When Dark and Light collide: OCC The Garden

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I love a good nature inspired makeup collection. Usually when the warm weathered seasons roll around, I find myself surrounded by an overwhelming amount of soft, gentle hues related to flowers and all things, well…pretty.

Like the typical beauty junkie that I am, sometimes I want this perfect balance of makeup that’s something different but doesn’t stray too far into the crazy zone. Lucky me, because I have Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) to thank for achieving just that with The Garden, their new spring/summer collection for 2012.

Here at wht, we love OCC for not only their 100% vegan and cruelty-free products but also their ability to go the extra mile to produce such unique, edgy shades. For The Garden, the main inspiration was – stay with me here – psychotropic and poisonous plants, turning spring pastels upside down with notes of nearly-neon vibrancy.

While I don’t know much about scary plants, I love this bizarre garden approach. The result? Fashion forward colors that are wearable, fun and totally on trend. The review team got to try the entire collection. So how does OCC’s garden grow? Let’s find out!

First up are the Loose Colour Concentrates ($12), which can actually be used for both the face and body. A main ingredient is light reflecting mica, which provides a gorgeous sheen. Here are the new shades for the season (and a little plant trivia from Wikipedia as well):

Datura – an opalescent pink/lavender
Datura belongs to the classic “witches’ weeds and most parts of the plants contain toxic hallucinogens. It has a long history of use for causing delirious states and even death.

Mimosa – marigold yellow orange with gold shimmer
While too many Mimosa drinks can give you a killer headache; the members of this species are among the few plants capable of rapid movement, including the creepy venus flytrap.

Foxfire – spring green with a silver shimmer
Foxfire is the bluish green glow created by some species of fungus found in decaying wood. Spooky.

Triptych – bright and deep true gold
The only non-plant named color of the bunch, the triptych is a work of art, usually a panel painting, divided into three sections – apt for this gold that works on eyes, checks and lips.

I tested Foxfire which is a springy green that blends down to be very wearable and with the shimmer it’s perfect for a green eye look.

Acacia – yellow with blue green duochrome
Acacias, including the Yellow-Fever Acacia are a thorny species and their bark, roots and resin have been used for centuries to make incense for rituals.

Also pictured:Fae holographic white glitter with a pink/green duochrome

Datura, Mimosa, Firefox, Triptych, Fae, Acacia

There is one Cosmetic Glitter ($12) in this collection, Fae, a white glitter described by OCC to have a magenta and pink sheen but I only see a green sheen. I simply cannot take my eyes off of this! It’s so fine but has a lot of depth to it. I would love to mix this with nail polish and see how it turns out.

Beautiful swirled together, no?

For all my nail polish lovers, I hope you are prepared for this collection’s Nail Lacquers ($8) because you are in for a treat! OCC has added six stunning hues to their line and I was lucky enough to test three of them.

Chlorophyll – vibrant blue green with an opaque/satin finish

Chlorophyll (a green pigment found in almost all plants) caught my interest first because I feel like this shade embodies The Garden. It’s without a doubt a perfect opaque teal green nail color with flawless performance and satin finish.

Copperhead – brilliant copper glitter in a clear base with a semi-opaque/glitter finish

I was really curious about Copperhead because in the bottle, it looks absolutely insane. On the nail, it’s actually not that crazy and applies more like a glitter top coat. The glitter particles are small and sparse so if you want to achieve the look of how it looks in the bottle, you’ll need to take the time to apply multiple coats.

Phantasm – pastel silvery blue with an opaque/metallic finish

I’ve never experienced pastel/metallic nail polish without it looking too frosty. That’s not the case with Phantasm. The immediate color payoff for this one is rather extraordinary and flashes when light hits it.

Our review team will be by in the comments to give their thoughts on the three other lacquer shades including:

Arsenic – disco ball silver glitter with a semi-opaque/metallic finish

Chimera – metallic blue green with a opaque/metallic finish

Kava Kava – light crème apricot beige with a semi-opaque silvery shimmer finish

We can’t forget OCC’s cult product: Lip Tars ($14). which are now in different packaging. Rather than the slant tip applicator there is a needle nose tip so less product disperses. And, you avoid the urge to apply them directly to your lips (you NEED a brush with these). My mind was blown with the range of these 6 shades in this collection:

Ophelia – medium warm pink
Chlorophyll – shiny, dark blue green
Digitalis – cool, light pink-tinged lavender
Kava Kava – medium apricot nude
Pennyroyal – roasted peach/brown
Belladonna – ultra violet

Ophelia, Chlorophyll, Digitalis, Kava Kava, Pennyroyal and Belladonna

I had a blast testing Kava Kava and Pennyroyal. Kava Kava is a gorgeous peach shade on my lips and is definitely one of the safer colors in this Lip Tar selection. With a brown shade like Pennyroyal, I was able to mix a tiny bit with Kava Kava to make a whole new neutral lip look.

OCC’s The Garden really does have something for everyone. Whether you normally stick to safe shades or are drawn to interesting new ones, OCC’s got you covered.

we heartsters and reviewers: Are you ready to pluck a few pretty poisons from The Garden of OCC?

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.