I am a huge supporter of small businesses. My love of it started, I think, because my dad and uncle both had there own trucking companies. I was dad’s bookkeeper and I began to realize how much behind the scenes stuff there is to owning your own company. When you see what we call here in the south, a mom and pop store, most people think, “How nice. They bake cookies all day and sell them.” Or candles, or jewelry or whatever the case may be. They don’t realize the time, energy, dedication, blood, sweat and tears that goes into getting a business up and running. Not to mention the lack of sleep, family time and vacations. The budgeting. Skipped meals. The piles of red tape with the IRS. Knowing and keeping up to date on tax laws and proceedures. It takes a lot more than most people realize.
With an indie makeup company, you have the added stress of deciding whether or not to become cruelty free or vegan then researching where to source these types of ingredients. Then it’s the worry over formulation. Ingredients that will be safe for all skin types, etc. There are many aspects to owning your own brand. It’s hard work. And honestly, word of mouth is the best advertisement for an indie company. No matter what the product.
Today I’m going to review an indie company that I recently ordered from. Coastalscents. They are located in Delaware. They are cruelty free with over 800 products. The company was started in 2005. The have very fast shipping times and also do international shipping. And the prices??? Holy moley. Very affordable.
For my first order I took advantage of a sale going on at the time. I purchased the Style Eyes Collection which includes 3-8 shadow Palettes in a heavy duty cardboard case. The cost? $4.95. Then I ordered some brushes which were 50% off. I purchased my first pencil brush, my first small detail brush and a couple blending, a crease brush and two angled brushes. With shipping my order came to right around $22. Not bad at all.
Let’s talk Shadows. Each palette is designed for a specific look. Social Eyes is lots of shimmers and pretty Smokey colors. Formal Eyes is your neutrals and Glamour Eyes is bold and dark. You can use them separately or combine them to create your own unique look. Each palette has a small mirror and a magnetic closure. As for the colors themselves, you can see how nicely they swatch. Most of them are very creamy and buttery. There are a couple of the more glittery shades that feel more coarse, but I think that’s par for the course. I wore these Shadows for two days and there was no creasing or flaking. There is a bit of fallout but that’s not a huge deal for me. I just take my fluffy brush and whisk it away. I had no sensitivity to these Shadows at all and with Auto Immune issues that’s saying a lot.
The brushes are fabulous. I always wash my brushes before using them to remove any dust or particles that may be left over from production and these did well. The bristles are very soft on the crease and blending brushes. The pencil brush is a bit dense but I like that when applying shadow to the outer and inner corner of my lids. The detail brush is just perfect. Great shape and just the right density. The angled brushes worked great for lining my lower lash line
So, final thoughts....I’m sold. I will definitely be ordering from Coastalscents again. Most likely after Christmas when my wallet isn’t crying as hard. You can’t beat the price point and fast shipping. And the most important for me? They are an indie brand and in my mind I’m helping someone put food on their table and a roof over their head.
Thanks for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed this review. If you know of any indie brands that you love and think they have awesome products, please let me know in the comments below. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
