Smash Cosmetics Lipsticks - Review and Swatches

Hello Lovelies,

Here are swatches of the lipstick samples that I purchased from Smash Cosmetics Blogger Review Pack a little while back. I don't know if the seller is still in business or temporarily closed, but at the moment it looks like her Etsy store is nowhere to be found. Hmm, not a good sign eh? Oh well...I don't know if this post will be of any help but I guess something fun and different to look at?

Tweak ended up being more blue than I expected. On the seller's picture, it was definitely greener. I'm disappointed to see such a huge difference in color. Nonetheless, it's quite an interesting shade of blue. Something cool to wear at the club or Halloween. I need do a cool makeup look with this lipstick. It has potential. It's incredibly pigmented, has a creamy texture to it, and it kinda stains a bit. I didn't want to smile with this lipstick cause it made my teeth look yellow, lol.

Bolt is a medium blue. This one is very creamy and almost has the consistency of a gloss. It has great color payoff and managed to give a fairly even application. I can't smile with this color either. It seriously makes my teeth look yellow and make me look creepy. Don't I just look mad or depressed when I don't smile? lol.

Tainted, ahhh I really wanted to love this lipstick. I like the dark purple-ish, greyish, brown vampiness to it but the formula leaves something to be desired. It's kind of dry so I really had to scrub my lip brush on the product in order to scoop some color. It looks a little patchy. I love the color though.

Retro reminds me of milk chocolate. I actually really like how brown lippies look on me but I don't know why I don't wear them often enough. The formula is nice and creamy and incredibly pigmented.

Creamsicle is the kind of light peachy nude I typically avoid and does not look good on me because it's so light and make my pale lips look even paler than they already are. Almost erasing them. It gives no definition to my lips at all. Not very flattering. I think most people will have a hard time pulling this color off. The formula is nice, creamy, and pigmented.

Overall, most of them were creamy and pigmented. They have a bit of a waxy scent but it's subtle enough that it doesn't bother me. I definitely had fun playing with these funky lip colors. I really wished I did have a green lipstick but I guess that will be for next time.

Would you try these funky colors on yourself?

Smash Cosmetics Lipglosses - Swatch and Review

My back has been sore all weekend. I hope it gets better by tomorrow. I haven't caught up on my reviews but at least I took lots of pictures.

Here are the lipgloss samples from the Blogger Review Pack. You can pick and choose which color you want so I went with these two.

Wine & Dine is a a purpleish red / berry with a subtle pink shimmer. Semi-opaque. The consistency is on the thinner side but it's not runny. It isn't sticky and feels comfortable on the lips. Pigmentation and color shows fairly good with a little bit of translucency to it.

Fettish is quite purple with more blue undertone. Semi-opaque. It looks more wearable than I originally thought when I first swatched it. The consistency is just a tad bit thicker than Wine & Dine; however, it doesn't feel sticky or heavy. It has a stronger waxy smell.

These lipglosses have an average staying power and last about 2 hours, without eating or drinking. the nice thing about lipgloss is that they can be used on their own, mixed with another lipgloss color, or added on over a lipstick. Although I'm not much of a gloss girl, I like to have the versatility that a lipgloss offers.

Smash Cosmetics Eyeshadows and Primer - Review and Swatches

Hello,

I hauled these eyeshadows a little while back and since I didn't use them much when I first got them my review had been slightly delayed. I purchased them from an Etsy seller. You can view her store by clicking this link http://www.etsy.com/shop/SMASHCOSMETICS

These are the eyeshadows that I got from the Blogger Review Pack, which is a pretty awesome deal, if you ask me. $4.50 for 5 eyeshadow samples, 5 lipstick samples, 2 lipgloss samples, and 1 eyeshadow primer sample. I haven't review the rest yet.

Like most eyeshadow pigments, these can be messy. Ingredients consist of titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, jojoba oil and may contain chromium oxide green, iron oxide, and tin oxide.

I'm not one of those people who always lurk my attention to the ingredient label...Shame on me I know but that is because I have no freaking clue of what some of it means. Anyways, to spare you from my lack of emaducation, I did google up what those are used for. If you already know, feel free to skip or correct me if I'm wrong.

Titanium dioxide - a mineral used in cosmetics as an opacifier and sunscreen.
Mica - a mineral used as colorant and opacifier.
Magnesium Stearate - lightweight filler to help improve adhesion and work as a thickening and binding agent.
Chromium Oxide Green - mineral pigment used as colorant, green of course.
Iron Oxide - a binary compound consisting of iron and oxygen, mostly used for base colors reds and browns.
Tin Oxide - used to coat mica and to create more vibrant color

XXX is a dark matte grey with a subtle pink shimmer. When swatched dry, it looked muddy and flat but when I used it over a primer it looks so much better. The picture on the seller's site is way different. I think mine is more accurate.

Pulchritudinous is my favorite out of the bunch and I've used this one the most since it's easier to wear to work. I find this color hard to describe. Shimmery bronze with a mauvy color shift? Has a bit of a red undertone and some specks of blue. I find that this color was easier to apply and blend.

Hurricane is a shimmery medium blue with a subtle teal sheen to it. I don't think this color is available anymore.

Majestic is a medium reddish purple with a very subtle blue, pink, and silver shimmer.

Blue Steel is a dark dusty blue with subtle light blue, pink, and silver shimmers. Looks more vibrant on the seller's site but it's really much darker in real life.

I love the colors of the eyeshadow. They require a little bit more patience and the best way to make them look nice is to pat them on and layer them to build up the color intensity. Also it's important to use a good eyeshadow base or primer to help prolong the wear and minimize fading.

