Lipsticks This Good Should Be Ill-Eagle

I am so super excited to share my order from Preen Cosmetics with you! Preen is a brand-spanking new company operated by the lovely Jenn, and it currently consists of five lipsticks and three lip balms (with two more lipsticks on the way!). Since this is a new company, I'm going to take a lot more time in talking about the company and products.

Preen Cosmetics has a running bird theme, inspired by Jenn's love for ornithology. The aesthetic of the shop is beautiful, and the packaging is lush and feels very well thought out. My order came with two clamshell lipstick samples, and a Ghirardelli Caramel Chocolate square. Jenn knows the way to my heart.

Everything was just pristine. The business card is printed on linen, which has a luxurious feel to it. My products were wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a paper bow. It's very simple, but sweet. Inside the tissue paper was a ziploc closed and folded over with a Preen sticker, and inside were my lipstick tubes, my free samples, and the business card. Both tubes were closed tightly and secured with little strips of bird-printed washi tape. The clamshells weren't secured with tape, but they close very snugly and feel sturdy over all. The lipstick tubes are pretty light, but feel very substantial when opening and closing. Both twisting mechanisms turned smoothly.

More details on the packaging and the products inside! My Mourning Dove lipstick was a little smooshed in the tube, but these lipsticks are so creamy that one application smoothed it out just fine. As for the clamshells, I'd guess you could probably get about ten applications from each sample. The formula makes it easy to use a lip brush. No sticking these in your bra to warm them up! Overall, the lipstick formula is creamy, moisturizing, and holds up well. They're also very pigmented, and reach full opacity in one swipe. Frigatebird left a bit of a stain, but it would work well for those mornings where yesterdays' lip stain is todays' lip color. Alright, onto the swatches!

All products were purchased in full, and all opinions are my own. Quoted descriptions are taken directly off Preen's Etsy page, found here. Lip swatches are taken over exfoliated and moisturized lips.

Mourning Dove: "peachy-toned nude"

Oh lordy, I finally found my perfect nude. Not too pink, not *too* peach, but just right. I love this color on me because I can pair it with just about any makeup look and it'll fit right in. It has a semi-matte finish that reminds me of Kae Q's balms.

Rose Robin: "slightly neutral-leaning purple/pink with a little bit of shimmer"

This would make a great MLBB for those with pinker lips! It's a subtle pale lilac with a hint of shimmer to it. Rose Robin doesn't dry as matte as Mourning Dove.

Bullfinch: "orange-red with the slightest yellow sheen"

The site swatches make this look more true orange than it is. For me, it looks more like a metallic brick with a yellow sheen. This one doesn't dry down as much as the others, and smudges a little easier.

Frigatebird: "red as the day is long"

Damn, that's a sexy color description. This is a beautiful true red that may leave a bit of a stain. It dries the same as Rose Robin- somewhere between semi-matte and creamy.

Welp, that wraps up my review of Preen Cosmetics! I'm totally head over heels for this new brand, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't taken the indie lipstick plunge yet. What kind of post would you like to see next? :)

Turning Over a New Leaf with Shiro's Animal Crossing Trio

I couldn't contain my excitement (or my wallet) when I saw that Shiro released a trio of Animal Crossing shadows. I've been playing Animal Crossing since middle school, and have been impatiently awaiting indies inspired by the franchise. Not only are they inspired by some of my favorite characters, but the label art is adorable and the shadow names are hilarious. A+, Shiro!

Products purchased by me, and all opinions are my own. Swatches are taken on bare skin and primer, then Pixie Epoxy. All quoted product descriptions are taken directly from Shiro's site, found here.

Canine Help You?: "Dreamy pastel yellow-orange creamsicle base with soft golden shimmer."

Inspired by your faithful mayoral assistant, Isabelle, this is a sweet muted sunflower with subtle golden flecks. Over bare skin, the shadow leans more pastel yellow.

Alpaca Picnic: "Soft pinky-red highlight with an extra level of pink shimmer."

I LOVE this shadow, and it's inspired by Reese, my favorite character addition to Animal Crossing: New Leaf. A delicate red-toned highlight over bare skin and primer, but it's a bold magenta chock-full of sparkle over Pixie Epoxy. I immediately ordered a custom gloss of this shadow from Shiro, and I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Forever A Loan: "Bright springy mint green with a cool shift."

Inspired by Tom Nook, the greediest home renovator of them all, this is a grassy mint with subtle sky blue shimmer. Don't forget you still owe for your last home expansion, yes, yes.

Baker's Boy: "Shimmery light golden brown with blue sparks."

My sample with purchase, and I'm so glad it was. This is a golden brown base with heavy gold shimmer. I don't see any blue sparks here.

Well, that wraps up my review! I'm so glad I picked up this collection. The colors are so pretty, and my GWP was awesome! I'm on pins and needles waiting for my Alpaca Picnic gloss.

Swatches and Reviews of my First Femme Fatale Products

Aaaah, I could hear the angels singing. A light shone down from Heaven above, and down descended my little bag of Femme Fatale goodies. I recently participated in a Galentine's Day Exchange on /r/CatsandCosmetics, and along with oodles of other indies, I received these items from Femme Fatale. I was ecstatic! This review consists of three shadows and two blushes, and I'm so excited to show them off. Femme Fatale's mini jars have been restocked, so if for some crazy reason you haven't yet delved into the goodness that is Femme Fatale, do yourself a favor and place an order.

As per usual, swatches of shadows are over bare skin on the left and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right. Blush swatches are over bare skin. All quoted product descriptions are taken directly from Femme Fatale's recently revamped site, which can be found here.

Fierce (recently renamed Rosewine, blush): "a deep maroon-tinted duochrome blush, with subtle plum undertones"

This blush is a gorgeous, pigmented reddish plum, but I have to personally build up the color otherwise it looks a little bruise-y on my skin. I know dead chic is in, but I don't think beat-up chic is in.. yet. Fierce/Rosewine is luckily, very easily to build up. The texture of the powder is very soft and easy to work with. It plays well with my brushes.

The Nightmare: "an eggplant purple base with intense golden green glimmers and sparkles"

The site photos for Femme Fatale's duochromes always look so dramatic and too good to be true. The Nightmare REALLY impressed. I tried my best to show the shift between the deep purple base and bright green shift, but I really don't think I could do it much justice. When the light hit this shadow, it transformed into a glowing green. This might be the first indie product to make me gasp a little. The Nightmare is pure sorcery.

Fire Bloom (blush): "a mid tone rose pink blush with coral undertones and a flattering copper gold shimmer"

The copper gold shimmer is really apparent in the jar, but once you blend your blush, it disappears. That's my only complaint about this one. The color is a touch more sheer than Fierce/Rosewine, so it took more product to get the pigmentation of the swatch you see here. I don't really think that's a bad thing, though; this blush can be used for a beautifully subtle rosy glow.

Darkmist: "a deep toned brown base with intense violet blue shimmer and teal sparkles"

Though this shadow doesn't have any shift to it, it glows in a similar way to The Nightmare. I think it's the contrast between the bright teal sparkles and dark base that make it appear to shine the way it does. All science aside, it's pretty magical. The deep brown base only showed when I swatched over bare skin. Out of all the products from Femme Fatale I received, this shadow needed a sticky base the most, and even then I could see little sparkles escaping when I swatched over the Pixie Epoxy.

Dispersion: "a deep mulberry with a bold teal blue shimmer"

The description is dead on. The deep mulberry base lights up with bright teal and blue when the light hits it. If you're pining for a shadow like this, I'd give Aromaleigh's Lucky Cat Emporium a try.

Well, that wraps up my post for today! As I said at the start of my post, I received oodles of indie goodies through the exchange, so I have a LOT more to share with you guys. My next post will be centered around Fyrinnae. I'm so excited to write about their plush shadows and neon blushes. Stay tuned!

Swatches and Reviews of AFK Cosmetics' Inconceivable Collection

When I was but a wee lamb, my mom introduced me to The Princess Bride. My mind was BLOWN. I originally grew up on Disney films, and I was not used to independent badass princesses like the lovely Buttercup. Also Westley was gorgeous. I mean, c'mon. Who doesn't love a sword-wielding, RoUS-slaying blonde? Me snagging some samples from AFK's Princess Bride inspired collection was a given. Here are my swatches and reviews!

As always, all photos are taken by myself and all quoted product descriptions are taken directly off AFK Cosmetics' site. Shadow swatches are done over bare skin on the left and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right. Lip swatches are done over moisturized, exfoliated lips.

As You Wish: "an orange-y apricot with a golden sheen"

This color pairs so beautifully with my pink shadows for a neutral look with a bit of pop. And it makes me think of Westley.. have I mentioned I love him a bit?

I'm Not a Witch, I'm Your Wife!: "an olive tone with a very bright blue/green shimmer"

For me, the shimmer wasn't bright, but it was definitely there. From indirect to direct light, this shadow shifts from a musty olive to something much more complex.

