Fyrinnae Cosmetics Winter 2013 Collection

Nothing to Disclose

Hot diggity, a new Fyrinnae Winter 2013 Collection is up! There's seven eyeshadows, one powder blush, and one lip lustre available for purchase! I didn't expect them to be releasing a new collection so soon so I'm glad that they were able to. Peppermint Vodka and Because Cats looks beautiful!

FYI: Fyrinnae doesn't do limited edition collections so don't worry if you're not able to get the products now.

EOTD: Fyrinnae Witchy Woodland Creatures

I purchased this Press Sample

I may have finally figured out how to better take EOTD photographs in natural daylight. I was never quite able to get them focused when I took photos without a flash but I may have figured it all out. I think the could still be better but it's a work in progress!

This is a simplistic eye of the day using Fyrinnae's Witchy Woodland Creatures. I was inspired to get the color because of Mandy so I had to replicate the EOTD (it also shows how slightly different the color looks on my skintone versus hers!)

Products Used

Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer in Tan
Fyrinnae Witchy Woodland Creatures Eyeshadow
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown and Dark Brown (the dark shade from the Medium Brown duo and the light shade from the Dark Brown duo)
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara

Anyway, I hope your week has been as good as mine! Good news on the grad school front plus the boyfriend found out his application for an apartment was accepted. Change is a good and scary thing.

Disclaimer: I received the Senna Primer and Anastasia Brow Powders as a gift from The Makeup Show LA. Everything else I purchased.

Fyrinnae Enchanting Otters and Witchy Woodland Creatures Eyeshadow Swatches

I purchased this Gift

With my recent purchase of the 50s Retro Eyeshadow, Finishing Powder, and Lip Lustres, I also got two eyeshadows, Enchanting Otters and Witchy Woodland Creatures. I asked to get Enchanting Otters as my free sample (since they usually give one with each order) but I think a combination of their kindness and perhaps my lack of clarity meant they gave me the sample as a free gift.

Both colors are amazing which is typical for Fyrinnae eyeshadows and this is just a quick swatch post so you can see how lovely they are.

(I usually like to photograph my products in alphabetical order but I totally forgot to set it up this way in the photo and I was too lazy to rephotograph >>)

Where to purchase:  Fyrinnae.com
Price: Eyeshadows: $2.25 for a 1/3 tsp mini, $6.25 for 3 grams (by weight) of eyeshadow for full sizes.
Do they test on animals? They do not test on animals. All their products are vegan.
Packaging: The eyeshadow minis are in a 3 gram jar with no sifter and the full size eyeshadows come in a 5 gram jar with no sifter

Swatch

Both eyeshadows were swatched dry over Milani Eyeshadow Primer and photographed in natural daylight with no flash.

Enchanting Otters: "Lush shimmering emerald green, filled with a rainbow of sparkle" I wouldn't call this a typical emerald green, I think there is a little too much blue when compared to other emerald greens that have been coming out. I think it could be considered more like a dark teal. Of course my camera didn't capture the amazing rainbow filled sparkle this has, it's very similar to the jar picture when worn!

Witchy Woodland Creatures: "Glimmering, multi-faceted cocoa taupe. Shades of copper and silver, with hints of pink, gold, and green shimmer on a neutral taupe-brown base". Not even a mention or a hint of purple in this description meant I automatically loved it. The color towards the top half of the swatch is more accurate. When the light hits it, it shines a brilliant cocoa with a hint of a pink sheen. I got it after seeing this FOTD/EOTD by Mandy (my worst Fyrinnae enabler)

I'm a fan of both colors and I think both are worth at least getting in a mini!

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I may have gotten a haircut this week during my Spring Break. My hair was getting a little too long (I defined too long as "being able to put it into a ponytail" and after this cut, it'll take some time to get back to that level!) so it was time for a cut. Feel free to check out my haircut with this picture from my Instagram.

It feels so strange that in a little over a month, I'll be graduating and then in few months, I'll be starting grad school. It's a weird feeling because just two weeks ago, I despaired about the uncertainty of my future and now it's all set up for the next three years (two years of grad school then nine months doing a fellowship year). Two hours before I found out I got accepted, I was lamenting to the boyfriend about having to go through the application process again and spending all this money again to have a group of people judge me and my potential based on my past performance. Thankfully now I just have to get through this last month.

