My Pretty Zombie

My Pretty Zombie has been reviewed by many bloggers and seems to be a common "must-try" indie shop, so I finally ordered when they added a gorgeous new blush to the collection {more details below}. The overall theme of the company is obv zombies. And drugs. And various afflictions. But in a classy way {if that makes sense}. Take a look at the shop and the product details to get the overall feel for the company.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

My Pretty Zombie offers full-size loose eyeshadows for $5.00/each, sample shadows in baggies or jars {in sets of three} and both full-size and sample-size blushes, with the full sizes at $8.00 for a 15-gram container with sifter. U.S. Shipping is $1.25 for the first item and $0.25 for each additional item, and the TAT is average/normal — I received my products after about seven business days. But take note during the holidays, when the TAT is usually extended a bit to accommodate the extra sales {this is usually the case for most indie sellers during the holidays}.

My order consisted of a full-size MDMA Blush and a set of three eyeshadow samples in Gangrenous, My Pretty Zombie and Lady Killer. I was also sent two freebie samples of Rabies and Moist.

 :::  THE PICTURES  :::

*All swatches done over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese. Click to enlarge images.*

{The loot}

{Top and bottom of the MDMA Blush}

{The inside of the MDMA Blush, and a flash picture}

{MDMA Blush - Photographed with a flash - Oooooh}

{Moist, Rabies, Lady Killer, My Pretty Zombie and Gangrenous - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Moist and Rabies - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Lady Killer and My Pretty Zombie - Natural Light}

{Closer look at My Pretty Zombie and Gangrenous - Natural Light}

{Photographed with a flash}

{Moist, Rabies, Lady Killer - Photographed with a flash}

{Lady Killer, My Pretty Zombie, Gangrenous - Photographed with a flash}

 :::  THE OPINIONS  :::

I *love* these colors! Between the perfect pink blush with gold afterglow and the bold, multidimensional shadows, I'm really impressed. Moist is very orange, and very opaque. It's no secret that the word "moist" makes me cringe {haha}, but this color sure doesn't! I've never used orange eyeshadow before, so this is a first for my collection. Rabies is a hard color to describe, as I see a few different accents in it depending on the light. It's like a purple-y blue with a teal-ish shift and some hints of silver. Lady Killer is the perfect platinum silver/gray. Some silvers look dull on me, but not this one! Then there's My Pretty Zombie, which is as hot pink as a pink can be. Finally, Gangrenous — another interesting color that changes between blue and green, though I see green as being more dominant.

Over the weekend I placed another order while their Black Friday sale was going on, and picked up full sizes of Law Firm Lamb Cake, Unicorn Pee and Monstrous Industry shadows. I really like the whole theme of this company, their packaging, the ultra-pigmented colors and how lovely the products look when applied. I had no problems blending any of the eyeshadows, and the blush was very easy to make sheer yet noticeable. Are there any other colors you've purchased from MPZ that you consider must-haves? If you haven't already done so, check out their shop! :}

*Note: MPZ has temporarily closed up shop to give their attention to the swell of holiday orders received over the weekend, but keep checking back!

Stay Fabulous!

Julep Maven

Julep Maven is a similar concept to Birchbox, Eco-Emi and other subscription beauty boxes. Julep Maven asks you to answer a style quiz and then personalizes a "Sneak Peek Box" that is sent to you every month for $19.99/month. Each month you'll receive an email that showcases your products for the upcoming month, and you can choose to stick with the products chosen for you, request a new set of products or skip the month completely. Julep Maven focuses on nail polish and other mani/pedi products, and sends you over $40 worth of products each month. If you want to buy additional products, you also get 20% off orders made through the Julep website.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

The Julep Maven boxes cost $19.99/month, but I had a promotion code that allowed me to get the first box for only $5. I figured that was a good reason to give it a try. The nail polishes themselves retail for $14 each, which is a bit higher than what I'd normally pay for nail polish. Just from looking at the selection briefly, I didn't see many colors that were ohmygoshgiveittomenow colors. But I know others have found some lovely nail polishes that they really like. The box comes with informational materials and then the products packaged in a gift bag and tied with a pink ribbon {see pictures below}. I received the "American Beauty" set based on my style quiz results, which included two samples, a full-size hand scrub and two nail polishes in Lindsay and Shania. I didn't swatch the nail polishes at this point because I'm still wearing one of my favorite polishes and didn't want to redo my manicure. Lindsay is described on the Julep website as "Deep, dark burgundy. Find your inner Goth." Shania is described on the Julep website as "Pearly, silver-champagne. Perfect for elegant evenings and modern brides."
One additional thing to note is the cancellation procedure; instead of letting you cancel your subscription online, you have to call their indicated phone number to cancel. I'm not a big fan of that, as I went through the same thing when I chose to cancel my Shoedazzle account, and the customer service person I spoke to was quite pushy about asking why I didn't want it anymore, trying to talk me into staying, etc. I just want an easy out that doesn't require me to explain myself.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{Packaged inside a gift bag, which was shipped in a box}

