Tag: eyeshadow

Metamorphosis 134.0 – Love Letter, Brazen’s Valentine’s Day

I don’t think it’s any shock to say my favourite holiday is Halloween. I love the history, the celebrations,the scents, the colours, the atmosphere, the ideology of it. Each year, I binge-buy seasonal items–house decor, lawn decorations, jewelry, perfume, and of course makeup–and rationalize it by saying it’s only available once a year and I like to celebrate. The ONLY other holiday I’m irrationally attached to is Valentine’s Day. Before you cluck at me in disapproval, allow me to explain myself: I am not a romantic. I can hear you gasping, “a goth who’s not a romantic? How could that be?” I’m not a traditional romantic. I’m not squishy and sentimental, I don’t want boxes of chocolates or cut flowers or long walks on the beach or pages full of carefully-chosen words. There are plenty of things I find romantic, but I dare say my definition varies slightly. –anyway, my love of Valentine’s Day stems from a few key points: the Roman Lupercalia, the Wolf Festival, full of fascinating traditions pre-dating our modern commercial “love fest,” the abundance of red available in all sorts of products (including eyeshadow, one of my personal favourites), and last but not least the fact that we share a name. That’s right–my fondness for this particular holiday boils down to the fact that my name is also Valentine.

I’ve been trying awfully hard not to scoop up every pretty V-Day goodie I’ve come across on the internet, but when I saw Brazen Cosmetics’ offerings I couldn’t help myself. I placed an order for the Love Letter eyeshadow set and Candy Hearts gum ball.

The Smartmouth Gumballs are new to me, a tinted lip treatment poured into a cute round container. Candy Hearts is a sheer, bubblegum-pink scented with Brazen’s custom candy heart fragrance. I anticipated something sticky-sweet, like powdered sugar or marshmallow fluff, but was surprised to find this scent is far more complex. It is sweet, but it’s very light, almost fruity-floral. I can’t tell you it’s dead-on for real candy hearts because it’s honestly been years since I’ve even smelled those suckers, but it’s a very familiar, light scent. I really wish this could be kept on as a permanent scent for Brazen lip products.

The surface of the balm was sprinkled generously with superfine pink glitter that reflects the most beautiful blue-violet. I love the way it looks over the soft pink below, but I am glad it’s not mixed throughout so I can choose whether or not I want my lips to glitter.

About two swipes of balm leaves this pretty barely-there wash of pink. You can see some of the glitter scattered throughout, which in tiny amounts gives it a delicate, ethereal glow. The formula itself is light, but moisturizing, and has decent lasting power–a few swipes before leaving the house kept me covered for three or four hours before I felt the need to reapply.

If you’ve been reading for any length of time, you’ll know that I don’t really like neutrals. I’ve always preferred my retina-searing brights to natural-looking shades, but I’ve learned that I don’t hate neutrals: I hate bland neutrals. Luckily, every indie neutral I’ve ever gotten my hands on has become an invaluable addition to my cosmetic arsenal.

You’ll also remember that I tend to buy things based on name, and Brazen’s Love Letter set instantly reminded me of one thing:

Brazen’s Love Letter Trio comes with three neutral shades, sifter- and heat-sealed, neatly packed into a custom-labeled gift box.

Yours Always is described as a “Sweet petal pink with alluring subtle sheen that shifts from gold to pink, with teeny hints of green sparkles.” It’s a pale, neutral pink with a subtle pearlescence and cool sparkle.

My Dearest, a “flirty mauve with complex duochrome pink/gold sheen, crimson glitter and sparkles that shift from gold to pink,” is definitely my favourite of the trio. The soft, berry-pink base is full of light pink and gold sparkles. Brushed on lightly, it makes an excellent lid colour, while patted over a sticky base (above over Darling Girl’s Glitter Glue) it’s a beautiful bold crease shade.

All My Love is described as a “feminine pinkish brown with flirty pink sheen, and multi-faceted sparkles that shift from red to gold and blue to green.” I don’t own a lot of browns, but I think it’s pretty safe to say this is not your average brown. The base is a rich chocolate, but the strong pink cast and red and gold sparkles keep it interesting.

As a set, I think these are perfectly matched–if only half the palettes I own worked so well together!

I was incredibly happy when I found this mini-pot of Crazy Cat Lady gloss in my order–I somehow missed this shade while I was placing my order and saw it posted on Facebook the next day, when I promptly began kicking myself for my poor timing. The same formula I loved so much before, this super-shiny gloss is a beautiful purple-toned fuchsia with a strong blue shimmer.

Completely opaque in one swipe, a little goes a long way. Applied in a thin swipe to the left, thicker to the right.

Since my order, Brazen has listed even more sets and singles–the Candy Hearts Collection, Screw Cupid Set, the amazingly clever Box of Glosses…and had I seen the vampy purple Trouble, it would have been mine!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
2 Comments

Metamorphosis 128.0 – Artistic Inspirations, a review of Innocent+Twisted Alchemy

There are so many indie companies floating around out there, it’s hard to try every single one. But every once in a while, a company comes along with a truly original concept and you simply need to try them. This was the case with Innocent + Twisted Alchemy. It wasn’t the branding that caught my eye, not even the pretty-looking colour blends, nor the fact that they seem to have great reviews. What caught my eye were the hand-drawn illustrations done by the owner. A little Ai Yazawa, a little Mistukaz Mihara, completely original, the owner even creates shadow collections based on her pieces. I had never seen anyone do anything quite like it.

But knowing that holiday collections were close at hand, I held off buying until Black Friday. I had just enough spare change scraped together for four samples. Innocent + Twisted uses clamshells for samples and absolutely stuffs them full of products. While I think $2 is steep for a 1/8th teaspoon baggie, it is perfectly reasonable for the samples you get here.

