Shiro's Battle of the Boy Bands Part 2: Tearin' Up My Heart

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.

The Thrill of the Chasez

Mid-toned sheer/moderate bubblegum pink!

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.

Justin Time!

The perfect warm ultra-opaque T-Swift polished red.

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.

Love at First Lance

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.)

I'll Fatone For My Sins

Ultra-vivid cool matte pink! 

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.

A Chris For Good Luck

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

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

A Very Shiro Halloween Part 2 - The Pressed Palette

Looook at that beauty! Whew, it's enough to bring a girl to tears~ Caitlin was so kind to provide this palette to me as payment for the swatches I did of her Halloween lip products. These palette's were extremely limited so I consider myself very lucky in that regard! Though this palette is no longer available, the eyeshadows still are so I figured I'd stop by with some swatches. I've never tried Shiro's pressed formula or anything from the Halloween collection so, all around, this was pretty exciting!

The palette itself is nice and sturdy, surviving the trip to me in a bubble mailer. I'm in love with the design on the cover - though I miss the top sticker art, the palette's so well put together that I'm not too torn up about it. I hope we see more items like this in the future! The eyeshadows in the palette are the seven from the Halloween Collection and five supplemental shades from a few of Shiro's other collections to round everything out. But enough blabbin'! Swatch time!

*All swatches are done over Elf Glitter Glue (unless stated otherwise) in slightly overcast, natural light.*

Zero

Subtle greyish white with a spectral red glow. Lip-safe!

Zero! The pink/red shift is extremely strong - overpowering the base shade almost completely. The bottom picture is truest to how deep the shift is. Definitely not red but not so pastel of a pink either. People have been ordering this shade in a custom gloss and I'm super tempted to jump on board.

Ragdoll

Faded yellow-toned orange with blue and purple sparkle. Lip-safe!

Ragdoll is a deep, brickish orange. I was expecting it to be less rich with a bit more sparkle but I'm really liking it this way. The blue and purple (though I'd say more pinkish) sparkle is quite subtle which leaves Ragdoll with a bit more versatility. I'm actually wearing it today with The Last Homely House in the outer corner/crease, Zero lightly on my brow bone and Finkelstein patted over the center of my lid - oh, it's brilliant~

Steve O'Lantern from the Randomly Generated Collection

Medium pumpkin-orange with metallic gold highlights. Lip-safe!

I haven't given Shiro's Randomly Generated much of a try and honestly Steve O'Lantern wasn't on my radar at all. In the pan it just seems like a regular, ol' orange but swatched it has the most lovely golden sheen! It's extremely similar to Girl on Fire (swatched here) but without all the golden sparkle making it a good option for those who liked Girl on Fire but were put off by all the glitter. I wore this with Pumpkin King and Dwarf in the Flask the other day for a dramatic, spoopy Halloween-esque look.

The Last Homely House from the Hobbit Collection

A rustic cabin tucked deep in the woods: reddened brown with strong forest green shimmer. Not lip-safe.

The Last Homely House, though not a part of the actual Halloween collection, may be one of my favorite shades from this palette. It pairs so nicely with everything! I wore this shade the other day on the bottom half of my lid and blended up into Oogie Boogie in my crease. A bit of Salt and Stone in my outer corner and I was feelin' preeety foxy. I actually have a sample set of the Hobbit Collection that doesn't get nearly enough love and I should probably swatch one of these days!

Skull Kid from the Legends Collection

Medium brown with strong green shimmer and orange and purple sparks. Not lip-safe.

This is a very, very cool toned brown. I'd have thought it was purple if not for the description! The purple and orange sparks stand out really well. The green shimmer is lovely but very faint. Perhaps it's this Elf base. (Luckily, I've since restocked on my beloved Too Faced Glitter Glue in preparation for something of a swatch marathon I did this last weekend, wink wink.) Though it's not a part of the Halloween collection, it has a super fun, Halloween Party sort of vibe which makes it a perfect fit for this palette.

Pumpkin King

Blackened smokey bronze loaded with bright golden sparks. Lip-safe!

Warm, smoky and all together spoopy. I can't go without glitter glue with this shade because I have to get as much of that sparkle as possible. The sparkle is mostly golden but there seems to be some copper/red sparks in there that spice things up a bit. This is the perfect shade for a autumnal smoky eye.

Finkelstein

Pale, ghostly yellow-green highlight. Not lip-safe.

Ahhh, Finkelstein! 'Ghostly' is the perfect adjective for this highlight. It's sheer which makes it great to use on the brow bone but also over other shadows/bases to give them an unearthly glow. If I was only allowed one eyeshadow from this Halloween collection this would be my pick for sure.

Oogie Boogie

Swampy beige green with a satin finish. Not lip-safe.

Oogie Boogie has a warm, khaki base with a cool green sheen over the top. Another shade with a perfect description - swampy. I especially love this color blended and blown out of the crease. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's soul mates with The Last Homely House. There's romance in this palette, fools~

Salt and Stone from the Seven Kingdoms Collection

Blackened green of House Baratheon, shining with the red light of R’hllor. Not lip-safe.

Salt and Stone! My ol' buddy! I reviewed the loose version of this eyeshadow here. The red sheen is super strong in the loose form but it may be even stronger in this pressed formula - you can barely see the base shade! But it's just as stunning here as it was then and fits perfectly within the palette.

Lock Shock and Barrel

Desaturated mauve toned purple with a green shift. Not lip-safe.

Over Too Faced Shadow Insurance

The new Halloween shade! And sadly, my least favorite - at least performance-wise. Lock Shock and Barrel did not play nicely with my glitter glue at all. I had to switch to regular primer and then when I did swatch it, it was a bit patchy. And though I'm liking the smoky, plum base, it's definitely darker than I imagined it would be. Perhaps my pressed pan was a dud - at first I got almost no color payoff from it but after a while I must have broken through a hard layer to something a bit more manageable underneath. I'm happy enough with the results but I'm quite curious to see how the loose formulation behaves.

Two Faced

Blackened brownish-purple with an orangey sheen. Lip-safe!

I don't get much of an orangey sheen from Two Faced but perhaps that's due to the fact that it was a bit overcast the day I did these swatches. I see some red shimmer throughout but it's fairly subtle. This is a good dark color for someone who wants to do a spoopy, smoky eye without going full on black.

Dwarf in the Flask from the Fullmetal Collection

Velvety, intensely opaque matte black. Lip-safe!

Over Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Swatching can be pretty messy so I apologize for the bits of sparkle contaminating my swatch! Dwarf in the Flask is a pure, matte black - extremely useful and a staple of many. It's perfect for tightlining, regular ol' lining, setting gel/pencil liners and for black/smoky eyes. This is the first indie matte black I've ever tried and I'm really liking it. I normally use the black from my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and I haven't compared them side by side but I'd say they perform somewhat similarly.

Overall, I'm pretty much in love with this palette. These were the only shadows I took with me while house-sitting for my grandma this last week and I was able to get a lot of well put together looks from it. The colors chosen from the permanent collections compliment the Halloween shades so well. (Seriously, The Last Homely House goes with everything.) And although this palette's no longer available, the Halloween singles still are but availability's only guaranteed through November 1st. This is their last year so jump on 'em if you want 'em!

xxx

Side note: To any other bloggers - Do you ever read and reread a post before you publish it and have an unshakably anxious feeling that you've missed something? Haha, maybe I'm just a nut.