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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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