Swatch Post! Shiro Battle of the Boy Bands Victory Eyeshadow!

Press Sample

Hey everyone! I recently posted about the special '90s boy band-themed collections from Shiro Cosmetics. *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys squared off in a battle for the most sales, and team noodly hair (er, *NSYNC) won with 53% of the vote. To the victor go the spoils, so the Shiro team has introduced a limited edition eyeshadow called Crazy For You to celebrate their success. This particular eyeshadow is only available in unlimited quantities until March 1, after which it will presumably only be sold until they run out of stock.

Let's take a look at this shadow!

Shiro Crazy For You applied over UDPP and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. Jar photos taken in overcast natural light, swatch photos taken in indoor lighting.

From the website: Our Limited Edition color for the Battle of the Boy Bands victor *NSYNC! A color-shifting shadow which rubs down from vibrant red-pink to a deeper maroon with whispers of gold.

This color will be available in unlimited quantity only until March 1, 2015. Price is for one full 5-gram jar with sifter.

Ingredients: mica, carnauba wax, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, red #40, ferric ferrocyanide. Not lip-safe!

Personal Comments: Alright, this one's a beauty but a bit of an oddball. It is indeed a bright pinky red (though in some lights it looks more like a brightened salmon pink!) and it has a lovely satiny sheen that comes across as a lighter pink to my eyes. I spent some time exploring what I've dubbed the "rub-down effect" and came to the conclusion that it does indeed rub down to a deeper maroon... sometimes. Let's investigate!

On my arm, it was really easy to make the color change just by rubbing the swatch with my finger. If you'll pardon the desaturated soft-focus effect (it was pretty overcast - no filters here), here's a photo of the shadow patted over bare skin and blended out with fingers on the right half:

Shiro Crazy For You applied over bare skin and rubbed down with fingers

When I applied it to my eyes with brushes, though, I didn't see much of a change at all. I applied some Urban Decay Primer Potion and did the following look with just Crazy For You. I spent a lot of time blending the outer edge and crease with a moderately stiff blending brush, but I didn't really see much difference in the color. Take a look:

Shiro Crazy For You single-shadow eye look, taken in overcast natural lighting

The good news here is that you don't have to be super careful when applying this shadow. I've read that some pressure-sensitive shadows can be tricky to apply when the color change is especially sensitive or unpredictable, and that's definitely not the case here.

Just for kicks I tried applying Crazy For You on my other eye over bare skin and gently rubbed at the outer half with a clean finger. I did see the shadow darken somewhat then, but not quite to the extent it did on my arm.

My bottom line? If your only draw for this eyeshadow is the idea that it will change color when you blend it out, I'd suggest that you skip it in favor of Shiro's stunningly beautiful Mother of Dragons. But if you want a gorgeous pinky-red eyeshadow with a lovely satin finish and Captain Noodly Hair's face on the lid, this one definitely gets my vote!

Purchase Link

Random Product Review! Bewitching Hour by Limnit Lipsticks!

Purchased, Free Sample

Hey everyone! Today I'd like to share my swatches and first impressions of Bewitching Hour semi-matte lipstick, which I recently purchased from Limnit Lipsticks. If you're not familiar with this indie lipstick brand, you can check out our Company Overview of them right here.

Disclosure notes: The OCC Lip Tar clamshell was a free sample from Sephora. I purchased everything else shown in this post.

I recently picked up a sample pot of Bewitching Hour, the official description for which is "a captivating midnight blue," as part of my ongoing exploration of dark blue lipstick. I'm already a fan of Limnit's great semi-matte formula, so I had high hopes for this shade. Here's the swatch, with both arm and lip swatches done over bare skin. Please note I edited the lip swatch photo for color accuracy:

Swatches of Bewitching Hour by Limnit Lipsticks over bare skin. Lip swatch photo was edited for color accuracy.

The good: The formula on Bewitching Hour is just as good as most of my other Limnit colors (my only troublesome one is Petal to the Metal). It builds up pretty easily with a lip brush, feels comfortable on, doesn't gather in lip lines, and doesn't make my lips look dry or wrinkly (well, no moreso than usual). It's also surprisingly easy to clean up when I inevitably draw outside my lip lines. Overall, it's a solid product!

