In the Pursuit of Fabulous : Siren Song Cosmetics

*Purchased and Press Samples*
Hello Lovelies!
   I am back again with another indie shop review. This time I am reviewing an indie makeup company called Siren Song Cosmetics. I first heard about this shop when I ran across a thread on Reddit about what series or shows would we like to see makeup collections based off of.  I had just recently finished Attack on Titan! and I was desperate for more!

   For those of you who haven't succumbed to the Attack on Titan Frenzy the plot is basically 100 years before the series starts Titans appeared and started eating people with not reason or remorse and nearly wiped out all of humanity. The series starts where the remainder of humanity resides in peace behind giant walls to keep the Titans out. And from what you can see in the picture above you can piece together what happens next. There is currently only one season out (which is on Netflix) however if you want to read more you can find the manga.

   So this series is SO amazing I had to have more and I wanted awesome Attack on Titan Makeup too. So I was directed to Siren Song Cosmetics by some amazing people on Reddit and I squealed and danced around  like a school girl.

    There was an ENTIRE collection, The Merciless Collection, of 12 beautiful shadows based off the series. I NEEDED them all instantly however due to evil makeup budgets I was only able to pick out a few for myself to try out. However the owner Dee was so kind enough to send me some extra samples ,which were not part of the collection, that really made my day . But don't take my word for it... Take a look at these swatches. All of them were taken outside in sun over Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Primer.

104th Squad

 This is a gorgeous shimmery golden sandy brown. It is described as a soft sandy brown on the site but I love the hint of gold with makes it more that just a sandy brown. This color is perfect for an everyday neutral eye.

Black Magic Beauty

 Black Magic Beauty is described as an orchid purple with a subtle pink and and red glittery shift. This looks much lighter in the container than it does in person so don't let that fool you. It really is a lovely color and the combination of the purple, pink and red makes it more than just orchid.

Eternal Calm

 Eternal calm is described as a mint green with a soft sparkle. It is what I would consider a soft mint green with a hint of shimmery golden sparkles. It is perfect as a part of a look (like the green look below) or just an accent to give your eyes the extra sparkle.

Fathoms Below

   I also have a horrible weakness for blues lately and when I ran across this color on the site I literally gasped and ohhed and ahhed over it. It is described as a deep and shimmery midnight blue. Which it is but it is also so much more. It is almost metallic and a metallic blue just makes my little goth heart a flutter. If you also didn't guess this was another of my favorites.

Forbidden Machina

 Forbidden Machina is described as a rustic bronze gold. It reminds me of what I would think ancient Mechs were made of. It is a gorgeous right soft metallic bronze.

Humanity's Strongest

 This was another one of my favorites from the site that I knew that I HAD to have. It is described as a blackened emerald green. It is that and so much more depending on the light. When applied it can look either black or emerald and often a combination of both. I am always looking for a beautiful emerald green and this is one of my favorites.

Illegitimate Aristocrat

 This is described as a shimmery white with coppery pink shift and gold sparkles.  This is a soft light white with gorgeous golden sparkles and when the sun hits it just right you can capture the gorgeous shift.

Merciless

 When I saw this color on the site I instantly feel in love. I have such a weakness for reds and Merciless is no exception. It is described as a dark shimmering blood red of a certain scarf. It is a gorgeous shimmery dark blue based red that is just simply perfect.

Road to Dawn

   Road to Dawn is a new unreleased color with is just simply gorgeous. I was super excited to get this sample since I love getting sneak peeks of upcoming collections! I would describe this color as a lovely taupe color which hints of pink and gold. This is a perfect crease color for a neutral eye to give it extra depth.

The Basement

 The basement is described as a blackened olive green with hints of gold sparkle. It is really dark almost black in color but when the sun hits it just right you can see that it isn't really black but green and the gold sparkles give it an amazing POP!

The Fayth

The Fayth is described as an ancient metallic bronze toned gold. This is much darker and richer than Forbidden Machina and even more metallic. I would have to say that this is more of a true bronze metallic.

Thunderstruck

Thunderstruck is described as a shimmery copper brown with a pink shift and a golden sparkle. It appears much more red on my monitor when I first saw it so I contacted Dee about the swatch to make sure I had the right one. This is the right color and it is notoriously hard to capture (which I can attest to since I look a TON of photos to get this one right) I would say that it is a pinkish soft copper with a hint of gold. Either way it is gorgeous.

While swatches are always awesome to look at I always like to see how the shadows are used in looks to give me a better feel of them. So here are a couple of looks I did with Siren Song Cosmetics..

Forgive the derp eye. I wanted to capture the shift of the colors here.