Have Fun Stormin' The Castle!: "a dark stoney grey with a light silver shimmer"

This shadow is almost a grey-blue. This picture doesn't really do its sparkle justice. Check out this shadow in its out-of-focus glory below to get a better idea of the sparkle.

Mawwage: "a shimmery pink based cream face highlighter"

Mawwage is wat bwings us togevva....todaaii. *ahem* Even though this is meant to be used as a face highlighter, I swatched it over Pixie Epoxy anyway, as I think it would look great as a sparkly inner corner highlight. The consistency of this powder is very fine and has a bit of a bouncy feeling to it. It reminds me of Make Up For Ever's HD finishing powder.

I've heard great things about Dena's tinted lip balms, and I hate to leave bad reviews, but I was pretty disappointed with both. If anyone can tell me how to get my swatches to look like the ones of AFK's site, please let me know. I couldn't get anything close. Read on, if you have the heart.

Is This a Kissing Book?: "a very soft pink/peach semi sheer tinted lip balm with a lovely gentle rose scent"

This balm was very, very moist. It almost felt like a gloss after applying, and applying wasn't easy. The rose scent wasn't enjoyable, and smelled almost identical to a Lime Crime Velvetine. Despite major consistency issues, I'll slap on this gloss-balm-thing every once in a while, but probably only because it's so sheer and it's easy to disguise it's consistency.

Mostly Dead: "a deep blue based red, reminiscent of dried blood"

This little balm was a bit of a trainwreck (read: trainwreck). The cap was so tight on the tube that opening it required Hulk-like strength and a lot of patience. Unfortunately, I had to grip so tight on the tube to wrestle the cap off that I ended up cracking the balm. My picture was taken right after the damage was done. Luckily (?) the balm is so liquidy that it mended itself after a few swipes on my hand. It's self-healing ability was it's only good quality, however. This balm is trying so hard to be moisturizing and pigmented, and I sympathize with the little guy, but it's a streaky mess. I applied it to my lips straight from the tube, then tried again with a lip brush.. and there's no taming this beast. The swatch on the AFK website looks beautiful, and this was the item from my order that I was most pumped about. I guess I'll have to agree to disagree with those whose rave about this balm formula..

Alright that wraps up my review of my little Inconceivable Collection haul! Some products thrilled me, some products were a total flop, but I'd still recommend AFK to any indie lover. I think I just had some bad indie luck this time around. You can check out the Inconceivable Collection here.

Aromaleigh Swatches and Reviews

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. :)

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing my latest purchase from Aromaleigh Cosmetics. Aromaleigh was founded in 1998 (wow!) and their company has a lot to offer an indie newcomer or veteran. The company offers products ranging from shadows to blushes to finishing powders and primers. With collections inspired by neurodiversity, Ancient Rome, Blade Runner, and Sherlock, Aromaleigh has a little something for everyone.

Alright! Onto my swatches and reviews! All pictures are taken by me, and all quoted descriptions are taken directly from Aromaleigh's site. Swatches are bare skin on the left, and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right.

Marguerite: "a rosy buff pearl frost with sparks of gold"

This is such a gorgeous frosty peach. A little hint of flush and a soft shimmer. Perfect for a one-shadow eye look or easily incorporated into softer looks.

Pyroclastic Flow: "a warm rose with a copper duo chrome highlight, and golden sparkles"

This is Marguerite's pinker cousin. I'm not able to pick up the copper highlight, so this reminds me of Hello Waffle's Purr-ide and Purr-ejudice quite a bit.

Hesperides: "a plush terracotta shade with a strong golden to chartreuse color traveling duochrome"

On Aromaleigh's site, this shadow is a gorgeous autumny orange-yellow with a strong golden shift. However, for me this is falling flat as a dull semi-matte terracotta. I'm suspicious this may be from a bad batch, as it looks like this shadow is just the base. It's lacking the dramatic shift entirely.

Lucky Cat Emporium: "a smooth cinnabar frost with bright shades of jade green"

This is such a funky shade, and I love it. A rusty red with bright jade sparkles. I don't know if any other indie company makes a shade like this! The contrast between the warm base and the cool sparkles is so unexpected, yet it seems like they were meant to be.

Experimental Drug: "a rich warm reddish brown with cool silvery iridescence of green, blue and violet"

This is another color that captures the beauty of contrast. From some angles, this shadow is an earthy red-brown, but in the light it transforms into a reddish lavender with a shimmer of cool hues.

Pool: "a rich greyed neutral blue matte"

I really wanted to love Pool after being disappointed by Beauty for the Win's Okay, but this shadow is patch city. The hunt for a periwinkle matte shadow continues.

