Apocalyptic Beauty Look of the Month Club May and June 2021

I’ve gotten a little behind on my reviews, I’m sorry to say. But I’m hoping I can catch up on most of them before I have to disappear while I’m busy working conventions again (hooray!). So I’m squeezing two months into this review for Apocalyptic Beauty.

For those who may not know, AB is an indie brand makeup company who has a monthly subscription service. For $15, you will receive 4-5 makeup products that fit a particular theme. They are also 100% vegan and cruelty free. Check out their website for more info on this and everything else they’ve got. APOCALYPTIC BEAUTY

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Let’s look at May first. Theme: GODS OF OLYMPUS

I love that each month comes in a cute little reusable mesh bag with a piece of candy. This month’s bag was rather unique! But let’s take a look at the products.

Apollo: a sunny peach gold eye shadow

Aphrodite: golden seafoam blue eye shadow

Hades: sparkling iridescent blue over a black base. Foil for maximum drama!

Ares: shimmer balm. It’s pretty smooth and creamy, the golden copper just shows up a bit on my lips. Smells very strongly of warm spices, like cinnamon and/or french toast. Not sure I can handle it.

The candy is an Olympic Mastic candy. Basically it’s from Greece and is made with tree resin. Kinda tastes like cedar and pine. But in a good way, actually!

Not super excited about the color story here, and the scent on the lip balm is so strong. However, I have already used that Apollo shade a couple times. It’s GORGEOUS.

Now, on to June. The theme: CLASSIC MONSTERS

In. Love. With. This. Month. Are any of us surprised? Thought not. Moving on. Let’s take a look at the products. We got all eye shadows this month.

Count Dracula: Brooding red (a warm coppery red)

Frankenstein’s Monster: Void green (moss, swampy green)

The Mummy: Sheer iridescent grey-blue

Phantom of the Opera: Sparkling violet with red sheen

Creature Feature: Neon yellow green*

*In the US, the FDA has not approved neon pigments as “eye safe”, while many other countries deem them safe for all cosmetic use, including near the eyes. So it’s up to you if you do or do not want to use them. I, personally, cannot fucking WAIT to try it out.

I am so jazzed about this month. The colors are awesome, and though maybe not obvious to everyone, they look like they’ll work really well together.

I can’t tell what the theme is for next month because it got cut off at the bottom of the card. It looks to be “Sinister Sprite” maybe? I’m excited to find out.

What did you think of these products and themes?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid June 2021

For those who don’t know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you get 4-5 makeup products, full and trial sized. Each month is curated to a pop culture theme. They are cruelty free and some of their products are vegan. Check them out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

June 2021 marked the 7th anniversary of the Vanishing Cabinet service! So we all got a bonus item in this month’s themed box. The theme? AHC Season 3 - Coven.

While Coven was the least favorite of the series I watched (I stopped paying attention after my favorite season, Freak Show) I’m digging all the products from this month. Let’s take a look!

Don’t Be a Hater: a metallic, silver semi-loose eye shadow.

Surprise, Bitch: a metallic, cherry red semi loose eye shadow

Sister Witches: a satin, black based shadow with a purple glow, and sprinkled with a few sparkles

Unholy Nether Realm: solid perfume stick fragranced with….a shit ton of stuff. Smells very clean and floral to me.

Mad for Tartan: cool, slightly brown toned deep red Mystic Matte lipstick, with a hint of gold sparkle. Creamy Caramel flavor!

When Witches Don’t Fight, We Burn: matte peach blush

I love all the colors in this month’s bag. The blush looks more of a neutral tone with a hint of peach, and surprisingly, my underbelly of a dead fish pale skin can pull it off.

The hint for next month….there really can be no doubt. I’m stoked!

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid May 2021

For those who are new, the Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription from Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you get 4-5 products that fit some kind of pop-culture theme. Check out the brand for more info: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The theme for May is: THE GOLDEN GIRLS (dear gods can this get any cuter or more nostalgic??)

I was never the targeted demographic for this show. It ran from 1985-1992 and I’m pretty sure I watched it as it aired (as opposed to in syndication after it ended). The show created stories and situations and characters that were universally relatable, no matter your age. It still makes me laugh and cry to this day, though I am now approaching the same age the actresses were at the time it was made.

Also, you can see in the photo, the reason they picked this theme - in memory of Brennan’s grandmother. (I’m not crying. YOU’RE CRYING.)

Picture It - Sicily! - a berry-purple cream blush with pink and gold shimmer. I don’t notice the shimmers but I don’t apply it heavily. It looks a little bruisey if I’m too heavy handed.

I’ll Get the Cheesecake - strawberry cheesecake and snikcerdoodle flavored slumber salve. This is by far the best lip balm/treatment I’ve ever used. You have no idea how excited I am to have one again!

Thank You for Being a Friend - mystic matte liquid lipstick in a soft coral red shade with pink shimmer. On me, it looks more pink-based with a hint of warmth than straight up coral-red. Gorgeous either way.

Can I Ask a Dumb Question?: a gorgeous dusty rose eye shadow with gold and pink shimmer

Better Than Anyone I Know: a dark blue-grey matte eye shadow

I love the names of everything; I love the colors; I love the theme. I can’t wait to play with these.

The hint for June. What do you think it means??

NEW SUBSCRIPTION - Apocalyptic Beauty (March and April 2021)

Considering my growing collection of loose shadows, did I need to sign up for another indie brand makeup subscription? No, I did not. But after experiencing this brand’s loose highlighter, I had to see what else they had to offer.

For $15 a month, you’ll get a themed bag with 4-5 makeup products that are vegan and cruelty free, plus a little sweet treat. Niiiice. Check out the brand here for more info: APOCALYPTIC BEAUTY

It seems the colors in each month are specific to this subscription as I couldn’t find them listed anywhere on the site so I don’t want to do a price breakdown here. But you can still get an idea of pricing for similar products if you peruse the site.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

We’ve got two months to cover for this first post. So let’s start with March: WICKER MAN

March’s theme is Wicker Man (so appropriate considering a movie review post I’ll be putting up in a day or two). Each month you get a cute little bag with the info card, business card, and the products. This month there are four eye shadows and a loose highlighter.

