Darling Girl Cosmetics Haul & Swatches

(Warning: this post is very picture heavy)

Yeah yeah, talk about late to the party! Recently I placed my first ever order with Darling Girl Cosmetics, at the behest of my lovely Makeup Heroes. I've had my eye on the company for quite a while, but everytime I had money I seemed to be drawn to high-end or traditional cosmetics instead. My attention has shifted back to indie companies though, and I've been hauling like mad for the past couple of weeks. After scouring blogs and asking my Makeup Heroes for recommendations, I purchased Blue Suede Shoes and Raining Blood Holo Glosses, Stay Beautiful and Twiggy Tinted Lip Balms, a petit jar of Honey Pot eyeshadow, and a bunch of eyeshadows in sample baggie sizes.

I've not had the chance to wear any of these yet (beyond sitting in my pyjamas and applying the lip products, squealing over how pretty they are) so I can't comment on application or wear time. Anything that accompanies the official shade descriptions is simply a first impression or long-winded tale of why I chose that particular shade. :)

In sunlight

Peach Fuzz was a gift with purchase and I can't find an official description on the site. I see it as a pinky peach with a tiny hint of beige. It has a matte base with a tonne of silver and red shimmer. I wish I'd checked my mail box just a few hours earlier, because if I had I might've been able to use this in my Upside Down Smokey Eye look! I'm not too sure how much use I'll get out of this considering I barely use Shaymin from Shiro as it is, but I'll force myself to do something. If anything it'll make a nice super shimmery blush. :3

Plunder is described as "a gorgeous shimmering patina'd gold with multi-colored shimmers throughout. Best used with a sticky base." I'm glad Susan added that last part in about the sticky base, because when I was doing my swatches I was disappointed that this was just a sheerer version of Gargoyle. Granted the use of a sticky base might make it even closer to Gargoyle, but I won't know until I try it. 

In the shade, natural light

Gargoyle is a "a beautiful rich metallic patina'd green with coppery brown undertones." Like I said above, this is just Plunder on crack. Kind of like how Spellbound Cosmetics' Hepaetsus and Osiris are brother and sister shades. 

Honey Pot is part of the Naughty & Nice collection and is described as "a pretty loud honey toned gold with gorgeous shimmer." This is the shade I wanted from Darling Girl. Although I've long outgrown my obsession with gold eyeshadow, I've been lemming this shade like you wouldn't believe. Everytime someone does a Darling Girl swatchfest I scan the post hoping that Honey Pot will be there, and just about piddle my pants with excitement when it is. There's just something about that yellow/orange/honey tone that gets me.

This was the only shade I ordered in petit size, because I was damn near sure I'd love it. Swatching is nothing compared to actually wearing a shadow and testing it out, but from swatching it I can say it's as beautiful as the interwebz lead me to believe. <3 

In sunlight

Sex Kitten is described as follows "This was my attempt at a true red, boy that is a hard task, but I think this is pretty close. Sex Kitten is a saucy red with just enough holographic cosmetics micro-glitter." I don't think this is terribly close to being a true red, it has too much orange for that. It reminds me a bit of tomato sauce/ketchup, though that might just be because it's described as 'saucy'. 

Dark Ember is "a deep metallic smoked burgundy with flashes of pink shimmer and a coppery rubdown."  Ugh I cannot wait to try this one out, I love metallic reds and burgundies (though I don't wear them often enough to justify why I own so many....) and I'll have to try it out with Sex Kitten for an OMGSOMUCHRED sort of look.

In shade/natural light, possibly with flash? My camera is weird.

Legion is a "deep lustrous raisin brown taupe with aqua shimmers. Foiled it has a gorgeous orange/copper afterglow." I'm fairly certain I bought this one solely for the name (My name is Legion: for we are many, yadda yadda), since it's not a colour I'd usually purchase or wear. When I swatched this I got the urge to cackle evilly to myself. Except y'know, I didn't. Especially not outside where the neighbours could hear me, they probably thought it was weird enough that I kept coming outside and taking photos of my arm. Just kidding, they can't see me through their privacy fencing. I hope. :|

Blackcurrant is a "deep blackened royal purple with contrasting copper shimmers" aaaand it looks nothing like the website picture or shade description. I have to wonder if this was mislabelled, because it reads like a more taupe version of Concrete Minerals Smut. Halp?

Direct sunlight

Hana Maru is described as "Plush metallic silvery grey with iridescent and holographic micro glitters scattered throughout". I think I was feeling silvers at the time, and subconsciously on a quest to find one that won't turn blue on me. This one didn't turn blue on me when I swatched it, it turned more white than anything else. I'll have to actually wear it though to determine if I'm still a freak of nature that deters silvers and gunmetals. :)

Ring My Bell is a "soft silvery grey shimmer with very subtle violet sheen. Great Highlight color." Now I actually remember why I purchased this one: I was feeling duochrome highlight shades at the time. I love using off-white duochromes for an inner corner highlight with bright looks, and felt I needed a purple to add to my collection. Also, you are guaranteed to have that song stuck in your head after looking at the name. Trufax.  

Direct sunlight, but in the shade

Tin Man is a "super sparkly metallic silver with green shift and loads of multi-colored shimmers." Okay yeah, I'm starting to think I'm a freak of nature now. This silver also turned white on me. So greys, silvers and gunmetals not only turn black, blue and green on me, but white now too. LOL YAY :| Anyway this is pretty, and I'm excited to see how I can incorporate it into a look. 