The bad: This is entirely personal preference, but I was disappointed by the color. I think a lot of the swatches online made me think it was brighter than it actually is, so I was bummed to apply it and find it had more cool gray tones than I expected. I had to edit my own lip swatch to get it right, so I suspect this is just a tough color to photograph. Major points to Limnit, though, because the swatches on the Bewitching Hour listing look pretty accurate! Regardless, I didn't think it was flattering against my warm skin tone, and it didn't quite have the punchiness I've been searching for in a navy blue lipstick.

Blogger Crimson and Clovher just posted a great interview with Limnit owner Trina which explains Bewitching Hour's slightly toned down color. Trina explains that her lipsticks are subtly muted in order to make the unusual colors more wearable than you'd expect. That's a really clever and thoughtful approach! Personally though, if I'm gonna wear blue lipstick, I'd rather go all-out and wear the boldest navy I can find.

I put Bewitching Hour up against my other medium and dark blue shades (most of which are discontinued or unavailable, sorry!) for comparison. From top to bottom we have: OCC Lip Tar in Technopagan, Little Sparrow Lip Jelly in Blueberry (currently unavailable), Shiro tinted balm in Nightshade (discontinued), Shiro Intertube in Robe & Wizard Hat (discontinued), Limnit Bewitching Hour.

From top to bottom, all over bare skin: OCC Technopagan, Little Sparrow Blueberry, Shiro Nightshade, Shiro Robe & Wizard Hat, Limnit Bewitching Hour

Side note - both Technopagan and Bewitching Hour stained my arm like a beast and survived multiple rounds of mineral oil and soap. I only noticed some mild discoloration on my lips after removing Bewitching Hour (and no insta-stain when I fudged my lip line, woohoo!), but it's something to keep in mind if staining makes you crazy.

Bewitching Hour appears to be out of stock as of writing this review, but it should be back in the Limnit Lipsticks Etsy shop very soon. In fact, I think most of the shop's stock just got cleared out to make way for a new formula, so it should be well worth checking out.

Have you tried any lipsticks from Limnit? Are there any indie navy blue lip colors I should make sure to scope out?

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Company Overview: Rituel de Fille

Press Sample

Rituel de Fille first came to my attention through one of /u/skydart's Swatchfest posts on reddit. They are an indie brand, but I feel like they fall in a different category or clique than many of the indies we review here like Shiro, Fyrinnae, Hello Waffle, etc.--they seem glossier, better-connected, higher-end--maybe "niche" more than "indie"?

They describe themselves as follows: "Rituel de Fille is a new vision for beauty inspired by the magical side of natural ingredients, where pigment is elemental, ceremonial and powerful. Rituel de Fille's lipsticks, lip sheers, eye soots and cream blushes are all carefully handcrafted for uniquely bold, lasting color." The company was founded by three sisters, Michelle, Caroline, and Katherine Ramos, in LA and New York; two of the three are makeup artists.

I was intrigued by their products and branding, so I contacted them to see if they might be willing to send over some press samples. They were, and here's what I thought of them!

Packaging: 

I was so excited when the box came in the mail--I absolutely love the packaging, which is sleek, shiny, and black, adorned with silver lettering and sprinkles of tiny silver stars. The aesthetic is like if Barney's were run by rich Goths, sort of high-end, Instagram-wielding hipster Wiccan. They remind me very much of The Wild Unknown and of a trendy, spendy Goth-inflected boutique in Austin, TX, that's all minimalistic metal moon phase jewelry and $30 bird skulls sculpted from graphite.

Everything comes in its own black cardboard box printed with the ingredients, and everything was wrapped in black tissue paper. Did I mention how much I love the packaging? The lipsticks come in slimline twist-up tubes, the cream blushes are in a sleek, rounded compact with a large mirror, and the cream eyeshadows are in a little hexagonal glass jar with a black lid.

Selection: 

I did find they are stocked through Urban Outfitters and Nasty Gal as well, along with a list of some other retailers. Some of their products are on sale at Nasty Gal at the moment!