Faunus: "a soft mossy green with gold tones, and interference shimmers of blue and violet"

Mermaids, rejoice! This is the shadow for you! My picture does the shadow no justice. In sunlight, it's a soft turquoise with a shift of gold and subtle blue and violet sparks. This shadow is definitely made from mermaid scales.

Destiny: "a frost finish in a rich deep neutral forest green shade"

Let's be honest: I bought this because my name is Destiny. Anyway.. this is a frosty neutral green that almost borders on metallic for me. I love using this as an outer v shadow with Faunus as the base.

Et Tu, Brute?: "a rich Tyrian purple with red duochrome and shards of red sparks"

Even in the pictures on Aromaleigh's site, this shadow has no red shift or sparks. I wish it could be a little.. bloodier looking. (I was stage manager for a production of Julius Caesar, and the front row of seats were labeled the "splash zone".) Despite the lack of red, this is a pretty lavender with a slight pink shift when the light hits it just right.

Walpurgisnacht: "a deep blue which shifts to violet due to it's strong reddish/violet duochrome. It also has fiery copper sparks!"

Fans of Madoka Magica, you know what's up. Walpurgisnacht is a dusty grey periwinkle with subtle copper sparks. I love blending this shadow into my crease for.. witchier looks. ;) (If you haven't watched Madoka Magica, please do.)

Despite a few shadows not matching up with site photos or descriptions, I'm pretty pleased with my little haul! Check out Aromaleigh's website here.

Solstice Scents: A Review of my Ever-Growing Collection

Alright, here's my first go at a scent review! Today I'm going to focus on Solstice Scents, a company that quickly won me over with its unique and high-quality products. Who doesn't want to smell like a hayride, or a dusty attic? Solstice Scents produces scents that, to me, feel nostalgic whether or not the smell is necessarily familiar. I think it's just because the scents smell so incredibly true to life.

All reviews are based on my first impression, smelling straight from the containers. In general, Solstice Scent perfumes can fill a room, but aren't overbearing. I like their gourmands, and frequently I have people around me asking what the smell in the room is coming from. No one ever believes it's my perfume! I have to reapply once or twice a day when I'm out and about if I want to keep the delicious-smell-trail behind me going. Otherwise, the smell stays close to the skin but still smells nice. I just like watching heads turn when I walk by, what can I say?

All quoted scent descriptions are taken directly off the Solstice Scent website. You can check out their lovely site here.

From left to right, up to down: Sugarvale, Blueberry Muffin Batter, Lemon Ginger Creams, Cafe Mallowmel, Library, Cocoa Mallow, Blackburn's Parlor, Sycamore Sugarworks

Sugarvale: "candied pecans, butterscotch, buttered rum, brown sugar, maple syrup, hot pralines, and milk chocolate cocoa"

This perfume smells like straight-up Waffle Crisp cereal. If you haven't tried Waffle Crisp, it's essential to your well being. Go buy a box, enjoy a bowl, then come back and read the rest of this post. Okay, I need to get back on track.. First sniff, it's a mouthwatering gooey mix of candied nuts, butterscotch, and a hint of chocolate to round it out. It somehow smells.. fresh, like the pecans and butterscotch are straight from the oven, and you're enjoying a sip of cocoa as you wait for your desserts to cool. It's a very comforting scent.

Blueberry Muffin Batter, (discontinued): "blueberry, brown sugar, vanilla, cane sugar, batter"

When I was a kid, when Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix went on sale, my mom would snag a couple boxes and spend a whole morning making multiple batches. This is exactly what Blueberry Muffin Batter smells like. This is a Jiffy Blueberry Muffin tucked into my lunchbox as a child. Fresh blueberries, crumbly muffin, and a sprinkling of brown sugar. The kind of muffin that kinda melts on your tongue. Sadly, Blueberry Muffin Batter was discontinued a few weeks back. I made sure to snag a backup bottle. When it runs out, I'll probably beg Solstice to make me another. On my knees, with lots of money to give. A girl can dream.

Lemon Ginger Creams: "gingersnap sandwich cookies filled with vanilla-lemon cream"

This perfume smells like a freshly opened bag of gingersnap delights. A tart, zingy lemon whip followed by a pungent ginger. There's a slight vanilla wispiness tangled in the ginger crust of the cookies. This perfume contains real ginger essential oil, and has a very uplifting smell. I put this perfume on in mornings when I can use a pick-me-up.