More Fyrinnae Lip Lustres Lip Swatches, Review, and Photos

I purchased this

As part of my Indie Lip Swatch series (more info here), I purchased a few more Fyrinnae lip lustres to swatch. I updated the page and have started compiling Sets of swatches according to color. I'll add these swatches to the sets when Flickr starts behaving! Feel free to give me more suggestions on brands to try out. I purchased Ghost's Kiss, Masala, Meloncholy, Ocelot, Visual Kei and received Dragon's Blood as a free sample.

Where to purchase: Fyrinnae.com 

Price: Lip Lustres: $2.00 for a 1.5 mL trial size, $7.00 for 10mL. I've gotten more than 3-5 applications in the trial sizes FYI.
Do they test on animals? They do not test on animals. All their products are vegan.
Packaging: The trial size lip lustre comes in a lilliputian clear gloss tube tube with a doe foot applicator. The full size lip lustres come in a larger clear gloss tube with silver accents and a doefoot applicator.

I did want to make a point to say that when Fyrinnae says "matte" when describing the colors, that doesn't refer to the actual finish but instead to the lack of sparkle. I neglected to mention this before but the mattes actually have a satin finish. Most are one coaters, the shimmery ones usually look better with two.

I feel like these are almost like a liquid lip balm The mango seed butter and jojoba oil add moisturizing properties and a pleasant mouth feel with that wears down into a plush finish after an hour though the color is still there (for about three to four hours total). I used to be weird about the plush finish after the lip lustres had worn down but I'm actually used to it now, it's kind of like wearing a satin lipstick. These are not lip gloss btw but a nonsticky lipcolour. The lip lustres are described as being a "dry" product because they pack so much color in them but they're not drying. I've found that the shimmery colors have a "drier" (as in thicker) texture compared to nonshimmery colors. The shimmery colors are less prone to feathering than the nonshimmery colors and that's mainly because of the drier texture. These aren't sticky like the description says.

You can stave off feathering with the nonshimmery colors by making sure to apply the thinnest layer possible at the outside edges and more towards the middle but if you're not up to wearing a lipliner or a product that helps prevent bleeding or feathering,  I probably wouldn't recommend getting the nonshimmery/matte colors. 

Swatches

All the lip lustres were swatched using the doefoot applicator and the number of coats needed are denoted under each swatch. All pictures were taken in natural daylight with no flash.

First here's an arm swatch and then there will be individual lip swatches afterwards.

Dragon's Blood

Dragon's Blood: "A deep, rich, cool matte maroon-red, inspired by the campy lipsticks of the 1920s". This was one coat. I know, the name probably doesn't conjure up the most appealing image regarding the color (and I'm sure the name could be seen as humorously incongruous considering the brand's devotion to producing vegan and cruelty free products) but it's beautiful, it truly is. Don't think that the word "blood" means it's synonymous with a yucky brown toned red, this is quite the sophisticated deep berry. This actually was my free sample and one of my favorites of the group.

Ghost's Kiss

Ghost's Kiss: "Slightly shimmery 'nude' with hues of copper and pink" This was two coats. Is it weird that the first thing I thought of when I read the name was Casper the movie? I watched that VHS so many times and had a major adolescent crush on the actor that played the human version of Casper. I wouldn't call this slightly shimmery, it is quite shimmery almost veering into metallic. Two coats is a bit much for me for daily wear but one coat is quite lovely.

Masala

Masala: "Deep tan 'nude'" This was two coats. I'll admit, I was a little disappointed in the color. I was hoping for a straight on beige but there's a pink sheen to this that I didn't expect. For some reason it looks kind of dated to me and I'm not sure it's a flattering color for me.


Meloncholy

Meloncholy: "A bright coral-melon shade with a slight shimmer" This was two coats. The pink shimmer peeking behind the coral/melon base is so beautiful. The base itself is quite orange but the shimmer helps add the hint of coral.


Ocelot

Ocelot: "Matte warm dusty-rose pink, very close to the soft pink of an Ocelot kitten's paw pads and nose" This was one coat. The color actually reminds me of Haagen Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream; there's a milky dustyness to the pink that doesn't veer into a pastel pink reminiscent of baby showers. I think this is a difficult color for me to pull off, it's too milky and pale for my skintone I think. It doesn't really sink well into my lips and I find that it does highlight imperfections. I think a lighter application or as a layering color would be better for it.

