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Notoriously Morbid update as of an hour ago:

I am officially processing orders between Aug 1st-6th. Those are the orders you can expect to be shipped by Friday evening. The Vanishing Cabinet subs start shipping early next week! Thank you so much for making it such a success!

Friday August 22nd, The Blood Countess collection releases and the new fall Coffin Kissers release along with them. Get those lips ready for some wonderful fall flavors!
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Bflopolska said:
I was just wondering if it was normal for a credit card payment (not Paypal) to take a few days with GDE? While I was reassured my order earlier this week was charged, it has not been reflected in my bank account. I want Vee to get her money, she has earned it many times over in her quality of service alone!
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I don't think so since a lot of times she gets the packages shipped same day. I paid with a credit card yesterday afternoon and my order shipped last night. I do know she was testing a new credit card processor yesterday because I got a free blush for placing an order with the test system :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
 
Bflopolska said:
If I don't get a full size of that lip color, I am going to regret it for a very long time to come!

I can see why people are going batpucky for the OTM's, if this is a typical shipment. A full face worth of shiny surprises! And that partnership thing with another company, I like it. You're secure in your own talents and business model if you can include the competition.
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There's a neat little group of indies that are basically cross-pollinating each other's customer bases.

And as for what the OTM bags are like, well, it can vary. Extras are not promised every month, but every month this year has been an extras month. But even last year when we usually received just a shadow most of the time, it was still awesome. Any company that can make me fall in live with orange and yellow shadows is magical. I *hate* orange and yellow.

 
Excellent customer service at notoriously morbid!! She emailed me already, my box is out for delivery and should be here tomorrow!!! Apparently tracking #'s go automatically to the email address associated with the paypal account which is my husbands and HE DIDN'T TELL ME. Grounds for divorce, I think :p /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

But YAY new pretties tomorrow!!! So excited for my first indie lip gloss!

 
chibimorph said:
Hello Waffle reached 1000 likes on facebook! She's going to either up the sale or release a celebration collection or trio on the 29th. I'm so excited :smilehappyyes:
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 Can I just say that every time I see there is a new post from you I am afraid to open the thread.  Ijust know you are going to post something that convinces me to part with even more of my money.  Thankfully this time I had already sent hat news on FB and a bigger discount could potentially SAVE me money.  Unless of course this collection or trio is new shades.  Or the sale is so good I decide to get everything I want.

 
I received my first geek chic cosmetics order today (well, for myself.  I did order some for my fgc).  OMG, they're so pretty!!!  I ordered samples of the entire superneutrals collection, a sample of the blush chuuuu, a sample of clementine will remember from the this isn't a democracy collection, and a sample of princess in distress.  I'm obsessed with princess in distress, it's so so so pretty.  I started a no buy as a yesterday.  Now I want to buy everything geek chic cosmetics.  It's just all so nice.  I'm going to use up some of this stuff first I guess   ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
chibimorph said:
Also... The Brightest Bulb in the Box has an excellent post on indie eyeshadow pricing and mainstream eyeshadow palette pricing.

http://www.brightestbulbinthebox.com/2014/08/are-indie-eyeshadows-cheaper-ounce-per.html
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I just read this, and I have to agree with one commenter - she compares *palette* prices of mainstream shadows to *individual* shades of indies.  It's incredibly rare for me actually like/use all colors in any given palette, so I do think the comparison should skew somewhere between buying palettes and buying individual shades of mainstream shadows. Because yes, I will buy a $40 UD palette with 4 shades out of 8 I actually like versus buying 2 individual shadows for $22 ea.  BUT, I wouldn't buy a palette for one shade I like, whereas I'd totally do that for an indie, because they don't usually sell palettes.  (I also think she should have taken into account when companies like GCC and GDE offer discounts on buying a whole collection - rather like buying a palette in my opinion).

Still, very interesting article and OMG that Givenchy palette that worked out to over $1000/oz.  Apparently those shadows are made of a combination of gold and rare earth elements.

