Etsy Find - Pollen Cosmetics

More and more, I find myself drawn to neutrals - browns, creams, taupes, soft champagnes, and so on. A particular color from Pollen Cosmetics on Etsy caught my eye, and I decided to try out a sample set.

 I selected the 10 sample set, and Lindsey, the owner, threw in a freebie. She has a fairly good color range, including several neutrals, and some brights. Currently, she only offers eyeshadows. Samples are $1.25 singly, or 6 for $5, or 10 for $8.50. Full sized eyeshadows are $5.50 for a 5 gram jar. You can buy a set of 3 jars for $15, or a set of 5 full size jars for $23, as well.

Sample sizes are 1/8 teaspoon in a small baggie (hate baggies! I know they're cheap and keep costs low, though). Each one is labelled with the name of the shadow, and a complete ingredient list. Each Etsy listing has a complete ingredient listing, as well as a swatch (some seem better than others), and color description.

Swatches! Discoteque is a very bright gold shimmer with medium pigmentation. Violet Me Go is a shimmery light purple with medium pigmentation. Book Collector is an orange-brown shimmery color with good payoff. Off White Wedding is a fairly pigmented white shimmer. Dazzle Darling is a gold-olive wtih good pigmentation. Saddle up is a deeper brown that appears lighter due to the shimmer, and has medium pigmentation.

 Future Sunrize is my skin-tone but better - in the baggie it's a gorgeous peach shimmer. Lily Jane is a super sheer purple. True to Form is a blue green shimmer, that almost has medium pigmentation (it's very similar to MAC's Blue-Green pigment). Rare Find is a purple taupe (love!!) with decent payoff. Ordinary Moments is a medium brown with gold shimmer, and medium pigmenation.

Shipping time frames for Pollen are stated at 5 -7 business days, whcih is sort of a long time. I've been watching to see if that changes, and it doesn't appear to. So, be prepared to wait a while.

None of these shades are super pigmented, but applying them wet helps (this is fairly standard for any loose or mineral eyeshadow, so it's just the nature of the beast). You must own Rare Find, Ordinary Moments, and Future Sunrise, though. MUST. They are perfection, and I plan on purchasing full sizes soon. I would recommend taking a peek at Lindsey's shop!

Etsy Find: Muse Minerals

I have an addiction to eyeshadows. Etsy is one of my sparklecrack dealers - I can peruse all sorts of shimmery, glittery, and soft shadows in my pajamas, and shop from several new lines at once. Muse Minerals caught my eye (I tend to like newer sellers, with no real reason), because many of the shades offered included jojoba oil as an ingredient. I've learned that mineral/loose shadows must have a wax or oil of some sort in them, otherwise, they fade to nothing on my lids. Also included is Cap-5, an eye safe preservative. Muse was the first brand I've encountered on Etsy that uses a preservative, however, I've noted more and more lines are including one. This is a sampling of the large number of shades I have from Muse.

 Alyssa, the proprietress of Muse, offers 5 gram jars or sample baggies of her eyeshadows, however, I've been successful in requesting 3 gram jars. A full size eyeshadow jar retails for $4.95, a 3 gram jar costs $3.95, and a sample pack is $5 for 5 samples in baggies. I appreciate the size options, because I'll never finish a 5 gram jar. Above are 6 of the 3 gram jars I have, in colors I love.

 Each jar has a sticker on the bottom that includes the brand name, color name, and a complete ingredient list. All of these things are also appreciated.

J'Adore is a slightly reddened brown. Halo is one of the best highlights ever - a soft whisper of gold-laced white. Faun Over Me is a great neutral taupe. Smarty Pants is a shade deeper taupe, although Faun Over Me and Smarty Pants are very close. Orchid is a blue-based purple. Bright Eyes is a sparkly brown. SO far, Muse does not offer any matte shades.

What Alyssa seems to do best is neutrals - she has tons! Faun Over Me and Smarty Pants are my favorites of these, however, she has many different taupes to choose from. The only issue I have is that some shades are sheer. For some, like Halo, that makes sense - it's a highlight, after all. But others, notably the shade Pumpkin (which is not swatched), is also sheer. That's fine if you wish to use it as a highlight, however, as a lid shade, it's not going to work. Alyssa does not note which shades are sheer and which are more pigmented. She is very easy to talk to, however, and responds to inquires quickly. And while I don't have a picture of it, she packages things for shipping in such a cute way! Placing a small order is worth it just to see what she's going to come up with next in terms of shipping - cute paper bags, stickers, notes and candy!

