Shiro Cosmetics

Face of the Day 04
This is my own photo.

After trying out Shiro Cosmetics Loose Eyeshadow in Detective over my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool in my last FotD, I was inspired to use them more often. Sure wetting loose shadow adds a step, but I think the results are worth it because many loose eyeshadows, like the ones Shiro puts out, are very unique. I wrote in my review of Divine Justice that the brown/orange tones don’t melt like a duochrome, and instead sit on top of each other as if you layered two. It really is a neat effect!
Anyway, here are the products used (and a photo of the end result):
This is my own photo.

(Sorry for those wispy hairs!) What makeup did you wear today?

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Shiro The Notebook Collection Collective Review

Shiro’s The Notebook Collection thrilled me when I first saw it. I’m a big fan of the anime that inspired it (Death Note), and was super excited to see how the shades would perform. I’m happy to say that most of them were impressive, if not very unique. There are ten shadows in the collection, all loose. As I’ve stated in reviews, one can purchase the whole collection at once and receive a 10% discount.

Sadly, there was not a lot of diversity in this collection. It’s more muted/neutral, with softer pops of color compared to the brand’s brighter, more pastel collections. There are two greys (Detective and More Sugar), two browns (Divine Justice and Mistrust), two burgundy-reds (Heart Attack and Task Force), a blue (Heaven Nor Hell), a gold (Perfect World), a black (Second Kira), and a purple (Shinigami). In more detail:

  • Detective: Cool, iridescent silver with silver glitter. This one was more of a layering shade and was a bit sheer. It had some issues with fading and glitter migration. This is safe to use on the lips. (3.8 C+)
  • Divine Justice: Warm, medium orange, with warm brown overlay and golden shimmer. This was probably the most unique in the collection, as I’ve never seen another shadow self-layer like this one did. This shade only slightly faded around the edges. This is safe to use on the lips. (4.5 A-)
  • Heart Attack: Frosty cranberry wine with silver and blue glitter. Urban Decay Last Call, L’Oreal Glistening Garnet, and MAC Star Ruby are considerable dupes. This wore flawlessly, without creasing, fading, or falling out. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.3 B+)
  • Heaven Nor Hell: Steely, gunmetal blue-grey. This was an interesting shade and another that wore perfectly without any problems. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.3 B+)
  • Mistrust: Warm, chocolaty brown with silver and orange sparkles. Apart from the special layering effect of Divine Justice, the two colors aren’t that different. This had application fallout but wore well. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.1 B-)
  • More Sugar: Steely, storm cloud grey. This applied and wore perfectly. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.2 B)
  • Perfect World: Soft yellow gold with slightly metallic frost. Urban Decay Maui Wowie is similar. It applied and wore perfectly. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.5 A-)
  • Second Kira: Dark, cool grey with a greenish tinge and highly reflective gold sparkles. This shade was so unique. This faded slightly around the edges. This is safe for use on the lips. (4.4 B+)
  • Shinigami: Light lavender with silver shimmer. This faded and had glitter migration, and had fallout during application. This is safe for use on the lips (4.2 B)
  • Task Force: Cool, purplish pink-burgundy. This faded around the edges. This isn’t that different from Heart Attack, except that the latter has the bluish shimmer. This is the only shadow not safe for use on the lips. (4.2 B)
I wore all of these shadows foiled (wet). Some of these had issues with application over a base. Generally they went on well, opaque and easy to blend. More often than not these wore greatly, although some did fade around the edges or on the lid. Application was generally good too. I experienced no creasing with any of the ten shades, despite their wet application. 
All of these shadows are cruelty free and vegan, made with gentle ingredients. The ingredients are readily available, listed on the brand’s site and stamped on the bottom of each shade. The mini 1g jars, which are the ones I purchased, are small, about the size of a quarter, with clear lids and sifters. The light weight of the plastic and the shadows’ small size make these tricky to store, and I imagine even worse to travel with. 
The cost of this collection was not too steep, and US shipping was only $2.50 USD. They do ship internationally for a flat rate of $7.50. It wasn’t long before I got my order (less than 2 weeks), and the customer service was out of this world amazing. 
On the whole, I liked the Notebook Collection. Second Kira ended up being my favorite, followed by Perfect World and Heart Attack. I thought Divine Justice was unique but not flattering. Heaven Nor Hell also stands out to me. Shinigami is a pretty purple, but not that different from others on the market.While  Detective  got the lowest score, it is a fantastic layering shade and I look forward to experimenting with it over different bases. Mistrust, More Sugar, and Task Force are more forgettable, but none of them are really poor quality. This collection may be better for someone who still needs to round out their stash as opposed to someone who’s makeup collection is more extensive, as one only needs so many of the same few shades. 
I’m looking forward to trying some of the brand’s brighter, more unique shades. I didn’t think the Notebook Collection was that inspired or interesting-some of the colors within the collection are dupes of each other! The sifters and lids can be unreliable and at times, problematic. But the color quality, wear time, and lack off issues (creasing/fading/fallout, etc) are excellent. I’m always happy to see cruelty free, vegan, and non-irritating cosmetics that are pretty and good quality on the market. And, I’m equally very happy to support the indie, smaller businesses. Overall, this brand is great, I’m satisfied with my purchase, and would highly recommend them to anyone.
The average score for this collection is 4.25 (B).
Shiro products are available exclusively on their website, shirocosmetics.com

