Shiro Cosmetics Review

Hi guys!  Back again, this time with a review on the indie brand Shiro Cosmetics.  I purchased these eyeshadows last month during their big annual sale and have been playing around with them ever since.  If you missed my last post on Shiro and haven't heard of them before let me give you a brief introduction.  Shiro Cosmetics is a vegan friendly, cruelty free makeup brand whose theme revolves around video games, books, tv shows and general pop culture.  They specialize in loose eyeshadows though they do also produce lip glosses, setting powder and blush. Their products are very affordably priced and start at $1 for samples and go up from there.  Overall their brand gives of a really cute, quirky vibe and I love it.  Anyway, enough of my rambling, onto the review~

Products

Application

I ordered 9 samples from Shiro, who were nice enough to throw in a freebie, as they do with all their orders, and I found their shadows to be rather unique.  This definitely was not my first time playing around with loose eyeshadows.  I've used a few from Sugarpill and loose pigments from Makeup Geek and generally speaking, I really enjoy using loose eyeshadow.  Sure there's more fallout (though sometimes you can combat this by pressing them) but I find that you can achieve certain finishes that you may not be able to with a pressed shadow.  

Shiro's shadows are a new experience for me though.  Unlike Sugarpill's which apply like a dream wet or dry, base or no, or Makeup Geek's which bunch up on themselves in the package but apply smoothly, these took some practice to get used to.  First off, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a sticky base with these shadows.  Just using a primer is not going to cut it with these, so be sure to apply either a Nyx Jumbo eyeshadow pencil or a product specially designed to work with loose shadows and their slightly drier consistency.  If you think you can use these shadows without a creme base of some sort you will be very disappointed!  

Personally I think these shadows are best suited for use on the lid to the crease. 

Colors

Because I'm a color junkie I had to get some of Shiro's brightest colors for my first order, however for those of you who prefer something more subdued, don't fret!  They offer plenty of neutrals in a wide variety of finishes.  Here are some swatches of the ones I own.

Left to right:  Tunderbolt,  Steve O' Lantern, and Philosopher's Stone

Left to right:  It's Mossy, Kraken, and Maiden Queen

Left to right:  Eye Contact, Team Rocket, Alkahestry, Evolve

Personally, I think Shiro did a great job in photographing their products and I found them all to be very true to color.  Some of the more sparkly shades like Evolve, Maiden Queen, Alkahestry, and Thunderbolt have the most amazing micro shimmer in them which is really hard to photograph but very visible in sunlight or at the right angles.  Also, a lot of the colors which are more sheer work beautifully over both light and dark bases so there's a lot of room for experimentation.  

Here are a few looks that I've created using these shadows.

Used:  Team Rocket and Alkahestry

Used:  Evolve and Alkahestry

Used:  Philosopher's Stone and Steve O' Lantern

I'll also be posting a photo tutorial of the purple look later this week so stay tuned for that.  All in all, I really enjoy my Shiro products.  I think the colors are fantastic and I get so many compliments when I wear them.  If you're willing to put in a little extra work by using a proper base and dealing with the fallout during the application process then they're totally worth it. I'll definitely be purchasing from them again in the future.  

Have you ever tried Shiro Cosmetics or loose eyeshadow?  If so, what was your experience?  Love it or leave it?  Let me know.  Also follow my Facebook page, The Dark Unicorn for more looks.