My, oh my. This has been a long wait. This weekend my Indie Memory Box arrived, and for those unfamiliar, it’s a one-time indie product box inspired by memories of holidays’ past. Inside were 19 products, ranging from full size to mini to sample. Also included were corresponding cards that described the inspiration behind each product, along with a holiday recipe. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Indie Memory Box purchased in full, all opinions my own. Eyeshadows swatched over Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Glitter swatched over Glamour Doll Eyes Glitter Fix. Face and lip products swatched over bare skin. Italicized product descriptions pulled from the Indie Memory Box website.

“a sparkly white with subtle red and gold sparkles”

I swear, my eyes just aren’t good enough to pick up the colors of small sparkles like this. Are they red and gold? I have no idea. By my eyes, this is a velvety cream-white with subtle sparkle.

“a gorgeous goldenrod yellow with strong tawny tones, and a soft green/silver shine”

The goldenrod tones of the shadow base combined with the green/silver shift combine to almost a chartreuse, and I’m loving it. I wish my camera was able to pick up just how strong the duochrome is- it’s striking.

This was a special sample included in the preordered boxes (you can still purchase boxes for the full $120 on the site). It didn’t come with a description, so here’s my stab at it: A red-toned eggplant shadow with turquoise sparks. Did I get it right? Guys?

“a sparking blue with a purple undertone and has aqua and golden sparkles”

This shadow was a bit of a glitterbomb, so next time I’ll try applying it over a glitter adhesive. I’ve always had some issues with patchiness with shadows from Innocent+Twisted Alchemy, and unfortunately this shadow wasn’t an exception. It was pretty easy to remedy, but it took time.

“a warm, medium brown, cooled by glimmering white frost and icy blue sparkles”

This is a wonderfully diverse shadow. Swipe it on for a nice, subtle brown, or pack it on to bring out the frost and sparkle.

“a beautiful mix of green, baby blue, brown and a dash of holographic white glitter”

I’ve never tried out straight glitter before, but I can confidently say this is glittery and pretty. I’m sure my application could use some work; this was also my first time using GDE’s Glitter Fix, as opposed to my usual Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy.

“a soft pink allover powder… inspired by [a] rosy glow”

I already have a lot of pink tones in my skin, so the rosy effect is very subtle. This is my first time trying a product from Rascal Cosmetics, and I’m really interested in trying more!

“a light, slightly cool-toned plum rose with a red-gold sheen in the light”

This blush is super pigmented, so I kinda overdid it with my swatch. Whoops! I didn’t get a sheen or shift with this blush, but it does have a subtle smattering of gold sparkle in it.

“a delicate, shimmering rose gold”

I’ve been head over heels for Preen’s formula from the start: it’s moisturizing, comfortable, and lasts all day on me without the need for any major touching up. Two Turtle Doves is a gorgeous pinky rose with golden shine.

“a soft, sheer, velvety rosy-brown with golden sparkle”

I was really excited for this gloss, but I don’t know how to feel about it. It has a pine scent to it, which I definitely don’t like, and I wish it wasn’t so sheer. The color in the tube is a beautiful coppery rose with an almost metallic shine. I think I might just order a custom gloss from Shiro that’s moderate opacity and without the pine smell.

Kae Q Cream of Life lip scrub: “made with Sri Lanken cinnamon, Florida cane sugar, local beeswax, and our own coconut oil”

My long-loved e.l.f. sugar lip scrub is about to run out, so this was awesome to receive! This is a chunky lip scrub that leaves my lips feeling soft and moisturized. Usually I feel a need to apply chap stick after using a lip scrub, but that’s not the case here. The cinnamon element is infused with the coconut oil, and it doesn’t irritate my lips like a lot of cinnamon-y lip products do.

Ten Three Labs Fall Folly salve stick: “orange spice tea flavour”

This salve stick has a lot of cinnamon smell to it out of the tube, which was intimidating at first. On my lips, I can smell orange and tea notes. It has a mellow orange tea flavour and keeps my lips feeling moisturized for a couple hours at a time. I’m a chap stick addict, and Ten Three’s salve sticks have always been my holy grail. They tend to crystallize after a few months, but it’s nothing a short spin in the microwave won’t fix!