Shooting Stars is part of the limited holiday collection and described on site as a “navy blue with an explosion of golden sparkles.” The base is a very blackened blue, with bright gold generously scattered throughout. Sometimes, I think the gold almost gives the blue a green tint, like dark, murky ocean waters.

Guilty Grinch is another holiday limited, described as a “dark teal [with] multi-colored sparkles.” What stands out most to me are the bits of red and green and violet through the formula, like glittering confetti over the velvety blue-green base. This is definitely my favourite of the shades I ordered.

Hidden Present is an “army green with an explosion of pink sparkles.” The pink in the sparkle is light, like a dusty rose rather than a magenta, which I think can almost look gold or silver depending on the light. Green shadow enthusiasts should most definitely get their hands on this one before it’s gone–the green itself is pretty a pretty enough olive shade, but the added interest of the pink makes it really unique.

Twisted is the only colour from the permanent line I ordered. Described on site as “violet with green shimmer,” it’s a very deep, dark purple with a healthy dusting of turquoise-green sparkles. It’s incredibly pretty and has gotten a lot of wear, despite the fact that I really don’t wear purples often. This one gave me the hardest time photographing, since unlike the other shades, the turquoise here really is a shimmer and not sparkly enough to catch the interest of my (admittedly ancient) camera.

The photos below were taken slightly out of focus to try to capture the sparkles and shift. All were taken in natural light.

Shooting Stars

Guilty Grinch

Hidden Present

Twisted

All things considered, I would definitely order from Innocent + Twisted again and would gladly recommend them to people looking for pretty shades from a unique company. If you’re looking for ways to spend some Christmas cash, Innocent + Twisted also offers Lucky Packs–randomly chosen shades in full size, clamshell, and bagged samples. I’ll definitely be ordering one!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
No Comments

Metamorphosis 124.0 – Sheer Heart Attack: Shiro Cosmetics’ Death Note Collection

When I was a kid, there were some things that were just terminally un-cool. Being labeled a “nerd” or a “geek” was the death of your social life, and anyone who willingly embraced the title was committing social suicide. I was in a whole different realm of social exclusion what with my piles of black eyeliner and floor-length lace skirts, but I dangerously bordered nerd territory: aside from my voracious reading, I also watched anime.

Now, it seems like people are going out of their way to be called “nerds,” and “geek chic” is an actual aesthetic. Niche companies are springing up left and right to appeal to people’s nerdy tendencies, whether they want a Companion Cube made of soap, comic book character-inspired perfumes, or eyeshadows named for they’re favourite anime.

Shiro Cosmetics is one of these companies. Offering several collections of themed eyeshadows and a line of lipsticks based on internet memes, they’re definitely a fan favourite. But when they released their latest collection of shadows inspired by the anime series Death Note, I was immediately drawn in by the deep, complex colours. I have to admit, I haven’t seen much of the series. By the time it reached popularity in America, I had sort of fallen out of the scene. But you don’t need to be a die-hard fan to appreciate these shades. Of the ten new shadows, I ordered five and received samples of two more.

Heart Attack (top) is described as a “deep maroon with blue duochrome.” It has a distinct pink-red tone with a satiny finish and a purple-blue shimmer. I kept my camera slightly out of focus so you can see how delicate the blue shimmer is. Task Force (bottom) is listed as a “shimmery deep burgundy,” and swatches velvety-smooth and intensely pigmented. The shimmery particles in this shade seem larger than those in Heart Attack, giving this a slightly more dramatic feel.

Shinigami is a “dark royal purple with silver sparks.” You can see the sparkle is intense, with several different sizes of silver micro-glitters sprinkled though this amazing plush purple. I have not experience much fallout from this shade, especially when worn with a tackier primer like Evil Shades spectrum pots or Darling Girl glitter glue.

More Coffee (top) is a “creamy shimmer in a rich coffee base,” producing a brown-taupe shimmer. Heaven Nor Hell, a “velvety, shimmer gunmetal gray,” has a slightly different texture than the other shades, and is indeed incredibly velvety. The base shade appears to be a very dark, charcoal gray overlaid with a thick blue-gray shimmer.

Other Kira is a “charcoal with bright golden sparks” and is one of the most beautiful and interesting blacks I’ve gotten my hands on. The base is an intense, deep black absolutely loaded with gold micro-glitters. Like Shinigami, this looks like it should be a glitter bomb but with the right primer I have not had any difficulties keeping it all in place.

I received Detective as a sample with my purchase, which is described as a “taupe with strong blue duochrome.” This is an incredible shade with a very noticeable blue shift over a medium brown-gray base. Taupe lovers will absolutely want to get their hands on this one.

Perfect World, a “pure (not yellow-leaning) and slightly metallic gold,” was also included as a sample in my order. This is light, shimmery gold and is not at all yellow or green. It’s also not really metallic as much as frosty, and I imagine it would make a nice highlight for brown or bronze eye looks.

The following shots were taken indoors, without flash to better show the sparkle in a lot of these shades that my camera simply cannot pick up in daylight.

Left to right: Heart Attack, Task Force, Shinigami, More Coffee

Left to right: More Coffee, Heaven Nor Hell, Other Kira, Detective

Top to bottom: Heart Attack, Task Force, Shinigami, More Coffee, Heaven Nor Hell, Second Kira, Detective, Perfect World

These are beautiful, deep shades with velvety-smooth formulas, perfect for smoky, blended looks regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with the series.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
4 Comments

Metamorphosis 122.0 – Astonishing Evolution: more from Linnaeus Cosmetics

Back in February, I reviewed a fairly new company with a great concept: makeup inspired by some of nature’s most unique and beautiful creatures. Since my initial purchase, the company has grown immensely with collections based on birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, even insects. Earlier in the year, I placed an order for some of these new colours but never got a chance to post them before the shop closed. But with Shopping’s High Holy Day upon us, Marin is selling off her remaining stock of shadow in order to make room for bigger and better things in the new year. It’s going to be an amazing sale on some truly amazing colours!