Each listing includes a description of the shade the listing is for, and a full ingredient listing. Note to Etsy sellers: I will not purchase your wears if you don't include this! Kudos to you sellers that do!

Overall, I really like Muse Minerals, and I cannot recommend Alyssa's shop enough! Just be ware that some shades are more sheer than others, and you can always ask Alyssa if you're not sure.

Etsy Rant... ugh.

I hate it when I have a little cash to burn, and can't find anything to buy. Hate it! I've spent countless hours stalking Etsy, wanting to buy something pretty and sparkly, only to find the sellers I've haven't tried are doing all of the things that annoy me. So, to get it out of my system, I'll list them for you.

1) Charge WAY TOO MUCH for shipping. Seriously, $5.20 to ship a 10 gram jar of eyeshadow? What, you don't have a scale to weigh a bubble mailer (the CD sized ones, by the way, are usually about 1 oz, with label and tape) so you could get someone like ME to buy your colors? Sorry, I'll move on to the next seller, maybe...

2) Charge WAY TOO MUCH for their product. Time is valuable, and your time is just as valuable as mine is. I'd never ask that a seller price something so low they're losing money, but I would ask that they consider what the market will bear. If you want to sell a 5 gram jar of pigment, mica, and whatever for $10, knock yourself out. I don't know if you'll be extremely busy filling orders, though, when I can go to Shiro Cosmetics, Noella Beauty Works or any number of other sellers that price their products more competitively.

3) Not including a COLOR DESCRIPTION. I realize this one may be subjective, but honestly, how hard is it to say "warm brown," or "pale blue?" You don't have to get too artsy on me, just give me an indication of what the color is supposed to look like, so I know my monitor isn't fully of crap. Especially warm/cool leanings on colors because I need to know if I should even bother.

4) Not including swatches. This one I can kind of forgive, if the seller isn't also violating the others. Swatches are hard sometimes, and I don't always like eye swatches unless I can clearly see the color I'm supposed to buy. I saw a listing for a color that the person showed in the jar, then did a look with 2 other colors from the same color family. How, exactly, does that help me? 3 similar colored shades on an eyelid doesn't let me know what I'm buying. So, I'm NOT buying, and the seller is losing out!

5) Not offering samples. I'm a realist. I *know* I will never, ever, EVER run out of makeup. Unless I live to be 1,000 years old, but I'll have bigger problems if I live to be that old. I'd rather sample a color (especially if you're going to charge $8.00 for what others offer at half that price, on top of your bloated shipping costs), see if I like your product (the color, texture, presentation, etc), *then* buy the full size. Why? Simple logistics. I may love it in the picture, may simply like it on me, and if I lost only a dollar in the process, no big deal.

6) Rather than including # 3 and 4, including a diatribe about how GOOD "mineral makeup" is for you. Seriously? You can't be bothered to create a listing that adequately describes your colors, but you're going to tell me that my MAC eyeshadows will make my eyelids rot off? Yeah, I'll move on, thanks.

Whew. That feels a little better. I'm still bitter, but oh well. What annoys you about Etsy (or mineral makeup) sellers?

Etsy Find: Noella Beauty Works

One of my weaknesses is eyeshadow, as you'll probably find out. I love eyeshadow. Shadows probably total 90% of my stash. Recently, I've found myself trolling Etsy, to find the next big mineral makeup brand (or, to satisfy my needs for sparkly eyeshadows, which is far more likely). Over the last few weeks, I've taken the plunge, and ordered from several different sellers, both well-established, and the newer shops. Today we'll talk about another one of the latter.

One thing that will almost always encourage me to purchase is a sample or a listing or option to buy multiple items at some discount. Even small discounts will work on me (I guess I'm easy, lol). So when I found the "Blue Eyed Beauty" set from Noella Beauty Works, I immediately picture the prettiest blue eyeshadow look that I had to buy it. Never mind the fact that I have green/hazel eyes, or that I have more blue eyeshadow anyone could ever need (except Mimi from the Drew Carey Show).

