Impulse Cosmetics Review and Swatches

Okay. First of all, I would like to say that Indie cosmetics, in my experience, have been AWESOME, but there has been some drama surrounding certain companies (and former companies) due to customer service issues and repackaging of TKB micas as eyeshadows. This is just something to be aware of, because independant cosmetic companies are often comprised of one or two women working out of their homes, and some are more legit than others. Before buying from an indie company, it is always a good idea to do a bit of research to decide if you want to support them or not. You can also find some different photos of swatches to give you a better idea of what products look like, because it can be a bit hard to tell from their webstore exactly what you're getting.

(Photo from Impulse Cosmetics Facebook page)

I have been very fortunate (thanks to Google searching heehee!) to have had NOTHING BUT GOOD EXPERIENCES FROM INDIE COSMETIC BRANDS. This is because I avoid companies that have scary customer reviews. While I generally believe in giving the benefit of the doubt, I don't want to waste my money. Some of you will understand why LimeCrime, for example, will never see a cent from me, despite how interesting some of their lipstick shades are.

We don't need LimeCrime anyway! Have you seen what companies like My Beauty Addiction,
Sweet Pea and Fay, Impulse Cosmetics, and Fyrinnae have created?!

Ahh, Impulse Cosmetics....

First of all, they have to most amazing, unique, long-wearing, awesome lip colours I've ever ever ever ever used EVER.
Another thing I'd like to say is that paying shipping sucks. This is why I got a couple of friends who wanted to order from Impulse purchase with me: so we could divide the shipping three ways. So no, sadly, this is not all mine.

THESE are mine!

Glam Glue is an eye base with Shea and Cocoa butters, which makes me happy. I only use a tiny but because too much makes the shadows crease. It helps to use UDPP underneath it. The foamy stuff you see on the surface is probably because it was made in a kitchen, emulsified at high heat with an immersion blender, so bubbles formed while the product was still hot. I guessed this because I make my own lotions and soaps and stuff and the same thing happens to me if I don't let the product cool to 100 degrees F before pouring it into the jars.
Cost: 5.50 USD

Bellatrix is a raspberry red with a craaazy blue and pink shift. I've never seen anything quite like it before.
Cost: 3.99 USD

 Ghoul's Night Out is a warm violet with lots of red and bronze in it, and a flash of cold shimmer. Yum!
Cost: 3.99 USD

 The Huntsman is a deep bronzy cold with green, yellow, and aqua sparkle....zomg.
Cost: 3.99 USD

Bombshell is a watermelon red/pink, with a touch of orange tone. It is MATTE. This thing just did not want to get off of my lips. In the swatch down below, I didn't use my usual UDPP on my lips first, it was just to see how the colour looked on me. I actually love it. It did settle a little in the tiny cracks in my lips, but I've found that happens a lot less if you apply less product. These are super pigmented, and you don't need to layer it on over and over like a drugstore brand lipstick, which are cut with tons of silicone, glycerine, and probably whale fat, too. It's easiest to apply with a brush because they come in classic lipbalm casing (which probably helps keep cost down). I really wish I picked up more lipsticks. Needless to say, I'll be ordering from Impulse again!
Cost: 6.99 USD

Swatcherinos :)

 The eyeshadows are in loose form with a sifter, and I was SHOCKED to find that I could use them as pigments (applied wet) and as regular shadow without much fallout!! I tried them on my eyes with the Glam Glue from Impulse (and UDPP as awlays) and they stuck to it like spitballs on a geek. *Shudder from middle school memories*

Drool....

I used a bit of cherry red lipliner with Bombshell and I am now in love.

Overall, I am very impressed with the eyeshadows and the lipsticks. We placed a fairly big order while they were having a sale, and it still got to my door in under two weeks. This is one happy customer who will return!!!!

My MAC Pigments

Pretty much every makeup company I can think of sells some kind of concentrated loose eyeshadow. They can be used on the eyes, cheeks and lips depending on how you work them. Pigments are very versatile. I have a few... Some Sugarpill, Inglot, Laura Mercier, Bare Escentuals, Annabelle, and of course, MAC!

These are the MAC pigments I own, excluding the stack of 4 I got from the Dazzlesphere collection.
One of them is not a pigment, but a glitter. Some of them are in the older, larger packaging. The new jars are unfortunately smaller and are sold for the same price even though they contain much less product.

This is what MAC has to say about this product:

Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting.
PigmenPit
I have Copper Sparkle, Tan, Fuchsia, Reflects Blackened Red, and Steel Blue. All swatches are done without a base, but the "wet" swatches are used with eye drops.

