Aromaleigh's New Gothic Lolita Line

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect makeup product. In my daydreams, the lolita has glowing skin with hints of some otherworldly color, whether she's enjoying a shady forest or at a hot goth club, dolled up with spooky dresses. The Japanese magazines toll out the effects of makeup all the time - from false lashes to lip gloss - with products often hard to replicate outside of Japan. Nothing is more frustrating than squinting at tiny katakana on a magazine page only to realize you'll never be able to find the same product, even with a shopping service. But never fear, your days of annoyed squints are over. Aromaleigh has come to the rescue.

Aromaleigh is an independent American makeup company specializing in natural, mineral cosmetics. It is a woman-owned company that produces its products in America, and all of the products are made with cosmetic-grade pigments. I've always loved their cosmetics, which, besides being healthy, tend to be creatively attuned to more alternative styles.

So when Aromaleigh announced it was presenting a new Gothic Lolita line, I was admittedly excited. Would I finally find the makeup I was looking for, tailored for the particular fantastical style I was trying to affect?

The photo above has about half of the samples I received - my shimmer brights collection, a sample of Angel Bouquet eyeshadow, and both lip creams. You can see more of the samples - which include eyeshadows, finishing powders, rouge, and nourishing lip creams - plus more makeup photos, on my Flickr gallery.

So, armed with a toilette set full of samples, I invited over my wonderful friends, the darling Miss Lumpy and the gorgeous Miss Julia, to test drive the products with me.

I was particularly excited about the Starbrights collection, because, if you know me, my brain went, HELLO, PASTEL GLITTER! But I have to say, these are so much more than that - they're not your kid sister's Barbie makeup. These are very delicate shimmers in a variety of soft hues. I wore the color Moonbright with Aqua Nightmare eyeshadow for a unicorn of the sea effect and was very pleased with the result. They're ghostly and opalescent - perfect for that Midsummer Night's Dream look. I think they're perfect accents for the sweet lolita, but I'd also love to see the bluer tinted colors on Gothic lolitas and the warmer ones accenting classic lolitas.

The Rococo makeup style, as popularized even more so by Kirsten Dunst in the Marie Antoinette movie, is finally doable with the Rococo rouge. It's a warm, peachy tone reminiscent of the bright cheeks prized at the time, and is meant to resemble the 'pinched' look. At an event recently, Mis Julia quickly pinched my cheeks for that maiden's flush. But now you can be a lady without the pain, with this perfectly pinched rouge. My only caution would be to use this sparingly with a delicate hand. A little goes a long way, and as always, blend.

The other rouge used was called Dolly. It's a soft, true pink meant more for that old-school sweet lolita look. The rose is a prettier color for less dramatic occasions, something I'd recommend if you want to wear a doll-faced look even outside of lolita. It reminds me a little of the color one gets from drinking hot tea after being out in the snow - a rosy color. I'd love to see it paired with Baby the Stars Shine Bright outfits or Angelic Pretty, really give it the sweet lolita it craves.

I have naturally pretty pale skin in the winter, and owing to having pink hair, I try to keep it pale so as to avoid too much redness in the face. I've always been looking for the right kind of powder to add that extra moonlight look, even going so far to follow a Goth beauty advice forum as a teenager and adding talcum powder to my makeup! (hint: DO NOT do this!) But after trying Aromaleigh's You're a Doll! finishing powders in Parfait and Metamorphosis, I've finally found the answer for my daily dose of moonlight pale. The Parfait finishing powder is matte, while the Metamorphosis has a light shimmer to add a more glowy look. I personally prefer the Metamorphosis powder, but if you wanted to stay away from shimmer, then definitely head for the Parfait. It's a pale color, but tinted very slightly with green, which will bring down redness. For example, Miss Julia has a mild case of rosacea which it alleviated.

Next up: the nourishing lip creme. I have both Shortcake and Pinafore colors, and at first gravitated towards Shortcake for a pinkish shine. The Shortcake has a pearly glaze to a very delicate, almost nude pink - a sugarbare tone. The Pinafore has actually become my favorite - the darker color reminds me of a lipstick I adored as a beginner lolita, which is no longer being made. It's a vintage Victorian rose color and blends well on the lips. It's easy to wear (no stickiness, no smudging, no crazy overly bright color) that almost resembles a stain. It comes packaged in a simple chapstick container and has the added bonus of caring for your lips with lip balm. Especially useful for keeping your lips alive during the upcoming cold winter winds.

All in all, I was greatly impressed with the products. I've worn everything from the cheapest drugstore makeup right up to MAC, and I feel these are right at the top of my picks for makeup. Not only that, it's wonderful to have a line suited towards the lolita style. By which I mean, there is nothing better than opening your makeup bag and: 'You mean my lipstick is named Pinafore?! That's adorable!' It's those cute moments that really make up the lolita lifestyle, don't you think?

As for me, I'll definitely be ordering a couple of my favorites - in bulk, if possible! ;)

Labels: cosmetics, review

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 6:35 PM