Despite the company’s growth, everything is still so incredibly personalized that it’s almost hard to take in all the little details. As usual, everything arrived in a hand-stamped muslin bag and tied with raffia.

If I recall, Linnaeus was moving away from the hand-stamped lids and towards the printed labels when I ordered. I personally think both are cute, but I think the labels really bring the branding together. All shadows were heat-sealed and sealed with paper sifter stickers. From the top right: Anomaly, Aberrant, Myth, Scuttle, Vex, Cyranose, Alacritous

Cyranose and Alacritous are two of four shadows from the Ruby Throated Hummingbird collection. Cyranose is a deep, forest-y green with sparkling green glitter, where Alacritous is a pink-toned red with sparkling red glitter. In the jars, these both look a little dusty but they truly come to life on the skin. Together, they perfectly capture the shimmering, scale-like feathers of the male hummingbird.

(photo source)

Above, Cyranose and Alacritous are swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and MAC Painterly (bottom). Because of the amount of glitter in these shadows, it is absolutely imperative that you use a sticky base. Not only does the glitter stay put, but the colours are too stunning for words:

 

Above, Cyranose and Alacritous are swatched over Darling Girl’s Glitter Glue. You can see how it not only keeps the glitter in place, but also really pops the base colour. These two are absolutely breathtaking colours, and must-haves for lovers of glitter and colour alike.

(photo source)

The Rose Chafer is the first insect to have a Linnaeus collection, and despite being the bane of rose-gardeners, they are indeed worthy specimens. I’m a sucker for metallic beetle-back shades, so there was no way I was leaving the site without these greens in my cart.

Scuttle is a mossy gold-toned green, reminiscent of the highlights on the beetle’s back. Vex is a shimmering green-turquoise, almost blue depending on the light.

Scuttle and Vex are swatched above over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), MAC Painterly (bottom). These are intensely pigmented regardless of what primer is used, and you can see the sparkle adheres to all primers just as well.

(photo source)

I have a thing for monotremes–who doesn’t? Whether they’re short-beaked or long-beaked, the echidna is an adorable mash-up of porcupine, ant-eater, and kiwi. When Marin asked me what animal I’d like to see a collection based on, I never dreamed she would take my echidna suggestion seriously. How wrong I was! Marin generously gifted me these echidna shadows, and I am thrilled to have them in my collection.

Aberrant is an almost metallic, soft beige, Myth is a shimmering chocolate brown, and Anomaly is a multi-toned taupe-grey shimmer. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll know I really don’t do neutrals. But like the echidna, these neutrals are so full of surprises that they deserve their own order.

Aberrant, Myth, and Anomaly swatched above over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and MAC Painterly (bottom). Aberrant is a perfect my-lid-but-better shade for me. It’s a beautiful peach-toned beige that makes a fantastic base for other shadows as well as a subtle blender. Myth is a deep, warm brown with gold and white sparkles. This can be either as intense as the swatch above or blended out to a much softer shade. Anomaly is not quite brown, not quite grey, but sort of a cool-toned, dark taupe with metallic sparkles. When I use these three together, Anomaly is usually my crease shade since it can really pop the contour of the eye and blend out into a smokey taper. (No one said neutrals couldn’t be dramatic, right?)

I also received samples of Branchial, from the Axolotl collection, and Swoop, from the Ruby Throated Hummingbird collection. Branchial is a bright red-toned pink with silver sparkles, while Swoop is a velvety moss green.

Branchial and Swoop swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and MAC Painterly (bottom). The sparkle in Branchial is far more intense on the skin as it is in the bag, so I tried it over Darling Girl’s Glitter Glue to see how it might look.

Not only does the silver sparkle look even better over the super-sticky base, but the base shade looks even brighter.

While Linnaeus Cosmetics is still currently closed, you can purchase stock shadows beginning the 25th. Make sure you grab some of these before they’re gone! I know Marin will be putting out great things next year, but can you really wait until then?

Stay tuned this week–I have a big monotreme-themed surprise for my readers!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
2 Comments

Metamorphosis 116.0 – Graveyard Glamour: Darling Ghoul Halloween

As a child, Halloween was all about dressing up–it was about trying on new identities, being something I was not, if only for a few hours once a year. In my first eight years of life, I was a princess, a skeleton, a witch, a cat, and on one particularly inventive occasion a little brown bat. Not only did I revel in the elaborate costumes, I got really into the role-playing aspect: I didn’t just look like a cat, I spent the day stalking around the carpets, wearing holes into my tights and hissing at family members. I didn’t just pin bat-wings to my shirt, I flapped my arms up and down the halls at school, shrieking and wriggling my ears and hunting down the odd stinkbug or fly that invaded the classroom.

If there’s one brand that really gets into the Halloween spirit, it’s Darling Girl Cosmetics–or should I say Darling Ghoul. In addition to releasing a 25-piece Halloween collection, the company completely re-branded for the occasion.

Instead of the familiar Darling Girl logo, jars are labeled with the silhouette of a cemetery scene, with tiny bats and tombstones lining the bottom of the lid. In addition to being absolutely adorable, it really ties the collection together. Consisting of ten eyeshadows, three multi-purpose highlights, six holo-glosses, five balms, a lip-jelly, a cream blush, and a glitter, there’s something for everyone. This post will cover the shadows, highlights, and glitter.

