Spooky Chick "Goth" Eye Shadow Palette

Folks, this is a first for me. I have a friend (I know, shocking) who started the webpage, Spooky Chick. There are movie and book reviews, a blog, virtual psychic readings, adventure videos (like highlighting a local haunted graveyard or abandoned town), as well as an on-line store. There you can find all types of goodies: jewelry, apparel, mystical and ritual items, as well as an eye shadow palette.

From what I understand, this palette journey all started because my friend couldn’t find red eye shadows that actually stayed red (anyone who struggles with this color knows what I’m talking about). She found a company in California that could formulate the shadows for her, and the back of the palette is stamped with a Cruelty Free logo so that’s pretty fucking cool, too.

This palette contains what she considers the essential ‘goth’ color story. These are the colors she wanted to be all in one place, but could never find anywhere. And she included two of the same black shade, since that’s the one she runs out of the most!

I keep putting goth in quotes because while most of society believes that goth people only dress in black, wear black makeup, and walk around all angsty (and to be fair, some of them do), if you’ve had any exposure to the outside world and/or social media, you’ll have seen that black is a staple, but many goths wear a ton of color somewhere. I can point you to the Instagram of Victoria (@toribiohazard). Yes, her closet seems to only consist of black clothes, some dark reds thrown in. But look at her eye makeup posts - FILLED with bright, pigmented colors. So when you get down to my full review of this palette, don’t be surprised to see reds and purples, whites, and shiny iridescent shades going on.

This is where the “first for me” comes in. My friend sent me the palette to review. I’ve never had anyone do that before so of course I said yes. Anyone who’s been here for a while knows how much I’ve gotten into makeup the last 5 years or so. THAT SAID - do not assume that I will kiss her ass and write up a perfectly glowing review about this product. In all my reviews, I’ve always given my honest opinions, good or bad. This is no different. I hate that I have to put that disclaimer in but people can be….short sighted about a lot of things.

And that’s all I’ve got to say about that. On with the review!

Enjoy my weirdness…

The packaging is a nice sturdy cardboard with magnetic closure. I love the red logo on black background, but I’m a red freak so hard to go wrong with that in my eyes. The ingredients and Cruelty Free logo are on the back. The outer package is smooth so it gets beat up easily. That doesn’t bother me, except for when you’d want to take pretty pictures. Otherwise, it’s totally fine.

I do like the size of the mirror - and it’s not one of those cheap, wibbly ones you find in kid’s makeup. I usually don’t use palette mirrors, though, because they don’t have magnification. And my 52 year old, astimagtism laden eyes need their 10x, people!

You can see the inside of the palette is a bit of a mess. But it’s really just that 2nd from the top left, the GORGEOUS icy silvery white shade that causes it. A few of the other shadows are powedery but they don’t get all over the place.

Like you’re mom.

(Wow, sorry about that. I’m feeling feisty today. Fuck it - #sorrynotsorry.)

You can see the palette stayed relatively clean even after some swatches. The purple does get a little powdery so be careful. You’ll see in the eye looks further on just how pigmented some of these shades are, that purple being the best one.

Let me try to go through each row.

TOP ROW: Basically we’ve got a satin finish black, icy white shiimmer, satin gunmetal grey, a matte very very light grey, and a matte white. The first three feel like BUTTAH and work well. I’m really only disappointed in the last two shade. First, they don’t look all that different on the eyes. Second they are hella dry and don’t swatch well so you can’t really tell what they’re like until you use them. And third, they are the least pigmented of the bunch. Almost to the point of being hard to work with. You can work with them, though, so they’re not completely lost causes. I just wish there was more color differentiation and that the white was way more pigmented. To be fair, it’s hard to find a white eye shadow that shows up well (at least on my pale skin).

SECOND ROW (all matte): warm red, grape purple, berry red, deep red, and charcoal grey. The first red is dry and a little finicky but works. The purple, deep red, and grey are like BUTTAH and probably my favorites in the whole palette. Also, layering the warm and deep red together look great. The berry shade is a little dry but again, works well.

LAST ROW: We start with two matte blacks, and the last three shades are actually pressed glitters - or they’re in some kind of gel suspension. Makes them easy to work with. I’m not a glitter kinda gal generally speaking but that silver, irridescent one calls to me in my sleep…(Just always be aware that glitters CAN be problematic in the sense of literally scratching your eyeballs. Didn’t stop me from trying them because I’m an adult and can make my own informed decisions.) The blacks are dry but they still deliver a lot of pigment.

Let’s take a look at some of my creations. I wanted to use every shade in the palette, and I have, and used them over several weeks so I’d have enough of an idea how they work - together, alone, etc.

Obviously the blue in the first look is from another palette, but this was for July 4th so I had to. I mixed the warm and deep reds and put that icy shimmer in the middle. So gorgeous. And these reds lasted all day and into the evening. So, GOOD JOB, REDS!

The second was using that purple and the white. Now, I only dipped into the purple once and got 95% of this look completed. On both eyes! I only dipped back in one more time to sweep the color down around the outside corner of my eyes. HOLY HELL, this is such a gorgeous color. Just be careful when you go in with your brush. You have been warned.

The first look here is was just using the black. That’s it. I wanted to see how it stood on its own two feet, so to speak. No extra primer or sticky base, no black liner or gel color to help saturate it. On its own, this black is pretty damned good.

The second I used that berry shade with some black in the outer corners. It’s not very pigmented but I think it could look super opaque with a base under it.

The last two looks had the same base. I think I mixed the black and deep charcoal grey satins. Then on one eye I put the black glitter, and the other I used the silver irridescent glitter. The black doesn’t pick up as well, and I’m not sure why. But it took a little time just to get that small amount on my eye ball. I may try a glitter glue in the future to see if that helps, but for this first round I wanted to see it on its own. That irridescent glitter, though, is like manna from heaven. Didn’t have to work hard to get that on there and look stunning.

These were just for shits and giggs. I put the black and irridescent glitters over the moon drawn with liquid liner, and the red over the spider of the same base. The red and black work almost the same. Little hard to get on the brush/finger, but they’re fine for what they are.

That about covers it. Over all, I really enjoyed this palette. The quality is good, with just a few exceptions, and the color story is great. I agree with the store owner that you really can’t find all these shades together in one palette so I’m glad she went out and did it herself. This would also make a great companion if you want to play with brighter colors, go rainbow, whatever, but want to add a little dark drama to it.

Interested in trying these for yourself? Head on over to SPOOKYCHICK and get yours today.

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 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 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 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).

Storybook Cosmetics

About a year ago, Storybook Cosmetics popped up on my IG feed (I don’t remember if it was an ad or someone I follow talking about them). And they have this monthly makeup subscription called the Book Club, and the eye shadow palettes look like little books! How cool is that? Naturally, I signed on. I wanted to get at least three of them to test the products properly.

Look at that gorgeous logo!

However, what was originally going to be a monthly service, turned to every other month. Then not exactly sure. Now we don’t know when. After a year, I finally got the third palette, and I think I’m done.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not blaming or shaming anyone here. This business is run by three women (triplets, actually!) so anytime life throws a monkey wrench into the works, the schedule is messed up. I get it - family illness/death, manufacturing problems, supplier issues, global pandemic - that shit is not fun. But I know my ass is impatient, and I don’t want to hang around and wait, hoping no more issues raise their ugly heads.

