GET TO KNOW @PICKYP11 INSTAGRAM INDIE MAKEUP ARTIST
CHECK HER OUT ON HER INSTAGRAM @PICKYP11
I'm a 23-year-old student in Helsinki, Finland. I became interested in makeup back in 2013, when I found the MakeupAddiction subreddit. Before that I rarely used more than mascara, but now I proudly call makeup my hobby! Many of the brands they raved about on the subreddit were American, and as such, unavailable to me. One day I stumbled upon a post about an indie cosmetics brand called Shiro Cosmetics and a link to the Indiemakeupandmore-subreddit, which has lead to a change in the way I consume. Indie brands are more likely to ship internationally (can't really think of one that doesn't!), and are more affordable than mainstream cosmetics, which convinced me to give them a go and I've been hooked ever since. I'm so happy to have found them, because they can offer more exciting shade ranges than a mainstream company can.
So my introduction to indie cosmetics was accidental - I wasn't specifically looking to be cruelty-free, it was just a great bonus! Discovering indie cosmetics has made me consider what things I value in a company, and it has given me a clearer image of what kind of consumer I want to be. My main goal is to support small businesses - to use artisan and handmade products when possible.Sustainability is a great reason to shop indie too; they use less packaging materials and (without knowing too much about the production process, I'm sure there's) less waste. The product goes from producer to consumer without middle men, which is nice too. I admire the minimalist lifestyle, but I'm still a sucker for new products, even though I'm trying to be better! (I recommend the MakeupRehab subreddit if you need that low/no-buy support!) I enjoy the personal touch of a small company, and shopping indie has inspired me to look for artisan/handmade products in other areas of life too. One of my goals would be to eat only locally and organically produced foods, but I still have long way to go (it's hard as a poor student ;( ). I think quality means way more than quantity - in food, in makeup, in clothing etc. Going fully cruelty-free or fully indie is not something that is viable for me right now, but without indies I probably wouldn't be using half as many cruelty-free products as I am now. This feature has actually inspired me to once again take a look at the way I consume, I will certainly consider CF a factor when purchasing new products from now on!
There's so many indies I haven't even tried yet, but it just wouldn't make sense for me to buy that much eyeshadow... I highly recommend the Indiemakeupandmore subreddit for recommendations and discussions about Indie makeup and perfume! Here are some of the brands and products I enjoy the most
Hello Waffle - an all around great shop (currently on hiatus), labels vegan products. I also recommend their subscription box Visage, if you can get a spot!
Fyrinnae - All vegan, ballsy colors, thinks outside the box. I use their Pixie Epoxy for all shimmery/glittery shadows. I haven't tried a lot of theirs but next time I have some spending money, I think I know where it's going... Please note that their queue time/Turnaround time/TAT is rarely as long as they say on the website!
Corvus Cosmetics, Murder Ballads Highlighters - I haven't tried much else from this company, but I would most definitely recommend their highlighters. My faves are the "duochromey" ones; Joy, Jane & Lottie - truly wearable colorful highlighters. If you've been drooling after the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Moonchild, I think you might like these! (*Disclosure* - I won samples of the highlighters in a giveaway)
Femme Fatale - awesome shop that stocks SO MANY indie brands, but also sells the most amazing duochrome eyeshadows!
Arcana - my favorite perfumery, doesn't sell samples tho :( (you can always look for decants/partial bottles on the Indiemakeupandmore subreddit's Indie Marketplace/Sunday Swaps!) Arcana has an ebay store (arcana_soaps), or you can find them at the places listed on their website.
Lonely Planet Liquid lipsticks - they just added a metallic blue! Awesome quality, comfortable and long lasting! Look up swatches on instagram (e.g. #lonelyplanetgirls), the lighting in the shop swatches can be a bit funny.
SOME MAKEUP TIPS
Don't rub or over blend aka. PAT PAT PAT (I still do this sometimes, *sigh*), also blend before applying Pixie Epoxy/a glitter adhesive.
Don't be scared of loose powders! I find loose powders to be great for travel: they can't break like pressed powders! Just make sure the cap is screwed on tight ;) You can get awesome, opaque color much faster with loose powders in my opinion, so don't be afraid to try indies because they're not pressed.
Do your eyeshadow first - something I had heard before, but only really started doing a week or so ago. It really makes cleaning out any fallout you might get much less stressful.
Remove the sifter - this is personal preference, of course, but I find the sifters to be useless and quite annoying. I much prefer to travel with jars without sifters, so I remove them!
Layer - I rather apply several thin layers instead of one thick layer. I think the finish is more even and easier to control. This goes for all cosmetics in my opinion.