Alchimia Apothecary - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: I attempt to talk about perfumes in this post. I know nothing about scent and apparently neither does my nose. I apologize in advance...

I've just gotten into the indie perfume scene, and Alchimia Apothecary was a name I saw around constantly. When OHWTO on Etsy finally pushed me into my first indie purchase, Alchimia followed closely behind.

Full disclosure: I feel rushed to write this, because a few days ago Alchimia posted on their Facebook page they will be discontinuing their cosmetic line. They will be traveling the country in an RV and feel unable to provide a sanitary environment for cosmetics. Fair enough - I appreciate them being upfront about it. So I wanted to get this out in case you want to buy their cosmetics!

A few weeks ago I had found out that Erin, the owner, does a Choose-your-own-adventure type thing where you pick notes and she makes a custom blend for you. I had just discovered John Varvatos cologne (but its price, gah!) and sent her its description, then asked what notes would be appropriate as a dupe. She was very helpful and responded quickly.

Well, I finally placed an order for it, as well as some other things, including a blogger bundle! A blogger bundle contains three eyeshadow samples, a perfume, a mask/serum/elixir, and a lip sample. I will be listing these out separately, but know that Slink, Sinless, Wheat Back, Warrior Slink, Tiger Lily, and the clay mask were all part of the blogger pack.

 I placed my order on May 15th, it shipped May 20th and I had it May 23rd. I want to note that Alchimia does not provide order confirmation. This kind of threw me, and I messaged Erin on Reddit (/u/echobunny) to make sure my order went through. I find it to be a pretty serious flaw in their website design, to be honest.

Here's what I got:

Eyeshadow Samples in Slink, Sinless, and Wheatback, $3.50 for mini and $6.95 (!) for full-size

I have to say I love how Alchimia displays their eyeshadows; rather than straight line swatches she draws designs like fish. Kinda cool, but also a bit jarring when you're browsing. I decided on these three.

Wheat Back: This metallic shade looks like the antiqued reddish bronze like copper of an old wheat back penny. ...I have no idea what a wheat back penny is, tbh, but the reddish bronze is right

Slink: The lightest of our shimmering nude shades. I don't like the practice of calling beige things 'nude', but yeah, it's more-or-less white-people skin-tone. 

Sinless: A pasty shimmery pale green. This is almost white in most lights; it's really stunning. I want to compare this to Fyrinnae's Jade Ghost or Shiro's Angry Cuccos; I may do the former later!

.

I was also sent a sample of Alchimia Apothecary's answer to Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy, Sparkle Spackle. 

This is intended to help keep loose shadows on. I've heard it's easier to work with than Pixie Epoxy and I disagree. Pixie Epoxy is tricky as hell, but this just seemed goopy and uneven no matter what I did. 

See the weird gel-like texture?

It still felt wrong swatching these without it, so the left half is over Alchimia's Sparkle Spackle and the right half is over Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.

Top to bottom: Wheat Back, Slink, Sinless

So... really, not much difference between the two. I'll stick to Pixie Epoxy. As for the shades, they're pretty enough, but nothing revolutionary.

Lipstick in Tiger Lily and 1987, $7.95 for .15 oz tube

I ordered Tiger Lily in the blogger pack, and was given 1987 for free. This was REALLY exciting to me, because I'd actually been eyeing it. (Duochrome lipstick? Purple? GET AT ME.) 

Tiger Lily: A bright, bold, shimmering orange. 

1987: This lipstick reminds me of all things 1980s. It's a metallic purplish pink lipstick with a blue interference.

Tiger Lily on left, 1987 on right

I was super excited to try these out... and unfortunately, they were a pain to work with. Tiger Lily was a lot easier than 1987, and I realized quickly it was because I had been sitting on it, warming it up. I had to work a lot harder to get 1987 to swatch, even after doing the scientific thing and placing it in my bra; when I did, it had none of the duochrome-y goodness I would have hoped to see.

Top: 1987, Bottom: Tiger Lily

I went to do a lip swatch for Tiger Lily and it was such a pain I gave up. The tube's so tiny it's hard to use a finger, even if you wanted to, and I much prefer lip brushes for these type of samples. I tried both  my Jane Iredale and OCC lip brush and both couldn't get much product. I'm bummed these didn't work for me!