{Two samples, full-size hand scrub and two nail polishes wrapped in pink tissue paper}

{The two nail polishes: Lindsay and Shania}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

While the products are nice and the presentation is lovely, I don't think I'll be purchasing future Julep Maven boxes. Compared to the $10 Birchbox price tag, $19.99 is just a bit too much for a monthly nail polish subscription — even if they are quality products. When I painted two of my nails with each of the different polishes, I found them to be very pretty, and only took two coats for even coverage. However, I didn't feel the colors were all that unique, and I'm not sure I'd wear either of the two colors very often — I'm more of a pink/red nail polish gal. I haven't tried the hand scrub or the two samples, but I'm sure they're very nice as well. I guess the price tag is really the determining factor in my decision to discontinue Julep Maven, mainly because I know that I can buy multiple OPI or Zoya nail polishes for that price, and I can pick the exact colors that I want. That, and I just don't paint my nails as frequently as others do. I think everyone has to decide for themselves whether this subscription would be worth it or not, and for some it probably is quite a deal! But, unfortunately not for me. I still encourage you to give it a try if you're interested though.

Stay Fabulous!

Black Rose Part 2

A few weeks ago I posted my first review/swatches for Black Rose Minerals, and mentioned that I had another order on the way already. And here it {finally} is! If you want more details on the shop itself, check out my first BRM post HERE.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

I took advantage of a sale that BRM was having at the time {a certain percentage off, I believe} and picked up eight sample baggies of eyeshadow and two full-size jars. My order was shipped before the stated TAT and it was packed full of goodies — stickers, Halloween things, etc — plus an order summary and two free samples. Samples come with 1/8-teaspoon of product in baggies or 1/4-teaspoon of product in 3-gram jars, at a cost of $1.00 each for baggies and $2.50 for jars. Full-size jars have 3/4 - 1 teaspoon of product if purchased without a sifter {which I did}, and cost $6.00 each.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

*Click to enlarge photos. All swatches done over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese.*

{Lots of extra fun stuff!}

{Everything dumped out of the bags}

{The products}

{Sample of Creeping Death glitter - I didn't swatch it because I don't have glitter glue to make it look nice, but the colors are awesome}

{L to R: Candy Floss, Gremlin, Peacocky, Lady, Zelda, Snow - Natural Light}

{L to R: Candy Floss, Gremlin, Peacocky, Lady, Zelda, Snow - Photographed with a flash}

{Closer look at Candy Floss, Gremlin and Peacocky - Flash}

{Closer look at Peacocky, Lady, Zelda and Snow - Flash}

{L to R: Unknown from Luciferi Collection, Starlight, Eros, Dark Wing, High-Ho Silver, Fly Away - Natural Light}

{L to R: Unknown from Luciferi Collection, Starlight, Eros, Dark Wing, High-Ho Silver, Fly Away - Flash}

{Closer look at Unknown from Luciferi Coll., Starlight and Eros - Flash}

{Closer look at Dark Wing, High-Ho Silver and Fly Away - Flash}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

My experience with Black Rose Minerals the second time around was just as great as the first time. My favorites from this order are Starlight, Lady and Candy Floss, though they all look just lovely. I still recommend Black Rose Minerals — and if you shop today through Monday, be sure to take advantage of their Black Friday weekend sales {posted on their site}!

Stay Fabulous!

Black Friday Madness!

To all who celebrate it: Happy {belated} Thanksgiving! And to all who participated in Black Friday sales, whether online or braving the crowds in stores, hope you had luck finding all the treasures you were looking for!

On Thanksgiving I took some time to reflect on the many ways in which I'm extremely fortunate, giving thanks for all of the experiences and opportunities I've been blessed with in my life. Along with the obvious focus on family, friends, good health and a great job, I am also thankful for all of the bloggers out there who I've come to really respect and admire over time. I've been inspired by them on more than one occasion, and in a myriad of different ways.