 I also wanted to do more of a neutral eye for everyday wear. However I couldn't resist placing Fathoms Below as the liner.

 Now I know this is a SUPER long post filled with a ton of pictures but we are finally in the home stretch with the ratings!

Color and Pigmentation: 9.6 out of 10 bats
   I have to say that I am really impressed with the color and pigmentation of Siren Song Cosmetics. Not only are the colors vibrant and gorgeous, they also apply and blend like a dream.

Shipping and Turn around Time: 10 out of 10 bats
  I RARELY EVER give 10 out of 10 for anything since I hate seeing constant 10 out 10s. If you get a ten from me you worked for it and Dee definitely did. When I placed my order I got a mailing confirmation the NEXT day. Yup, you heard me right ONE DAY turn around. It doesn't get more epic than that.

Affordability: 9.7 out of 10 bats
   Siren Song Cosmetics are extremely affordable. From samples in clam shells (yay for clam shells cause I hate baggies!) starting at  $1.15 and full sized packed full jars at $5.49. Theses prices are fantastic and will make you come back for more.

Customer Service : 9.7 out of 10 bats
   As I mentioned above I contacted Dee about my Thunderstruck looking slightly different from the color on the site. Monitors do alter color so I wanted to make sure. She was super quick and helpful to respond and honestly wonderful to work with.

Overall :9.8 out of 10 bats

   I have to say that I am extremely impressed and in love with Siren Song Cosmetics. Not only does she have some gorgeous colors created from kick ass fandom series the quality is really top notch. The turn around time is AMAZING, the prices are fantastic and the customer service can't be beat. I HIGHLY recommend you check Siren Song Cosmetics out and pick up some of her gorgeous colors. You can find Siren Song Cosmetics here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Run, don't walk over to Siren Song Cosmetics and pick up some fabulous shadows!

I hope that you enjoyed this review and until next time lovelies!

In the Pursuit of Fabulous: Review of Baroque Cosmetics

*Press Sample*
Hello Lovelies!
   I am back again with an overdue review of Baroque Cosmetics. Sadly with summer kicking off and swimming lessons for all three of my little Dreadfuls makes it really hard to have any uninterrupted computer time or makeup time for that matter. But I am finally able to get to review Baroque Cosmetics' Viva La Revolution Collection.
    Viva La Revolution is a eight colored collection based off the French Revolution which is a revolutionary idea since I have seen collections based off of fandom but never one based off of history (now there could be others but this is the first one I have come across). So of course my inner history nerd simply died and the colors that she sent me are just gorgeous. But take a look for yourself...

Death of Marat is described on the site as creamy oatmeal with a blue flash. It is a lovely light toasted brown that is simply perfect for any neutral look.

Affair of the Diamond is described on the site as silver with a blue shift. This is a lighter silver not as dramatic as an in your face metallic silver but with the hint of blue gives it just the right sparkle and sultry appeal.

Dicatateur Sanguinarie is described as deep blood red on the site. This color was naturally one of my favorites since I LOVE reds. While this is a nice deep blood red it has almost a metallic like quality to it which really makes this color pop.

Madame Deficit is described as a lovely soft pink with a gold sheen on the site. While most people wouldn't consider pink a highlight color due to my fair complexion this color is my perfect highlight color. It is soft and subtle and completely fit for a queen.

National Razor is described on the site as gunmetal with a red sheen. This is a gorgeous dark grey with a just a hint of red for that extra touch of sparkle. I loved using this for smokey looks.

 The Republic (which whenever I hear of "The Republic" I always think of Star Wars first) but this color is described as rich leathery brown. This color like most of the collection also has a metallic like feel to me. It is a nice mid ranged chestnut brown and is a great companion for any neutral look.

 Sun King is yet another one of my favorites and is described as a deep noble blue with flecks of gold. Which is named after the French Blue and its setting.  I will freely admit that my French history is horribly rusty if not really quite atrocious so I went ahead and googled it.  The French Blue is also known as the Blue Diamond of the French Crown and it was stolen during the turbulence of the French Revolution and later cut into the equally famous Hope Diamond to conceal its' origins. So there you go, you don't have to google it. ^_~ But back to this gorgeous color, it is a stunning true navy blue. Often too many "navy blues" are either too blue or even black but this is the perfect combination of both and the hint of gold makes it all the more lovely.

  

  Finally, last but not least, is Versailles which is listed as an antiqued molten gold.  This is another one of my favorites since I really love the look of metallic gold and this color does remind of Versailles which I visited many years ago when I was 16 cause everything was GOLD. 

While swatches are great I like to see the colors incorporated as a look on a person. So here are two looks that I did with this collection. 

