Indie Spotlight: Geek Chic Cosmetics

So, I know it's Saturday, and you're probably all like 'Where's the Sample Saturday post?!' Well, shit, I'm thinking the same thing. Unfortunately I've fallen victim YET AGAIN to an allergic reaction to a product, this time, a latex free (I know, like, seriously?) eyelash glue, and am not able to wear contacts, eye makeup, or film for a few days while they heal. BOO! 

ANYWAYS! I wanted to still do a focus on an indie brand, and this is one you've seen a few times if you've been watching and reading my Sample Saturday episodes! This post is gonna be all about Geek Chic Cosmetics!

http://www.geekchiccosmetics.com/

Geek Chic is an indie cosmetics line, that focuses on creating cosmetics around all sorts of geekery. If you are into certain fandoms, you will INSTANTLY recognize names and collections from some of your favorite video games, anime, tv series, and movies! Their products are 100% vegan AND cruelty free.

I had ordered 9 sample eyeshadows, just to try. They also sell lip products, a few face products, nail polish (seems like they're getting ready to relaunch those soon), and solid perfume. They looked incredible on the website, and damn, do they look just as incredible in person! Sometimes there are just eyeshadows that BEG to have their macro, close-up shots taken! I just chosen a few samples of shades that REALLY stood out to me, (or with names that I just couldn't possible pass up!)

Collections: The Game is On, This Isn't a Democracy, and Go Boldly

High-Functioning Sociopath

Clementine Will Remember

Blood Wine

Swatched dry with no base or primer!

Collection: Fellowship

One Ring

Samwise The Brave

Swatched dry with no primer or base!

Collection: Timey Wimey

We Are Coming

Bad Wolf

Swatched dry with no primer or base!

Collection: Witchcraft and Wizardry

Golden Trio

Mischief Managed

Swatched dry with no primer or base!

Some of these shades are just brilliant, unlike any that I currently have in my collection! Samples can be ordered of most colors for $1.25. While that's a pretty cheap price, I will say that some of my samples seemed to be a little lighter than others. Full sizes are only $5.99, which is a great price, but you only get 1 gram of product inside. I still personally chose to purchase samples, because I rarely go through a full sized eyeshadow, and if I end up using up a sample, THEN I'll purchase a full size for sure! 

I have since order more samples (and admittedly, a couple full size) shadows from Geek Chic! I have been loving them, especially the ones with the stunning microglitters in them, I can't get enough! I hope to try MANY more colors from this brand, and hell, I'd even be down to try their lip products, blushes, and solid perfumes too! 

I'd definitely recommend checking out Geek Chic if you're into any nerdy fandom, OR if you just like really, really pretty colors! 

Which the fandoms immortalized in makeup from Geek Chic calls the most to you? Also, what other brands have you seen me use in Sample Saturday (or any!) tutorials that you'd like to see an Indie Spotlight post on? 

[This product was purchased by me with my own money and I'm not in any way endorsed or affiliated with Geek Chic Cosmetics.]

Product and Company Review: Brazen Cosmetics

Hey everyone! Recently I was given the opportunity to try another brand of indie makeup, Brazen Cosmetics! The mastermind behind the brand, Sandria is a total sweetheart, and as soon as I went to their website, I knew Brazen was something I wanted to try!

Brazen describes themselves as:

"Brazen is your top stop for kick ass indie cosmetics for stage and street! We love creative and trendy makeup and scents! Why blend in?! We specialize in professional formulas, intense pigmentation, and long wearing shades."
http://brazencosmetics.com/

Brazen was kind enough to send me three mineral eyeshadows, three sample liquid lipsticks, and one full size liquid lipstick! 

Left to Right: Delinquent, Wicked, and Submission

Swatched over UDPP, Left to right: Delinquent, Wicked, Submission

Each jar comes shrink wrapped, and includes the name of the eyeshadow, a full list of ingredients, their website, and where it was distributed from. 

At the moment, Brazen doesn't have all these shades listed on their website, (at the time I'm writing this). However, they are planning a huge re-launch of their eyeshadows, so I'm guessing that's exactly why! 

Each shade as described by me:
Delinquent - Dark plum shimmer with an almost black base. Very similar to UD Rockstar eyeshadow, only darker and more sparkly!

Wicked - Shimmery medium green
Submission - Deep navy with bright blue shimmer

Look I did using all three shadows!

Complete list of products used:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion Original
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Perversion (used as a base on the eyelid)
• Brazen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Wicked
• Brazen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Submission
• Brazen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Delinquent 
• Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Rockstar
• It Cosmetics Hello Lashes! Mascara

Now onto the lip products! Brazen was kind enough to send me samples of three of their lipsticks, in Starlet, Le Femme, and Hot Blooded. I also got a full sized liquid lipstick in Hot To Trot! These lipsticks come in a twist-up brush tip kind of thing, exactly the same containers that Stila Lip Glazes come in. Personally, I don't mind this type of applicator, I think it's comparable to applying lipstick with a lip brush and it's easy to carry with you. 

