Tag: swatches

Metamorphosis 142.0 – You’re My Obsession, Sephora + Pantone Universe Pt. 1

If you had asked me as a child what colour I liked most, I would have responded, “odden my wooaaaaah dodden.” For those of you that don’t speak nonsense, that would translate roughly to “orange is my faaaaaaavourite colour.” It might have even meant, “I’m obsessed with the colour orange.” I was. As a kid, I wanted everything orange: orange clothes, orange backpack, orange highlighters, orange notebooks, orange ribbons for my hair, heck I wanted orange hair. As I got older, the obsession waned. It was still my favourite colour, along with it’s more grown-up, peachy cousins, but it didn’t factor so heavily into my life. Aside from a brief flirtation with orange streaks in my hair as a teenager, orange sort of fell completely out of my rotation. These days, it’s rare I wear colour at all and when I do it’s some shade of blue or green…

But back in November, I laid eyes upon Pantone’s official 2012 Colour of the Year: Tangerine Tango. Suddenly, my love for bright, vivid, retina-searing orange came rushing back. I wanted an orange purse, orange shoes, orange gloves, orange scarves… but above all, I wanted an orange lipstick.

via Pantone

Unfortunately, it was harder to find these things than Pantone would have you believe: designers might have been all over this shade for 2012, but in late 2011, it was still an elusive beast. That is, until Sephora announced it was teaming up with the iconic colour company to bring us a line inspired by this year’s hottest swatch.

Naturally, I rushed out to purchase the set. I thought long and hard about what to buy, but the Collector’s Edition included a little of everything. And everything is what I wanted.

Under a shiny shield of protective plastic, the set includes the Color of the Year eyeliner in Tangerine Tango Twist, eyeshadow quad, Prisma Chrome blush, blush duo, creme lipstick, and lipgloss.

The Color of the Year eyeliner pencil is packaged in a self-sharpening plastic tube, though the base does come off to reveal a small plastic sharpener to reshape the tip of the liner.

The tip is smooth and the formula is creamy, so it does not pull or snag on the delicate skin of the eyes. I was actually quite impressed with the formula: I expected this to be a bit messy and smear easily, as most of the Sephora-made pencils I’ve tried have, but once set it stays in place amazingly well and lasts a good 12+ hours until I choose to remove it.

You can see that there’s a bit of silver sparkle to this liner, but it does not come off as gritty or flakey in the least. Swatched here over bare skin, I applied the top line thicker and heavier and the bottom line with less pressure.

The Color of the Year Eyeshadow Quad was the one product in this set I would not have purchased on its own. I haven’t been terribly impressed with Sephora’s pressed shadows in the past and I have tons of both orange and neutral shades. However, Sephora’s partner collections are always significantly better quality than their standalone shadows, so I thought I’d take the chance anyway. This is packaged in a sleek, magnetic palette much like the Inglot packaging I love.

Each of the shades in this quad correspond to Pantone colours, which I do find interesting. Clockwise from top left, Sparrow (Pantone #18-1404), Pavement (Pantone #19-3900), Carnelian (Pantone #16-1435), and Scallop Shell (Pantone #12-1010).

Used over a primer, these shadows are actually quite well-pigmented. They’re soft and easy to blend, and with the design of the palette extremely portable. I wouldn’t say these shades are particularly unique, but they are true to the theme of the collection.

The Prisma Chrome formula is fairly new to Sephora, though I admittedly have not tried their Prisma Chrome eyeshadows. It promises a soft, pigmented formula with eye-catching, light-reflecting shades. The Color of the Year collection came with this Prisma Chrome blush in Apricot Brandy (Pantone #17-1540).

For some reason, I expected this to be more of a creme-to-powder consistency, but it reminds me more of a baked powder in texture. I tried first to apply it with my fingers as I would a cream blush, but found that the super-fine powder stuck to my finger tip  and did not transfer well onto my face. That said, when applied with a brush, I get a shimmering wash of colour that lasts all day without transferring or fading in the slightest.

Of the blushes, this is the most orange. It’s a warm coral-orange with a strong gold shimmer. Swatched here heavier towards the top, blended out towards the bottom.

In case that wasn’t enough blush for one set, the Collector’s Edition also contains the Color of the Year Blush Duo. Packaged in the same sleek, magnetic palette as the eyeshadow quad, it consists of two large pans of blush in different finishes.