Seaweed Facial Mask, $4 for 1/2 oz. tube or $10 for 2 oz. jar

This came in a tube I forgot to photograph until after I used it. Oops. It was filled to the brim with a brown powder that is presumably the clay and seaweed and whatnot. (Yes, the ingredients are listed on the bottle directly - ten points!) I had to look online for instructions, which said to slowly add water and apply when it was the consistency of cake frosting.

Due to my utter lack of grace - I am a bull in a china shop - I added too much. Fortunately I was still able to apply it to my face. If I were really devoted I would have done half my face to better compare, but I had already mixed the whole tube up and didn't want to waste anything.

I'm not big on masks; that is to say, I don't do them religiously or anything. I liked this one. The peppermint was a cool breeze when I walked back to my bedroom, the texture and smell were inoffensive, and it was SUPER easy to remove. As for the benefits, my skin definitely felt tighter? I don't know what it did, if anything, but I liked it. If I were a skincare gal, I'd buy this again.

Perfume Sample in Warrior Slink, $15 for 5 mL 

Finally - the reason I was excited to try Alchimia - the perfumes! Her samples come in rollerballs, which I was wary of but ended up being super easy to deal with. My sample in the blogger pack was from her Ladies of Firefly collection, and this scent was inspired by the utterly fabulous Zoe. 

Warrior Slink: Based on the warrior woman herself, this dark sexy scent is pure sophistication. Oozing with thick ribbons of benzoin and labdanum, sweet notes of chocolate wrapped in spicy worn leather bubble to the surface. Combined with black agar, there are hints of what can only be described as pure animal musk.

The first thing I smelled when I opened this up was the chocolate. On my skin, that doesn't change; it's definitely spicy, sexy, but it's still mostly chocolate. I like it, but it's not the scent I've been waiting for my whole life.

Now - on to the extras I bought.

Perfume Samples in Hook and Hellixir, $3.75 for 1ml or $15 for 5 mL

I like, in general, more masculine/complex scents, and these two seemed like scents I would enjoy. 

Hook: Grab hold of your bootstraps and open your sails up wide, for we are going on a pirate filled adventure! The scent of bay rum and leather surround a sweet bold body of rich tobacco leaf. Exotic notes of black tea bubble to the surface to mingle with the subtle salty air. Fun and playful hints of lime tumble around the bridge to ward off scurvy from you and your crew mates. Bringing everything together, this cologne oil makes for an addictive experience. 

I was expecting to absolutely love this one; unfortunately, I don't! I definitely get the tobacco and a bit of the leather smelling it in the bottle, but on my skin it mostly just smells clean and a little bit salty. It reminds me of body wash. Sad day, but this will be swapped.

Hellixir: This potion is hot! Molten sparks ignite the aromatic notes of fennel, nutmeg, Madagascar black pepper and other spices that are simmering around thick ribbons of spicy labdanum.

I can't pick out any individual notes in this one, but OH LORD I LOVE IT. On my skin it's nutty, peppery, spicy... yum. I could not stop sniffing this wrist. I may be getting a bigger size of this one! 

Choose Your Own Adventure ("Madeline's Adventure"), $15 for 5 mL

Here it is! I asked for vanilla & leather base notes, coriander/spice accord for the middle note, and a fig/date note for the top note. I was disappointed on first sniff; a little too much vanilla, it just wasn't quite dark/spicy enough. On my skin it definitely gets spicier over time, and I really like how it smells after about 20 minutes. This will definitely get used.

Overall, I really like Alchimia Apothecary. I think their products are solid, customer service is great, and I love that their owner is present on social media and updates customers. However, one caveat: their website is a pain in the ass. Everything pops up with descriptions, there's no good search feature, and it's just generally not fun for me to browse. Additionally, I think they could benefit from a master scent list like OHWTO or PurpleCat Creatives has. The website does look nice, though, so there's that. In any case, if you're curious about indie scents and perhaps picking up some cosmetics while you're at it, give Alchimia Apothecary a go! 

Kohl's Beauty Box Review

Whoever said complaining didn't get you anything needs to shut up.

I was bummed about Allure's summer beauty box going on sale during a final exam, even though I was on the fence about ordering it anyway. I tweeted my frustration and this happened:

...you have my attention.

I DM'd them and they asked for my address and told me they were sending me a beauty box. UM HECK YES. It arrived on May 19th - not bad for something I didn't pay for at all.