Visual Kei

Visual Kei: "A very bright pink, with a nearly matte finish". This was one coat. This is so bright and saturated, it'll stain your lips just by looking at it. The stain will go away with a good makeup remover though. I was inspired to get Visual Kei after seeing Mandy swatch it (her lip lustre swatch post is worth checking out btw). This was my favorite of the group, despite it staining.

Final Thoughts

The colors are lovely but I will admit that the formula may not be for everyone. While they are moisturizing, the nonshimmery colors are prone to bleeding and feathering (the shimmery colors less so). They do counter this by offering a variety of unconventional colors that you may not get anywhere else (including color changing ones!). For the super conventional colors (like Dragon's Blood), I think you may be able to find a similar color elsewhere (though not necessarily the moisturizing aspect). The wear time is pretty good though (it can last two to four hours total). I would definitely recommend Visual Kei (just beware of the staining!)

Disclaimer: I purchased these lip lustres myself. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own and honest. None of the links in this post are affiliate links.

Preview with Preliminary Swatches: Fyrinnae Cosmetics 1960s Retro Collection

If you loved my recent review of the Fyrinnae's 50s Retro Collection, then you'll love the next decade's followup of a 1960s Retro Collection. While the 50s Collection was all about subdued neutrals, the 1960s Collection brings back the bright with an amalgamation of eight beautifully bold eyeshadows and two pale lip lustres. 

The eyeshadows are Bollywood Babe, Equal Rights Shine, Space Age, London Mod, Pop Art Mini Skirt, Gender Bent, Polyester Witch, and Oh, My Stars! 

The lip lusters are It's a Mod World and Pleasant Valley Sundae.

The products will be available on Fyrinnae's website tomorrow, 3/31.

(Images courtesy of Fyrinnae)

Swatches

From left to right: Space Age, London Mod, Equal Rights Shine, Bollywood Base, Pop Art Mini Skirt, Gender Bent, Oh, My Stars! and Polyester Witch

The pairings indicate the type of effects that each eyeshadow has. For example, the orange and teal are paired together because the orange has a teal sparkle and the teal and orange sparkle and the pink and gold are paired together because the gold has a pink sparkle, the pink has a gold sparkle, etc!

Color descriptions:

Eyeshadows

Space Age: Satin minty green filled with blue sparkle
London Mod: Satiny light blue, a little warmer than cornflower filled with green sparkle.
Equal Rights Shine: Brilliant, shimmery warm gold, graced with pink sparkle.
Bollywood Babe: Satiny cool pink loaded with cheery gold sparkle.
Pop Art Mini Skirt: Bright sparkly orange, filled with turquoise sparkle.
Gender Bent: Vivid, deep, somewhat shimmery teal graced with bold orange sparkle.
Oh, My Stars!: Brilliant lime green filled with violet and purple sparkle.
Polyester Witch: Light violet graced with fun green sparkle.

Lip Lustres

It's A Mod World: Sheer glowing pink with a touch of pale violet sparkle.
Pleasant Valley Sundae: Sheer milky cream with lavender shimmer. 

Are any of the colors catching your eye? I'm personally partial to that teal and that violet!

Fyrinnae 50s Retro Collection Eyeshadows, Finishing Powder, and Lip Lustre Swatches, Review, and Photos

I purchased this

Fyrinnae recently came out with a 50s Retro themed collecting consisting of six eyeshadows, a finishing powder, and two lip lustres. I picked up one eyeshadow, the finishing powder, and both lip lustres myself and received one of the other eyeshadows in the collection as a free sample. The eyeshadows, finishing powder, and lip lustres are more subdued than what Fyrinnae is typically known for but I think it was a nice change of pace for them! 

From left to right: Hollywood Sorcery Finishing Powder, 1952 Lip Lustre, Housework Pearls, Glamorous Rebel, and It Beautifies!

