PurpleCat Creatives Review

PurpleCat Creatives has been on my list of companies to try for a while, but it wasn't until I saw a sale and that several scents I was curious about were gone that I decided to order. They're clearing out summer scents, so the deal was if you spent $20 you could request your favorite summer/spring scents and get an extra. I had wanted to try Clandestine for forever, and so I prayed that they had some left over.

I placed my order on August 23rd. It shipped August 25th and I had it on the 27th. Everything came in a small box, and I got two extras! I ordered three perfume samples and two soap whips, and received a sugar scrub and mini body butter for free.

Cheshire Chai: Delectable chai tea with notes of ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, rounded out with exotic frankincense. 
This one goes back and forth on me between smelling like Chai and smelling more like cinnamon. It's delectable. It also makes me want to brew a cup of chai and curl up next to a fireplace.

Dreamcatcher: Warm caramel touched with an exotic blend of clove, nutmeg, chipotle and curry. 
It starts off overwhelmingly and beautifully caramel, then turns towards warm spices. It reminds me of Christmas cookies; for me, this will be the perfect winter scent around the holidays.

Twilight Gypsy: Rustic Vanilla bean mingled with aromatic oakwood campfire for a rich and exotic dance around a twilight bonfire.
 Uh-oh. Sniffed this one deep to try to pick up notes and it smells vaguely like bug spray. It must be some combo of the wood + vanilla smell, but on me this does not work AT ALL. After ten  minutes it starts to smell more like the description, but there's still some quality to it that wrinkles my nose a bit.

Raven's Blend: Fresh brewed coffee blended with dark chocolate, caramel, aromatic hazelnuts and cream. 

Very intense on cold sniff. At first I thought I was smelling pure vanilla extract (the dark notes of it) or something along those lines; after reading the description again I can pick up the dark chocolate. I LOVE this one, it's just very hard to describe! I'd never used a soap whip before, but I just put a tiny bit on my loofah and used it like any other shower thing, and it worked well. Using your first indie bath product is a little strange; I was staring it down, thinking "is this really going to get me clean?" But I seem to smell fresh and it lathered like every other product, so hey, I think it works!

Marzipan: Rich almond marzipan with hints of vanilla shortbread and bourbon. Classic and decadent. 
Such bourbon!! But it's also sweet. I love this one; it's more complex than I would have imagined.

Viva Margarita: This makes me thirsty! It smells exactly like a good salted margarita on the rocks. Yum. The consistency is nice - nothing groundbreaking, but what I expect from a good body butter.

Clandestine: This is the scent I was most excited to try, and I was so thrilled she had some in stock. This is another one that I enjoy but it's hard to describe; the notes of coffee and strawberry seem spot on, but they mix in a way I didn't really picture beforehand.

The packaging on everything is gorgeous; I love how professional and put-together her shop is. My one tiny gripe is that the label for Twilight Gypsy is facing the other direction than the other two, but that's just one of the little things that bothers me personally. You probably wouldn't notice it if you're not completely neurotic.

Overall, this was an amazing purchase. I love everything except Twilight Gypsy, and I can't believe I got two extra goodies! The postage price put me off beforehand, but knowing that it's sent in a box makes me feel a lot better going forward. This will not be my last purchase from Purplecat Creatives!

Dusk Cosmetics - Review and Swatches

I've been on an indie spending binge lately, and when Jessica - the owner of Dusk Cosmetics  - posted about her site on Reddit, I was drawn in by her colors. They're GORGEOUS. She currently has two collections, one based on Princess Mononoke and one based on Howl's Moving Castle. I'm not a fan of either, but I ordered seven samples anyway! 

I should mention that when I got home yesterday, before I had a chance to open these shadows, I had a new Etsy message from Jessica. She said that her sample sizes (supposedly 1/8 tsp) were inconsistent and she was sending replacements of everything I'd purchased for free. Wow! I haven't received those yet (obviously), but I am severely impressed by her dedication to provide good customer service. I ordered May 29th, she shipped May 30th, and I had my shadows on June 3rd. 

My purchase, plus a free sample

I can't tell if these are inconsistent, and I'm not dedicated enough to go measure them myself. I will say they look just a bit small for a sample but that could be the baggies, me being spoiled by other companies with larger samples, etc. Here's how Sophie looked after I swatched it:

Sophie: Shimmery, cool toned gray with subtle blue sparkles. PERIWINKLE. That was my first thought when I saw this color in the light. Not what I expected from the picture but it's absolutely stunning. If I'm looking for the grey I can see it, but mostly it's blue/purple. One of my favorites!

Kodama: Subtle, ochre tinged bone ivory with cool green chrome and green sparkles. This is another favorite of mine; it's a beautiful pale yellow on my skin.

Howl: Bright dandelion yellow with gold chrome and golden sparkles. Definitely a dandelion yellow! Perfect for bright looks.

Yakul: Toasted orange with golden chrome and gold reflecting sparkles.This was my freebie, and while I wouldn't have chosen it, I like it. It reminds me a lot of Fyrinnae's Pyromantic Erotica, but without the shift.