Now on to the ratings....

Color and Pigmentation: 9.5 out of 10 bats

  I really liked the colors and pigmentation of this collection. Andi did an amazing job with nailing down the historical aspects (like with Sun King) as well as creating some truly gorgeous colors. The first two pictures were taken after an entire day of walking around an outlet mall in 95 degree weather with sweltering humidity. If that doesn't say anything about the staying power of this collection I don't know what does.

Shipping/Turn around Time (TAT): not rated

  This was collection was provided to me as a press sample for consideration so I am not rating the TAT due to the fact that I didn't order it. When I do place and order I will update this rating in order to reflect that turn around time. 

Affordability: 9 out of 10 bats

  Baroque Cosmetics offers full size jars for  $6.00 and sample baggies for $1.50 individually. But if you wanted to try out the entire collection in samples you can pick it up for #10.50 and full sized is $44.00 which is really a good deal. 

Customer Service: 9.3 out of 10 bats

   Andi was super sweet and answered any and all of my questions concerning the collection in a super fast manner. She was always polite and very well spoken and super friendly. 

Overall: 9.4 out of 10 bats

   I do have to say that I am extremely pleased with Baroque Cosmetic's premiere collection. Not only has Andi taken the time to create a collection based off of something that I haven't seen before, but she has also done her research which really impresses me. The colors are extremely vibrant and long lasting and the affordability is killer. Andi is also quick and helpful to answer any question so I look forward to her newest collection which is based off of Howl's Moving Castle (another one of my favorites).

You can purchase Baroque Cosmetics here. You can also follow her on Facebook for the newest sneak peaks of the upcoming collections that she is working on. I hope that you enjoyed this review and until next time lovelies!

In the Pursuit of Fabulous: Review of Glamour Doll Eyes

   *Gift*

Hello Lovelies!
    Welcome back!  Today I am doing a review on another lovely indie company, Glamour Doll Eyes. Vee , the owner, posted in the indie group that I frequent that she was offering up blogger review packs for her products so naturally I jumped at the chance. She was kind enough to allow me to choose the five colors that I wanted and after a super quick email they were on their way to me.  They arrived in record time and like a little kid on her birthday I tore into the package to check out the goodies that arrived!

Fiji Mermaid 

   Fiji Mermaid is described as "this greenish blue tells the story of a commonly used sideshow act. The Fiji Mermaid is alive and real with green shimmer undertones, reminiscent of scales."

The first color I was immediately drawn to was Fiji Mermaid cause honestly if you stick mermaid on the end of anything you INSTANTLY have my attention but when you take a look at it you will instantly know why I had to have it.

Tattooed

Tattooed is described as a " bright blue mixed with a gorgeous shimmery purple."

   I have recently been on a blue kick lately with my makeup so I was drawn to Tattooed immediately as well. I was intrigued by the description of it being a  "unque blend of matte and shimmer" which made me think of bright bold color with a hint of sparkle.

Blue Ribbon

Blue Ribbon is described as a great medium to deep royal blue color. At first this may look like a  matte color but it's more sheen when it's on."

  Like I mentioned, I am on a blue kick and I don't think that I currently can get enough of them and it seems that in my collection only had either light or dark blues and I was missing a lot of nice medium tones. The name of the color fits perfectly since it makes me picture a big blue ribbon that the best apple pie has won in the fair.

Undead

Undead is described as "a black with red undertones/ sheen, however, some have said that is has a maroonish color to it."

Just like how if you stick the word mermaid on the end of the color you instantly have my attention the same goes for undead/monster/zombie references. I am a huge horror fan and being a goth mommy I really can't have enough colors that are what I would consider part of the vamp color scheme.

S & M is described as a "dark purple (nearly black) with blue and green sheen & silver sparkle"

  S & M caught my eye since I can really never have enough purple in my collection. It is a gorgeous dark purple with  hints of blue, green and silver sparkles. It makes me think of concord grapes with a touch of sparkle.

Taylor

Taylor is described as a "rich red with medium sheen that rubs down to an intense, almost metallic pink"

   When you add the word "metallic" to any description you instantly have my attention. I would have to say that is this more of a metallic red than metallic pink but either way it is simply a gorgeous color.

  I dunno if you are like me, while product pictures are great, I also want to see swatches and looks where the product was used. So your wish is my command....

