Indie Makeup Companies

I feel there is a change in the cosmetics industry as of late. More and more indie cosmetics company have popped up and are succeeding. There is almost this ravenous desire for something new, unique and high quality.  There will always be L'Oreal and Estee Lauder, but hopefully the following companies with stay true to themselves and maintain their quality and quirkiness.

Lit Cosmetics - A great Canadian indie company that is finally receiving its due. Known for its glitters in every colour and four sizes ranging from #1 "sexy sophisticated", the smallest, to #4 "Diva", the largest. There are also four textures; shimmer, metallic, solid and electric. Jodi is effervescent and so lovely.

Yaby Cosmetics - Liz Yu, a respected Canadian makeup artist based in Toronto, made this cosmetic line containing everything you would need in a neat and travel- friendly package. Shadows are pigmented, foundations are fantastic and everything is so portable and affordable. Industry professionals such as Kim Greene, Kandi Johnson and Wayne Goss love her products.

Portland Black Lipstick Co. - Your alternative choice in lipstick, glitter and corpse makeup. With its Steampunk/NeoVictorian packaging and dark, gorgeous colours, it definitely appeals to my style.  Kim's lipsticks have smooth application, opaque coverage and are mineral based. It also sells smaller sizes at a reduced price, which allows for more than one application.

Lime Crime -  Unicorns do exist, and no they are not fat and grey and called Rhinos, they live through Lime Crime. Opaque lipsticks with cute packaging are what made them popular. Most  YouTube Beauty Gurus have at least one of these in their collection. Check out their Velvetines too.

SauceBox - Old English for "Rude, impudent, obnoxious",this sassy little company was started by a mother and daughter duo and self-proclaimed makeup addicts who believe every beauty needs to shine. Their Creme de la Creme palette and now the Etude palette, have gain in popularity amongst the YouTube beauty community. They also produce a black eyeshadow is suppose to be one of the most pigmented and truest blacks.

Sugar Pill - Bright and colourful eyeshadows and pigments, as well as, lashes and brushes. All of which are cruelty-free and mostly vegan. Shrinkle, or Amy, is the vibrant creator behind the line and has quickly become a cult favourite amongst the beauty community. You must try goldilux, bulletproof,and the cold chemistry palette.

Melt Cosmetics - The provocative company, consists of  two former M.A.C. makeup artists, one of whom is Rhianna's makeup artist. Lipsticks are bold, retro matte texture and finish with cool and edgy colours such as Bane (black), DGAF (royal blue) and 6six6 (deep vampy burgundy). These girls are talented and gorgeous.

Pretty Zombie Cosmetics - Liquid Lipsticks that dry matte with bold colours. They apply smoothly, and do not dry out the lips. Gorgeous, opaque colours include 3 Witches (dark purple), Black Cat (black), Zombettie (deep red). The vibe is definitely alternative pin up and I love it.

Other Indie Companies:

Makeup Monsters Cosmetics  http://www.makeupmonsters.net/

Jeffree Star Cosmetics http://jeffreestarcosmetics.com/

Fyrinnae - http://www.fyrinnae.com/

Glamour Doll Eyes - http://www.glamourdolleyes.com/

Geek Chic Cosmetics -http://www.geekchiccosmetics.com/ - Embrace your inner geek with cosmetics. This little gem of a company have  eyeshadow sets that pay homage to Star trek, Game of Thrones and Supernatural, just to name a few.

Shiro Cosmetic- http://shirocosmetics.com/s "Making nerds sparkle" big fan of GOT, they have a Seven Kingdoms Collection. Pretty damn cool.

