IT'S HERE! Lorac has literally become a game changing brand in the beauty community in a record amount of time. Across the board, the brand really does offer a lot of great products - but the PRO Palette range is what ignited I think really ignited that hype. Long story WAY short - in terms of pigmentation, variety and value; Lorac's PRO palettes are really a product range that I believe in.

Given the hype in the beauty community regarding the original Lorac Pro Palette, when Lorac's social media started the announcements for the Lorac Pro Palette 2, the hype went through the roof! I can definitely admit that when I saw Lorac's first instagram announcement I wend a little buck wild. Do you remember Tom Cruise's couch surfing escapade on Oprah??? - Which was in 2005, by the way. Nearly TEN years ago now! What the?? - My reaction may have mirrored his...just a tad.

What differs the Lorac Pro Palette 2 from the original is the color composition. The original was about 99% neutral, whereas the Pro Palette 2 is more of a 50/50 blend of neutrals and pops of colors. The great thing is, just as the original, it is set up in the same "top row of mattes, bottom row of shimmers" outline - and the allure of this palette really stems from the choices the brand made as to which shades are matte and vice versa.

Musings aside, I'd like to share my review and swatches of the palette alongside my general...well? Fangirling. That would pretty much cover it.

The Lorac PRO Palette 2 is housed in the same packaging as the original PRO Palette - a very thin, sleek magnetized palette made out of heavy duty cardboard. Inside is a mirror that takes up about 80% of the lid. I find storage for the PRO Palettes very easy since they are so thin - I stack my large palettes in a letter organizer and these take up very little space.

As with the original, the PRO Palette 2 contains a top row of 8 matte shades and a bottom row of 8 shimmer shades. The palette retails for $42 and for 16 shade it would be like spending less than $3 for each eyeshadow.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for - THE SWATCHES.

From left to right - Buff, Lt. Brown, Cool Gray and Nectar

 Buff - Don't let the photo fool you, because this shade has PHENOMENAL pigmentation for such a light shade. It's just literally the actual color of my skin, maybe with a smidgen more yellow. This was a wonderful browbone shade, neutralizing redness in the lid shade and I actually even used this to set my undereye concealer in a pinch. #dontjudgeme

Lt. Brown - This is one of those iconic transition shades and it has a wonderful texture. It is warm enough to not pull ashy, but isn't one of the warmest of the transition shades that I've worked with. It was a pleasure to apply.

Cool Gray - This shade looks MUCH more gray in the pan and conversely much more brown on the skin; I think that's why I like it so much. I'm just going to go ahead and call this one more of a matte taupe because it truly does have a taupe's dimension to it. Strong pigmentation but a very blendable texture led to me using this in the crease a LOT.

Nectar - Where my pale girls at? This shade literally has me swooning. Lorac could charge me nearly the full price of the palette for this shade alone - not really, but...kinda... - if you have fair skin, this will be your favorite transition shade forever and ever, amen. End of story.

From left to right - Plum, Navy, Charcoal and Black

 Plum - This shade is a warm aubergine; and a phenomenally executed one at that! Purple shades are already hard to master and when you throw a matte texture into the mix, things get even further complicated. Apparently, Lorac knows how it's done because this is perf!

Navy - If any shade is going to help me overcome my deep-seated fear of blue eyeshadow, it'll potentially be this one. If you refer to the swatch, let me inform you. That's one swipe. No building or blending to even it out. There is magic at play here...

Charcoal - Charcoal is Cool Gray's "cooler" sister, surprisingly. If you take Cool Gray and lean it a bit more gray, and darken it up just a tad - you'll have Charcoal. Not as universally usable for every single look under the sun as Cool Gray was, but very close.

Black - Are you sure? I wouldn't call this one a true black; rather more of a smokey, blackened brown. The lack of inkiness doesn't detract from the texture - it still is an amazing (yet not aptly named) shade and is perfectly smokey.

From left to right - Snow, Beige, Rosé and Mocha

 Snow - Holy Guacamole! This was one swipe! Snow is just that - a pure, frosted snow white with phenomenal pigmentation.

Beige - This shade suffers from the inability to photograph well - this one is a true sand beige color and applies much better than the photograph would imply. Because it is fairly neutral toned, it makes a wonderful all over lid shade with a whole lot of different looks.

