source or inspiration material. From what I've read, fans tend to be very happy with how Caitlin interprets the books, movies, shows, and internet memes from which she draws inspiration.

A selection of shadows from the There and Back Again collection, swatched over sticky base (review pending!)

Kristin adds: I have several of Shiro's older eyeshadows (from back before the renaming of the Super Effective eyeshadows) and I've noticed that Shiro's eyeshadow formula has definitely gotten smoother as the years have gone by. The older eyeshadows are "chunkier" in the glitter department and although the finishes are still lovely, I half suspect more glitter than base. I don't have any such thoughts with her newer eyeshadows and I find that they apply smoother. If you've tried Shiro's eyeshadows in the past and found them unsatisfying, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it another shot! Back to you AG!

Let's talk Shiro's face products! As of writing this post, Shiro stocks five blushes, two bronzers, a highlighter, and two finishing powders. You can find them in the Face category on the website. I raved about Shiro's blushes, bronzers, and highlighter in our Shiro Face Product Party post, and we reviewed the green-tinted finishing powder in our Earth's Mightiest Heroes Collection post. I haven't had the opportunity to review the translucent finishing powder yet, though I consistently hear excellent things about it. It includes kaolin clay, which makes me suspect it's best suited to oily skin. If you've tried this product, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!

Let's move on to the lip products! Shiro used to carry meme-themed lipsticks called Intertubes, which came in a variety of colors. Coral-toned Why Not Zoidberg? became immensely popular. However, Shiro recently discontinued the Intertubes, citing consistent textural issues with the formula. Enter the Miyazaki tinted balms! This collection of five colors ranging from light to dark is the current replacement for the Intertubes, though the shade range is not as extensive. Rumor has it Caitlin is working on a new lipstick formula though, so stay tuned for more news about that!

Shiro's Miyazaki lip tints, complete with labels by Caitlin herself! (review here)

Shiro also carries lip glosses. The Seven Kingdoms and Earth's Mightiest Heroes collections each contain a themed gloss, but I suspect Shiro is even better known for their standalone 5-piece gloss collection based on actor Nic Cage (we reviewed the collection here!).

If you don't spot an existing gloss color you want, you can request that any lip safe powder product be mixed in gloss to create your very own custom shade. Each powder product's listing notes whether it's lip safe, or you can browse the lip safe product tag for ideas. If you still can't find a shade you want, Caitlin is happy to custom match an inspiration photo or description you send her.

Shiro custom gloss made with the Wildflowers eyeshadow, from the Tributes Collection

Over in the Gifts section you can purchase a Shiro gift certificate, a Harry Potter - Deathly Hallows necklace, or a Legend of Zelda - Zora Sapphire necklace.

I also want to mention Shiro's Color of the Month feature, which is run through the brand's Facebook page. Each month, Caitlin collects suggestions for a shadow, blush, or lip gloss shade and name combination. The most "liked" suggestions go up for vote at the end of the month, and the winning shade gets made and sold on the site for the following month.

Additionally, Shiro Cosmetics recently became the exclusive distributor of Detrivore Cosmetics. You can read our announcement about this arrangement here, and you can purchase Detrivore products via the Detrivore tab on the Shiro website. Detrivore products will show up mixed with Shiro products in the Color, Finish, and Function filters on the left navigation bar, and they're all eligible for custom glosses. However, do note that Detrivore is not a strictly vegan brand (unlike Shiro, which is 100% vegan) so keep that in mind while browsing if you're only interested in vegan products. All the non-vegan Detrivore shades are very clearly marked as "[Shade name] *Non Vegan*" and are also denoted as non-vegan in the item's description.

Detrivore Cosmetics blush jars

Finally, I want to mention that a portion of Shiro's stock is available for purchase from one or two other brands, most notably Aussie duochrome extraordinaire Femme Fatale Cosmetics. Femme Fatale carries a modest collection of some of Shiro's most popular shadows, blushes, lip products, and finishing powders, but also carries an exclusive set consisting of two Monty Python themed eyeshadows and a lip gloss which you can only purchase through Femme Fatale.

Shiro gloss in Smelt of Elderberries, exclusive to Femme Fatale Cosmetics (review here)

Samples: 
Samples are available for almost every product in the Shiro makeup line. I believe the Miyazaki tinted balms, special release shadows (such as the Colors of the Month), and custom glosses are the sole products that are only available in full sizes. I generally receive two eyeshadow samples with every order, and they're frequently from the most recently released collection.

Quality: 
I find the quality of Shiro's products to be very consistently high. I can count the number of duds I've tried on one hand. A back-of-the-napkin calculation tells me I've tried well over 100 different Shiro products (!), so a >95% success rate is nothing to sneeze at!

