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!!!!

Coastal Scents Hot Pot Review- Custom Palettes

Hey all! How many of you like spending more money than you need to on makeup? As you have seen in my videos and blog posts, I use eyeshadows and such from all different companies. If I find a colour I like that I don't already have or haven't seen elsewhere, I will use it. However, I don't love spending 10-20$ on unique shades...

GUESS WHO HAD A SALE ON ALREADY INEXPENSIVE PRODUCTS?!

Similar to Inglot, Coastal Scents has a system where you can built your own palettes, choosing from their large selection of eyeshadows. (Incredibly extensive! My one complaint is that they don't make a pure matte black. Not a hard one to find in general, but ya know...) They offer single pods, quads, 12-piece and 28-piece empty palettes to put these gems in.

Here are the 12 I chose! :) Swatched with a Q-tip over NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk.

YUMMM

The empty palette I chose was 5.95$ and each solo was 1.95, and I got 30% off. Not bad :)

I shall now post swatches, both in daylight and with a flash.

Watermelon, Petal Peach, Sunflower Petal, Light Yellow

Python Green, Limelight, Sea Lily, Empress Teal

Wild Wisteria, Queen's Jubilee, Love Spell, Fancy Pansy

So I got each of these colours for specific reasons. Mainly I chose tertiary shades I could use as in-between colours and for blending. The only 2 colours that surprised me when I got them were Petal Peach and Sunflower Petal. I expected Petal Peach to be less neutral, more of a pastel orangey-coral colour. I thought Sunflower Petal would be just a bit more on the orange side. Nevertheless, I am incredibly pleased with the uniqueness and vibrancy of these!

They are soft and smooth, really easily blended. I do find I need the NYX  Jumbo Pencil in Milk to get them to stick better, like with any bright eyeshadow. When I use the peachy shade to blend a brown colour out, in my crease, it adds a lovely warmth to the eye look.

These are ridiculously affordable and surprisingly good quality! As with any online purchase, try to compare all the pictures and chose the colours you want. So happy I have these!

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 Satin Taupe Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

I was on a mission.
...and then I got sidetracked by this awesome colour.

After years of seeing it used in makeup tutorials, I finally decided to purchase satin taupe eyeshadow from MAC.

MAC satin taupe eyeshadow

I expected a taupe-grey colour similar to Urban Decay's mushroom, and while they look different in the pan, they apply similarly. Satin taupe has more of a mauve kind of undertone to it, and its finish is satin-shimmer. Mushroom is darker, more grey, and much more shimmery, so it looks lighter when applied.

Here it is!

Colour payoff is really nice, but I generally don't reach for my MAC shadows as much as some of my other favourites. That may change now.

Swatch with flash

Swatch without flash

The only thing I had trouble with was that this colour faded a bit by the end of the day. I sometimes have this problem with certain MAC shadows. And yes I used primer!

Overall, this colour is very pretty and would suit practically any skin tone, depending on how you use it.
I got the refill pan at MAC for 13.50$.

New Inglot Setup!

Before Inglot became popular on YouTube, I become clinically dependent upon their delectable shadows.
Seriously. I bought one or two new colours ever couple of weeks.

This was my former setup.... It consists of one large empty Inglot palette without slots for the pans, and two CD cases that I taped a magnetic sheet to. Pale neutrals in one case, dark neutrals in the other, and colours were in the huge one (which is now discontinued! WHY?!).

Inglot squares, large circles, small circles; Makeup Forever 92; Urban Decay

To avoid continuing on with my addiction, I finally decided to purchase the Freedom System palettes!!!
That way, I have no place to put new eyeshadows unless I save up to buy a whole new palette.

Well anyway, here they are! I already had the eyeshadows.

They look messy.... it just means they are well-loved!

BoomBoom! BoomBoom! BoomBoom! BoomBoom!

Now now, I can't have photos napping on the job.... must fix this

 What I really like about these palettes is that you can arrange the colours any way you want, which often inspires makeup looks for me.
They can be rearranged, but the magnet is so strong that I had to  use a nail file to pop them out... Which resulted in some tragic gouging of heavenly eyeshadow.

The pigmentation of the matte colours and matte-with-sparkle-but-no-shimmer colours is very unique... Over ordinary primer with an ordinary brush, they may seem mediocre depending on the particular shade. But layered over a suuuuper thin, well blended out creamy base, the pigment just grabs on for dear life and literally shakes with vibrancy! I find them easy to blend.

The shimmer/frosty colours are breathtaking.
I can't even discuss it.

Swatcheroos....

493: Lighter matte lilac in real life with a bit of sparkle.
439: Deep purple with cool blue shimmer
28: Icy blue with silver and blue shimmer
371: Ridiculous matte electric blue
473: Matte teal-turquoise with a golden sparkle

474: Lighter, smooth matte yellow with gold sparkle
60: Mustard, similar to Chrome Yellow by MAC with a golden sparkle
59: Lime-yellow-green that walks all over every other lime green I've ever had
58: Slightly dark matte grass green with gold and green sparkle
06: Olive with golden shimmer

07: Light shimmery gold with peachy undertone
405: Shimmery peachy bronze
406: Shimmery toasty bronze
409: Yummy shimmery deep bronze
402: Medium shimmery plum colour, good for blending out purples

361: Light, matte peachy pink like a pink rose petal
407: Coral with gold shimmer
51: Vivid, matte carrot orange
495:Matte red hot pink with gold sparkle
74: Matte deeper magenta with peachy sparkle

Gorgeous colours! There is something for everyone, trust me. By now I've been in the store over 40 times and covered my arm with every colour in there!!! So go in, have fun, their eyeshadows are only 10$ each compared to the 13 something at MAC, with almost twice the product.

Please send any requests to lizziehanley94@yahoo.ca