Collection Review # 1: Terra Firma Cosmetics Eyeshadows

Welcome to my first Collection Review, where I take a look back at makeup that's been in my collection for a while, show you some swatches, and tell you my thoughts!  Today's post is about Terra Firma Cosmetics, one of the first companies I came across when I decided to dump all my makeup with petroleum dyes, parabens, and other nasty synthetics in favor of products I could feel good about putting on my skin.  At that time, I pretty much depended on companies to tell me for themselves whether they used safe ingredients or not.  I've now become positively persnickety about reading ingredients labels, but these eyeshadows still stand up to my now more critical eye.

Terra Firma Cosmetics' Loose Mineral Eye Shadows, (or Eye Multi-Tasking Mineral Powders as they're called on the jars) are some of my all-time favorite eyeshadows.  They are consistently pigmented, easy to blend, and long-wearing.  They are also among the best eyeshadows I own in terms of their ability to last on my super oily lids.  I only own shadows from their original collection, but they have also released a second eyeshadow collection (they all appear to be satin or shimmer) and a collection of pure pigments.  The "multi-tasking" aspect comes from the idea that they can be applied either wet or dry, although I don't think I've ever applied any of them wet (I rarely remember that foiling is an option when I'm doing my makeup, let alone get around to doing it).  At $8.99 for a 10 gram jar, they're what I would consider quite reasonably priced.  Keep reading for descriptions of the finishes and colors.


Shimmer Eyeshadows

The extent of the shimmery-ness varies from shade to shade, but they all have some visible pieces of shimmer.  I must have taken about 300 pictures trying to capture the colors, and the photo still doesn't do them justice.

L-R: City Lights, Chocolate Diamonds, Eggplant, Disco Ball, Celestial, Starry Night

 City Lights: Basic shimmery white.  It is more shimmery than the picture would have you believe.

Chocolate Diamonds: I only have this one in a sample baggie, which makes the color very difficult to pick up.  This might be why it's a bit sheer (none of the others are).  It's a mid-tone, slightly warm brown.

Eggplant: Definitely not the color of an actual eggplant!  It's more of a deep maroon.

Disco Ball: This is one of the prettiest eyeshadows I own but the color was incredibly difficult to capture.  Even the swatch on the Terra Firma website shows it as a simple sparkly silver, but it's actually very complex.  The base is a beautiful pale greyish mauve.  The only silver is in the sparkles, which are more prominent in this color than in the other shimmer eyeshadows.

Celestial: This was another one that was difficult to photograph.  It's a pale old rose, not the ever-so-slightly-rose gold that shows up on Terra Firma's website.

Starry Night: Midnight blue that leans slightly towards indigo.


Matte Eyeshadows

The mattes are slightly less blendable than the other finishes, but they're still super high-quality.

L-R: Petticoat, Coffee Bean, Dark Chocolate, Burlesque, B-52

 Petticoat: Light brown with a teensy touch of pink.

Coffee Bean: Darkened taupe.

Dark Chocolate: Basic dark brown.

Burlesque: Cool, mid-toned purple.

B-52: An earthy greyish green.


Satin Eyeshadows

Satin is definitely my favorite finish, as you can probably tell from the number I have in my collection.  They (generally) don't have visible pieces of shimmer, but they catch the light and create a lovely sheen.  Some have different-colored shifts; some don't.

L-R: Couture, Driftwood, Beach Bum, Petal, Frenchy, Bathing Beauty, Laurel, Drama Girl, Electric Smurf, Ocean, Napa Valley

Couture:  I would classify this particular shadow as more of a shimmer than a satin.  The shimmer is relatively subtle, but it doesn't really have a satin quality to it at all.  Light, slightly warm-toned brown.

Driftwood:  This is such a beautiful neutral.  The base is a medium brown and it has a gorgeous silvery shift.

Beach Bum:  This color does not make a particularly interesting contrast against my skin, but it's a soft sandy gold.

Petal: A soft peachy pink.

French: This is another one that doesn't create a very striking contrast with my skin (I'm a ghost), but it's a lovely ballet slipper pink.

Bathing Beauty: The base is a light burgundy, but the silvery shift gives it the appearance of a cooler tone.

Laurel: Super bright orchid with a hint of gold.

Drama Girl: Pearlescent deep lilac.

Electric Smurf: Who knows whether I'll ever actually use this color, but I just couldn't resist.  Intense turquoise.

Ocean: A gorgeous light silver-blue.

Napa Valley: This color wears more subtle than it appears in the picture.  Light, cool green.


Ingredients:
Matte: Serecite, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Boron Nitride, Mica, Silk Powder, Magnesium Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Iron Oxide, (May Contain: Ultramarine Blue Mineral Pigment, Silicon Dioxide, Carnauba Wax).
Satin & Shimmer: Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide (some colors may contain Boron Nitride, Silk Powder, Magnesium Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Silicon Dioxide, and Carnauba Wax).