Samples: 

Rituel de Fille does not offer samples, as far as I can tell.

Quality: 

I'm impressed with the quality of the products I received for review. I have to say that everything is on the dry side--the lipsticks feel like they drag a little on the lips when being applied, the eye soot lacks the creamy/silky glide of most of my other cream shadows, the cream blush takes a bit more pressure than I'm used to to pick up on my fingers. On the plus side, though, this translates into excellent wear time across the board, and I didn't find the lipsticks drying despite the draggy application. The pigmentation was smooth and strong for all the products I tried.

The cream blushes are lip, cheek, and eye safe.

The lipsticks smell very strongly of lavender. (And oddly, the Eye Soot smells like unscented lipstick.) If you're sensitive to the smell of lavender, be forewarned. It's not a typical scent for lip products, and actually made me a little nauseous the first day I wore one of the lipsticks, because the soapy, herbal smell stayed under my nostrils for a while and I kept feeling like I could taste it.

I did find the eye soot to crease a bit after a while. It's not the type of budgeproof, creaseproof wear I get from Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks or Maybelline Color Tattoos.

Cost:

No way around it: these products are pretty freakin' expensive, not just compared to most indies, but even when priced out by weight against high-end products.

When you consider the size of the lipsticks, for instance, although the cost of a single lipstick tube is on par with mid-end lipsticks like Urban Decay or Bobbi Brown, the Forbidden Lipstick comes out to $12.78 per gram--compare that to YSL Rouge Volupte Shine, which costs more to begin with, but has more than twice as much product, so it is only $7.78 per gram; or Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet at $10.29 per gram.

YSL Creme de Blush is $6.90 per gram. Rituel de Fille's cream blush is $6.30 per gram.

The Eye Soot seems surprisingly cheap, actually--a MAC Paint Pot is $4.20 per gram, while the Eye Soot is $4.17 per gram. (Maybelline Color Tattoos are only $1.75 per gram.) The packaging must be very deceptive, though, because the Paint Pot looks about twice as big as the Eye Soot when compared visually, in their containers.

Prices:

• Lip Sheers: $21 for 1.8 g
• Lipsticks: $23 for 1.8 g
• Cream Blush: $24 for 3.8 g
• Ash and Ember Eye Soot: $24 for 5.75 g

Customer Service: 

Rituel de Fille has an email address for customer support, and they do offer returns within 30 days, although shipping is non-refundable.

TAT: 

Unfortunately, I can't speak to the typical TAT since I did not place a paid order with Rituel de Fille.  I received my order within a week after sending over my shipping details.

Shipping: 

Rituel de Fille only ships to the US and Canada at this time, although some of their stockists may do international shipping. Standard US shipping seems to be a $6 flat rate (most likely USPS first class, as this is how the package I received was shipped, although it's possible it was different due to it being a press sample). Canadian shipping is $15 for normal shipping without tracking, or $35 for priority shipping with tracking. Domestic shipping is free on orders over $50, and shipping to Canada is free for orders over $100.

Personal Thoughts:

I totally had my eye on Hex from skydart's swatches, but as it turns out, I still haven't learned my lesson about skin tones--while it's gorgeous on her pale complexion, it looked ghastly on my medium warm skin tone (~NC30), far too pale and cool, rather chalky and corpselike. Bittersweet, on the other hand, is a very friendly shade to my complexion, a wearable, cheerful, muted orange with a slight translucency but good pigmentation.

Desire is unique among my blushes, a cool, grayed-out lavender mauve. I have nothing remotely similar--the closest I have is Tarte Exposed, which is brighter and more pink.

The Ash and Ember Eye Soot in Golden Age was one of my favorites, although it's a neutral, so it may be too boring to some to justify the price tag. I think it's beautiful, though--a medium cool golden-toned brown that looks like bronzey antique gold in the light, smoky cool taupe brown in shadow, and applies with a glowy satin finish. It looked great just applied to the mobile lid and smoked out at the edges, with some black liner. I did get some creasing with this shade by about 4 hours into wear, but it stayed better over primer.

Bottom line: I think the packaging is wonderful, the quality is there, and there are some unique products and colors, so I think these are wonderful indie splurge items, but for many people, the price point will be a dealbreaker. That said, the total price point is not outrageous, so if you don't mind the smaller size of the product relative to the price, the total out of pocket is under $25 for any given product.

Have you tried Rituel de Fille? What do you think?

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Swatch Post! The Grand Re-Opening Collection by Ten Three Labs! Part 2 of 2.

Purchased

Check here for the Collection Overview and Part 1 of the swatches!

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From the website: Slightly darker lime green matte.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, chromium oxide, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Not lip safe!

Personal Comments: A green with a yellow tone. Completely matte and performing well over Pixie Epoxy. 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: Blackened orange, like a monarch incinerated.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe!

Personal Comments: Almost a matte brown base but not quite. Added gold 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: Oil black with holographic sparkles

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum, polyurethane 33, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe, contains glitter!

Personal Comments: A black matte base with added 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: Deep cranberry red.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe!

Personal Comments: A red with purple notes 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: Muddy brown matte.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe! 

Personal Comments: A mid brown with grey notes to it. Totally matte and performs evenly over Pixie Epoxy. 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: Sickly green-gray matte.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, chromium oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Not lip safe!

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

Purchase Link

Perfume Review: Starring...! Fragrances Temptress

Gift

Starring...! Fragrances is a lesser-known player in the indie perfume world--I only found out about them via some free samples I received in a swap at some point. If the indie perfume world were a high school in an 80's teen movie, I'd be hanging around with the weirdo (pre-makeover) Ally Sheedy misfit types behind the gym, or the nerds in the computer lab; Starring...! Fragrances, on the other hand, would be a beauty pageant girl, glossy and girly. Founded by a "former actress turned psychotherapist," most of their fragrances are named after Hollywood themes and archetypes. Also, this sort of fills me with unreasonable rage, but "inside each bottle you will find a genuine star gemstone that infuses the bottle with nature's positive energy." Although it does not contain a gemstone filled with nature's positive energy, I do have a sample vial of Temptress that I thought I'd talk about for today's review.

Price: $26 for a 1 oz alcohol-based spray perfume or $10 for a 9 mL oil-based roll-on. I'm not sure if this scent is currently available--it's not listed in the dropdown menus but it is on the master scent list.
Samples: Samples do not seem to be available at the moment, although 3.5 mL mini roll-ons are available for $5 each. Again, I'm not sure if this particular scent can be ordered or not.
Description from the website: "Laced in sultry sandalwood, enticed with dark rich vanilla, kissed with warm sweet caramel, and caressed with pure coconut milk. Seduction never smelled so good!"

I am usually sort of wary of sandalwood because it can sometimes smell really gross to me, and I'm usually quite wary of caramel because I've smelled far too many overpoweringly sweet fragrances, while I was still figuring out for myself that "good to eat" is not always equivalent to "good to smell like for an entire day." Temptress is fairly innocuous on both fronts--part of this is that it's not a scent with a particularly high throw, so it smells subtle rather than overpowering.

I think the sandalwood is also well-balanced with the sweet, edible elements, so there's enough light woodsiness balancing out the vanilla/caramel/coconut sweetness to keep it from smelling like a macaroon.

This scent smells faintly like lemongrass to me and I don't know if it's just my brain filling in the coconut gaps with Thai food or if it actually has some tiny amount of something herbal-lemony in there as well.

Ultimately, I find this perfume inoffensive but lacking a "hook," if that makes sense. It smells nice but generic to me; something I would wear if it were in front of me, but nothing I would ever specifically think to reach for. It's too bland to smell like "temptress" to me--in our fictional indie perfume high school movie, this ends up neither beautiful enough to be the prom queen nor strange enough to be the arty weirdo.

Note: I do not know if this scent is vegan.

Collection Spotlight! The Grand Re-Opening Collection by Ten Three Labs! Part 1 of 2.

Purchased

Though Ten Three Labs has only been around for a short while, they recently closed and re-opened with the release of The Grand Re-Opening Collection - themed after the show Bob's Burgers. Besides the 12 eyeshadows featured below, the collection also includes 2 perfumes and 2 tinted lip balms which won't be featured in this segment.