March Hare: a semi-matte soft brown (eye shadow)

Seed of Flame: a fiery orange (eye shadow)

Wicker Man: smoldering brown (eye shadow)

Parthenogensis: a duochrome sparkle over a translucent red-orange base (sorry I didn’t get a better pic of that one) (eye shadow)

Midsommar: golden highlighter

All these colors work very well together. So not only is there a pop-culture theme for the month, even the products themselves fit a specific color scheme. And that sparkly orange is calling my name, dude.

The highlighter is pretty yellow, and probably too dark for my skin. HOWEVER, I do have green and purple and “weird” highlighter colors in my collection so why can’t I have a gold one, too?

I’m also impressed with how full the eye shadow pots are. As in pray an earthquake doesn’t hit the moment you open one because that powder will spill.

Now on to April: KAWAII OTAKU

I had to look up “otaku” for this one. Here’s what I found: “otaku is a Japanese term for people with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga.” There’s also a negative connotation with this term, as in these people are so obsessed that it becomes detrimental to their social skills (which sounds like a higher education Harvard passive aggressive definition of a geek or nerd…so fuck that definition). And “kawaii” refers to things that are cute and adorable. Looking at the color scheme for this month, I’d say that’s spot on.

Cosplay: A vivid turquoise blue (eye shadow)

Chibi: a shimmery pink (eye shadow)

Mangaka: shimmering silvery purple (eye shadow)

Kawaiisa: a duochrome pink-purple gloss

Holy crap those are some vivid eye shadow colors. They also give off that Barbie/ bubble gum/ cutesy vibe, right? It’s hard to see the shimmer in the pink and purple but believe me, they’re there.

Like any gloss, you can see the color better in the swatch. But on the lips, it’s not that noticeable. I suppose if I really layered it and didn’t smoosh my lips together, you’d see the color better. The gloss itself is very comfortable - not sticky or gloopy at all, though the squeeze tube applicator gets a bit messy.

That’s it for my first ‘review’. I did try the Wicker Man shadows and highlighter. They were fantastic. So I’m excited to see what else I can play with from this brand. What do you think? Are you going to check them out?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid April 2021

Trying to get back into reviewing my makeup…uh, stuff. Anyone who knows me understands that since the loss of our dog, Dozer, I haven’t been up to doing much of anything. But I’ve recently gotten back on the movie reviewing bandwagon, and that’s made me want to get back to enjoying my makeup purchases. So, here we are.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie makeup brand that has a monthly subscription (several, actually) called Vanishing Cabinet. For $15 every month, you get 4-5 makeup products (eyeshadow, lipstick, perfume, etc.). Each month is also themed - could be a movie, a game, a mythology, WHATEVER. It’s pretty fun actually. And they’re cruelty free! Check the brand out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

I didn’t review March and, honestly, already put everything away so I can’t remember what the products were. So for April, let’s just dive into “GAME OVER”, a Resident Evil themed bag.

RESIDENT EVIL, PEOPLE!!!!!

I was going to cancel this subscription after April because I signed up for another brand’s service. But Resident Evil is the game that got me into gaming in the first place, and survival horror specifically. So I kinda wanna keep Vanishing Cabinet for a little while longer…

Great, A Chainsaw: A dark grey Mystic Matte with silver sparkles. This liquid lipstick is one of my favorite formulas. Very comfortable, and wears pretty well.

Complete. Global. Saturation: Blue based highlighter with blue and purple sparkles. You can’t really see the glitter in this because it’s very fine (which I prefer). It’s a gorgeous lavender shade on the skin. I’ve come to determine that loose highlighters are some of the best. Yeah, they’re messier than their pressed powder cousins but dayum, they’re worth it.

The Umbrella Corp logo makes for a perfect lid on these pots, no?

Abandon Hope: A pale silvered blue eye shadow with green sparkles. GORGEOUS.

Welcome to Raccoon City: A deep matte red eye shadow. I love that they picked this name for this brick red shadow.

B.O.W.s: A bruise yellow eye shadow with blue-purple-orange shifting shimmers. It’s hard to tell but this matte yellow does shift to a shiny purple-pinkish color.

I have to admit, I don’t understand the color story here. Not a big fan of primary colors together. But separately, I think they’ll be great. I’m actually dying to try that yellow shade. I have a couple yellows in my collection, but they’re a little difficult to work with. And now to have one that kinda shifts depending on the angle/light, um, yes please!

That’s it for this month. I can’t figure out the hint for May’s theme. It sounds sort of familiar, but I just can’t put my finger on it. What do you think it’ll be?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid January 2021

I’m a smidge late in posting this one. January kinda got away from me.

For those who don’t know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly themed makeup subscription service from Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you will get 4-5 makeup items (mostly mini or travel sized). This is an Indie makeup company, and all their products are cruelty free. Check them out for yourself here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The theme for January is based on one of the Legend of Zelda games. I know nothing of this particular game/franchise except that most everyone who doesn’t play it, thinks that green-capped elf is actually Zelda. (spoiler: it’s not)

Theme for January

Twilight Princess

First up, we have a face and body glitter gel, in the shade World of Shadows. Personally, I don’t like wearing this stuff on my body, and I don’t want it on my face, which is where my eyeballs live. But if this is your jam, have at it. It’s got some awesome colors going on.

The two eyeshadows I got this month are:

Twilight Realm: a teal loose shadow with a gold sheen and gold/green shifting sparkles. The sparkles fall out everywhere, but I can’t stay mad at that color.

Mirror of Twilight: a semi-loose, metallic, antique silver with blue/purple shifting sparkles. Gorgeous.

There’s also a loose highlighter, and liquid lipstick (sorry, I didn’t get a picture of the actual tube of lipstick, but it’s the same packaging they always use).

Benevolence to Banish Evil: a pearly orange highlight with rainbow sparkles. It’s hard to see all that on the face, particularly the sparkles, because it just looks smooth and shiny to me.

Light & Shadow Can’t Mix: a pale pink-leaning-lavender shade with a slight gold/peach/red shift and copper sparkles. I do love these kinds of lavender shades.

That’s it for January. Everything is gorgeous as usual, and I’m excited to keep playing around with these (except the body glitter). The hint for next month made me almost bust a gut laughing - if I guessed it correctly. What do you think?

