Bath and Body Review: Tree and Sapling

I recently purchased a few items from Tree and Sapling.  It is an indie beauty shop found on Etsy that whips up soaps and scrubs for men and women.

The Quick Highlights:

• Turn Around Time - 19 days due to shipping mistake.
• Arrived in a box. Nice and thoughtful packaging. Not sloppy.
• Items nicely wrapped.
• Good customer service.
• Overall Impression: Indifferent

The Purchase:

4 oz. bar of Limited Edition Halloween Soap in Cat Scratch ($4.00)
4 oz. bar of Raspberry Fizz Soap Bar ($4.00)
4 oz. bar of Limited Edition Halloween Soap in Bad Apple ($4.00)
4 oz. bar of Chamomile and Peppermint French Market Soap ($4.00)
6.5 oz. Prickly Pear Salt Bar ($6.50)
4 oz. of Tropical Breeze Whipped Soap with sponge ($8.00)

My relationship with Tree and Sapling started on shaky grounds.  I used a Heartsy voucher and obviously, her store was slammed.  As a frequent Heartsy voucher user, I do not hold extending shipping times against vendors.  I get it.  Everyone is trying to get in on a deal.  The issue began when my order was marked shipped and after two weeks, it didn't arrive.  I sent Tree and Sapling a quick message via Etsy.  Come to find out, my order was marked shipped when it wasn't.  No biggie.  I wasn't in a rush to get my items, but it was a set back.  You simply cannot get too upset about that.  The important thing was Tree and Sapling corrected it immediately and included a sample of a sugar scrub.

I am not going to nit-pick over the packaging UNLESS it I feel it was done poorly.  I've read plenty of blogs that take pictures as they reveal the box, but that isn't me.  I'm more interested in the product, not the packaging details.  My package arrived in a well-packed box.  Nothing was broken.  It was filled with beautiful tissue paper.  It was a very impressive effort in packaging.

A group shot of my order.  Everything was packaged so beautifully.  I was really impressed with the time and effort the store put into packaging.

The Detailed Results:

Bad Apple was the first bar I tried.  This was part of the limited edition Halloween collection which means this is a scent she doesn't carry year round.  With that said, it is a beautiful bar of soap.  The glittery sparkle seems to be Tree and Sapling's trademark.  The scent was your typical apple scent.  Unfortunately, the experience as a whole was disappointing to me.  Nowhere in the literature does her soaps indicate whether their formation is for hand use or body use.  I tried to use it as a body soap and that was a big mistake.  This is clearly, in my opinion, hand soap only.  Maybe I should have known that, but I am no soap expert.  Overall, the soap was very drying on my skin.  It didn't really lather even with a wash cloth.  The scent did not linger on the skin at all.  After a few uses, I didn't smell the apple scent at all.  It will get your hands clean, but that was about all.  It is a basic soap that I would throw in a guest bathroom for looks.  Not function.   

I had purchased the chamomile and peppermint soap because Tree and Sapling advertised this soap as, "...a stress relieving scent to relax those overworked muscles.  The Chamomile is perfect for relaxing and the peppermint cools tired muscles.  This is the perfect soap to treat yourself before bed."  Aha, I thought!  I have a stressful job and I LOVE those relaxing soaps that exude a relaxing scent.  However, this soap did not deliver.  For me, it does not have a "relaxing" scent at all.  There was close to no peppermint scent at all.  It had a really earthy scent.  Bottom line, I didn't like the smell.  Typically, peppermint soaps have a tingling effect.  This did not deliver.  I wanted to love it, but I don't.  I will not be purchasing his soap again.  Beautiful packaging though.  Right?

The third product I had time to try is the Tropical Breeze Whipped Soap. When you open the jar, you are punched in the face with the scent of banana flavored Laffy Taffy.  There is a very faint touch of coconut.  The name is a bit deceptive.  I really found nothing tropical about this scent.  I would consider this scent strictly banana.  I was also a bit disappointed to find my jar only 3/4 of the way full.  I don't know if the product settled or melted down, but being the most expensive product I purchased, I was bummed.  The shope is filled with pictures of overflowing jars of product, and then I get a 3/4 filled jar.  It is a bit disappointing.  By far, this was the best product I received as far a lather goes.  This whipped soap transforms into a wonderful lather.  The scent will fill your shower while using it, but again.  Once you step out, you will smell no trace of it.  While, that may be fine for a lot of people, I don't see the point in spending $8.00 on a scented soap that doesn't at least leave a hint of scent behind.  Is that not the reason why we purchase scented soaps?  Out of the three types of soap I purchase, this is the most moisturizing and the closest to an actual body soap.