I mentioned in the Company Overview that there were some inconsistencies in the matte eyeshadow formula and I think that this collection really shows what I mean. The collection has four satin finishes and eight with at least a matte base and though the satins all applied similarly, the mattes were a little more iffy. These swatches are all over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy and some of the mattes struggled over this combination - which is common with some matte formulas - but some applied much better over the Pixie Epoxy than the primer alone.

Purchase Link
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From the website: Goldish bronze with gold and copper sparkles.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum, polyurethane 33, yellow #5, yellow #6, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe, contains glitter!

Personal Comments: An orange-gold with 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: Light khaki.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe!

Personal Comments: This light beige with a gold satin finish was my favorite and for me, the most wearable of the collection. 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: ’60s-era light blue matte.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, ultramarines, titanium dioxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Not lip safe!

Personal Comments: This shade performed well over Pixie Epoxy but was hard to apply over just primer. It's a light blue completely matte shade with a difficult to search name. 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: Midnight blue with silver and purple sparkles.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, ferric ferrocyanide, polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum, polyurethane 33, carnauba wax, red #34, magnesium stearate

Not lip safe!

Personal Comments: Here's a blue that struggled over the Pixie Epoxy. It's a dark blue matte base with added 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: Pale yellow.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, yellow #5, butene, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe!

Personal Comments: An almost matte yellow base with added shimmer. This shade did well over Pixie Epoxy but not as well over just primer. 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: Classic medium blue matte.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: mica, ferric ferrocyanide, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, carnauba wax, magnesium stearate

Lip safe!

Personal Comments: A blue with a slight hint of a green note. It's a matte base that had trouble over Pixie Epoxy. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link

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Stay tuned for Part 2!

Jessye Gets Bubbly! Fortune Cookie Soap's Spring 2015!

Purchased

Fortune Cookie Soap Box Spring 2015 Box 
“Wonderland” 

When I reviewed the last FCS Soap Box, I receive a comment that I should consider no longer reviewing FCS' products. It was harsh and confrontational, and honestly, I agreed with them. They were one of the first companies I had discovered in the indie world, but I did not enjoy the Christmas box at all. It was an all-around unhappy consideration. I talked to a couple of people about it because I was worried I was folding, but maybe this person was right and I just didn't like the scents of this company anymore. It would be a disservice to both them and I if I continued reviewing a company I no longer enjoyed. And then I saw the theme of the Spring Box.

The box is based on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I love Alice in Wonderland. I own a scarf and fingerless gloves printed with text and illustrations from the book and  I've had my copy of the book. I could nerd out more, but I won't bore you with the details. I love Tim Burton. I adore Corpse Bride, and I found Alice charming in its unique way, but Big Fish is probably my favorite. I love his use of color, and the way he's capable of bringing the absurd to the table in a way that feels natural and organic.

So I held out. How could I, a lover of these things, pass up on something that will, if nothing else, make me laugh? I am soooooooooooo glad I did. They introduced two new products I had not seen before, and I loved the box. I only parted with one item and kept everything else for myself. I've been planning a shopping list since the box came to my house, smelling like green and spring and happiness.

So let's get to those amazing products! (The scent notes may be shorter than usual. I have been having problems picking out single notes recently and have on occasion, smelled something entirely different than what was actually in a product.)

“Almost Alice” 
Fortune Cookie Soap

Fresh green snap peas and juicy pears brighten this bouquet of sweet pea flowers, and freesia, sprinkle with ripe berries.

This soap smells very much of freesia, and the blue coloring works great with that. It has that fresh scented laundry smell that smells like happiness and fluffy towels.

“Twisted Tea Party” 
Bath Tea

A light, refreshing, green tea with notes of sweet herbs, vanilla bean, cucumber, golden amber, and hints of neroli and geranium, stirred with a bright sprig of spearmint.

This smelled so good dry! It smelled fruity and unique, with the green tea drying the scent out just enough to make it complex. I spent a couple of days sniffing the tea bag before I used it. When I used it, I just couldn't get enough scent out of it to smell it in the bath. I even ripped open the bag and let it all float around in the bath. I imagine for those that are scent sensitive, this would be perfect.