Where to purchase: Fyrinnae.com 

Price: 
Eyeshadows: $2.25 for a 1/3 tsp mini, $6.25 for 3 grams (by weight) of eyeshadow for full sizes.
Finishing Powder: $7.00 for 7 grams (by weight) in a 10 gram jar and $1.50 for a 1/3 tsp sample.
Lip Lustres: $2.00 for a 1.5 mL trial size, $7.00 for 10mL. I've gotten more than 3-5 applications in the trial sizes FYI.
Do they test on animals? They do not test on animals. All their products are vegan.
Packaging: 

The eyeshadow and finishing powder minis are in a 3 gram jar with no sifter and the lip lustre trial sizes are in a lilliputian lipgloss tube with a doe foot applicator. The full size eyeshadows come in a 5 gram jar with no sifter, the finishing powder in a 10 gram jar, and the lip lustres in a full size gloss tube with doefoot applicator.

Swatches

I'll talk about each product after every swatch. All pictures were taken in natural daylight. The eyeshadow swatches were swiped on dry over Milani Eyeshadow Primer. The finishing powder was swiped on with a blush brush and the lip lustres applied using the applicator.

Eyeshadows

Housework Pearls: "Soft satiny peach with a gentle gleam, but no shimmer". I wouldn't really call this color peach as I tend to associate that with a more orangey color. This color actually reminds me of the pink/red blush that you see on peaches. The color does have a beautiful satin-ness to it.

It Beautifies!: "Softly gleaming bronze, a tone preferred by 4 out of 5 movie stars! No sparkle but a powerful yet graceful shimmer" I love coppery bronzes and this is no exception. It's almost metallic on the eyes.

Finishing Powder

btw it's super hard to do a good job photographing the effect of something described as a transparent soft glow.

Hollywood Sorcery: "A completely transparent soft bronze glow, not sparkle, that doubles as a light-diffusing powder. May add a slight hue to pale skin." I sort of got this with the intention of trying to stave off my desire for the recently hyped Hourglass Ambient Powders. 

I think the biggest thing about this is that the effect is subtle, it's not like a highlighter where your skin immediately takes on a light capturing sheen. I was worried that it might look terrible on my large pores but thankfully since it lacks sparkle and has a soft glow to it, it doesn't highlight my skin texture. This isn't a product that you can overapply, it builds up well without making you look super highlighted on the skin.

My skintone is light-medium/medium and I did notice a slight bronze hue to my skin and when Phyrra swatched it, it was more prominent on her fair skin tone.

Hopefully you can see the effects of the finishing powder in this picture. The black line indicates where the bare skin ends and the finishing powder begins. You can really see the difference with the sheen.

I'm not sure it's for everyone since some people might like to see a more dramatic effect but I think it's worth getting a sample of just to try out. 

Lip Lustres

If you've never tried a lip lustre before, it's worth reading up the product description as it is not a lip gloss. The overall color wear lasted 3-4 hours and faded evenly but unfortunately I noticed feathering after an hour. You will want to wear a clear or reverse lip liner with this. These will slightly stain. I did find these to be moisturizing.

1952

(I know, my skin looks really weird in this swatch but my camera wasn't capturing the tone correctly so I adjusted it slightly in Photoshop.)

1952: "Very bright warm red. It may appear almost orange on some skintones, while leaning cool on others." This was two coats. The color is very very orangey-red, almost more orange than red. I agree with the description that this is a color that'll vary depending on your skintone and also the pigmentation of your lips. It pulls very very warm on me but I saw this picture by Lili_Victoire on Twitter where it pulls cooler on her. Compared to Glamorous Rebel, this was more pigmented and had an opaque coverage.

Glamorous Rebel

Glamorous Rebel: "Bright, rich cherry red. A cool huge but should work for most neutral and olive skin tones as well" This was two coats. Glamorous Rebel was the color I was looking forward to most and it didn't disappoint. This isn't fully opaque but that doesn't mean it's not pigmented. It's got a hint of a translucence to it, almost like jelly but not so sheer but with a squishiness to it (I can't really explain it!). In my experience, I couldn't build this up to opaque coverage like 1952 but thankfully it's even on the lips.

You can see in the hand swatch that Glamorous Rebel has a translucence to it that 1952 doesn't have.

I really liked these lip lustres, much more than the previous two (Romantique and Isis) I'd gotten. In comparison, these were easier to use since I could pull out much more product from the tube and that might be because the product is thinner from the lack of shimmer. I want to be clear that I don't hate the other lip lustres I got, I just think I might like the cream colors better. Glamorous Rebel isn't as opaque as 1952 but it is my favorite of the two (I can't resist a cherry shade). The thinner texture makes it easier to pull out more product on the wand, but it makes it more prone to bleeding/feathering though t I do find these to be moisturizing. It's up to you really, if you can't stand products that bleed, stay away.

