This guest beauty-blogger review was first posted on the (Not) Making It Up blog on Wednesday, July 6, 2011:
Company name: Dawn Eyes Cosmetics
Web site: http://www.dawneyescosmetics.com/
The Web Site Itself : 4 of 5 Stars
Although the Dawn Eyes Cosmetics (DEC) Web site doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles and sophisticated styling, it showcases something most essential: good swatches of beautifully crafted eyeshadows that have excellent depth, pigmentation, and loads of sparkle. I have not yet met one DEC shadow that I did not respect let alone fall wildly in love with! Not all of the shades I ordered worked for me, but that wasn’t for lack of color-matching opportunity on the DEC site. It has a couple of really good things going for it above and beyond other cosmetic sites. The things I really like are:
Web site: http://www.dawneyescosmetics.com/
The Web Site Itself : 4 of 5 Stars
Although the Dawn Eyes Cosmetics (DEC) Web site doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles and sophisticated styling, it showcases something most essential: good swatches of beautifully crafted eyeshadows that have excellent depth, pigmentation, and loads of sparkle. I have not yet met one DEC shadow that I did not respect let alone fall wildly in love with! Not all of the shades I ordered worked for me, but that wasn’t for lack of color-matching opportunity on the DEC site. It has a couple of really good things going for it above and beyond other cosmetic sites. The things I really like are:
- The “raw” photos (at a link under each respective color swatch), which are actually numerous photos of the product in different lights and different angles so you can get an excellent feel for the color, texture, pigmentation, and sparkle/sheen level of the shadow.
- The fact that some of the raw photos are blurred on purpose, which better allows you to see the sparkles and their color before buying. I think it’s a stellar way to present swatches and makes purchasing less of the guessing game that can happen on other cosmetic Web sites. For these two facts alone, I give the site 4/5 stars; if those two features weren’t there, it would be a score of 3/5 stars. The only thing lacking in my opinion is a better way of showcasing the initial swatches, but that’s just “packaging.” So, order without hesitation (although getting samples first is always a good idea) because what you see is almost definitely what you get on the DEC site!
The top navigation bar has the following clickable links: “All About Ingredients,” “All About Us,” “Eye Shadow Colors,” “Gallery,” “Blog,” and “Contact Us.” DEC carries only eyeshadows right now, but I’m sure that more products will come as her reputation grows. The only thing she doesn’t communicate that I would like to see is her average TAT. However, Dawn has stated on the DEC Facebook page that if you submit an order by 2:00 pm, it will mail out the same day, which is the best TAT I’ve ever seen. That will probably change, though, as the company grows, and I just hope that she’ll keep the current TAT updated on the home page.
Pricing: 5 of 5 Stars
Fair and actually a little better than average in terms of FS jars: $6.00 for a 5-g jar (1.2- to 1.5-g net weight) and $1 for 1/8-t samples in the smaller (easier-to-handle) 1.5” x 1.5” baggies. There is no minimum order, and as of this writing, shipping within the United States is free! One sample of your choice is included with every $10 of product purchased, and you can note your color choice in PayPal’s “note to seller” section. It’s a nice touch than you can choose your extra sample color rather than randomly getting something you know won’t work for you (which is a waste of this marketing technique IMHO).
TAT and Shipping: 5 of 5 Stars
Ordered : NA for this particular batch of samples; I received these colors for review
Shipped: Again, NA, but when I do order, I receive my package in <5 days total
TAT: If you get your order in by 2:00 pm, TAT is 1 day; otherwise it might be 2 days (excellent TAT)
Shipping: Free (for now)
Actual shipping: It really IS free :-)
Order confirmation: Yes
Shipping confirmation: Yes
Separate personal shipping email: No
DC/tracking: Yes
Package invoice: Yes
Packaging/presentation: Extremely well wrapped, almost too much so (lots of tape)
Extras: Yes (1 with each $10 ordered)
Product: 5 of 5 Stars
This is where the really fun part comes in. First, you should know my method of applying DEC shadows: I always pat them over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, which is applied over Urban Decay or E.L.F. Primer Potion. I achieve the best sparkle adherence and “show” when I use this method. I don’t go to all that trouble for most shadows, but DEC colors are extra sparkly and so deserve this special treatment! I have had a fair amount of fall-out with DEC shadows, so I just do my foundation after I’ve applied them instead of the other way around, which is my usual way. It’s no biggie for the amount of eye beautification you get.
Applied in this manner, DEC shadows take on a spectacular smooth metallic gleam, which happens to be my favorite finish. I’ve even likened them to Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour. If you don’t care for a metallic finish, just apply them over a matte “dry” primer, i.e., E.L.F. Mineral primer or UDPP. Because of the high amount of sparkle, I definitely recommend some type of primer!
Colors Ordered/Received (My Take in Italics)
Conch (top row left; unreleased color [no DEC color description yet]): To my eye, Conch applied evenly peach as pink, but if foiled with Fyrinnae PE, it definitely takes on a lovely pale peach sheen. I plan to use this shade as a gorgeous neutral brow-bone highlight. I can’t wear such a light color on my lids (I’m very pale), but if you can, I definitely recommend trying it that way or as a highlighter. For those who are more adventurous than I am, it might even work as an all-over face highlighter, too. DEFINITE REPURCHASE!