As I mentioned in a Facebook group yesterday, I am so awed by the generosity of indie companies — especially during the holidays, when they offer such amazing deals {like the Black Friday deals that were everywhere yesterday}. Most of these companies already offer affordable prices for quality products in the first place, along with great customer service and a very personable attitude. As consumers, we shouldn't expect these indie companies to take part in Black Friday sales, since they offer so many wonderful things already. However, because these shop owners are great people and extremely generous, many of them offered some crazy Black Friday deals {and some that extend throughout this entire holiday weekend}. Things like this remind me of how much I enjoy shopping indie — not just for the prices and the products, but for the complete customer experience.

On the same note, I took advantage of some truly fabulous deals yesterday, and here's where the bragging begins. :} Look for swatch/review/overview posts for each of them in the future.

:::  Meow Cosmetics - I ordered 33 eyeshadow samples {which I won't list}, two Firefly Blush samples in Glisten and Spark, three Pink Inc Blush samples in Slip, Cotton Candy and Flamingo, and two Taboo Blush samples in Racy and Dirty Talk. Meow offered a Black Friday discount of 20% on all orders, so I saved $8.00!

:::  Persephone Minerals - I ordered 10 eyeshadow samples in baggies, plus three full sizes in Alyks Twinkle, Taupe-less Beach and LE Sugar Coated {from their new holiday collection}. Persephone offered a Black Friday discount of 30%, so I saved about $7 on my order!

:::  Darling Girl Cosmetics - I ordered 10 eyeshadow samples, Holo-Gloss in Check It Out, and her new Kiss Me Tinted Lip Balm in Sugar Rush {which is pink/gold perfection}. Darling Girl offered 20% back in the form of a PayPal refund after the purchase was made, and I saved about $4 on my order!

:::  Stella Starish - I ordered a phenomenal discounted set that only ran for a few hours yesterday afternoon: 20 full-size eyeshadows of your choice for $20! Yep, that's only $1.00 per full-size jar! I snagged a bunch for myself and some for Christmas gifts. Quite a deal for sure.

:::  Dawn Eyes Cosmetics - I ordered 22 eyeshadow samples at $0.50 each, only spending $11.00 total!

So that's an overview of the damage I did yesterday. :} What did everyone else snap up for Black Friday? I'm venturing out to a few stores today, hoping to avoid any crazies that might be left over from yesterday. I'm enjoying my fourth day off from work today, hanging out at my parents' house, and then traveling back home {and back to reality} tomorrow morning. *sigh*

Stay Fabulous!

Simply Kendra

I found Simply Kendra through another blogger, who posted some lovely swatches of Simply Kendra's eyeshadows. When I visited their website {found HERE} I loved the names of the products as well as a few colors that {up to that point} I hadn't seen before. From what I could gather in a quick Google search, Simply Kendra was a quality indie MMU company, so I went ahead and placed an order.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

Simply Kendra sells a few different products, including eyeshadow, Glitter-Rama glitter, Glitter Affixer, Lip Gloss, Soy Balms and Blush. Prices seem average compared to other companies I've purchased from. Since I only purchased eyeshadows, that's all I can really speak to; however, I'd like to try their blush and a soy balm in the near future. As far as eyeshadows go, you can order $1.00 sample baggies, $3.00 3-gram jars or $5.00 5-gram jars. I opted for all sample baggies, which came with a decent amount of product in each one. I don't see anything mentioned about how much product comes in sample baggies, but it seems to be comparable to most other companies I've purchased from. The selection of colors is pretty interesting, with some color combinations that I thought were unique and some that were quirky. I didn't have any problem picking out products, and after swatching them, I found them all to be very true to their images on the site.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

*Click pictures to enlarge. All swatches done over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese.*

{Love the pink zebra tape!}

{Ingredients list enclosed with sample baggies, plus a note and candy}

{All of the samples, plus two freebies}

{First half of the order}

{Ballerina Betty, Aztec Maiden and Ice Storm - Photographed with a Flash}

{Goddess, Glitterbot, Heavy Metal Kitten, My French Boyfriend - Photographed with a Flash}

{The first half again - Photographed with a Flash}

{The second half of the order}

{Yeti, Jealous Jill, Krista and Senorita - Photographed with a Flash}

{Senorita, Naughty Librarian, E=Mc and Poisoned Candy Apple - Photographed with a Flash}