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Task Force Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Last but not least in Shiro’s The Notebook Collection is the “shimmery deep burgundy,” Task Force. This is a cool-toned purplish pink-burgundy. It’s not glittery, or even shimmery-it has more of a satin texture. The shadow color looked similar whether or not a primer was used (it was a bit brighter over bare lids, but marginally).  Shiro Heart Attack is warmer and redder, and also has a blue sparkles.
This shadow went on opaquely and blended nicely (when foiled). Like with other Shiro shadows, this has a different texture when used with a base. A base brings out the shimmery/shiny/glittery texture of the shadow, whereas they settle down to a more velvety finish over bare lids. When used without a base, this had faded around the edges after a pretty impressive 6 hours. By 9 hours, it had faded around the edges when a primer was used. Otherwise, the color was uniform and solid, even if it was a bit muted. Without a primer, it was a bit uneven by this time. Regardless, I didn’t have issues with fallout or creasing.
These shadows come in three different sizes: $1 USD sample baggies, $3.50 USD 1g mini jars, and $5 USD, 2g full size jars. They also offer a permanent deal, where you can buy the whole collection at once and save 10%! My collection is in the mini size, which come in plastic with clear lids, with the shade name and ingredients stamped on the bottom. They’re pretty small, about the size of a quarter. They come with sifters. Some times the sifters pop off easily, sometimes they’re nearly glued in there. Sometimes, they shake out way too much product, other times, they need a good few shakes to get enough product to use. The lids need to be pressed down and then screwed shut-some of them pop on easily, other ones need to be clamped down pretty hard to keep the lids on there.
Task Force is one of the few shadows in this range that are not safe for use on the lips. All of their products are cruelty free and vegan, with gentle ingredients. Like most indie brands, Shiro is only available online, via their website. The shipping was not expensive ($2.50 USD, $7.50 for international shipping, orders over $35 and shipping is free). I also got my order in a reasonable time frame (it was in my mailbox within 2 weeks). Not to mention brand creator Caitlin Johnstone was super kind-she included a handwritten thank you note, candy, and 2 free sample baggies with my order.
Color: 4/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 3/5
Overall: 4.2 (B)
Recommend: Task Force is a pretty color and performs well with a base. But, it’s not that unique (even within the collection)-you may have something similar already. But if you’ve been on the hunt for this type of shade and prefer gentle/animal friendly products and/or you’re on a budget, this shadow would be worth looking into.

Shiro products are available at shirocosmetics.com medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;

Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Shinigami Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Next up in my ongoing reviews of Shiro’s The Notebook Collection is the “dark royal purple with silver sparkles,” Shinigami. I applied this shadow foiled (wet). This shade looked a bit different depending on whether or not a based was used. It was lighter, a touch more lavender, when used with a primer. It was darker when used over bare lids. The base allowed the silver shimmer to show up much better. When used without a primer, the texture seemed more velvety and less iridescent. Shinigami was a bit drier to apply over bare lids. However, whether or not a primer was used, it still went opaquely and was easy to blend. This didn’t have any of the difficulty with wear or dryness that people often associate with purples. There was some fallout, both with and without a base, but nothing deal-breaking.
In terms of wear, I was happy with this shadow. There was a little bit of glitter migration to the browbone after 3 hours. This wasn’t an unattractive thing though, as the glittery is not at all large or chunky. By 6 hours, this had faded around the edges when a primer was not used. At the end of the day, the shadow was less vibrant than during initial application. The interesting thing is that each way to wear it (primer vs. no primer) kept the shadow’s respect texture (frosty vs. velvet) throughout the day. There was no creasing or additional fallout throughout the day. 
Shiro’s formula of loose shadow is very nice to work with. It’s soft and not too powdery, packs bold pigment with minimal fallout, stays all day and blends well. It never creases, even when used wet over a cream base. Many of these, including Shinigami, are safe for use on the lips as well! They’re all cruelty-free and vegan, using gentle, simple ingredients.
These shadows come with three sizes, a $1 USD sample bag, a mini 1g jar for $3.50, and the full size, 2g jars are $5. I have the mini jars, which are clear, with the shade name and ingredients stamped on the bottom. With this mini size, the packaging is hit or miss. Some of them are simple, easy to pop on and screw down tightly. Others, like my Shinigami, are tougher-with this I have to clamp down the lid a bit hard, and then give it a tight twist. The lid will pop off and make a horrible mess in my stash otherwise. Also, the jars are small. I imagine the size, and the lighter plastic of the container makes these less than ideal to travel with and store (I keep mine in a plastic bag, which is not optimal). You get a good amount of product in each jar though, and for the quality you get, the price cant be beat.
One thing about Shiro, like other indie brands, is that they’re only available online. Now, I prefer to shop online, but many people don’t, and that limited availability could be inconvenient for some. However, if you do go ahead and purchase from them, their service is amazing! Shipping is $2.50 USD, or free for orders over $35. They ship internationally, for a flat rate of $7.50. They also have a permanent deal where you can purchase an entire color collection at once and receive 10% off! I got my package less than 2 weeks after placing my order, so not bad at all. But the quality and care that went into my package was amazing. I received a handwritten note from brand founder Caitlin Johnstone thanking me for my order, along with some free candies and two free sample bags of shadows from their other collections. I was definitely impressed!
Color: 4.5/5

Wear: 4.5/5
Formula: 4/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 4/5
Overall: 4.2 (B)
Recommend: I think the quality of this shadow is great, a lot better than what people are used to with purple shadows. It packs pigment, is versatile (you can create different textures depending on your base), lasts all day, and is very affordable.

Shiro products are available at shirocosmetics.com medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;

Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Second Kira Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Continuing on with my review of The Notebook Collection by Shiro is the beautiful “charcoal with bright golden sparkles,” Second Kira. It’s a dark, cool grey with a greenish tinge and highly reflective gold sparkles. Without primer, it’s a bit more soft (although by no means sheer-it’s perfectly opaque)-a bit more daytime. Over primer, it looks sootier, and with the glitter, it would look great as a part of a glam smoky eye. 
As always, I foil these loose shadows. Both with and without primer, Second Kira goes on opaque, and blends like a dream. I did have some fallout, less with primer. The glitter is more reflective when used with a base, as it sticks to the eye better. 
After 6 hours, it looked a bit faded around the edges when a primer was not used. Otherwise, the shadow still looked amazing after a full 8 hours of wear. With primer, it was still sooty and glittery. In both instances (with and without a base), there was no extra fallout, and no fading or creasing. 
Shiro is an indie brand, so a little bit of leeway is expected with their packaging. The “medium” sized jars I purchased are small, circular, and clear, with a sifter included, and the color name and ingredients list stamped on the bottom. These can be tricky to store because if they get tumbled around (say, in a drawer), the product will sift out (no big deal if the lid is tight, but it can get the lid messy). Unfortunately, the lids on these shadows is weird-they need to be pressed firmly onto the shadow, and then screwed down, or else the lid can not close evenly (and can fall off).
But each shade comes in three sizes, $1 USD sample baggies, $3.50 USD “medium” 1g jars, and full size, $5 USD 2g jars. Since these shadows are made with pure ingredients, are cruelty free and vegan, handmade, long-wearing, and creaseless, I have to say the quality can’t be beat for the price. The only disadvantage is that these are only available online, via the brand’s website. However, shipping is quick (less than two weeks) and customer service is astoundingly great. Also, many of the collection’s shadows (including Second Kira) are also safe for use on the mouth. It’s also worth mentioning that the brand has a permanent 10% discount if you purchase this whole collection at once, no matter what size you’re buying (and the discount applies to many of the brand’s other collections as well!).
Color: 4.5/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 4.75/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 4/5
Overall: 4.4 (B+)
Recommend: Absolutely! Second Kira may have been the darkhorse of this collection. You may not expect much based off how it looks on the site or in the jar, but once it’s on, the base color and glitter is really distinct and very beautiful. It’s great quality, affordable, and something I couldn’t dupe. The shady packaging is the only thing bringing this score down.

