Holi-Daze

Christmas is my hands-down favorite holiday. I start organizing my decorations, lights, ornaments and other novelty items before Thanksgiving, and this year I even bought wrapping paper as soon as Target had their holiday section open {in October}. The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving {another reason I like fake trees more than real trees — they last the whole holiday season. And I hate the smell of pine.} and I start scouting the Sunday paper and email promotions for great gift ideas. Beyond that, I like to do themes each year, whether it's a candy cane theme {white lights and red ornaments on the tree, red and silver/white gift wrap, candy cane outdoor lights, etc} or a retro Christmas theme like I'm doing this year. "Retro" Christmas means bright colors — not the traditional shades of red, green, blue and yellow. Instead, it's bright pink, turquoise, lime green and a few other random colors. Mainly the pink and green though. So, naturally, I had to buy Christmas cards that fit with the theme, as well as wrapping paper, bows, gift bags, decor, and so on. Now that I have everything I need for my retro Christmas, and the tree is up and decorated... I'm stuck.

I can't seem to find the motivation to finish my Christmas experience. Everything is purchased, including 90% of the gifts. It's all sitting in the extra bedroom, in piles depending on purpose: house decor in one pile, Christmas gifts that need to be wrapped and beautified in another pile, five stacks of empty boxes to pack gifts in and a pile of Christmas things I don't need anymore. I walk past the extra bedroom multiple times every day and I still haven't started these projects. Now that I'm done with class until after the new year, I really have no excuse. Last night was my first "free" night after completing class, and instead of doing something productive, I wasted time on my computer looking at a multitude of random things {Pinterest really sucks me in!}. I just don't understand where my Christmas spirit went? Is it because I'm getting older {I'm only 28}? Because I'm single and don't have a family of my own? That's never stopped me before. Today I wanted to get my remaining Christmas shopping done on my lunch break, but I keep talking myself out of it with nonsense excuses. I *love* buying things for others, whether it's birthdays or Christmas — so where did my darn motivation go?! I know that once I get out there and am actually doing it, I will enjoy it. Same with wrapping gifts and finishing decorations — I love wrapping gifts and making them look all crafty and pretty, and I love decorating. I know I'll be glad when I'm actually doing it, but taking the next step to begin doing it is awfully difficult this year. It's a funk, and it's time I get myself out of it. Hence why I've dubbed this post "Holi-Daze," feeling like I'm just going through the motions in a daze. Must. Snap. Out of it.

On a positive note, I'm *very* happy with my Christmas tree this year. I finally have a nice camera with manual options, so I was able to learn a few new things and capture some lovely pictures. And with that, I leave you with pretty pictures. :}

{The tree in all its glory}

{Close-up of the lights using a slow shutter speed and longer exposure}

{Pink, silver and sparkles}

{One of my two cats - Lucky - Peek!}

Stay Fabulous!

Altered Ego Cosmetics: A Review/Swatches

Altered Ego Cosmetics can be found on Etsy, and offers loose eyeshadows and a few lip tints. I came across Altered Ego when doing some random browsing on Etsy, and placed two separate orders {details to follow}. At the time of my purchase, I didn't see many blog reviews for Altered Ego, though the few I did find were all positive. But, since the opinions overall were good, I felt comfortable ordering.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

Instead of selling the standard 5-gram jars as full-size products, Altered Ego sells 3-gram jars — at a lower price, of course. The smaller size and lower price makes everything more affordable, so I was able to place a decent-sized order each time. The 3-gram full-size jars are $2.95/each, and shipping is $2.50 for the first item {U.S. orders} and $0.50 for each additional item. International shipping is $5.00 per order. This, of course, doesn't take into consideration the fact that Altered Ego has numerous sets and deals going on throughout the year, often with free shipping attached. I received both orders quickly, within the stated TAT.