Rosé - The rose gold hype is still alive and well so it does not surprise me that this shade was included. Rosé photographs a bit warmer and golder than it truly is, but it definitely is one of those shades that transforms to fit with whatever it is paired with.

Mocha - I feel like I don't appreciate this shade as much until I start playing with it. Mocha is a warm brown with a bronze-y golden frost to it and the warmth of it really pairs it with a lot.

From left to right - Chrome, Silver, Jade and Cocoa

Chrome - Ah, Chrome. This shade might be up there in my list of top taupes of all time. Literally, this is what I think when I hear the word taupe.

Silver - Let me just start by saying that this shade does have phenomenal pigmentation...its just not too great of a shade for me personally. Since I have pale blue eyes, I feel like all light, cool toned silver shades turn too baby blue on my skin unless I apply them with a very specific look. Great execution, just my personal preference gets in the way of this one.

Jade - When I first saw the promo photos, this was the shade that stuck out to me. We all know how I love my olive greens - and while this is a cooler toned take on the shade, I still do really enjoy it.

Cocoa - This is the kind of shade I've been wearing a lot lately - I've been doing a lot of super smokey looks with really saturated brown shades and it translates very well to my skin. This is going to be another shade that's perfect for just that, and the golden shimmer adds a nice bit of interest to it.

Overall, my opinion of the Lorac PRO Palette 2 is VERY positive. I feel like in terms of the shades that were included, that they work together quite well but are still a very unique grouping of choices - especially with the pops of color. It has unexpected shades, but not ones that you're worried about how to use them with the rest of the palette. The pigmentation, in my opinion is on par with - and potentially even better - than the original Lorac PRO; the mattes seem more buttery and the shimmer shades have even stronger pigmentation than the already phenomenal formula. The only issue that I can gather is the amount of fall out with this palette. I will say that, in terms of both the mattes and shimmers, the high level of pigmentation does lend itself a bit to causing fallout - which was not something I encountered with the first palette. Otherwise, I'm finding it of utmost difficulty to find a complaint about this palette. It is wonderfully executed as well as forward thinking in terms of color selection.

I purchased mine (on the release date because I'm "dedicated" or "obsessed") from Ulta and it is still listed as available on their website!

Review - LORAC Rockin' Red Hot 3D Liquid Lustre Set.

Not too long ago I was in Sephora stalking out some new holiday sets, of which there were none in stock - my closest Sephora is rather hit or miss in terms of having products in stock/providing good customer service - and honestly, when I saw the price of this set, I couldn't pass it up! For four mini-sized Liquid Lustres, this kit was only $28, which I found to be a great deal.

Perfect timing, too. All this sparkle is going to be so much fun for the holidays!

These are packaged in a glass container with a suction dropper at the top. The product with naturally separate - clear liquid toward the top and a high concentration of glitter toward the bottom - so they need to be shook before gathering product with the dropper.

The colors from left to right are: Diamond, Amethyst, Platinum and Topaz.

Diamond is the first shade in this kit and is the only one permanently available. LORAC describes the shade as a "white gold" which was pretty spot on. This one is definitely the most pigmented and glittery as well as my personal favorite. My favorite way to wear this was over MAC Phloof all over the lid with MAC Haux in the crease. 

Amethyst is the next shade in this set and in all honesty, its not ridiculously impressive. It is described as a taupe and it takes a little bit to be built up. It definitely doesn't have the power that Diamond does, but when layered over a frosted finish shadow, it does make it a bit more shimmery. I really like this over MAC Shale.

Platinum is described as a silver, but I really like that it has a gunmetal-y depth to it that makes it a bit more wearable (and keeps it from looking blue on my skin as a lot of silvers tend to do). This one had almost as much of a glittery texture as Diamond did.

Topaz is the last shade in the set and is described as a warm bronze, which is actually pretty spot on as well. Its not entirely gold, but it does have some strong, warm, almost orange tone to it. This one is really a chameleon and it really adapts to whatever you put it over.

