I had mentioned it in a post last week, but in case anyone missed it- the lovely Imogen recently sent me the entire “This Isn’t A Democracy” Walking-Dead themed eye shadow collection from Geek Chic Cosmetics. It’s definitely not a secret by now that I love everything TWD-related, and I certainly love makeup, so the mash-up of the two brings me an indescribable amount of joy. As much as I wanted to wear all of these six shadows at once, I paced myself- limiting my eyes to one color per day so that I could get the best sense of application, pigmentation, and longevity for each one individually.
Geek Chic Cosmetics, a vegan and cruelty-free company based out of Oregon, was founded and is run by Chantel, Deb, and Phil. They have a wide array of eye, lip, face, and body products with “geeky” themes and collections geared towards different fandoms- like ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ among others. Browsing their site is a lot of fun and I fully plan on purchasing some of the stuff from their other collections soon.
But first, let’s talk about “This Isn’t A Democracy.” For $5.99 per shadow ($1.25 per sample,) these shades come packed in a nice round pot with an image of Rick Grimes, gun in hand and Carl’s future hat on his head, overlooking what’s left of Atlanta. If the packaging wasn’t enough to sell me on this collection- the names of the colors included in it absolutely did.
Shade # 1: “We’re All Infected”
From Geek Chic’s website: “Yeah, Rick, that’s approximately number one on the list of things I’d want to know. A bright blue teal with violet interference and sparkle, darkens when wet to also make a great eyeliner. Can stain.”
This deep and dramatic teal was the first shade from this collection that I tried, and with it’s rich pigmentation and glitter- my eyes definitely popped! As someone with very blue eyes, I’ve been told that blues and aquas are shades to be avoided with shadows and liners- but this color was beautiful and definitely something I’d wear for a bold look during a night out, or blended with one of my golden shadows for a more subtle, Summer-y/beachy daytime look.
From Geek Chic’s website: “You got some balls for a chinaman.” Daryl figured it out eventually, okay. A ruby pearl shadow with soft golden shimmer.”
One of the best throwback lines to Season 1 came in the form of Daryl Dixon, who had previously disregarded Glenn’s ethnicity way back when, bluntly correcting his big brother Merle by telling him Glenn wasn’t, in fact, Chinese- in the second half of Season 3. It’s also the name of this beautiful (and very sparkly!) rose-hued shadow that didn’t look too dark on my lids. This is a gorgeous neutral color that is suitable for daytime wear, but please be advised- this shade has a LOT of sparkle- so be sure to gently sweep a clean powder brush under your lower lids and along your cheekbones to collect any fall-out.
Shade # 3: “You Best Pray I’m Dead”
From Geek Chic’s website: “Am I the only zen one around here?” Definitely most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse. It’s good to be the fan favorite. A survivalist badass with a soft nougaty center. Aww. Golden green with a subtle red glow.”
Although this shadow is described as having a subtle red glow- I couldn’t see it at all. On my lids, this shade looked like a light mint green/gold. It was considerably lighter and less sparkly than the previous two shadows, but still noticeable. I liked that I could wear this shade by itself for a subtle hint of color, or blend it with other shadows to create bright, fun looks for work.
From Geek Chic’s website: “I know how the safety works.” Andrea stuck to her ethics and trusted her gut. Unfortunately, and it got her labeled untrustworthy by all sides and got her killed in the end. It’s okay, she’s still alive and well in the comic. A soft silver with golden interference and copper sparks.
Comic Andrea > Show Andrea. With that fact out of the way, this was another lighter, less-sparkly shade that, like “You Best Pray I’m Dead,” is tame enough to be worn during the day all by itself- or blended with other eye shadow shades. Personally, I think this is the perfect grey to use when creating a classic smokey eye since it’s not too dark or loaded with glitter.
Shade # 5: “Clementine Will Remember”
From Geek Chic’s website: “So often, games saddle us with with kid characters that are basically luggage who exist solely to artificially inflate tension. Clem broke the mold and made our hearts melt every time we had to dash her tenuous hopes, either on purpose or when our thumbs “slipped”… either way, Clem will remember that. Steel grey and packed full of red, gold, and copper sparks. A color to remember.”
I think I may have actually wailed when I saw the name of this shadow, because Telltale’s “Walking Dead” game, and specifically the horrors and devastating losses poor little Clementine has had to face through each episode- has pretty much destroyed me. This shade, venturing back into the darker, more pigmented territory- was a very cool looking grey/black with multi-colored sparkles that showed up brilliantly in the light. I plan on blending this with “I Ain’t A Judas” to create that classic smokey eye I was talking about.
Shade # 6: “Stay in the House, Carl”
From Geek Chic’s website: “He’s definitely not in the house. Try out by the swamp near the loose zombies. Unsupervised. A luscious chocolate brown with copper and golden highlights.”
And finally, my favorite named shadow in this collection. This color, while dark and without a lot of glitter or sheen, looked really pretty around my blue eyes. This would be a phenomenal color to use in the fall, but I think the hint of gold/bronze in this shadow would make for a very pretty dramatic, nighttime look for the Summer.
Overall, I really enjoyed “This Isn’t A Democracy” as a whole. The shadows were pigmented, applied easily and evenly, and lasted all day without fading, smudging, creasing, or flaking. I like that I can mix and match the shades, the lighter ones and the darker, bolder ones- to create different looks as opposed to being stuck with a cluster of difficult colors that are near impossible to work with or blend. I will say that if you are not a fan of sparkle, you might want to steer clear of shades like “He’s Korean” and “We’re All Infected,” both of which are very glittery. I loved the look of them, however- and any excess could be easily fixed in no time at all.
And with all that being said, count me among the newest fans of Geek Chic Cosmetics. They’re fun, affordable, and their eye shadows are really good quality. I’m already compiling a list of some of their other products and collections I want to try soon!
And thanks so much again to my beautiful, sweet, and amazing friend Imogen for sending me these shadows!
Legally Redhead 