“Who Are You” 
Incense Cone

A mysterious mixture of crisp, ripe, pear twisted with tart limes, vanilla orchid, and a dash of raw cane sugar.

This is a “green” scent. That's such a weird phrase for me. A “green” scent. What is a “green” scent? I would characterize it as grass, and spring plants that aren't flowers.

This has an amazing green smell. And it burned so beautifully. Look at that picture of the smoke! I used to burn incense almost daily. One of my dogs is a delicate flower though, who will inhale the smoke and then throw up. So it was exciting to get to use incense again. The cone I used had about 15-20 minutes of burn time, which is normal. The smell of the smoke mixed with the incense was interesting. I was not a huge fan of the mix of the smoke and the scent, but for either their first endeavor into incense or a rare occurrence into making incense, this worked beautifully. It's rare to see such beautifully burning incense.

“It's Only a Dream” 
Whipped Cream

Calming verbena, lemongrass, calla lily, and citrus blended with leafy greens, ylang-ylang, rosewood, and ozone; with hints of soft musk and roses.

For the first time since I've joined Soap Box, there was not a random scent product. Yay for getting all the smells! I still have the problem with this lotion wherein I rub it into my skin too much and it starts to rub off my skin. That being said, this is the only lotion I've used since I got it. (I might be ignoring a couple of lotions I bought for review, but meh!) It smells amazing! It smells like lemongrass and citrus brought down by floral with just a hint of something dry. I will definitely be buying something else in this scent. I adore it!

“Off With Their Heads!” 
Bath Bomb

Groves of Meyer lemons and succulent oranges mingle with a perfectly manicured garden of wild roses, violets, and star jasmine perfumed with romantic tones of bergamot and Egyptian musk.

This was a delicious fruity and floral scent. It was balanced well. Despite its small size, it packed quite a punch. Just a few petals floated around in the bath that easily went down the drain when I was done. If you are worried about the rose scent, it didn't become apparent until the last moments of my 45-minute bath, taking an innocent scent into a mature aroma.

“Futterwacken” 
Body Wash

Sun warmed lilies brightened with a splash of grapefruit and a breath of fresh air.

This smells exactly like a melon drink I had as a child, complete with even the tang at the back of my throat. I have no idea how else to describe this. I will definitely use through this bottle. I had problems getting it to transfer from a wash cloth to my skin, but had no problems with either a loofah or my hands.

“Eat Me” 
Perfume Oil

Scrumptious yellow cake with a fresh slathering of rich, creamy vanilla frosting, topped with fresh white pineapple slices and garnished with a sprig of blooming cilantro.

It's cake. It smells like cake. I can't smell anything but the cake. I am hoping that they will bring out a bath bomb or bubble bar in this scent that I can sneak into my order for Kristin. (Editor's Note: ಠ_ಠ) This is also the thing I passed on. It is great for a gourmand lover. I just can't stand smelling like baked goods, in any variation.

Sparkly

“We're All Mad Here” 
OCD Hand Sanitizer

Playful mint waters and natural leafy green notes perform a masterful balancing act with musky rich cedarwood.

This might be one of my favorite quotes in the world, but that could be because it holds sentimental value for me. When I was in college, one of my class assignments was to choreograph a dance piece to a piece of artwork in our art museum. At the time they had a single artist display, who did a collection based on Alice in Wonderland The piece I chose was Alice holding the Cheshire, entitled, “We're All Mad Here.” It was the most positive feedback I had ever received on a piece, and to this day, my professors don't know I made up the whole damn thing on the spot, except for one move.

Even for a hand sanitizer, I loved it. It's a mellow green scent, floating more on the “clean” side than the “green” side. This smells like new beginnings to me.



Final Thoughts: This was a fantastic box, and I can't wait for the release party to spend way too much money on way more products than I need!

The release party starts on their Facebook page on February 7th at 6:30 pm CST!

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Random Product Review! Darling Clandestine's Coma Cluster

Purchased

"May you sleep tonight cradled in the paroxysms of a million galaxies."