So, I purchased the set at $11.49 + a reasonable $1.99 for shipping. My purchase was shipped quickly (within 2 days, if I recall correctly), and beautifully packaged. Jackie, the owner, included a lovely sample of Tidal along with the three colors included in the trio: Dark Crystal, Sleepy Blue, and Golden Neutral.

Full size shadows come in the standard 5 gram clear bottom/black top jars, with a sealed sifter (I remove sifters, to make the shadows easier to access in my opinion). The bottom of each jar has a paper label with the shop name, color name, and volume.

Dark Crystal is a shimmery deep blue (so pretty!), Sleepy Blue is a cool-toned grey blue with a sheen, and Golden Neutral is easily my favorite color, a soft highlight with a gold shimmer. Of the three, Dark Crystal is the most pigmented. Sleepy Blue and Golden Neutral are sheerer. I like that Golden Neutral is sheer, since it's a highlight color (and gorgeous), but Sleepy Blue was a bit of a disappointment. I applied it dry, over MAC's Bare Study paint put with a MAC 272 brush, patting the color on, and needed to apply 2 - 3 "layers" of color until I was satisfied. Also, Sleepy Blue seemed to be the only color that faded and creased a touch on me. I have very oily lids and tend to use both Urban Decay Primer Potion and a paint pot or other color base. For most shadows, this is enough of a foundation, but I guess for Sleepy Blue it wasn't enough.

All three colors blend perfectly. I used Dark Crystal as a liner and in the crease, Sleepy Blue on my lid and Golden Neutral on my brow bone and blended toward the inner portion of my lid. Sleepy Blue, perhaps due the amount of shadow I applied, blended maybe a touch too well. It almost seemed to be blended away when I was doing my final blending with my MAC 224. I also used MAC's Fly-by-Blue pearlglide to finish the look.

Her individual shadows are $3.99 (which is a lot better than those who are asking for $6.95+ for the same amount!), and as previously mentioned, her shipping charges are extremely reasonable. She has introduced foundations, blushes and a finishing powder. Her announcements on her Etsy shop mentions she's going to introduce lip balms and matte shadows (yay!) soon, as well.

I've already begun eyeing some other colors in her shop - and I'm dying get my grubby hands on the set for green eyes. I'd highly recommend checking out her products - especially Golden Neutral.

Etsy Find: Moonrise Studio

One of my weaknesses is eyeshadow, as you'll probably find out. I love eyeshadow. Shadows probably total 90% of my stash. Recently, I've found myself trolling Etsy, to find the next big mineral makeup brand (or, to satisfy my needs for sparkly eyeshadows, which is far more likely). Over the last few weeks, I've taken the plunge, and ordered from several different sellers, both well-established, and the newer shops. Today we'll talk about one of the latter.

Moonrise Studio, run by a great girl named Kim, offers several shades from the bold to the neutral. I selected two colors, # 15 Neverwhere, and #12, Snow, Glass, and Apples. Kim sent along a free sample of #01, Charlotte.

The full sized shadows are $4.00 each for 1 gram of color packed in a 5 gram jar with sifter, and shipping is a reasonable $1.75 for the first shadow, plus $0.50 for each additional selection. The jars have a matte black lid, and the color name, as you can see, is handwritten on the bottom of the jar. I hope paper labels in are in the works, because I know in time the handwriting will wear off and I'll be left wondering where I got these shadows from. The same I received was in a flip-top plastic jar. My order arrived quickly in a bubble mailer.

#15 Neverwhere is a warm taupe. Kim describes it as "warm, dirty, pink-grey with pink and gold reflect," which I would completely agree with. It's a great lid shade, if you like warm taupes. #12 Snow, Glass, Apples is described as "soft off-white that rubs down to a golden-ivory with red shimmer," and while I don't see the red at all, I love this as a brow-highlight. In some respects, this is like MAC's Shroom eyeshadow with a little more pigment. Loves it! #01 Charlotte, a free sample, is described as "dusty mauve with flashy copper and gold highlights" by Kim, a very pretty burgundy that reminds me a bit of MAC's Heritage Rouge pigment, only a touch more purple.

Overall, I firmly believe you MUST purchase Neverwhere. You will thank me. Snow, Glass, and Apples is lovely, as well, as is Charlotte. I would absolutely recommend Kim's eyeshadows!