Shiro products are available for purchase at shirocosmetics.com

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Perfect World Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Next up in Shiro’s The Notebook Collection series, is the “pure, soft, slightly metallic gold,” Perfect World. This shade is absolutely beautiful. As always, I applied this loose shadow foiled, and it went on as a gorgeous, soft yellow gold with a slightly metallic frost (both with and without a primer-a base didn’t make a difference in pigmentation). This color looks common, but it actually became one of my favorite in the collection, because it’s so pretty. Think Belle’s ball gown in Beauty and the Beast.

I was sure Perfect World was a dupe for Urban Decay Maui Wowie, but they are different enough. Maui Wowie is much, much cooler, softer, less yellow, less bright, and has silver glitter. In fact, the base color of that shade almost looks khaki in comparison. Perfect World has no glitter, but a very nice sheen, and is much more of a true gold.

This shadow applied easily: it went on opaque without a hitch and blended without a problem. I had no issues with fallout, either, both during application and after 8 hours of wear. This shade is nice and versatile: it’s opaque but neutral enough to be used as an all over wash, but it also looks stunning as an inner-corner highlight. In fact, this formula is another knockout from Shiro. After all-day wear, Perfect World didn’t budge. It showed no signs of letting up in the 8-hour testing period: no creasing or fading (maybe a hair of fading around the edges when used without a primer, if you’re being nitpicky). 
I’ve mentioned my dislike for the packaging of Shiro’s eyeshadows before. They’re small, circular, lightweight plastic with clear lids and a sifter included. The shade name and ingredients list is stamped on the bottom, which is a nice inclusion. But there’s a few issues. First, there’s some discrepencies between each individual sifter-some pop off easily, some are impossible to get off. Also, while the lids can screw on tightly, they’re a bit tricky to evenly seal. Also, they’re so small they’re a bit odd to store. One would need a lot of flat space to rest these on. In a drawer, they can tumble around, which can cause some product to sift out (not out of the jar, but out of the sifter, so when you open up the jar, there may be a ton of product already waiting for use on top of the sifter. With this, and depending on how you apply them, this obviously makes the lids quite dirty). 
Shiro’s shadows come in three sizes, $1 USD sample baggies, $3.50 USD 1g jars, and $5 USD 2g jars. I don’t know what the packaging is like with the full size, but hopefully there is some improvement. Otherwise, I definitely think the quality can’t be beat for the exceptionally affordable price. Also, Shiro has a permanent offer to receive 10% off if you buy the whole collection at once (and this is true for most of the collections, not just The Notebook). Shipping was not expensive (in the US), and it was quick: my order was in my mailbox within 2 weeks of purchasing.
Since Shiro is an indie brand, they have extremely limited availability. Their products can only be bought online at their website. However, all their products are handmade, cruelty-free, and vegan. Also, the customer service I’ve experienced with this brand is incredible. Included in my order were two free randomized samples, as well as some candy treats and a handwritten note thanking me for my order. I was truly impressed with the gratitude Shiro founder Caitlin Johnstone expressed-I’ll definitely be a repeat customer! As with many of the collection’s shadows, Perfect World is also safe for use on the lips.
Color: 4.75/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 4/5
Overall: 4.5 (A-)
Recommend: Absolutely. Perfect World is a gorgeous, true gold that may be harder to find at this price point. The cost can’t be beat given the excellent quality, and Perfect World is a versatile shade: It’ll look great on different parts of the eye and across a multitude of skin tones. The ingredients are gentle and cruelty-free. What’s not to love?

Shiro products are available for purchase at shirocosmetics.com.

