Shiro's Battle of the Boy Bands Part 1: I Want It That Way

I've come to the quite solid conclusion that my blog will be something of a deadzone come wintertime. This is due in part to the complete lack of sunlight I need for swatches but also because I'm a human lizard and my body shuts down with the cold weather. (Not to mention the scales.) We're not getting any warmer in these parts but it's getting brighter which has me feeling a touch more active and while I'm nowhere near "summer-mode" I'm ready to get back into livin'.

Around Valentine's Day Shiro decided to woo our little '90s/'00s preteen hearts and released Battle of the Boy Bands - two collections paying tribute to the effeminate heart throbs of the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Granted, I wasn't much of a boy band fan in my youth but who didn't own a copy of Backstreet Boys' Millennium album? Everyone had it - it was just a natural state of being. So, while these collections didn't speak to me at my deepest, sexiest levels I still felt the strongest of needs for several reasons. 1. New Shiro stuff will always ignite my sparkle lusts. 2. Cheesy photoshop labels do speak to me at my deepest and sexiest levels. I threw both sets in my cart (along with a few odds and ends) and went about my merry way. Perhaps I could have been more patient - after the fact Caitlin asked if I'd like to do some lip swatches for the collections, refunded me my order and shipped these puppies my way! (She's a goddess, you guys.)

Today I'm starting off with the I Want It That Way collection - bringin' the Backstreet Boys to life all over your face. First up, the glosses!

Quit Playing Games With My Carter

Rich fuschia-toned pink gloss with a soft golden shimmer. Slightly more than moderate opacity.

Let's bring back side ponies, tho.

Slap this gloss on your gob and brace yourself as you ride the wave of nostalgia and Strawberry Crush. I could tell just looking at the tube that this gloss was going to be hella gorgeous. The gold shimmer in this is what dreams are made of - though it's far less noticeable in thinner layers. The fuchsia is so bright and peppy - perhaps not necessarily a color for everyone but if you're looking for a fun, youthful pop of color then I strongly recommend Quit Playing Games With My Carter. Also, when I say Strawberry Crush, I mean it. This gloss smells like bubbling strawberry soda to me and it's perfect.

Seven Minutes in Kevin

Deep Dragon-styled red in a wearably moderate opacity.

Oh myyyy.

Sevin Minutes In Kevin photographs crazy bright so this photo was edited for color accuracy~

Far more adult than the last gloss, this is the perfect "Maybe this is lip gloss; Maybe I've been drowning my sorrows in wine as I slowly close in on 30; Maybe go fuck yourself" shade. It's deep, sexy and my god it's spicy. The flavor is aptly listed as 'spiceberry' and, while pleasant, contains a bit of cinnamon oil. If you have sensitive lips or if your lips are winter-worn/swatch-abused then this fucker is gonna sting. But, if you're like me, that just adds to it's sensual appeal. The largest problem with Seven Minutes in Kevin is the same that we had with Red in My Ledger but far less so. The gloss is dark but leans sheer so anywhere the gloss gets globbed up is obviously darker - a problem that usually concentrates around the lip line when I use a doe foot applicator. Thankfully, it's much much easier to even out than Red in My Ledger. The big kicker with this one will be how well you tolerate lip pain.

Next are the face products! Each collection includes two blushes and one highlighter. Here are the shades for this collection swatched side by side:

Let's just call 'em Littrell, McLean & Howie for short.
Heavily swatched with a finger over bare skin.

As you can see the blushes/highlighter for I Want It That Way lean very warm and natural. Definitely the type of blush I like! Here they are one by one:

I Have a Littrell Crush on You

Warm-toned highlight with the most subtle shimmer.

Sorry for the dimness!

Direct light/Sun spot

Warm and subtle - this is a 'no-highlighter' sort of highlight. I usually prefer something with a bit more bang but as sheer as this is I think it'll be beautiful blended over more matte blushes (particularly the following two) to add a bit of glow. 

You Can McLean On Me

Soft matte warm blushy beige.

My favorite of the bunch! (From this collection and the next!) It's very similar to one of my most used mainstream blushes MAC Bareness (which was limited edition, I think). It blends out really seamlessly to just add a bit of warmth to my cheeks - very natural and perfect for lazy days.

Teach Me Howie to Love

Deep warm rose with barely-there shimmer.

That crown~

This blush scared me a bit at first to be honest. It's not nearly as intimidating once on my face however. Like McLean, Howie's quite natural if a bit deeper and ruddier. For days I'd want more color but perhaps without crossing the line into actual color.

Overall, Quit Playing Games With My Carter is for sure my favorite of the bunch with You Can McLean On Me taking the lead of the face products. Concerning the Tearin' Up My Heart collection, expect a post up within the next couple of days! As for now, I've got some duties on Draenor!

xxx