Hey Zombies!
I've needed to revise my favorites list for some time now as it's changed drastically over the last year. So, no better time than right now!
I've been blogging for almost 3 years now and most of my favorite indie companies have been a favorite of mine since then. Some have changed, some have fallen off the earth, but my tried and true remain (and I very rarely stray from those that I know and love) and that's what makes them good, solid indie companies. Despite drama and adversity, they aren't going anywhere and continue to crank out lovely products and fantastic customer service.
Fyrinnae: Fyrinnae was among the first companies I purchased from when starting my blogging adventure. As soon as I opened the zebra printed tissue paper, I was in love. There is something special about Fyrinnae pigments. They simply ARE magical. All of the shades I own (which is probably 15 shy of their entire collection) are unique, pigmented, contain just the right amount of glitter or shimmer and last on my lids for an insanely long time. (And yes, that's a good thing.) Fyrinnae strives to cater to their customers and listen with an open ear to any suggestions that may arise. The company also stays away from drama, which loves to crop up these days in the indie world. I love every single new color they produce and because they release new colors sparingly, it's that much more exciting to see what they come out with. Fyrinnae is LOVE in a jar.
Evil Shades: Ahhh, Evil Shades. Where to begin? At the beginning. Evil Shades was the first indie company I purchased from that didn't repackage their pigments (I didn't know about repackaging at that time) and the difference in the her pigments compared to private label was incredible. The shades are rich and pigmented and full of glitter. Andrea was also one of the "bigger" bloggers on the scene at that time to take me under her wing and linked my blog to her fans. Right at that moment, a beautiful friendship was born. So YES, I adore Evil Shades because I adore Andrea and I'm biased at this point, but because we are almost 3 years in, I can be. Andrea has struggled as of late with her products being criticized and has handled the adversity and criticism professionally- striving to improve her products or explain openly why there might be a problem with shipping, etc. A lot of companies these days tend to run away and hide from their customers. Andrea produces new and fun products all the time, but keeps her collections reasonably small to keep up with her turn around time and orders. Make sure you pick up "Zombie" eyeshadow and follow Evil Shades on Facebook!
Tick:Tock Cosmetics: T:TC has been around for a while now, but I've only just had the pleasure to try some of their products. Like I said, I stick with my tried and true and I'm sometimes hesitant to try new indies these days, but in the case of T:TC, I am so glad I did. I love the quality of T:TC shadows. They are smooth and rich with incredible pigmentation. My favorite product from T:TC is the Infinity eyeshadow base in "Milky Way". It's replaced any white base I used before i.e. NYX Jumbo Pencil in "Milk" with this and it lasts all day. It's seriously an amazing product and has made T:TC one of my favorite companies on that fact alone. The owners Elizabeth and Tiffany are such sweethearts as well and try hard to accommodate their customers and bring out products and colors that they know people will love. Follow T:TC on Facebook!
My Pretty Zombie: MPZ is such a fun company with a bright, beautiful, and eccentric owner and unique products. With eyeshadow named "Gangrenous" and "Black Eye", how can you go wrong, really? I've been suing MPZ for 2+ years now, mainly because I can't get "Unicorn Pee" Eyeshadow anywhere else, nor would I want to. ;) Follow MPZ on Facebook!
Geek Chic Cosmetics: It's only been very recently that my adoration of Geek Chic has grown into love. Not just because the store is full of geek inspired eyeshadow and lipstick, but because the owners Chantel and Phil are down to earth and quick to find solutions to problems that may arise with their company. And I really do admire that. GCC has also had it's fair share of adversity lately and have handled it with professionalism and excellent customer care; striving to keep their products and customers top priority. My all time favorite glitter in my collection is a GCC Glitter Grenade called Frag. Just check out the store to see why. It's the coolest glitter on the planet. Follow Geek Chic on Facebook!
Dreaming Tree Soapworks: I've tried my fair share of indie bath and body/perfumery companies in my blogging years. Some I loved, some not so much. Some I won't purchase from or support even if the product is amazing for different reasons. I've been gun shy lately with indie B&B until I tried Dreaming Tree. The scents are amazing, especially Dark Goddess and Alyce and I adore the lotion and facial soap from this company. With so many choices on indie B&B these days, I think I'll stick to Dreaming Tree as I've had no adverse reactions to the products (I'm really critical of face products because I have a pretty sensitive skin) and I adore all the different scents and various products they offer. Their Luxurious Lotions have cured my dry, ugly cuticles. SCORE. Follow Dreaming Tree on Facebook!