Darling Girl Cosmetics - http://www.darlinggirlcosmetics.com/

Thanks for taking a closer look,
xo Megs

Portland Black Lipstick Company

 Portland Black Lipstick Company

I have become a little bored with the Drugstore and High End offerings. So I decided to look online and on Etsy for unique coloured lipsticks. Then I came across Portland Black Lipstick Co. With its Neo-victorian / Steampunk look, Portland Black Lipstick Company appeals to my alternative side. Mainly concentrating on its lipsticks, Portland Black offers a variety of distinct colours like Indigo Bridge (metallic deep black/blue), Chaiborg (metallic brown), The Purple Cloud (matte lavender) and Pewter Cauldron (duck tape grey). Whilst the colours are not for everyone, they are different and a nice break from the generic reds, nudes and corals. They are mineral based and come in a Chapstick-like tube. Personally, I prefer a lipstick bullet, but this is a minor issue.

The texture is creamy and smooth, no chalkiness and fairly opaque. Most of the lipsticks have either a metallic sheen or matte finish, so if you do not like frosts, you may not enjoy these. Additionally, frosts generally dry out my lips; however, these remained creamy. Furthermore, I am generally not a fan of mint added to my products, which these contain. However, it does not last long and does not make the lips tingle.

Full lipstick: my favourites too :)
Indigo Bridge - blackened metallic navy
Black Lagoon - blackened green with blue undertones
Pewter Cauldron - creamy duct tape grey
samples:
Artificial Amethyst - blackened metallic purple
Chaiborg- metallic silvery grey with soft a milky brown
Graey - creamy, milky light grey with blue undertones - the hardest to wear
The Purple Cloud - creamy, pastel lavender -nice but can make the teeth look yellow

Along with full size lipsticks, Portland Black offers samples, glitter and corpse makeup. I ordered two sample colours, Artificial Amethyst and Chaiborg. Kim was kind to include Graey, The Purple Cloud and a green glitter. Since I already familiar with the sample packaging, I wasn't surprised when a little baggy containing a sagittal slice of lipstick was delivered. It isn't the easiest to use, but nothing a lip brush can't fix.

Quick and Dirty:
Price: $12 for 0.15oz
Packaging: Tube, unique graphics
Customer Service: Great! When I emailed to follow up with the order, Kim quickly responded.
Shipping: To Canada, about 7 business days.

Cheers,
Megs

Lime Crime

Lime Crime

Unicorns do exist.....thanks to Lime Crime. I couldn't help smile when I first saw this packaging. I pictured myself skipping with fairies and glitter, lots of glitter. Whilst some may find it juvenile and tacky, I think it's cute and unique. To me, the line is whimsical and creative. Mind you I still love my black and chrome.

Recently, I purchased seven shades of Lime Crime's Opaque Lipstick:

• Airborne Unicorn- mid tone bright purple. Good amount of pigmentation and very comfortable on the lips.
  
  
• Glamour 101 - brick deep red. Glamour 101 glides lovely on the lips  and is slightly sheerer then the others. Extremely wearable red and formulation. One of my favourites.
  
  
• Chinchilla - creamy grey with lavender tone. Chinchilla is my favourite as it is creamy, opaque and a unique colour.
  
• Styletto - black.  Satin formulation that needs more than one coat on the lips. Extremely comfortable to wear.
  
  
• Cosmo Pop - soft, creamy, milky orange. Cosmo Pop is more chalking and opaque, one just has to be careful not to go over the lips many times or patches may peek through.
  
• Coquette - peachy nude. Creamy and opaque. This is a great nude for most people.
  
  
• Poisonberry - deep bright purple blue undertones. It goes on smoothly and slightly sheer. Poisonberry stains the lips. Personally, I do not have a problem with that as it makes it last longer.

L-R Chinchilla, Styletto, Coquette, Poisonberry, Glamour 101, Cosmo POP, Airborne Unicorn

Most are creamy and opaque, with a satin finish without being dry. Additionally, these lovelies have a vanilla fragrance.

If you are looking for vegan lipstck and not tested on animals, then look no further than Lime Crime. In Canada, one can order them online from Limecrime.com 18.99 + shipping or nailpolishcanada.com $19.99 cdn

xo Megs