Anyone have a guess?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid December 2020

These packages come later in each month so my review usually goes up the following month. But I wanted to wrap up all 2020 stuff WITHIN 2020. Keeping its taint to itself, so to speak. So I haven’t used these products yet. I’ll probably do some updates later, maybe on this post or a fresh one. We’ll see.

For those who don’t know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie makeup brand with several subscription options. This one is the Vanishing Cabinet. For $15 each month, you will get 4-5 products - usually mini, but sometimes full size. Each month is themed, and all their products are cruelty free! Check the brand out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

December’s theme was Anime - Dogs, Demons, & Deities, specifically concentrating on InuYasha.

From myanimelist.net - SYNOPSIS: Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.

After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.

You know, FYI…

This month we have a Mystic Matte, a liquid eye shadow, and two loose eye shadows.

(pay no attention to my dry, crusty hands)

Wolf Prince: Described as “a semi loose mocha brown with a gold sheen and rose gold sparkles.” I can’t see the rose gold so much as the regular gold, but that could change once I actually use it on my eyeballs.

Fire Rat: Described as “a bright red shimmer with silver sparkles.” So fucking pretty, I can’t wait to use this one.

Sit, Boy!: Described as “a metallic forest green liquid eyeshadow with green sparkles.” I did put a little of this on each eye lid without eye primer. Once everything set (and I don’t know if it sets completely - I forgot to check) the sparkles did end up falling onto my under eyes and cheeks. So maybe with a primer or glitter glue, it’ll work better. We’ll see. It sure is pretty though.

Fear the Fluff: “A light warm toned purple with a shift from green to blue to violet.” I didn’t see the green, but the blue and violet are beautiful. I love this formula, so I will wear it more and will look for that green shift.

That’s it for December. Not much of a review as a listing of what I got, but I’m looking forward to playing with all these in the future. For those of you familiar with the InuYasha world, how did this theme pan out? En pointe?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid November 2020

For those who may not know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. Each month, you get 4-5 products (usually mini), based on that month’s theme, for $15. For more info, check out their website here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID VC Also note that NM is a cruelty free brand!

(I pay for this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

All righty. The theme for the November VC is Harry Potter. Please just know I’m a muggle and that’s the only reference I know from the franchise (I’ve neither read nor seen the movies - and please don’t tell me I have to because that’s the surest way to keep me from doing it).

I love that they’re including price/cost information now!

We’ve got three shadows and one of their Mystic Matte lipsticks (if you don’t like liquid lipstick, you really should try this formula).

Floo Powder Power: Gorgeous mauve/murky rose color in the matte formula.

Supermegafoxyawesomehot: Semi-loose multichrome with a rosewood base; shifts from turquoise to green to blue to purple. You just cannot capture these kind of shifty shades in swatches or sometimes even in video (especially if you have no technical deftness to bring out their beauty). Just trust me - this is a beautiful shade.

Totally Awesome: Another semi-loose multichrome but with a black base that shifts from teal to gold to green to blue. *sigh* Check out my Instagram for a couple pictures with this shade (@Pmonkey710).

I tried to get the shade swatches in two different levels of light, but it’s still hard to see just how pretty they are.

A Mystic Matte in the shade “Ugh, Now Two People Are Mad at Me”. Beautiful warm purple with sparkles that shift from green to blue to violet. I love this color so much. I really enjoy purple lipstick shades (second only to red) so this is a lovely addition!

That’s it for this month’s goodies. Apparently December will have their first anime theme! *pleasebeattackontitan* *pleasebeattackontitan* *pleasebeattackontitan*

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid October 2020

For those who are new here (Hello, welcome), Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. All of their products are cruelty free (a lot are vegan, but I can’t be sure all of them are). Each month, you get a package of 4-5 themed products (usually mini-sized) for $15. Check out their site for more information: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

OCTOBER THEME: HOCUS POCUS

Not surprised that the theme for October is based on the movie, Hocus Pocus. I, personally, don’t think it’s all that. But then again, I’m a horror whore. I prefer more scary fare than cutesy (though I’m not opposed to it), or an excuse for Bette Midler to show off her incredible pipes.

I have to admit, though, when Sarah Sanderson gets punched in the stomach after repeating “Amok!” over and over, it fucking hilarious.

Anyway…

This month we’ve got three eyeshadows, one perfume oil, and a face brightening powder. Obviously, I can’t swatch the perfume (I Put A Spell On You). It smells wonderfully like fall - sweet and spicy, little smoky with a hint of bourbon. The face powder (Light A Candle) is a very light lavender, and doesn’t show up either. Just know that the brightening/lightening power of this stuff is pretty decent. Almost a little too brightening, even for someone as pale as me, but it doesn’t look dry on the skin at all.

That leaves the eyeshadows.

Double Damn: An emerald green shadow, with a slight blue and purple shift.

Satan Has Married Medusa: A matte, burnt pumpkin orange shade

I Am Beautiful: An orange shimmery shadow, with a blue to purple to pink sheen. Mostly the pink and slightly purple colors show up on me.

I’ve always wanted to try a lavender powder and now I have the chance! The perfume is fine, but I do have a few other brands with nearly the same scent profile. So we’ll see if I keep this one. The shadows are gorgeous, as usual, and fun to play with.

Here’s the hint for November’s theme (I assume it’s a Harry Potter thing? It sounds like a Harry Potter thing, but I’ve neither read any of the books nor seen any of the movies). What do you think it is?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid September 2020

Seems I’m late for a September review but this subscription isn’t mailed out until the end of the month so…..

Anyhoo….for those who may not know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie company, Notoriously Morbid. Each month, you get five items that are curated to a specific theme. If you’d like more info, head over to NOTORIOUSLY MORBID and check them out. Most of their products are vegan and/or cruelty free. HOORAY!

(I buy this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

September brought us a mash-up between The Craft and Clueless, two iconic mid-90s films. In the box, there are three loose shadows, one solid perfume, and one lip gloss. Let’s take a look.