Over NYX Milk taken indoors with Flash

Over NYX Milk in Natural Light

And of course I always like to see how the product is used in looks... So here are some looks done with the colors (and there are also some other GDE shadows used in one look but the reviewed shadows are marked with an *)

Done with Sword Swallower (GDE), Fiji Mermaid* (GDE), Blue Ribbon * (GDE), 

Done with Disco White (GDE), Taylor* (GDE), Undead* (GDE), S&M * (GDE), Blue Ribbon* (GDE), and Tattooed* (GDE) 

Now finally on to the ratings..

Color/ Pigmentation 9.8 out of 10 bats
  These shadows not only have amazing color and pigmentation but their staying power is incredible. They are vibrant, applied well, blended easily and lasted all day.

Affordability 9.5 out of 10 bats
    I would have to say that Glamour Doll Eyes has excellent pricing as well on their products. Prices start at $1.25 for sample baggies with .5 grams of product. Sample Jars, which is the size that I was sent for this review, are listed at $2.50 for 1 gram of product in a 5 gram jar (which is the average size jar for most indie companies) and finally the Full Size products are $6.00 and are broken down into two options: sifter and no sifter. Sifters have 1.5-2 grams in a 5 gram jar and no sifters have 2-2.5 grams in a 5 gram jar. So you are getting a decent amount of product for the price and GDE often has sales where you can snatch up full size jars for a steal.

Shipping/ Turn Around Time 10 out of 10 bats
   The shipping on this blogger package was fast, while I was waiting for it to arrive GDE had an Easter Sale which I couldn't pass up on. I placed the order early Sunday morning and my packaged was shipped out on Monday. I am impressed when turn around time for an indie company is less than two weeks but shipped out in a day? That is AMAZING.

Customer Service 9.8 out of 10 bats
  As I mentioned earlier, the shipping time was simply incredible. I was super lucky to catch the fact that I had ordered a duplicate shadow by accident on my Easter purchase so I messaged Vee immediately asking if I could switch out the duplicate for a different color. ( I list the larger collection of my shadows by company on a spreadsheet to prevent this and after that incident I have created one for GDE) She didn't ever bat an eye and was super sweet about the whole thing and shipping the correct color and the rest of my order off the next day was incredible.

Overall 9.8 out of 10 bats
  I am extremely impressed with Glamour Doll Eyes. Not only is the product fantastic with color and pigmentation and the price is extremely fair, but the shipping and turn around time are just out of this world! As I mentioned earlier when I placed an order only to have it shipped out the very next day. Color me impressed. And the customer service can't be beat since Vee was super sweet and understanding when I asked if she could switch out a color that I accidentally ordered a duplicate of. Needless to say, I will be placing another order with Glamour Doll  Eyes in the future and I highly recommend them as well.




Until next time Lovelies!

In the Pursuit of Fabulous: Review of Black Violet

Hello Lovelies!
   I am back again today and this time I am doing my first ever bath/scent beauty blog review from a lovely indie company called Black Violet. I am a HUGE bath and scent junkie and I love reveling in both. Mr Dreadful is often like a shark at times circling around any new bath goodies to see what he can snatch and take off to enjoy before I notice and then often reemerges from the bathroom smelling like my new goodies. But thankfully, I managed to open my goody package from Black Violet before he came home from work or else it may have been carried away only for me to try it after him.  Now I had heard the name Black Violet in the indie group that I frequent and from there I made my way over to her website to gaze at the amazing goodness that lay upon its' various pages.
    Black Violet specializes in bath and scents and I know that some people are often very hesitant to purchase scent items on the internet since you really don't have the option to try them to see what it actually smells like. The owner has done a wonderful job and has a true talent for describing scents in her scent library but I was still torn with all of choice possibilities so I messaged the owner, Leilani and asked her what scents were the most popular and what she would recommend. She was so wonderful and answered all of my questions. So after her email, I finally decided on what to get for my order. I picked out her body butter, which was one original items that peaked my interest in her company in the first place, two pick your potions and a perfume balm. After about two weeks this lovely amazing smelling packaged arrived at my door.

All of my goodies!

Extra goodies as well! A lovely handwritten note, a sample of Lilikoi body butter, a sample of Ice Queen in her old pick your potions size jars, some awesome candies and of course a business card.

    I immediately tore into the lovely black and purple packaging to revel in all of the scents! Her body butter which comes in 4 oz jar , which I ordered in Lemondrop,  is a lovely light vanilla lemony scent which isn't too heavy or overpowering and immediately melted into my super dry skin without a heavy or greasy feeling. Lilikoi was the free body butter sample that came with my order and is described as, "Fantasy is witnessing the unique phases of a Hawaiian passion fruit flower. As the striking flower closes, it transforms into a sweet lilikoi fruit- creating a fragrance beyond imagination." The scent is  perfect balance of flowery, fruity and sweet intermingled in a light scent that doesn't overpower the body if used all over. I immediately regretted not buying more body butters and wishing it came in bath tub sized jars so that I could swim in it.