The biggest things about these are that the are super  intimidating to look at the first time you use them. Not to say that they are difficult to use, because they definitely aren't, but looking at them you feel something along the lines of "what the heck do I do???". What works for me is to shake up the product and empty the dropper in to the mixture, then to refill the dropper. Then, place one drop on a palette or the back of your hand and spread it around a bit to make it slightly less liquidy. After that, I take my ring finger and dab the product onto my lid and layer it up to it's desired strength. 

I wore these on top of my normal eyeshadow routine - primer, creme base and shadow - and I didn't experience any wear issues. The one thing that I did notice, however, is that if you touch your eyes the product will transfer bit more easily than the average eyeshadow. Not necessarily a huge problem, but something to be aware of nonetheless.

What I like - These add a bit of something to almost any look, which makes them very versatile. They are also a heck of a lot easier to work with than I anticipated. I LOVE Diamond and I really like Topaz and Platinum.

What I don't like - Amethyst could have been a little more powerful. It's such a beautiful purple-y taupe that could have been a bit better.

Overall, I think this kit is a fantastic buy, especially for the price. I found mine at Sephora, but the last time I searched it wasn't on the website. I've heard rumors that it is available in ULTA, but it is for sure and for certain available on LORAC's website. I'd say these are a go, especially since the holidays are on their way!

My Picks for Fall - Eyeshadow Palettes!

The weather is just so nice today, I had to post something fall themed. I was helping a customer load her purchases into her car early this afternoon and it was so breezy and nice out that I didn't want to go back inside! I think the high was in the low 80's - if that - and the low is supposed to be in the 50's! I want to open all the windows in the house and bake a pie and burn all of my pumpkin spice candles...Okay, I'm getting a little carried away, but you get my excitement...right?

Because I'm feeling inspired, here are some of the palettes that I'm getting a whole lot of use out of as a whole this autumn.

And don't judge my messy palettes...

Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Green With Envy - I find myself drawn to warmer tones than usual in the fall and khaki and olive tones are very in right now. This has a great mix of both neutral and green shades and its great for a whole bunch of different looks! I have a review for this palette here. 

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette - This one has the same mix of neutrals and green tones as the previous palette, but I find the formula of this one to be incredible. I get a lot of use out of this year round, but its definitely getting some extra love right now.

Too Faced Matte Eye Collection - While this palette has the least amount of warmer tone options than the others that I've chosen, I find this one very fall appropriate because of the saturation of the colors. Everything is subdued and not to bright and is really autumn appropriate. I particularly like the top row for a fall matte look.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Obviously I wear this one all year round, but since Naked is much browner and warmer than Naked 2, I tend to pick this one up more often in the fall months. I've found myself reaching for Toasted, Darkhorse and Smog a whole lot already...and can we look at how sad Sin is? GONE.

Lorac Pro Palette - Again, with the Naked Palette, I wear this all year round. However, shades like Deep Purple, Sable and Garnet (everyone and their mother has been using this shade for fall!) really make for saturated, beautiful autumn looks! I reviewed this earlier this year right here. 

I think I'm down to three more categories - and two needing revisions thanks to new acquisitions! Keep your eyes peeled, because if this weather keeps inspiring me, those should be up in a jif! 

Review - Darling Girl Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Bad Ash

Due to my immense luck this year, the two items that I really liked from the Darling Girl "Oh The Horror" Halloween collection were sent to me as samples in my last haul! I was so excited! I've had a bunch of fall shadow shades to sort through and review in the past month or so, so I was finally able to get this one tested out today!

I received this shade as a free sample with my last order as well as Razzles Spectral Shift, which I should be reviewing ASAP.

The swatch on the right is dry while the one on the left is applied with water (not a mixing medium). Darling Girl's website describes Bad Ash as a "Bold pearly copper with red tones loaded with color shifting aqua sparkles". Its a somewhat burnt orange shade without being too overly orange with really cool blue sparkles in it. Applied dry, it is true to color and applies opaque and beautifully, while when applied wet it takes on a bit of a golden sheen, but maintains the blue sparkle as well. I wore this shade as my lid shade today with Urban Decay Sin allover and Urban Decay Toasted in the crease. It was a nice, warm, fall look without being something run of the mill. 

