I’ve always been interested in things like the Zodiac, and while I don’t necessarily follow my horoscope and make life decisions based on it (in fact, mine and my SO’s signs are supposedly very incompatible), I do find many Virgo traits that I identify with and generally find things like the Zodiac interesting. So when I heard that the new indie shop Dark Matter Makeup was coming out with a Zodiac collection, I couldn’t help picking up a sample pack.

About the Brand – “I created Dark Matter Makeup in order to create makeup influenced by the beauty of our universe, from the stars in our skies to the galaxies that makeup our reality. I wanted to capture that essence and bring it down to earth in the form of makeup as art. I strive to create colors that shine with the complexities of our skies and bring some intergalactic glamour into your beauty wardrobe.” – taken from Dark Matter’s about page on their blog. Dom started Dark Matter Makeup in December of 2014 and has a total of three collections. Clusters 1 and 2 consist of shades inspired by space, Cluster 3 is the Zodiac collection, and Cluster 4, The Women of Science collection, is set to launch in March. As of right now, Dark Matter only offers loose eyeshadows. You can find her shop here.

Sizes and Prices – Dom does not offer her eyeshadows in the common 5g jars and sample baggies that most indie companies use, rather offering full sizes in glass vials with 3g of product and samples in small test tubes with an attached snap on cap, which are filled half way. Full sizes are $7.00 USD and samples are $1.50 USD. You also have the option of buying sample sets of each of the Clusters or sets of 5 samples of your choice.

My order details – I ordered February 7th, it shipped the 8th, and I received it the 11th. I didn’t see a stated TAT on the Etsy page, but I wasn’t concerned, and when I got my shipping notification I was very impressed. Dom is also very open and speedy when it comes to communication. Right after I placed my order I realized I still had my college address in my account, so I messaged her via Etsy saying I needed my package shipped to a different address. She responded virtually instantly saying it wasn’t a problem and she’d send it to the right address. The next day I got two shipping notifications and a message from Dom saying she accidentally forgot to change my shipping address before sending it out and that she sent another package to the right place. Since that first address was for my college, there’s a possibility that they’ll forward it to me, and Dom said that if that happens, I can keep it since it was her mistake. A+ customer service, if you ask me.

About my swatches – Since my Pixie Epoxy is pretty much gone right now and I haven’t yet gotten a replacement glitter base, my swatches are only over NYX HD primer this time. Pictures are taken in indirect natural light. I wear UD Naked Skin foundation in 3.5, which is about NC15 in MAC terms. Site descriptions are in italics, my thoughts follow.

My samples came packaged in a cute sheer blue drawstring bag with gold stars and moons on it. In the envelope is Dark Matter’s business card, a card with the ingredients on it, and my free sample of Why So Sirius?. I liked the addition of the valentine thank you card, since it’s so close to Valentine’s Day.

Aries – “Gold shimmer”

Light shimmery peach toned gold. I think this would be a very nice lid or inner corner shade.

Virgo – “Light pink gold”

Light cool pink base with strong champagne/light pink shimmer. Another nice light color.

Cancer – “Bright pink blue duochrome”

Warm berry base with blue-violet shift. It seems very similar to Baroque Sea, so I’ll have to do comparison swatches.

Leo – “Sheer bright orange glitter”

Bright medium orange with silver and subtle pink glitter. Leo reminds me a bit of Ragdoll from Shiro’s Nightmare Before Christmas collection. Another one to add to my to-do list of comparisons.

Libra – “Magenta pink gold duochrome”

Warm medium purple with gold shimmer. This is probably one of the most pigmented out of the bunch.

Gemini – “Maroon purple red duochrome”

Medium-dark cool purple with subtle pink shimmer.

Taurus – “Milk chocolate satin”

Medium-dark brown with warm purple shimmer.

Capricorn – “Gray purple violet satin”

Muted dark periwinkle with subtle purple shimmer.

Aquarius – “Blue gold duochrome”

Denim blue with strong rose gold shimmer.

Sagittarius – “Silver gunmetal shimmer”

Blue gray base with emerald and silver shimmer and light purple glitter. I had trouble coming up with a good description for this one because it is so complex. Really gorgeous.

Pisces – “Teal glitter”

Intense teal with silver glitter. Wow. This one is so intense. I really like this one, though I might struggle to figure out how to wear it.

Scorpio – “Chocolate brown turquoise green duochrome”

Dark red toned brown with strong grass green shift. Since I try not to look at site swatches/descriptions after I make my order so my take on the colors aren’t influenced by the site descriptions, so when I swatched this I was very surprised to find the green duochrome. I don’t think I own any colors quite like this and I think it is a very unique addition to the collection.

Collection as a whole – I really like the diversity in this collection, particularly in the finishes. You have the strong duochromes of Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Libra, the more matte/satin shades of Capricorn, Taurus, and Gemini, the bright matte shades with glitter of Pisces and Leo, the really shimmery Aries, and the difficult to describe glitter bomb Sagittarius. I also like the color range within the collection. Pigmentation was middle of the road. It wasn’t spectacular, but it definitely wasn’t a problem. Other people who have bought from Dark Matter have expressed concern with the test tube containers Dom uses for her samples, as they’re difficult to get a brush into. I haven’t tried applying them with a brush yet, but I can see how people are concerned.

My free sample did not come in the little test tube packaging.

Why So Sirius? – “Silver toned gunmetal black with subtle sparks of gold and violet”

Medium silver/light gunmetal with lilac shimmer and gold glitter.

Overall – I am very happy with the diversity of the Zodiac collection and Dom’s customer service. I am planning on purchasing each of the first two clusters in the future and I’m excited to see what’s coming in the Women of Science inspired Cluster 4.

What do you think about the Zodiac collection? Have you tried Dark Matter Makeup yet and what do you think of them and their unconventional packaging?

Avery