Espionage Cosmetics: BOOM! Box - April 2016 "Fabled"

Hey there geekonistas!

I'm off traveling again this weekend, but before I left I wanted to share with you this month's BOOM! Box from Espionage Cosmetics! Boy oh boy is it packed with some magical awesomeness!

Espionage Cosmetics is an indie company that creates cruelty free loose pigments and glitters, lip products, bath bombs, and of course their most famous product - the "Nailed It" line of geek inspired nail wraps! This box comes out bi-monthly and has a variety of prices depending on your payment plan. Paying per box is $30.00 (plus tax and shipping) every other month, while a four month subscription (two boxes) is $56.00 ($28.00 per box), a six month subscription (three boxes) is $81.00 ($27.00 per box) and a year (six boxes) is $150.00 ($25.00 per box). The boxes will include a wide variety of items from clothing and accessories to makeup, collectibles, art and more. Also included will be at least one brand new nail wrap design per box.

This month's theme is "Fabled" and I can't wait to show you what's inside!

Per usual, the box includes a nice fold-out information card with information and use instructions on each item in the box. Also, something I think I've forgotten to mention before, the card contains a reminder that subscribers will receive an email with the opportunity to purchase more items from the box at 30% off! This includes the box's exclusive items, which will not be available to the public.

The first thing that I pulled out of the box this month is this "Candy Cleanse" sugar scrub. Normally I'm not a huge user of sugar scrubs (I have a Salux cloth that does a really good job of exfoliation) but I am going to have to make opportunities to use this. The scent is Strawberry Basil and it Smells. So. Good. Like summer in a jar!

The next item is another bath and body item and it smells just as good as the first! This "Unicorn Soap" is not only scented like delicious green apples, it also contains glitter, and, as my husband pointed out, will be useful if I find any unicorns that need washing! Until then though, I think I'll be using this magical soap on me. 

There were two nail wrap designs included in this month's box. The first was one of two BOOM! Box debut designs, either one called "Fairies" or the one I got, a dragon themed one called Valknjoggr. I am so happy I got this one! Don't get me wrong, I like fairies... but I LOVE dragons!

The second design is called "Mystical Mane" and is from Espionage's regular catalog. So much colorful unicorn sparkly goodness!

Some more debut items this month are a loose pigment and a lip serum (like a lip gloss) packaged together with a clamshell container! What's the container for? You'll find out!

The loose pigment is called "Rumplestiltskin" (like my kitty) and it's supposed to "mimic gold-spun straw".  I think it does that very well, being a pale yellow gold with a gold sheen.

Obligatory Rumplestiltskin pic

The Lip Serum is called "Banshee" and it's a sparkly purple. It looks a bit intimidating in the tube but it's quite sheer, adding just a wash of color and shimmer to your lips. It would also make a beautiful topper for another lipstick shade. It's got a nice scent to it that the card describes as "blackberry champagne" but for the life of me I can't stop thinking of it as grape.

Ah, yes, the capsule! This was actually included for a specific purpose, and it's to mix up your own shade of lip color using "Banshee" and "Rumplestiltskin". Mixing these colors together makes a really pretty mauve-y gold shade.

The next item is a set of beautiful stationary cards. These are printed in lovely deep sea mermaid colors with the scales in a metallic foil. There's also some nice mermaid-y quotes at the bottom. The cards are blank on the back and come with matching envelopes so you can pen your own messages and send them to all your mermaid friends!

So, Espionage claims that these next stickers represent "their" crest. But I think we all know that it's actually my crest! Seriously though, swords, unicorns, cats, and games, does it not look like it was made for me? When Espionage first presented this crest on facebook I was first in line to demand some merchandise, so you can imagine how happy I was to get these!

And finally, the box includes some cute fairy flash tattoos. Perfect for the upcoming spring/summer season!

So, on the instruction card there is a suggested look for using this month's makeup haul, and while that looks really pretty, of course I had to go off and do my own thing. I thought the straw-gold color would be a great match with my Two Faced Peanut Butter Palate, and it did seem to work out pretty well! (Plus I love taking any opportunity to use this palette!)

So, for the eye look, of course I started out with my Urban Decay Primer Potion.

On top of that I used "Extra Creamy" to set the primer. 

I then used "Bananas" under the brow bone down to the crease, and as an inner corner highlight

Starting in the deepest part of the crease I blended "Peanut Butter" upwards, blending it into "Bananas" as I moved upwards, then diffused it under the lower lash line. 

On the lid I used "Jammin'" on the inner and outer thirds of the lid, and close to the lower lashline, blending it into "Peanut Butter".

I then used a dab of Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy (a sticky base) on the center of the lid and patted "Rumplestiltskin" over it.

I finished up by lining my tight and waterline with my usual Hourglass 1.5 mm gel liner, and topped my lashes up with Charlotte Tilbury's Full Fat Lashes mascara.

For the rest of my face I used the elf Cosmetics Brow Instant Life Brow Pencil in "Natural Brown". (I'm trying out a bunch of brow pencils right now to see what I like best. So far.. not much has worked really well for me.)

I laid down Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment primer in "Fair", then set it with Too Faced's Cocoa Powder Foundation, also in "Fair". 

For blush I used Nars' Orgasm. No contour or highlight since I was heading to work!

The lips are of course the "Banshee" lip serum!

And that's it!

Final Thoughts: I have SUCH a complaint with these BOOM! Boxes. And that complaint is: Why can't they come out every month?! *cries* Seriously though, so far all the boxes' quality has been consistently high and the goods unique and fun. I especially like that the the makeup items are presented in such a way that you can enjoy them whether you are a veteran or completely new to wearing loose pigments. 

Don't forget, I still have my 100th Post Giveaway going on! (You can find more details here) Make sure you enter to win a really cool prize pack!

And thanks for hanging out!