Hi friends!!

I put 2 exclamation points because I just realized it’s the end of September and I have yet to review two of my subscriptions from the month!!!

(I needed triple exclamations this time, because I am a strict observer of dates, and hello, how did September go by? Not that I’m sad, I secretly have always thought of September as the worst month of the year.)

Anyways, let me tell you a very important fact you should be aware of if you’re considering getting into indie cosmetics:

It’s super addicting.

One minute you’re just curious about this cruelty-free company you got a sample from, and the next you are subscribed to like 3 different indie groups and hiding in bathrooms to place orders for indie flash sales. (Plz don’t judge, thnkz.) It comes on quickly, so hide your wallets before it’s too late.

So I wanted to give you that primer and warning, because today I am going to share one of my newest subscriptions, Innocent+Twisted Alchemy’s Sample Subscription. At about $12 a month, it’s a good deal and you can explore some more indie options! And then you’ll probably want to buy 5698 more things, so you’ve been warned.

Check out what I got!

Look at all the things!

First of all, the owner of the store designed and colored the lovely artwork on the info card, and consequentially the labels on the eye shadow clam jars. I was really impressed by her artistic abilities, because if I designed my own labels they would be stick figures.

These were the eye shadows created by Innocent+ Twisted Alchemy for the subscription. The theme of the month was based on woodlands, and I think that comes across well in these deep, rich shades. I was also really pleased that these came filled to the brim, so you definitely get a generous sample size.

Souls Entwined- A purple/taupe shade on me. There is a soft purple shimmer over the base. Purple eye shadows are my favorite non-neutral to wear because they make my eyes pop, and this one will be very pretty for fall.

Slumber in Peace- This looks forest green in the clam shell, but on me, I was only ever able to get a greyish/green. I tried several different primers and brushes, as well as patting on vs. swiping on but with no difference. I wonder if my skin is just evil.

Chains of Reality- My favorite of the bunch! This is a beautiful tan-brown matte that seems to have a hint of grey in it, but it still comes out quite warm on my skin. I know I will be using this throughout the fall and winter.

I was really impressed with all the little extras I got with this subscription!

The trial vial from Scaredy Cat Cosmetics I got was in “Unicorn Breath”, a shimmery white shade. I think this will be great as a browbone or highlight color. I kinda don’t want to take it out of the cute little vial, also hello, I love unicorn themed makeup products, so yay.

AFK Cosmetic’s sample of Mikasa was super pigmented and easy to apply onto primer. It has a rusty red color with a bit of shine over it. I’m not sure how I will wear this color yet, but I was definitely impressed with the quality of the shadow.

Beauty Bar Baby was another company I hadn’t heard of, (but you know I will go look up and buy like 3954 things from because that’s how indie addictions work), but I really enjoyed the lip sample included. This lipstick color is called Island of the Fay, and it’s a lovely orchid color. I would never have purchased a lip shade so purple on my own, but I actually like it. (Another perk of indies-they get you out of your comfort zone.)

Finally my Mermaid perfume sample by Midsummer Dreams Apothecary. Let’s just call this one a “gateway drug”. I’ve never really cared about perfume because it all smelled the same to me, (floral, feminine, perfume-y). However, this sample introduced me to a whole world and wallet draining phenomenon called indie perfumes.

Mermaid, itself, is supposed to be a floral scent with vanilla and sea salt. I don’t have a trained perfume nose, but I picked up mostly on the vanilla and floral notes, but they were so smooth and mellow, and I was pleasantly surprised by that.

I do plan to order a sampler pack from Midsummer Dreams, but first I’m working my way through all the indie perfume autumn scents.

Anyway, I was super happy with my Innocent+Twisted Alchemy subscription, and I’m really looking forward to the October samples.*

*The subscription will be on hiatus November and December to accommodate the owner’s busy holiday retail schedule, but she’ll be back in January!

Questions of the Day:
-Have you ever tried an indie subscription?
-Have you ever gotten in a fight with an eye shadow?
-Have you ever discovered something, such as indie perfume, and gone bananas exploring it? (I’m really bad about doing this when I get into new hobbies. I want to KNOW everything!)

Love,

Rebs!