Solid perfume stick in “Rolling with the Weirdos”: Obviously I can’t swatch a perfume, but I wish we had Smell-O-Vision already. Yummy fruity scent of strawberries and guava. If you’re a sweet, fruity kinda person (and honestly, those are the BEST kind of people), you will love this. I like solid perfumes, too, because they’re easy to transport without worrying if they’re going to spill everywhere. Just don’t leave them in a hot car…

Cosmic gloss in “Witching Hour & Makeovers”: A soft, iridescent pink/gold gloss that smells like chocolate. Not sure if it’s supposed to, but I like it. The gloss itself it pretty dang thick and gloppy, but if you’re conservative with the application, it’s totally fine. It also looks really cool if you put it over darker lip colors.

Whatever, It’s Only Magic: A gorgeous icy blue with blue to purple sparkles. This is NOT your mother’s 1970s powder blue eyeshadow. Stunning! I wore it with a little dark eyeliner one day, and it was beautiful.

That Was Way Harsh, Nancy: A perfect for fall, burnt orange shade. Actually, wear it any damn time you want. It’ll look great.

Plaid & Pentagrams: Look at that deep purple with gold shimmer and sparkles. Mother fucker, that’s gorgeous.

(I’m already picturing that purple and blue together for an icy wintery look…who the hell am I??)

October Theme Hint….Hocus Pocus reference? Some kind of witch thing!

So there you have it. Month two of my subscription, and it’s looking good. I would like to patronize a lot more indie brands when possible. Goodness knows, 2020 has sucker-punched a lot of small businesses right in the dick, so if I can help keep them afloat, I’ll do my best!

Anyone sign up for this? What do you think?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid August 2020

I don’t know if it’s quarantine, or I just missed having a makeup subscription service, but here we are. I’ve signed up for a monthly makeup subscription from Notoriously Morbid (remember the lipstick one I did with them for the dragon themed year? No? Well, click HERE to read one).

I’ve been very drawn to indie brands of makeup, and since I’ve tried eye shadows and lip products from NM (and liked them), I thought I’d sign up for their Vanishing Cabinet service. For $15 each month, you get 4-5 themed items (some mini, some full size) ranging from lip products, blusher, solid perfumes, etc. all with that month’s pop culture theme. Check out NW’s site for more info. Keep in mind they have a really long waiting list for this service, but will contact you once a spot opens (assuming you sign up to wait, that is). NOTORIOUSLY MORBID VANISHING CABINET NM is also vegan and cruelty free!

I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

So, let’s take a look at August 2020 - X FILES!

Lots of super pretty stuff this month! Highlighter, blush, two eye shadows, and a liquid lipstick.

I Want to Believe: Light green highlighter. You can see the gold in that swatch and that’s mostly what you see when it’s applied to the cheekbones. But…if you look straight on at my face, you can see a slight green wash of color. Not super happy about that, but it’s not that noticeable, so I can live with it! And loose highlighters are great to get an intense shine!

They Call Me Spooky: Deep pink blush. I can’t be sure, but I think there’s a little shimmer or shine in the blush. It’s not over the top, if it exists at all. BUT IT IT SUPER PIGMENTED! Tread carefully…since it’s loose, get a little on your brush and tap that on your hand before putting it on your face. Trust me…

Trust No One: Matte teal eye shadow. Gorgeous. The swatch doesn’t look great, but I think I had a spot of lotion that was still a little damp on my arm right where I swatched it.

The Smoking Man: Multichrome shadow, pewter base that shifts from rose, to green, to gold. The rose is a little hard to see but the shadow is no less stunning for it. I also love the little eye shadow pots look like UFOs.

Sure. Fine. Whatever: One of the NM’s Mystic Matte liquid lipsticks in a beautiful chocolate brown. I am not a brown lipstick girl, but dayum. This formula is very comfortable and doesn’t dry down completely. It’s also very thin at first application so it WILL bleed into any lines around your mouth. But if you stay on top of it with a Q-tip, or use a lip liner, it’ll be fine.

I love the names of everything in this collection. I think the lipstick and The Smoking Man eye shadow are my favorite. I’m excited to keep using them.

Also, the hint for September’s theme….HELLZ YEAH (though, I don’t remember anyone saying ‘as if’ before that famous line, but it has been a while since I saw the movie).

Morgue Drawer June 2019

Thankfully I started organizing this post long before my trash overflowed into the house! So here are my empties for the past three months.

Debris

Bath and Body Works Sensual Jasmine Vanilla Body Wash: Well, the time has finally come. I used up the last bottle I’ll ever have of this scent. BBW still makes body wash, but not in this scent anymore. So sad…

The Potion Cabinet Body Wash in Cyanide: It didn’t smell as much like almonds as I would have liked, and it didn’t foam up as much as the last one I tried from them. But I still enjoyed it, and am trying another scent now.

RenPure Coconut Cream Nourishing Conditioner: I’m still working through the shampoo of this scent but I really enjoyed both. It smells more like a mix of coconut and fruit - not too strong on either; my hair felt great and it didn’t fade the color too quickly. I originally got mine at Target but I can’t find it there now (but there are other formulas/scents). So the link is to the RenPure website.

Love Beauty and Planet Hair Masque with Rose and Murumuru Butter: Really liked this stuff. Hair felt fantastic. But the scent is really strong, almost too much.

Mitchum Women’s Solid Deodorant: I really like this brand. I’m not a super sweater so this works great for me. The Pure Fresh scent has been my favorite so far - a soft floral.

Avalon Organics Lip Balm in Cherry Aloe - meh. Feels nice at first but eventually my lips feel drier for using it. Um, what?

My Skin Would Make a Great Lampshade

Formula 10.0.6 Day/Night Cream: I’ve been using these both for a while and I still love them. The only downside is the printing on the night cream tub. It comes off easily if your hands are wet or oily so if you’re not careful, you might smudge purple on your face! It doesn’t stain, though, so no worries there.

Pacifica Rose Flower Hydro Mist: This was just okay. The mister is way too fine so it feels like you have to pump the bottle 100 times to get anything to cover your face. Heyyyoooohhh…. It also doesn’t feel like anything special or revolutionary so I went back to Mario Badescu. Smell is really nice, though.

Elf Daily Face Cleanser: This was just fine. Nothing great, nothing bad. The smell is a bit too strong, though.

Body Shop Tea Tree Face Wash: Love this stuff. I keep repurchasing the big bottle and filling up my travel one when I go out of town for conventions.