Desert Flower (Pantone #15-1435), shown here on the left, is a matte finish and appears significantly pinker than Coral (Pantone #16-1539) on the right, which has a gold shimmer.

Desert Rose, applied heavily at the top and blended out towards the bottom, is the lightest, pinkest shade in the set. It definitely leans peachy, but if I saw this shade on its own I wouldn’t consider it “orange.”

Coral is a bright peachy shade with a heavy golden shimmer. I have a few blushes in my collection that are quite similar to this one, but it does have a strong colour payoff that sets it apart.

However, my favourite products in this set by far are the lipstick and lipgloss. In fact, I feel like they deserve their own post. Stay tuned later this week for a full report!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

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Metamorphosis 135.0 – Subtle Darkness, Detrivore Cosmetics’ December Collection

Some days, I want to wear something “dark” without actually wearing something dark. Luckily for me (and all those who have ever shared my sentiment), one of my favourite companies recently released an entire collection that fits the bill: Detrivore Cosmetics’ December Collection.

Consisting of three cool and three warm neutrals, these six shadows have become staples in my day-to-day looks. And in the vein of Detrivore’s previous releases, each shade is almost unsettlingly beautiful.

Predatory is described as a “frost pink satin eye shadow filled with white shimmer.” It’s a cool-toned pink with a strong blue-white shimmer, an absolutely perfect base for many eye looks. I’ve found countless uses for this shade, being neither a pink, nor a neutral person. I will admit, this shadow wins extra points for the name.

Topiary is a ” light brown taupe with white shimmer.” The white shimmer gives it almost a blue cast, causing it to lean very cool. To be perfectly honest, I don’t really grasp the taupe-fever that consumes so many makeup addicts, but this is a beautiful colour that lends itself well to many looks.

Mimicry is also described as a “taupe satin eye shadow filled with white shimmer,” though it’s definitely darker and a bit less shimmery than Topiary. It’s also cool-toned, and makes a perfect crease shade when paired with the previous two colours.

Aurum is an appropriately named “light gold satin eye shadow.” It’s a lovely pale yellow-gold, though not metallic. This makes a gorgeous highlight for warmer looks.

Decline is described as a “light orangish yellow satin eyeshadow with gold and orange shimmer,” and reads as a pale orange-brown shade with a satiny finish. This would be beautiful on warmer complexions and stunning during the summer.

Nocturnal is a “brown satin eye shadow filled with white shimmer.” Like Topiary and Mimicry, the white shimmer can appear a bit blue, but Nocturnal is still a very warm brown shade. It reminds me of the shield beetles we have here, which–while not detrivores–I think is oddly appropriate.

These six shades are entirely different from anything else in my collection, and definitely completely different from anything Detrivore has previously released. At this point Detrivore jars fill a large part of my storage drawers, and with Distorria constantly formulating breathtaking new shades, their numbers will only continue to grow. I’ve all ready been eyeing up the newly-relased Graveyard Collection, an array of loose mattes.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

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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

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Metamorphosis 131.0 – A Breath of Fresh Air, January Julep

For me, January begins to cold, bleak stretch of late winter that never seems to end. In my Northern East Coast area, it’s bitterly chilly, intensely windy, colourless, barren, and honestly more than a little depressing. I need to find joy in little things–blades of grass that still seem green, little birds nesting in my trees, a shiny new pair of boots… One of the fastest ways to lighten the mood is a pretty new nail polish, and January’s Julep Maven box brought me three of those.

Leah is described as a “vivid and refreshing grass green with a hint of shimmer.” I would describe this as more of a lime-jellybean green, or a granny smith apple-green, though it’s still quite refreshing. In the bottle, there is a sort of silvery blue-green shimmer, but on my nails it looked like more of a creme.

This was swatched two coats over Julep’s Nail Therapy and sealed with Fast Dry Top-Coat. It went on evenly, completely opaque in two coats.

Megan, a “playful and sultry Mediterranean aquamarine shimmer,” was the one I was most excited about. In the bottle, it’s an almost iridescent silvery green-blue. On my nails, the silvery shimmer makes it a steely ocean blue, even a tad frosty.

Swatched here is three coats over Julep Nail Therapy and sealed with Fast Dry Top-Coat. This shade applied a bit more sheer, but was completely opaque on the third coat. Above is indirect sunlight, below is direct sunlight. It can appear bluer or greener depending on the lighting.

