Entries for Saturday February 28
The SheSpace’s Random Acts of Color Collection
- Manufacturer: The She Space / About Face Cosmetics
- Availability: mid-February 2009 to mid-March 2009 through TSS' online web store or at the Chicago boutique
- Contains: 20 multilayered and color-changing hues
- Cost/Amount: samples $.50 each or $9.50 for all 20; full 3-gram jars $4.50 or $85.00 for all 20
- Would you purchase again: some colors, yes
The strong response to the Storypeople collection - bright hues in the midst of winter - plus the light reflecting off of yet another snowfall inspired this collection. According to the description, “all of the colors posted either twinkle with multiple shades of light, or change color when applied to the skin.”
The SheSpace’s Storypeople Collection
- Manufacturer: The She Space / About Face Cosmetics
- Availability: limited edition - late January 2009 through February 13, 2009 through TSS' online storefront
- Contains: 20 bright, highly pigmented mineral powder colors
- Cost/Amount: entire collection, fullsize jars: $87; entire collection, samples: $10; individual samples $.50, individual colors $4.50 for a full 3-gram jar (no sifter)
- Would you purchase again: yes - about half of the colors
Introduced in late January 2009, this collection was inspired by the artwork of Brian Andreas and named after his art line and site, “Storypeople”. Heather, the self-described color junkie and “mad scientist” behind TSS/About Face Cosmetics, describes Andreas’ art as “kind of like what it looks like in my head at any given moment” and this collection as “one of my brightest and boldest collection to date….but don’t panic….there is something for everybody and the colors are completely wearable! The holidays have ended and the lull sometimes gets the best of me while I am waiting for Spring to arrive, so it just feels like the right time to inject a bold amount of color into the world and see if it sticks!” With all the neutrals that were coming in the various kits from other big-name companies, and the accompanying bad weather that winter, this bright colorful collection really struck a chord. (Many people, myself included, kept the page open in our browsers just to see the bright colors and get a little emotional lift.)
Entries for Friday February 27
BareMinerals’ Salsa
- Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
- Availability: through Sephora's webstore, as part of the Destination Ensenada kit
- Color Range: deep blue-red sheen
- Staying Power: 4 out of 4
- Cost/Amount: .57 gram of product; only available as part of a kit
- Would you purchase again: yes
- Similar shades: TSS' Vampires Tap Dancing
Salsa is the red color in Bare Escentuals’ Destination: Ensenada kit. It’s a slightly sheer color, and a neutral red. It’s less pigmented than Vampires Tap Dancing from TSS, which it most closely resembles - Salsa could be used to warm up an eye look, to provide a light red base note, or as a lip color. I don’t know that it could successfully be used as a cheek color because it is very dark, and has pretty good staying power even when applied dry.
This color is a pink-red, more than a blue-red. It does have a pearl finish, but there is no interference color to it (as with Vampires Tap Dancing.) Another closely related color is TKB Trading’s Red Hilite.
BareMinerals’ Midnight Sky
- Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
- Availability: BE webstore, BE boutiques, Sephora webstore, various other partner channels
- Color Range: deep dark blue
- Staying Power: 3 out of 4
- Cost/Amount: $13 for .28 grams
- Would you purchase again: yes
- Similar shades: Simply Naturals' Blueberry, Bare Escentuals' Marina
Like all of Bare Escentuals’ liner shadows, Midnight Sky is more pigmented than the regular BE eyeshadows. It is not as dark a color as the limited-edition BE liner shadow French Navy; but it’s a deep rich blue with no sparkle or shimmer whatsoever.
It is a little chalkier than BE’s shimmers and glimmers; but not as chalky (ironically) as French Navy. Like all blue colors, it’s intense and strong and takes no prisoners. Also like all blue pigments, it loves to migrate - even when I use sealant. Fortunately, like all the shadows in BE’s line, it’s got fairly good staying power and doesn’t smudge away to nothing.
