For NYE, my boyfriend and I were invited to a masquerade party. My friend Christine recommended I do a jewel toned look to go with my black dress so that's what I did! I used this gorgeous look as inspiration. I think it came out fairly similar, minus the pink tones in her crease. You'd think with all the eyeshadows I've accumulated over the last several years I'd have all the colors I'd ever need but I'm seriously lacking in the hot pink eyeshadow department! 

In the next coming weeks, the site will be undergoing some construction. I've hired a good friend of mine who's also a web developer to give the blog a facelift, all of which I'm very excited about! I'm hoping to integrate some new features that will help you stay better connected with updates and such, including an email list. 

Product List: 

Hi readers! Yesterday was my anniversary with my boyfriend so naturally I decided to go all out with my makeup. Am I the only one who looks forward to special occasions mostly for having an excuse to get dolled up and wear false lashes?! As is our tradition, we went out to our favorite Italian restaurant and gorged on pasta then spent the night out on the town. 

For my makeup, I wanted something that would go well with my navy blue dress and silver accessories. My fellow warm-toned gals know it can be hard sometimes to pull off cool silvers and greys. Not that it looks terrible on us by any means, it's just not one of those colors that flatters our complexion. I actually had to dig around through my collection to even find a bright enough silver that would pop on my eyelid since I wear it so infrequently! I layered quite a few products for that halo highlight effect but the main star of the show is Darling Girl's Toast of The Town Glitter which has sadly been recently discontinued. It's got a blend of beautiful silver and champagne glitter in it. I don't wear glitter too often since it's usually a bit much for everyday but I love it for special occasions! Since we were going out to eat I decided to stick with a classic nude lip. 

Product List: 

Skin79 Orange BB Cream

LA Girl Concealer in Natural

Urban Decay Naked Skin Loose Powder

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Darling Girl Aloha Blush

Innocent + Twisted Alchemy Highlighter in Moonlit Stalker

Blackbird Cosmetics Dog Days, Thirteen, Lucid

Urban Decay WOS, Shellshocker

Brija Cosmetics Shouldn't Have Said That 

Corvus Cosmetics The Better To Eat You With

AFK Cosmetics Have Fun Stormin' The Castle! 

Hello Waffle Heavy Breathing Cat

Notoriously Morbid Gypsy Curse 

Darling Girl Toast of The Town Glitter, Unicorn

Inglot Gel Liner in Black to tightline

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Koko Lashes

Performance Colors Hush on the lips 

Hi guys! I finally had some free time to properly swatch and review this month's Notoriously Morbid Vanishing Cabinet today. I'm sorry I haven't been posting reviews as frequently lately but I should be back to regularly posting 2-3 times a week soon. 

This month's theme is based on the TV Series Once Upon A Time. For those who haven't watched the show, it's based on classic Disney fairy tales and characters brought to life. I'm a longtime fan so I was very excited for this theme. I received my VC last week but as I understand it, some people are still waiting for theirs. Included in this VC are four mini eye shadows, 1 blush sample, and a mini Diablo Lipstick. 

Always The Queen (vegan, not lip safe) is a reddened plum with a subtle copper sheen. The base of this shade is almost completely matte, so as you can see it applies pretty patchily over GG. With that being said, I actually quite like it over primer alone and it'll make a killer crease shade. This shade is inspired by The Evil Queen/Regina, who happens to be my favorite character in the series. 

Misthaven (vegan, not lip safe) is a muted green sage with prominent blue shimmer. Notoriously Morbid has done a number of different sage shades in their Vanishing Cabinet series but this one is a fun take with the blue overlay. I'm happy to add this one to my collection since I tend to reach for sage colors often. 

Dearie (vegan, not lip safe) is a tarnished olive gold with heavy green and gold sparkles. This color is absolutely stunning in direct sunlight and the glitter still shows up with a sticky base. I'm very impressed with this shade and I think it does Gold/Rumplestilkin justice. 

You Want Darkness? (not vegan, not lip safe) is a cool smokey purple with lavender and green shimmer. This shade is inspired by Maleficient. I think the color combination is really interesting and I like that they took a slightly different spin on Maleficient's character. 

Wicked Heart (not vegan) is a berry with purple iridescence. This was my first time trying out the NM Diablo Lip Rouge line. The color wasn't super creamy but I didn't find it to be drying either. I did have issues with the formulation of this shade though. It was patchy and hard to get an even layer. What you see above is several layers of the lipstick. It's also quite unforgiving if you have any dry patches. Since I haven't tried any other colors in this range, I don't know if my experience would be the same across the board, but I'm just not a big fan of this particular shade. 

Overall, I really liked the eyeshadows and the blush sample. Dearie is super awesome and I can't wait to use it. However, the Wicked Heart Lip Rouge mini was a pass for me. I also wish the blush sample was labeled because I really like it and I'd like to check out the shop. 

xx Carissa 

Back to back posting this week! I got my Valentine's Day order from Notoriously Morbid yesterday and couldn't wait to start swatching everything. As a lifelong Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, their Slay Me collection featuring all matte shades based around the series holds a special place in my heart. For the launch, NM was offering two very pretty Gift With Purchase LE eyeshadows so I decided to pick up the whole set in the mini size, a full size Shadow Bind (review and comparison post forthcoming!), and a couple other shades that I had been lemming. This is quite a picture heavy post so let's get on with it, shall we? 