Final Thoughts

I think It Beautifies! and Hollywood Sorcery are worth at least trying out in a sample. I'd just get 1952 or Glamorous Rebel in a full size because they are beautiful colors (I'm more partial to Glamorous Rebel).

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So what about you, are you thinking about getting anything from the 50s Retro Collection?

Disclaimer: I purchased these products myself, Housework Pearls was a free sample as part of my purchase. All opinions are my own and I'm not getting compensated for this review.

Top 12 Eyeshadows of 2012

To continue my compilation to sum up the end of the year, I wanted to talk about my twelve favorite eyeshadows of 2012. I was much more into eyeshadows than lip colors this year so that's why I was able to come up with a top 12. Like with the lipsticks, these are all equally my favorite and aren't in any particular order. Pretty much all of them are loose eyeshadows; I found I didn't really favor as many pressed eyeshadows this year but that might change (especially since I was introduced to the Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadows. Unfortunately a few of the eyeshadows aren't available anymore but you can still enjoy the look of them.

All the eyeshadows were swatched dry over primer and pictures were taken in natural daylight. All the links take you to my previous reviews on them!

Aromaleigh Alohomora: "Gilded bronzy copper with matching sparkle" Unfortunately this isn't available anymore, it was an eyeshadow I got from Aromaleigh when they were clearing out their old stock. It just reminds me of antiques and watching Antique Roadshow which is why I love it.

Aromaleigh Tunnel Vision: "Deep silver based taupe" More silver than taupe really, it's another one of those eyeshadows that was clearanced from Aromaleigh. I'm always seeking a silvery taupe and this is almost the perfect one for me.

Darling Girl Jeweled Taupe: "Metallic bronzy taupe with multi-colored shimmer" Ever since Jeweled Taupe was released, it's pretty much been one of the top sellers for the brand and it's not difficult to see why. I love the purple and red glitter shining through the bronze base. Love it!

Darling Girl Persuasion: "Medium lavender base with gold shift and turquoise sparkles" Persuasion is a color that works best when applied with a glitter fixative but it's worth it. The  green shift shining through the lavender base is a unique but gorgeous combination.

Fyrinnae Newcastle: "Sparkly deep antique bronze-gold" The brown base with the gold sparkles to it, a perfect color for a smokey eye.

Fyrinnae Sacred: "Not gold, a light gleaming truly metallic taupe." I remember I couldn't find the shade on the Fyrinnae site anymore and

L'oreal Blinged and Brilliant: Metallic high shine peach toned beige nude"

MAC Coco: "Neutral taupe with frost" You ever have one of those colors that you love almost as much because of the hype and the fact that you can't get a hold of it otherwise? This is one of those colors.

MAC Goldenaire: "Rosy with a gold pearl" See above re: MAC Coco

Silk Naturals Flash: "Shimmery complex gold color with a hint of silver and diamond pearl" I know just looking at it, especially compared to the other shades it seems a little out of place. Something about it though, the mother of pearl-esque color just appeals to me.

Sugarpill Goldilux*: "Brilliant, highly-reflective metallic gold with breathtaking shine" Goooooold. Gooooooold I can't handle this it's shiny and reflective and metallic gold all in my face. 

Venomous Versicolor: "Maroon with green sheen" I know, I only just reviewed it a week ago so it almost seems like a premature addition to my favorites but I do love the maroon base with the green sheen peeking through.

Disclaimer: I purchased all these eyeshadows. All opinions are my own. The link marked with an asterisk contains an affiliate link which gives me a commission based off your use of the link and helps support the blog! Feel free to use a non-affiliate link.

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Can you guys tell me what your top eyeshadows of 2012 have been?

Fyrinnae Polar Bear and Purgatory Eyeshadow Swatches, Review, and Pictures

It's taken me way too long to post about the two eyeshadows I got in my most recent Fyrinnae order, especially considering how pretty the colors are. I went back and forth on which colors to get but settled on Polar Bear (I've been looking for a white gold similar to Ben Nye's Iced Gold) and Purgatory (I blame Mandy and her swatch post for this).

Polar Bear and Purgatory were swatched dry over Too Faced Shadow Insurance and taken in natural daylight.

