Clearing up rumors regarding Sobe Botanicals new Swatches

Normally I wouldn't post about something like this but I feel it is necessary. Recently I read a review for Sobe Botanicals. The review from what I could tell, was fair and based on her personal experience (check out her blog here). However, comments from another user, were not completely truthful. And yes, I felt it necessary to post a comment in my defense and I did.

Some of you may remember my post regarding myself working with Morgana Cryptoria and Sobe Botanicals on product swatches. I have been eye and lip modeling for both companies the past couple months (also was working with Kristen from Aromaleigh before it went out of business). In an attempt to attack the honesty of Lex (owner of Sobe Botanicals) and her products, my work was trashed. Not only have I been working really hard on these swatches, but I have experienced eye/lip irritation and loss of lashes (um hello, that's why I started wearing false lashes!). This is due to applying, wiping off, applying, wiping off, over and over on a daily basis. I have to neatly apply a product, photograph it, wipe it off and move onto the next colour and repeat the process. I swatch at least 4 eye and 4 lip products a day when I have the supplies.

Basically my work of swatching, photographing and photo editing was trashed to the point of saying these photos were not real and were actually 1 photograph re-shopped multiple times to look like various colours.

What was stated:
"After several hours of working with transparent overlays in a photo editor, I found that the 25 lipstick swatches on that site are color-shopped versions of only 4 images. One photo alone was shopped over & over to represent 10 different shades."

 This is a false statement.

So while saying she's done all this "research" to find these things out, she failed to notice that in the product listings with the MY eye and lip swatches, Lex thanks "Em" (that's me!) for the photos, swatches and lists links to my stores and my blog. But some how Lex is the dishonest person behind the photographs. She is not and neither am I. We have not been dishonest about the photos displayed on Sobe Botanicals website and etsy store.

 Here are some of the lip swatches that were stated to be manipulations of just 4 photos (I made a screen shot of these from my personal work folder). While I did my best to keep the angle exactly the same in each photo, it was impossible. Even an untrained eye can see that while they are extremely similar, angles, shadows, shape of my lips and even fullness of my lips are different. None of them are duplicate photos altered to look like another colour AT ALL. However, a small handful of photos were adjusted to better represent a colour. This was done so by me, not Lex.

My natural lip colour is very pink and most lipglosses and lipsticks look darker on me than most other people's lips. So I asked Lex to add in their descriptions that the products may look different based on your own skin tone and of course your monitor. This was not added to be dishonest.

My eye swatches, like the lip swatches, were each done individually. Shape, width and angle of my brow make it easy to notice.

With all this being said, you don't have to like my pictures, you don't have to like my swatches or the quality of my photographs and photoshopping skills. I am secure enough in myself that I can handle criticism. However, do not provide misinformation on the internet because you're upset. Just be honest, share your experience and people will listen and appreciate it.

Makeup is supposed to fun, creative and beautiful. Let's keep it that way. :-)


While working with Sobe Botanicals products, I learned that I really like them and that is why I have been doing looks with the products provided to me by Lex, and have shared the looks with you. I also have really enjoyed working with Lex as she has been very kind and amazing to me. She changed a few product ingredients due to allergies, so that I could use them. Not too many companies would do that or even respond to my asking about it, and she did it for me. :-D 

Also, Melissa from Morgana Cryptoria changed her lipstick ingredients so that I may wear them. It just shows that there are some wonderful people out there.

***UPDATE:

So the person who provided misinformation replied to my comment.

Her reply:
"@BLIX
Sorry to say, but on the current edition of the site, there are 10 color versions of a single lipstick swatch image. Overlaying them transparently, every single line & detail match up, & there is not the slightest difference in the angles & mouth position, which lip lines & “anomalies” are emphasized over others, the tension of individual facial muscles, & the shape, placement, & details of the light reflection on the bottom lip. The *only* difference is the color, including a rainbow of skin colors around the mouth, which screams color manipulation. An example of this, is that ‘Harlequin’ & ‘Purple Rain’ are the exact same image, & the color-shopping was obvious even before I over-layed them, due to the skin around the mouth being yellowish-green in one & pale pink in the other.
I have no doubt that you did swatch all the colors, but it appears that, for whatever reason, whoever designed the site, only used 4 of your shots, & color-shopped only those 4, in order to represent all the lipstick colors, without telling you. Having worked as an artist, art model, & writer, I am well aware of how incredibly common it is for an editor/site designer to disregard an artist’s creations, & just completely alter the works, without the artist’s knowledge or permission. I am very sorry that’s what appears to have happened here, showing no respect for your extensive work efforts."

Again, this is false.

My reply:
 "If you have software that can provide proof of what you're saying, then back it up with screen shots showing every single layer including the "original" photo. If what you're saying is true, you should be able to provide it easily."

Anyway...
I am posting the exact pictures I took that I can see with my own eyes that Lex added to her site. LOOK at them.

Here is Purple Rain with Harlequin below it.

You can see brush strokes on my upper lip in Harlequin that aren't in Purple Rain.  Angle is different, shape is different and there are sparkles in both that aren't in the other. Even the shine on the lips is DIFFERENT. What the hell? Am I going insane or something? Clearly someone has too much time on their hands.

She also stated in her original comment, regarding the photos, that these were the same as well, but they clearly aren't.  

Copper Pipe with Coppering below it:

 

Main difference I notice right away is my lips are fuller looking in the top one (my lips were really dry and irritated in the bottom one, thus resulting in smaller and sort of wrinkly lips)  and the top one is more sparkly. These are not the same photo, obviously.

There is a colour difference in the skin as a result of my "poor photo editing" which she says is proof of what she's trying to claim. 

Again, everything she is saying in regards to my photos is completely false.

I am not posting to be mean or pick on anyone. It is to educate you and clear up any rumors. Thank you for reading.

~BLIX