Darling Girl Cosmetics: Who doesn't love a little DGC? If you haven't tried their eyeshadow, lip balms, or glitter yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. Darling Girl's owner Susan is super hands on with her customers on her Facebook fanpage and creates customer idea inspired collections all the time! Hello "Nerdvana" and "Darling Grrl". The eyeshadow and lippies from Darling Girl are fun and colorful with just the right amount of sparkle at an affordable price! My favorite holo-gloss from DGC is "Holly Jolly!" Follow Darling Girl Cosmetics on Facebook!
Dorian and Dahl Perfumery: New to the indie scene, D&D fits right in with their wonderful, whimsical, and delicious scents. Erin the owner is amazing at creating awesome scent descriptions that make you want to purchase all the perfume in her shop. The best part is that once you've received the scent, it's dead on to its description. The scents last forever and I've never received as many compliments on a perfume I'm wearing as when I'm wearing "Zombie" from D&D. I also adore the care that's taken with the packaging and labeling from D&D. Follow D&D on Facebook!
The beauty of independent companies as opposed to big box brands is obviously the affordable prices, but it's also the fact that you can truly get to know the owners of indie companies! You can be hands on in your shopping experience and suggest colors from time to time or have the owner make you something custom to suit your needs and desires. I get asked quite a bit why I like and review indie brands over big box and it's simple, I support handmade in all aspects; with very few exceptions (such as owner harassment of customers, bullying, repackaged or private label products, etc.) I support anything made from the heart and made with awesome and WIN!
You can see *some* of my reviews and swatches here:
Geek Chic Cosmetics
Darling Girl No, No, Notorious! and Rainbow Brite!
Fyrinnae and Fyrinnae Halloween 2011
Dreaming Tree Soapworks
Evil Shades Hardcore Lips and Revisited!
My Pretty Zombie
Tick:Tock Cosmetics
All opinions in this post are MY own.
I've needed to revise my favorites list for some time now as it's changed drastically over the last year. So, no better time than right now!
I've been blogging for almost 3 years now and most of my favorite indie companies have been a favorite of mine since then. Some have changed, some have fallen off the earth, but my tried and true remain (and I very rarely stray from those that I know and love) and that's what makes them good, solid indie companies. Despite drama and adversity, they aren't going anywhere and continue to crank out lovely products and fantastic customer service.
Fyrinnae: Fyrinnae was among the first companies I purchased from when starting my blogging adventure. As soon as I opened the zebra printed tissue paper, I was in love. There is something special about Fyrinnae pigments. They simply ARE magical. All of the shades I own (which is probably 15 shy of their entire collection) are unique, pigmented, contain just the right amount of glitter or shimmer and last on my lids for an insanely long time. (And yes, that's a good thing.) Fyrinnae strives to cater to their customers and listen with an open ear to any suggestions that may arise. The company also stays away from drama, which loves to crop up these days in the indie world. I love every single new color they produce and because they release new colors sparingly, it's that much more exciting to see what they come out with. Fyrinnae is LOVE in a jar.
Evil Shades: Ahhh, Evil Shades. Where to begin? At the beginning. Evil Shades was the first indie company I purchased from that didn't repackage their pigments (I didn't know about repackaging at that time) and the difference in the her pigments compared to private label was incredible. The shades are rich and pigmented and full of glitter. Andrea was also one of the "bigger" bloggers on the scene at that time to take me under her wing and linked my blog to her fans. Right at that moment, a beautiful friendship was born. So YES, I adore Evil Shades because I adore Andrea and I'm biased at this point, but because we are almost 3 years in, I can be. Andrea has struggled as of late with her products being criticized and has handled the adversity and criticism professionally- striving to improve her products or explain openly why there might be a problem with shipping, etc. A lot of companies these days tend to run away and hide from their customers. Andrea produces new and fun products all the time, but keeps her collections reasonably small to keep up with her turn around time and orders. Make sure you pick up "Zombie" eyeshadow and follow Evil Shades on Facebook!