What I Like - 

This shade was super easy to work with. Very minimal fallout for a pigment, and no random glitter fallout whatsoever - so that was really nice. It has a sheen when applied dry and without mixing medium, so its not a step that you need to take. You can work without it. I personally really enjoyed how unique this shade was as a whole. You don't often find a shade that's nearly orange with blue sparkle in it just anywhere - that's what I like about indie cosmetic brands.

What I Don't Like - 

I really can't recall an issue that I had with this - and I'm happy about that! Darling Girl Cosmetics is a company that I return to time and time again because the products are not only unique, but they are of great quality for a very palatable price!

I will say, there has definitely been an influx of positive reviews lately on this website and its not because I've done all to much research on my purchases as I usually do; there are just some really great products available on the market right now, which is a great feeling.

I've said it once and I'll say it again - just because a brand is lesser known (or available) or independent, does not mean that it is of lesser quality. Darling Girl Cosmetics proves every time that they are one of the best, and this product was no different.

10/10 - This is a really fun, unique fall shade and I would recommend it!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Patina.

One of these days I'll get around to posting a photo of my MAC Pro Palette - maybe when I fill it up - but we're in total cool toned status here. I feel like a majority of my MAC eyeshadows are taupe-y or cooler toned, so I'm in desperate need to bring some warmth into it.

Patina was a shade that I never really looked into - which in hindsight is a total shame because its actually quite stunning! It also, thank goodness, is a venture into some warmer toned MAC shadows - so my palette can be that much more well rounded.

I'm quite enjoying buying pro palettes - $10 is definitely a bit more palatable than $15!

MAC describes Patina as a "Taupe brown with golden pearl" and that it has a Frost finish. If you were to take a taupe and mix it with an almost greenish antiqued brown, you would get Patina. The finish is what I've come to expect from MAC Frost eyeshadows; good pigmentation with a strong sheen, but no chunkiness. Its less dense than a Veluxe Pearl but has a similar sheen. 

The thing that really shines about this shadow is how unique it is. It isn't a run of the mill shade that you're going to have a whole lot of dupes for in your collection already. Its not quite taupe but not quite gold at the same time, and for that reason, it plays very well with others. I've paired this with at least half of the shades in my MAC Palette, layered it over different bases, etc. and it always just brings something new to the table. 

What I Like:

Patina is unique; I'm trying to fill up my MAC palette to be a one and done palette that has everything I need - but that sometimes makes me feel silly to be spending almost twice the money for a browbone shade, etc.- but with Patina, I wasn't able to find anything quite like it anywhere else. Its a good addition to my palette for that reason. I also liked that the frosted sheen wasn't all too chunky.

What I Don't Like;

I actually found myself quite satisfied with Patina. Its far more flattering on my cool toned skin than I anticipated, and I'm already getting a whole lot of use out of it.

I overlooked this shade for so long because I just assumed that it wouldn't be all to flattering on me. Turns out I was quite incorrect! Patina isn't one of those shades that looks all too unique in the pan, but rather one that you need to swatch - the underlying tones make this one a really unique offering from MAC and something that can definitely hold it's own!

10/10 - I would recommend this shade!

Review - Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac

The first Urban Decay product that I ever purchased was a single eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy a few years back. I still have it, but oh man - the fallout. Since then, Urban Decay has reformulated their eyeshadows - which alleviates this issue a bit - but at the same time, as my makeup skills have grown I've found that I don't deal with fallout quite as badly as I used to - so I'm not running scared when I see glitter in an eyeshadow anymore. Thank goodness, because I can definitely appreciate some glitter.

When these shadows were released, Zodiac was the standout of the group in my eyes. And well, you'll see why.

The Moondust Eyeshadows are housed in the same packaging as the regular eyeshadow, but it is a lighter reflective silver, rather than the gunmetal silver. They contain the same amount of product and retail for $2 more at $20.

The Moondust Eyeshadows also have the function to pop them out and put them in an Urban Decay Palette. I'm contemplating depoting these completely as I did with my remaining Urban Decay Eyeshadows to put them in one of my MAC palettes for better accessibility and storage, but I'm wondering if it would harm the eyeshadow as it isn't quite as dense as an average shadow. I'm still mulling it over.

One thing I'd like to note is that I used a mixing medium (ELF Lock and Seal) on a brush and put it straight into the product. I started at an edge to see if it would create a hard seal at the top and it did not. I don't know if it is the shadow, the mixing medium or both, but it made it easier to work with.