That said…I really have enjoyed these shadows and lipsticks. The books come with three eye shadows, one lip product, and a bookmark. The last two books also came with eye shadow brushes that are ADORBS. The packaging is not for those who want sleek displays, or to save storage space. These are thicc, even if they are small. Just look at the pictures below to understand what I’m talking about.

Despite my reservations, I do not begrudge anyone who wants to check them out, and maybe sign on for the subscription. You can buy their products individually, too. Check them out here: STORYBOOK COSMETICS

(they’re also cruelty free, so bonus points to them for that!)

So let’s go over each palette I received and talk about them, shall we?

First up was Little Women!

Each book has beautiful detailing, a mirror, a quote from the book, and the bookmark contains the product ingredients. You can see what I mean by the book’s bulk, even though the book is small, so it takes up some room.

The shadows are named after three of the sisters in LW, and Jo gets the honor of the liquid lipstick. The shadows do kick up some powder so be careful when applying. The lipstick formula is wonderful. It never feels super dry when it sets, and it even has a bit of tackiness to it (particularly on the inner rim of the lips). It WILL come off on stuff so be warned. My applicator had a funny little extra bit at the end, but I just cut it off and all was well. I dig the shape of the doe foot itself, though.

I wanted to create at least three looks with each palette. I have to say this color story was the least inspirational to me, but I ended up really digging the simple look of the soft pale green all over the lid.

Next book is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Dig that eye shadow brush, people, with working magnifier! Not that I use it for that, but it’s pretty cool.

This palette scream falls to me. Probably because of the Harvest Orange and Forest Green colors. The lipstick is a more neutral nude color on me, maybe leaning a little yellow once it sets down. But again, the formula is very comfortable. For the eye shadows, I think Watson and Moriarty were my faves, and they worked so well together.

And last, but not least, we have Jane Eyre.

I think I was most excited about this because the pink and rose color story was just calling my name! Not that I’m a pink person at all, but for some reason, these got me excited enough to keep my subscription until it arrived. They are a nice mix of cool and warm tones, too. The brush feels a lot cheaper than the Sherlock one, but that could be because the Sherlock one has actual thick glass in it!

Instead of a liquid lipstick this time, we got a gloss. Decently pigmented, thick, not sticky at all, and super comfortable. Probably my favorite lip product of all three.

I loved all the shades in this palette and can see myself using this more than the others. Well, except for maybe Watson and Moriarty. Oooh, we could have a palette party!

Like I said, I loved the idea of this. As a writer, how could I not? The shadow formulas are nice, little powdery, but they perform well. The lip products are pretty and comfortable. All in all, these are good products. I just don’t have the patience to keep my subscription, not knowing if it’ll stay on schedule or be more “well, we’ll ship it when we can”. I did put a link to the company above, though, so please check them out and see for yourselves what they’ve got going on!

Morgue Drawer April 2020

Who wants to trash talk? And by that I mean talk about my garbage, not bad mouth and gossip about bullshit and politics.

For the newbs, this is the post where I talk about all the products I’ve used up over the past few months. AKA empties. Let’s take a look!

BEAT THAT MUG

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Puppy Love: This was a limited edition shade for a fundraiser CP had. It supported dog rescue efforts so OF COURSE I had to buy it. It was a lovely, soft peach shade. Great for a simple, one-color-all-over look. I had it for years but it’s finally dried out. *WAAAAAH*

NYX Pore Filler Face Primer: This is one of those cream colored primers that blur the appearance of pores. This does work pretty well, but it can look a little dry. I probably won’t get it again.

Catrice Multi-Talent Fixing Spray: I love this stuff. It works great at sealing in my makeup, and it gives my skin a gorgeous glow (think shiny but not greasy or metallic). They have a Dewy and Glow version but I don’t think that one gives any better effect than this one. Personal choice, I guess!

So many mascaras…

Covergirl Clump Crusher: I used to love this before I went cruelty free a few years ago. But now that CG is cruelty free (HOORAY!), I bought this again. Unfortunately, it’s not as good as I remember. Doesn’t give much length or volume. It does separate the lashes nicely, but it works better if you layer it with something else.

The Balm Mad Lash: Love love love this mascara! Great at lengthening and adding volume. I usually don’t buy it because it’s $18. But as of my typing this, there’s a flash sale of 50% at the site. WHOOP! I hope that doesn’t mean they’re discontinuing it and are getting rid of stock…

Buxom Volumizing Mascara: I think this is the volumizing one. There’s no indication on the sample tube but it looks like the one on the Buxom website. It was…okay. Better as a layering mascara.

Medusa’s Makeup Witch Lash: This is great stuff. Not for volume; okay for lengthening. But if you combine it with a mascara that transfers or smudges, the Witch Lash will stop it from doing that. I don’t know how - this is not the waterproof version. It’s MAGIC. (the link goes to the Twilight Blue color because I can’t find the black one - they may not make it anymore. SON OF A BI-)

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes: One of my favorite mascaras of all time. But I only buy it on sale because $23 for a tube of mascara is fucking nuts. But Ulta has it on sale a few times a year; sometimes Tarte will run a promotion.

MY SKIN WOULD MAKE A GREAT LAMPSHADE

Mario Badescu Rose Facial Spray: Been using this for years. Still love it.

The Ordinary Niacinamide Zinc Serum: Niacinamide is the one ingredient that’s made a visible difference in my skin care routine. It’s supposed to minimize the appearance of pores and gods damn, it really does. I’ve used this one and the Fourth Ray Beauty one (Colourpop’s skin care line). Both are equally effective. I’ve heard some YouTubers say the 10% concentration is too low for more mature skin, but I call bullshit. I only started using this last year, when I was 49 (or maybe even after I turned 50) and it worked great for me. I switch between brands because my skin does acclimate after a while, but I’ve had no issues with either CP or The Ordinary.

The Ordinary HA Moisturizer: This was just an ordinary (no pun intended) moisturizer. Didn’t do anything special. Since there’s no SPF in, I used it at night. But either way, it wasn’t all that. I’ve learned that hyaluronic acid doesn’t really do anything for my skin.

Context Vitamin C Eye Cream: I think I got this in an Ipsy bag about 100 years ago. It’s a thin, gel-like cream. It’s fine but doesn’t really DO anything. Plus it’s old so it’s gotta go.

Formula 10.0.6 Day Cream: Been using this for years. Still love it.

ELF Gentle Peeling Gel: I technically haven’t used this up but the pump broke, so I just put the product in a squeeze tube. I love peeling gels. I don’t know why, but they are really nice gentle exfoliators. This one is nice.

Pacifica Cherry Lava Purify Mask: This was a decent mask. Smelled like cherries, so it was right up my alley. But it’s gotten old and the last time I used it, it broke me out. Oh well. (Pacifica no longer makes it so I can’t, in good conscience, link you to an Amazon store that sells it for almost $30, when Pacifica sold it for around $12-15).

Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Mud Mask: I adore this mask. Clay/mud mask products work very well on my skin. If I’ve got some stubborn breakouts, I use this and almost overnight, they’re gone or on their way out. Love the smell (orange), too. But it’s gotten old, just like the Pacifica one, and broke me out last time I used it. For some reason it’s labeled as PREORDER of the Formula 10.0.6 website so…not sure what that’s about.

Look At Me Watermelon Face Mask: It’s been a while since I used this but if I remember correctly, I loved this. It smells fantastic, and my skin felt great the next day. And no breakouts! (I got this and the charcoal one through MyFaceTory subscription and they now have a store front!)

Naisture Charcoal Face Mask: I loved the feel of the cotton mask itself - very soft. I don’t think the smell was anything to write home about but my skin loved it.

SQUEAKY CLEAN

Babyganic Baby Wipes: I used to get these at my grocery store. But they don’t carry them anymore. You can find these at a bunch of other places, though, like CVS, Meijer, Target, Kroger, Walmart. They’re ERRWHERE.

The Potion Cabinet Shower Gel in Flesh Squeezed Virgin Blood (aka Black Cherry): I love the shower gels from this Etsy store. And this smelled like tart cherry candy, actually. But the scent doesn’t linger on the skin to compete with any other scented products you might use. The gel itself is great and makes my skin feel really soft. Highly recommend any scent of theirs (right now looks like this scent is out of stock).

Beauty of Joseon Cleansing Balm: I got this is my Daebak box and though it’s a sample, I got two uses out of it. The first time was great but the second, when I really worked it on my eye makeup, I woke up the next day with crusty itchy eyes. This is the 3rd or 4th balm that’s done that so I’m officially never using cleansing balms again. It does work at taking off makeup, though, so if you enjoy these kinds of products, I would recommend it!

The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash: I love to use this as my cleanser at night. I enjoy the scent of tea tree oil, and it is rather strong in this product, so keep that in mind if you want to try it. It works great with my skin.

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Cream Cleanser: I use this in the morning. It’s a very gentle cream cleanser. It’s nothing too extraordinary but it gets the job done.

GEE, YOUR HAIR SMELLS TERRIFIC

Hask Argan Oil Dry Shampoo: I’ve tried almost all of the Hask dry shampoos and I think this one is my favorite. Smells great, doesn’t create too much white cast in the hair (unless you go balls to the wall spraying it), good job at decreasing the look of oil in your hair. And OF COURSE it’s no longer sold at Hask or other retails. MOTHER FUC-

Raw Sugar Texture Dry Shampoo in Coconut and Maqui Berry scent: I have the Raw Boost cream that works wonders on my hair, keeping it smooth. So I wanted to try something else. This dry shampoo….doesn’t really do anything. Doesn’t really add that much texture, either. But it smells fantastic!

Giovanni 2Chic Blackberry and Coconut Oil Hair Oil Serum: I love this stuff. It’s a little harder to find in stores now, but you can still get it at the Giovanni website. This is like a cross between a gel and an oil, not too thin, not too thick. Great at controlling frizz, and smoothing out waves or curls. Smells amazeballs, too!

EvolvH Smart Volume Leave In Conditioner: I got this YEARS ago, maybe in a Petite Vour bag? Not sure, but I was nervous to use it because this kind of thing usually leaves my hair weighed down and looking greasy. In fact, I said that in the initial unboxing and the company actually replied on my post, guaranteeing the product wouldn’t do that. And I’ll be damned if they weren’t right. This was really nice for my hair. And now that I’ve been bleaching my hair for a while, I might look into purchasing a full bottle.

Raw Sugar Boost (not pictured): I grabbed a bottle of this at Meijer on a whim. This stuff is awesome! It keeps my hair frizz to a minimum; helps the waves/curls keep their shape as my hair dries, too. It’s so nice. Looks like it only comes in the small size, which is fine because mine lasted for months (to be fair - I only wash my hair 1-2x a week and only use this when my hair is still wet).

DEBRIS

Tom’s of Main Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste: My go to for toothpaste. I did actually go a week or two without using it, just to make sure it was actually working. Holy shit, my teeth hurt so much before I went back. GAH. Will continue to purchase and use this product.

Mitchum Women Stick Deoderant: Love this stuff. Works great. Smells great. Is great. This was the gel form, but I prefer the solid stick. Both work well, but the gel takes a while to dry down and it still leaves white marks on your clothes if you’re not careful.

Cake Beauty Ultra-Nourishing Hand Cream: Again, not available from Cake Beauty anymore, so I just linked to their general hand cream page. This stuff was awesome. Absorbed fast, made my skin feel great, and smelled like lemon cake. Aaahhh….But this stuff is really old and started to smell kinda funky.

All righty. We’ve reached the bottom of the bin. Hope some of this was helpful, if you’re looking for recommendations. Until next time!

PDs, MEHs, and GFYs April 2020

I’m considering changing the name of these posts. The title is just a little long and not all that snappy, you dig? Something more like Yay or Nay, maybe Dead or Alive? I don’t know. I’m gonna ponder it for a while. Maybe by the next post, I’ll have my shit together. In the meantime…

For those of you who are new here, this is basically my likes and dislikes of products I’ve used over the past 3 months. Some are things I’ve fallen in love with and can’t sing their praises enough; others are products that make me want to burn this whole damn world down. Let’s take a look!

PDs (Panty Droppers)

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Cuddle Buddy: I love me some CP super shocks. The only bad thing is that many of them dry out loooong before you can use them up. Case in point here. I loved the shade - a shiny, cool-toned pink that was a perfect color for me to put all over my eyelid and call it a day. But it’s crumbly and hard to work with now. Would definitely get it again, except they don’t sell this shade anymore. Dammit.

Tarte Clay Pot Waterproof Liner in Prom Queen: Absolutely loved this shade. I have nothing like it in my stash. It’s a mid-tone cool purple, and shows up surprisingly well over a lot of eye shadow shades. But, like CP, it started to dry out and is difficult to use now. They don’t sell this shade anymore, but they have three colors still available and on sale for $10! That’s cheap for Tarte.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: This is my go-to base to put on my eye lids anytime I want an eye shadow to really stand out or to help with the pigmentation (I’ve tried other pencils and even white gel eyeliner, but they don’t work as well as this). Some shadows look rather sheer on their own, but put them over a white or black base and voila! Perfection achieved. This pencil is sooper old, though, and is unusable. And really gross. I already got a new one!

MEHs (Mehs)

ELF Eye Shadow Primer in Sheer: Though it says the color is ‘sheer’, there is some pigmentation here. It does cover discoloration, veins, etc., a little bit. I, personally, don’t like any color (like the Milani primer) but this is fine. However, its staying power is rather lacking. It holds eye shadows for just a few hours at most. I have really oily eye lids so maybe that has something to do with it. For the price ($3) it’s not horrible. It was actually the first eye primer I ever used, when I’d learned there was such a thing, but it was only $1 then!