Brand new to Darling Girl are Spectral Shifts, multi-purpose colours for eyes, cheeks, and face. While the bases are colored, the shades are very sheer and serve as beautiful, ethereal highlights. I was incredibly excited to try these. Ghost Light is described as “sheer teal with a touch of green iridescence and a golden shift” and appears a pale, powdery blue in the jar. Corpse Candle is a “sheer light grey with violet sheen and purple iridescence” that looks like a nearly-white grey in jar, while Will-O-Wisp is a “sheer peachy pink with a silvery blue shift and blue reflect” that looks orangey-pink.

Left to right: Ghost Light, Corpse Candle, Will-O-Wisp

These are truly beautiful, colour-shifting highlights. Ghost Light is a very pale turquoise-blue with a distinct gold-yellow glow that almost causes it to appear green at certain angles. Corpse Candle is so full of iridescence that it almost appears pink on the skin, while Will-O-Wisp is a beautiful blush-red with a distinct blue fire. These would be absolutely stunning on eyes, brows, or cheekbones for an ethereal glow.

Darling Girl’s shadow formula is smooth, silky, and well-pigmented, and the Darling Ghoul collection is no exception. Pretty Plasma is a “gorgeous aqua blue pearl with contrasting black glitter” though the glitter isn’t really that apparent in-jar. Zombody to Love is a “sheer blackened navy with gold reflect” that appears to be a glittering deep purple in the jar. Crypt Keeper is a “blackened antique gold” that looks almost olive-green.

Pretty Plasma, applied over a sticky primer, is a vibrant turquoise shimmer with distinct black glitter throughout.

Zombody to Love is an absolutely stunning purple-toned black-blue with starry gold glitter. This is not a colour I would have ordered normally, but I’m incredibly glad I did.

Crypt Keeper is an olive-toned gold, one of my favourite shadow shades. Not only is this an incredibly hot fall colour, it really pops on brown eyes.

Apparition is a “metallic silver with a slight color shift from golden pink to a green and loads of pumpkin orange glitter” causing it to appear almost beige in the jar. Dream Scream is a “white pearl with loads of red glitter” which looks creamy-white in-jar. Witch & Famous is a “plummy taupe with gold reflect” that looks like a warm, red-based brown, while Bats in the Belfry is a “murkey brown with a kind of olive green undertone and sprinkles of multi colored green glitter,” appearing mossy green metallic.

Apparition actually took my breath away when I applied it: it is such a highly-reflective metallic silver that it’s almost blinding. Upon closer look, there is a definite sparkle of pink-gold, which gives it more dimension than your average silver shadow.

Dream Scream is a pearly white with pretty red glitter. From a distance, it can look a little pink, but the red sparks when the light hits it. This would be a fabulous highlight/blender shade for anyone who enjoys a good red shadow look.

Witch & Famous is a soft, warm brown with definite gold glitter. Honestly, this isn’t my kind of shade, but lovers of browns and neutrals might enjoy this for a change of pace.

Bats in the Belfry is a pretty multicolored green metallic. It’s not nearly as reflective as Apparition, but definitely still metallic. The different green glitters give it a ton of dimension.

Pumpkin Eater is a “pumpkin orange with loads green iridescence” that looks incredibly vibrant. Scream Queen is a “shimmering red pearl with loads of Silver and Holographic glitter” though it looks rather matte, rust-toned red in the jar. Thriller is an “earthy burgundy pearl with golden bronze reflect” and incredibly shimmery in the jar, while Jack’s Lantern is a “black base with a fiery red/orange shift” appearing sort of deep brown in-jar.

Pumpkin Eater is not your average orange: the green shimmer is very strong, especially applied over a sticky base. It keeps the colour looking incredibly fresh, like pumpkins growing on the vine rather than the orange of fallen leaves.

Scream Queen is a blood-red pearl with holographic glitter smattered throughout. It’s a gorgeous shade unlike any other red I have–and I have a lot! Red-lovers should definitely grab this shade before it’s gone.

Thriller is a pink-toned burgundy with gold shimmer and reminds me a lot of some of my favourite lip colours this season. I’ve worn this with Cozy Coffin from Morgana Cryptoria for a more mono-chromatic look and I really like the results.

Jack’s Lantern is another drop-dead stunning shade once it’s put on skin. The black base is loaded with fiery shimmer in burgundy, red, and orange. At a distance, it almost looks like a deep, murky maroon, but as the light changes the black base becomes more apparent.

Candy Corn is a blend of “Orange, Chocolate Brown and Holographic glitters” and definitely gives the feeling of the iconic Halloween candy.

Applied over Glitter Glue

Depending on the light, this sparks vibrant orange, bronzy-brown, or the white-green-blue of holographic glitter. I am honestly not sure how I would wear this (I’m not exactly a glitter enthusiast), but I’m determined to find a way. It’s a gorgeous, festive blend that would probably look stunning over some black shadow, or as a lower-lash liner.

If you’re looking for some fun, unique colours this season, the Darling Ghoul collection has something to offer. Stay tuned later this week–I’ll be swatching some of the lipcolours from this collection on Wednesday.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
2 Comments

Metamorphosis 108.0 – Moonlight Destiny, a review of Persephone Minerals

I am not ashamed to admit I loved Sailor Moon. Not just as a kid, either: up until fairly recently, I did a lot of Sailor Moon fan art, had some OCs, still actively watched old episodes… Not only is there a certain nostalgia in the series for me, I feel there are some great messages in the story for girls who read or watch it. Not to mention the twists on classic mythology, the alternate histories, the fantastic glimpses of the future. Admittedly, I liked the manga better than the anime for both story and art, but the anime had some fun story arcs too (case in point: Stars).

