Pretty Serious Cosmetics
One of my goals for this blog in the new year is to review more indie brands. When it comes to cruelty-free and vegan makeup, there is a whole world out there of independent companies doing it right. I know some people may shy away from brands that are not more mainstream, and that's why I want to introduce you to these brands, so that you know which ones are really worth spending your money on.
A fellow beauty blogger (http://www.platinumpj.com) recommended this brand to me on Twitter. I contacted the company, and they were kind enough to send me several of their loose eyeshadows to review for you guys! Sadly, they are in the process of phasing out their current eyeshadow and lip gloss lines. So grab them while you can! The good news is that the brand is sticking to their vegan and cruelty-free philosophy and will be offering new items this year. Aside from eyeshadows, this cruelty-free and vegan Australian brand offers a variety of beautiful nail polishes on their site for purchase. I know many of you are looking for cruelty-free polish brands, and Pretty Serious offers a pretty awesome selection of colors. All shadows seen in this post can be purchased here:
Pretty Serious packages their loose eyeshadow in the most adorable way. Purple is my favorite color, so A+ on packaging. Secondly, the amount of product you get is remarkable. These eyeshadow jars are literally about 5x the size of normal loose eyeshadow jars in my collection.You get 5 grams of product for $9.95, housed in a sifter jar with screw top lid.
This collection of shadows is called Hello World and contains six eyeshadows with corresponding lip glosses and nail polishes.
Here is my first impression of the loose eyeshadows from the collection:
Each shadow came in the box pictured on the left. I think the writing, artwork and colors are unique and fun. I just love the little cartoon character with rollers in her hair blowing on her nails so they'll dry faster. Every woman who has every gotten ready can relate to the photo. I really like when indie brands go all out and give us a little something special in the packaging. I know not everyone thinks things like this are important, but it matters to me. When I see a brand has put some effort into not only the actual product, but how it's housed, it makes me feel like they really care about what they are selling.
BSOD- This is my favorite of the shadows I tried. It's a very bright blue with turquoise shimmer. This is extremely pigmented and blends very well. If you only try one of these shadows, this should be it. Even though I have a large eyeshadow and pigment collection, this color is completely unique and I don't own anything like it.
CGA- This is a pinky purple, almost lavender shadow with turquoise glitter. I absolutelly love this color for Springtime and can see myself using it a lot. You'll see this shadow again in future blog posts for sure. CGA, I have big plans for you my friend.
VT100- Is a vibrant grass green with gold and green sparkle. As you know emerald is the Pantone color of the year for 2013, making this shimmery green a must have for those looking to stay on trend. When used on a wet angled brush, this works beautifully as a colored liner along the upper lash line.
Tux-Is described as an inky blackened green with iridescent blue sparkle. I love using this as liner. I sprayed an angled brush with my rosewater glycerin spray, dipped it into the pigment and used it as liner. This color is very deep and pigmented, but the shimmer in it really adds more dimension to the color making it really interesting.
Forbidden Fruit- This is the most versatile of the shades I tested. It's a shimmery white that is more sheer than the other shades, making it perfect for highlighting. I used it to highlight the inner corner of my eyes, under the brow, along my cheekbones and as a lightener with the other colors.
Morning Java- This is a rich brown with copper and golden shimmer. This works well as a crease color, and blends beautifully into other shades. The golden glitter flecks play off the light creating the most beautiful iridescence on the eye.
All of the shades here are cruelty-free and vegan. I found them all to be pigmented and blend quite well. The only shade that is a bit more sheer is Forbidden Fruit, and it's so indicated as the color is described as "delicate" by the brand. I think this shade needs to be a bit more sheer to work as a highlight.
Here are swatches of all the colors:
From Left To Right (above): VT100, BSOD, Forbidden Fruit, Tux, Morning Java, CGA
While swatches are a good indication of color payoff, I always like to show you the colors in a completed eye look so that you can see how they work and blend together. As you can see, I was easily able to create the perfect blend using these shadows:
For the eye look, I mixed BSOD with VT100 to create an aqua color. I mixed in some Forbidden Fruit to lighten it. In the outer corner of the eye, I used Morning Java, which I blended into the crease. I used Forbidden Fruit as a highlight both under the brow, and on the inner corner of the eye. I took my custom created lid color and took it on the lower lash line as well. I used Morning Java as liner on the lower lash line, and Tux on a wet angled brush as liner on the top lash line.
For the rest of the face, I used Forbidden Fruit to highlight my upper cheekbones, cupid's bow, and bridge of the nose. I really love this color as highlighter, and I think I'll get a lot of use out of it.
Make sure you pick these up why they are still available, trust me you won't be disappointed!
A special thanks to TheProductJunkies, my Twitter friend for recommending this brand to me!
And of course a huge "thank you!" to Kaz for being so sweet and sending me this whole collection to review for my readers. I really appreciate it!
Again, if you are interested in purchasing any products from Pretty Serious, you can shop here: http://www.pretty-serious.com/
If you try this brand, I'd love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below. Remember, each comment is approved individually, so don't be surprised if you don't see your comment right away. I love hearing from you, but please refrain from linking to your own blog. If you have a beauty blog of your own and would like to do a collab, you can DM me on Twitter at @MakeupMatters1
*This review features products sent to me by the company for review. This in no way alters my review. All of my reviews are 100% honest. I do not get paid to write reviews, and have never accepted any money in exchange for writing a review. I only write reviews in hopes of helping my readers make more informed purchasing decisions.
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