Ahhh! I'm so sorry - I very much meant to have this post up, like, a week ago! I've managed to overfill my plate and to top it all off I've been sick for the last few days. Bleck~ But I'm back to (mostly) 100% and ready to rumble.
Today's post covers the second half of Shiro's Battle of the Boy Bands: Tearin' Up My Heart - A tribute to *NSync! (I Want It That Way reviewed here!) Now, while I had my soft spot for the Backstreet Boys, I just could never really get into *NSync. Not like I escaped them completely - Justin's crunchy noodle hair holds a permanent spot in my nostalgia vault. Numbers don't lie though and it seems I fall into a minority. Shiro tracked the numbers and Tearin' Up My Heart won out over I Want It That Way popularity-wise and was thus rewarded with the limited edition Crazy For You, a pressure sensitive/color shifting eyeshadow. I don't have that to swatch for you but I've seen reviews popping up here and there if it's something that piques your interest. (Here's Indie Know's!)
This collection flips things around a bit from the previous set: the lip glosses will probably be more wearable to a wider range of people but the face products... may seem bit less so. You'll see. Let's check out the glosses first.
Mid-toned sheer/moderate bubblegum pink!
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| Plush |
Classically girly, this is the pretty pink gloss your parents let you leave the house wearing. The Thrill of the Chasez is definitely the most low-key and low maintenance gloss out of either collection. Also, remember when everything came in bubblegum? This stuff is liquid bubblegum essence in a tube.
The perfect warm ultra-opaque T-Swift polished red.
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| tuff boi |
This. This is the gloss you had to sneak out of your house in your backpack. (I was a complete tomboy chubbo and totally didn't do this but you get the idea.) While very similar to Shiro's Nic Cage Posing for a Calendar with Shiny Bright Red Cars, Justin Time is a true cream completely free of any sparkle, shimmer or pearl finish. So, if you have Nic Cage Posing and aren't bothered by the finish then you probably could pass on Justin Time. Of course, the label may be the big kicker for a lot of you folks. (Who could blame you?) As for the scent, this gloss smells like sweet, creamy french vanilla bordering on baked goods. I'm definitely a fan.
Next up, Tearin' Up My Heart's face products! Again, there are two blushes and a highlighter. As you can see, this collection's blushes greatly contrast the warm, natural hues of I Want It That Way.
Bright and Oh So Bold! The blushes are far more intimidating in the jar/heavily swatched than once on your face. I did attempt to get some face swatches done but the lighting (along with my grumpo skin) was not participating in the slightest. For now, arm swatches will have to suffice.
Cool pink-toned lightly shimmery highlight.
A lovely highlight for the pinky/cool toned babes out there. The texture of this highlighter is very fine - perfect to try as an all over face powder if you like a little glow. (An idea I got from /u/misosoup122 for I Have A Littrell Crush On You - I lightly dust it all over my face and I look like an angel.)
Ultra-vivid cool matte pink!
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| My levels went a bit crazy but oh my gawd. |
Cool toned, bright bubblegum-esque pink. It's a bit terrifying at first glance and to be honest I haven't gotten around to trying it out just yet. (Blush is always the first thing I skip when I'm running late.) It does remind me a bit of the brighter NARS blushes I have so I'm sure it's perfectly doable. I'm just a pansy.
Bright mid-toned matte red!
A tad sheer, A Chris For Good Luck blends out really nicely on the cheeks and adds a nice, wintery flush. I wouldn't call it a pure matte however, as I did spot a touch of shimmer. If you're a fan of red blushes like Darling Girl's Don't Eat the Apple than I'd say this is definitely one to try.
Overall, I think generally I prefer I Want It That Way over this collection though it does have it's gems. These glosses are absolutely lovely (I can't say no to Shiro glosses.) and A Chris For Good Luck comes in second to You Can McLean On Me when we're talkin' blushes. Really, when it comes down to it, many decisions will be made between these collections based on where your fandom loyalties lie. Granted, in my case, those loyalties lie with Shiro. But y'know.
xxx