Copper Sparkle, Tan

Copper Sparkle

Tan

Copper Sparkle, shimmery copper tone more orange than a penny

Tan, a shimmery medium champagne colour

Copper Sparkle swatched dry on the left, wet on the right

Tan swatched dry on the left, wet on the right

Fuchsia, Reflects Blackened Red, Steel Blue

Fuchsia

Reflects Blackened Red

Steel Blue

Jars are misleading... Look at all the extra space on the sides!

Fuchsia, a bright shimmery pink (cloudy picture, I know)

Fuchsia swatched dry on the left, wet on the right

Reflects Blackened Red, a deep wine glitter

Reflects Blackened Red swatched dry on left, wet on right

Steel Blue, an intense mermaid teal with gold shimmer

Steel Blue swatched dry on left, wet on right

I just love these. It takes a bit of practice to work with them but once you figure out the best way to make them work for you, you will cry of joy like I do every time I put on my makeup.

These retail for 24$ at www.maccosmetics.com and at MAC stores and counters.

Please send any requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca

MAC Dazzlesphere! Berry Ornament Review

I love shimmer. Everyone who knows me and knows I love makeup recognizes this fundamental need I have. It can sometimes turn into a problem because makeup, like everything else in life, costs money.

And I am cheap.

Sometimes, to torture myself, I wander into MAC or Sephora or Inglot and play with the gorgeous colours I find in there. I'd been dreaming about these fantastically pretty pigments for a while, waiting for a makeup artist friend of mine to come to MAC with me so I could get a discount. Sadly it never happened, so I took it upon myself to purchase them on a whim.
The whole "limited edition" thing really did give me a sense of urgency and I felt like I would be losing something if I left them there.

I hate how the cosmetic industry has that hold on me.

Awesomely shiny spherical packaging

Hello, Dazzlesphere Berry Ornament!!!                           

Here is what MAC has to say about this product:

DAZZLESHPERE! BERRY ORNAMENT X 4: Adding spice to our couture-future ornament: two shades of Roasted Chestnut and Spicy Smoke. Add Pearl and Rose Light to this mini-set of four stackable Crush Metals and see how brilliant your looks can be. Gift yourself! Limited edition.

To start off, these are extremely well pigmented. The shimmer itself is more prominent than the undertone of each colour itself, but applied wet, these look almost like glitter and the colour becomes more vibrant.

Urban Decay’s primer potion is my go-to primer, but I knew that these would need something more binding to stick to because they are very loose and sparkles just flew everywhere. I tried using my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil inStrawberry Milk on top of UDPP to get the product to stick, but it caked up when I brushed it on because my skin would fold ever so slightly, and this created gaps in the application. It looked better when I packed it on, but foiling the pigment worked best for a smoother texture on my lids.

 I love the colours in this pigment stack! They are warm-toned berry shades, hence the name, and I find them versatile.

Pearl on top, Rose Light on the bottom

blah blah blah 6 grams

Pearl

Rose Light

Spicy Smoke on top, Roasted Chestnut on the bottom

yadda yadda crushed metallic pigment

Spicy Smoke is redder and not as dark in real life

Roasted Chestnut is more bronze in real life

 Here are some swatches:

Pearl, Rose Light swatched dry

Spicy Smoke, Roasted Chestnut swatched dry

 

Crooked lid

The packaging does not feel very sturdy. Like my Lise Watier pigment in Folie Blanche, the clear plastic feels brittle, like it might crack easily. Folie Blanche certainly did. Also, it is not exactly easy to screw the lid back on without pigment spilling out. I had to unscrew and re-screw it on very gently and precisely to it didn’t have a gap for potential spillage. Folie Blanche also has this problem.
I’m also not sure how I feel about the top jar acting as a lid for the bottom jar. Being extremely clumsy, I tend to drop lids as I unscrew them because I often do my makeup in a hurry. It is obviously not good for the “lid” to fall if it contains 6 grams of product I paid around 40$ for.

I know it seems like I have a lot more complaints than compliments about this product, but I must remember to focus on qualities that are more important to me. In a loose eyeshadow, I mainly look for great pigmentation and a decent amount of product for my money. I bought these for 38$ and some change, plus tax. Divided by 4 pigments, they cost me less than 10$ each, which is more than I can say for my Sugarpill Chromalusts, which retail for 12$ each for only 4grams of shadow.
Plus shipping.

So overall, I do really like these. It just takes a teensy bit of experimenting to make them work, and I’m sure it would be different for everybody. Wetting my brush happened to work best for me when using it. Plus, the shimmer is sooooo pretty!!!!! They also sell a blue-themed stack, a purple one, and various lip products in spheres.

I like you

These retail for 32.50 on MAC’s website and in MAC stores, but I paid around 38.50 plus tax because I live in Canada.
Please send all requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca