Pumpkin and Poppy Oak Bark Contouring Powder

Hello again readers!

It's always good to have a lot of options when it comes to makeup, and since I'm a sucker for contouring my cheekbones I like to have a lot of options. I've been picking up taupe and grey shades for ages, and this was a product I really wanted to try.

Pumpkin and Poppy Oak Bark Contouring Powder

The packaging is a 20 gram plastic jar, with sticker labels. The front is the logo and the Etsy shop name, while the back has the name of the product, size, and ingredient list. I don't mind the sticker, but I've already started getting it incredibly dirty with use ...

The best feature of the packaging, is that it comes with a sifter!! It's wonderful, because you don't want too much product coming out at once. I highly suggest that you keep the sifter only open half way (or closed completely if you store this product on its side!) because it's such a finely milled powder that the powder will come out incredibly quickly if you're not careful.

Oak Bark is a cool taupe that's perfect for creating subtle shadows that look natural on the skin. If you apply more layers, you can build up the color but I really enjoy how it makes my cheekbones look with just a small amount. It's incredibly easy to blend too, making it a pleasure to work with.

Make sure to tap off the excess off your brush, because there's been a few times where I neglected to do so and found myself with a bold line running down my cheek.  It's always better to add more and blend as you go rather than add too much.

The biggest downside to this product is that it's not readily available. You can't just go to the drugstore and buy one, you have to order it online and wait. For those who are impatient it might not be worth it for you (especially if you like instant gratification), but if you can manage to wait a couple of weeks for it to arrive I can assure you that you'll enjoy it.

The other downside, was actually rectified ... sort of. While Oak Bark is amazing for those with fair to light skin tones, everyone else seemed to be left in the dust as it could definitely make someone look ashy if they were medium to deep skin tones. Pumpkin and Poppy formulated a new Midnight Oak powder, that caters to light to medium skin tones. A step in the right direction, sure, but for those who have a deep skin tones there is still not a suitable powder available. So for that I will indeed count it as a con.

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You can purchase Oak Bark here for $9.25. It depends where you are, since shipping fluctuates. I calculated what the shipping would be for me, and it was about $2.75, making the product a total of $12. When I bought this, it was $8.75, so they raised the price by 50 cents, which isn't a big deal. I'm a really big fan of this product, and I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading!

House of Uni Lipstick

Hello again readers!

If you're like me, you've taken a notice of beauty bloggers talking about House of Uni lipsticks. It started with swatches of Rum Punch, and then a swatch of Fountain Lust sealed the deal for me. I checked them out, debated on buying from them, and then jumped on them when there was a buy three for $20 sale.

Each of the lipsticks comes in a gold plastic tube. The tops have little clear stickers with "House of Uni" printed on them. The bottoms have a white sticker with the shade names.

The packaging looks nice, but it feels cheap. I'm more impressed with a lipstick that's ugly but feels sturdy, over a lipstick that looks beautiful but feels like it's going to break if I hold it too tightly.

To be honest, I have no idea how many ounces/grams are in each lipstick. I wasn't really pleased with that, as each of these lipsticks regularly retail for $9 (The site says $10, but every time I've checked the site it says that they're marked down to $9) so not knowing exactly how much you're getting isn't ideal. Although, by the look of the lipstick alone, it looks like  a standard sized lipstick.

The other packaging issue I had, is that each of these shades is poured differently? Fountain Lust is poured like a standard bullet lipstick with a pointed tip. Rum Punch and Blackberry has a flatter pour. It makes it harder to apply, and it frustrates me greatly. You'd think they'd all be poured into similar molds.

Fountain Lust:

A beautiful teal semi-matte opaque lipstick. I can apply this quickly, no liner, and it looks perfect. It doesn't wash me out, and for having a lipstick with green tones in it, it doesn't pull out the yellow tones of my skin, and doesn't make me look sickly. It's such a beautiful lipstick to have, and this formula has been a pleasure to work with.

My favorite shade, even with it's flaws. The flaws being, that even though it's easy to apply, that it smells like gross fake cherry flavoring. It's disgusting. I'd prefer my lipsticks to have no flavor, hell, I'd settle for the crayon-flavor over cherry. It makes me hate wearing this lipstick ...

Rum Punch:

A true cobalt blue shade. This shade is more like a crelly – a mixture of a sheer jelly, and a creme formula. It makes the color come off as streaky. If I put it on top of a primer, or even a lipliner, it makes it more opaque, but it needs a little help. It will go all over the place, and fades from the inside of my mouth quickly. It needs constant touch-ups to keep looking good.

The formula was so strange, because even though it was smooth, it had a bit of grit to it. Like chunks of pigment weren't broken down enough. It made wearing the lipstick uncomfortable. It also smelled like traditional play lipstick, the kind of crayon-scented lipstick you'd use as a kid. I prefer this over the cherry flavoring of Fountain Lust, but it's still not great.

Blackberry:

A beautiful blackened violet shade with warm undertones, this is what I wanted NYX Wicked Lippy in Betrayal to be like, color-wise. It has a similar crelly finish, where it's not too sheer, but it's not fully opaque either. This is another shade that needs some TLC to get to work best. I can't wear this without a lipliner, because it's such a smooth formula that it'll just slide right off! With how dark this shade is, it also needs constant touch-ups.

The texture was consistent with this shade, but it also had the issue of smelling like crayons.

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With the differences in flavor, and pour, as well as having the grit issue with Rum Punch, makes me not want to buy from this company again. I really love Fountain Lust, and will continue to wear it even if I HATE the flavor of it, but I know I can depend on it lasting longer than an hour without touching it up. For $9 a lipstick, I expect it to be better. I'd rather buy something else with my money, and though I won't have as many color options, I'd rather have something that I can depend on.

Thanks for reading!

Alchimia Apothecary Review

Hello again readers!

So, as soon as I got my order in, I've been testing out these perfumes... and then to find out that they're changing their business!

Alchimia Apothecary used to create perfume oil blends, that they sold off. However, they're changing the direction of their company. Instead of me trying to describe it, I'll let you read it for yourself here. It sounds scary, but I find that it's good news! I'm really intrigued to create blends for myself, and I want to attempt another try at my handiwork to create a dupe.

I picked up a Choose Your Own Adventure (that will be canging in the future, but you can still create scents!), and included in my package was a sample.

I'm a little bummed that I can't really describe this scent to you... Zero just smells frigid, like zero degree weather (get it?). Cold and sharp. It has a scent of mint and pine, like you stepped outside on Christmas. I'm going to try wearing it in the winter, because it smells more like a winter scent than a summer one. Very strange, but wonderful. 

Now for the bulk of this post... My favorite perfume of all time is Promise Me, and this is not a secret by any means. Neither is the fact that they no longer sell Promise Me, which was a huge hit to me. I wanted to try to get a dupe made, so I wouldn't worry about using all of it up... or at least something extremely similar.

I sent an email off to Erin at Alchimia Apothecary, and her messages were fast, and kind. I was very happy with her patience with me, as sometimes I felt I came off as repetitive and nervous, with my misunderstanding on how certain notes worked, as well as my failure to describe the scent that I had in mind. She was as I said patient, and sort of walked me through which scents smelled like what, which is above and beyond if you ask me. She was very thorough, and understanding. I was really impressed, because although I still know very little about perfume and scents, I felt relieved and confident and her abilities.

However, it was close, but not close enough (not a fault of Erin, but my own nose and my ignorance with how scents work!). I'm a perfume noob. Basically, I find a scent I like, and stick with it and hope for the best. I could only find the notes of the original perfume online (missing out notes like vanilla, etc.) and wasn't sure exactly which perfume notes to add.

In the end, I ended up picking four notes: Gardenia, White Tea, Apple Accord, Vanilla. Erin suggested Cologne Marine Note, which I love in this scent, and was really impressed with her suggestion because it just made it so much better.

The scent that came out, was a version of Promise Me, with a sweet apple twist. Promise Me No. 2. The apple accord overpowers most of the other fragrance, and the vanilla I think adds just a bit too much sweetness.

