It’s likely that Lime Crime needs no introduction courtesy of yours truly. On the off chance that you’re not yet acquainted with the brand and its founder, Doe Deere, feel free to peruse Auxiliary Magazine’s February/March 2010 issue, where the unicorn queen of quintessentially loud lipcolor and pigments that pump up the volume shared her candyfuturistic mission statement with our readers. While it was a mighty fine article (I wrote it!) in which the aptly named, doe-eyed, makeup mastermind gave us the scoop on how her fairytale came to pass, I’m not here to rehash it. Oh no, I’m here to answer those hard burning questions. Mainly, “Is this rainbow hued stuff worth parting with your hard earned bling?” and to a lesser extent, “Do I wear or eat these sumptuously packaged little things?”

Doe Deere . image source limecrimemakeup.com

photo by Rahul Saha

Magic Dust Eye Shadow

Recently reformulated to remove all animal based ingredients (such as carmine), each eye dust serves up 2 grams of loose, vegan, cruelty-free pigment that lets the wearer conjure up a veritable cornucopia of attention grabbing  lid art. In addition to ditching the dried up beetles (that’s what carmine is, kids) as of August 2010, the plastic jars containing the dusts were refurbished with sifters, which allow greater control over product dispensation and minimize potential spillage. While the price can be considered steep at $14 a pop, these shadows pack a hefty punch so a little goes a long way. I’m pleased with the fact that all the shades I had the opportunity to test drive were highly-blendable, easy to apply and provided both good coverage and solid color payoff (but don’t skip the primer regardless).  For added drama, apply with a slightly dampened brush.

Sadly, since the eye dusts received their facelift in mid 2010, I noticed that the gold pigment disappeared from Lime Crime’s lineup. I’d love to see it added back to the brand’s repertoire.

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The October/November issue’s Aesthetic brings you Medieval Metal.

If the feudal Dark Ages immersed itself wholly in the thrash laden doom of heavy metal, perhaps it would take hold of all manner of fealty, from the lower serfdom to ladies of the manor. The etchings of Durer seem appropriate enough within the confines of the manor walls and tavern alike, whether it be the year 1350 or our own present dark times.

Smash styles and looks together, create your own aesthetic.

Below are a few additional photos from Auxiliary’s shoot for the October/November issue Aesthetic feature. Enjoy!

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deadly looks leap out of the past

photographer : Laura Dark
stylist : Noirrrrow and grayartistry.com
makeup artist : grayartistry.com
models : Brianne Jeanette, Odette Despairr, Relie Vicious, and Rocco Giovanni

view the full editorial in the October/November 2010 Issue

Manic Panic’s Eye Wear Crème Eyeshadow & Liner

image source manicpaniccollection.com

When I told the crew at Auxiliary Magazine that Manic Panic sent me a whole slew of cosmetics, I think that they were all a little confused since what usually comes to mind is hair dye. Even though hair products are what Manic Panic originally built their name around, they have been producing cosmetics along with their hair glam strips, eye lashes, and wigs for many years. In their newest addition to the growing Manic Panic family is a new line of cosmetics called Creature of the Night. This line is a Fall 2010 exclusive and you can enter to win a bunch of goodies by going to the Facebook page, liking their page, and then entering to win in the sweepstakes tab. Do it now, as the drawing is on October 25th. Good luck!

In my box I received from Manic Panic, the Eye Wear Crème Eyeshadow & Liner duo in Raven really grabbed my attention. In all honesty, I didn’t have much hope for the cream eyeliner that was inside the lovely case. I don’t seem to have luck with any cream based liners, they tend to wear off and leave a mess on my upper lid. I am a liquid eyeliner girl and I’ve tried numerous products to get myself out of the ten plus year rut, but I have had no success, until now! My endless longing was answered by the little case of wonderful crème eyeliner and eyeshadow duo, the makeup left no smudgy residue on my upper lid, there was no bleeding, and it was easy to apply. I enjoyed mixing the crème liner with the black eyeshadow for a more dramatic look and can easily see myself wearing the crème liner on a daily basis. The Creature of the Night eyeliner and shadow duo compact contains a double sided applicator and mirror, that is nice for travel and can be tossed in a handbag for easy on-the-go touch ups.  At an $8 price tag, it’s a must have.

The Eye Wear Crème Eyeshadow & Liner is available online at www.manicpaniccollection.com.

- Meagan

image source metropolissoap.com

When I was asked by the Metropolis Soap Co. if I wanted to review their products, I was intrigued by their kitschy depictions of dames in distress and other scandalous scenes (I admit I’m a huge sucker for packaging) on their products. I really like that all their products are made by hand in the US and are vegan and cruelty-free, I also like that they have a good sense of humor!