The cream eyeshadow primer is very thick but I didn't have any issue applying and blending it over the skin. I really like how the eyeshadows look when I use this primer. It really makes them pop and look more vibrant. It binds to the pigment like glue, yet allows them to flow and blend effortlessly. The only problem I had with it is that I notice some creasing and fading after 5 hours of wear.

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, B5, Acrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol

The seller has a very large selection of eyeshadow colors and they are reasonably priced. I did experience some delays in processing and shipping at the time I ordered so I hope that it is no longer an issue if these become of interest to you. 

Smash Cosmetics Haul & What To Do When Things Go Wrong

As my curiosity with Indie makeup increased, I decided to take a chance and place an order with a brand/seller I am not familiar with. A month ago, I ordered a few items with Smash Cosmetics, which you can find on Etsy. Seller offers a variety of makeup such as eyeshadows, lipsticks, lipgloss, and hair dyes...all of which is handmade. Seller claims the eyeshadows and lip colors are vegan. Seller also provides list of ingredients with all of her products.

This was my first Etsy purchase so I relied mainly on the feedbacks. The majority were positive so I decided to give it a go. Let's just say, things didn't go as expected...

I just received my order last Thursday. Yes, it took that long and it has got to the point I felt the need to open a case with Paypal because I was getting frustrated with my order hanging in limbo somewhere.

So here's the time line of my dilemma...

July 15 - Placed my order and paid using Paypal
July 25 - I was provided with a tracking number, going via USPS.
July 31 - Almost a week later, I messaged seller asking about my order because I have not received it and there is no tracking activity with the tracking number she provided me with.
August 1 - Seller messaged back and apologized for the delay due to a medical emergency. Although I got the tracking number, the package hasn't gone out thus why no activity. She promised she will ship it the next day. That bothered me but ok fine. Seller provided me a 60% off coupon on my next purchase for putting up with the inconvenience.
August 2 - I messaged seller again to see if it has shipped because there was not shipping activity. Seller replied that it was mailed the night before and to allow 24 hrs for tracking activity to appear.
August 7 - still no shipping activity and no sign of the packaging. It's been almost a month and I'm getting frustrated with this order. I opened a case with Paypal. Seller replied same day and said she is going to check with the post office. Later on, she replied back and said several of her orders shipped the same day are MIA as well. Doesn't help me but oh well, at least she's looking into it.
August 8 - Package arrived with no tracking activity. FINALLY! I went to bed early and didn't get a chance to open my package.
August 9- I opened the package and inspected it to make sure everything is in order and it was. I cancelled the Paypal case and messaged seller that I had my package.

Things you need to know if this has never happened to you:

• Always use Paypal when you are taking chances with a business you are not familiar with. First, it's the safest way to pay without providing them with your credit card detail. Second, if something goes wrong, you have the opportunity to have your case reviewed by Paypal and possibly get your money back. 
• Try to resolve the problem with the seller first. If seller doesn't respond, is unwilling to work things out,  or no action is taken, open a case with Paypal. 
• Remember, you have 45 days, from the time you send the payment to open a case.  
• If the case isn't resolved between you and the seller, you must escalate it within 20 days from the time the case is opened and a Paypal representative will handle your case from there. 
• If you receive your items, make sure you inspect them and that you are satisfied with them before closing the case. Once it is closed, it cannot be re-opened. 

As far as the seller goes, I give her props for her quick responses and her willingness to try to work things out with the problem. It's nice to offer discount to your customers when things go wrong but it's better to just get it right from the get go. First impression is critical, especially if you want the customer to return.

On the other hand, the order still took longer than expected to process. Seller stated on her page that it will take 5-7 business days to process orders.  I was a little ticked off at the fact that I waited a week for my package just to find out it hasn't even shipped. Then I got even more annoyed when I checked back and there is still no shipping activity. At the time I didn't know what was going on and I was really annoyed by then but after I have gotten my package, I realized that the seller wasn't to blame for what wasn't showing on the tracking number.

In spite of having some issues with the shipping, overall I think the seller had good customer service skills and tried to do her part. Since this is the first occurrence and she handled it in a professional manner, I will consider ordering again in the future.

Now that I got that off my chest, let's move on to the haul...

I ordered the Blogger Review Pack, which consist of 5 eyeshadow samples, 1 primer sample, 2 lipgloss samples, and 5 lipstick samples. All for $4.25, which I thought was a pretty good deal! The catch is you must have a blog in order to be eligible for this package deal. I love sampling, especially if I've never tried the product before. The price is great and you get a good variety to try out and I also love that they come in these little pots that are also properly labeled, instead of baggies. Another great thing is that you can request the shades that you want :)

Lipgloss samples: Wine & Dine and Fettish

Lipstick samples

Yes, I requested blue lipsticks! LOL cause I'm weird like that and because I can.

And lastly, I ordered two liquid eyeliners in the shade Snow and Sapphire. Seller claims that these are waterproof and smudge resistant. 8ml tube for $7.22

Total cost $18.69 and shipping cost $2.00.

Seller offers quite a wide variety colors to choose from, which I think is worth a look (especially if you want a blue or green lipstick, hehehe). If want to place an order and you are ok with some processing and shipping delays, you can get 20% off your purchase by using coupon code FIRSTTIMER1.

I will review and swatch each category separately.

What do you think of these products? Do you order from people you never heard of before or you wait for reviews first? What's the worst thing that ever happened to an order you made?