{The second half of the order again - Photographed with a Flash}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

My favorites from the bunch were E=Mc, Glitterbot and Senorita. E=Mc is a gorgeous bright pink that really pops against neutrals. Glitterbot may not be a unique color, but it applies very nicely, blends well and feels silky to the touch {though all of the shadows feel the same way}. Senorita was a surprise favorite for me, considering it's more of a neutral. It has a metallic look to it, almost like bronze mixed with pewter, but it looks really great against my fair skin and blue eyes. I plan on ordering a full-size version of Senorita soon, as the sample is almost gone already. :}

I haven't seen much talk about Simply Kendra on the usual blogs I frequent, so I'd love to hear others' experiences with this company, as well as your favorite Simply Kendra colors {if you have any}! Based on my first purchase, I'd definitely recommend this company.

Stay Fabulous!

Hi-Fi Cosmetics: A Review/Swatches

I purchased twice from Hi-Fi Cosmetics; once was through a Heartsy deal, and the other time was just a normal order. I can {obviously} only speak to my own experiences with Hi-Fi, which were without incident — even during their Heartsy timeframe. What follows is my review and swatches of both orders combined, as an attempt to streamline the posts a bit more.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

Hi-Fi Cosmetics has an e-commerce presence on Artfire, where the owner {Veronica} gives you the option to shop by collection, by color or see everything at once. There are quite a few collections to look through {they're listed/linked on the right side of the page, just in case you're not familiar with Artfire} and many, many eyeshadow colors to choose from. Hi-Fi also has their base/primer product called High Impact Shadow Fix, cosmetic-grade glitters called Paparazzi Flash Powders, mineral blush and lip glaze, along with their "More the Merrier" deals and gift certificates. I only purchased eyeshadows so far, but may try their mineral blushes the next time I place an order.

Eyeshadows are $6 for a 5-gram jar with sifter. Each shadow listing includes ingredients, a color description and a note as to whether it's lip safe or not and whether or not it's vegan. Shipping is $1.00 for the first item and $0.50 for each additional item. Both times I ordered I chose their 5 for $25 deal, plus a few extra single shadows. They arrived in bubble mailers with the jars wrapped together in a baggie so they didn't move around in transit, which I appreciated.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{All of the jars, bottoms up.}

{L to R: Punk Rocker, Lost and Lonely, Fallen Angels, Low Light, Silver Bells, Eat Me Drink Me, Clean Version - Photographed in Natural Light}

{Closer look at Punk Rocker, Lost and Lonely, Fallen Angels - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Low Light, Silver Bells, Eat Me Drink Me - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Silver Bells, Eat Me Drink Me, Clean Version - Natural Light}

{Same as above but photographed with a flash}

{Closer look - photographed with a flash - Lost and Lonely is really a stand-out color here}

{Closer look - photographed with a flash - Low Light is lovely}

{L to R: Adrenaline, Grinch, Love All the Poison, Morals in a Hole, Adagio, Beach Baby, Champagne Toast - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Adrenaline, Grinch, Love All the Poison - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Love All the Poison, Morals in a Hole, Adagio - Natural Light}

{Closer look at Adagio, Beach Baby, Champagne Toast - Natural Light}

{Same as above but photographed with a flash}

{Closer look - photographed with a flash - Love All the Poison is a great green}

{Closer look - photographed with a flash - Beach Baby is full of great sparkle and shimmer}

 :::  THE OPINIONS  :::

I *love* almost every color I purchased. I say "almost" because I wasn't completely in love with Grinch or Fallen Angels {just a matter of personal preference though — the shadows themselves are great, I just don't love the particular colors on me}. But two out of fourteen shadows isn't a bad number for indie products, when purchases are made not knowing how they'll work with your particular skin tone/type or not knowing how intense the color will be with the base/primer you use. And I don't *hate* Grinch and Fallen Angels. I just don't prefer them to the other twelve colors I bought. On a less subjective note, all of the shadows adhered well to UDPP and NYX Jumbo Pencil, blended nicely and stayed put for hours. I don't doubt that I'll order more from Hi-Fi in the future, though lately I've been picking up most products during sales, so I'm eager to see if Hi-Fi offers a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale this coming week.

If anyone else has favorites from Hi-Fi that I should add to my list to try, let me know!

Stay Fabulous!