I have yet to use the salt bar, the raspberry fizz bar or the other Halloween bar.  I'll revise this review when I have had the chance.

Overall, customer service was good.  I want to love Tree and Sapling, but so far, I am indifferent.  I think I would use their products for decorative reasons, but nothing more than that.  In my opinion, the bar soaps didn't lather well, nor did they leave any hint of a scent.  The bar soaps pretty much stripped my skin despite the claims of being moisturizing.  The whipped soap is their premier product, in my opinion.  It has a nice lather and some moisturizing effect, but at $8.00, I think I can just stick to drug store brands.  Again, my overall rating is indifferent.  I neither love nor hate this Indie shop.  Their products are cute, great for decorative uses, good customer service but their soaps don't suit my needs.

Bath and Body Review: Ophelia's Apothecary

Today, I received my order from Ophelia's Apothecary.  You can find Ophelia's on Facebook, at their Etsy shop, or at their website.

THE VERDICT:

THE ORDERING PROCESS

I discovered Ophelia's Apothecary on Heartsy.  You should all know how I feel about Heartsy by now.  It is THE place to get a good deal, especially if you are hesitant to purchase from Etsy or Artfire.

I try not to focus too much on these details, but it has been brought to my attention that a "good review" even writes about the boring details.  So, with that said, the ordering process was a breeze.  If you haven't used Etsy before, it is like any other online shopping experience.  You add things to a cart, checkout and pay.  There really isn't anything new to add there.  I received all the confirmations and invoices.  Communication was great.

THE VERDICT:

SHIPPING and TURN AROUND TIME

My first caveat.  I typically do not take pictures of the packaging.  I receive my items at work and open them at work to ensure everything is alright.

With that said, I ordered Pumpkin Spice Whipped Body Butter, Indulgent Pumpkin Sugar and Shea Scrub, Butter Toffee Crunch Lip Scrub, and Shea Butter Lip Balms in Lemon Cheesecake, Red Velvet and a lip tint in Caramel Chai Latte.

My products arrived in a USPS flat rate padded envelope.  Inside there were three bundles of product wrapped in shipping paper.  In the first bundle was the sugar scrub sealed in a clear cellophane bag tied with a string.  In the second bundle was the body butter in a clear cellophane bag tied with a string.  The third bundle was all of the lip products in a clear cellophane bag tied with a string.  Simple, cute and thoughtful.  I recently received products just willy-nilly in my envelope from a different company and I was kind of taken aback that the thought was not put in to separate the type of products.  You don't put cleaning chemicals in the same bag as your vegetables when you grocery shop, so I appreciate the extra effort to separate the different types of product.  

I'd really like to see body butters and scrubs mailed in a box, but I understand that small businesses are limited to what they can effectively do and handle.  I get it; however, if I do have a suggestion, it would be to box heavier items.

Turn around time - I feel I must give ample warning.  Be prepared to wait on your order.  The shop is going through some major changes and setbacks.  I had placed my order on September 1, 2011, and just received my order on October 11, 2011.  When I placed my order, I knew that there was close to a month wait because Ophelia's was moving.  Then it seemed like the sky kept falling in for the store from dog injuries, laptop malfunctions and PayPal shipping label crashes...they literally went down everything in the list of "what could go wrong".   With that said, they are still recovering, but almost caught up.  I would visit their Facebook page for shipping updates and setbacks if you're in a hurry to get a product.  Just be warned that it might not be the fastest turn-around-time, but I knew this going in.  I was not upset or offended that it took so long to get to me.  It is the price you pay when you go Indie.  Life happens.  It is irritating to me that this business advertised all the shipping delays and you see/hear/read how many people hounded them for their product.  Don't be that guy and this is my warning to you.  CHECK THEIR FACEBOOK FIRST!

THE VERDICT:

PUMPKIN SPICE WHIPPED BODY BUTTER

I immediately opened the body butter in my office.  The scent was heavenly.  Not overpowering.  The body butter was smooth and silky.  I am fairly new to the world of Indie bath products.  Compared to my last Indie body butter purchase, this completely blew them out of the water.  It isn't thick and greasy, but instead, light and airy.  It melted into my skin and didn't leave my skin feeling like I lathered it in Crisco.  That is the problem I found with my last attempt at Indie body butter.  It smelled so good, but my skin was shiny like a Crisco'd pig.  Not the case with Ophelia's body butter.  When I applied it, it was almost like applying water, but not in a negative way.  It is kind of hard to describe into words.  It was creamy and airy on my fingertips, but when I went to apply it, the body butter just melted and moisturized.  The scent lasted the remainder of the day, but not overpowering.  A 5 ounce jar of the whipped body butter set me back $14.25.  Much more expensive than the last Indie shop I purchased from but Ophelia's is SO much better.  Worth the price.