It wears great throughout the day, and even with my skin chemistry, I can smell it. The sweetness goes away after a few hours, and I find I like it better as the day wears on, rather than on initial application, which I was also impressed with.

To be honest, out of the entire original Promise Me, I really liked the sharper notes, compared to the sweeter notes. When I place another order (when they return), I think I'll end up skipping out on the vanilla entirely, and picking a more sharper apple fragrance to go into the mix instead.

The original pricing was $15 with $3 shipping, making the total $18, a great price for a perfume oil that will last just as long as a spray in my opinion (maybe even more than a spray for me, as I use at least 3-4 sprays of perfume/cologne and only a few drops of the perfume oil).

The pricing will change with the company, but I suggest keeping an eye out for their return. They company is fantastic, and the creations are almost limitless!

Thanks for reading!

Notoriously Morbid Cosmetics

Hello again readers!

I've been really excited about this post, because I placed and order and finally got to try out Notoriously Morbid Cosmetics!! I've been really going out and trying a bunch of different brands to really buff up my collection, and fulfilling my duo-chrome addiction, so Notoriously Morbid was on my wishlist.

I picked up a blush sample, and the Beauty Blogger Package for eyeshadow. I was really surprised, because there was an added eyeshadow, from their "The Price of Magic" collection, and I was even more excited to try it out, because the shadow was the one I wanted most from the collection. 

The blush I picked out was Necromancy*, because I desperately wanted to try it for contour. It isn't a matte, it has a sheen, and a bit of glitter in it, but dang, it ended up being a really pretty contour powder nonetheless. I can't get enough of grey/taupe shades to contour with, it has changed the entire way I do my makeup. I love this blush, and definitely see myself picking up a full size in the future.

And then there were samples, six of them, to be precise. Love Reigns, Glorious Honor*, Walkin' on Sunshine*, There is No Honor, Autumn Flower*, and The Grand Empress.

I swatched all of them like I usually do, by running a wet wipe over my arm, but even with the damp skin, I didn't feel that these particular shades really shined, so I dotted Pixi Epoxy onto my arm, and swatched them over that too.

Love Reigns:

Salmon pink duo-chrome with a blue shift.

Glorious Honor:

Light violet duo-chrome with a green shift. Also includes pink and violet shimmer.

Walkin' on Sunshine:

Based on Charlie from Supernatural. A violet duo-chrome with an aqua shift.

There is No Honor:

On the site it says this is supposed to be a grey, but this looks more like a blue with a green duo-chrome shift.

Autumn Flower:

Dusty plum shimmer with a blue and green shift.

The Grand Empress:

A dark blue with a red duo-chrome overlaid. It resembles a lot like London Bridge from Darling Girl Cosmetics. This shade DOES leave a stain behind, so if you're not fond of working to remove stains from your eyelids, I'd avoid this one.

Now this is another shade that I could not for the life of me find on their website. I did find it featured on other blogs, and apparently this was inspired by Castiel from Supernatural. Not really the sort of color I'd pick for him, but the shift resembles him more, being a very cool toned color shift.

Hallelujah: 

Tawny brown with a blue/teal sheen. 

This was the other full-size shadow in the package. It was from The Price of Magic collection, which upon further researching, was a limited edition collection. (The May 2015 Vanishing Cabinet). I'm a little devastated, because while this is the shade I loved the most out of the collection, it's unfortunate that I can't experiment with any of the other shades, how sad. :( I'm happy to have this though, and I almost jumped for joy (I did a dance instead!) When I looked at the name on the back: You Want Darkness?

You Want Darkness?:
Taupe-y plum shimmer, with blue and red sparkles.

This was inspired by Maleficent, and holy cow was I really happy about it! Generally, she is associated with green, black, and violet. Having a color that's so out the norm, was really refreshing. I haven't seen more than five episodes of Once Upon a Time, but this was a really beautiful shade.