I’m pretty sure I found Persephone Minerals during an Etsy search for Sailor Moon. I loved the idea of a shadow collection based off the characters–they had such strong, distinct colour palettes it seemed all-too-appropriate. But for some reason, I didn’t order until very recently. During the Labor Day sale, I snagged a set of senshi samples including Princess Venus, Venus Crystal Power, Venus Love & Beauty Shock, Mars Crystal Power, Sailor Mars, Rainbow Moon Heartache, Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss, Moon Prism Power, Pluto Planet Power, Sailor Pluto, and received samples of I Want to be a Mermaid and Kalifa.

I want to apologize for the swatches below: I had both arms slathered in shadows in an attempt to photograph several companies at once so I could catch up here on the blog. I was using my “wrong” hand and arm for a lot of these. That said, the colours are still accurate. All swatches are over Urban Decay Primer Potion, bare skin, and MAC paint pot in Painterly.

Princess Venus is a soft, buttery yellow with an orange-pink glow. It’s a great shade on its own, but I’ve been using it to blend some of my red/orange looks together. This is obviously inspired by the dress worn by Princess Venus in the manga.

image via fanpop

Venus Love & Beauty Shock is a bright yellow with orange, gold, and white glitter. It’s named for Sailor Venus’ signature attack and reminiscent of the yellow-gold effects used in the sequence.

image via princessserenity.net

Venus Crystal Power is a light orange-gold shade with a hint of pink shift. The Crystal Power shadows all seem to have the strongest duochromes. Mars Crystal Power is a bright red with strong orange-gold shift, inspired by the fiery transformation sequence of Sailor Mars.

image via soul-hunter

I swatched Sailor Mars and Rainbow Moon Heartache side by side to show some of the more subtle difference between them. At first glance, they both appear to be very bright reds. Sailor Mars, however, is notably deeper and contains red and violet glitter inspired by the Mars’ uniform colour-scheme. Rainbow Moon Heartache is described as a deep pink and filled with pink and holographic glitter particles. Rainbow Moon Heartache was Sailor Moon’s signature attack during the SuperS season.

While a bit more of the holo-glitter is visible in this shot of Rainbow Moon Heartache, below it is Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss, a baby-pink with flecks of holographic glitter. I bought this mostly for the name (I always loved that attack), but it’s actually a very pretty colour. I hardly ever wear pinks, especially paler pinks, but the glitter in this makes it so eye-catching I can see myself getting a decent amount of wear from it.

This was Moon’s final signature attack in her Eternal form from the Stars season. My geek is showing, sorry guys… But Persephone Minerals interpreted this sequence so well. It’s like wearing a magical attack on your eyes.

The shimmering aqua-green-blue on top is not from the senshi collection. It’s incredibly appropriately named, though, as I Want to be a Mermaid is exactly why I would want to wear this on my eyes. It’s such a perfect iridescent fish-tail blue that I couldn’t think of a better name for it. Below is Moon Prism Power from the ChibiMoon collection. In the bag, this looks like a minty green but swatches more translucent pink. The actual description calls it a “duochrome of blue & pink with the palest possible touch of blue so that the pink dominates,” but the combination pulls rather green/peach on my skin. It is, however, a pretty accurate representation of the shades used in ChibiMoon’s transformation sequence.

image via fanpop

Sailor Pluto was my favourite, with powers over time and often death. She was the only character that retained her memories of the past as well as the future since she had full control over the time stream. Pluto Planet Power is named for her transformation sequence, a medium green with light pearl. Sailor Pluto is a gorgeous dark, murky green with notable red glitter–this is a perfect representation of her uniform and overall character colour-scheme.

image via wikipedia

You can see how distinct the red glitter is here–this is such a gorgeous shade I can hardly stand it.

Finally, we have Kalifa. This was a sample included in my order, but it’s absolutely stunning. It appears rather brown in the bag, but has an incredibly strong green duo chrome and violet-blue glitter. The entire effect is rather reminiscent of a peacock feather. I’m anxious to see how this applies on my eyes and will definitely be trying to find a use for it.

All in all, I really like the shades I’ve received from Persephone Minerals and definitely intend to order again in the future. Not only are the shades gorgeous, but the collections are inspired and fun. The shop is on vacation at the moment, but I heartily recommend ordering when they reopen. I know I will!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
No Comments

Metamorphosis 107.0 – A Hint of Decadence, more from Antoinette’s Revolution

There are so many amazing Indie brands out there that there’s almost no time to follow up with all of them. You may remember my initial review of Antoinette’s Revolution Cosmetics back in May when I fell in love with antiqued-gold Versailles. It was such a summer staple for me that I decided to see what the company had to offer now that we’re moving into fall. The company recently moved off of Artfire and onto its own website which is even more organized and easier to shop. I’d say it’s great, but considering that makes it easier to spend money, my wallet disagrees.

While Antoinette’s Revolution does offer samples, there was a special running on full-sized jars which I find easier to store and use. I picked up full sizes of Gardens, Masquerade, von Fersen, Guillotine, and received a sample of Chocolate Rose.

While the colours in the jars don’t often match the swatches on-site, I’ve learned not to trust the jars anyway. Especially with Antoinette’s Revolution, I’ve found the shadows rub down to a different shade most of the time–since the online swatches are on skin, they’re an accurate representation of how they apply.

The following swatches are over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (bottom).