TheYEON Jeju Canola Honey Clean Balm: One of those cleansing balms from Korea. Works great at removing makeup; smells nice. But I’ve developed a reaction to cleansing balms when I use them on my eyes (or if it gets in my eyes while using it on the rest of my face). They get all red, itchy, and crusty the morning after I use the balm. So I just can’t bring myself to finish this tub.

Pacifica Liquid Cover Full Coverage Lasting Concealer in 20NF: Don’t let that name fool you. It is NOT full coverage by any means (which is fine since I don’t like full coverage). But I bought it because it did claim it wasn’t drying and felt lightweight. It does feel light. So much so that it doesn’t cover anything. Well, maybe it adds a little coverage to the purple under my eyes, and was okay as a spot concealer. But it mostly it just blends away, leaving the skin looking kinda dry. It might work better for people with oilier skin or don’t have as many years on them as I do.

GFYs (Go Fuck Yourselves)

Colourpop Glitterally Obsessed Body Glitter in Wish Me Luck: What is the fucking purpose of this stuff? You use it once and that’s it. Even with a sealed container, this shit is completely useless after one application. And surprise, it’s not available on the site anymore. Just pressed glitters and glitter gels, which you have to dig to find because they’re not on any pop up menus. Figures.

Burt’s Bees Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment: If by treatment you mean it completely dries out the lips so you put on more balm, which dries out your lips MORE, so you put on MORE balm, which dries out the lips even MORE….do you see where I’m going with this?

Essence The Eyebrow Pen in Dark Brown: I’m practically crying over here as I type this. This is the 2nd pen I bought, just in case the first one was a dud (it happens in every makeup brand). NOOOOOOOPE. This pen was even worse than the last one. At least I got one eyebrow done with the last pen. I didn’t even get that with this one. Semi-permanent color, my ASS, Essence. FUCK YOU.

Real Techniques Eye Miracle and Finish Miracle Remedy Sponges: What the fucking fuck is the point of these? They don’t absorb water; they’re hard as rocks; they don’t blend out makeup. WHY DO THESE EVEN EXIST?? Gods dammit, RT. What the hell are you doing over there? Laughing all the way to the bank, I presume.

Okay. That’s it for this quarter. Hope everyone is being smart, staying safe and healthy, and hanging on to their sanity in any way they can. Until next time!

PDs, MEHs, and GFYs 2019 Year End

I’ve had my empties and other products sitting in my office, waiting on me to get my shit together and start reviewing, for over a week! Gah, I hate year end madness and my general laziness…

Anyway, let’s get into the final PDs, MEHs, and GFYs for the year 2019.

PDs (Panty Droppers)

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Rain: This lasted FOREVER - I tried to pan it, but just couldn’t get there. It did finally start to dry out, so I have to get rid of it. But the color is soft and gorgeous, and it doesn’t look like my John was keeping his pimp hand strong when I get out of line. They don’t have the purple color anymore (cries softly) but they have a lot of gorgeous shades.

Milani Eye Shadow Primer: This is the best shadow primer for me. I’ve tried a bunch of others, but nothing compares to this (cue Sinead O’Connor). I didn’t quite finish it up because it takes such a small amount to work, but it was getting dry and not working as well. I have since repurchased.

Merchant of Galifry Lip Balm in Cassian scent: Got this from Etsy and it was a great lip balm. Again, I didn’t finish it up in time before the texture started to change and the smell went a little off. The store doesn’t make lip balms anymore, unfortunately.

Joah Truly Yours Liquid Foundation in Ivory: This is a BEAUTIFUL foundation. Light to medium coverage, looks so nice on the skin. Doesn’t look like a mask, very natural, even gives a bit of a glow/dewy look. But the color changed - it’s way too dark now - even though I haven’t even had it a year. So if you get this, be sure to use it up quickly. They did come out with a couple lighter colors, so now I have Porcelain. Fingers crossed it doesn’t darken!

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Supernatural Eye Shadow Palette: I found this at a horror convention back in 2016, I think. I’ve already posted about their lipstick in Lacrimosa that was one of my favorites. This is a gorgeous palette, colors are pigmented, and perform well. But they are super soft and one broke on me - so don’t travel with them! But now that it’s been 3 years, the texture has changed a bit and they don’t perform well, which happens to us all when we get old, amirite?

MEHs (just what it says)

Ulta Brow Tint in Medium: I used to love this brow gel, but I think they changed the formula or I got an off container. The gel is very gloppy and hard to work with. The color is awesome and the hold was great. I don’t have a lot of brow hairs, though what I’ve got appreciated this. But now I can’t seem to use it anymore. *le sigh*

Essence Make Me Brow in Browny Brow: See above. But it’s $3. If you have thicker brows than I do (which is EVERYONE), this could work just fine.

Covergirl Exhibitionist Mascara: Now that CG is cruelty free (HOORAY!) I thought I’d try this mascara that everyone and their Aunt Flo has their panties in a twist over. It’s…really nothing special. It gives a soft natural look, darkens the lashes nicely, and I love the brush. But do I need to shout from the mountaintops that it changed my life? Uh…no.

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Baby Talk: I got this thinking it was going to be a rich red color but it’s a pink/magenta. It’s gorgeous, but not what I expected (if I had read the color description, I wouldn’t have been surprised - DOH). Also, it’s already dried up, and I never even got to his pan on it. Gah.

Revolution (formerly Makeup Revolution) Fast Base Concealer in C4: It’s a decent concealer, helped a bit with the purple under my eyes, and I liked that it matched my skin tone perfectly. But it does end up looking a little dry after a while. I also think the color darkened a bit (like the Joah foundation did). Not terrible, but not my favorite.

GFYs (Go Fuck Yourselves)



Essence Eyebrow Pen in Dark Brown: THIS IS SOME SERIOUS BULLSHIT. This is one of those brow markers that has the jagged tip, to make drawing several hair shapes at once easier. And when I tried it on my right brow, it was brilliant! I couldn’t believe it! So I went to draw on the left eyebrow….and the pen was dried out. NOT FUCKING KIDDING. I practically had to scratch my skin off to get any color out of it after using it ONE FUCKING TIME. It could be that I got a dud so I did purchase another, but I’m terrified to try it because I’ll only get one use! This is too fucking stressful, Essence. Get your shit together. Just because you’re inexpensive, shouldn’t mean your products end up in the shit pile.

Joah Wand Me Up Concealer in Fair: Completely useless. I’d dab product under my eye, blend it out, and it disappeared. I tried to build it up. Nothing. I don’t get it. Is there invisible ink in it or something? Total waste of money.

ELF Jelly Pop Flush Blush in Berry Pop: At first, I had this under the MEHs, but the more I thought about it, and retested it, this product is terrible. It’s hard to blend, and looks so patchy on the skin. When you slather it on the back of your hand for a swatch, the color is super pretty. But it’s just way too difficult to work with on the face and seriously, there are so many other cream or liquid blushes out there that work so much better. Fuck this noise.

So that wraps it up for this year. I look forward to 2020 and all the goodness, fun, and fiery rage new products will be offering. Hope you all have a wonderful remaining 2019!

PDs, MEHs, and GFYs June 2019

Surprisingly this month, I have fewer duds than goodies. Huh. Not sure I like this turn of events…Anyway, here are some products I’ve really enjoyed, felt indifferent toward, or just plain hated. Hope you like it!

