Linnaeus Cosmetics: 9 Days to Launch!

Pre-Launch Festivities and FOTD


A couple of weeks ago I was returning from a lovely dinner at my dads' home when I saw the following in my Twitter timeline:

Alright all you awesome bloggers out there, want free LC samples?

Well, bless my soul, who wouldn't want to get in on that??  Turns out, the lovely and very kind Marin, creator and proprietress of Linnaeus Cosmetics (the "LC" referenced above) was offering samples of some of her yet-to-be released shadows to help promote the upcoming launch of her new website, linnaeuscosmetics.com


Having been a follower of both the LC fan page on Facebook and Twitter, as well as all the raving going on in the blogosphere about this indie brand, I definitely wanted to lend what meager support my own little blog could offer.  So I emailed Marin and received a very nice response asking that I share the following information on the pre-launch and launch celebrations planned for LC's new online home:

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Monday July 4th
4th of July excitement! Explosives! Yay! (Marin) will be drawing 4 people, at random, who "like" LC on Facebook to choose 5 colors they'd like to receive samples of.

Tuesday July 5th
Twitter Tuesday! (Marin) will tweet about LC's new site...(and) then randomly select several people who retweeted the message to receive free samples.

Wednesday July 6th
Have a favorite wild animal? Would you like a collection of LC shadows inspired by it? Over on the LC Facebook page, simply post a picture of the animal you'd like to see a collection based on. (Marin) will then chose one based on what collections are currently available and (her) supplies available to make eye shadows. The winner will receive that collection for free! Details will be posted on Facebook on Wednesday. 

Thursday July 7th
(Marin) will be making a limited edition collection based on one lucky winner's pet! On the LC Facebook page, contestants can post a picture of their pet (past or present) and a couple of sentences telling (Marin) about this pet. (She) will then choose one pet that will inspire a limited edition eye shadow collection. The winner will receive the collection for free. Details will be posted on Facebook on Thursday.

Friday July 8th
(Marin) will be drawing, at random, 3 people who "like" LC on Facebook to receive a collection of their choosing!

Saturday July 9th - 12 PM EST
SITE LAUNCH!!!! All previous collections, as well as at least 21 new colors will be available! Also a special 24 hour sale (see below)!

Saturday July 9th 12PM EST - July 10th 12 PM EST
A special sale for customers who purchase items within the first 24 hours of the site launch: For every 4 eye shadows purchased, receive one for free. For example, if you bought 4 individual eye shadows, you would get to choose a 5th one for free. You could also purchase 2 collections (for a total of 6 individual eye shadows) and choose an eye shadow for free.

July 10th 12 PM EST - July 31st 
SALE! For every 6 eye shadows purchased, receive 1 eye shadow for free. 

July 9th-July 31st
Support Indie Giveaway! For every $10 spent during the month of July on the new website, you will be entered to win one of three amazing gift bags loaded with indie goodies. (Marin has) purchased both full sizes and samples of products from Dreaming Tree Soapworks, One Hand Washes the Other, and the Morbid the Merrier. Details on what exactly will be in the gift bags will be posted soon, but trust me... it's an amazing giveaway :)

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As if all of that wasn't reason for excitement enough, I got the samples yesterday and...well, see for yourself!

This is not a terribly extreme close up: they really are generously sized baggies!!

Lovely, yeah?  Here they are swatched, albeit in the crappy indoor light of my bathroom:

No flash; top is over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, bottom over bare skin

With flash

As some other bloggers have noted, Reef looks quite red in the bag but applies as a lovely rich coral pink shimmer.  Truculent proved somewhat true to its name--the gorgeous magenta sparkle in it was impossible for me to capture with my current pic-taking skills XP  must practice...


All three were so striking to me that I just had to put together a look.  Taking some inspiration from online friends and fellow blogsisters Amanda "Snarky P," Solange, and Shelby "Gossip Cat" I decided this time to do a "wash" of all three shades across my lids--my very first attempt at such a look:

On my face:  Skin 79 Diamond Collection Crystal Pearl BB Cream followed by Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Fierce Korat

Eyes:  

TFSI (regular) + Pixie Epoxy 

LC Ru Blu (inner 1/3 of lid)

LC Truculent (middle lid and foiled to line lower lash line/outer corners),

LC Reef (outer 1/3 of lid and blended up into crease & toward inner corners)

Concrete Minerals Rocked (brow bone & inner corners)

black powder shadow in brows (much more dramatic!) and upper lash line (applied dry for a more "smoky" effect)

UD 24/7 pencil in Rockstar (lower waterlines)

Benefit badGal Lash mascara

Cheeks:  Brazen blush in Perfect 10

Lips:  MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution

A word about EvRev, as it's coming to be known out in the world: this LE MAC Lipglass was recently released as part of the Bloggers Obsession collection and I have to say I am glad I snapped it up because for the first time I have a nude gloss that I DON'T HATE.  Quite the opposite, in fact, this has become a "lippie of the week" for me--I just can't seem to stop wearing it <3  This shade was the perfect neutral but not invisible lip color to go with the extravaganza of color on my eyes.

MKA,

Lizzy