So, what did I think about the brand? I think that Notoriously Morbid is a brand that brings something unique to the table of Indie cosmetics, and should definitely not be overlooked. The duo-chromes they offer are to die for, and great quality. The site is easy enough to navigate, and the processing/shipping turnover was really quick too. I'm really pleased with my order, and what I received, and I know for sure that I'll be placing another order with them in the future.

Thanks for reading!

*All shades with asterisks indicate that I will be repurchasing full sizes in the future.

Fyrinnae Haul

Hello again readers!

I couldn't resist, and ordered from Fyrinnae again! I really love their quick service, and the quality of their products.

The products came wrapped inside this gorgeous gold holo paper. They really have flashy presentation, once you remove the cardboard holding it altogether.

This time around, I ordered samples of: a setting powder, a blusher, three lip lustres, and pixie epoxy. There was also a free sample of an eyeshadow, which I was really giddy about because it's a shade I know I'll enjoy.

Asterisks depict products I'll be buying the full size of.

Before jumping in, I wanted to point out the size of the samples of the lip lustres and the pixie epoxy. I wasn't really aware of how small the samples of these would be, until I got them. For comparison between the samples, and the full size, visit Maliberry Makeup to see. 

I'm a little sad, but what can you do. They're the perfect sizes for sampling the products, and that's the point of them. It's definitely a better value to invest in the full-size, but with these smaller sizes, it's easier to use up a product that you won't be too fond of.

Hollywood Sorcery is one of their finishing powders. It's supposed to give a soft glow to the face. Think of it like a beauty powder. I wasn't sure how I'd like it, because it's a little dark, and definitely not translucent. I was really impressed. It gives the skin a very healthy look, and doesn't put too much of a tint to the skin.

Nordic Angel* is a peachy-pink blusher with gold sparkle. The sparkle in the product isn't too prominent, and blending it out, they become very subtle unless you're looking for it. The first time I use it, I was surprised on how well it suited my face, for being so warm, and even more surprised with how healthy it made my cheeks look. I really fell in love with it, and it blends in (with a brush, not so much my fingers) really well for a healthy glow.

Sacred is a metallic taupe. I'm a sucker for taupe shadows, and I knew the moment I laid my eyes on this shade that I would love it. It's very beautiful, whether I diffuse it or really pack it on, and it's a shade that I am so happy to have gotten a sample of.

I've been looking forward to trying this product, and last time I talked myself out of it. This time, there was nothing to stop me, so I invested.

The Pixie Epoxy (as well as the lip lustres) come in a little tube, with a silver cap and a doe-foot applicator. I am fond of this sort of applicator, because it's incredibly easy to get product exactly where you want it.

For swatches, it's pronominal. It takes hold of pigments, and makes them look really intense! I was really impressed. It's really made more for packing on pigment, not so much for blending out shadows.

I like to put an eyeshadow primer on the lid, add in my crease/blending shade, and THEN use this product on the lid and pack on a lot of pigment. It really makes pigments look amazing. 

I bought three Lip Lustre samples. I have a long list of Lip Lustres that I want to add to my collection, so I couldn't resist trying these three.

I was REALLY impressed with these. The pigmentation is great, the scent isn't overwhelming by any means, almost sweet, and they apply beautifully. If you get these during the winter, you might need to hold them in your armpit or in your cleavage to warm them up again so they apply better, because they might get a bit more solid than you'd prefer, and can go on a little... chunky, I suppose. Warming them up solves this problem.

They are really opaque, and the wear time was really nice. I got a couple hours of perfect wear, before I noticed the inner part of my lips looking less than perfect, and would have to touch them up again.

Pygmy Hippo*:

A cool rose pink, with a bit of violet. It's a little darker than a true nude, but it is still a pretty natural looking lip. Not too over the top. I really enjoyed wearing this, and I'll be sad when my sample runs out.

Dragon's Blood:

Darkened maroon red. I really thought that this, and Winter Romance should have switched names. This has more of a cool red, but the other has the better appearance of 'blood'. I have colors like this so I won't be buying the bigger size.

Winter Romance*:

A deep warm red. This has a bit of, dare I say a brown to it, and this looks far more like blood than Dragon's Blood does. It looks amazing on the lips, and really compliments my skintone surprisingly well.

