Review: Linnaeus Cosmetics - Axolotl Collection

So recently I found out I won a giveaway over at Toxid Lotus for Linnaeus Cosmetics' Axolotl collection. I was beyond ecstatic because I've been wanting to give Linnaeus a try and also two out of the three colors are ones that I don't have anything even remotely similar in my collection. I had originally shied away from pinks but as you'll see soon, I love these.

Unfortunately, I was a dolt and forgot to take pictures of the packaging but it was simple and something that I would expect from a company that uses wildlife as inspiration. It came in a canvas drawstring pouch with a rabbit stamped on it. It was also tied with natural raffia and had a little MOO card with all of the company info on it. I detached the raffia and put the card on the drawstring so that when I show it off, the information is right there.

From L to R in natural light: Puerile, Branchial, Archetypal

Puerile - This is the lightest of the colors. The website says:

The name of this eyeshadow references the perpetual immature state of the Axolotl; they do not developmentally advance as far as most salamanders. Puerile is a delicate, pink rose shade. It has a hint of a warm yellow-toned background that is overlain flecks of white and pink.

Puerile is a shade that is sheer and light. The main shade that is great to wear alone for everyday or pair it with one of the other colors for a little more depth. It also makes a wonderful highlight color. I agree that it has a bit more of a yellow undertone which is why it goes great with both the cooler Branchial as well as the warmer Archetypal. The formulation is very smooth and light which surprised me in a good way. I had very little fall out over Too Faced Shadow Insurance as well.

L to R with Flash: Puerile, Branchial, Archetypal

Branchial -

“Branchial” is used to describe the gill filaments in vertebrate anatomy. This became the name of this particular eyeshadow because Axolotls keeps their gills their entire life, unlike other salamanders. Branchial leans a bit toward a brick red; it has orange undertones to it. It has a cardinal red shimmer with flecks of deep pink sparkle throughout.

This description was a smidge off to me. Especially when placed next to Archetypal Branchial seems to be on the cooler side of the spectrum. The photos on Linnaeus' website were very true to what I received though which surprised me. For a moment, I thought this description was for Archetypal and I had to double check. Despite this, I like using this color on the top half of my lid over Puerile. It deepens it just a little bit and works as a great in-between color for when I am layering all three. Yet again, a smooth application with little fall out.

Archetypal -

Archetypal is a maroon based red with a gorgeous, subtle sheen. There are glints of dark and light pink dusted over top. This shade was coined Archetypal due to the fact that unfortunately, Axolotls are excellent model organisms in research. This means that they are ideal to study because among other reasons, they have a relatively well understood development pattern and also have the ability to regenerate limbs.

Hmmm... I'm not sure I would have picked out maroon as the base for this. It looks a lot more toward the coral/copper end of the spectrum and actually seems to be a great dupe for the sample of Rockeresque Beauty's Beating Heart which isn't available yet. It's warm, orange-y, and full of glitter. This was the color that I had the most issues with fall out. This wasn't necessarily because of the amount of shadow that ended up on my cheek so much as what little did end up there made my cheek turn copper. Just something to be aware of and keep some makeup remover handy and do this before you apply blush to your cheeks.

Overall, still a very squee worthy set. With the light formulation and sheer, glittery colors this is something that stands apart from most of the other indie products I've tried. Definitely worth taking a look at and I love the inspiration behind the collections. A lot of these colors could possibly be found elsewhere but on the same token if you enjoy conservation and wildlife, these are for you.

FotD: Woman Warrior (for Team Pink Eye)

Hey everyone!

So I decided at the beginning of the month that I would participate in helping Team Pink Eye raise money for Susan G. Komen's breast cancer research efforts. I know many people who have been affected by breast cancer and this is really a great cause. I decided to do a wearable pink look so that any woman can feel beautiful.

 I decided to be a part of Team Pink Eye because within the past few years, someone I knew from middle school decided to have a double mastectomy as a preventative measure. I've never really heard of this being done but I still consider this a brave thing to do. If I recall correctly, she was 25 when the procedure was done which is very young.

 I will list the products I used but if you use, for example, a different foundation or you have a favorite pink lipstick, do not hesitate to use what makes you feel good. For the indie makeup companies, I will be providing links to the websites where you can purchase their products if you like what you see.

 First of all, I always use Laura Mercier SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer. I feel it is the best for my skin without going too heavy on the coverage. It also evens out my skin tone quite nicely.

I almost always start off with my eyes because I feel like when blending colors,  it's something I need to make sure I have right before doing the rest of my look. I feel like my two best features are my eyes and my lips so I focus on one or the other. Too Faced Shadow Insurance helps take the worry off of my eyes a little bit. It extends to wear of my eye shadow and brightens the color.

 My first eye color is Rose Tint My World from Geek Chic Cosmetics' Science Fiction Double Feature limited edition set. As of this posting, you have a little over a week to order it and it's a nice peachy color. It makes a great base eyelid color for blending in other pinks which is what I did in my look. It also is packed with shimmer.

 Next, just on the tiniest outer corner of my lid, I blending some of Branchial from Linnaeus Cosmetics. This color is a part of their Axolotl collection. If you are a nature lover, I highly suggest these eye shadows that take inspiration from animals and nature itself. In this look, it helped give me an airbrushed gradient look. I initially patted the product on, cleaned my brush, let it dry, and then patted the edge to blend a bit more.

 Now, to finish of the eyes, we have another color from Linnaeus' Axolotl collection. This one is Puerile and I blended it to the browbone and used it as a highlight color in the inner corner of my eye. I love this color because it's so ethereal and it blends with light skin tones so it just adds a little sparkle and highlight.

Next, I lined my upper lash line with a black kohl liner. You can use liquid, pencil, or even a dark black or grey eye shadow. Anything to darken that lash line.

To finish off, I used some black mascara. It's really that simple. The product I used was Maybelline's Falsies Flared mascara in Blackest Black. I put my mascara on and use the brush to flare my lashes to the outer side of my eye.

 For my cheeks, I used just the tracest amount of Geek Chic Cosmetics blush in Touch Me. This is another limited edition item but you can order it up until Halloween. I highly suggest it because it will last you a long time. It's highly pigmented so you don't need much at all. I just lightly brush it across my cheekbone and then blend like there's no tomorrow.

For my lips, I used Geek Chic Cosmetics' Joystick in Back to the Fuschia. It is a wonderful bright bubble gum pink and I love that they use slimline tubes.

Please be sure to donate what you can to Susan G. Komen. Although I am not doing a giveaway, a simple $5 donation minimum will enter you in every giveaway this week. Please help us reach our goal!

Products Used:

• Face
• Laura Mercier SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer - Porcelain
• Eyes
• Too Faced Shadow Insurance
• Geek Chic Cosmetics Eye Shadow - Rose Tint My World
• Linnaeus Cosmetics Eye Shadow - Branchial
• Linnaeus Cosmetics Eye Shadow - Puerile
• Wet n' Wild Kohl Eye/Brow Pencil - Black
• Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara - Blackest Black
• Cheeks
• Geek Chic Cosmetics Blush - Touch Me
• Lips
• Geek Chic Cosmetics Joystick - Back to the Fuchsia