The left swatch is dry while the right is wet - with water rather than a mixing medium. (When I wore this on the eye, I used the ELF Lock and Seal). The color description for this one via Sephora  is a mouthful - it is a "smoky black with blue green shift and blue green 3-D sparkle". I wouldn't say that this has the blackest of black bases, but its a quite smokey, blackened green shade with glitter when applied dry. When applied wet, the sheen is more apparent, and pulls to the more green side of "blue green". The glitter particles are primarily silver, with hints of nearly silver blue and an almost golden green.

When I applied this, I started with using the color dry with a rounded, but still dense brush (a la ELF C Brush) allover the lid. I then took a flat, stiff brush dipped in ELF Lock and Seal and picked up a generous bit of product and patted it on my lid. There was much less fallout than I anticipated, but it does bear mention that you might want to save your face makeup for last with this one. It foiled to a really glittery, reflective finish and I was SUPER pleased with it.

Overall - 

Pros:

- Highly reflective/glittery finish when used wet.

- Smokier when used dry.

- Pigmentation dry was better than I expected...pigmentation wet was phenomenal.

Cons:

- Take care in application, as fallout is inevitable, just not as awful as I anticipated.

I really like Zodiac. It applies easily for the type of product it is and it was just incredibly pretty. Given how well this one performed, I'm interested in trying Diamond Dog, Glitter Rock and Space Cowboy in the future!

9/10

Shiro Cosmetics Haul!

Its been a rough week around here - that much is certain. You know how you just have those times where you just feel discouraged left and right. My life this week. Or month. You get the idea.

This Shiro haul has definitely been in the making for some time now. I remember stumbling across a picture of an eyeshadow on Tumblr called "Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon" and I just had to check out the brand. I didn't buy that shadow because I wanted only mini sizes, but it definitely caught my attention!

Shiro Cosmetics is basically one of the greatest marriages of makeup and geekdom I've come across in a LONG time.

I thought the stamp was cute! I definitely tried my hardest to keep it intact when I opened these!

I purchased three minis (in jars) and one sample (baggies). The other two samples were free with my purchase. 

From left to right, the top row is the group of minis and they are; Temple of Time, Master Sword, Not Very Effective, Ganondorf and The Last Homely House. The bottom row are the sample sizes and they are; What's That Smelt?, Farewell Wherever You Fare and Master Ball. 

Did I shop by collection? Absolutely. Most of my spoils were from the Legend of Zelda themed collection, followed by the Pokemon themed collection and The Hobbit themed collection. There is one from the Minecraft themed collection, I think, but I don't play Minecraft, so I'm not sure. From the picture, that's what I gathered. 

These were hard to photograph, because I feel like it didn't capture the true color. The Last Homely House is a really unique Red/Green duochrome, Master Sword is a unique white gold and Ganondorf is pretty freaking all around awesome, just to name a few. 

Shipping was within the turnaround time, and I had no issue with my order whatsoever. The owner was also quite nice!

I can't wait to start playing with these - this week has put much of my beauty routine on the back burner, so I'm ready to play with all the pretty things!

BFTE Haul!

BFTE - Beauty From The Earth - is one of the most well known of the indie makeup brands, so I'm surprised that I'm just now hauling from them. As per usual, I decided on sample sizes so I could get a feel for the brand and their products.

One thing that stood out to me from the get go is their turn around time. I think I placed my order on Saturday, and already received it (its Thursday here) so needless to say, that was a pleasant surprise. In addition to the items I hauled, I also received a free sample of another shade.

I love the way indie products are packed and shipped. Always cutesy and fun. The sample I was given was inside the little card! And I'm not going to lie, the glitter from the tissue is EVERYWHERE. You may see it show up in swatches.

These are BFTE's sample sizes, which are in an average sized jar, but a good amount less than it holds. Some shades seem to have a bit more in them than others.

From left to right these are; Chantilly Lace, Spring Fever, Harvest, Kiss the Frog, Celtic Charms, Cocoa and (across the bottom) Lollipop Kid. All of these are shimmery, minus Kiss the Frog, which OMG..I can't even process how amazing it is. Another one of my favorites is Harvest, which has incredible pigmentation. I'm glad that I picked up this bunch, because its a good mix of staple shades and great fall shades as well!

