Reviewing a Tiny Haul from Femme Fatale

Disclaimer: I am currently in the process of reswatching duochromes and photographing them differently to give my readers a more accurate depiction of the shifts. Please be patient while I go through the process of updating my past reviews. :)

Hey, guys! I've been in a bit of a blogging rut lately but wanted to get back in the swing of things, so for this post I'll be reviewing possibly the smallest order from Femme Fatale I'll ever make.

Yeah.. so I picked up only two jars. I ordered Candied Apple and Bat Wing Hall, because everyone raves about them and I was a weirdo who didn't have them yet. I mean, I'm still a bit weird. But, you know, less so. My weirdness aside, let's move on to my review!

As usual, all swatches are taken over, from left to right, bare skin, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy. All quoted descriptions are taken directly off Femme Fatale's site, which can be found here.

Candied Apple: "a pale redwood pink with a green duochrome, and blends out to have an almost brown undertone to it"

This is a seriously complicated shadow. I say that because when I looked at this swatch with my own eyes, it was a reddish pink with a green duochrome, and I couldn't get it to photograph any way BUT this brown color. Guys, I promise I know how to work a camera. I think. Anyway, the color in jar is what you get when you apply, unless you blend it out. The green duochrome isn't as bright or glowing as you might expect from a Femme Fatale shadow, but I think the subtlety works well here.

Bat Wing Hall: "a muted puce pink with purple undertones; when applied shifts to be more rosy"

Okay, this one photographed properly. Whenever I hear "puce", I think of Monsters Inc, when Mike can't sort out his paperwork. Actually, I think this might be the only time I've heard "puce" outside of that movie. Does puce go to Roz? Accounting? Shoot. Moving on, this is a rosy pink with a bit of lavender undertone and golden glimmer. Girly and gorgeous and perfect for Spring! (Also, don't make the mistake I made by Googling "puce" and looking at the images that popped up. Trust me, this shadow is puce in the jar. I promise.)

Alright, that wraps up my rambling, late night, super short review. I need to do mini reviews more often. I have a few brands where I only have a couple products from them, and I feel like I'm ignoring them when deciding what to review. My next review will absolutely be on Mad Lab Cosmetics, though! Stay tuned!

What's Packed In My Travel Bag?

I was out of town for a few days recently and packed some indies for the road. I thought you guys might want to see my favorite products for easy, everyday looks. I'm in the process of replacing my mainstream company blushes/bronzers/whathaveyou with indies, so for now my travel bag indies consist of seven shadows and a highlighter!

As usual, all pictures are taken by me. Swatches are done over bare skin on the left and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right. All quoted product descriptions are taken directly off the brands' site.

Hello Waffle "Double Trouble"- "soft apricot with pink and white sparkles"

A gorgeous My Lids But Better shadow from Hello Waffles' Kitty Kingdom Collection. (There are still quite a few shades available, so snap them up along with Double Trouble before they're gone forever!) This is a sheer apricot with lots of sparkles.

Hello Waffle "Mendelssohn"- "light pink with golden sheen"

Does this look almost identical to Double Trouble to you? It almost is, and I didn't notice until I swatched them side by side. Mendelssohn is Double Troubles' warmer cousin.

Hello Waffle "Purr-ride and Purr-rejudice"- "lady-like blush pink"

This shadow looks bubblegum pink in the jar, which would leave you to believe this wouldn't be a shade I'd use all the time. However, it blends down to a sweet pink that compliments the neutrals and golds I packed oh-so well.

Femme Fatale "Royal Tarts"- "a washed out mauve-rose base which can lean grey, and orange shimmer"

Femme Fatale is famous for shades that can look so bland in the jar, but transform when thrown over a primer. Royal Tarts is no exception, and the lack of good sun today prevented me from giving it the showcasing it deserves. This shadow shifts from a dusty mauve to a pinkish-orange, which makes it a gorgeous neutral with a little bit of pop.

Tilt/Shift "Moon"- "a deep golden taupey-brown with slight/pink purple shift and gold sparks"

I've never been able to pick up the shift in Moon, and I'd love for it to show. Maaaybe in a certain light it can lean slightly plum, but that's the best I can get out of it. The sparkle in Moon is gorgeous, but it disappears quickly and you're left with a matte brown base. It works well as a neutral, but I wish it could be as fabulous as the site description made it sound.