I do apologize for the shadows in these pictures: they look like irregularities in the polish itself but really, it’s just shadows.

Julep sent one more polish that I just have not had the opportunity to swatch yet but will be sharing with you soon!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

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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

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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

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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

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Metamorphosis 119.0 – Julep Maven It Girl Box October 2011

I realize it’s almost November and I’ve been terrible with swatching lately. I seem to sit on colours for weeks before they make it up here. Thus is the case of October’s Julep Maven box, which arrived here much earlier this month. Why have I been holding out on you? My nails are in terrible condition and I’m sort of embarrassed. They take quite a beating in school.

This month’s It Girl box included a brightening hand cream (review to come) and two polishes: Leighton and Jaime. To be honest, I almost requested a shelf pull this month since I thought I had too many similar colours. But in the name of science, I decided to keep the box as-is and compare with my existing polishes.

Turns out, my fears were entirely unfounded. I can’t find exact dupes for either of these polishes. In the case of Jaime, described as an “ultra-saturated, dark turquoise blue,” is rather similar to a few in my collection (Zoya’s Breezi, butterLONDON’s Blagger), but none close enough to consider a dupe. If you don’t wear a lot of blue and have either of those, you can probably live without this, but if you’re a blue-lover like me it’s a good one to keep around.

I have a ton of silvers. True silvers, pewter-silvers, borderline-gunmetal-silvers, you name it. And I have them in every finish imaginable. It was hard to imagine that Leighton wouldn’t be a dead-on match for at least one of them. But…it’s not. Despite my massive arsenal of silver nail polishes, this is a colour I definitely do not own. While it’s described as a “pure liquid silver,” it’s not the metallic foil I anticipated. Rather, it’s sort of a frosted grey, like brushed steel. It’s a lovely colour, dramatic without being vampy. I think it will be a lovely winter colour. However, as with all frosted polishes, be careful applying or it can look wonky.

That’s not bubbling you see, that’s actual damage to my nail plate. Some of them have been repaired (which you can also see), but I wasn’t able to hide much. Below is a larger shot of the shade on my nail: you can see it’s not really a “metallic” as it is a “frost.” I actually held this against some brushed steel and it was the exact same shade.

Once again, I’m quite pleased with the shades and products Julep has included in the month’s box. I’ve all ready received the preview of November’s box and can honestly tell you, I can’t wait to see it!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

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Metamorphosis 116.5 – Graveyard Glamour Pt. 2

In addition to the amazing shadows you saw last week, Darling Girl’s Halloween collection also includes an assortment of lip products. Of the six holo-glosses, four tinted balms, and new lip jelly, I snagged six total. With the coming of cold weather, my lips have all ready begun to feel the effects. I’m constantly on the lookout for double-duty products like tinted balms, so I was excited to try the Darling Ghoul formula.

Packaged in clear slimline tubes, Kiss You Off Color Rich Lip Balms have a smooth texture that glides on effortlessly. They’re light, but still feel moisturizing on my dry, flaking lips. I do find the need to reapply after meals, but there’s usually a coat of shimmer leftover even after the base has worn off. Pigmentation varies by shade.

Poison Plum is described as a “deep berry base blended with loads of red and gold flash that meld together to make this gorgeous plummy wine shade.” On me, this is a sheer plum-burgundy with quite a bit of shimmer. It’s very wearable and completely appropriate for casual, every-day wear.

Wicked Game is a “blackened royal purple with oodles of gold flake,” and applied a very sheer, bright blue-toned purple. This adds a lovely blue-violet sheen to the lips without completely blocking the natural colour: if you’re afraid to wear purples, this is a great way to start! My lips were not in the best condition when swatching (thank you, cold front!), and as you can see, the pigment got a little stuck around the larger, more stubborn flakes. It’s unnoticeable from a distance, but the macro setting is unforgiving.

Devil’s Dance is a “blackened navy with violet undertone.” It’s a definite blurple similar to some of the more vampy shades popping up this season. This is a nearly-opaque shade, a stark comparison to the sheer shades above. Even with atrocious lips, this spreads quite evenly and stays put nicely throughout the day.

I’m quite pleased with the texture of these balms as well as the colours, and I would definitely purchase more colours in the future. If you’re looking for a moisturizing balm with a bit of colour, these might be your solution!

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine

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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

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