(For those of you who are new here, PD - Panty Droppers; MEH - meh; GFY - Go Fuck Yourself)

PDs

Makeup Geek Gel Liner in Poison: This was the first red gel eyeliner I ever used. I had this thing for YEARS and it wouldn’t dry out! Great color, did not budge, didn’t make my eyes look like I was sick, either. Red and pinks can do that… It did finally dry up, though, so it was too difficult to use. Highly recommend this product! But…it looks like MG doesn’t make gel liners anymore. GAH!

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Primer: I loved this primer. It really smooths out the appearance of my Nebraska-sized pores, and the texture is almost like a mousse. Feels great on the skin, more like a moisturizer.

Colourpop Lip Gloss in Fairy Floss: My absolute favorite nude gloss ever. Unfortunately, after years of faithful service, it now tingles when I put it on. That’s less than optimal, so I gotta toss it. I’ve already ordered a replacement.

MEH

NYX Worth the Hype Mascara: It’s not. It does make the lashes look darker, but more natural and not a lot of volume. I don’t mind that, but this doesn’t do what it says.

Colourpop Brow Boss Gel: I don’t really get this product. It’s white and feels like lotion, which doesn’t really do much for keeping rogue brow hairs in place. But because it’s not tinted, it’s less messy to work with, which is nice.

Bobbi Brown Illuminating Moisture Balm: I love the glow this stuff gives - so pretty. But the smell is horrendous! Very much like chemicals and plastic. UGH.

Katy Perry x Covergirl Katy Kat Lip Gloss in Cobalt Kitty: I originally posted about this a while ago because I thought it was such a fun color. And it is! But it’s streaky and difficult to work with. Very patchy, low pigment, and wearing it over a lip liner or another lip product doesn’t help.

GFY

ELF Velvet Touch Eye Shadow in Island Breeze: I got this little palette free with an order from ELF. And now I know why. They probably can’t get rid of these fast enough. The colors look pretty but they pigment is just not there. You can’t build them up and what goes on the lids does NOT last. The high moisture content is disgusting. The plastic package had smears of something wet on it - I’m hoping just the water or oils from the shadows themselves. They feel mushy and the peach shade was very wet. Blech.

Colourpop Jelly Much Shadow in Hallucinogenius: I really liked this stuff at first. It was squishy, like a jelly, but the color and sparkle were so pretty. But I only used this stuff two or three times, and I made sure the little pot was closed tightly after every use. But this stuff is dry and hard now, and all I get is a little sparkle on my finger. WHAT THE FUCK?

That’s it for this month. See you guys down the road!

BH Cosmetics - Aurora Lights Palette

I (now) have three palettes from BH Cosmetics, but for some reason, I really wanted to do a review of this one. I mentioned the Zodiac one in a past ‘favorites’ post, and I’m sure I’ve brought up Galaxy Chic. This one, however, really spurred me to take pictures of some of the looks I created, and to talk about them.

Maybe down the road, I’ll review the other palettes I have (especially if their NEW Zodiac palette is included on a really good sale - I’m talking 45% or more off.) For now, let’s take a look at this beauty: The Aurora Lights Palette.

(this is not sponsored; I bought this with my own money; all opinions are my honest ones)

This is another baked shadow palette, like Galaxy Chic, and all the shades are shimmery - some have glitter, some are just SOOOPER shiny. There are different formulas as well. From the BH website: The celestial-inspired hues and finishes - ranging from sheer-color, high-shine glitter topcoats, to entrancing ultra-reflective metallics and rich shades with intense pigment payoff deliver striking impact and light-catching dimension. 

The bottom two pics above show the powder kick-up on these. Pretty much all of them do this, some more than others, but if a shadow is still easy to work with and blend, I have no issue with a little mess.

In the swatch pictures below, you will see how some colors are more sheer, and others are just buh-BLAM with pigment.

Soooo preeeeetty….though my swatches leave a little to be desired. It’s hard to catch the shift/duo-chrome nature of some of these shadows.

There are two colors in the Aurora palette that are similar to shades in the Galaxy Chic, but that’s about it. Nothing comes close to the Zodiac one that I have, and I can’t speak on the new Zodiac palette. But if this is all I’ve got that’s close in tone/shade, I’m good with it.

The Galaxy Chic colors, Neptune and Earth, are similar in tone to the Aurora shades. Neptune is just a bit lighter than Magnetic, and Earth is almost neutral or maybe a bit warmer than Polar.

Below are a few looks I created with the Aurora Lights palette. I brought in a few colors from other palettes or single shadows. As pretty and shiny as these AL colors are, sometimes it’s hard to pull off a full-on chrome look. I hate to sound so cliche or like a generic YouTube beauty guru (barf,) sometimes you really do need to add in other finishes and shades to create more dimension.

I don’t remember what dark shade I used in the outer corner, but Magnetic is on the outer edge, then Polar in the middle, and finally Prismatic in the inner corner (over Polar). Pretty sure that’s the NYX Epic Ink liner, too (damn, I knew I should have taken notes…)

Again, not sure on the outer V, but I think it was one of the dark brown shades from the Makeup Revolution Light and Shade palette (you know, the knock off of the Kat Von D Shade and Light palette.) The rest are Aurora - the lid is Glowing, and the inner corner is Sparkling, which looks very yellow-gold when you put it over the Glowing shade.

Again, more Light and Shade brown on the outer V. Then Luminous all over the lid, and a little Kaleidoscope around the tear duct (it looks really pink here, but I it’s one of those peach/pink shifty bitches.)

And finally there’s this one. I actually only used one color from the AL palette - the inner lid is 24K. The outer V is a Colourpop dark brown shade; the middle, and a titch along the inner crease, is the deeper yellow from the NYX Brights palette; I think the inner corner/tear duct is a Laura Gellar highlighter. Pay no attention to the muddled blending or heaviness and cracking look toward the inner lid. I tried a cut crease with a really thick concealer, and I put too much on; it was hard to smooth out/blend in. Otherwise, I love how this turned out!

All these shadows lasted all day (or at the very least, 4-5 hours) without creasing or fading or flaking. I didn’t end up with bits of glitter all over my face after a few hours, which can happen with glittery formulas. Overall, I’m super happy with this palette. If you’ve never tried BH COSMETICS before, head over to their website. They’ve got a lot of different stuff, and it’s all pretty reasonably priced. HOWEVER - they do have a lot of sales, so keep checking to find the best deal!

Have you ever tried any of their products? What did you think?

Makeup Monsters' The Dragon Child Eye Shadow Palette

I've been following Makeup Monsters on InstaGram for a while now but have not purchased anything before this palette. I just like seeing the stuff they create and sell and figured I'd be inspired to buy something some day. 

And that day has come.

I've never pre-ordered any makeup palette before but the theme alone made me do it. Anyone who knows me, knows I love dragons. I ordered this in May and just got it the first week of July. And believe me, it was worth the wait.