According to wikipedia, a coma cluster is a collection of over 1,000 identified galaxies. You don't have to be an astronomy buff to admire the sheer scope and size of something like a coma cluster - just reading about something like this leaves me feeling very small and humbled!

Initially I read "coma cluster" and thought it meant a cluster of comas (which sounds like a very unlucky health condition) and having nothing to do with space. Granted I've been feeling kind of comatose myself lately between the massive amounts of snow hitting the Boston area and the flu, and for me Darling Clandestine's solid perfume Coma Cluster was a tremendously welcome breath of fresh air amidst all the doom and gloom of New England's seemingly endless winter.

Company Overview! Looking at a newcomer to the indie world, Ten Three Labs!

Nothing to Disclose

Ten Three Labs opened last October (on 10/3 - get it?) and since then has gathered a large fan gathering over at /r/indiemakeupandmore. In particular, the four month old company has become a hit for their Salve Sticks, the Ten Three Labs version of Lip Balm, and recently won the Portrait of Mai Reader's Choice Award for Best Indie Lip Balm. Of course I had to see what all this hype was about and finally got around to placing my first order.

Packaging: 

The lip products came shrink-wrapped with this nifty plastic that also removes just the portion for the cap so if you want, you can keep the label shrink-wrapped but still be able to use the product.

I ordered a sample set of eyeshadows and these came in plastic baggies. The plastic baggies were different across the line, some were made of a thicker plastic than others and I hope that Ten Three Labs is trying to move away from these thinner plastic bags because they were literally the worst eyeshadow baggies I've ever seen. They were hard to get eyeshadow out of and flopped around. I was pretty happy that not all of the samples were in the thin baggie.

Salve stick

Selection: 

Being a baby to the indie world, the product offering at Ten Three Labs is still on the smaller side though they do sell eyeshadows, lip balms (Salve Sticks), tinted lip balms (Smudge Sticks), AND perfumes. It's a combination that I haven't seen too often, with most companies preferring to stick to either cosmetics or perfumes. So far, collections have included a varied assortment of product types.

Listed in order of collection release:

The Bad Bitch Collection: Originally 11 eyeshadows but now reduced to 6 eyeshadows

The Grand-Reopening Collection: 12 eyeshadows, 2 tinted lip balms, and 3 perfumes

The 742 Collection: 3 eyeshadows and 2 tinted lip balms. The description on this listing says that it was only available for purchase through last December but there is still a live sale listing for the complete set.

and the latest offering, Project Leda: 3 tinted lip balms and 6 perfumes.

In a facebook post, Ten Three Labs mentions no longer being focused as heavily on eyeshadows going forward with most new collections being perfume and lip tint based.

The Phantasmagoria Projection Box is Ten Three Labs version of a subscription box - though I don't believe that there's currently an option to subscribe, it's just released periodically and you purchase it when it's released. Pricing and contents vary but Ten Three Labs releases the contents list before purchasing which I think is a nice touch.

Ten Three Labs also offers a quarterly Mystery Machine Pack which is a pretty neat concept. It's three different lip balms and you have to guess what the scent is without any packaging hints. If you submit a correct guess (you only have to guess one correctly) you are entered into a drawing for a 50% off an order code. At the end of the year, voted favorites will be added to the permanent line.

Samples: 

Samples are available for eyeshadows and perfumes.  Eyeshadow samples are $1.50 and perfume samples are $3.50. The eyeshadow samples come in baggies (refer to above complaint regarding baggies) with 1/4 tsp of eyeshadow. Perfume samples are 1 mL but not in standard sample vials, they're actually in cute squat little bottles.

Lip products are not available individually in sample form but if you purchase a complete set (under the complete set listing), the collection's smudge sticks come in clamshell form.

Quality: 

The shimmer eyeshadows are nice but the eyeshadows with a matte base are a little finicky to work with and seem more inconsistent by color. As mentioned above, Ten Three Labs is no longer going to be introducing many new eyeshadows but I do hope the owner has time to tweak the formula a bit.

The salve stick formula is raved about and I've been really enjoying the one that I have. I picked up one from the holiday collection in Cocoa Puffs and the scent is spot on. It's nicely moisturizing.