Aromaleigh "Marguerite"- "a rosy buff pearl frost with sparks of gold"

I don't have much to add to the site description other than it's gorgeous. This pairs so well with my golds and soft browns. It has a strong sheen and a lot of sparkle, so a sticky primer like Pixie Exopy goes a long way with Marguerite.

Shiro "Finkelstein"- "pale, ghostly yellow-green highlight"

This is such a funky highlight. Its shift ranges from yellow to green, but it also has a spattering of blue sparks. Alone, this highlight is complex and ethereal. Over a darker base it leans very green. This highlight hails from the discontinued Nightmare Before Christmas collection, but I see it pop up every once in a while in destash posts, so keep your eyes peeled! This is a must have, and I use it sparingly so I don't run out any time soon.

AFK "Mawwage"- "a shimmery pink based cream face highlighter"

And wuv, twuuu wuuv.. will fowwow you.. fowevah.. *ahem* This was my first facial powder purchase from an indie company, and for me, it's not super impressive. It's very sheer, and hard to build up. Though there's no sparkle in Mawwage, it definitely has a sheen. The sheerness plus the sheen just make me look a bit sweaty. Perhaps I still have more learning to do with application. I'll keep trying to make it work, for sure! This is one of my purchases made purely for the product name, and I'm kicking myself a bit for it. If anyone has tips for applying highlighters, please share your wisdom!

Alright, that wraps up my post for the day! I'm not sure how informative it was in the end, but it was fun to share some of my favorite neutrals and remind myself of what makes them so great. Maybe for my next post, I'll choose my favorite shadows that aren't so neutral. Let me know what posts you'd like to see in the comments section! You're all what makes writing a blog so much fun. 'til next time!

Gushing Over Corvus Cosmetics' Berenice Shadow and Upcoming Grimm-Inspired Collection

I'm baaaaack! *lightning flash* Yesterday I received Corvus Cosmetic's CotM for February, Berenice, along with a sample of Bite My Shiny Metal @$&! Today I'm going to be doing swatches and reviews of both!

As usual, swatches are done over bare skin on the left and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right. All quoted product descriptions are taken directly off the Corvus Cosmetics shop site.

Berenice: "a matte dark brown-red with a slight sparkle"

First off, for those unfamiliar with Edgar Allen Poe's short story, Berenice, check it out here. It's creepy as hell, but what Poe tale isn't? TL;DR: This shadow is inspired by bloody teeth, and it works. A mostly matte burgundy with a hint of silver sparkle, this definitely screams.. bloody teeth? Note that this swatch is done over bare skin and Pixie Epoxy, but Berenice might fare better over a regular primer versus a glitter primer as it's primarily a matte.

Bite My Shiny Metal @$&!: "shiny antique silver with a slight brown base"

This was my free sample with purchase, and I'm so glad I got to check out this shadow! BMSMA has an amazing silver sheen to it, but my camera was just not having it. Bender would be proud, though.

Berenice is still available for purchase despite being the CotM for February, but Bite My Shiny Metal @$& is not. Noel's The Year 3000 Collection had to be discontinued due to a pesky copyright claim, but most shades are returning soon! Her new Grimm-inspired collection, Kinder-und Hausmarchen, makes its debut March 9th at midnight EST. Here's a run-down of the Futurama-inspired shadows that will return, reinvented, as a part of the new collection:

Goodbye, Hans (Orange Joe), The Better to Eat You With (Bite My Shiny Metal @$&!), Let Down Your Hair (Smizmar), He Was No Frog (Good News Everyone)

Death at His Feet (Fine Jamaican Bacon), The Thirteenth Gift (Why Not Zoidberg), Golden Slipper (Champaggin)

(These photos were taken by Noel as product swatches for the initial release of the Year 3000 Collection.)

I think Noel did a stunning job at repurposing these shadows. Kinder-und Hausmarchen will also include eight unique, never before seen shadows.. except for Barely a Bite, Gingerbread Haus, and Bluebeard, which were teased earlier today:

Alright, this wraps up my post for tonight! I will definitely be eagerly refreshing the page at midnight on March 9th to snag up what I'm anticipating to be a stellar collection!

You can check out the Corvus Cosmetics shop here! What Year 3000 shadows are you most excited to see making a return?