If you don't already have a VIP membership to Heartsy, I am here to tell you that it is 100% worth it if you like supporting small businesses. For a measly $10/month, you get the opportunity to purchase discount vouchers to try out Etsy/Artfire vendors. Usually, up to a 60% discount. I have been able to try a handful of Etsy and Artfire shops on a discount basis and that is nice when you're really unsure about whether or not you really want to chance it.
Enter Brazen Cosmetics. You can find them on Facebook and stop by their Etsy shop or Artfire kiosk. I'm not going to go through the process of listing prices. You can check out the links above and browse yourself.
What Brazen claims about their products via their Etsy shop description:
Brazen Cosmetics is your top stop for creative and trendy makeup & scents. Why blend in?! Our products work HARD to bring you high pigmentation, long lasting wear, unique colors and makeup that actually IMPROVES your skin! One swipe and you'll be hooked. Developed by a professional Makeup Artist (and Cosmetic Formulator for the last 10 years!), Brazen Cosmetics were created for the daring confident girls (or guys) who demand a lot from their makeup and don't settle. Unleash your inner drama queen and strut your stuff in style!I purchased the following items:
- Eye Shadow in Jinx - Described as a purple lilac with shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Oblivion - Described as a smoky green with shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Animated - Described as a super vibrant blue with blue sparkles
- Eye Shadow in Frisky - Described as a tangerine shimmer with a pink hue
- Glitterati gel glitter in Red Carpet.
- Passion Pot Lip Gloss in Forbidden Fruit.
- Mystery Item: Passion Pot Lip Gloss in Peep Show.
The packaging:
Again, sorry for the lack of photographs. I received my package really quickly. It arrived in a manila envelope with all my items carefully wrapped in an outer layer of bubble wrap and an inner layer of hot pink tissue paper sealed with a custom Brazen Cosmetics sticker. Each jar (pictured above) was individually sealed which is always nice. Sifters are already installed/included with a protective seal. Obviously, no sifters on the gel glitter or passion pots. No leaks and no cracks. Each jar is labeled on the bottom with a custom sticker that lists ingredients! Always good to see that, too.
The Verdict - Brazen Shadows
You'll have to excuse the lack of pictures and the horrendous condition of my skin. I started a new medication and my whole face broke out. I've been busy and I'll provide what I have had the time to take. The pictures below are with Animated (blue). The purple and white are from other companies, so I won't mention them here. The color is fantastic. My husband immediately said, "Wow, that looks really good."
I chose to go with a not-so-in-your-face look. I am sure Animated would be wonderful all out and in-your-face. Instead, I opted to take my test run out in a more modest fashion. After blending, of course it didn't look anything like the bright blue you see in the stock photos. I can say had I chose not to blend, it looked just like Brazen's stock photo. My favorite blue shade by ANY company. Hands down.
The color lasted all day. It was applied over Two Faced's Glitter Glue. The pictures don't really pick up the shimmer, but it was shimmery and glittery. No creasing, but again, I used good primer and glue.
I have also tried every other color of my Brazen collection BUT did not take pictures. Sorry. One of these days, I might get motivated to actually do swatch photos, but for now, I'm not completely hardcore on doing that lol.
Brazen's shadows are highly pigmented, they last all day and produce the color that is in the container. I can't comment on quality of her mixology or any of the other claims more experienced and professional bloggers have. No, I don't have mica laying around to compare whether she is selling stock colors. I can just say that I love the Brazen line of shadows. I will never claim to know more than I know LOL.
My biggest piece of advice is to always use a good primer that is designed for loose pigments and a base that will help the glitter/sparkles stick. If you don't, the pigment will just wash out and/or fall out.
Does Brazen live up to their claims? I think they do. Bright colors, long lasting, fun, different and high pigmentation.
The Verdict: Brazen Lip Gloss
I wish I could yell from the rooftops about how I love Brazen's lip glosses, but I am on the fence. Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures. In the pictures above, I am wearing Brazen's Peep Show. It is a BRIGHT pink. Click the link in my list above. All of Brazen's pictures are SPOT on. I toned it down by blotting which gave me a nice rosy color. I love the color, though. I really do. Brazen makes some out-of-this-world glosses.
I will say this. You get bang for your buck. The glosses come in the same size tub as the shadows. I definitely think you get your money's worth. They are thick, creamy and sticky. If you don't like that kind of gloss, steer clear. They apply EXACTLY the color you bought.
Then why have I not fallen in love with them? Maybe it is my lips. I don't know. Brazen's lip gloss will NOT apply smoothly for me. I get these weird pockets of color with light or heavy application. It doesn't like to stick to the inner part of the lips even if you thoroughly dry beforehand. Again, it could just be my crazy lips.
Go big, or go home. That is what I think with this product. I played around and really packed it on. It was gorgeous, but as time went on and the product faded, I got those weird color pockets. Fair warning that applying too much will cause your lips to stick together. I tried applying some clear lip balm before the Brazen gloss and had a bit more success with eliminating those weird color pockets.
I don't like the gloss in the jars. I have never been a big fan of any lip product that I have to stick my finger into. Especially this gloss. It is so thick, it really needs a wand applicator. Yes, I could go buy my own, but I don't feel like it LOL. Brazen is starting to sell some glosses in tubes, but not all.
In the end, I think I would recommend them for fun. I really love the colors because they are not traditional. I have seen pictures of her glosses in action and obviously, I am doing something wrong. I want to love them, but so far, I can only really, really like them.
FINAL VERDICT
I enjoy Brazen Cosmetics very much and urge you to give them a try. Her shadows are awesome. I am still on the fence about the glosses, but you might have better luck. Customer service was awesome. Brazen answered all my emails the same day. The power flickered and my first round at trying to order was erased. I contacted Brazen to make sure it didn't transmit because I had entered a voucher code. I received an immediate response letting me know she didn't receive an order. I submitted the order again and immediately received an email from Brazen just to confirm she received it. Not an automated email (although I received one of those as well), but an actual email from the owner. Now that is customer service!
There are many other shades that I want to try and I will most definitely be a repeat customer.
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