Pricing: 5 of 5 Stars
Fair and actually a little better than average in terms of FS jars: $6.00 for a 5-g jar (1.2- to 1.5-g net weight) and $1 for 1/8-t samples in the smaller (easier-to-handle) 1.5” x 1.5” baggies. There is no minimum order, and as of this writing, shipping within the United States is free! One sample of your choice is included with every $10 of product purchased, and you can note your color choice in PayPal’s “note to seller” section. It’s a nice touch than you can choose your extra sample color rather than randomly getting something you know won’t work for you (which is a waste of this marketing technique IMHO).
TAT and Shipping: 5 of 5 Stars
Ordered : NA for this particular batch of samples; I received these colors for review
Shipped: Again, NA, but when I do order, I receive my package in <5 days total
TAT: If you get your order in by 2:00 pm, TAT is 1 day; otherwise it might be 2 days (excellent TAT)
Shipping: Free (for now)
Actual shipping: It really IS free :-)
Order confirmation: Yes
Shipping confirmation: Yes
Separate personal shipping email: No
DC/tracking: Yes
Package invoice: Yes
Packaging/presentation: Extremely well wrapped, almost too much so (lots of tape)
Extras: Yes (1 with each $10 ordered)
Product: 5 of 5 Stars
This is where the really fun part comes in. First, you should know my method of applying DEC shadows: I always pat them over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, which is applied over Urban Decay or E.L.F. Primer Potion. I achieve the best sparkle adherence and “show” when I use this method. I don’t go to all that trouble for most shadows, but DEC colors are extra sparkly and so deserve this special treatment! I have had a fair amount of fall-out with DEC shadows, so I just do my foundation after I’ve applied them instead of the other way around, which is my usual way. It’s no biggie for the amount of eye beautification you get.
Applied in this manner, DEC shadows take on a spectacular smooth metallic gleam, which happens to be my favorite finish. I’ve even likened them to Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour. If you don’t care for a metallic finish, just apply them over a matte “dry” primer, i.e., E.L.F. Mineral primer or UDPP. Because of the high amount of sparkle, I definitely recommend some type of primer!
Colors Ordered/Received (My Take in Italics)
Conch (top row left; unreleased color [no DEC color description yet]): To my eye, Conch applied evenly peach as pink, but if foiled with Fyrinnae PE, it definitely takes on a lovely pale peach sheen. I plan to use this shade as a gorgeous neutral brow-bone highlight. I can’t wear such a light color on my lids (I’m very pale), but if you can, I definitely recommend trying it that way or as a highlighter. For those who are more adventurous than I am, it might even work as an all-over face highlighter, too. DEFINITE REPURCHASE!
Crème Brulee (top row right; unreleased color [no DEC color description yet]): This color name is the only misnomer in the bunch. It applied with a thick, rich texture and had definite yellow-gold/subtle green tones, like you would find in a color with “Old World” or “antique” in the name. I tempted to rename it “Gilded Moss” or “Tortoise,” although the original name did make me drool a little, LOL
Glacier (bottom row left): “Pearly white with a subtle green/blue shift and sparkling with tiny blue glimmers” (DEC description): Very accurate and more pigmented than I had expected; can be sheered out though. DEFINITE REPURCHASE!
Wild Strawberry (bottom row middle): Strawberry pink with strong green highlight and loaded with seed-sparks of pink and green (DEC description): Very accurate, although I would have liked the green seed-sparks to be more evident; this was a little too pale and matte satin-finish for me, even over Fyrinnae PE, so I won’t rebuy.
Fresh Earth: “A goldish and slightly greenish medium brown, which takes on a frosty sheen over primer, accented with tiny sparks of blue, green, and silver” (DEC description): More neutral than it sounds; very accurate; actually reminds me of Aromaleigh Concrete Jungle but just a bit darker (see last photo for a better look at it). DEFINITE REPURCHASE!
Would I Buy Again?
Um, do bears crap in the woods, LOL?
OVERALL RATING 5 OF 5 STARS!
____________________
Please note that all of these samples were provided to me prerelease by the company owner to obtain my opinions of the colors and for eventual review purposes.
Comments (8)
Nice review, Lisa! I don't follow any "makeup blogs," so I wasn't sure of some of the abbreviations (e.g., TAT and some of the product abbreviations). But I think your review is descriptive and genuine and would definitely help guide a potential buyer.
Cassie, I'm really glad you liked this guest review!That gives me the idea to do a post about common makeup abbreviations that we use!
Shelby, I think an abbreviations list would be very helpful! @Cassie: Thanks for reading and commenting on my first review! I had fun writing it, appreciate your comments
Wow, Lisa, that's a very good, comprehensive review! I don't ever follow ANY blogs, but yours is well thought out, well organized, and very descriptive (I, also, don't know what TAT means, though). Great job!!!!
TAT is an abbreviation for "turn around time".Basically, the time between when you ordered, and when your order was shipped.I'm glad you enjoyed Lisa's review!
Lisa, this was VERY informative. I'm proud to say I figured out what TAT meant after you used it the second time in the review (context clues, I guess!). Dawn should be thrilled that you gave her such a stellar recommendation. As a writer, I liked your use of descriptive words and phrases. I don't think you needed to have the disclaimers about your lack of camera experience & the "boring" life. Your photos were clear & vivid, and since I know you outside of the blog, I maintain that your life is interesting and varied. So there! Keep up the great work!