As far as placing two separate orders, here is the situation: I placed my first order, had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, the order was shipped to me even quicker than I expected. Apparently the owner, Tessa, felt that some of her orders were taking longer to process than she planned {mine not being one of them}, so she included a coupon in all of her outgoing orders for 40% OFF the customer's next order. I don't know the complete situation surrounding this generous offer, but I haven't read any reviews that mentioned anything negative about Altered Ego, so I can only assume that the gesture was made because of Tessa's own personal customer service standards, and not necessarily because anyone complained. Regardless, I thought it was a great offer to send out, and I even felt a little guilty redeeming it because I had no problems with my order. But there were a number of additional products I wanted to buy, so it went to good use.

So below there are pictures of my second order and how it was nicely packaged, and then swatches of shadows from both of the orders combined.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

*Swatched over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese. Click to enlarge photos.*

{The second order, all laid out. Close-up pic of the jar + sifter seal}

{Natural Light - L to R: Sharp Shooter, Hiccup, Bullet, Erica, Shudder, Flashbulb, Da Funk}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Photographed with a Flash}

{Flash - Close-up of Sharp Shooter, Hiccup and Bullet}

{Flash - Close-up of Erica, Shudder, Flashbulb and Da Funk}

{Flash - L to R: Sharp Shooter, Hiccup, Bullet, Erica, Shudder, Flashbulb and Da Funk}

{Natural Light - L to R: Aisling, Mylar, Lily, Helga, Aura, Nakee, Tornado}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Natural Light - Close-up}

{Photographed with a Flash}

{Flash - Another Angle}

{Flash - Aisling, Mylar, Lily}

{Flash - Helga, Aura, Nakee, Tornado}

{Flash - Yet another angle}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

The colors that I'm the most fond of are Aura, Nakee and Mylar. Mylar is my #1 favorite from Altered Ego, as I adore the multidimensional shifts from taupe to pink to gold, and even a purple shade, depending on the angle. So far I haven't been able to find a close match to Mylar in my existing collection, so I've deemed it a must-have for unique shadows. The products overall were very easy to work with; very blendable, buildable for opacity {though some colors are quite opaque to begin with}, and of course the price is very reasonable. While it's only a 3-gram jar instead of a 5-gram jar, she packs them full, prices them well and let's face it — I have so many jars of eyeshadow that even 3-gram jars will last me for-EVAR. So, to sum it all up: get some Altered Ego for your collection. :}

Stay Fabulous!

The Bathing Garden: A Review

I don't even remember when or how I found The Bathing Garden on Etsy, but I believe I had just done a generic search for wax tarts and was delighted by the fun look of their product listings for the wax bricks {each scent comes with a different type of embellishment, as you'll see in the pictures}.

I have four different Scentsy warmers throughout my apartment, but buying new scent bricks was getting somewhat pricey. Luckily there are plenty of indie sellers out there who make wax tarts/scent bricks, and I plan to try out more in the near future.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

The Bathing Garden makes/sells wax tarts and a variety of soap/body products. Since I only ordered the wax tarts, that's all I can speak to at this point. Wax tarts are between $3.50 and $3.75 a piece, or you can order in value packages of 10 or 20 and save some money. I ordered a set of ten wax tarts for $30.00 and the shipping was flat-rate shipping for $10.50. At first I thought that was a lot for shipping, but when I received my package, I realized it was a good deal considering all of the extras she included with my order so that the box would be full. Shipping for single wax tarts is $4.00 for the first item and $0.50 for each additional item. I received my large order within a week, which is great. I'll offer my opinions about the individual scents after the collection of pictures.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{The loot}

{All of the tarts I ordered}

{All of the tarts + all of the extra goodies!}

{Everything unwrapped}

{Freebie Soap}

{Freebie two-pack of tarts with wax spoon-shaped tart}

{Lick Me All Over, Vintage Christmas, Lavender Martini and Pink Pomegranate}

{Siren, Tinsel, Pink Candy Queen and Raspberry Lemonade}

{Caribbean Smoothie and Mischievous Lovely}

 :::  THE OPINIONS  :::