Stila Lip Glaze just for comparison's sake.

Left to right: La Femme, Starlet, Hot Blooded

Left to right: Hot Blooded, Starlet, La Femme, and Hot To Trot

Each shade as described by Brazen:

Hot Blooded -  Fiery passionate flambe red with warm undertone and enticing shimmer.

Starlet - Vibrant hot pink (with cool undertones) 

La Femme - It starts out with a perfectly neutral peachy pink, not too pink but not too orange...just right. Then we swirl in a hint of gold sheen that adds a pop of sexy without going over the top

Hot To Trot -  Scrumptious flirty coral pink with gold shimmer.

These are currently priced at $13.99, and for the amount of product you get, I think that's completely fair. I wore Hot To Trot through-out my work day, and only had to re-apply after eating. So once, in an entire work day! The color stayed vibrant and I got tons of compliments on it! While these weren't drying in the least, they sort of never 'dried down.', I know lip products aren't really supposed to dry down, but it felt slightly greasy on my lips, but nothing to the point where I can't wear it. I'm used to OCC Lip Tars or matte lipsticks! When you order these lipsticks, they will come in the tube with the brush top. The pots are just how they package samples.

Clockwise from upper left: Hot Blooded, Hot To Trot, La Femme, Starlet

All in all, I love the look of Brazen Cosmetics. They have an edgy, and daring look, and I definitely dig it. Their products are great, and I am definitely on the edge of my seat waiting on that relaunch of their eyeshadows! I cannot wait to see what gorgeous colors they come up with!

Watch my video review here!:

***Disclaimer*** Products shown were sent to me by the company for the purpose of reviewing. However, complimentary products never receive special treatment, I review them just like I'd review something I bought myself. My opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are not influenced by any outside sources, nor do I represent any company.***

Product and Company Review: Beauty From The Earth Cosmetics

Hello again everyone!
Today I have a review of Beauty From The Earth Cosmetics (BFTE) for you! I have only briefly tried a few samples in the past, and they've since been buried in my collection, so I was excited at the chance to get a more in-depth experience with the company!

"We celebrate diversity one face at a time with our large selection of multi-use minerals in over 400 unique and modern colors of the rainbow. Please check back as we add new colors and products to our collection of eye shadows, blushes, foundations, collections and more."
http://www.bftecosmetics.com/

They sent me a generous 16 sample sized (0.5 gram)  eyeshadows in an adorable tin, which is perfect for storing them in!

Eyeshadows are available in sample size ($2) or full sized ($6.50). 

I love when companies offer sample sizes, it gives you a chance to try it out a few times before you dive into a full sized jar. However, $6.50 is extremely reasonable for a full sized jar of product!

Onward to swatches! (all swatched dry, over UDPP):

Left To Right: Double Chocolate, Dragon Slayer, Gable, Mississippi Mud

For some reason, BFTE is not very consistent with describing their shadows. Some has shade descriptions, and others only have ingredients. Which is okay, I like to see what each company describes their colors as, but for now, I'll describe them the best I can for you!

Each shadow as described by me:

Double Chocolate - Shimmery chocolate brown, slightly warm toned

Dragon Slayer - Gorgeous shimmery darkened gold

Gable - Cool brown with coppery shimmer

Mississippi Mud - Cool dark matte brown

Left To Right: Super Nova, Paris, Lava Momma, Clara

Each shadow as described by me:

Super Nova - Pinkish red with greenish sparkles

Paris - Bright medium pink with pink sparkles

Lava Momma - HOT pink with pink shimmer

Clara - Sheer sparkly gold. This color has some SERIOUS sparkle to it!

Left To Right: Emerald Bliss, Tropical, Blue Bird, Blacklisted

Each shadow as described by me:

Emerald Bliss - Kelly green with gold sparkles

Tropical - Jungle green with blue duotone, nearly matte

Blue Bird - Intense bright blue. Nearly matte

Blacklisted - Darkened blue with blue sparkles

Left To Right: Aphrodite, Big Ego, Sugar Daddy, Meteor Shower

Each shadow as described by me:

Aphrodite - Light lavender with pink shimmer

Big Ego - Royal purple with purple shimmer 

Sugar Daddy - Cool purple with reddish sparkles

Meteor Shower - Black with rainbow sparkles

Overall I really enjoyed these shadows. I swatched them all dry, but mineral eyeshadows usually look even more gorgeous when used wet, so I can't wait to play around with them more! They seem pigmented and smooth. Some of the matte and nearly matte colors were a bit chalky feeling, but not unusable. Some of my favorites are; Tropical, Clara, Dragon Slayer, and Big Ego! 

I also choose two gel liners from them to try. I'm not normally a gel liner fan, but BFTE has a great range of shades, and I thought I'd give them a shot. Gel liners are $8.99 for 6m.

Left: Rave, Right: Oceanic

Rave is a deep plum color with silver and colored glitter, and Oceanic is a pretty royal blue. 