Thanks for reading!

Shiro Cosmetics Haul

Hello again readers!

           I feel good to finally be able to try out some Shiro cosmetics. I've heard really amazing things, and I have been lusting after them with stars in my eyes. Both because of the colors they offer, and because of the fandom-themed collections. I'm weak for that sort of thing.

I was nervous, because there wasn't a waiting time, and I never got a shipping confirmation or anything; which I found out through Caitlin can happen if you have a hotmail email. So don't worry too much, and if you are concerned she replies quickly to emails.

It turned out that my package got stuck for a week, and she offered to re-send a package, or refund me. I asked if she could re-send the package, because I did want to try these products to show you guys, and she sent it out really fast to make up for the lost time.

I got the package, and I was already in love with quite a few of the products inside. Two days later, the first package arrived. I was surprised, because we thought it'd have been lost in the post office, but it was just delayed... I asked her if she'd like me to send it back, and she said to keep it.

This portion here, is to the excellent service that Shiro offers. Not because I ended up getting two packages in the end (though I'm not going to lie, was pretty sweet), but because she handled customer concerns very well, and was very professional and treated me kindly. Customer Service is phenomenal, and I find the products to be up to par with how well the service is, making this company a worthy company to buy from.

It gets sent in a protective bubble-mailer, and inside is a paper bag sealed with the Shiro logo to keep all the products from moving too much during transit. Especially great if you buy any full-size, as it keeps the plastic from hitting into each other. Not flashy, but efficient. 

Inside were the products that I ordered, as well as a small plastic bag; included is the Shiro business card, and two samples. I like how this is handled, because not only is there a business card to have on file, or to hand out to friends/family  to spread the word, but the free samples are separated from your order. Especially good if you ordered a LOT of things, and it's hard to remember what you bought, and what you didn't.

Lingered in Twilight*:
Deep teal with metallic shimmer. I love this one so much, I am kicking myself for NOT buying the full size. I am so in love with this, that I don't want to use it too much in case I run out... a silly fear to be honest.

 Day of Reckoning: 
A deep, darkened red-violet with shimmer. 

Burdened with Glorious Purpose*: 
A blackened olive-green with green and gold shimmer. Gorgeous, and definitely a Loki shade. I didn't think I would like it, because I don't like green very much, but I love this one a lot. It makes my eyes pop a little too.

Glowstick of Destiny*:
A pale blue with a gold shimmer. I can't believe how flattering this shadow was. I love it so much!

I Understood That Reference*:
Definitely a shadow fit for Steve. It's like, if a cobalt blue pigment had a baby with the Fyrinnae Mephisto pigment. Stunning! 

Alkahestry: 
Lavender with a heavy blue shift. This is a shade that would need a good, sticky base to look its best. Without, it sort of lacks impact.

Colonel:
A deep navy blue with gold shimmer. Just looking at this reminds me of Mustang, so it hit the nail on the head. In a way, I love it because of the gold glitter, and I hate it because of it too. It's not something I can get away with everyday.

Majora's Mask:

It says blurple on the site, but it is really a blue with a hint of violet in it. It has some nice shimmer. Another shade that definitely needs a good adhesive, and not able to get away with it for every day wear.

The next two aren't Shiro, they're Detrivore, but Shiro sells them on their site. 

Bruise*:
I fell in love with this on the site, and on the swatch, and on my eyes... It's just the kind of shadow that's unique and quickly stole my heart. It's a deep brownish/blackened red with violet shimmer, and it looks... well, like a bruise. Applying it with an adhesive and then blending it out, looks rather bruise-like (see how the cener of the swatch (dry) it looks almost red, but the outsides look deep and angry? Yeah. Bruise-like). I love it!

Scar:

A taupe with an iridescent shimmer. I really love this product, but I know I wouldn't need a bigger-size because I have iridescent shadows to layer over my Tough as Taupe Maybelline Color Tattoo. A really beautiful shade if you don't want to do the work.

Thanks for reading!

*All products marked with an asterisk are products I plan to purchase full sizes of in the future.