Overall I was content with my order. The shipping was quick, the extra freebies went above and beyond expectations, and some of the scents have become fast favorites {Lavender Martini and Tinsel so far}. I should mention that a decent number of the scents are stock fragrances {which means you can find them anywhere, as they're not custom-made scents}. However, I have yet to find a wax tart seller on Etsy that sells all unique/custom scents. I haven't looked into which scents for sure are stock and which might be custom, but since they're just wax tarts and not perfume or anything, I'm completely happy with the selection. I think The Bathing Garden goes beyond just selling regular wax tarts though, both in product development/presentation, and customer service. The little details added to each wax tart make them more customized, and all of the interactions I had with the seller were fantastic. Plus, sending four full-size freebies with my order — that was awesome. So basically, if you're looking for a good replacement for Scentsy bricks, I'd start with The Bathing Garden. If you're looking for more unique, custom scent blends, you could always contact the seller and see what she offers! I believe she's taking a holiday break soon, so if you don't get a chance to order before that, be sure to bookmark the shop and check it out after the new year!

Stay Fabulous!

Unique Pigments: A Review/Swatches

I first heard of Unique Pigments when I hosted a Team Pink Eye giveaway that featured their products, back in October. After checking out the site and products I decided to place an order — not just to try out the products, but also to thank them for their Team Pink Eye support.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

Unique Pigments sells on Artfire {HERE}, and their shop includes loose eyeshadows and hair accessories {primarily eyeshadows though}. For $4.50 you get one 5-gram jar with a sifter, or you can opt for one of their custom collections. Shipping to the U.S. is $2.75 for the first item and $0.05 for each additional item. Shipping to Canada is $5.00 with no additional charges, and International shipping is $6.00 with no additional charges. I received my items about 7 business days after placing the order. *Note: At the time of my order, samples in clamshells were being offered. I don't see sample listings in their shop at the moment, but I'm not sure if they're gone for good or otherwise.

I didn't have to contact the seller for any reason after ordering, but I've heard the customer service is good. My order included an extra little goodie — the Susan G. Komen pin — and an extra clamshell sample in Nuke 'Em High.

 :::  THE PICTURES  :::

*Swatched over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese. Click images to enlarge.*

{Everything was packaged nicely}

{Inside the black taffeta bag the clamshells were shrink-wrapped tight to avoid any shipping mishaps, which I appreciated}

{The extra Pink for the Cure pin was packaged in the cute bag on the right}

{All of the samples with the company logo on the top}

{Bottom labels}

{Natural Light - L to R: Blurple, Hollywood, Pcockery, Perfection, Viridian, Nuke 'Em High}

{Natural Light - Blurple is one of my favorites}

{Natural Light}

{Natural Light}

{Natural Light}

{Flash - L to R: Blurple, Hollywood, Pcockery, Perfection, Viridian, Nuke 'Em High}

{Flash - Blurple, Hollywood, Pcockery}

{Flash - Perfection, Viridian, Nuke 'Em High}

{Another Flash picture}

{Natural Light - L to R: Heliotrope, Synergy, Glitterati, Chaitastic, Groupageddon}

{Natural Light}

{Natural Light - Chaitastic is a great neutral with a lovely shimmer/sparkle}

{Natural Light}

{Flash - L to R: Heliotrope, Synergy, Glitterati, Chaitastic, Groupageddon}

{Flash - Heliotrope, Synergy, Glitterati}

{Flash - Glitterati, Chaitastic, Groupageddon}

 :::  THE OPINIONS  :::

As mentioned in one of the picture captions, Blurple is one of my favorites. I also love Chaitastic as a great neutral with a sassy appeal. I had no problem working with any of these colors; little to no fall-out, blendable and easy to build up the color for a more opaque look. I have no complaints whatsoever!

Stay Fabulous!