Polar Bear: "White gold, shimmery and soft (brilliant gold when the light hits it but not yellow)" There's just something about this eyeshadow that makes me really happy. I like using it as an inner corner highlight (I think white looks too stark for my skintone) and as a color on the middle of my eyelid to add dimension to warm toned looks. I think this eyeshadow shows that while Fyrinnae are bomb ass at making extremely unique eyeshadows, they do the basic shades really well.

Purgatory: "Almost metallic red shines over a black base" First off, I love the name. Secondly, since it's a black based shade, it fares best when patted on versus being sweeped on to get the red shimmery to show and if used with a glitter fixative like Pixie Epoxy. This is a really dense eyeshadow, a little bit goes a LONG way on your eyes.

These are two very awesome shades and I also can't wait to try out some of the new eyeshadows they just released.

Do you have any Fyrinnae eyeshadows? What are your favorites?

Fyrinnae Arcane Magic: Dark Fantasy Eyeshadow Swatch

I was going to swatch all three Fyrinnae eyeshadows I got in one post but then I decided that Dark Fantasy deserves a post all its own. This is the most magical eyeshadow ever, I really don't know how to gather my thoughts and feelings on it.

Here's a description of what the Arcane Magic Eyeshadows are:

"The Arcane Magic Eyeshadows are specialized colours with a highlight that changes hue depending on how the light hits it (closer to or further from a light). Different light sources may show different shades too (they do not show as well in sunlight as in artificial light, and some may not appear to change at all). Please note that the Arcanes will probably look a little different in photos than in person because of the light-change effect"

Given that the Arcane Magic are specialized eyeshadows, they do cost a little extra. The full sizes are $6.35 for 3 grams and samples are $2.00 for a 1/4 tsp.

Though I was able to capture the color change, I urge you to check out Mandy's Swatch of Dark Fantasy because her swatch of Dark Fantasy blows mine out of the water.

Dark Fantasy is described as "An Intense grass green shimmer on a black base, which changes to a golden-peach to deep orange coral".

Here's a picture of it in natural daylight.

When I first swatched it, I didn't see the color change at all and to be honest, I completely missed the part in the description where it said the color change does not show as well in sunlight as it does in artificial light so that's derp on my part.

After much trial and error on my part (most of it because I kept trying in sunlight), I figured it out. I keep a table top mirror on my desk so I can do my makeup and it turns out I was able to see the color change when I had the eyeshadow held next to the mirror. The mirror reflected light in a certain way that just brought out the color. This isn't a simple duochrome change, it's so much better!

Here's how it appears in its resting state, without any of the color change. This was taken under fluorescent lighting and applied dry over Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Slightly angled under the light, you can see the beginnings of the color change come about.

And bam! Look at that difference between the top half and the bottom half.

Here's another take at it in its resting state

And here it is with the color change.

Since this color has a black base, it's imperative that you PAT the color on versus sweeping it on. Patting it on helps show off the shimmer and I do urge you to use it over Pixie Epoxy or any other glitter fixative to really will bring out the bright grass green shimmer and to increase the color change.

Needless to say, this is an amazing eyeshadow in its resting and color changing state. The color change is awesome and while you won't see it well unless you're in artificial lighting, it's nice to see that it actually does occur.

Fyrinnae only produce vegan cosmetics and it makes me that much more appreciative and admiring of their work. The company has managed to create such unique eyeshadows that I have YET to see matched by more mainstream cosmetics and all without the use of animal byproducts. I give them major props.

Do you own any of Fyrinnae's Arcane Magic Eyeshadows?

Fyrinnae Lip Lustre Swatches and Review

Here's the Lip Lustre portion of my Fyrinnae haul. I was so excited about my order (especially since I didn't pay for it) and had been waiting anxiously for it. Mine was quite a small order so it got to me quite quickly, I ordered on the 24th and got it on the 29th.

I purchased a mini Lip Lustre of Romantique and I got a free sample of Isis (they always include one free sample in orders). I could swear the Fyrinnae workers read my mind because I was drooling over Isis but then picked Romantique instead. I have drooled over the Lip Lustres on their site before but I was always squeamish about springing for a full size so their trial sizes are perfect.