Aromaleigh v1’s Rocks! Sonic Rouge collection
- Vendor: Aromaleigh v1
- Availability: regularly available beginning in 2006 from the company's webstore
- Contains: 8 colors
- Cost/Amount: USD$8.50 for 3 grams; 1/4-teaspoon samples $2.00
- Would you purchase again: yes
These colors also have lakes (D&C dyes) in them - so anyone with skin sensitivities should be careful about buying these. This collection includes:
- Breathless — lush bright pink sheen
- Candy-O — bright fuschia sheen
- Cherrybomb — medium-deep blue-red sheen
- Femme Fatale — bright watermelon-pink sheen
- Firewoman — bright blue-red sheen
- Sinisterrouge — deep burgundy sheen
- Sundaysgirl — bright coral-red sheen
- Wildflower — bright purple wine sheen
Each rouge had a match in the Sonic Lip Tints collection:
Entries for Thursday February 26
BareMinerals’ Destination Ensenada kit
- Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
- Availability: Spring 2007 through Winter 2009 exclusively online from Sephora
- Contains: four eyeshadows and a color-coordinated vinyl bag (green with pink piping)
- Cost/Amount: USD$42 for four .57g eyeshadows and one vinyl clutch. The eyeshadows alone would be $48 if purchased individually; and none of these eyeshadows are available as individuals.
- Would you purchase again: yes
Described as “a five piece collection inspired by Bare Escentuals Customer Cruise to Ensenada, Mexico.” I don’t tend to count the bags in these kits, so I’m just going to call it “a four piece collection” and be happy with that. Even so, it’s still a good value. The kit contains four brightly-hued but sheer colors. All four are brighter colors, all four are a sheer wash of color so are more versatile than might be imagined, and none of these have truly close duplicates anywhere in the BE regular lineup.
Aromaleigh v1’s Femme Fatale blush
- Vendor: Aromaleigh v1
- Availability: part of the Rocks! Sonic Rouge collection
- Color Range: bright watermelon-pink sheen
- Staying Power: 4 out of 4 stars
- Cost/Amount: USD$8.50 for 3 grams. 1/4-teaspoon sample for $2.00
- Would you purchase again: yes
- Similar shades:
Aromaleigh v1’s Breathless blush
- Vendor: Aromaleigh v1
- Availability: part of the Rocks! Sonic Rouge collection
- Color Range:lush bright pink sheen
- Staying Power: 4 out of 4 stars
- Cost/Amount: USD$8.50 for 3 grams. 1/4-teaspoon sample for $2.00
- Would you purchase again: yes
- Similar shades:
Entries for Wednesday February 25
Aromaleigh v1’s Candy-o blush
- Vendor: Aromaleigh v1
- Availability: part of the Rocks Sonic Rouge collection
- Color Range: bright fuschia sheen
- Staying Power: 4 out of 4 stars
- Cost/Amount: USD$8.50 for 3 grams. 1/4-teaspoon sample for $2.00
- Would you purchase again: yes
- Similar shades:
Entries for Tuesday February 24
The SheSpace’s Astrology - Pisces collection
- Manufacturer: The She Space / About Face Cosmetics
- Availability: beginning February 19, 2009 through TSS' online storefront
- Contains: 12 mineral eyeshadow colors and 6 lip balms
- Cost/Amount: entire collection, fullsize jars: $52; entire collection, samples: $6; individual samples $.50, individual colors $4.50 for a full 3-gram jar (no sifter)
- Would you purchase again: yes
Pisces’ main associated color is sea foam green. Rather than have another fairly monochrome collection, Heather chose to do all colors found in fish scales - iridescent and flashing blues, greens, purples. The eyecolors were sheerer than the normal run of TSS shadows, a bit similar to the Put It On Ice collection in terms of pigment intensity. These were more like colored glazes with iridescence and sparkle. (Or, to pull the oceanic analogy one bit further: faceted seaglass.) This collection included 12 eyeshadows and 6 lip balms.