Now, from what I understand, Makeup Monsters will be changing their business name and plan starting next year. They will become Makeup Menagerie because they love all animals and want a portion of their future proceeds to go to help animals. Which I think it's pretty tits. They will eventually phase out some products but this palette will stick around so if you're interested in it after reading my review, go find them. MAKEUP MONSTERS

(This is not a sponsored post; I bought this palette with my own money; All opinions are my honest ones.)

The palette is up front with the matching sleeve in the back. Both holographic. Both cool.

So far I've used this palette to create three looks but there's a lot of potential in here. Don't expect to get anything neutral out of it - if bright colors are not your thing, you might skip this one.

The palette retails for $42 and you get 12 shades - 10 mattes, 2 metallics (no info on how much product is in each pan, though). The packaging has a nice heft to it which makes me think it'll be good for travelling. The colors are super pigmented and the shimmers feel like butter. The mattes feel a little dry but they perform great. These pics were taken in natural light and they are true to color. I've seen other pics where Flame Tongue looks like Sugarpill's Love+ but it's not a true red at all. You'll see the swatches below.

I did NOT go ham-fisted for the swatches. I swirled my finger in each pan twice then wiped on my skin. The first fingertips pic is before swatching; the second is after. Still a lot of color left behind! 

You can see how much powder is kicked up just from the finger swatches. So when you go in with a brush, there's even more. Just be aware of that and go gentle...easy does it. There you go.

You'll also note that the blue colors stain the skin. It's not forever. By the end of the day, my fingers were fine. But when I wore them on my eyes, the stain lasted a good 24 hours after I removed the shadow. Not so much that it looked like I'd been in a fight with Leon Spinx but it was noticeable on my pale skin. It might not be as bad on darker skin tones.

Below are the looks I created.

I used Flame Tongue (orange red) in the crease, Mother Dragon (brick/burgandy red) in the outer V, Firefly (yellow gold shimmer) on the lid, and Dragon Rider (neon turquoise) on the lower lash line (over the LA Girl gel liner in Royal Blue). I couldn't quite capture the lovely sparkle of Firefly, even when I took a video, but I might try again. It is so gorgeous.

The blue look didn't turn out how I expected. Myth or Legend and Dragon Rider look VERY similar on the eyes. I also started with a neutral crease color from another palette so that could have affected the look.

Myth or Legend and Wyrm (bright teal and periwinkle) in the crease ; Dragon Rider (bright turquoise) on the lid; Cave Dweller (navy blue) in the outer V; some Stone Drake (lavender) above the crease to add some purple, since the blues were all kind of merging into one color, and Lucky on the inner corner. I used a Tarte purple gel liner for my wing and lower lash line, then smudged some Stone Drake over the bottom lash line.

It's hard to believe there are this many colors on my eyes as it appears to be only 2-3, which is a little disappointing. But, I will try to use them again - just not all at the same time. The teal of Myth or Legend might stand out more against the green, reds, lavenders, or the charcoal grey.

So far the most disappointing factor is the similarities between Dragon Rider and Myth or Legend, and Wyrm and Stone Drake. I feel like one of each of those pairs could have been replaced with something else. Even Dragon Child, which does have the mint green aspect, still looks more blue.

You can see in the above swatches how similar the periwinkle/lavender shades are. And, though the blues are more pigmented and you can see more teal on the left, on the eyes they translate as identical. This was taken with natural light coming through the window over my shoulder.

For the final look, I wanted to give the green shade, Sleeping Dragon, the spotlight. It is a more muted green, like Kelly Green and Forest Green had a baby. So I put NYX's jumbo pencil in Milk down first. The bright mint color, Dragon Child, is in the crease and along the lower lash line over a NYX eye liner in Sea Foam Green, and Smoke Em Out (charcoal grey) is in the outer V and a little in the crease, as well. Finally put Firefly in the inner corner.

I do like how the Smoke Em Out shade almost morphs into a complementary color when placed next to something else. So it kind of looks like a forest green here. I'll have to play around with it and see if it does the same thing with the other bright colors, which would be disappointing because then I imagine the blues will look like Cave Dweller. But we'll see!

UPDATE: After wearing this look for about 8 hours, I did notice some fading/creasing where the Smoke Em Out color is. I'm not talking about the very corner where the two lids meet (that's where my eyes water and oil builds up). I mean the lines that are extending from the outer V onto the lid. That kind of creasing doesn't happen a lot, even for me, but when it does, it's usually lower quality shadows or the less pigmented ones. *sad trombone*

I think I would have liked a deeper purple color to replace one of the lavenders; keep just one of the bright blues and give the other a metallic finish; and change the mint green to a more neon shade or perhaps another metallic or even satin finish.

But that's just me. And I'm not saying I don't like this palette or regret buying it. I'm pretty happy with it and I plan to get a lot of use out of it.

If you're looking for a soft or neutral eye look, this ain't for you. Even if some of the colors are softer or muted, they pack a lot of punch! And, so far, I've had no issues with fading or creasing throughout the day. Even as I apply them, I haven't had tons of fall out on my face, and they do kick up a lot of powder, though I am careful not to overload the brush.

I have to say I'm very impressed with this palette. It makes me want to buy a few more of their other makeup items to see if they are just as gorgeous. Click the link above if you'd like to check them out for yourselves!

RK Makeup by Kiss Review

I wasn't planning to write up this review, rather post a couple pics of a new brand of makeup I saw at CVS. But here I am, a dozen pictures later and doing research on this company.

(NOT SPONSORED, I PAID FOR EVERYTHING I'M REVIEWING)

RK by Kiss

KISS appears to be mainly a nail care manufacture but they sell a few different brands under their umbrella. This is the main gist from their website, kissusa.com:

Kiss is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of professional quality nail products. The company originated in the lucrative beauty supply market. As the popularity of the products soared, distribution was quickly expanded to the mass-market arena from Walgreens to WalMart. Capitalizing on this success, Kiss became the first company to bring quality, professional nail care directly to the consumer, creating easy-to-use, all-in-one kits so she can achieve Salon Results at home. Today, the Kiss line of products has expanded to include nail care, nail jewelry, nail art, and manicure & pedicure tools. Each of these quality products originated from Kiss's innovative thinking and vast salon experience. 

Kiss does have links for the brands they sell so I headed on over to RK, or Ruby Kisses. Not much really in the way of information on them, though. From their site, rubykissescosmetics.com:

Our passion lies in not only enhancing a woman's individual appearance, but to deliver quality products at affordable prices. We take great pride in being able to provide a wide range of colors cosmetics to women of all shades and ethnicities.

I have an app on my phone that will scan the bar code of any product and tell me if the company is cruelty free or not. The app gave me the all clear, though the brand is still on the "pending" list at Logical Harmony (which basically means the company hasn't responded to inquiries yet). So for now we'll go with "it's possible!"

The RK site doesn't list the lipstick, mascara, OR eye shadow palette I bought at CVS (rather peculiar but may be exclusive to in-store purchase only). So I really just don't know what the hell is going on with this brand. They are SUPER inexpensive products so could be trying to give Wet n Wild a run for its money (and their prices have begun to climb - not all but $9 for a foundation that's half the weight of a standard bottle is high for them).

I've tried all three products so I can at least give you my first impressions of them. 

