Fyrinnae Wizardry vs Performance Colors Zombie Bride

I promised a comparison post between Fyrinnae Wizardry and PC Zombie Bride a while back, and today I delivered! We all have a little hole in our hearts where Performance Colors once sat, so I decided to see if the wound could be mended a little. See for yourself!

Both products purchased by me (Wizardry) and a friend (Zombie Bride). All opinions are my own, and all quoted descriptions are taken from the product's respective company. Lip swatches are taken over moisturized lips and a layer of clear lip liner.

Fyrinnae Liquid Matte Lipstick in Wizardry: "deep burgundy base with a highlight which changes from turquoise-blue to purple to pink"

This is a liquid lipstick that dries down to a semi-metallic finish. The base is a deep burgundy/purple with turquoise sparks and a magenta shift. This lipstick does not budge, so it stains a bit and can be hard to remove. It has a tendency to feather, and even over my clear lip liner, it began to feather as it dried down. Because of its thin consistency, application takes practice. I think the key to prevent feathering and ensure cleaner lines is to use several thin applications, and allowing the product to dry in between.

Performance Colors Restorative Lipstick in Zombie Bride: "frenzied bruised purple with a high blue sheen"

This is a solid lipstick in a balm tube, which makes it hard to apply in my little Cupid's Bow. For this reason, I applied with a lip brush for this post. It's a deep red-toned purple with turquoise sparks and a strong blue to magenta shift depending on the angle. The product is a little gritty, and it likes to highlight dry patches on your lips if you apply straight from the tube. It smudges easily and quickly fades down to a magenta base.

So here I swatched Fyrinnae Wizardry on top and PC Zombie Bride on the bottom. I applied Zombie Bride straight from the tube. Both formulas had some issues with patchiness and streakiness, which seems to be the price paid for darker indie lip products. Overall, it took more work to even out Zombie Bride, and even then I couldn't get it quite right. In the sun, Wizardry's sparks stand out more than the shift itself, and Zombie Bride is the opposite. I attribute this to the fact that Wizardry dries down more matte than Zombie Bride. The wetness of Zombie Bride allows for more sheen. I think all in all, these are good color dupes, but are (for obvious reasons), not formula dupes at all.

Here I swatched Fyrinnae Wizardry on the left and PC Zombie Bride on the right with the aid of a lip brush. When applied on my lips, they looked the same as my arm swatches, so I decided to wear these for an hour to see what happens. (I promise I know how to execute a proper shape with lip products, the thinness of Wizardry got away from me.) As you can see, Wizardry has held its ground, where Zombie Bride has already faded significantly. As Zombie Bride faded, I feel like it lost its strong shift. Overall, Wizardry performs how I wish Zombie Bride would.

So here are my final thoughts: Not only is Wizardy a great color dupe of Zombie Bride, it performs better due to its excellent formula. It applies with less streakiness and patchiness, and though the thin formula can be tricky to apply, once it dries it's going to stay put all day. Performance Colors had a wonderful run, but for anyone kicking themselves for not picking up Zombie Bride, give Wizardry a try!

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?

Hello Waffle 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. :)

I'm sure we all know that Hello Waffle is an amazing brand, and today I decided to reinforce why it's my favorite brand after reading that Hello Waffle won numerous awards this week! Here's what Hello Waffle won in Portrait of Mai's 2014 Best of Indie Reader's Choice Awards:

Best Up and Coming Indie Brand

Best Powder Blush

Best Highlighter

Hello Waffle took second place for Best Realized Theme Color Collection for the amazing Catssic Literature Collection! Hello Waffle also took third place for Recommended Beginner Brand, Best Beauty Brand for Vegans, Best Loose Eyeshadow Formula, and Best Pressed Eyeshadow Formula.

Hello Waffle just celebrated its first birthday, and the brand has totally taken the indie world by storm. With collections ranging from fairytale to fandom, and products from glosses to highlighters, Hello Waffle is a beautifully balanced brand. (Ahh, alliteration.)

Alright, I think I've established that I'm pretty smitten over Hello Waffle. Onto my swatches and review!

T-B, L-R: Double Trouble, Purr-ide and Purr-ejudice, Box Cat

Kai, Rainforest, Edgar Allan Prrr

This is only the beginning of my growing collection! I received my newest order a few days ago, and plan to make a separate post around those sometime this week. As usual, swatches are done over bare skin on the left, and over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the right. Any quoted shadow descriptions are taken directly from Hello Waffle's site. (My teddy bear is named Duffy and he loves to photobomb my swatch pictures.)

Double Trouble: site description unavailable

This shadow was part of Hello Waffle's Kitty Kingdom Collection, which is now unavailable on the site. Rumor has it that the collection will make a reappearance sometime soon. Double Trouble is a sheer salmon with a hint of sparkle. A perfect base for neutral eye looks.

Purr-ide and Purr-ejudice: "lady-like blush pink"

The site description pretty much says it all! A delicate pink with a hint of sparkle. I love using this shadow along with Double Trouble for a simple eye look.

Box Cat: site description unavailable

Also hailing from the Kitty Kingdom Collection, this shadow is a metallic bronze, chockful of gold sparkle. Out of these six shadows, this is the worst when it comes to fallout. A sticky base is a must for Box Cat.

Kai (formally Hans): "reddened copper with green, silver and gold sparkles"

This shadow is a coppery magenta with lots of sparkle. I can't really pick up the green sparkles. Kai in particular applied very buttery, and I was impressed with how smooth the texture was for having so much sparkle.

Rainforest: "vibrant green-blue with sparkles"

Available in The Nature Duo alongside Fusion on Hello Waffle's site or as a standalone through Femme Fatale. For me, this shadow was a blackened semi-matte teal. It had more of a shimmer effect than a sparkly one.

Edgar Allan Prrr: "matte black base with blue, turquoise and violet microshimmers"

This is a shadow that works great on bare skin as a matte black, but over Pixie Epoxy, this shadow is a gorgeous explosion of deep blue and holographic sparkle. Pictures really can't do it justice. It makes me think of a psychedelic night sky.

You can check out Hello Waffle's website here.

Alrght, that wraps up my first post on Hello Waffle! I'd love to start doing in-depth eyeshadow reviews on the shadows you'd like to know most about. Let me know if any of these shadows catch your eye, especially with a potential restock of the Catssic Literature Collection coming up!