Body Butter in Lemondrop starting at $8.00

Sealed

Opened with all the heavenly body butter scrapped off the seal

     Then I turned my attention to the two pick your potions that I had chosen which came in 1 dram sizes. Cathedral is described on the site as "rays of light beaming through stained glass, a carved canopy of rosewood and frankincense & myrrh." It is a slightly musky scent which I enjoy with a hint of rosewood mingled with the frankincense & myrrh. Super sultry and sexy! Next, I turned my attention to Red Lotus which is described by Black Violet as "with vermilion red beauty & hairlike spines, rambutans are unforgettable fruits from Southeast Asia which bring a tart aroma. Exotic lychee radiates a sweet note thru red rooibos tea. Red Lotus is complete with floating lilies and wild geranium".  I don't think that I could describe it better than what the site says however would say that its' light sweet, flowery fruity scent that is perfect for hot summer nights. Ice queen was the free sample which is described as ,"snow capped mountains, heliotrop, juniper berry, water lily, sandalwood, vetiver and a mist swept form the sea." I would say that is a light airy scent with a hint of flowers and berries. Another light and wonderful summer night favorite.  Both Cathedral and Red Lotus are limited edition much to my dismay since I want them to stay forever so you may want to head over and order before these two scents are gone forever!  

My two pick your potions :Cathedral and Red Lotus check out the lovely bag they came in! Starting at $5.50

    The perfume balms captured my attention next. I love applying scents however it is always disappointing when later on in the day they fade away and normally you can't reapply them without dragging a bottle which sometimes isn't always the best option. The perfume balms are the perfect answer for that issue. They are slim, discrete, durable and portable and great to throw in your purse to touch up your scent any time you need to. I originally order Sea Goddess for my perfume balm which is described as "Tropical waters, trade winds & ti leaves braided with orange blossoms. " It is a light and delicate flowery airy scent which makes me think of a lovely deserted tropical island.  The free perfume balm, Affagato is described as "buttery vanilla drowned in espresso, burnt sugar and a drizzle of amaretto liqueur." Normally I wouldn't have picked out a coffee based perfume since I am not a coffee drinker but  I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing this perfume smelled. It doesn't have a heavy overpowering coffee scent like I expected the mingling of sugar and vanilla and hint of amaretto balance  the scent out and create a wonderful scent that I have worn on many occasions.

I received only only my order of Sea Goddess perfume balm but a free balm in Affogato from a special that was going on her Facebook page!

Perfume balm in Sea Goddess starting at $6.00

Extra free goodies are always a happy bonus!

 Now finally on to the ratings!


Formula/ Scent Pay Off  - 9.8 out of 10 bats
   I have to say that not only am I super impressed with the amazing scents that Leilani has created with her amazing scent gallery I think that she has done a wonderful  job in describing them on the website. Her perfume balms are a nice combination of both firm and glide on with ease applying just the right amount of scent and not leaving a greasy trail after. All of the scents that I picked up were extremely well blended and nothing was overpowering even with first applying like some scents are. Finally if it wasn't obvious, I am in love with her body butter! The formula isn't heavy or greasy feeling like a lot of the body butters I have tried and it simply melts into my dry skin. A little goes a LONG way and leaves it moisturized and smooth for hours.

Affordability -9.5 out of 10 bats
   I have to say that I am extremely pleased with the prices of these amazing products. Originally I will admit that I was hesitant for spending eight dollars on body butter for a 4 oz jar but I had heard so many good things I decided to take the plunge and I was NOT disappointed especially with the fact that I use about what I would use normally in order to achieve the same results.

Shipping/ Turn Around Time -9 out of 10 bats
   As I mentioned earlier that it took about two from when my order was placed until these lovely goodies were in my hot little hands which I have to say is excellent especially for being completely handmade!

Customer Service- 9.8 out of 10 bats
   I am super pleased and impressed with my interactions with Leilani  from Black Violet. Not only was she kind and sweet in answering all of my questions about everything, she went above and beyond for keeping me up to date about my package. Thank you so much again Lelani!

Overall -9.8 out of 10 bats
   Needless to say I am in LOVE with Black Violet's products, no only has she created some amazing scent masterpieces but her body butter is simply amazing! Everything from the formula/ scent pay off, affordability, shipping/ turn around time and customer service were nothing less that fantastic. The only thing that I regret is not buying more things and having a bigger beauty budget however I will be back to order more from her in the future and you should too!

Until next time lovelies!