FaceStory Vitalift Firming Mask with Pomegranate: Not sure how this did on the firming aspect, but otherwise I loved it. The mask is super soft; the essence is almost milky (which is my favorite); and my skin felt great the next day. I have a subscription to this company and it’s awesome.

Innsfree Volcanic Pore Clay Mask: I loved this stuff. Clay/mud masks work very well on my skin, particularly if I’m having some breakouts or general ickiness. This stuff has a little bit of exfoliant particles but nothing harsh. The only bad thing is that it got too dried out to use after I’d only gotten through half the jar. *sad trombone*

Beat That Mug

Babyganics Wipes: I get these at my local Value Center grocery store. I love using them to clean off swatches or fallout under my eyes. I don’t use them for regular makeup removal - all wipes burn my skin.

Heimish All Clean Balm: I love cleansing balms and when I first tried a sample of this years ago, I fell in love. Once I got this bigger size, though, I noticed it really bothers my eyes. Not while I’m using it - the next morning, my eyes will be crusty and/or goopy. Blech. Trying the Physicians Formula one now.

Elf Prime & Stay Finishing Powder (Fair/Light): This is some of the best face powder I’ve ever used. Either alone or over foundation, it makes my skin look so smooth and, well, finished. And it’s $2. LOVE.

2B CC Cream in Nude: I love how this stuff looks on my skin but this tube is hella old and it’s gotta go. Plus, I’m pretty sure they don’t make it anymore as I can’t find it anywhere - at least, not in the US.

That’s all my garbage for now. Hope you enjoyed it!

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly (FINAL REVIEW) December 2018

We have arrived at the final review in my Mystic Monthly subscription service from Notoriously Morbid. For those who don’t know, NM is an indie makeup company that has two monthly subscription services. I signed up for the $10/month liquid lipstick subscription in 2018 (NOTE: the price has increased to $12 for 2019.) Though it’s been fun, I need to move on to something else. But if you’d like to check them out, go to their website: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I paid for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The Mystic Monthly theme for 2018 was Dragons - which is basically why I signed up in the first place. December brought us Fuzanglong, an underground dragon that protects buried treasure. The Cursed Crystals eye/lip topper is called Hidden Treasures - makes sense.

First, the lip/eye topper. I got another Cursed Crystals in the Advent calendar, but it definitely has a different color shift. For this one, the purple and rose are easier to see than the green. I haven’t tried it on my eyes yet, so I’ll let you know how it goes when I do.

The lipstick is beautiful. I tried to take pics to show the differences between fresh, dried down, pressed together, and with the topper. Not sure it’s translating all that well in the photographs but the topper was kind of fun to put over this. The lipstick is a little streaky so it would be better to layer it a time or two.

The next pics are, in order: freshly applied; after it set; after I pressed my lips together to get the blue sparkles to show up; and with the lip topper applied over my lipstick. Again, it’s a little hard to distinguish the subtle differences, but they are there!

You get an idea of the patchiness, too, so I want to wear this again, but layer it and then see how long it lasts.

The Mystic Matte formula of liquid lipstick is pretty good. It’s not super drying, the colors they come up with are somewhat unique, and they are fun to play with. It’s been fun having this subscription, and it did give me a better look into the Notoriously Morbid brand as a whole. I’ve been able to try a bunch of different products, and there are still a few more I’d like to investigate. Don’t forget to check out their site link above if you want more information!

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly 3-Month Review

Gaaaahhhhhh…. yeah.

Okay, so I’m a little behind. You can go read my latest Monkey Musings to know why. Instead of doling out this monthly review one at a time, I’m just going to talk about the last three months, and leave the final month review for January. I also had the timing wrong on my past reviews, so for this post, we’ll disregard the designations from the past and talk about September, October, and November from Notoriously Morbid’s Mystic Monthly subscription service. And because I’m behind, I most likely will be missing a few details and pictures. Sorry about that.

For the newbs, NM has a monthly lip product subscription service. For $10, you get one full sized Mystic Matte liquid lipstick, plus one other full sized lip product. The lipstick is exclusive to this service, and each year they follow a specific theme. For 2018, it was The Dragon’s Tail.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

SEPTEMBER

I only have pics of the lipstick from this month. I can’t remember what else came with it, nor did I keep the slip of paper that has all the mythology on the month’s dragon, though its name is Fafnir.

Ugh, I suck.

However, the color of this month’s lipstick is gorgeous! A beautiful, mid-toned orange with a pink base, and some kind of sparkle - I wanna say silver, possibly gold as well. I smudged the swatch on my hand so you can see the pink base.

OCTOBER

For this month, the dragon is from Slavic mythology, and named Zmey. This is a cool toned pinky-purple with copper sparkles - you can sort of see them along the edge of my lower lip in the second lip swatch pic. You also get Smoke & Fire, one of the cosmic glosses. A gorgeous dark berry color that smells like strawberry cake. The pigmentation on this one is so much better than the one I got in their advent calendar.

NOVEMBER

This month’s dragon comes from the Welsh flag - Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon. This lipstick is a warm toned red with red shimmer. You also get a Slumber Salve, Entombed, flavored with sangria and vanilla.

At first I though the red was going to show up more orange, but with the red shimmer, it’s a perfect Christmas holiday color - which was NM’s thinking behind this shade. SO PRETTY!

All righty. I’ve got one more month coming for the 2018 Dragon theme and then I’m going to cancel the subscription. Not because I don’t like the formula or any of the colors I’ve received (well, one was kind weak.) I just don’t need dozens of the same kind of lipstick. Does that make sense? But if you’re in the market for this kind of product, that comes in some unique and gorgeous colors, by all means, sign up! It’s been worth it for me!

Universal Yums August 2018

Sorry I missed out on July, folks. The weeks just got away from me and I never got a chance to write up a review.

For those who don’t know, Universal Yums is a food subscription service. For $14, $25, or $39 a month, you get 6+, 12+, or 20+ snacks and candy from a different country. Check them out here: UNIVERSAL YUMS

(I purchase this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

August brings us goodies from the UK! Here’s some trivia for you (answer at the end of the post.) True or False: Another name for the UK is Great Britain.

I have tried everything in the box this month but I didn’t I got close ups of each snack. Sorry about that!

Mackie’s Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar Chips: I think these are more like those composite potato chips - they definitely have that texture. The initial taste of vinegar is good, but it disappears in about 1.7 seconds, leaving you with a boring potato. Meh.

Dean’s of Huntly All Butter Minis Chocolate Chip Shortbread: Holy cats and dogs this stuff is awesome. But, really, how can shortbread ever be NOT good? These have a great, crumbly texture and fantastic flavor. The chocolate chips are few and far between, but this shortbread doesn’t need them anyway.

Walkers Nonsuch Dreamy Creamy English Toffee Bar: Toffee usually makes me think of the hard, crunchy variety we get here. This stuff is a bit different. The notched squares are stuck together in one bar but after you slam it against a hard surface, it breaks apart into individual servings. THEN they actually soften up in your mouth (oh geez) and become chewy. So damned delicious.

Johnny’s Pickled Onion Rings Corn Snack: Where the vinegar chips fail in tang, these make up for it in spades. It’s almost a little overpowering, to be honest. But that didn’t stop me from eating 5 or 6 in a row. They’re kinda like Funyons, but with less crunch, and definitely more sour.

Wagon Wheel Jammie-Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookie with Raspberry Jam: Gah, that’s a lot. I was so excited for this one. I’ve heard the term jammie thrown around in British television and movies, but never really knew what the hell it was. Now I know. And I have to say…I’m underwhelmed. The cookies were hard and dry, the jam barely there, the chocolate was not very flavorful, and the marshmallow was okay. Sorry, UK. You can keep this one.

Mackie’s Haggis and Black Pepper Chips (contains no meat): I love that they have to include that disclaimer…Like the sea salt and vinegar, these chips BARELY have that haggis flavor. I tasted mostly pepper, then potato. Some of you may think this is good, but haggis actually isn’t that bad. Yes, I’ve had the real deal in Scotland.

In the Yum Bag (a small plastic bag holding all the tiny stuff,) we got three things:

Kir Royal Chews Blackcurrant and Champagne candies (contains no alcohol): These were AWESOME. Not sure I could taste the champagne (which is why they were good,) but the blackcurrant was nice. The candies are soft and chewy.

Stockley’s Chocolate Limes (lime candies filled with chocolate): These were wonderful. Hard candy filled with a soft chocolate center. Anyone who thinks citrus and chocolate don’t go together needs to try one of these. So good!

Prosecco Fudge (sparkling wine flavored fudge - contains no alcohol): These tasted like a butter based vanilla fudge but with something…different. That was probably the prosecco, which I’ve never had and wouldn’t know it if it was poured down my pants. Loved the texture and flavor on these.

That does it for this month. Overall, pretty decent selection! The clue for next month has us baffled. It’s probably someplace in Asia, but we can’t really figure out exactly where. Can’t wait to find out!

TRIVIA ANSWER: FALSE. Though it’s a common mistake, these two names aren’t actually interchangeable. The United Kingdom and Great Britain are two different entities: the UK includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Great Britain includes only England, Scotland, and Wales.

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly September Review

For those who may not know, Notoriously Morbid is an Indie brand makeup company that has a monthly lipstick subscription service. For $10, you get an exclusive Mystic Matte liquid lipstick, and one other full-sized lip product. They are also cruelty free! Check them out here: NOTORIOUSLYMORBID

(I purchase this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The theme for the 2018 Mystic Monthly is Dragon. This month we get Bisterne, a dragon killed by a knight. After the dragon dies, and its corpse becomes a hill known as Boltons Bench, the knight mourns his actions. After visiting the hill for 30 days and nights, the knight dies on top of the hill and becomes a Yew tree - that can still be seen today!

First let’s look at the Sinister Sprite Lip Shimmer in the shade, The Bench and the Yew Tree. It has a deep berry base with red and orange shimmer. It’s a nice middle ground between sheer and opaque. Beautiful color, though it’s hard to see the shimmer, except in person. Feels great on the lips!

The star of the show, of course, is Bisterne. It’s described as “a true dragon green with a slight olive tone, and blue to purple shifting sparkles.” The sparkle comes out after the lipstick has set and you press your lips together. It looks like silver to me. I have absolutely NOTHING like this in my collection. And I love it.

The first lip swatch is right after application. The second is after it’s dried and I pressed my lips together to see the sparkles. Again, it’s hard to see in pictures. However, I prefer the lipstick color without the sparkles.

These liquid lipsticks feel very comfortable and last well, too. Naturally, if you eat or drink, they will wear off - usually from the middle first - but otherwise hold on pretty well.

I have been loving these liquid lipsticks, but not sure if I want to keep getting the subscription. I feel like I’m becoming overwhelmed with lipsticks and then don’t want to buy any others to try out. More than likely I’ll finish up the Dragon theme, then move on to something else. But don’t let me influence you from getting this yourself. It’s a great subscription, particularly for those who may not have as many lipsticks as I do!

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly August Review

For those who may not know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie make-up company. They have a lot of products, but this monthly review is for their subscription service, Mystic Monthly. For $10 a month, you get a signature liquid lipstick, the Mystic Matte, and one other full-sized lip product. Also included is a code for a discount, but that's for subscribers only! They are vegan and cruelty free. Check them out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Usually a piece of gum or candy is included, but I already ate it....

The Mystic Monthly theme for 2018 is Dragons! And August brings us Ladon, a serpent-like dragon that guarded the golden apples on the tree in the garden of Hesperides. Hence, the lip color is a light taupe with a pink undertone and a coppery sheen.

The first two swatches, on the lips, are right after application and after setting. Once the lipstick sets, you mush your lips together to bring out the shiny undertone, but it's really hard to see in the pictures. Just trust me that it looks super pretty.

These are very comfortable formulas. They don't really need lip liners, unless you don't have a steady hand to apply the product cleanly over your natural lip color (which, most times, I don't). Though, because the lipstick is very watery, it can bleed a bit at first. But with this color, it doesn't seem too noticeable. 

The swatches on the hand are the same: first is freshly applied, second is after it set. I smudged it a little on the right to try and bring out the pink/copper colors but, again, it's hard to tell. You can really see the copper in the tube, though (pay no attention to the white marks - those are just scratches on the bottle, not the product separating.)

If you remember my first month's review, I got a smaller plastic tub that was supposed to contain the slumber salve. I don't know if they reformulated it or what, but this stuff is 10x better than what I originally got (not counting this tub is actually filled and not half-assed like the first.) The original seemed more petroleum based and was not as thick as this new one. You can see the stiff peak I got here (I...uh...carry on.)

I think I say this each month, but THIS color is my favorite so far. I've worn it half a dozen times already. It's a great color to just swipe on and go. Even if I fuck up the line along my lips, you can hardly tell. Great go-to, every day color. I'll let you know how the salve does as an overnight product!

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly July 2018

For those who don't know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie make-up brand and they have a monthly subscription service. For $10, you get one of their Mystic Matte liquid lipsticks and one other full-size lip product. They are also Cruelty Free and subscribers get a coupon code every month for future shopping! Check them out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The 2018 theme for the subscription is The Dragons Tail so this month we have a color inspired by the Japanese ocean dragon, Ryujin.

It is a dark ocean blue with silver and gold shift and gold sparkles. I'm not sure I can see the gold but the silver makes it look like more like an icy deep blue. FUCKING GORGEOUS. (It matches my hair a little too much so I'll be remedying that with more purple soon...). Again, it's a very thin formula, more like water, and one layer can be sheer and little streaky/patchy.

So I let it dry down completely then added a blue lip liner to hide the natural pigmentation of my lips before applying a second coat of the lipstick. I've only received three colors so far but this has got to be my favorite.

They included a piece of bubble gum this month so I took an action shot because...why not?

The other item is a lip sugar scrub (it must be new because I can't find it on their site). Basically it's the Slumber Salve mixed with sugar. And it works beautifully. It doesn't taste too sweet, either, so I wasn't tempted to lick it all off before the oils and waxes could soften the skin.

Very happy with this month's items. I look forward to see what else comes my way in the future.

Universal Yums June 2018

Wow, halfway through the year already...dayyuuummmm.

For those who don't know, Universal Yums is a monthly subscription service. For $14, $25, or $39, you'll get 6+, 12+, or 20+ snacks and candies from another country. Cool, eh? Check them out here: UNIVERSAL YUMS.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The month of June brings us goodies from BRAZIL! Here's some trivia for you (answer at the end of the post): Brazilian prisoners can reduce their sentences by: A.Weaving baskets; B.Reading books; C.Attending church; D.Exercising.

Lots of yummy stuff this month. While a couple were kinda meh, I have to tell you that all but one or two items have been eaten!

Cory Pao Dimel (Chocolate Covered Honey Bread): My first mistake was tasting this after a really sweet treat in the box so this, in comparison, tasted disgusting. I tried it again the following day and it was just so-so. I think the honey with the combo of cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg threw it off. The bread part was also SUPER dry. That said, I had all of them eaten two days later. So...there you go.

Amori 1000 (Chocolate Covered Wafer with Coconut Filling): This was very tasty. Little on the over-sweet side but not too bad. The chocolate was smooth and the coconut filling was pretty awesome. Not a heavy treat by any means, either. Very light.

Docigoma Gurt (Yogurt Gummies): I know that sounds weird but trust me, these were the best (for me) out of everything. The gummies were more like gum drops (as opposed to gummy bears) and the flavors were very nice - not very sugary either. Strawberry, peach, banana, and coconut - YUM!

Squil Churrasco (Barbecue Corn Puffs): More like corn discs but with a puffy texture! I don't know how they do it but these tasted like pork fat with a mild corn after taste. Very light, great flavor, not too salty.

Delicitos Pimenta (Pepper Crackers): These were kinda blah. Apparently, the malagueta pepper is the hottest thing in Brazil and it's used a lot in cooking. But us Americans aren't ready for it so we got these jalapeno crispy crackers instead. And they don't have a lot of flavor and there's barely any jalapeno heat - which is as hot as I can stand, so if I'm bitching about it being too mild, that's pretty weak. 

Bananada com Chocolate (Chocolate Covered Banana Bar): HOLY HELL this was terrible. The pamphlet stated that Brazilian bananas are the best in the world but most of them stay there. If this treat is any indication of their flavor, THEY CAN KEEP THEM. The texture was fine but the banana flavor tasted like it was too ripe or almost rotten. UGH.

Frutabella Amendoiks (Chewy Peanut Bar): This had the same texture as the banana one but the flavor was like peanut butter fudge, just not overly sweet. Very, very good treat!

TRIVIA ANSWER: B. Reading Books. It' not quite a "get out of jail free" card, but it's close! Prisoners in Brazil can reduce their sentence by four days (up to 48 days per year) for every book they read and write a report on. In addition, some prisons allow inmates to reduce their sentence by pedaling stationary bicycles to product electricity. (BLOGGER COMMENT: I'm pretty sure that was one of the forced labors in the Russian gulags but I could be mistaken...)

According to the clue, we think it might be Taiwan next month. We'll see!

Morgue Drawer June 2018

Here we are again, folks. As the temperatures remain in the nineties, it feels safer to me to stay inside and write up a few blog posts/reviews. So let's start with my trash, eh?

AND SO....I DIE...

These make me sad. There's still product in each container but either the formulas have changed, they smell off, or they tingle against my lips and they're not supposed to do that. So I need to trash them.

Medusa's Makeup Lip Paint Remover: This stuff works great on MM's lip paints but after a while, the smell got horrible and the cap is all sticky and crusty with dried oil. It's basically almond oil, grapeseed oil, and fragrance so I imagine just almond oil will work fine. But they're having a sale right now and it's half off! I might keep the bottle and reuse it for something else. (CF)

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Nude Pink: I love this color and the formula. It started out smelling like mint but now it smells like menthol so into the garbage it goes. Would totally buy again, though, if they still had this shade. Which they don't. (CF)

Colourpop Lippies: These are probably the oldest CP lippies I own so it makes sense that they smell funny now, or the formulas have changed and actually burn when I put them on. As I have a ton of other lipsticks and glosses, I don't NEED to repurchase. Doesn't mean I won't, though...(L to R) Ultra Glossy Lip in Tight Fit; Ultra Satin in So Wavy, Lost, Petit Four, and Marshmallow (Tight Fit, Lost, and Marshmallow are still available on the CP site). 

