Above: I sent for a very special model to showcase my Darling Girl Cosmetics swatches. Actually, he just kind of showed up and knocked everything off the table, but he was so cute that I didn't have the heart to fire him! ;)
First of all, I need to get the obligatory apology for my absence out of the way. I feel really bad for my hiatus. I know no one likes a blog that has infrequent updates, so hopefully I'll be able to get back on track now. I have no one to blame but myself (and my crazy, crazy life), but I've been craving a creative outlet all this time; and I'm glad to be back.
Alrighty then, let's get started! I'm so excited for this post, because it's about one of my very favorite indie companies: Darling Girl Cosmetics. Before I get into the picture love, I'd like to do a brief overview on the company itself and my experience with it.
About
Darling Girl Cosmetics was founded by a beautiful and oh-so-kind lady named Susan. According to Susan's blog(
http://darlinggirlcosmetics.blogspot.com/), she was tired of searching endlessly for "the perfect color." She would come so close to a color she was looking for, but it would never be precisely what she longed for (i.e. not enough shimmer, not the right hue, not sparkly enough, etc.). I know I've been there! Susan started creating her own colors to fill the perfect color voids in her life, which is awesome for all of us, because her family and friends convinced Susan to start selling her beautiful creations to the public! Now she works independently creating a wide range of beautiful products, which can be found at
http://www.darlinggirlcosmetics.com/
Customer Service
I've always had fantastic customer service with this company. One thing I really like is that Susan always keeps her customers updated through social networking sites, so no one is left wondering when a collection is coming out or how close their order is to being shipped. I think that says a lot about her loyalty, hard work, and overall awesomeness that she is so stellar at communication even though she's a one woman show!
Product Quality/Availibity
I've ordered from Darling Girl Cosmetics various times, and I can tell you that I've never been disappointed. In fact, I am captivated by her products. Her eyeshadows are unique and absolutely stunning. The pigmentation is top notch, and they're smooth and blendable. They're everything my heart desires in an eyeshadow. She has really lovely lip products too. Her Sweet Lips On the Go Sugar Lip Scrub combats dry lips immediately, and her Holo-glosses are a must have! Another thing that sets this company apart from others is the fact that the majority of her collections stay available for long periods of time (I'm talking years in some cases!). This is a huge plus for me, as there's nothing more disheartening in the makeup world when you find swatches of beautiful colors that are no longer available and were limited edition. To add to the awesome sauce, Susan even makes custom colors at NO extra fee. You're required to buy a full size if you order a custom color, but at $5.90 for a full size; you are getting an incredible deal. I can say from experience that I was very happy with how the custom color I ordered from her turned out.
Pricing/ Turnaround Time
Everything is very affordable, especially for the high quality products you get for your money. The eyeshadows come in a petite size ($2.50) and a full size ($5.90). I find that more than reasonable.The TAT has usually been about two weeks whenever I've ordered, and she's never gone over that estimate.
-----------------------------------------------------
Okay, now that you hopefully have the main gist of this company in your brain, let's move on to the visual stimulation! Below are my swatches for the Darling Girl Cosmetics Darling Ghoul Halloween collection, which was released last fall. Thanks to Susan's incredible collection availibility, I was able to purchase these colors long after they were released (as in this year). I will tell you right off the bat that these swatches do not do these beauties justice! For visual reference, I seperated these in two groups: my full sizes and my petite sizes (Labeled FS and PS below the photos).
Above: FS bottoms from L to R: Will-O-Wisp, Jack's Lantern, and Bats in the Belfry
Above: FS top view from L to R: Will-O-Wisp, Jack's Lantern, and Bats in the Belfry
Above: FS opened from L to R: Will-O-Wisp, Jack's Lantern, and Bats in the Belfry
Above: FS arm swatches from L to R: Will-O-Wisp, Jack's Lantern, and Bats in the Belfry (Swatched over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy and outlined with black liquid liner for the heart shape)
Above:
PS top view from L to R: Pumpkin Eater, Candy Corn Pixie Sprinkles, Corpse Candle, and Ghost Light
[
A/N: I tried to get a bottom view snapshot of the petites, but I failed profusely no matter how much editing I tried. The labels aren't even readable in my photograph, so I decided not to post it. Sorry! :( ]
Above: PS open from L to R:Pumpkin Eater, Candy Corn Pixie Sprinkles, Corpse Candle, and Ghost Light.