It needs to be stressed that Lip Lustres aren't like lipglosses. To quote "This product is a non-sticky lipcolour, leaving moisturizing colour on your lips but no goopy tackiness. Most shades are made to be relatively opaque though some can be applied lightly over lipstick as a highlight or balm as a sheer tint".

The Lip Lustres do feel light and creamy, the texture feels like a thin lip cream. They feel smooth on, not sticky but not slick. They aren't as wet looking as normal glosses but have a shine due to the color and sparkle. Though Romantique is more on the wearable side, they have other amazing (and color changing!) colors on their site. I'm particularly partial to Ghostly Voice, Narwhal Nuzzles, and Ultra Phantom.

The trial sizes contain 1.5 mL and the full size contains 8.0 mL. The full size is $6.00 and the trial size is $2.00. Both the full size and trial sizes come with a doe foot wand applicator. The doe foot applicator in the trial size isn't as good as the one in the full size so you may want to warm up the tube a little bit to facilitate application (Advice from The Chemist at Fyrinnae!) because it'll be a little sheerer with the trial sizes than the full size.

I think the trial size is just adorable, I feel like a giant in Gulliver's Travel holding this positively lilliputian tube. Here's how it looks next to a 3 gram jar for size comparison purposes..

When it comes to wear time, the slip/feel of the product goes away after about an hour but the color stays behind for about four hours. I do think that after the product wears away, your lips can feel dry because there's none of the slip from the Lustre left but your lips are not dried out after removal. My lips felt quite soft afterward.

Since these are very metallic/edging on frosty lip colors, they will highlight any dryness so make sure your lips are smooth! You can layer this over a lip balm to improve the feel and moisturizing qualities of the Lip Lustre!

Onto the swatches.

Isis: "True metallic gold. Not a weak, sheer, or bronzy-shade, this colour is fairly opaque (...can be worn semi-sheer or layered over other products) and gives a pure metallic gold finish". I was quite excited about seeing this as my free sample, it's such a pretty color. If you're familiar with any metal eyeshadows (like MAC metal pigments), you'll know that there's this signature metallic scent to the eyeshadow and the lip lustre has the slightest tinge of that scent.

Isis is versatile enough to be worn sheerly or opaquely, so I wanted to show how different it could look depending on application. Do keep in mind that I had the trial size applicator which isn't as good as the full size applicator so you will get a better application with the full size wands.

Bare Lips

One layer of Isis

Two layers of Isis

Heavy application of Isis. In order to get this look, I decided to remove the plastic stopper from the top of the trial size so I wouldn't be limited to the amount I could put on my lips. It was a little harder to get it opaque on the inside seam of my lips but you can ensure better opacity by blotting your lips beforehand to make sure it's dry.

Romantique: "Semi-sheer soft warm pink with gold shimmer, similar to our "Rapunzel Had Extensions" eye shadow. More pink than it appears here.". I couldn't discern much of a taste from Romantique but it does have a nice vanilla scent. Since it is semi-sheer, layering Romantique doesn't make it more opaque but increases the depth of the golden shine. You can get a real gilded pink look to your lips.

Bare Lips

One layer of Romantique

I don't think I like the formula enough to wear it on its own, I think the product wears away too quickly (while the color stays) leaving my lips feeling like they need something on them to feel moist. I tried wearing a lip balm over the Lip Lustre but it makes it more prone to sink into lip lines. They would look excellent over another lip product though!

Have you tried the Fyrinnae Lip Lustres before? If not, are there any colors you're looking to try?

Gilded Velvet Vampire EOTD

One of the reasons why I love Sugarpill's Goldilux eyeshadow is because it's such a useful color to add depth to any eye look. I feel like my eye can look very flat sometimes and adding the metallic gold to the middle of my eyes catches the light, giving my eye a more rounded look.

I didn't intend on having the liner look that thick but it always seems like my liner comes out the way it does because I messed up and made it thicker to compensate.

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk on the inner and outer third of the eye
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold in the middle of the lid
Fyrinnae Purgatory on the inner and outer third of the eye
Fyrinnae Velvet Vampire on top of Purgatory and on the bottom lashline
Sugarpill Goldilux on top of Bold Gold

Physicians Formula Eye Booster Liner in Ultra Black

Stila Smudgestick Liner in Koi

Darling Girl Glitter Glue vs Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy Comparison

I know that Glitter Glue and Pixie Epoxy have been compared to each other a lot and I thought I'd have a go at trying to find differences between the two. After lots of testing I will say that I honestly like them both. There are positives and negatives with both products but honestly, if I'm going to shop at Fyrinnae I'll pick up a Pixie Epoxy and if I'm low on Glitter Glue while shopping at Darling Girl, I'll pick up some of that.