The eyeshadows are fabulous, if often glitterbombs, though it's worth noting they generally apply best over a primer or sticky base. The blushes are so lovely that I'm happy to buy full sizes without sampling them first. The highlighter and finishing powders get consistent raves. The tinted balms are cute and very easy to wear. And the lip gloss is a downright glorious formula - plush, non-sticky, comfortable as can be, and buildable without ever going gloopy. I regularly hear about the gloss making converts out of people who previously refused to wear lip gloss. I've also heard other reviewers describe Caitlin as a wizard, perfectly matching their dream custom gloss to an inspiration photo.

Shiro gloss in Red Wedding from the Seven Kingdoms Collection (review here)

Cost: 
Though it's not the hands-down cheapest brand in the indie world, it ranges from "average price for the industry" to "screaming deal" depending on the product. Eyeshadows generally cost $1 for samples, $3.50 for mini jars, and $6 for full sizes. Color face products generally cost $1.50 for samples and $8 for full sizes (and did I mention the full sizes are about twice as big as almost any other blush on the indie market?). Finishing powders cost $1.50 for samples and $10 for full sizes. Tinted balms are $5 a piece. Non-custom glosses are $2 for samples and $8 for full sizes. Even the custom glosses are astonishingly cheap for what you get, considering you can have Caitlin create your very own shade exactly to order for a maximum of $13 if you choose all the bells and whistles.

If you're interested in a full collection, be it samples, minis, or full sizes, you can purchase them all at once for a 10% discount. That discount gets bumped up to 20% with the Buy ALL The Eye Shadow option, but even with the discount that's still a bit of a splurge!

If these prices are still a little too high for you, you can watch for the brand's yearly anniversary sale in June or the Black Friday sale in November, which I believe is also an annual event.

Customer Service: 
Shiro is one of so many indie brands to spoil their shoppers with fantastic customer service. Email queries are generally answered within hours, and problems are quickly resolved with troubleshooting suggestions or product replacements as appropriate. All my personal experiences with Caitlin have been very pleasant and professional. I wish I had a heartwarming story to tell you about the customer service, but since my myriad orders over the past 2.5 years have all arrived in perfect shape with nothing missing... well, that speaks for itself!

TAT:
Turnaround time is generally set at around two weeks, but often ships faster than that. TAT is always listed at the bottom of the checkout page, and on the rare occasion when she needs to increase it (that is, only once in recent memory), Caitlin posts a very apologetic update on Facebook. It's not the fastest TAT in the indie world, but it is consistent and reliable.

Jars for scale, from left to right: Shiro full size blush, Detrivore full size blush, Shiro full size eyeshadow

Shipping: 
Items are tucked into a white envelope, which is folded over and sealed with a sticker bearing the brand's logo. The envelope is then shipped in a bubble mailer. In the US, shipping starts at $2.75 flat rate, and I believe you need to make a pretty sizeable order for that to go up. Domestic shipping is free for orders over $50. I can't speak to the international purchasing experience, but if you're outside the US and you've ordered from Shiro, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Jeannie adds (Nov 2014) - I placed an order after seeing AG's Halloween Collection Spotlight, and since I had ordered during their busy Halloween period, the TAT had increased to one month. My order shipped 11 business days after I had placed it, and I received it 6 business days later. I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly it got to Western Australia! International shipping has a flat rate of $7.50.

Personal Thoughts: 
At this point, I think it's abundantly clear that I'm absolutely head over heels for this company. Since the quality, turnaround time, and customer service are all excellent and extremely consistent, this is one of the brands I strongly encourage indie newcomers to check out. I never feel the need to give disclaimers or caveats - if you order from Shiro, you're pretty much guaranteed to have an easy purchasing experience and receive excellent products in a timely manner. Hey, it worked on me! I believe Shiro was the third indie company I ordered from, but it's absolutely the one that made me fall in love with indie makeup.

A few swatches from the Tributes Collection (over sticky base), which I bought in my very first Shiro order!

I was going through some papers last weekend after a recent move, and I found the invoice that arrived in my first Shiro order. It had a thank you note in the corner and a list of the samples I'd painstakingly picked out at the bottom. And you guys, the paper sparkled. I grinned like an idiot and tucked it away in a keepsake box. I love this company.

We've swatched and reviewed a ton of Shiro products, which you can find by checking out the Shiro Cosmetics tag on our posts or our Shiro album on flickr. We're also slowly adding all our swatch collages to our Pinterest page, so you can repin our Shiro swatches there as well. Make sure to check back the first week of every month as well - I make it a point to purchase, swatch, and review the new releases ASAP when they're launched at the beginning of each month.

I'm sure my fabulous co-bloggers are regretting letting me take on this post, because I'm halfway to a novel at this point! If you have thoughts, questions, or experiences with Shiro Cosmetics that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them in the comments!

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