Above two pictures: PS arm swatches from L to R: Pumpkin Eater, Candy Corn Pixie Sprinkles, Corpse Candle, Ghost Light (Swatched over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy)
Product descriptions
+Will-O-Wisp: Will-O Wisp is a sheer, peachy pink with a silvery blue shift and blue reflect.
My swatches do not do this beauty justice. It is duochrome at its best, and it's to die for. I like to use it for my daily makeup routine as an inner corner highlight and to blend out a darker coral/pinkish color (Braaains from Evil Shades).
+Jack's Lantern: Jack's Lantern is my take on the orange glow emanating from all the Jack O' Lanterns guarding the porches on All Hallows Eve. It's a deep black base with a fiery red/orange shift. The combination looks like a blackened purple, especially when foiled.
I love Susan's inspiration behind this color. This is such a dark, sexy color. Though it's perfect for fall, I don't have a problem rocking this all year.
+Bats in the Belfry: Bats In The Belfry is a deep, murkey brown with a kind of olive green undertone and sprinkles of multi-colored green glitter. It has a fairly low sheen and on the metallic side.
I couldn't come close to a better description than Susan's. She hit the nail on the head with that one. I think this is such a beautiful color that I like to wear in lieu of neutrals because "I got it like that" (insert 15 year old's voice from Maury that wanted a baby). Nah, I just like to use fun, interesting colors like these for my neutral looks because if I must wear browns, why not have fun with them?!
+Pumpkin Eater: Pumpkin Eater is pumpkin orange with loads of green iridescence.
This color is so cute! I wore it the other day with a bright green to contour my eye, and I felt just like a pumpkin in May! Haha. It truly does work all year. Not only is it a great color for Fall/Winter, it rocks in Spring/Summer. What more could a girl want in a color? I love the green sparkles in this one- it totally amps it up to a whole new level.
+Candy Corn Pixie Sprinkles: What is Halloween without Candy Corn? Candy Corn Pixie Sprinkles is a blend of orange, chocolate brown and holographic glitters. So amazingly awesome as an eyeliner!
This glitter blend is pretty freaking amazing. I recommend using a sticky base to rock this to its fullest capacity. Darling Girl has one called Glitter Glue that I use frequently and it works great! I also recommend Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.
+Corpse Candle Spectral Shift:
Corpse Candle is a sheer, light gray with violet sheen and purple iridescence.
This makes for a lovely highlight color, whether it be on the brow bone to blend your eyeshadow out or on the inner corner to open up your eyes. It also looks amazing as an all over lid color. Duochromes have a way of stealing my heart, that's for sure
+Ghost Light Spectral Shift: Ghost Light is a sheer teal with a touch of green iridescence and a golden shift.
Last but not least is Ghost Light, and it's sheer alright... sheerly amazing! Haha. It's light, but very pretty nonetheless. I like to mix it with Will-O-Wisp to create a really awesome and beautiful custom color. I have a feeling Ghost Light would be a match made in heaven with Pretty Plasma, but I sadly don't own it yet. :(
---------------------------------------------------------
So if you're still reading, that completes part one of my Darling Girl Cosmetics feature. I will have part two up as soon as my little fingers can type it out. Hopefully my life will stay calm and allow me to work on this, because I have a lot more beautiful colors just waiting to be swatched.
Please check out the website at
http://www.darlinggirlcosmetics.com/. It's definitely worth your time! :)
Thanks for reading!
DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by this company in any way. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.