I do think it's a bit strange to call it a box, considering it came in an adorable bag.

Strange nomenclature aside, I'm thrilled it came in a bag. Do I have more makeup bags than I know what to do with? Yes. Do I love the pants off of this black polka dot one anyway? Still yes.

HELLO. 

Here's what was inside. Full-size products are indicated with (FS) behind their value.

Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex, 0.3 oz, approx. value $20.70
Um, wow. A full-size of this wrinkle cream costs $69. Yowza. (Sadly, I know this is not unusual.) I'm at the point in my life where I know I need to start preventative skin care, but am half too lazy/cheap to and half protesting the societal ideals that require women to be terrified of wrinkles but not men. Erm. Anyway, once I see my first wrinkle I'll probably cry and start using this, so I'm saving it.

Sugar Sweet Cheeks Cheek Stick in Rosy Posy, 0.15 oz, approx. value $10 (FS)
I did not think I'd be on the blush stick train, but Tarte's cheekstain changed my mind. This is a good bit smaller. It's also pigmented as fuck.

L: one swipe (!), R: blended out

For darker-skinned folk, pigmentation on blushes can be a good thing. For me, it's definitely a curse. I'm hesitant to use this just because it is so bold, and I'm not sure that the color flatters me. If I do use it it won't be like Tarte's where I swipe it on my cheeks, blend it with a blush brush, and go - with this, I'd use a brush to pick up a little bit at a time and caaarefully blend it out. I'm not sure I want to spend that much time on blush!

Mariah Carey Dreams Perfume, .05 fl oz, approx. value $1.17
I'm not big on perfume; I prefer more masculine scents these days. However, as far as perfumes go, this one is okay. It reminds me of Vera Wang's Princess, which I wore religiously throughout middle school. Not my cup of tea, but a nice fragrance.

Essie Nail Polish in Mojito Madness, .46 fl oz, approx. value $8.50 (FS)
UM, I LOVE ESSIE. And I've wanted this color for over a year. I let out a small squeal when I saw this item. Unfortunately I just started a job where I am only allowed to wear neutral colors of nail polish & some pinks. I did a quick coat, though, to see what it looked like:

It looks a bit more olive-y in the picture than it is in real life, but that's pretty accurate. Yes, I just went to my window. I've already gone outside once today, what more do you want from me? 

Purminerals Chateau de Vine Lipstick, .0003 oz, approx. value ??
I didn't bother calculating the value on these. Too many zeroes. The samples are so strange:

WHY. How am I supposed to get an accurate idea of your product, especially texture? Also, I'm not 12. Lipstick samples packaged as lip prints does not appeal to me in any way.

And then I flipped it over.

NO. My entire body recoiled looking at this. That is an awful way to apply lipstick, unless your lips are like... the exact same shape as the card and you can line it up perfectly. I still have every brush from my OCC lip tars, a RT lip brush, and a Jane Iredale. This is not a way I want to put on lipstick. Back to the drawing board, Purminerals. No.

(Also, as a wine girl, I wish the names were more wine-y for a vineyard collection.)

Eylure Naturalites False Lashes, approx. value $5.99 (FS)
I've recently gotten really into false lashes, so this was actually great timing. I like these. They're not my favorite and not quite natural, but definitely not dramatic and un-intimidating for newbies.

Jane Cream Eyeshadow in Brilliant Bronze, .14 oz, approx. value $8.00 (FS)
I was a bit sad to see this, since I don't use cream shadow much and thought I had a similar color. However, the poor lighting I opened this in was to blame! I was thrilled to see once I swatched it that this is a metallic gold, unlike the brown 'tini shadow I possess.

'tini on left, Jane on right

I don't really think of these as creams; more like... liquids? Mousse? I mean, they're nothing like Bobbi Brown cream shadows or Maybelline Color Tattoos. Still, now that I have two in the same color family, I might play around with a dark-ish neutral look using these.

Lorac Cobra Mascara, .14 oz, approx. value $11.23
Hm. This isn't available on Kohl's website, which is... an interesting marketing choice. If I liked this deluxe sample, I would have to buy it from a competitor. I would still, theoretically, now know about Lorac products, so perhaps that's what they're going for? This is an okay mascara. I'd rate it about a 6. Average volume and length, a few fewer clumps than I generally expect.