In all honesty, I don't prefer gel liners. And these didn't help the case to change my mind. I tried using these on my eyes a few times, but wasn't successful. They don't apply very opaque or evenly with a brush, and it would've taken a lot of work to get these to work as I wanted. They work great as mineral shadow bases though!

In this look I used Clara, Dragon Slayer, Gable, and Mississippi Mud!

Overall, I would recommend purchasing at least some sample size eyeshadow from BFTE, with their shade range of over 400 colors to choose from, I'm SURE you will find something worth trying! 

***Disclaimer*** Products shown were sent to me by the company for the purpose of reviewing. However, complimentary products never receive special treatment, I review them just like I'd review something I bought myself. My opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are not influenced by any outside sources, nor do I represent any company.***

Product and Company Review: Surreal Makeup

Hey everyone! Today I have a small company/product review for you. Through my Biohazardous Beauty page on Facebook, I was contacted by a company called Surreal Makeup. The owner, lovely Miss Amanda, asked if I would be interested in doing a review of their products, and of course I said yes!

I'm always looking for a chance to try new makeup. Whether it's a new product at the drugstore or Sephora, or a new Indie company online. Surreal makeup describes themselves as:

"We pride ourselves in bringing you 100% pure mineral makeup that contains no lake, dye, waxes or harsh chemicals.Surreal Makeup IS highly pigmented, hypo-allergenic, water resistant mineral makeup that wears all day yet cleans up easily with soap & water or a baby wipe. We think you owe it to yourself to find out why it is called Surreal Makeup!"

http://www.surrealmakeup.com/

And for what was introduced to me as a 'small' company, they have a massive, (and I mean MASSIVE) shade range! 

My shadows arrived in an adorable sachet!

Each shade is individually shrink wrapped. Bonus points!

The caps are printed with the company name, in this really, really cool holographic print. I kind of failed at capturing that, but I thought it looked really profession!
And it's NOT a sticker. These containers are made for this company.

I did not get to choose which colors I wanted to try (but hey, I'm not picky, and willing to work with anything!) and was sent Everglades, Feather, Smooth, Willow, and Visionary. Each jar is printed with the shadow name, www.surrealmakeup.com, and the ingredients. It does not have the size printed on it, so I am not sure if I got 5 gram or 3 gram jars. But both sizes are available on the website.

All shadows come with sifters, I just always remove sifters, because, they get in my way. xD

Left To Right: Smooth, Feather, Visionary, Everglades, Willow (Swatched over UDPP)

Each shadow as described from the website:

Smooth - A white gold highlighting shimmer with light gold sparkles

Feather - A vibrant teal shadow loaded with teal sparkles

Visionary - Visionary is a baby blue eye shadow with pink reflects throughout

Everglades - *couldn't find on website*

Willow - A dark golden green eye shadow.

For the most part, I agree with these descriptions. The pink sparkles in Visionary can be a little elusive, but I do see them there. As for Everglades, I would describe it as a medium olive green, with gold shimmer. 

Mind the mascara, I know I applied sloppily x.x

Here's a look I did using all 5 shadows.

Complete list of products used:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion Original
• Surreal Makeup Smooth
• Surreal Makeup Feather
• Surreal Makeup Visionary
• Surreal Makeup Everglades
• Surreal Makeup Willow
• Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Perversion
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Stash
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Walk of Shame
• Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

Overall I really quite loved how these shadows looked. They're so pretty and shimmery. Looking at the website, there's everything from matte, to UV reactive, to glitter, to iridescent colors to choose from. I believe I was told there's 280+ colors to choose from!
5 gram jars cost $8.00 per shadow, and 3 gram jars cost $4.00 per shadow. I love when companies, especially ones with a larger selection give you that size option, when you want to try a bunch of colors, but don't necessarily need full size jars of each one.

Surreal makeup also sells primers, powders, lipglosses, and brushes!

I am definitely impressed by this company, that I can't believe I never knew existed! Those UV eyeshadows are calling my name! 

***Disclaimer*** Products shown were sent to me by the company for the purpose of reviewing. However, complimentary products never receive special treatment, I review them just like I'd review something I bought myself. My opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are not influenced by any outside sources, nor do I represent any company.***

Concrete Minerals Summer Contest!

So you guys remember my review of the amazing Concrete Mineral's 'Zombie Girl' Collection?! (Zombie Girl Blog Post)

Well, this amazing indie brand of mineral makeup has completely OUTDONE themselves again! Along with recently releasing a line of Pro Matte Pigments, they're also giving away a $50 gift card to CM, and a gorgeous Jewelry Set by Petal Cove! Here's a few swatches of the new pro matte colors!

Left To Right: Domino, Bulletproof, Bruise, Ravage, and Queen (Swatch courtesy of CM's Facebook Page)

I have to say, I am literally DYING to get my hands on some of these pro matte colors! More swatches are available at Concrete Minerals At Facebook. Contest entry is also on their facebook page! No need to create new looks, use CM minerals, or anything, entering is super simple!
Some of my latest looks using Concrete Minerals:

Using 'Smut' 'Kinky' and 'Troublemaker'

Using 'Bat Breaker' and 'Nightmare'