EYE SHADOW PALETTE - Break of Dawn (Dear Diary Series, whatever that means)

This is a very soft-toned, neutral palette. I think it even says on the back that these are for creating every day, natural looks. And I would agree with that. I feel that I could intensify the darker shades with a dark sticky base. I'll have to experiment with that. 

You can see from the second image that after just doing a few finger swatches the pans already show some wear. The shadows are very powdery but that doesn't necessarily translate to good pigment. The hand swatch shows they don't have much color payoff but you can't always tell how well a shadow will perform from swatches, though again, I believe they're meant for softer eye looks.

The fourth picture is what the palette looked like after I did my eye makeup. There is powder fall out errwhere. The shimmery lid shades I used dropped glitter all over the place, too. They were small bits, like micro glitter, but very hard to remove. I highly recommend shadow shields, a shit ton of powder under the eyes that will catch the glitter then you can wipe it away, or maybe some glitter glue. I put yellow dots on the colors I used:

2nd row, middle shade (matte light tan): crease.

1st row, middle shade (light peach w/white glitter): eyelid

3rd row, third shade (white w/white glitter) THEN first shade (deeper pink w/white glitter): eyelid, over the original peach shade because it hardly showed up even after wetting my brush, which did help but not much. Then that white glittery shade completely wiped off so I used the deeper pink shade.

4th row, middle shade (satin reddish-dark brown): outer corner, crease. This shade worked the best so far.

1st row, first shade (matte cream): under brow bone

The end look is super pretty, very soft, and I guess what would be called 'romantic' because of the pink and peach tones. I want to work with it more, try some glitter glue or wet bases to help with pigmentation and fall out.

The packaging is plastic but feels pretty sturdy. In fact, it snaps closed so well that I struggled to open it back up! Each pan holds .035 ounces of product for a total of .42 ounces. There are 2 matte shades, 5 satins, and 5 glitters (other 12 pan palettes I found vary from .3 to .6 ounces and cost anywhere from $7 to $55). This palette was $2.99.

EXTEND ILLUSION FIBER MASCARA - Black

I don't think I realized this was one of those fiber mascaras, which I've never used before (that I can remember). It could be what's making my eyes feel gritty right now...or all the damn glitter from the shadow. But I love trying new mascaras so I figured what the hell.

It feels pretty dry right out of the tube but sometimes mascaras take a few uses to loosen up. I love the bristle brush though I prefer a more tapered end, not the blunt cut of the inner wire to be poking out. You can see the fibers in the close up pics, too. Looks kinda funky, right?

It definitely lengthens my lashes. I have slightly long and curled lashes to start but this shit sends them up to my brows! We'll have to see if there's transfer, which is what the Catrice Glam and Doll mascara did. But for a first time use, I really like it. I prefer a more natural look as opposed to the false lash effect or clumpy spidery lashes.

The packaging is plastic and really lightweight. Feels kind of cheap. You get .5 ounces of product in the tube. A lot of mascaras average .24 (the more expensive ones) to .44 (drugstore brands). This cost me $3.99.

FOREVER MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICK - Wild Fire

I couldn't test the long-term wear of this product but I just had to know how it looked and performed when eating. This probably sounds tiresome to those who know me but my Invisalign trays fuck up all my lipstick metrics. Even ones that don't get all over my teeth get over my trays so it's really hard to judge all aspects of them. So I stopped wearing lipstick until I'm done with the trays (which should be in a month or so!!!!). I knew I was about to eat breakfast so I thought, let's get this baby on my lips and see what happens.

Might be me but does the packaging on this look like it's going for a Kylie Cosmetics vibe with the drips...? I couldn't possibly care less about the Kardashian family and their beauty products but I'd hate to see another brand get in trouble for copying.

First off, it's a thin formula but not watery. It eventually dries completely but it gives you some time to play and move it around (in case you mess up or go outside the lip line or whatever) which I appreciate! I only had it on for about 10 minutes before eating and it felt comfortable, didn't transfer, and looked beautiful. It started out more tomato red (that little hint of orange which I don't like that much) but it dried down a touch darker and looked more like a true red.

As soon as my lips got wet, the product stared to come off. Mostly the inner rim of both lips, more so on the bottom. It got all over my bagel and the coffee cup but MIRACULOUSLY didn't get all over my face. I only dabbed at my lips once while eating and I expected there to be lipstick all over my chin, under my nose, on the sides of my mouth. NOPE. And I put A LOT of butter on my bagel.

Damn that sounds dirty...

Anyway, I put on another layer just to see how it would work before taking it off. Layered just fine. Didn't get thick or crumbly at all. It was a bitch to remove, though, which makes sense since a lot of it didn't come off with eating. I have to say I'm impressed for something that only costs $1.99.

The packaging is plastic, feels lightweight but not cheap. I love the rose gold accents. Comes with .1 ounces of product (a lot of other brands on the market vary from .07 to .26, both high end and drugstore pricing).

I have to say I had fun with my new discovery. I look forward to playing with these a bit more and get a better feel for them. They sell a lot of different products so I'm interested to see what else could be a new favorite. For anyone just learning about makeup or who doesn't want to spend a fuck ton of cash on a new brand, RK could be your go-to. Which ones do you want to try? (Check for them at CVS, Ebay, Amazon, Target - those are the places I found listed on-line)

Ipsy March 2018 Review

For those who don't know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service. For $10, you get 4-5 sample sized (sometimes full sized) makeup, hair, and skin care products, as well as a reusable makeup bag. Check them out here: IPSY

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

March's theme has something to do with creating. Whatever. I don't particularly like the bag but I do enjoy being able to color it in. That's kinda cool. But let's get to the products!

Labotica Transforming Liquid Foil Mask: While this stuff looks super cool (like you're mutating into the Silver Surfer), the description of "gentle" and "great for sensitive skin" can SUCK MY BALLS. This stuff bonded to my face like the Man in the Iron Mask. It was not gentle to remove, my skin was irritated as fuck, and I broke out in a couple places across my chin. It's made by Leaders Cosmetics, a Korean brand, and it's on the "Pending List" over at Logical Harmony (which means they've reached out to the company about their cruelty free status but haven't heard back yet). Full size is $32 so this sample should be valued around $6.50. (CF - UNKNOWN)

VenEffect Pore Minimizing Cleanser: This company's products fight hormonal aging (that lack of estrogen we produce as we get older contributes to signs of aging). I enjoyed this face wash. Smelled like a spa but not overpowering. Gentle and my face felt really nice afterward. It'll be a nice travel product. Full size (150 mls) is $60 (yikes) so this 15mls sample should go for $6.00. (CF? - can't find any info)

Hikari Cream Pigment Eye Shadow in Shine: I wish I could have gotten the green color instead of gold but wutyougonnado? Very pigmented, soft eye shadow and it looks great on the eye. Not sure I want to keep it because I have a couple gold shadows already and it's not a color I use a lot. I can't find the exact amount but most shadows are around 2g so I'll assume this is full sized and worth $13. (CF)

Tarte Cosmetics Sex Kitten Eyeliner: I think I've only ever tried one Tarte eyeliner before and it wasn't great (which might explain why it was on clearance when I bought it). But this stuff is pretty bomb. Though it doesn't break through the Hikari eye shadow (not sure if you can see but it goes green on the eye over the shadow), I put it on my waterline & tightline after I took the picture and that shit didn't budge. Well, some of it did, which is to be expected, but most of it stayed in place. In fact, it took about 2 days for it to completely wash off my eye. This might be my go-to eyeliner for convention makeup I need to last at least 10 hours. Full size is $20 so this sample is worth $10. (CF)

Steve Laurant Beauty Lip Oil in Orchid: It looks pink but this is a clear oil. It feels thicker, like a gloss/oil hybrid. Sort of like what Milani did a few years back. This stuff feels nice, it's not sticky, and it smells like vanilla butter cake. NOM. This is full size and goes for $18. (CF)

Wow, looks like this bag is worth about $53.50. Pretty good deal though I'm disappointed that two of the products are not cruelty free/unknown CF status. I can usually forgive one but...to be honest, I'm thinking of phasing out of this subscription and trying something else. We'll see.