Elle Lip Gloss in 07, .17 oz, approx. value $16.00
I'm not a big lip gloss person. I find them sticky and with my hair, I spend half my day pulling strands of hair out of my lips. I tried this on and it's not my bag. The color isn't bad, though it's a bit browner than I tend to like. Its big no, though, is the rainbow glitter that makes me feel like I'm 12 again. It's also thicker than other lip glosses. While it may be an advantage to some people, it has me mashing my lips together and feeling like at some point they might stick. So, no thanks for me. Sorry there's no swatch but the pictures didn't turn out and I'm unwilling to put it on again, even for science.

Be Delectable Hand Cream in Coconut & Cream, 2 fl. oz, approx. value $5.50
I fucking love coconut. This hand cream is no exception; it smells delicious. It goes on a tad bit greasy but dries quickly and doesn't leave any icky trace behind, so I'm okay with it. This may be my new go-to lotion that I keep in my purse.

theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples? in Pie, 0.7 oz, approx. value $5.33
OMG. I was heartbroken not to get this item in my Birchbox, so I'm thrilled I get to try it now! I wouldn't use these on my lips (I don't like the texture), but I'm all about trying out blushes lately. For such a tiny sample (dime-size), the packet is very well-constructed - I'm pretty sure there's even a magnet in there to keep it closed. Go theBalm. I was almost scared to swatch this, lest it not live up to my expectations; fortunately, it definitely did.

L: one swipe, R: blended. Ignore random swatches to the right.

First of all, the formula is awesome - super easy to pick up color. The camera isn't doing this one justice, possibly because it is a perfect blush for me; it blends easily and quickly into something that doesn't make me look like a clown. I have a feeling I'm going to go through this pretty quickly, and will probably end up buying the full palette, which I've been wanting to do for months anyway.

In conclusion: wow. Go Kohl's. I received over $90 worth of product, and quite a few will get used! Now, the million-dollar question: will Kohl's be my new go-to for my beauty needs? I'm certainly impressed with their brands - I never knew they carried such awesome beauty products! - but they will probably not replace Sephora and Ulta, simply because they do not have a reward program. However, if there was a coupon at Kohl's or a product I needed right now unavailable at Sephora or Ulta, I would definitely go to Kohl's.

Comet Vomit - Swatches & Review

Comet Vomit is one of the little-known indie stores; I only found out about it through its owner, whom I got to know on a subreddit last summer. /u/marsandtherealgirl did primarily nail polishes, and I won one in a giveaway last summer that I get compliments on ALL THE TIME. She announced a few weeks ago she was expanding her shop, and with a little disposable income after graduation, I decided to try some of her new products!

Most of Comet Vomit's nail polishes cost $10 for .5 oz. .5 oz is a standard size for nail polish; OPI, Essie, etc. all do that size of a bottle. Comet Vomit is thus a little bit more expensive than that. Her mini nail polishes are $4 for 1/3 of that, or about .16 oz. Eyeshadows are $5 apiece. Lip balms are $1 for a mini tub and $3 for a tube. On to what I got!

Big Balm Theory Flavored Lip Balm in Cherry
I opted for a tub rather than a tube, though both are cheap! I like the lip balm a lot. To me it's not quite maraschino cherry as she describes but darker, almost like a dark chocolate cherry. It smells amazing! The first time it went on very smooth. It was  little harder the second time. I'm 99% sure I closed it tightly, but it may have been user error. It's still easy to put on, just requires a little bit more rubbing to get some on my finger. I will be purchasing a full size of this at some point.

Behold my awful nails.

Nail Polish in Terek Noir
Again, I went for the mini, as is my tendency. Terek Noir is a matte black with silver sparkle - I don't know if you can have matte sparkle, but, there ya go. It took three thin coats to get to the desired opacity for me, which isn't bad. I like the formula and it dries REALLY quickly, which is always a plus! However, I'm not sure I'm in love with it. We'll see.

Eyeshadow in Light Years and Some Kind of God
These were the two shades I wanted to try most off of the website - I like the names & I like the colors. Of the two, I definitely like "Some Kind of God" more; it's right up my alley. Both shades were easy to work with and had a good formula.

Awful swatching oh god

Overal - I like Comet Vomit. I'm glad I have Some Kind of God, but I think I'll probably stick to lip balms and nail polishes for a bit. There are definitely a few of those I have my eye on! 