Discontinued so this smudge stick won't get it's own post :(

I've also been really liking the smudge stick. I have All Vamp Everything but it's sadly currently discontinued since all non-collection smudge sticks have been taken off the line. A facebook post mentions that some of the more popular colors will be reworked and incorporated into future collections. I saw All Vamp Everything all over the indie subreddit so I'm pretty positive that this shade will pop up eventually. It was nicely pigmented and applied evenly.

Perfumes aren't really my thing so I'll have to leave it to my co-bloggers to take a look at them.

Cost:

Pretty standard for indies.

• Salve Sticks/Lip Balms: $4
• Smudge Sticks/Tinted Lip Balms: $5
• Perfume Samples: $3.50
• Perfume: $14
• Eyeshadow Samples: $1.50
• Eyeshadow: $6

Customer Service: 

I ordered a blogger pack but forgot to put the blog name into the comments field so the owner politely emailed me to ask for it. I haven't had any other customer interactions with the owner but they are active on the indie subreddit and seem to respond quickly to questions on their facebook.

TAT: 

The TAT is listed in a black bar at the very top of the website. It is currently listed as 12-16 business days. I placed my order on December 23rd, received a shipping notice on January 11th, and it was in my hands on January 17th. Considering the holiday season, this was within the stated TAT.

Shipping: 

Starts at a very reasonable $3.

Personal Thoughts:

The one thing that really stands out to me about Ten Three Labs is the awesome job that they've done with branding. Despite being a very young indie, they have a crisp and clear website with a distinct logo. The brand still seems to be developing its vision but they are openly - and positively- responsive to customer comments and critiques. A characteristic that even some of the oldest indies lack.

I'm a little sad that the company is moving away from my territory of the indie world (not a perfume person) but I'm pretty happy to see the owner making responsible business decisions to not become overwhelmed.

What do you guys think? Have any of you tried Ten Three Labs?

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Swatch Post! Comparing Old vs New Fyrinnae Eyeshadow Formulas Part 2! Monarch Butterfly, Nijiro, Serendipity, and Sugar Skulls!

Purchased

At the end of last year, we started comparing Fyrinnae's old eyeshadow formula with their newer (post 2013) version. Here's a few more to look at!

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From the website: Deep black with varying hues of glowing copper shimmer.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Styrene/PVP Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Tin Oxide, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide, Copper Powder, Bronze Powder, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Magnesium Myristate,Blue #1, Red #40, Yellow #5, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Silica.

Personal Comments: These two versions looked pretty dead on similar to me. I saw a tiny bit more shimmer in the new version but that may have also been due to how it stuck to the Pixie Epoxy. It's a dark black with added red 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: Satiny ivory with a subtle rainbow of sparkles. 

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Styrene/PVP Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Tin Oxide, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide, Copper Powder, Bronze Powder, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Magnesium Myristate,Blue #1, Red #40, Yellow #5, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Silica.

Personal Comments: A creamy off-white with a satin finish. The new version is much smoother with the shimmer than the older version but the shade is very close. 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: This shade is a glowing iridescent copper highlight upon application, despite how photos make it appear.

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Styrene/PVP Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Tin Oxide, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide, Copper Powder, Bronze Powder, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Magnesium Myristate,Blue #1, Red #40, Yellow #5, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Silica.

Personal Comments: This shade was reformulated again in July 2014. The "new" version that I have is before that reformulation. This is a favorite shadow for many individuals I can definitely see why. It's a multi-dimensional pink-y brown that is great for a single eyeshadow look. The new formulation is a tad less pink but this in particular is a shade that I've heard varies a bit depending on jar. 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: Vibrant deep warm pink, with a glimmering copper-orange (not gold!) highlight and sparkle. 

Eye Shadow Ingredients: Mica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Styrene/PVP Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Tin Oxide, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide, Copper Powder, Bronze Powder, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Magnesium Myristate,Blue #1, Red #40, Yellow #5, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Silica.

Personal Comments: The new version of this very very bright pink is much smoother feeling and the shimmer is much more subtle. Applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. This picture was taken outside in natural light.

Purchase Link