Masquerade is a beautiful pearlized fresh mint with a slight silver shimmer. According to the website, this will rub down to a “soft avocado” colour, but I haven’t experienced that yet. Gardens is described on-site as a rich green with “a hint of blue,” but I find it far more yellow-based. It’s a very true spring green, the colour of new leaves and young grasses, with a delicate green sparkle. It’s pretty dead-on for the eye swatch on the site.

I had no intention of keeping Guillotine for myself, but once I saw how beautiful it was I really couldn’t let it go. It’s a very bright primary red with flecks of red glitter. Obviously, the glitter will fall out if swiped or rubbed instead of being patted on, but that’s hardly an issue. Von Fersen is more beautiful in person than it is on site–it is exactly as described, a deep navy with glitter. This is an incredibly striking liner colour.

Chocolate Rose is not a colour I would have purchased myself–I just don’t wear browns. Maybe because my eyes are brown and I feel it washes me out, I don’t know. I might use a darkdarkdark brown as a liner or crease colour on a “neutral” day, but something this light just wouldn’t be comfortable on my eyes. …That said, this is a very unique shade. There’s a distinct pale pink shift to this milk-chocolate brown that I would have never expected from looking at the bag. It can be rubbed down to a straight brown or layered to strengthen the pink. If you wear browns, you probably need this shade. I know I’ll be passing this sample along to someone who can really appreciate its beauty.

Once again, I’m very pleased with my Antoinette’s Revolution order and definitely foresee another order. In fact, I may or may not have just placed one while writing this.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
No Comments

Metamorphosis 100.5 – Colours of Decay Pt. 2, more from Detrivore

Thanks to Detrivore’s currently-running 10-for-$20 sale, I have a few more swatches for you. The more I order, the more I realize that these shadows are like potato chips: you can’t have just one..or even a few. Despite the similarities between many colours in the Detrivore catalog, there are subtleties that make them completely different colours whether it stems from the finish, the colour shift, or shimmer. What might look similar in the jar turns out to be radically different in application. This go-round, my order was green-heavy, containing Tommyknocker, Abnormal, Institution, Ruin, as well as Cremains, Disturbance, and Psychopomp.

The following swatches are over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and MAC Painterly (bottom) in natural lighting, unless otherwise indicated.

Psychopomp, Cremains, Tommyknocker, Institution

Ruin, Abnormal, Disturbance

As you can see, these shadows apply best over a primer. I personally prefer these over the Urban Decay primer, but they perform well over MAC’s Paint Pots as well.

Cremains, Institution, Ruin, Abnormal, and Disturbance over SoBe Botanical’s Stick It! foiling medium. You can see how Cremains has an almost blue-silver cast to it, and how Abnormal has rich gold undertones. In fact, Abnormal has all ready joined the ranks of Plague as one of my all-time favourite shadows.

indoor lighting to show shimmer

indoor lighting to show shimmer

What I was most excited about receiving, however, were the blushes I ordered. Detrivore’s blush offerings are not even remotely what you might consider typical, including far more bright pinks and deep reds than the standard nude-peach-pink fare. After much hemming and hawing and googling swatches, I settled on Vulgar, described as a “bright frost pink,” and Concubine, a “faded mauve.” Admittedly, neither of these are colours I really would have chosen for myself in a store or even online, as I tend to go for more dramatic, stand-out shades. However, I’m extremely happy with these shades and foresee myself getting a lot of use from them.

Vulgar, blended out and striped on thick. As you can see, it’s more of a lilac pink and is satin-matte in texture. I do normally prefer some shimmer to my blushes, but I think that would have made this shade unwearably frosty. This will pair well with many of my lavender-purple lipsticks as well as cooler toned, more unusual shades (like my blues, greens, etc). According to the website, this colour contains ultramarines and is therefore not safe for use on the lips.

Concubine, blended out and striped on thick. This is indeed a dusty, faded mauve and matte in texture. This is a great neutral, everyday colour for someone who doesn’t really like neutrals. According to the website, this is also eye safe. Like Vulgar, this blended out effortlessly and can be layered to build colour.

Vulgar and Concubine in slightly different lighting. You can see exactly how lilac Vulgar leans, especially when applied heavily. I am incredibly pleased with these blushes and definitely think I’ll be snagging more before the 3-for-$10 sale is over.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

PS: If you haven’t all ready, make sure you’re signed up to follow on GFC–you won’t want to miss what I have coming up for you tomorrow!

Author name:
Discussion:
5 Comments

Metamorphosis 99.0 – Labors of Love, an Independent Love-List!

There’s been a certain anti-Indie sentiment the last few days which saddens me deeply. Sure, I shop big brands–Sephora and MAC are still a wonderland of colours and glitter for me–but I really love the Indie makeup community. Sure, there are some bad eggs in the bunch, but is that reason enough to avoid everything? For every miseducated and unprofessional owner, there are four who know their formulas and ingredients inside and out and really work to make sure their customers are happy. You don’t get that level of service with big brands, and anyone who’s ever shopped indie can tell you the same thing. At the head of each indie company, there is an individual. They recognize that each consumer is also an individual. There is no need to boycott all indie companies just because you have a bad experience with one.

Today, I want to show you some great products from some equally amazing indie companies. You may have seen some of these before, some of them are brand new, but I can whole-heartedly endorse the products themselves and the companies that produce them.

I honestly can’t believe I haven’t written up an official review of Evil Shades yet. They carry a broad range of products, mostly represented above: shadows, blushes, lipstick, glosses, even primers.

I received Love Bites blush as a sample with one of my orders and used it up within days. I never do that. I obviously ordered a full size. You can see it’s a very unique shade of creamsicle-orange pink, but what you can’t really see is that when this finely milled powder blush blends out, it has an amazing soft-green sheen to it.