Project Swatch: Reds and Pinks

I've decided to swatch my entire indie collection. I made a spreadsheet of my collection, complete with 'color family'. After much deliberation, I decided to use the description from websites vs. my own perception of colors. I hope to swatch everything over the next week. Of course I have a haul from DG coming Monday which will possibly render some of my swatches obsolete, but oh well!

The following are swatches from Shiro, Notoriously Morbid, My Beauty Addiction, and Glamour Doll Eyes.

First up are the reds and pinks in my collection.

Shiro Unforgettable is a "hot pink-toned shimmery red with magenta sparks". On me, it reads a little bit more brown than the description.

Glamour Doll Eyes Fire Breather is a "vibrant red with orange undertones and gold shimmer". It's a little less "red" than I think of as red and more copper.

Notoriously Morbid Boca del Inferno is "a rich, deep oxblood". That seems about right! My first thought was "brick". NOTE: This shade was not swatched over Pixie Epoxy, as mattes don't play nice with most sticky bases!

My Beauty Addiction Aruba is "a light warm coral/pink with a HIGH shimmer". I totally disagree on this one; I categorized it as a neutral before I saw the description, and I wouldn't call it pink after the swatch. It could potentially be called a peach, but that's being generous. It looks like a light golden brown or taupe on me.

Shiro Wildflowers is a "soft petal pink with green and gold sparks". This shade is STUNNING, and definitely true to the description.

Shiro Destiny's Princess is a "shimmery, bright bubblegum pink with gold undertones". True to the description, IMO.

Glamour Doll Eyes Cajun is a "medium to bright pink with orange and gold sparkle and sheen". On me, it looks somewhere between a pink and a purple.

My favorites out of these are definitely Unforgettable, Fire Breather, Wildflowers, and Destiny's Princess. The first are great for a mostly neutral eye look! I can't wait to use Wildflowers as a highlight. Destiny's Princess is one that I don't quite yet know how to use, but it's BEAUTIFUL - and named after Zelda!

Ipsy - May 2014

Ipsy usually has pretty all-around decent customer satisfaction. Some people love it, some people hate it. This month is unique in that almost everyone hates this month's bag. It's especially interesting because the sneak peeks were promising and then... fail.

The theme, "Fresh Picks", is nice enough. Unfortunately, for some reason, they decided to do a skincare/haircare based bag. This didn't work for them in January... I'm not quite sure why they thought it would be better received now. Yes, sunscreen is a good idea - especially with the self-tan products they've sent out in the past. Other than that, though, this theme could have used a little more thinking through.

At least the bag's cute?

Here's what I got:

Pacifica Mineral Eye Shadow Duo, .07 oz, approx. value ???

Thoroughly mediocre. Decent colors; pigmentation is much better on the champagne color than on the purple. I will probably use the second color only. Weirdly, this isn't listed on Pacifica's website. I'm not sure why they'd send out a new product if subscribers can't repurchase it/buy for friends/etc.

Hang Ten Sunscreen, 1 fl. oz, approx. value $2.16

I mean, it's sunscreen. I'll use it. Meh.

Avene Thermal Spring Water, 1.76 oz, approx. value $3

...I have no idea what this product is supposed to do.

I even went to their website, and apparently, these are some applications for this product:

...I still have no idea why I would use this. Fortunately, someone is willing to swap me something I'll actually use for it. Hallelujah.

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe, .5 fl. oz, approx. value $13

I don't own a Nailtini polish, but I've heard good things. Unfortunately, I will never use this color. Ever. Hoping to swap this one for something more vibrant. This would be good for someone who doesn't have a lot of polish - a sheer pink/French mani color is great - but I have over 100 polishes, and if I wanted this color, I'd have acquired it by now.

Pur-lisse Pur-moist Moisturizer, .5 oz, approx. value $16

Having just calculated the value, I can only assume this moisturizer is made of unicorn jizz. I'm very happy with my drugstore moisturizer, though, so this is going into the swap pile.

Epic fail - there are exactly 1.5 products I'll use in this bag. A value of over $34 doesn't change that. The bag itself is super cute, though I wish it didn't have "ipsy" written all over it.

If you want to join me in seeing if Ipsy gets better, you're welcome to use my referral link here.

I'd like to close by quoting my April Ipsy review last month: "This probably means next month will be worse than January's skincare/haircare bag, but honestly, it'll be worth it."

Sometimes I hate being right.