1UP Box GALAXY vs Super Geek Box GOOD TIMES vs Loot Crate GALAXY December 2015

Here are the last subscription boxes of 2015!  I've actually been subscribed to these boxes for less than a year, so it's gonna be pretty cool when I finally hit that mark.  Since the new Star Wars movie just came out, I was definitely expecting lots of Star Wars merchandise.  Enjoy!

1UP Box Galaxy

Awesome Star Wars and Totoro Crossover shirt

Chewbacca plush doll

Star Wars and Star Trek lanyard

AFK Cosmetics Advent Calendar 2015 Swatches

Alright, time for swatches of AFK's annual Advent Calendar!  I did receive this about a week ago because it'd be stuck in USPS limbo for the longest time.  It features samples from several different indie companies inspired by their favorite Christmas movies.  I've got to admit I don't recognize most of the references, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the products!

Pictures taken under LED bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top/left half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom/right half)

Abominable Snowman

Abominable Snowman:  white with pink, blue, and silver sparkles.  This was an eyeshadow sample from Darling Girl Cosmetics.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid!

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid!:  gray with silver sparkles.  This was an eyeshadow sample from one of my favorite brands, Corvus Cosmetics.

Peanuts

Peanuts:  gold with gold sparkles.  This was an eyeshadow sample from Hello Waffle Cosmetics and I'm hoping the name is a references to Charlie Brown's Christmas.  It happens to be one of my favorite movies and I can't help turning to it when it comes on during the holiday season :')

Notoriously Morbid December 2015 Vanishing Cabinet - Guard the Magic Swatches

It's the last day of 2015, which means I still have time to get these swatches out in time!  This month's Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid, is themed after Rise of the Guardians - a film I had not yet watched but looks intriguing.  The box includes four mini eyeshadows and a sneak peek lip gloss.

Pictures taken under LED bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top/left half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom/right half)

Sleepy Sands

Sleepy Sands:  gold with tons of green, gold, and red sparkles

Bandit King

Bandit King:  plum brown

People Believe in Me

People Believe in Me:  light stone blue 

The Moon Told Me So

The Moon Told Me So:  gorgeous blue with silver and red sparkles

Wings Up!!

Wings Up!!:  sheer white gloss with blue sparkles and red and gold shimmers; deliciously berry scented.  This is a sneak peek of the Cosmic Lip Glosses that are making a reappearance in the new year!

Sleepy Sands, Bandit King, People Believe in Me, The Moon Told Me So, Wings Up!!

- Jolie ♥

Geek Chic Cosmetics Black Friday 2015 Swatches

I have a very short swatch post of the stuff I bought from Geek Chic during Black Friday.  I realize that I only buy from them during Black Friday sales but I know I enjoy using their products.  Perhaps that's because I already own everything I like from them (such as the Joysticks?)  Anyway, I bought four shadows, a matte liquid lipstick, two solid scents, and a collection tin.  I'll be showcasing the collection tin in a separate post.  There was also a GWP for every order and it turned out to be another solid scent.

Pictures taken under LED bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top/left half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom/right half)

NCR

NCR:  light green gold with red microshimmer

My Shoujo Romance!!

My Shoujo Romance!!:  nude pink with blue sparkles

Everyday Dweller

Everyday Dweller:  intense blurple with pink and blue sparkles.  Just look at this; look away; now look at it again.  I definitely recommend getting this one; the intensity is unreal.

Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms:  gorgeous dark green with pink sparkles.  This reminds me of a darker version of the infamous Dragon Scales by Lumikki.  I'm glad Geek Chic created a more beautiful version of it, plus they're a more reliable company than Lumikki, so it's a win win in my opinion.

Be Good

Be Good:  matte violet; strong cake frosting scent.  I guess Geek Chic is finally getting into the matte liquid lipstick territory.  There were a few other shades up on the site, but I decided on this one because it didn't seem like anything I had in my collection.  The closest might be Notoriously Morbid's Cleopatra, but I'll have to swatch them side by side to really see the difference, plus Cleopatra is metallic.  The lipstick dried fairly quickly; I'll need to test the staying power and longevity a bit more.

Update 12/31/15:  I was able to test the liquid lipstick today and can provide a good enough review.  As I've said before, it's opaque and dries almost immediately.  It's non-drying on the lips and fairly comfortable as far as liquid matte lipsticks go.  The formula is relatively kiss proof and doesn't transfer when I drink.  However, eating oily food would still break it down as I've experienced with other lipstick brands.  Since reapplying and dryness aren't a problem, I have no issue having to reapply throughout the day.  I haven't tried the other colors, but if they're the same formula as Be Good, then Geek Chic has a pretty solid liquid lipstick in their line.