If you’ve ever read this blog, you probably know what a lipstick junkie I am. Evil Shades has several lip formulas, all quite different–there’s guaranteed to be one you’ll like. Above, you see Hardcore Lips in Not Your Barbie–a hot hot pink liquid lipstick–and Deviant Lipstick  in Ardour–a bright orange creme. There’s an incredibly number of shades available in each formula, both “wearable” and more daring colours, but these two have been great summer shades.

Obviously, there is eyeshadow. I first showed you Faerie Garden in my mint-green love-list this Spring, but its fresh-mint colour is no less gorgeous in the summer. On the right, you see one of the new Spectrum Pots, a sort of hybrid creme-shadow/coloured primer for eyes. It’s shown in Nano Yellow, considering how dearly I loved yellow eyes this summer. It’s gorgeous on its own, but I layered it with some pretty yellow and gold shades to really make my looks pop–best part? Absolutely no creasing, even when the weather was a humid 90+F.

Meow Cosmetics has some really amazing products. They only sell complexion products and eyeshadows (no lip colour for now), but what they do they do damn well. For an indie brand, they can be a bit on the pricey side but they run many good sales and their products are quite a value considering what you get. Above, you see my holy-grail foundation and several truly amazing shadows.

If you’ve ever had problems matching foundation shades, let me tell you that Meow has over 80 shades in 3 different formulas. Shown above is my perfect Summer foundation, Frisky Korat (3rd intensity golden-beige) in their Pampered Puss formula: a light-to-medium coverage foundation for sensitive skin. I’m pretty fair, and this is a third intensity level. Meaning all you porcelain-skinned ladies can find a match no problem. They also make a white powder mix-in (aptly named Snow Leopard) to lighten existing shades for a better match. Before buying a full size (above is a mini-sized jar) you can purchase samples to make sure the shade is right for you.

Wow, right? These are just a handful of the Meow shadows I’ve collected. Whether you prefer mattes, shimmers, metallics, or satins, Meow has a shade in a finish you’ll enjoy. Pictured here are some of my favourites: the metallic gold Hieroglyph from the Egyptian Treasures collection, shimmering navy One Night Stand, blackened-purple Midnight Feast, and deep wine red Those Heels all from the Guilty Pleasures collection. Meow shadows are priced differently per collection but each one is well worth the price–if you’re hesitant or simply want to try a colour first, they also sell sample baggies. Make sure, however, that the collection you’re eying isn’t limited–it might slip away before your samples arrive! They do ship quickly, but some of their collections are only available for a week at a time.

I’ve posted a full review of Morgana Cryptoria, but I’ve since made a few more purchases. Morgana Cryptoria carries an obviously wide range of shades, from wearable pinks and peaches to bold reds and fuschias to wild blues and greens and blacks. Pictured above are vegan lipsticks in Gilded Brown, a dark chocolate-brown with metallic gold shimmer, and Peach Daqueri, a pastel pinky-peach. The balms are brand new, featured here in Nevermore, a deep mauvey wine-pink, and Cleopatra’s Demise, a dark, rich green. I’ll have lip swatches for you soon, but I’ve found myself reaching for these day in and day out (as you can probably see from the rim of Nevermore).

I’ve featured these shades before in reviews and monthly picks, but I can’t help throwing them in again. I get so much use from these shades that I simply couldn’t leave them out. Linnaeus Cosmetics‘ Largo is a bright blue inspired by the Hyacinth Macaw and a perfect aquatic summer shade. If you have not all ready visited this shop, you simply have to: the owner bases all her shades off animals to spread awareness of some of the magnificent creatures sharing our Earth. She has a ton of new collections up with such unique inspiration as the Axolotl, the Orchid Dottyback, and my personal favourite, the Echidna.

This metallic antique gold (appropriately named Versailles) is from Antoinette’s Revolution Cosmetics, which I have also previously reviewed. This is one of the most interesting and complex shades I have ever used, which seems to be par for the course–if you take a look around her shop, you’ll see that her decadent French Rococo-inspired shades are never quite what they appear at first glance. There’s always an added depth, a surprise sparkle, or an unexpected boldness that makes her products beautiful to wear and fun to use.

Plague, this sparkling blackened green, is one of my go-to shades for the perfect smokey eye. Detrivore seems to specialize in cosmetics for those with a darker aesthetic, featuring deep, murky hues for eyes, blood-red blushes, and an assortment of perfect highlighting powders. I have quite a number of these shadows which may be why I haven’t yet done an official review–there’s so much to swatch! Also on the site is a primer, which I have not personally tried but have heard many rave reviews for.

I’ve posted about Brazen Cosmetics‘ lip glosses before, but this gorgeous plum-burgundy with holographic blue glitter is a limited shade, Delusional. I knew the instant I saw it that I couldn’t let it get away. Applied sheer, it’s the perfect just-bitten lipcolour I often crave for everyday looks, but applied heavier it’s a deep vampy lip with some serious personality. Like my other Brazen glosses, it has a distinct vanilla scent much like MAC lipsticks and stays on forever with minimal need for touch-ups.

I am a sucker for product names, so when I saw this rose-gold gloss called Only Forever, it was mine. Hi-Fi Cosmetics actually has an entire Labyrinth-inspired collection featuring two glosses and a number of absolutely beautiful eyeshadows. An official review is forthcoming because again, I have SO many colours to swatch! If you’re looking for a beautiful summer gold, this might be just what you’re looking for.

You can also look back at some of my reviews to see some of the other companies I’ve purchased from in the past.