I've got a lot of testing, playing and swatching on my hands so bear with me! I've got a couple other indie brand hauls that came in before this one, so I'm trying to tackle them in the order I hauled them..."trying" is the key word!

Smash Cosmetics Sample Haul!

Just in case you're not already dog tired of the indie brands on my blog these days, keep in mind that I have two more indie hauls on their way after this one. Its a newfound obsession of mine really, as I find that many indie brands have a lot more unique shades, formulas and textures to offer than your average corporately established beauty brand.

Smash Cosmetics is a small indie makeup brand that I found through another blog - Beauty Redefined by Pang, who recently posted a haul from them. The brand does offer very unique shades in terms of eyeshadows, but what really struck me is their extensive collection of lip products. I purchased the blogger review kit, so I was sent samples of 5 eyeshadows, 5 lipsticks and two glosses of my choice. Since I purchased something that was discounted for review purposes, I'm not sure if samples are included in regular orders.

I did not encounter any customer service issues with the brand - and since my order took a bit longer than is the standard for the brand, I received a discount off of my next purchase. The only thing strange about the order was  the shipping. I received an e-mail from the brand through Etsy saying that my order had shipped on August 20th and I received it today. I didn't contact the brand, as I knew that there would be a delay in shipping, but I don't know if the message was sent terribly early from Etsy or what. Regardless, I received my package in a timely manner in terms of what I'm used to across the board in the indie world.  Either way, the customer service was good regardless of the shipping oddity, and I'll most likely buy again.

Onto the swatches!

The pots with the circular white sticker on the top are eyeshadows, whole the ones with the heart are lip products - of course the full sized lip products aren't housed in these jars.

 Eyeshadows -

Left to right, these are; Grape, Sleeping Beauty, Muse, Deathstar and Medusa. I tried to get a unique mix of colors and I think I succeeded. I'm really loving Muse and Deathstar so far.

Glosses - 

These are SUPER pigmented. I was really surprised! On the left is Wine and Dine and on the right is Fetish. Very "me" shades, so I'm super excited.

Lipsticks - 

Since they were samples, I wanted to get some fun shades! From left to right, I have; Pale Mauve, Tainted, Hazen, Aurora and Dahlia. Pale Mauve and Aurora are super wearable on my skin, and I could probably pull off tainted as the weather cools down. I think Dahlia is going to be so fun though! The photo does not do it justice, but it does have purple shimmer to it!

I don't even know where to start. I'm really excited about the lip products, as I've only tried lip products from one other indie brand. I'm glad I chose such wearable shadow shades to, as I can see myself getting a good amount of use out of all of them. 

In the near future I have a BFTE haul as well as a Shiro Cosmetics haul, so if you're loving the whole indie cosmetics theme, keep your eyes peeled. BFTE should be here before we know it!

Darling Girl Cosmetics Haul - Yes, We're Doing This Again!

Listen here; don't judge me. I know I have a small addiction going on here.

The sad part is - Darling Girl should be coming out with their Halloween 2013 line soon and I super neeeeed them all!!

I've said it once and I'll probably say it again - there's a reason that I keep hauling from DG; The products work, the shades are unique and the customer service is one of the best I've ever experienced.

Now for the main event - the wonderful sparkly goodness!

Some sparkly stickers and the brand's business card. Quick note too; I hoard all the business cards that I receive from indie brands and keep them in my purse, just in case someone compliments me on the shade so I can kind of promote the brand. Its something I just like to do.

The first two shadows are simply called Pretty Mistakes. These are discounted sample size baggies of shadows that were more or less accidents, but were to pretty to throw away. They aren't shades that you're ever going to be able to get again, so try not to fall in love...like I did.

The golden brown on the left is one of the most buttery pigments I've ever had the pleasure to touch. OMG. The pink shadow on the left is also very pretty - it reminds me of a paler version of Nestling.

These shadows are either part of the blogger kit or free samples. 

From left to right, the shades from my blogger kit were Nerpette, Teenage Dream, My Little Pony, Curious Crocus and Scarab. I may be needing all of these in full sizes - they're friggin amazing!