When I opened the package from Metropolis, I was delighted to receive a full size bar of The Black Soap Horror which is black and white in color. I do giggle a little at black items, as it does appeal to my gothy side!  They couldn’t have picked a better soap for me, as I instantly loved the musk fragrance which was calming, did not over power my senses, and I could easily identify with. Since I’m a bath gal, I couldn’t wait to soak my ole’ bones and lather up with The Black Soap Horror. Some highlights of my bathing experience were; the soap bar lathered up nicely on my skin and the suds rinsed off completely and there was no residue left behind. I instantly felt moisturized after rinsing off and knew I wouldn’t need to use lotion after my bath. I enjoyed that the fragrance was still on my skin even after toweling off and I could pleasantly catch sniffs of the soap as the day continued. I like that the soap is not over fragranced, leaves me feeling moisturized all day and you get a huge bar of soap for your buck! I’m looking forward to ordering a few bars for myself and for possible holiday gifts. Check out all Metropolis Soap Co products at www.metropolissoap.com.

- Meagan

featuring neckwear by Cyberoptix TieLab

photographer : Luke Copping
fashion stylist : Molly Hoeltke
makeup artist : Stephanie Signorelli
hair stylist : April Grigajtis
model : Lauren Mentkowski
assistant : Zach Rose

view the full editorial in the August/September 2010 Issue

By Nieves natural body care products are an apothecary influenced natural body products rooted in the traditions of herbal medicine and natural pampering. Their products combine a sense of old world ingenuity and simple elegance that reinterprets well into the needs of the modern beauty product consumer.

“C”Perfect Skin

This may be a magic potion for your skin. We live more active lives, deal with a great deal more air borne pollutants in our daily lives, and have skyrocketing stress levels. Needless to say, our skin is putting up with more than ever. Nieve’s “C” perfect skin, used regularly over a course of week, recovered our test subjects skin from everyday wear to the point that she now regularly goes out without makeup. Her skin is clean and smooth, in visibly better condition, and glowingly healthy. For all the benefits though, be in store for some shocking results the first few days you use it. Especially if you experience some of the effects we witnessed. Notably, the serum seemed to be so effective on blackheads that they seemed to lift up out of the skin pores they are clogging and slough off in a slightly gross but effective process. This is a must have product, and extremely effective. Its natural ingredients are often replicated in other serums and skin treatments. There is nothing to exotic here. But in these particular ratios it does seem to be a more effective treatment than many other natural skin serums I have seen on the market.

Cloud of Protection

Cloud of protection is advertised as a mood and immunity lifting area spray as well as a hand sanitizer. And while the smell is wonderful, calming, a lightening, and it does make a more pleasing hand sanitizer than some of the nasty antibacterial slimes that are out there, we have found an even better use for it. I have not found a single product, in years, that covers and removes pet odors more economically that Cloud of Protection. One or Two sprays near a breezy window or vent is more than enough to circulate it through a whole room. Its a wonderful floral/herbal, but not sickly smell that seems to neutralize several of the more noxious odors of domestic animals, “fragrant” kitchens, and ripe bathrooms. Its not a chemically invasive as nasty aerosol air fresheners, and the effects last much longer. Even after the scent has faded, the air in the room will continue to feel lighter and fresher for some time.

- Luke

 Bloodbath’s Whipped Sugar Scrub in Zombie Zen

image source bloodbath.etsy.com

I recently went to a car show and picked up some Bloodbath products from a vendor at a rockabilly festival.  I had seen Bloodbath’s products on their etsy page and was intrigued by the product packaging and the interesting scent names; Creepy Colada, Cleopatra’s Curse, Screamsicle, just to name a few.  I absolutely loved the Zombie Zen for it’s clean smell (it’s unisex too!) that really does last all day long.  The sugar scrub left my skin feeling clean and soft without a residue like some other scrubs can leave behind. I paid extra attention to those especially “dead areas”, like the instructions told me too!  I definately recommend Bloodbath product for all you creatures of the night and as a great gift to give to your horror fiends.

Whipped Sugar Scrub in Zombie Zen is available at bloodbath.etsy.com.

- Meagan

Here’s a look behind the scenes of our upcoming beauty editorial for the August/September 2010 Issue.

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photographer : Brent Leideritz
makeup artist and styling : Mishka
models : Ashlee Adams, India Rose, and Meluxine

view the full editorial in the June/July 2010 Issue