Arcana Rota Fortunae: “rich, smoky oudh and comice pears are topped with sweet clouds of russian tea cakes, marshmallows, bourbon vanilla, tahitian vanilla, and sugarcane”

So.. this was my first Arcana perfume. I’m totally blown out of the water. I see why you all drool over it. I understand the desperate, persistent search for limited edition scents you missed out on. Please hold my hand and firmly tell me “don’t do it” next time there’s a release, okay? Out of the bottle, this is a rich boozy scent perfectly intermingled with sweet pears, vanilla, and cake. On the skin, this quickly morphs into what is most easily described as the candle aisle at Bed, Bath and Beyond. But please trust me when I say this is a good thing. The smokiness of the oudh melts away into a rich decadence. Trailing off it are crystallized pears, gourmet marshmallows, sweet drops of vanilla, and a subtle tang of sugarcane. Dear lord, I can’t handle how good this is. It’s a crying shame these products are exclusive.

Poesie Perfume Messe de Minuit perfume: “a swirl of church incense, wood, boughs of balsam fir swagged with sugar-frosted cranberries”

Unfortunately, the cap broke inside the perfume vial and the perfume all leaked out overnight. Part of the cap is stuck inside, so I can’t test this on skin. But here’s what it smells like out of the vial! Mahogany swirled with slowly burning incense, giving way to pine and a subtle hint of sugar and berries. This perfume definitely leans unisex, especially compared to the almost sticky-sweetness of Arcana’s Rota Fortunae.

Smelly Yeti Perfumery Birthday Christmas bubble and soak: “bavarian apple torte [scented]… epsom salt, dead sea salt, and lots of bubbles”

I, regrettably, haven’t had a chance to take the bubble and soak for a spin yet. But here’s what it smells like in the bag: Baked red apples crumbled with cinnamon, dollops of cream cheese, and graham cracker crust. Graham cracker isn’t a listed note, but for some reason I’m picking it up.

Uponaworld Cosmetics Arroz Con Leche soap: “inspired by coconut milk Spanish rice pudding”

I also haven’t been able to give this a shot yet, but the smell hit me when I opened up the box, and it made my mouth water. Rich coconut milk and sweet rice pudding. I’m also picking up brown sugar, maybe? My Gram swears she smells lavender in there, too. I’ll post a separate usage review for both this and the Smelly Yeti bubble and soak later this week.

Sunsets and Seas No-Bake Cheesecake: “graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling topped with strawberry drizzle”

This is such a simple cheesecake scent, but that’s perfect for a lotion. I can’t wait to layer this with perfumes for yummy dessert smells. (You better believe I’m putting this on alongside Rota Fortuna.) Chilled cream cheese and crumbly graham cracker crust, with a hint of strawberry syrup.

Leesha’s Lacquer Sugar Cookie cuticle oil: “…and visions of sugar cookies danced in their heads”

Cuticle oils are pretty straightforward, I feel. Or maybe I just feel that way because I’ve never used it before. Moisturizing and the subtle smell of sugar cookies straight from the oven. It’s suuuper subtle, and you basically have to put your nails up to your face to smell it. It’s cuticle oil, though, and I wouldn’t expect nor want a strong throw from it.

Dark Matter Makeup Lunar New Year Gravity eyeshadow primer: “a tinted light beige bronze”

I’d say this is comparable to the tinted Urban Decay eyeshadow primers, but this uses a doefoot wand for an applicator, so it’s easy to overdo things, and that results in patchy looking shadows. I’m about to run out of my Urban Decay primer, so I’ll work on applying this and give it a shot for a while to see how it goes!

Glamour Doll Eyes Glitter Fix glitter adhesive: “used to adhere your glitter… really intensifies the look of any sparkles”

I’ve yet to try using this with glitterbomb shadows, but I’m pretty sure this is GDE’s equivalent of Pixie Epoxy. I’m really glad this was included alongside the Winter of ’94 glitter; it must’ve been super helpful for those who haven’t taken the plunge and purchased a glitter adhesive yet.

So how am I feeling about the Holiday’s Past Indie Memory Box?

This was a $120 well, well spent. The packaging was darling, the cards a sweet touch, and these products amazed. Will I buy future boxes? You betcha, and I’ll be preordering as well, because the two extra products and coupons that came with the preorder were great. Happy early Christmas to me!