THE VERDICT:

INDULGENT PUMPKIN SUGAR AND SHEA SCRUB

So far, I have ordered from three different Indie companies and have received three very different body scrubs.  I will have to say that Ophelia's is my favorite.  According to Ophelia's:

This all natural pumpkin scrub is super indulgent.... we've blended organic vegan cane sugar, turbinado sugar, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter with calendula petals, black currant tea, and real pumpkin to bring you this super luxe sugar scrub.

This scrub had the right amount of everything for me.  It wasn't too harsh.  I like the scent.  It was not, to me, a pumpkin scent.  When I re-read the material, I realized that it didn't advertise a pumpkin scent.  Only that pumpkin is contained in the product.  It has a very earthy scent.  I mainly smelled hints of pumpkin and the tea.  You can definitely smell the hints of tea.  It was luxurious.  Not just some sugar thrown in a jar with scented oils.  A 4 ounce jar of this set me back $16.00, but it is worth it.  My skin was soft and fragrant.  By far, the most luxurious bath product I've purchased off of Etsy.

THE VERDICT:

SUGARED LIP SCRUB - BUTTER TOFFEE CRUNCH

Ophelia's lip scrubs come in a .15 ounce oval tube decorated with a beautiful label that lists the ingredients.  A tube of the sugared lip scrub will set you back $7.75.  It's like eating candy out of a tube that gives you soft lips at the same time.  Did it taste like butter toffee?  Yes.  Did it slough off the dead skin.  Yes.  Does it moisturize?  Yes?

Unfortunately, this is my first sugar scrub lip product, so I cannot compare to other shops/brands.  I will say that I enjoy this product and I will purchase it again.

THE VERDICT:

SHEA BUTTER LIP BALMS

Love, love, love Ophelia's lip balms.  I have received lip balms from other shops and so far, Ophelia's is my favorite.  A .15 oval tube of Ophelia's lip balms run $4.00 a tube.  This is the first balm I have received that doesn't taste like castor oil and fake sugar.  I really do love the lemon cheesecake.  I wasn't very impressed with the red velvet.  I can't really put my finger on what I don't like about it.  It smells wonderful though.  

The caramel chai latte lip tint is a keeper as well.  It adds just a light hint of color and tastes wonderful.  A .15 oval tube of Ophelia's lip tint cost me $7.75.  I like lip tints, so I think it is worth the price that is asked.

All the balms I have tried are moisturizing and high quality.  I definitely recommend.

Overall, I am very pleased with Ophelia's Apothecary.  They are definitely a shop I will continue to order from.  I would classify Ophelia's as more of an upscale product.  They are definitely more pricey than other alternatives, but you get what you pay for.  All of Ophelia's products are superior to past Indie products that wielded a more pocket friendly price.

Makeup Review - Bath and Body Review: Aqua Blossom

Aqua Blossom is another Etsy vendor I found through Heartsy.  For $10, I received $31 worth of store credit.  Again, if you like trying new things, Heartsy is the way to go.

Aqua Blossom sells mineral eye shadow, body scrubs, lip balms, and body butter.  The store really doesn't have any fancy advertising or catchy slogans.  The shop owner, Ashley, simply states that she is a mother of two who started making her own bath products with her children in mind.  She wanted products that did not contain harsh chemicals or ingredients.

I purchased the following:

• Mini Scrub Sampler - Choose 3 (2 ounce) jars of body scrub. I chose Butterbeer, Mojito and Orange Creme Cupcake
• Pick Any Five (5 ounce jars) of mineral shadow in Anemone, Sea Monster, Atomic Blueberry, Supernova and Oh My Darlin
• Whipped Shea Butter (4 ounces) in Caramel Apple

Packaging:

Turn around time was above average.  I ordered on September 12th and received my items on September 19th.  The owner contacted me at every step even notifying me that she was waiting on some minerals for one of the colors I ordered and that it may be delayed a few days.  There was definitely some excellent service being provided.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed, but not angry, at the packaging.  My items arrived in a bubble mailer that had been folded over and sealed with tape because the mailer was too large.  I receive these items at work, so I apologize for not taking pictures.  I'm not too picky about that.  What I am picky about is that was the only protection.  Normally, when I order mineral makeup and bath products in the same order, the packer generously separates the items in either cellophane bags or more bubble wrap, or both.  The reasoning?  Body butters and body scrubs contain oily ingredients.  The lids, even when secured with shrink wrap, can leak.  When I opened the envelope, all of the mineral shadows had loose lids and two had leaked minerals inside the bag.  It wasn't too bad, but disappointing.  In addition, the mineral pots were not shrink wrapped/sealed.  The only protection from leaking was a circle sticker on the inside.  Here, you can see that a third sticker almost popped off.  To add to things, all the items were a bit greasy.  One of the body scrubs melted a little bit and some of that syrup oozed out just enough to make all the containers a bit oily.  Having those enclosed in some kind bag, heck, even a sandwich bag, would have been nice.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Mineral Shadows

These are your standard mineral shadows.  There really isn't anything bad about them.  I wore Sea Monster to work today over Two Faced's Glitter Glue and it has held up pretty nicely.

As you can see by my picture, the jars took a beating.  You can see that Sea Monster (the green) and Oh My Darlin (the orange) had leaked.  The black lids are all scratched.  Not anything to be mad about, but I would like to see more care put into the packaging.

Here is the Aqua Blossom swatch over Two Faced's Glitter Glue.  All very pretty colors.  They are more shimmery than I thought they would be.  I was almost under the impression that these minerals might be more flat from their pictures.  You can definitely see sparkle, but a very understated sparkle.  This would be a lovely entry product for women who want some sparkle but not in-your-face glitter.  USE PRIMER or a BASE.

Overall, I was "satisfied" with the mineral shadows.  Will I purchase again?  I'm on the fence.  I really do love the colors.  I will just have to see if those colors are colors I can't live without.  So far, I love Sea Monster and Atomic Blueberry.  Would I recommend them?  I don't think someone who has more pigmented/sparkly makeup would enjoy this.  If I had to choose between Aqua Blossom and Facebomb - I would go with Facebomb because they have more pigmented/glittery minerals.  Definitely a personal preference and not a knock on Aqua Blossom.  I would recommend them to a friend that is afraid of too much bling.  Aqua Blossom is more shimmery.

These products are more for the person who wants fun makeup that doesn't come with the price tag.  They are reasonably priced, apply well and wear well, BUT I think these are more for a person that wants to try a more bold look.  I don't think it would be a product for someone who already has a collection of in-your-face colors.  I hope that makes sense.  This is entry level minerals.  There is nothing wrong with that.  They are fun and I will have fun playing with them.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Body Butter

I ordered the body butter in Caramel Apple.  When I took the lid off, the scent almost made me drool, but unfortunately, that is where the scent ended.  I applied some to my arms immediately and the scent turned into a faded memory.  I could still smell it, but only when I literally smashed my nose into it.  In comparison to other vendors I have tried in the past, the scent just didn't last.  As for the actual product, it was hydrating and did it's job.  It is super greasy, though.  It is, after all, a body BUTTER.  I recommend using it before bed so it has time to soak in your skin.  

Would I purchase this again?  Even though the scent length didn't live up to my expectations, I probably will purchase this again.  It is a good price and an awesome gift for a friend that may not like the lingering scent.  Not all of us want to smell like a caramel apple all day, however, I AM the person that wants to smell like the product I just smeared all over myself. Do I recommend it?  Yes, I recommend this product to people who want the benefits of the body butter, but maybe not the lingering, over powering scent.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Body Scrubs

I have only tried one of my body scrubs.  I opened my Orange Cream Cupcake.  Again, when you open the container, you receive a rush of scent.  In the shower, you are surrounded by this wonderful citrus smell.  The exfoliating power on this stuff is awesome.  The downside?  I walked out of shower, patted myself dry and barely smelled of orange cream cupcake.  I can't really knock the product for that.  I don't think I've tried a sugar scrub that actually has a scent that lingers.  It was faint.  My husband couldn't smell until he smashed his nose into my arm.

Would I recommend it?  Yes.  This is a perfect gift.  It is a wonderful exfoliant.  Would I purchase it again.  Maybe.  There is an emulsifying scrub made by One Hand That Washes the Other that is more up my alley, but I can still think of plenty of uses for this body scrub.

