Thursday, December 25, 2014

AFK Cosmetics Christmas on the Rift and Wassail Collections - Swatches and Review


Merry Christmas everyone!  I just came home from dinner with the fiance's family, so I hope I finish this post before midnight!  This is actually a combination of two collections from AFK Cosmetics - Christmas on the Rift and the Wassail collection.  When Christmas on the Rift was released, there were two GWPs included if you spent over a certain amount.  I spent enough for the first gift (eyeshadow), but I decided I wanted the second one (lip balm) enough to buy it when it was officially released.  The collection originally came with League of Legends labels, but I like the Christmas stickers so much that I requested them specially.

On the other hand, the Wassail collection is inspired by Dena's favorite Christmas songs.  I have an abundance of holiday spirit, so I love them as well.  My order came in awhile ago, but I've been taking all this time to test out the lip balms, which I ended up really loving.

Cute packaging!
Look at all these snowman stickers!!!
Pictures taken under daylight bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom half)

Free Samples

Three Dog, Owwwwww!
Three Dog, Owwww!:  shimmery bronze with gold shimmers

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Notoriously Morbid December 2014 Vanishing Cabinet - Merry Monsters Swatches and Review


Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!  I received my Notoriously Morbid Vanishing Cabinet yesterday, so I really wanted to get it out before Christmas.  The theme for December is Merry Monsters and is inspired by all the classic horror film villains.  Unlike the previous Vanishing Cabinets where the information and swatches are released as soon as they start going out, the Merry Monsters were kept a secret until people started receiving them.  I was already extremely excited because there would be a blush and lip gloss.  Notoriously Morbid's lip glosses are spectacular and the blushes are amazing as well!

When people started posting their hauls, I noticed they were packaged inside stockings (which varied with each order).  I love the attention to packaging because it makes the order that much more special.  The past few VCs have had special packaging with the Walking Dead one coming in a mini zombie tote, and two of the Sookie Stackhouse colors packed inside a cute coffin. 

As soon as I started taking out my stocking and saw the black top, I was hoping and wishing it would be a snowman of some sort.  It's not a secret that I love snowmen; it's also a big reason why I absolutely love Christmas and all the decorations.  My stocking did turn out to be an adorable smiley snowman and I was so happy that I shot Carrie a message about it.  I believe most VCs are packed randomly and sent out to subscribers.  I thanked her for sending me a snowman and wondered if it was actually random (because if it were, then she should definitely be a psychic).  She said it was definitely not random and saved the snowman stocking for me :'D  Yeah, best shop ever.

ANYWAY, before I ramble on and on, here be swatches!

Pictures taken under daylight bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom half)

Cute label art 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Scaredy Cat Cosmetics - Green Eyeshadow Swatches and Review


Welcome back, everyone!  I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season and Christmas shopping :)  For the past several weeks, I've been receiving my Black Friday orders and Scaredy Cat was the first one to come in.  I've actually reviewed them in the past and really liked them, so I figured I might as well pick up some full-sized jars since they were having a sale.

Coincidentally, all the colors I picked up ended up being some form of green, which is great because green eyeshadows are my favorite!  I usually buy sample sizes from companies, but Scaredy Cat's packaging is so beautiful that I really needed a full size.  The owner designs her own label art for each color and I've been lemming after Draconia for the longest time - I only resisted for so long because it's a color I don't normally wear.  I made my order on the day of Black Friday and it shipped out the day after.  I'm pretty sure I received my package by the next Tuesday, which is lightning fast.

Scaredy Cat doesn't really personalize their invoices, which is what I'm used to, or give any free samples with orders.  So if that's one of the things that matter to you, then I suggest you skip this shop.  However, the quality of shadows are great and the packaging is very beautiful (so beautiful in fact, I had to take multiple shots of each jar...)

Onto the swatches!

Pictures taken under daylight bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom half)


Orbital
Orbital:  matte gray with teal shimmers.  This is an interesting color because it darkens over a sticky base and the teal shimmers are brought out, making it seem like a different color.  It's still relatively pigmented over a regular primer, just no shimmers.