Serenity is a "a warm slate blue with gold/copper shift". I'm not really sure that slate blue can be warm, but I'm guessing that's down to the gold and copper shift. I bought this one half for the name, and also because I don't really have any slate blue shades in my stash. I have a lot of gunmetals that turn slate blue on me, but none that were actually intended to be that colour. Funnily enough this seems to turn teal on me, resembling a lighter and sheerer Concrete Minerals Temptress. 

Sunlight

I wasn't quite able to capture these next few shades accurately, as they're quite light and they freaked my camera the fuck out. Serenity's in these next couple of photos too, because I figured that including a darker colour in the shot might provide an idea of how light or dark they are in comparison.

Blue Bonnet is described as "a pretty sky blue pearl with a slight silvery green shift." Again, this is something I bought because I didn't have anything similar. The closest I have are Lithium and Julia Dream from Hi-Fi Cosmetics. Lithium isn't even remotely close as it's 3029482394x brighter and crazier, and Julia Dream is glittery and has more of a purple tone to it. I'm interested to see what kind of looks I can create using this shade, purely because I don't own anything else quite like it. :)

Natural light/shade

Snuggle is a "sheer golden beige with a gold sheen. This is more of a satin finish" I agree with the shade description except for the satin part! Unless this shade was mislabelled, it's just as shimmery as the other shades in this bunch! :) This one is also part of the Naughty and Nice collection. 

Jewelled Taupe is "an amazing metallic bronzey taupe with amazing multi-colored shimmers like tiny little jewels ribbon-ed through it." Hot fucking damn, that doesn't even begin to describe it. It has pink glitter. PINK GLITTER. Not that I was able to even remotely capture it, but it's there. I generally don't understand the appeal of taupe eyeshadow (though I think it's cool that there are so many variations of taupe), but even I'm digging this shade. I believe it's a relatively new shade and therefore I didn't have the time to develop a Honey Pot-like obsession with it, but I no doubt would have. 

Shade, possibly with flash. Can't remember :X

Texas Tea is a "deep charcoal gray with green shift and loads of multi colored eye safe glitter." I love smokey shades, you know that by now. I have a bunch of blackened golds, purples, reds and blues, and even forest greens with a black base, but I didn't own a real blackened green. I can't wait to pair this with Moss from my new Tarte for True Blood Palette. 

Black Day is described as "a stunning dark coal black with blue duo chrome. Looks like a deep sapphire, but will rub down black, so I would recommend patting on rather than swiping on". I'm interested to see how it compares to Nocturnal from the True Blood Palette.

In sunlight

Sugar Minuet is a "blackened blurple metallic with royal blue flecks." The shade description for this is accurate, but I'll warn you that the product photo isn't even close - the site shows it as more of a periwinkle blue, which is odd. I swear I started lemming this after seeing swatches on Robyn's blog, but now I can't find the post! Maybe I was on crack.  

Dirty Talk is described as a "deep matte black base with silver and coppery shimmers" and is also from the Naughty & Nice collection. I don't really have anything exciting to say here, it's blackened and I'm excited to try it out. :P

Aaaaand a photo with flash for good measure!

I also ordered a couple of lip products, based on recommendations from Robyn and Wendy. I don't have any lip swatches because a) I'm shit at them, and b) my camera died before I had time to even try. I'll get on that soon, but I make no promise that the swatches will be any good XD

Stay Beautiful is described as a "stunning orange coral with violet undertones" and it's a Kiss You Off Colour Rich Lip Balm. It's named after Robyn, so I had to get it. (Christ, this post is turning into a Robyn love fest. I swear I'm not creepy! *foams at the mouth*) You all know that I love a good coral lip colour and I was interested to see what Susan's balms were like, so I had to add this to my stash.

Twiggy isn't on the site at the time of writing, as I believe Susan has taken down all the balms while she figures out which ones to discontinue. Some of the best-sellers are being relaunched as Kiss You Off Colour Rich Lip Balms, and I guess the others will disappear forever. :( It's a shame if this isn't relaunched, because it seems like a lovely brown nude shade that won't make for concealer lips. 

In direct sunlight

Blue Suede Shoes Holo-Gloss is "an awesome sheer blue with stunning turquoise shimmer throughout". I have been looking for a great shimmery blue gloss for eternity. Well, ever since I saw a Youtube guru use the limited edition (and unfortunately never repromoted) MAC Comet Blue Dazzleglass. I know Milani make one, but I'm a bit weird about ordering NYX and Milani online. *shrugs* I can't wait to layer this over other lip colours and see what kind of combos I can come up with! 

Raining Blood Holo-Gloss is described as a "blackened red with copper and red holo-shimmer." It's vaguely reminiscent of Redrum from Hi-Fi's Halloween 2010 collection, but that has more of a brown tone and is more metallic and opaque. Raining Blood is sheerer, leans more raspberry and has a jelly-like texture. I can already tell this is going to be badass over the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Cruella and Damned.

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Holy crap that was long, I personally wouldn't blame you if you just stared at the pretty pictures! :| Anyway I hope you enjoyed, I hope somebody finds these swatches useful, and I felt it was high time I actually swatched something to accompany these haul posts.