These two shades were free samples and are a sneak peek to the Halloween 2013 collection (Can. Not. Wait!) The shadow on the left is Bad Ash and the Spectral Shift (we all know how much I love Spectral Shifts!) on the right is Razzles! I don't know when the Halloween 2013 collection will be live, but I may be stalking the site until then!

DG recently changed their packaging. The pots now have a square base (think along the lines L'Oreal Infallible's packaging) and a white lid with the logo on top. I feel like these might be easier to store, since they aren't going to be rolling all over the place anymore. The shadow on the far right is a GWP sample, so it looks a little different.

From left to right these are; Miss Kitty Kaboom, Cut Me Deeper and Pumpkin Frappe (which was a GWP and I HAD to have it). I didn't realize when I purchased them that Miss Kitty Kaboom and Cut Me Deeper would work so well with each other. And Pumpkin Frappe? C'mon. Look at it!

I also decided to try some new stuff with this haul. One of the new ranges that I tried was the Diamond Dust. These are similar to the eyeshadows, but have a TON of sparkle.

From left to right these are Hope, Persuasion and Verdant Dream. Hope and Persuasion are definitely "me" colors, and I chose Verdant Dream on a whim, because I don't have much else like it. I can't wait to play with these.

The last new range I tried were the Pixie Sprinkles. These are loose glitters that are unique blends to DG. We all know the whole hoopla about if glitter is cosmetically eye safe (and the brand does have a warning on the sale page for this product). Glitter is a use at your own risk product across the board.

Candy Corn actually looks like candy corn! I love it, and I can't wait to start playing with this - definitely wearing it on Halloween! Its super fine glitter too and seems like its going to be easier to work with than I anticipated.

I'm super duper excited for all of these and I can't wait to start playing with them all. In the meantime - I'm waiting for the Halloween 2013 collection and I'm building up my next wishlist!

The Chequered Lily Apothecary Sample Haul!

I'm literally addicted to independent cosmetics brands. Its official. I've been able to find some of the most unique colors at incredible prices by going the indie route. It started with Darling Girl and now I just can't stop.

I was able to find this shop - The Chequered Lily Apothecary on Etsy - through a blog that I read, Portrait of Mai. She actually has a whole tab dedicated to Indie Cosmetics swatches! Check it out!

I actually had a hard time narrowing down my choices as to what I wanted to order from CLA - there were so many shades I wanted to try! Not to mention, the customer service was PHENOMENAL. Very quick shipping for an indie brand, hand written thank you on my receipt and great communication! I'm telling you - there's a reason that I keep buying indie; I'd much rather spend my hard earned money somewhere where I not only know its appreciated - but I'm shown  that its appreciated!

So for the main event, this is what my little haul consisted of!

There's something quite satisfying about a pile of sample baggies! I chose the blogger kit, which allowed me to choose 7 shades to try out, as well as an extra shade thrown in as a free sample by the seller. I also picked up a trio of shades that benefits victims of domestic violence - and I HAD to be part of that!

These are the 8 samples that I chose! I tend to hoard me some neutrals, but I found that a lot of these more "non neutral" shades were really wearable!

Some preliminary swatches - dry swatches with no base or primer! From left to right, the top row is; Invocation, Snow Glass Apples, A Dustland Fairytale, Stormbreak and Charlotte - and the bottom row is; Captain Jack, Haute Cocoa and The Penny Arcade. Nothing truly neutral and I just can't wait to start playing with them!!

These three shades are part of a set that donates $1 of the very palatable purchase price to victims of domestic violence. I'm not entirely sure what specific charity that it is, but I'll definitely let you all know when the seller's store is back up, as they're on vacation until tentatively the end of September. I'm assuming that it is a charity based out of the shop's hometown of San Diego, CA.

The three shades in this set, from left to right are; Brand New Day, New Beginnings and Moving On. I didn't notice it when I bought it, but these three could totally be used for a full look. Coincidence? Probably not, I'm just probably not all to observant. Again, these had no help or primer in the swatches!

At my own first impression, these seem like they're going to be pretty great to work with - they don't need to seem to need a lot of help to get color payoff, which is sometimes difficult to do with loose pigments. The colors are great and the customer service rocked - so I cannot wait to start testing and reviewing these!