NCR, My Shoujo Romance!!, Everyday Dweller, Brothers in Arms, Be Good

So I didn't post about the perfumes because I'm terrible at describing and properly reviewing scents.  I don't think me saying, "This is good" or "This is bad" would be very helpful since perfumes are so personal.  I did enjoy the eyeshadows I ordered though and liked how they performed well over regular non-sticky primers.  I'm doubly excited to use Everyday Dweller because I've never used something so bold on my lids before!  Stay tuned for (sort of) part 2 of this haul!

- Jolie ♥

Notoriously Morbid What We Make in the Shadows and other Black Friday 2015 Exclusives Swatches!

It's time for Notoriously Morbid's annual Black Friday swatches!  This year, they released a good amount of stuff including an exclusive eyeshadow set, a Diablo Lip Rouge, two Changelings, two Mystic Mattes, and a Mystic Matte GWP.  The Black Friday sets usually come with a hefty discount code valid until the next Black Friday.  However, those discount codes are extremely limited, so only the first 50 or so sets had them; NM released a second round of sets that didn't include the code.  Since I'm part of their promotional model group, we were able to get our orders early before the Black Friday rush kicked in.  And when I say kicked in, I mean it.  The first round of sets were gone within a few minutes.  It was insane, yet I'm really happy that NM has so many fans for that to even happen.

Anyway, I bought the shadow set that came with the Diablo Lip Rouge and bought another one for my best friend as a Christmas present.  There were also two Christmas themed Mystic Matte duos released and I went nuts for them.  Mystic Mattes are my favorite liquid lipsticks and I'm a huge lover of Christmas, so...yeah, those were completely and totally mine.  I've been rambling for too long, so let's just get on with the swatches, shall we?

Pictures taken under LED bulb and swatched over ELF Glitter Primer (top/left half) and ELF Essential Primer (bottom/right half)

What We Make in the Shadows

He's Not Coming to the Meeting

He's Not Coming to the Meeting:  beautiful white gold

18th Century Dandy

18th Century Dandy:  light taupe with blue sparkles

This is...Very Erotic

This is...Very Erotic:  light lavender with blue sparkles and gold shimmer

Howl Cosmetics Winter 2015 Lipstick Swatches and Review!

Howl Cosmetics recently released their Winter 2015 collection that includes eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks.  I've noticed that Howl tends to have seasonal releases, rather than the almost monthly collections I've been seeing from other companies.  I do like Howl's overall aesthetic, from their branding to packaging - everything's very professional and well done.  This time around, I only picked up the lipsticks from the Winter collection because the eyeshadows were a bit too cool toned for my tastes.  They also had a nifty discount for Black Friday, so the total wasn't too bad.

When I received my package, I realized right off the bat how large the lipstick was.  It might not be noticeable in the pictures, but it's a fatter tube than I'm used to.  It also has some weight to it and clicks shut, so the quality of the packaging is pretty nice.  Included was an art print drawn by Grace Roff and some free shadow and blush samples.

Art print by Grace Roff

Pictures taken under LED bulb and swatched over bare skin; two swipes of each lipstick

Idle Hours

Idle Hours:  cool pink blush

Brulee

Brulee:  opaque matte coral

Gingerbread

Gingerbread:  opaque matte tan with orange undertones

Snowberry

Snowberry:  opaque matte berry red

Idle Hours, Brulee, Gingerbread, Snowberry

So far, I've only tried out Howl's lipsticks in sample form, where I applied with my fingers.  I definitely prefer them in bullet form and I already knew their formula was pretty nice and opaque.  All of the lipsticks are matte and non drying.  Obviously they don't add any moisture to your lips, but they're not painful after a few hours either.  They're very opaque, but are susceptible to wearing away after eating oily food.  I still like the formula because reapplying isn't painful, though sometimes I get lazy and I just put on a lip balm instead of reapplying.  It doesn't wear away completely, so putting on some lip balm just evens out the color again while moisturizing my lips.

I highly recommend Howl's lipsticks and I'm really tempted to ask the owner if she has any of the WTNV exclusive lipstick left.  I don't normally wear purples, but I really do love Hiram McDaniels lol.

- Jolie ♥