Tick:Tock Cosmetics: T:TC has been around for a while now, but I've only just had the pleasure to try some of their products. Like I said, I stick with my tried and true and I'm sometimes hesitant to try new indies these days, but in the case of T:TC, I am so glad I did. I love the quality of T:TC shadows. They are smooth and rich with incredible pigmentation. My favorite product from T:TC is the Infinity eyeshadow base in "Milky Way". It's replaced any white base I used before i.e. NYX Jumbo Pencil in "Milk" with this and it lasts all day. It's seriously an amazing product and has made T:TC one of my favorite companies on that fact alone. The owners Elizabeth and Tiffany are such sweethearts as well and try hard to accommodate their customers and bring out products and colors that they know people will love. Follow T:TC on Facebook!
My Pretty Zombie: MPZ is such a fun company with a bright, beautiful, and eccentric owner and unique products. With eyeshadow named "Gangrenous" and "Black Eye", how can you go wrong, really? I've been suing MPZ for 2+ years now, mainly because I can't get "Unicorn Pee" Eyeshadow anywhere else, nor would I want to. ;) Follow MPZ on Facebook!
Geek Chic Cosmetics: It's only been very recently that my adoration of Geek Chic has grown into love. Not just because the store is full of geek inspired eyeshadow and lipstick, but because the owners Chantel and Phil are down to earth and quick to find solutions to problems that may arise with their company. And I really do admire that. GCC has also had it's fair share of adversity lately and have handled it with professionalism and excellent customer care; striving to keep their products and customers top priority. My all time favorite glitter in my collection is a GCC Glitter Grenade called Frag. Just check out the store to see why. It's the coolest glitter on the planet. Follow Geek Chic on Facebook!
Dreaming Tree Soapworks: I've tried my fair share of indie bath and body/perfumery companies in my blogging years. Some I loved, some not so much. Some I won't purchase from or support even if the product is amazing for different reasons. I've been gun shy lately with indie B&B until I tried Dreaming Tree. The scents are amazing, especially Dark Goddess and Alyce and I adore the lotion and facial soap from this company. With so many choices on indie B&B these days, I think I'll stick to Dreaming Tree as I've had no adverse reactions to the products (I'm really critical of face products because I have a pretty sensitive skin) and I adore all the different scents and various products they offer. Their Luxurious Lotions have cured my dry, ugly cuticles. SCORE. Follow Dreaming Tree on Facebook!
Darling Girl Cosmetics: Who doesn't love a little DGC? If you haven't tried their eyeshadow, lip balms, or glitter yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. Darling Girl's owner Susan is super hands on with her customers on her Facebook fanpage and creates customer idea inspired collections all the time! Hello "Nerdvana" and "Darling Grrl". The eyeshadow and lippies from Darling Girl are fun and colorful with just the right amount of sparkle at an affordable price! My favorite holo-gloss from DGC is "Holly Jolly!" Follow Darling Girl Cosmetics on Facebook!
Dorian and Dahl Perfumery: New to the indie scene, D&D fits right in with their wonderful, whimsical, and delicious scents. Erin the owner is amazing at creating awesome scent descriptions that make you want to purchase all the perfume in her shop. The best part is that once you've received the scent, it's dead on to its description. The scents last forever and I've never received as many compliments on a perfume I'm wearing as when I'm wearing "Zombie" from D&D. I also adore the care that's taken with the packaging and labeling from D&D. Follow D&D on Facebook!
The beauty of independent companies as opposed to big box brands is obviously the affordable prices, but it's also the fact that you can truly get to know the owners of indie companies! You can be hands on in your shopping experience and suggest colors from time to time or have the owner make you something custom to suit your needs and desires. I get asked quite a bit why I like and review indie brands over big box and it's simple, I support handmade in all aspects; with very few exceptions (such as owner harassment of customers, bullying, repackaged or private label products, etc.) I support anything made from the heart and made with awesome and WIN!
You can see *some* of my reviews and swatches here:
Geek Chic Cosmetics
Darling Girl No, No, Notorious! and Rainbow Brite!
Fyrinnae and Fyrinnae Halloween 2011
Dreaming Tree Soapworks
Evil Shades Hardcore Lips and Revisited!
My Pretty Zombie
Tick:Tock Cosmetics
All opinions in this post are MY own.
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