Overall, in my opinion, Aqua Blossom has potential.  I would definitely recommend this store for Christmas gifts for a teen/young woman.  I contacted the owner and let her know of my shipping mishaps and she immediately responded with an offer to replace any leaked items and admitted she wasn't happy with her recent stock of mineral shadow containers.  She took all my suggestions well and that always makes me happy.  I did NOT request replacements.  I told her I just wanted to let her know a few things other shops do to ensure that other products don't taint each other.  The prices are reasonable, the customer service was good and overall, a good Etsy shop.

Business Review: Galaxy Cupcakes

Our family moved to Georgetown around the same time Galaxy Cupcakes made its transition from their old location to their new location.  I remember waiting in anticipation to try their cupcakes.  I love the idea of a cupcakery.  I don't mind paying for one cupcake and not have the daunting task of eating the rest of the dozen. Recently, they have made the transition to a full bakery and are now called Galaxy Bakery and CoffeeHouse.

Today, on a whim, we decided to visit the bakery and try their other confections that were not part of the menu when we first became patrons.  We purchased cupcakes in Red Velvet, Cookies & Cream, and Peanut Butter.  They added mini cheesecakes to their lineup, so I picked a Chocolate Cheesecake mini and Casey tried their cannoli.

THE VERDICT:  RED VELVET CUPCAKE

The cupcake was moist and not overly large.  I don't understand the mentality of the "jumbo" cupcake.  I appreciate that they are normal sized cupcakes.  The icing was your basic cream cheese.  No complaints here.  When it comes to comparing cupcakes, I am not an expert.  I can tell you that it wasn't horrible.  I have had better cream cheese icing.  They have a very sweet cream cheese icing.  I could do with more cream cheese flavor and less in-your-face sugar.  Overall, I love their cupcakes.

THE VERDICT: COOKIES & CREAM CUPCAKE

  

My son had the Cookies & Cream cupcake.  He said, "I definitely did taste the cookies and cream and the cookie on top is a cute addition.  My first thought was 'OMG! There's ice cream on this cupcake!'  But when I took a bite into it, there was this awesome flavor.  The cake part was pretty good.  I give it four out of five stars.  It was a little dry.  The icing was amazing."

THE VERDICT:  MINI CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKE

My son also had the mini peanut butter cupcake.  He states, "I'd have to say I barely tasted the peanut butter.  The candy on top was a very cute addition.  The cupcake was very moist.  I give it a 5 out of 5 stars."

THE VERDICT:  CANNOLI

Casey had the cannoli.  He states, "It was a perfect mini cannoli."  Wish I could elaborate more, but he honestly said it was really good and tasted like a cannoli.

THE VERDICT:  CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE MINI

I wish I could rave about this sweet little morsel.  First, there was a lack of a graham cracker bottom.  It had melted into the cheesecake.  That kind of disappointed me.  It did have a nice hint of cinnamon, though.  Secondly, there was kind of a lack of that cheesecake bite.  I've eaten some fine cheesecakes in my time, but this wasn't my "style".  I prefer the more adult cheesecake.  The kind of cheesecake that isn't so sweet.  This reminded me more of a no-bake cheesecake.  It was kind of airy and I'll be honest.  It is good in a pinch, but probably something I will not be purchasing further.  The little chocolate ornamentation was pretty cute.  I won't say they're bad.  I ate the whole thing and got my cheesecake fix.  What I am saying is I am pretty positive they use a no-bake recipe because of the lack of carmelization on the top.  The tops of all their cheesecakes were blemish free.  No browning.  There is NOTHING wrong with that.  I just tend to notice that no-bake type recipes use quite a bit more sugar than the baked counterpart.

Overall, we love our local bakery and would recommend it to any of our friends.  They have outstanding cupcakes and are always friendly.  I wasn't really impressed with the cheesecake, but that doesn't really mean you won't like it.  Cheesecakes are made in many different ways.  This just wasn't what I prefer.  Casey really enjoyed the mini cannoli.  It took a small bite and it was good.  If anything, we recommend their cupcakes.  You will not be disappointed.

Makeup Review: Brazen Cosmetics

So, as previously mentioned, I have been on a mineral eye makeup frenzy.  It is my favorite kind of eye shadow at the moment.  Pressed shadows NO MORE!

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. 

If a vendor offers a discounted random item, I most ALWAYS purchase it because it forces me out of the box.  I would have never purchased Peep Show on my own.  Enclosed with my order was a sample of Twisted and Courtesan mineral shadows.  Quite a haul, right?  All for $35!  Thank you, Heartsy!

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.