I've outlined some of the differences between the two.


Product Packaging, Price, and Size Options

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy has two different size options, a sample size jar that holds around 1.5 mL for $1.50 and a full size tube with a doefoot applicator holding 9 mL for $7.00. I should note that on the site they say the sample jars lasts for at least 10-15 full size uses. That's a very very conservative number because I recall using Pixie Epoxy for several months with a couple of uses a week. I don't own the full size so I can't comment on the full size container.

Darling Girl Glitter Glue comes in a full size squeeze tube with a squishy rubber or silicone tip holding 10 mL for $6.75. There's no sample size option. There's something I've noticed about the containers though. I used to try to have the hilt (I'm not sure of another way to describe it) of the rubbery/silicone tip pushed all the way into the container but I found I'd have problems with built up pressure and having it not dispense any product. The solution is to have the hilt of the tip not twisted fully into container but with a little bit of room between to prevent pressure build up.

Here's a picture to better explain what I mean, note the space in between?


You get a little more in Glitter Glue and it's cheaper but you don't have the option of getting a sample (which I know may be important to some people, I know I'm a sample fanatic when it comes to Indies).

Product Consistency

Pixie Epoxy is a clear slightly foggy but translucent gel that applies clear and has a tacky slightly sticky texture.

Glitter Glue is white in the tube but applies clear and has a thin lotion texture.

Product Usage

Both products have the same instructions, apply a tiny bit on your eyes and wait until it dries slightly tacky and then put eyeshadow on. I noticed that because of the consistency differences I had to wait a bit longer for Pixie Epoxy to dry down whereas because Glitter Glue has a thinner, less sticky texture, it dried down a little faster.

Availability

It's important to say that for ease of purchase, it's Darling Girl over Fyrinnae. Fyrinnae is a really popular site and because of the major influx of orders, the owner occasionally closes the shopping cart to catch up. Darling Girl very rarely closes down the shopping cart and they will give a warning when they're about to. I will say that my Darling Girl orders have always stuck to the Turn Around Time, whereas I've had instances where Fyrinnae orders get to me faster than their stated Turn Around Time. That might be something to take into consideration.

How does it fare with shimmery shadows?

They work exactly the same. I found no discernible differences in application. I've done a couple of swatches with Darling Girl and Fyrinnae shades to compare. I don't own any really glittery shades from Fyrinnae so I just tried to find a super sparkly one.

In all the swatch pictures, Glitter Glue was used under the left swatch, Pixie Epoxy was used under the right swatch. Any color differences in the eyeshadows is only because of the light source, there were no discernable differences in real life.

This is Darling Girl's Smoking Gun eyeshadow.

This is Darling Girl's Jeweled Taupe eyeshadow. This has red,pink, and purple glitter in it and it adhered well with both fixatives.

This is Fyrinnae's Medieval Haunting.

How does it fare with mattes?

In my experience, Darling Girl wins out but Fyrinnae is upfront about not working well with mattes. After all, Pixie Epoxy was meant to be a product to help minimize fallout and help with glitter adhesion with shimmery eyeshadows. Glitter Glue is meant to be used the same way. I don't think that it's a negative that Pixie Epoxy doesn't work over matte since it doesn't claim to.

How does it fare with glitter?

This is Coastal Scents' Purple Punch Glitter, size .004.

Can you blend eyeshadows over it?

I personally don't have issues blending eyeshadows over Pixie Epoxy and Glitter Glue but I have heard of people having an easier time blending with Glitter Glue.

Conclusion

Personally, I've never had that much trouble with Pixie Epoxy, it had a slight learning curve that wasn't hard to master. Darling Girl was the same way. Because Glitter Glue takes less time to dry down I think it'll be easier for most people to use. At the end of it, I like both. If you want to use matte eyeshadows with a fixative, you're better off with Glitter Glue.

If you're having trouble and feel like it's a little too wet then wait a few seconds and add more eyeshadow. I love the foiled without the water look that both of them give.

Do you guys own both? Do you notice a difference?