SCRUB-A-DUB AND SMELL GOOD

Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Conditioner: I've been enjoying a lot of Paul Mitchell products lately and the hubby loves this conditioner (and matching shampoo), too! It works pretty well to keep hair clean and moisturized, which is good for me since I bleach my hair now. I ended up buying the bigger size so hubs and I can share. (CF)

Phyto Color Enhancing Hair Mask: I got this sample with an Ulta order, I think. Though it worked really well (at least at moisturizing), it's not a Cruelty Free brand so I won't be purchasing it in the future. It's also $59 for 6 ounces. Uh...no. (NCF)

Purlisse Coconut Oil and Coffee Sugar Scrub: This was a decent scrub, smelled great, but I only got one use out of this sample size. You need to use a lot to cover the whole body (I did, anyway, and I'm not very big). (CF/Vegan)

Mitchum Stick Deodorant: This worked okay. I like the clear gel formula much better. Pretty sure any deodorant that isn't one of the 'natural' brands, isn't cruelty free. (NCF)

Nature's Truth Sweet Almond Oil: I like to use this on my feet and toenails after I shower. It's a nice, light oil, that absorbs quickly into the skin. Good for all over the body, actually. Almond oil is used as a base for other moisturizers because it has no scent. Will buy again (it's not all gone but I poured the remainder into an empty pump bottle for easier dispersement). (CF - ?)

Purple Cat Apothecary Body Butters: Two more from the 5-pack sample set I ordered. The Lemon Chiffon was divine! Lemon and butter cake. The Frostbloom was okay. Kinda floral, kinda minty...hard to pin down. This formula was much thicker and drier than the Lemon one but both worked very well, especially over the almond oil I talked about above. (CF) NOTE: This was originally an Etsy store with art and body products. Apparently, Etsy is making is difficult and more expensive for people to use it as a store front so this woman only has an on-line art store at a separate website. Dammit.

SQUEAKY CLEAN

TN Dickinson's Witch hazel: I like to use this after I do a mud mask. It's great for cleaning off any excess or left behind product without drying out my skin. I know a lot of people hate the smell of witch hazel but it doesn't bother me at all. Very gentle and could be used every day. I think I got mine at the grocery store but it's sold everyone it seems. (CF/Vegan)

Everyone Lavender and Coconut Hand Soap: We've tried a few scents from this brand and I really have enjoyed them all. This and the Lemon/Mandarin one have been been my favorites. Great for the kitchen! (CF)

BBW Good Vibes Only foaming hand soap: I bought this scent to get a deal at Bath and Body Works so I wasn't expecting it to be great but I love it. Even the hubby, who's not one for a lot of scented cleansers, really liked it. But...because it's BBW, and they sell to China, I really have only been keeping my purchases to candles (I love their candles and haven't found anything else to replace them yet). (NCF)

CHOMPERS AND THE LIKE

ACT Restoring Mouthwash: I used this stuff every day with Invisalign and now it's just a habit I can't quit. Which is good! My teeth need a lot of help so this fluoride rinse is perfect. Doesn't burn like a mo-fo, either. (NCF)

Tom's of Maine Maximum Strength Sensitive toothpaste: Love this stuff. Will keep buying. (CF)

Simply Creative Living Honey Cherry Almond lip balm: I believe I talked about another lip balm from this company. I got it at my city's Farmer's Market or the 4th of July fair. Can't remember. This was just okay. Probably won't repurchase. (CF)

ALL ABOUT THAT FACE

NO:HJ Sheet Mask: Got this from my monthly subscription, Facestory. It was really nice and it had all these gold colored flowers all over it. I felt so fancy! It's a Korean brand so the cruelty free status is hard to know/confirm.

The Ordinary Buffet serum: I've raved about this product before here but lately, this stuff hasn't been working all that well. It's actually been breaking me out. I know skin can acclimate to a product, making it less effective, even develop reactions to some. Seems that's what's happened here. So while my backup bottles sit unused, I'm trying something else. I'll let you know how it goes. (CF)

Ole Henrickson Banana Bright Eye Cream: Got this in one of my last Ipsy bags, I think. The cream is yellow but not sure it's brightening. It's thick but doesn't absorb that well. In fact, it didn't really do shit. (CF)

SkinRX Labs MadeCera Cream: Another sample product but can't remember where I go it. I really enjoyed it, though. Felt great on the skin and did a good job of moisturizing. Again, SkinRX is Korean so can't confirm or deny cruelty free status.

Formula 10.0.6 Day/Night Cream: I've been using the day and night creams for a while. Still loving them. (CF)

ALL SORTS OF STUFF

The Ordinary Fluid Primer (forgot to put this with the makeup): This stuff is pure shit. When I bought it, the bottle was barely half full (but it wasn't wet or sticky so nothing leaked - it just wasn't filled). Can't get it out of the bottle THROUGH the dropper so I'd just wipe off enough OFF the dropper to put on my face. And then I felt like a total grease ball. I can't even use it up because it feels so gross and my skin hates it. (CF)

Burt's Bees Cleansing Oil: I really like cleansing oils so I thought I'd give BB's version a shot. It's...okay. Smells a little weird and doesn't do a great job but it's fine. I actually didn't finish this yet but I put the remaining product in a travel bottle. (CF)

Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleansing Pads: I got a sample pack of these years ago when I was still getting the Walmart box. And I really liked them so I got this full size at the drug store. Turned out they didn't really do that much for my skin. But I like the travel friendly pre-soaked pads (as opposed to a bottle) even though these felt kind of dry. Maybe that's why they didn't seem to do much. I'd be willing to try them again, though, in case I got a bad batch. (CF)

Manyo Factory Herb Green Cleansing Oil: I'm pretty sure this sample was what started my love of cleansing oils. This stuff was great. Smelled good and did a great job of removing makeup, especially after the heavy stuff I use for convention appearances! It's another Korean brand so I don't know if they're cruelty free.

First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum (not sure why I didn't put this with the previous stuff): I've used a couple products from this brand before and while I did like them, I don't feel the brand is so superb to be worth the higher price tag. I did really enjoy this, though. (CF)