Wednesday, I’ll show you some of my favourite bath and body products from indie brands including moisturizers, perfumes, and hair products.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
8 Comments

Metamorphosis 98.0 – Oh, You Pretty Things! A review of Darling Girl Cosmetics

I’d heard about Darling Girl from one blog or another some time ago. It was likely during one of my no-buys because I often read reviews and find myself running off to make a purchase immediately. I finally placed my order in June. In addition to the Blogger Sample Pack and the highly-regarded Glitter Glue, I added a full-sized liquid lipcolour and two eyeshadows to get an idea of sizing. My order arrived very quickly.

In addition to the products I ordered, two samples were folded into the invoice. Susan, the super-sweet owner, has a weekly Gift With Purchase, which was Hollywood during the time of my order. It’s incredibly generous and a fun surprise. The Blogger Sample Pack contained four samples (three eye shadows and one blush) and a clamshell of lip product. I chose shadows in Aerial, Black Day, and Twyla, blush in Dragonfruit, and Holo-Gloss in Violet Hill.

Twyla, a “gorgeous semi sheer iridescent mint green with subtle multi colored shimmer“ definitely appears to be a pale mint in the bag. Aerial, described on-site as “soft wispy seafoam luster with delicate udndertones of blue duochrome“ seems to be more of a blue-toned khaki green in bag. Black Day is “stunning dark coal black with blue duo chrome” but warns that while it definitely appears to be a deep blue, it will rub down to a black. The two samples I received with my order were Chimera, a peachy-gold shimmer, and Hades, a purple-toned brown. These two are incredibly complex, but you’ll see that in swatches…

I never really place orders just for samples, so I ordered a few shadows as well. I ordered a petite jar of Tragic Romance, “gorgeous warm purple with loads of gold interference” though it appears to me as more of a mauve with tons of gold shimmer. I ordered a full sized jar of Texas Tea, “deep charcoal gray with green shift and loads of multi colored eye safe glitter.” Also included was the week’s Gift With Purchase, Hollywood, a metallic gold with glitter. I particularly like that the bottom labels also include sizing information, seen above.

Tragic Romance

Texas Tea, slightly out-of-focus to show sparkles

Hollywood

Swatches below were taken in natural light, over Urban Decay Primer Potion (top), bare skin (middle), and Nyx Eyeshadow Base in White (bottom).

Chimera, Hades, and Hollywood. You can see here that Chimera applies differently depending on the base: it varies between peachy gold and shimmery blue-white. Hades is more of a taupe-y brown, while Hollywood is a beige-toned gold with LOTS of gold and red sparkle.

Tragic Romance and Twyla. Tragic Romance here looks like a pearly rose-gold, while Twyla is a shimmering blue-toned mint.

Aerial, Black Day, and Texas Tea. Aerial definitely applies more as the blue-toned seafoam it is described as. Black Day appears to be a deep blue-black, though you can see without primer it applies as a charcoal-black. Texas Tea is one of the most difficult shades to capture: it is a greenish charcoal base, but is loaded with multi-coloured glitter that tends to look dusty in photos.

Here’s an incredibly out-of-focus swatch to try to bring you the full sparkle of this shade.It’s really beautiful, and incredibly unique.

Dragonfruit blush is a “bright mid tone magenta with just a hint of pearl.” I think I was hoping it would be a pearlescent version of MAC’s Her Blooming Cheek, but it’s a much dustier, muted magenta.

I was, of course, incredibly curious about the lip products. I’ve heard so many rave reviews for the Holo Glosses that I simply had to try, and any mention of colour-shift anything piques my interest.

Color Shifting Liquid Kisses in Adorabubble, “milky lavender with color changes ranging from pastel silvery green, silvery rose to green gold,” and Holo Gloss in Violet Hill, a “milky pink gloss with subtle violet shift and blue shimmer“ (which I keep thinking as Silent Hill, which is definitely not even remotely close). I purposely ordered two colours within the same family because I was sort of obsessing over how low my stash of MAC’s Docile had gotten and was determined to find a dupe.

From left to right: MAC’s Docile, Adorabubble applied thick, Adorabubble applied thin, and Violet Hill

You can see that Docile is pinker and more opaque than Adorabubble, which is bluer and more shimmery.

On my mouth, Docile (top) is more reflective where Adorabubble (bottom) is more frosty.

Another angle–you can see how Docile coats my lip, where Adorabubble is just a swipe of frosted colour. I think I’m going to love this shade come winter. Definitely not a dupe, but very pretty nonetheless.

Finally, Glitter Glue. I’ve heard it’s a good replacement for Pixie Epoxy, which I’ve never used, but thought I’d try it nonetheless. It comes in a convenient squeeze tube, allowing me to place a small amount on my hand to pat over my primer or existing shadow without dirtying the applicator (my main issue with doe-foot applicators).

A few dabs of Glitter Glue on the back of my hand.

Blended out.

Shadows swatched on top of Glitter Glue. You can see that the glue dries a little shiny, but if covered with shadow that isn’t an issue. It does take a significant amount of product to adhere evenly, but I don’t imagine this would be a problem unless you have one or two shadows that you wear every day. If you’re like me (which is to say, completely addicted with a stash big enough to fill an armory), you still won’t hit pan even with the extra product used.

Same swatch in artificial light. You can see the glue itself is a bit shiny still, but you can also see how it brings out the sparkle in these shades–particularly Texas Tea, which is so hard to photograph. I was able to remove this quite easily with eye makeup remover or any sort of oil-based cleanser.

This look used Chimera, Tragic Romance, Aerie, and Black Day on the eye (liner is MUFE) and Dragonfruit blush on the cheek. Also? I miss my blue hair.

Would I order from Darling Girl again? Absolutely. I definitely want to try the other lip products, and creme blushes have been relisted. I’ve been madly in love with creme blushes lately.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

Author name:
Discussion:
3 Comments
Older entries