***All products were purchased by me unless otherwise stated. All thoughts and opinions voiced here are 100% my own.***

Hola!

I just received my January Vanishing Cabinet subscription box from Notoriously Morbid and wanted to quickly get this post up for you guys. This month's box is for all of you 80's babies; a Jem themed set! I was born after Jem was popular so I don't feel specifically connected this theme but I do appreciate the beautiful label art and attention to detail. 

A lot of these shades aren't really my thing but they totally nail the 80's theme. This box included 5 full sized shadows, a mini lipgloss, and a sample from the upcoming VC for a total of $12.99 shipped. I really appreciate the value of these boxes and highly recommend you try to snag yourself a sub if you don't have one yet! This box also included a coupon for 30% off my next order, which is freaking awesome! This would be good for newcomers to indies too. 

Now let's get on to the swatches!

* Disclaimer: All products purchased with my own money unless otherwise stated. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. *

Starlight is a light pink with gold shimmer. Sorry my lips look so patchy here, I just took this shot quickly without exfoliating or moisturizing first. I really like the gloss! The formula is actually really comfortable to wear and the color is so soft and feminine. I prefer to wear glosses in this shade over over nude lip liners so I'm happy to add this one to the collection. 

Final Thoughts: Some of the shades really had trouble with patchiness and sheerness unfortunately. The colors are quite bright but I actually don't mind it as they fit the theme perfectly. My favorites were Headstrong and Rebel. Headstrong in particular is so fun and unique and I'm glad to have it. 

Thanks for reading!

Carissa xx 

Hi everyone! So today I have some swatches of Notoriously Morbid's December Vanishing Cabinet subscription box. This is my first month receiving the VC and I'm completely in love. The theme for this month's subscription is Merry Monsters. This box pays homage to classic villains from popular slasher/scary films such as Chucky, Freddy Kreuger, and Jason.

I've received my new camera but I'm still learning the ropes so I apologize that some of the later images are blurry. I figured I would include them anyway since you can see the shimmer better in some of the shades! Also, the patchiness you see on Rouge for Reagan is entirely due to user error. I wanted to heavily swatch it so you could get a good idea of the base shade but I stupidly put it over Glitter Glue. GG + Matte shades = patchiness.

* Disclaimer: All products purchased with my own money unless otherwise stated. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. *


Left to Right: Mittens for Michael, Jammies for Jason, Choo Choo for Chucky, Fringe Coat for Freddy, Rouge for Reagan (swatched heavily), Rouge for Reagan (blended out), Lipgloss for Leatherface.


Left to Right: Mittens for Michael, Jammies for Jason, Choo Choo for Chucky, Fringe Coat for Freddy, Rouge for Reagan (swatched heavily), Rouge for Reagan (blended out), Lipgloss for Leatherface.


Mittens for Michael is a medium purple with silver shimmer. These are the kinds of shades I immediately gravitate towards as a purple-fiend. Mittens for Michael is a very wearable purple so for those of you who struggle to wear purples without looking bruised, this one is for you. Cooler-toned gals will look especially good in this.

Jammies for Jason is a mid-tone grey with light gold and multi-colored shimmer. This would be a nice shade for a quick neutral eye. Just sweep some of it in your crease or along your lashline smudged out as an eyeliner.

Choo Choo for Chucky is a creamsickle shade with light pink shimmer. Pretty shade but probably my least favorite here as I'm not a big fan of pinks on myself. This would pair really nicely with the next shade though!


Fringe Coat for Freddy is an intense bronze with heavy gold shimmer. HNNGGG. This color is absolutely gorgeous! Hands down my favorite shade from the collection. This baby is so pigmented. Over GG, it just glows. In person, the effect is even more intense. I know I will be getting a lot of use out of this color.

Rouge for Reagan is a berry shade that blends down to a soft mauve. It looks a little scary in the heavy swatch but as you can see, it blends out to a very wearable shade. This will be a good blush to pair with colorful looks as it adds a natural flush to the cheeks without it being bam!, color.

Lipgloss for Leatherface is a dark berry with brown undertones. I haven't had a chance to try this one out on the lips but I really like the color. The name is quite hilarious too, I totally had a quick mental image of Leatherface delicately applying this! haha.

Top to bottom: Mittens for Michael, Jammies for Jason, Choo Choo for Chucky. Here you can see the pretty gold shimmers in Jammies for Jason that I was talking about.


Top to bottom: Fringe Coat for Freddy, Rouge for Reagan (swatched heavily), Rouge for Reagan (blended out), Lipgloss for Leatherface.  Look at that glow in Fringe Coat for Freddy! Swoons 

Hello! Today I have some swatches of the shadows I have been reaching for constantly. Does anyone else ever get stuck in a makeup rut and find yourself reaching for the same products over and over again? I try to switch up my look frequently and share the love to all the products in my collection but I keep getting drawn to these shades over and over again.

