If anyone's late getting on board with indie mineral makeup companies, it's probably me. I have only tried a select few (Darling Girl, Meow, Geek Chic, for example), yet despite fabulous experiences I just have not gotten around to ordering more. After hearing so many wonderful things about Kiss My Sass Cosmetics I decided it was time to see what they had to offer. Besides, indie mineral eyeshadows are amazing! They reach a level of pigmentation and overall quality that other eyeshadows in my collection just cannot compete with. That being said, when I discovered Kiss My Sass offers a Blogger/YouTube "one time review" opportunity, I had to apply! In this post I'll share with you my thoughts of the eyeshadows (and one blush) I received, as well as pictures and swatches.
I'll start out by quickly describing a little about the "one time review" thing: to put it simply, if you meet the outlined requirements on the website (having a blog or YouTube channel) you can apply to receive a $15 gift certificate to KMS to spend at your discretion. This is what I did and ended up only paying a small difference.
Me being a super-fan of neutrals (<3!), you know I chose my safe colors! Elizabeth also threw in two samples (Nessie and Meteor) which I have also included in the swatches.
I ordered six eyeshadows in sample jars, and one blush also in a sample jar. Eyeshadow and blush samples are $2.00 each. Full size eyeshadows come in a 5g jar for $5.00, while blushes are offered in 10g jars for $6.00 or 20g jars for $11.00 (none have sifters). Everything is very, very affordable and makes my college student budget overly excited!
Below you can see exactly what the labeled sample jar looks like- I love the fun designs on the sticker and how the cursive font used for the name is continued on the back. It's a minor detail but keeps the look cohesive and pulled together (and I can just really appreciate a company taking time to put extra effort into things like this!). Having the ingredients right on the label is also something to note.
The shades I received are as follows (according to the website):
Nessie (sample)- Green/blue with violet sparkles
Meteor (sample)- Taupe with pink interference and copper sparkles
Nude Beach- Peachy nude with pink sparkles
Spellbound- Muted purple with green shimmer
Hayride- Dark gold with a semi-metallic finish
Tea Rose- Peachy pink with golden shimmer
Piercing Parlor- Silver with a metallic sheen
Sleepy Hollow- Charcoal gray with a copper sheen
Blush: Innocent- Nude beige with a violet sheen
Ok, now that I'm looking up shade descriptions on the website, how did I not see some of these other gorgeous colors when I made my order? (Seagrass, Night Elf, I'm looking at you guys!)
L-R: Eyeshadows in Beach Sand, Spellbound, Hayride
L-R: Eyeshadows in Tea Rose, Piercing Parlor, Sleepy Hollow; Blush in Innocent
Before I get into the products themselves, I must say that having no sifters makes these mess city! Love them, I hate to sound negative, but I can be CLUMSY and Piercing Parlor never wants to stay in his jar. I would love to see even a full-sized jar with sifter available for purchase, so others (like me!) can have the option.
After having a couple weeks to play around with the eyeshadows (and blush!), I've come to a conclusion: once applied, they are gorgeous. Some gave me more troubles than others and my main issues really involved application. For instance, Hayride, Meteor, Sleepy Hollow, and Tea Rose are beautiful to work with; no problems whatsoever. Nessie, Nude Beach, and Spellbound, however, went on a little patchy and dry. Innocent as a blush didn't present itself with any complications. It is really important to mention here that despite the minor issues I had actually applying those three eyeshadows, once applied they are just as gorgeous as the rest. Remember my green-eyed St. Patty's Day looks? I used Nessie in the second one and it added a pop of teal.
There is just something to be said about the complexity and rich color payoff these eyeshadows have. You'll see for yourself in my swatches below (which my pictures really don't do justice), but all of them and the blush are beautifully pigmented. I've had no problems with them creasing or fading and only minor instances of fall-out. And before I forget to mention Innocent, I'm LOVING it for those days when I want totally natural-looking cheeks but need a little hint of color- and the violet shift gives it a little extra oomph!
Alright, finally onto the swatches! I have to tell you that I redid these about five times trying to get them to look perfect. They are nowhere near perfection but I think I managed to get a few good pictures (showing the color shifts that shades like Spellbound, Sleepy Hollow, and Innocent have!).
L-R: Nessie, Meteor, Nude Beach, Hayride, Tea Rose, Piercing Parlor, Sleepy Hollow, Innocent (blush)
My most favorite is Hayride (a MUST HAVE if you like bronzey-brown shades!), with Meteor and Sleepy Hollow in a tie for second. Meteor is a seriously awesome purple-y taupe shimmer that I think I need a full size of! If you guys saw anything here that you liked, KMS eyeshadows can be found here and blushes here. :)
What do you think? Have you tried Kiss My Sass? If so, which shades/products do you recommend? Thanks so much for reading, and I'd love to hear any other indie companies you've had great experiences with!
<3
Disclaimer: I was sent the mentioned products as a One Time Review from Kiss My Sass Cosmetics. While I was provided with a gift certificate, this has no influence on my review. I have no affiliation with the company whatsoever. All thoughts are 100% true and my own! I would never recommend something I wasn't pleased with.