Edited because Holy Run-on Sentence, Batman

 
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@ I agree, too! (Mainstream palettes can also be purchased on sale, as well, though) However, palettes don't bother me because I'm the kind of person that hasn't really met an eyeshadow color I didn't like (except for black, maybe) ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I love being able to buy a bunch of eyeshadow samples - even if it's more expensive per gram, they're still going to last me long enough that I feel like I got my money's worth (in case my 170+ indie shadows haven't already demonstrated that...). The article was probably a response to a thread on reddit where people were talking about how indies were priced better per weight and a better deal (and people who mentioned supporting mainstream were downvoted). But I feel there's room for both indie and mainstream makeup in any collection based on someone's own preferences (I personally really like the way mainstream palettes look). 

That said... I'm really itching to make a Scaredy Cat Cosmetics order. Great price and super duper cute jars! :wub:

 
One thing I wonder about the mainstreams: How much do the components that make the powder pressable weigh? It's kind of like comparing a soda without ice to soda with ice. You get more soda if you skip the ice, but the cup contains the same amount of *stuff*.

 
@@meaganola That's a fantastic question! I don't know, but I decided to take a look at the ingredients for a couple of my mainstream shadows (stila and Smashbox) - in addition to the preservatives (which is a good thing), it looks like they add a variety of binders in order to modify the texture of the shadows (and they also have ingredients to prevent the shadow from clumping together). However, the first ingredient listed is talc (which is much cheaper than mica, which is what indie shadows basically are).

Indie eyeshadows also have a binder (like carnauba wax) which is used when they blend the shadows/micas (which leads to clumps). But by weight, it's probably less than the binders that are used in mainstream.

ETA: Now that I think about it... there's a lot of background costs for mainstream makeup as well (rent for multiple locations and they have to pay multiple employees), while many indies are made in the owner's house/apartment. There's also advertising, customized packaging, and cost mark-ups as the product goes into retail.

 
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Besides store space and other overhead, the advertising budgets of mainstream, international makeup brands are exorbitant. Combine that with getting some actress or spokesmodel on board--I doubt if any of them are working for free lipstick. A large part of that $80 palette has got to cover those kinds of expenses. Whereas Powder Yo' Nose, LLC in Hoboken might pay for business cards, itty-bitty baggies and the occasional sponsored listing on Etsy.

 
Bflopolska said:
Besides store space and other overhead, the advertising budgets of mainstream, international makeup brands are exorbitant. Combine that with getting some actress or spokesmodel on board--I doubt if any of them are working for free lipstick. A large part of that $80 palette has got to cover those kinds of expenses. Whereas Powder Yo' Nose, LLC in Hoboken might pay for business cards, itty-bitty baggies and the occasional sponsored listing on Etsy.
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Yeah, this is why I hesitate to compare and complain about mainstream vs indie prices (in general; beyond the "ooh, I can buy 20 eyeshadows for $20!") - too many different factors are involved.

 
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In some areas, you have to fill your containers in a sterile space. I know Victorian Disco has commented that they have to rent warehouse space now because of this. They can't just piggyback off an existing fill line.

 
meaganola said:
In some areas, you have to fill your containers in a sterile space. I know Victorian Disco has commented that they have to rent warehouse space now because of this. They can't just piggyback off an existing fill line.
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Yep! Actually, even back when she was in Illinois, Victorian Disco had a studio. Fyrinnae also has their own studio/facility. Hello Waffle makes her products in her apartment, still; I'm not sure about Shiro. Meow Cosmetics doesn't allow people to drive to their location to pick stuff up, so I don't know if they mix in a residential area or a studio. Lucy Minerals has a storefront.

ETA: I'm not sure if you guys can tell, but I'm really bored right now (hence my constantly commenting here)... :p /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
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chibimorph said:
Yep! Actually, even back when she was in Illinois, Victorian Disco had a studio. Fyrinnae also has their own studio/facility. Hello Waffle makes her products in her apartment, still; I'm not sure about Shiro. Meow Cosmetics doesn't allow people to drive to their location to pick stuff up, so I don't know if they mix in a residential area or a studio. Lucy Minerals has a storefront.

ETA: I'm not sure if you guys can tell, but I'm really bored right now (hence my constantly commenting here)... :p /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
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Pretty sure Shiro has a space

 

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