This past weekend was my college graduation! My family was sweet enough to pitch in to buy me a quality camera. After researching different models, I've decided to go with the Sony Alpha 6000. I put my order in today and I can't wait to play around with it and finally be able to do FOTD'S, up-close swatches, and maybe even tutorials.

Anywho, all swatches are over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Darling Girl Glitter Glue.

* Disclaimer: All products purchased with my own money unless otherwise stated. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. *


From left to right: Hello Waffle Whale Hello There?, Hello Waffle Fauxlivia, Notoriously Morbid Hollowed Ground, Notoriously Morbid Wayward Son, Notoriously Morbid Walking on Sunshine, Notoriously Morbid Mystique.


From top to bottom: Hello Waffle Whale Hello There?, Hello Waffle Fauxlivia, Notoriously Morbid Hollowed Ground, Notoriously Morbid Wayward Son.


From top to bottom: Notoriously Morbid Hollowed Ground, Notoriously Morbid Wayward Son, Notoriously Morbid Walking on Sunshine, Notoriously Morbid Mystique.


HW Whale Hello There? is a light lavender with strong silver shimmer. It can look more silver or purple depending on the lighting. This color is a really nice one because it lends itself to a lot of different looks. I paired this with Hello Waffle's Chopin and it was so pretty.

HW Fauxlivia is a burnt orange with gold shimmer. I sometimes have a hard time using very warm shadows but this shade makes me say IDGAF. I love using this in the crease and it works perfectly for any fall-inspired looks.

NM Hallowed Ground is a mustard brown with a pink shift. Unfortunately, this shade is no longer available but NM seems to release it every Halloween for a limited time. This shadow is extremely unique, I don't think I have anything like it in either my indie or mainstream collection. This is a really nice go-to crease shade, and lends itself to quick neutral eyes, golds, or olive greens.


NM Wayward Son is a light icy blue with a strong white gold shift. It reminds me of a icier version of Shiro's Glowstick of Destiny. This shadow is so gorgeous. The shift is pretty strong even without a sticky base and it makes a perfect inner corner shade. It can almost look like a really light sage color sometimes.

NM Walking on Sunshine is a medium blue-based purple with a teal shift. These kind of shades, along with purples with gold shifts and neutrals with a twist are my weakness. Can I just say how cool Notoriously Morbid's collections are? Both this shadow and Wayward Son are inspired by the TV show Supernatural. I bet Walking on Sunshine makes a killer liner too.

NM Mystique is a densely pigmented dark teal with gold shimmer. I like to pair this shade with Wayward Son for a pretty teal look. Sometimes I'll use this to smudge out the lower lash line to create a pop of color on an otherwise neutral eye.

I have to admit: I own an obscene amount of eyeshadows from Shiro Cosmetics. Shiro was my gateway brand into indie makeup and after receiving my first order, I knew I was never going back to mainstream brands for shadows.

Shiro is one of the more well-known indie companies, offering collections based on popular fandoms such as Game of Thrones, Avengers, and Pokemon. Shiro is often recommended for indie beginners because they have a wide selection of shades and products, an easy to navigate website, and generous samples for only a dollar. They offer a variety of other products too, including lip balms, blushes, face powders, and custom lipglosses.

Today I have some swatches of my favorite green shades or shades with green shifts from Shiro. There is also one shade from Notoriously Morbid that I threw in here as well. I will probably be changing up the way in which I do my swatches next time around, I just wanted to get these up. Swatches are over Urban Decay Primer Potion and Darling Girl's Glitter Glue.


From top to bottom in outdoor light: Shiro Moon Prism Powder, Notoriously Morbid Stripper Zombie, Shiro Hero of Ages, Shiro Last Homely House, Shiro You Dropped Your Rod. YDYR came out looking a bit patchy here, but it applies just fine on the eyes.




From top to bottom in outdoor light: Shiro Moon Prism Powder, Notoriously Morbid Stripper Zombie, Shiro Hero of Ages, Shiro Last Homely House, Shiro You Dropped Your Rod.



From top to bottom in natural light: Shiro Moon Prism Powder, Notoriously Morbid Stripper Zombie, Shiro Hero of Ages, Shiro Last Homely House, Shiro You Dropped Your Rod.
Moon Prism Power isn't showing it here but it has quite an intense green duochrome.
Stripper Zombie is a light green with gold shimmer.
Hero of Ages is a midtone forest green.
Last Homely House is a reddish brown base with a dark green shift.
You Dropped Your Rod is a dark brown with a tarnished gold duochrome shift. This one isn't actually green but I included it in here because it pairs great with other green shadows.


From top to bottom in natural light: Shiro Moon Prism Powder, Notoriously Morbid Stripper Zombie, Shiro Hero of Ages, Shiro Last Homely House, Shiro You Dropped Your Rod.
I usually like to use Moon Prism Power as a highlight/inner corner shade to brighten any green look. Last Homely House can be tricky for me to pull off because it can either look very grungey or just make me look ill. I tend to try to pair it with cooler shades so it doesn't overwhelm my complexion!