Aromaleigh Ephemera - March 2015

Well, you may have noticed that I didn't really post in February. Normally, this would be because I was slacking. However, this time it's because a combination of my cat and a large glass of vodka and soda destroyed my computer! Not fun. BUT, I've finally replaced it and intend to stay on track for March. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, I received my March Ephemera box from Aromaleigh yesterday! This has become my favorite sub, and I was so excited to get it.

This month's theme was Norse Mythology (um, YES). Specifically, some of the overarching concepts in said mythology. As a history nerd (and former history major) and big fan of mythology, let me tell you - I am PSYCHED.

As always, Ephemera came all beautifully packaged and tied up in ribbon!

Seriously, how cute are these tiny boxes? I've been keeping them and keeping each month's goodies in them - perfect, easy storage.

First, we'll look at the samples. So far, every month Aromaleigh has included a couple of samples of theirs - this month, we have a preview of an upcoming collection, and a preview of next month's Ephemera box!

(I already tried out Carina, by the way - it's a sample from the upcoming Galactic collection, and let me tell you, it is freakin' STUNNING.) Next month's preview hints that it is based on an ancient Roman festival!

And, she's also included a lip gloss sample from Kiss My Sass Cosmetics. The sample is a sheer gloss with a pink sheen. It is cute and will be great to liven up a too-matte lipstick! I love that she's managed to send a sample from another indie company each month...such a nice touch!

As for the products themselves, this month we received a rouge and three eyeshadows. (Oh, and a couple of swedish fish..which I devoured immediately.)  I really love the labels and the fact that the name of each product is on the top!

Shades listed in the order depicted on the arm swatch photo below:

Valkyrie - An easy-wear, soft warm rose. Aromaleigh describes this blush as "your cheeks but better" and it really is! It's a perfect subtle, beautiful flush. It's named after the choosers of the slain, who decided the fates of warriors. I can see myself wearing this often! In fact, so far, all three of the rouges that I've received in Ephemera are perfect, and I have been wearing them most every day!

Valhalla - A soft, pale, weathered gold with strong blue interference sparkle. This shade is gorgeous - the pale blue sparkle makes it really special. It's named for the "hall of the slain", where Odin's chosen fallen warriors are housed. 

Yggdrasil - A midtone heathered green with copper interference shimmer. This is the prettiest green, a little different than any of the others I own! It's named after the huge tree that is central to Norse cosmology.

Ragnarok - This is a deep, warm reddish brown with gold/green interference shimmer. This is a nice, rich brown with the prettiest sparkle. It's named after the Norse end of days. Fun!

Overall, I am again impressed with this sub! The products are GORGEOUS and I really love how well thought-out Kristen's themes are. The shadows and blushes are always amazing quality, and she really has a way of creating unique sheens and finishes that make even neutral shades feel really special. 

Have you tried anything from Aromaleigh yet? If not, I highly recommend them!

Aromaleigh Ephemera - January 2014 Review and Unboxing

Lately, I've been really excited about indie subscription services - and in fact, indie makeup in general. I started thinking about how much money I was spending on beauty products put out by big corporations, and how much better I'd feel about supporting small businesses run by people doing what they love. Luckily, there are more and more companies making this transition possible!

Aromaleigh has been around for 16 years now. They are a small company out of South Carolina making vegan, cruelty free cosmetics. They make beautiful collections inspired by history, mythology, feminism, literature, science, classical music, astronomy, botany...basically, all of the things I care about! They also support Autism Acceptance organizations, having an owner with autism, and that is a very important cause for me. They are truly a great company!

January marks a new chapter for them - their first subscription box! I scrambled to sign up when they were made available, and I received it yesterday.  The box is $17.99 including shipping, and will be monthly. I am really impressed with the quality and thought that went into this box!

The shipping was super fast - she mailed it out on Friday, and I received it on Monday! It was packed in a bubble mailer, and it arrived in perfect condition.

I was really excited to open the mailer and find this adorable little box! The pretty sticker and ribbon make it feel like opening a present! I love that the box itself is marked with the month - it will make organization easy.

Opening it, I found the prettiest info sheet I've ever seen in a sub. It explains the theme, which is based on The White Witch from "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" in a really beautiful way. It also describes the items themselves. I really, really love the way she did the info sheet...reading it was a really nice part of the experience and felt more special than a simple list of items.

Underneath the sheet, you find all of the goodies. As you can see, she packed a lot into this little box! The turkish taffy was a really nice touch, and I kind of ate them while unboxing everything. In the box, she included two face products, two shadows (in adorable mini sizes), a sample of an upcoming blush, and samples from two other companies. 

Locusta is a blush sample from an upcoming expansion to the Ignis Antiquita collection.  It's a pretty coral color and I'll definitely have to check out the rest of the existing collection, as well as the upcoming expansion. I haven't tried this on my face yet, but will report back when I do!

We got two samples from other indie brands. 

The first is a lip product from Dreamworld Hermetica. They are a new company for me and I was pretty happy to see something from them in here! This product is called "Ectoplasmic Lips" in the shade "Wytch's Heart", and it is not listed on their website (which is currently closed to orders as they add new products) so I think this is one of their new products. It's really interesting - the texture is somewhere between a lipstick and a gloss. It goes on shiny and shimmery and a bit sheer. It looks kind of scary bronze in the tub, but looks really gorgeous on the lips. I've included it in the look I did at the end of this post.

The second is a perfume sample from Ten Three Labs. This is a company I've been wanting to try, and indie perfumes are my current new passion! This sample is "Superstition's Willing Victim" and it is described as bay rum, peppermint, tea, lime, coconut, and sugarcane. I really like this! When I opened it to sniff it, I thought that it smelled a bit like a rum and coke with peppermint, and when I read the notes, I was surprised how spot on my first impression was! It's a really unique scent, and not one I probably would have chosen on my own, but am so glad that I got to try it. I am definitely interested in trying more scents from this company.

And now, the main products. As I mentioned we got two face products and two shadows. I really love the labels and the fact that the name of each product is on the top! I always find it hard to photograph products in sifter jars, so I've posted the descriptions of each product and some swatches of each!

I find the descriptions of each to be spot on...and yes, they are as beautiful as they sound!

Here is each product swatched in order, on bare skin, in artificial light in my bedroom. As with all products like this, the shimmer doesn't show in photos as much as you'd like, but it's all sparkly and gorgeous. 

And here are the products in natural light. They are nicely pigmented and have a great texture. The gold sheen in the White Witch is truly gorgeous and I wish photographs picked it up better!

Here's a quick look I did using all of the products except for the blush sample. Everything was really easy to work with and wears absolutely beautifully!

Overall, I am loving this box. The products are so beautiful and well thought out and the quality is amazing. I'm so glad I signed up for Ephemera, and I think this has the potential to become my favorite sub!

Have you tried any indie subs yet? Would you?

I purchased all items mentioned myself and was not compensated for this review.