Ipsy January 2018

All righty. Here we are, 2018, new year, new Ipsy bag, same lame ass non-info card bullshit...

For those who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service. For $10, you'll get 4-5 sample (sometimes full) sized makeup, hair, skin care products, and a reusable makeup bag. Check them out here: IPSY

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

January's theme is Game Face, I think. To be honest, I usually throw away the card the second I take it out of the bag. It's covered in bullshit platitudes, heavy handed 'inspirational' crap, and I can hardly believe it but I'm sure it's even smaller than last year. To play devil's advocate with myself, they're probably saving $$ by not making it larger and are able to get companies like The Balm, Ole Henriksen, and other well-known brands to get their products in here. But still....SO FUCKING WEAK.

The bag is an absolute hideosity. I just can't even...the contrasting colors are so 80s, which might be on trend but as a child of that era, I don't ever wanna see it again! However, I'm digging the products this month!

Absolute New York Eye Artist Single Shadow (Posse): This shadow is soft but not crumbly, decently pigmented, and does look very pretty on the eye. It swatches like a warm orange/brown but it's actually a rose-taupe color. It's nothing super special so I'll probably donate it. Looks full size and goes for $5. (their website says CF but I can't find any corroboration on that from my cruelty free resources so...?)

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer: I've tried quite a few products from this brand through Ipsy and I've been satisfied with most. I've never tried this cult favorite and now I can! Though I hate the size of their samples (sometimes the small pans are difficult to work with) I'm usually happy to get something from them. I'm sort of okay with Mary-Lou. It's described as a warm honey color but it looks more light gold. Can look like a wet, high-shine accent on the skin, which is nice. In some light, though, I can see all the sparkle (mirco glitter, at least, and not giant chunks). So I do and don't like it. When I'm in the mood to look like a micro fairy jizzed on my face, I'll probably reach for this. Full size is $24 so this 1g sample is around $3. (CF)

Cake by Cake Beauty Heavenly Cream Intensive Body Balm: I still have 2 or 3 other lotions from Cake Beauty but they are all different formulas! This stuff smells fantastic and absorbs well. It's 20% shea butter and also contains aloe and camellia leaf extract. I look forward to smelling like vanilla frosting for the next 6 months. Mmmm...frosting (disclaimer: don't be an asshole and eat lotion. That's just dumb.) Full size goes for $22 so this 1 ounce sample runs around $4.50. (CF)

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream: Holy hell the website claims this eye cream can do ALL THE THINGS - brighten, reduce dark circles, firm, instantly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and is great for under concealer. Then there's a long list of data including lots of "100%" and asterisks and on and on. Personally that comes off as trying too hard but that's just me. The first time I tried it, it felt thick and sticky and didn't brighten anything. BUT it did feel moisturizing and it absorbed rather quickly for such a thick cream. I thought it would be too heavy under concealer but damn if the Tarte Shape Tape didn't look great! If nothing else, at least it'll provide some moisture during this frigid winter season! Full size is $38 so this teeny sample is maybe $7.50. (CF)

SLMISSGLAM L36 Tapered Highlight Brush: I love getting brushes. And I'm not usually a girly-girl, but the pink glittery handle on this is adorbs. The synthetic bristles are super soft and it works perfectly with the Mary-Lou Manizer highlight sample! Apparently it works with powders, creams, and liquids but...because it's kind of flimsy, I'm not so sure about that. I'll have to test it out. Full size. This brush is not available on the SLMISSGLAM site (which actually makes me want to throw up it's such a pastel rainbow unicorn glitter shit show) so it may be an Ipsy exclusive. I've linked the closest looking set of 6 brushes which goes for $80. So maybe this brush is around $13. (CF)

All told this bag is around a $33. Not terrible but I've had bags that are upwards of $50-$70 so it's kinda weak. However, I do think I'll get a lot of use out of the products this months so it's still a win for me!

Medusa's Makeup September 2017 Review

For those who don't know, Medusa's Makeup is an indie brand that has a monthly subscription service. For $16 you get 3-5 full-sized makeup products that are vegan and cruelty free. Check them out here: MEDUSASMAKEUP

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones. And if I'm remembering correctly, the each of the remaining months of 2017 will include a brand new MM product.

I love that MM includes an information card that tells you about the products you've received AND how much they're worth. I seriously think the only service NOT doing this is Ipsy. WTH. From the dark berry colors it looks like this month was going for a Fall theme. I think.

Eye Glitter in Key Lime Pie: This is the 3rd glitter I've received and just like the others, I'm less than impressed. The color is cool but as you can see, it's hard to get a full non-patchy application (yes, I put glitter glue down on my hand first). And I tried for several minutes to build it up but it just never got there. $8

(NEW) Luminous Creme in Star Bright: At first, I loved the look of this. Not so much reflective or shimmery but more like a wet look. I figured it might be too waxy but it's very smooth, softer than I thought. Unfortunately, once the wetness absorbed into the skin or evaporated, all that was left was glitter. I had glitter all over my face after I used this - and no, I didn't use it the same time as the eye glitter so it wasn't that. $12

Totally Baked Eye Shadow in Awesome: Though this is the 4th eye shadow I've received, I LOVE THIS COLOR! Gorgeous magenta berry shade, on the info card is says it can be used as blush and that's how I've been using it. It is beautiful! The swatch on the left is the shadow used with a wet brush and the swatch on the right is with a dry finger (ouch). I can't wait to try this on my eyes. $9

Lip Paint in Bang: After getting three meh colors in other months, I'm totally digging this! I love the formula of these lip paints but I haven't been super excited about the shades. Again that fall berry/magenta color is gorgeous! The lip swatch got a bit messy because I was trying to avoid my Invisalign appliances but otherwise, I love it. $9

After going back and looking through the past 6 months, I'm getting a lot of repeats. I know this is a smaller brand so I can't expect a bazillion different products, but there are a lot I haven't received yet. I've probably donated half of what I've gotten so far so I'm not sure if I'll continue through the rest of the year. Sure, I'm excited to see what NEW products they'll include each month, but will it be worth another 3 glitters or eye shadows or lip paints? I just don't know.