Cafe Mallowmel: "rich coffee flavored with decadent caramel and sweet marshmallow cream"

Fan of how Starbucks smells in the morning, before the big rush arrives? You will love this perfume. Personally, I'm not a coffee person, but this scent gives me a caffeine boost just by smelling it. Bitter coffee balanced out with a fluffy topping of marshmallow cream and a heavy drizzle of caramel syrup. However, this perfume is the first (and hopefully only) from Solstice Scents that disappoints me in wear time. It smells wonderful upon initial application, but within two minutes the scent disappears on my skin. Even smelling from the vial, I had to reinsert the applicator in the vial and pull it back out again in order to get a good sense of the perfume. It almost makes me wonder if I received a vial from a bad batch.

Library: "leather bound books, a carved rosewood mantle, dying fireplace embers, wood wainscoting, cedar shelving and aged paper"

This perfume is essential for any book lover. Library consists of twenty oils, including sandalwood, agarwood, Virginia cedarwood, rosewood and more to create a perfume that envelops you in what can only be described as a luxurious library fit for a princess. Think the castle library from Beauty and the Beast. Imagine Belle slowly pouring over a pile of fantasy novels while her prince stokes a fire. THAT'S Library. Strong woods, leather book covers, glowing embers, and aging parchment make up this perfume that I recommend to everyone and anyone.

Cocoa Mallow: "devilish dark chocolate and fluffy sweet marshmallows"

This scent is so simplistic, yet oh so mouthwatering. Unlike Cafe Mallowmel, this is a hot cocoa scent that smells homemade. Rich, melted dark chocolate transformed into a piping hot cup of cocoa, topped with fresh marshmallows straight from the bag. This was my must-wear scent for Christmas.

Blackburn's Parlor: "vanilla waffle bowl, vanilla and chocolate ice creams, sliced bananas smothered in caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream"

This is such a staple product from Solstice Scents. Though many people compare this perfume to a freshly-made banana split, I've never been able to detect the banana in this scent. Gooey caramel sauce and cooled vanilla waffle bowls are the notes that jump out at me. This ice cream parlor is no Rite-Aid ice cream station, this is the real deal. Everything is made from scratch, and with fresh local ingredients. Somehow Solstice Scents is able to convey that in a perfume.

Sycamore Sugarworks: "caramelized pear tarts, banana apple muffins, spice cakes with rum glaze, cream puffs and maple walnut pastries"

Another must-have from Solstice Scents. Cinnamon, freshly chopped juicy pears, and warm banana apple muffins are the initial notes when smelling straight from the vial. It slowly melts into a mix of maple syrup, brown sugar and pecan, with a hint of flaky pastry. Overall, Sycamore Sugarworks is a gentle, slow stroll amongst glass displays of fresh, warm desserts. You can't just pick one!

With true-to-life scents, gorgeous packaging, and delicately handwritten labels, Solstice Scents is a 10/10 for me. For those wanting to give this brand a try, I'd recommend their 5-pack of samples. It's priced at $12, and all purchases come with an additional complimentary sample. If you make an account on the Solstice Scents site, you get ANOTHER free sample. That's 7 samples for $12, and if that doesn't sound like a too-good-to-be-true infomercial, I don't know what does.

That wraps up my first indie perfume review post! Let me know what you guys think!

My First AFK Cosmetics Haul: Swatches

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. :)

Ask and you shall receive, readers! After my First Impressions post, I had a lot of requests to show off my shinies in swatch form. I just received my first Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, so what better way to try it out than make this post? This is my first time taking pictures of swatches, so let me know if there's anything I can improve on!

Top Row: Alpha and Omega, Suicidal Bastard, You Smell Like Burning!, Tide Caller

Bottom Row: Mikasa, Silent Night, That Tastes Like Purple!, Fear Me

All swatches are bare skin on the left, and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right.

As with a lot of sparkly indie shadows, they lose a lot of pigmentation and glitter without a good sticky base.

I really don't have a single complaint about any of these shadows. They all have a buttery or velvety texture, and the glittery shadows really stand out. Out of all eight, That Tastes Like Purple!, Mikasa, and Alpha and Omega and my favorites. That Tastes Like Purple! is an amazing lavender glitterbomb, Mikasa is very pigmented with and without a shadow base, and Alpha and Omega is a unique blue with red sparkle. As with most shadows, indie or not, the mattes tend to have some fallout during application despite using a sticky base. I always start with my eyes when I apply makeup, so it's nothing a tissue can't fix!

All in all, I would highly recommend AFK Cosmetics to any indie lover, especially fans of Attack on Titan and League of Legends, as most of AFK's shadows are based on those two amazing fandoms. If you're a Pokemon fan, be sure to snag Alpha and Omega before it disappears at the end of January! You can check out everything AFK Cosmetics has to offer at their website here.