Darling Girl Blogger Pack and More Review

Darling Girl, based in the US, has been on my wish list for a long time, so I was super excited to get my hands on some at last. Happily, this is one brand that definitely lives up to the hype.

Even the packaging is utterly adorable!

I ordered the Blogger Review Pack, as well as some other bits and pieces just to fill up the bag, and Darling Girl also have a very generous gift with purchase program, so I ended up with quite a few different things to try!

Swatches over Nyx Primer

The shadows I got in sample size were, from left to right, Faux Pas, Basket Case (I can't resist a 90's theme), Adoration, Rendezvous and Lefty Loo Who. The formula for all the shadows was great - they stick well without clumping weirdly, and blend very smoothly. The standout in terms of formula was definitely Rendezvous, which is one Darling Girl call "semi loose". It feels a tiny bit damper than the rest of the shadows, but glides on like an absolute dream. The richness of the colour is absolutely breathtaking, and the duochrome works brilliantly with the slightly richer, moister formula.

Faux Pas over Nyx Primer

Basket Case over Nyx Primer

You wouldn't think it from the swatches, but Basket Case and Faux Pas go surprisingly well together. This is Basket Case all over the lid and blended up into the crease over Adoration, and Faux Pas made into an eyeliner with the Darling Girl Superstar Serum.

Adoration is the absolute perfect blending base for my pasty pale skin, and the Superstar Serum seems to have at least as much staying power as my much more expensive Illamasqua Liner Gel.

Adoration over Nyx Primer

Rendezvous over Nyx Primer

Seriously though, how bloody gorgeous is Rendezvous? The amount of colours visible in just a quick swatch on my arm is fantastic, and as you can see from the shots the range of colours means it's a perfect product for a one-colour eye. I'll definitely be going back for more of this.

I'll admit, I wasn't blown away by Lefty Loo Who, just because I have no idea when I'm going to wear a cartoon grass green eyeshadow. But I gave it a shot anyway, and I think it turned out okay, especially since it comes out a lot less saturated on the eye than in does in swatches. This is justLefty Loo Who all over the lid, with a bit of Tin Man in the corner to brighten it up a bit.

Lefty Loo Who over Nyx Primer

Next, the minis - or rather "petites" as Darling Girl likes to call them. These are, from left to right, Sphinx, The Swirl, Tin Man, and Melancholia.

 

Sphinx over Nyx Primer

The Swirl over Nyx Primer

Sphinx and The Swirl are honestly not that mindblowing, but they are good solid basic colours that would be perfect for someone building an indie collection. Sphinx in particular is dark, but not CRAZY dark in the way a lot of indie browns are, which makes it much more forgiving of inexpert application.

Tin Man over Nyx Primer

Tin Man was the only shadow in the whole lot I was actually disappointed in. It's sold on the site as a "champagne" silver, but to my eyes the green shift really jumps out. Perhaps I need to try this one under a few more lighting conditions. On the upside, it is FEROCIOUSLY sparkly. Like, seriously, one of the most glittery eyeshadows I own that isn't actually cosmetic glitter.

Melancholia over Nyx Primer

Melancholia on the other hand, is an absolute DELIGHT. It's just as pretty as I thought it would be, if not more so. I spent minutes just staring at the stuff in the damn jar, it's THAT pretty. Unfortunately, it was a gift with purchase for the month I ordered, so if you want some of your own you'll probably have to skulk around somewhere like Indie Makeup And More and see if someone is willing to part with theirs.

So what do you think? Will you be hitting up Darling Girl yourself?