San: Cool toned red with copper chrome and copper sparkles. I see less 'red' and more 'pink'; it reminds me, somehow, of Femme Fatale's Sunfire, though not a duochrome. 

Markl: Spring green with green chrome and copper sparkles. Definitely a very spring-y green! I like it, but really, I love all greens.

Raven Howl: Deep, inky navy with blue chrome and turquoise sparkles. I would not call this a navy, but I knew that from the swatches. It's more of a cobalt blue and it's absolutely stunning.

Turnip Head: Dark burgundy with red chrome and silver shifting sparkles. Not sure if burgundy is the right word; it's very purple. Very obvious sparkle on this one!

Overall, I'm pleased with the shadows. The standouts, for me, are Sophie, Kodama, and Raven Howl; I will definitely be purchasing a full-size of Kodama. Jessica's customer service also kicks things up a notch for me. I liked Dusk Cosmetics on Facebook, and I look forward to seeing future collections. 

Dusk Cosmetics eyeshadows retail for $1.25 for 1/8 tsp and $5.80 for 1 tsp/2 grams of product. 

Project Swatch: Oranges and Peaches

The project continues! This post I cover all of my orange/peach/orange-ish shadows.

Please note that Hello Waffle's shadows changed names recently. Christine had Disney inspired collections, and unfortunately Disney's copyright protection forced her to change names for fear of getting sued. I will use the name that I received the product under, and if it is the old name, I will put the new at the end of the blurb on each color.

The first of the colors...

and the second.

 Hello Waffle Rose Champagne: a sparkly champagne colour with a tinge of pink. This was May's color of the month, and pictures don't do it justice. It should have gone in with pinks but 1) I didn't get it til last week 2) it's my blog I do what I want. This is going to be a great light/middle shade for a neutral look.

Hello Waffle Hatter: shimmery orange peach that leans copper with a gold undertone. I'm kind of obsessed with this color. As you can see in the swatch, there's a ton of dimension to it. Almost all peaches flatter blue eyes, but I feel like Christine's somehow go above and beyond. Note: this shadow is now called "Mad".

Hello Waffle Summertime: light creamsicle orange with silver shimmer. I got a sample of this back when it was "Hit in the Heart" and was so obsessed I had to buy the full-size. It's really lovely. This and Hatter get used together quite a lot!

Hello Waffle Magic Hair: shimmering golden apricot with rosy undertones. This is nearly a neutral on my skin, but in a shimmery, gold-rose way. It's absolutely stunning. Note: this shadow is now called "Fey".

Just realized I flipped this the wrong way. Oopsies.

Darling Girl Knock Knock Penny: slightly earthy orange with blue/green shift. You can see the shift at the right and bottom edges of the color; I like the color when it has the shift. Without, it's pretty harsh on my skin. I will definitely use this, but it might be a bit of a challenge!

Darling Girl Positively Peachy: bright peach with gold shift and iridescence. This is another one where the pictures don't accurately capture how awesome this shadow is, and it still looks awesome in pictures. Definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a peach shadow.

Also flipped weird... Ermahgerd comes first in the big pic. OH WELL.

Darling Girl Dreamsicle: I specifically made my second order from DG to get this color when it was a Gift with Purchase because IT'S SO FREAKING PRETTY. Because it was a GWP I can't find the description, but you should be jealous because I have it xoxo

Darling Girl Ermahgerd: pastel orange with a silvery green flash and subtle shift to coral. Phew - I don't know if I see all of that, but this is yet another gorgeous color. I think this and Positively Peachy would do well together.

Hello Waffle Golden Flower: peach with golden shimmer. I don't know why a bunch of HW shadows are leaning brown on me; I think it's just a reflection of how freaking well they work with my skin tone. In person this is more peachy but still a bit of a neutral. Note: this shadow is now called "Golden Stairs".

Siren Clumsy: This is a glitter and not a shadow, but I swatched it anyway! No description other than "novelty use", which is basically how companies don't get in trouble with the FDA as glitter is not approved around the eye area. Whatever. I REALLY like this color - it's a pastel orange and obviously shiny as hell.

Femme Fatale Sunfire: a sweet peachy pink with coral tones and a striking copper gold shine. My first thought when I swatched this was "oh, fuck" because I was just part of a Femme Fatale group order. I have to buy this. Seriously, LOOK AT IT. And yes, it's even more amazing off-camera.

Dreamworld Hermetica Dead Reckoning: a soft orange with reddish undertones. Yeah, apparently it's called Dead Reckoning. My bad! Anyway, this is the shadow that made me realize I could totally pull of orange shadows. Love the copper nonsense going on, love that it's easy to work with. Hate that now I am obligated to buy from Dreamworld Hermetica because SO MANY PRETTY COLORS. Onto my wishlist they go!

Fyrinnae Pyromantic Erotica: a deep orange with an obvious chartreuse highlight. I think I saw a swatch of this one and was like I MUST HAVE IT but I don't really get that on my skin. I don't really see the obvious highlight, tbh. I still like it, but it's less complex than I expected.


In conclusion: oranges/peaches are pretty. Go buy them.

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.