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in More Sugar Review

Image via Shiro Cosmetics


Continuing on with Shiro’s The Notebook Collection, the next shade I have up for review is More Sugar. The brand describes it as “creamy shimmer in a rich coffee base.” Sadly, this description is way off. There’s nothing creamy or coffee about this shade. It goes on the lid (foiled) as a shimmery steely, stormcloud grey. It looks more steely over bare lids, and more stormcloud over primer (I used Urban Decay Primer Potion). 
Shiro Heaven Nor Hell is frostier, and bluer. Side by side, More Sugar looks like a neutral grey purple, as well as more shimery and softer than Heaven Nor Hell. Yet on the lid, they’re not remarkably, exceptionally different. Heaven Nor Hell looks bluish on the lid, but More Sugar just looks grey with a very, very slight purple tinge. Both shadows are great, but they’re similar enough to where I’d say you don’t need both. 
 As I’ve mentioned before, I always foil my loose shadows. With More Sugar, the pigment was rich and opaque in one go. It was easy to apply, showed up great, and gave me no application issues: no fallout, no difficulty blending, etc. After eight hours, I was impressed with this shade. Without primer, this wore nonstop looking metallic, and with a base underneath, it went the whole eight hours with that great, velvety texture it took on. Either way, it didn’t budge, fallout, crease, fade, nothing. It wore perfectly. 
Since Shiro is an indie brand, there can be some discrepancies with the packaging. I purchased this collection in the “medium”, 1g size. The shadows come in small, circular clear plastic containers. There is an ingredients list and shade name on a sticker stamped on the bottom of each jar. Also, each container comes with a sifter, but I noticed the sifters can be finicky. Some are easy to pop off, others absolutely refuse to budge. Some sift the perfect amount easily, some sift too much, some don’t sift enough, etc. Also, these are a bit of a pain to store, because they’re so small. These need to be set flat, so maybe dedicate a sizeable amount of drawer space to keeping these tidy. Otherwise, if you try to toss ’em in with your other products, they could tumble around and those damn sifters can let out too much product (disclaimer, the lids are super-tight, so you generally don’t have to fear them spilling. But when you open the jar up to use it, you may find a ton of product already sitting on top of the sifter waiting to be used. Because of this, and depending on how you apply it, the lids of these can get quite dirty). However, the lids don’t screw on the way, say, a water bottle cap does. You don’t just start at the top and screw all the way down. With Shiro, you have to sort of clamp the lid halfway down, then screw it the rest of the way down. Doing it the “wrong” way could make them seal unevenly (one of my jars screwed shut this way actually had the lid pop off, and my favorite shade got all over! Learn from my mistake!)
The price of these shadows can’t be beat, especially given the great quality. You can purchase sample baggies for $1 USD each, the “medium” 1g jars for $3.50 USD each, or the full size (2g) for $5 USD each. Like most of the shades in this collection, More Sugar is safe for use on the lips. All of the shadows are hand-made, cruelty-free, and vegan. But because Shiro is an indie brand, the tradeoff is that these have limited availability-Shiro is only available online on their site. However, shipping is inexpensive and quick (I got my order in the mailbox within 2 weeks of placing it), and the customer service is amazing-Shiro founder Caitlin Johnstone sent me 2 free sample baggies, some candy, and a handwritten note with my purchase-a Shiro order is bound to make you smile! Also, I purchased the entire Notebook collection at once, which gave me a 10% discount. This discount is permanent, and available for nearly all the different collections the brand has. 
Color: 3.5/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.2 (B)
Recommend: More Sugar is a pretty, versatile shade. The neutral undertone makes it workable on warmer skin, and the texture changes based on whether or not a base is used. But since most beauty junkies use a base, I don’t think the velvety texture yet common, more dupable color it becomes is really worth it. Also, it’s comparable to Heaven Nor Hell, and if someone could only purchase one of the two, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

Shiro products are available online at shirocosmetics.com.

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Mistrust Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Next up in my reviews of Shiro’s The Notebook Collection is the “dirty orange-brown with silver sparkles” shade, Mistrust. The brand description isn’t too far off. To me, it looked like a warm, chocolaty brown with silver and orange sparkles. As with all the shadows in this collection, I applied mine foiled (wet). Initially, it looks a little browner when applied over primer, but as it dries down, there’s not visible difference between using the shade with or without a neutral base.  
Shiro Divine Justice has a warmer, browner base, is frostier, and has a duochrome. Also, the orange-brown tones in Divine Justice have a very unique layered effect, whereas Mistrust is distinctly brown, the orange tones are only in the glitter. Divine Justice has no glitter. Mistrust looks lighter and more orange in comparison. When I wore them on my eyes together, truthfully, I couldn’t tell them apart, so I definitely don’t think you need both. 
Mistrust went on easily, evenly, and opaque. It wasn’t a problem to blend. Oddly, I had a bit of application fallout when I used this with a primer, but no issues with fallout when I put this shade over my bare lids. Also strangely, within moments, the orange and brown in this shade begin to look patchy, as if they were separating, a la Divine Justice. However, even without a base, Mistrust still looked clearly brown. I didn’t get any of the patchiness when I used this with a base, though. 
After eight hours of wear, Mistrust was still looking fresh, as if I had just applied it: no creasing, no fading, and no additional fallout. So apart from the initial issues, it was a solid shade. I found the glitter in this hue really pretty and autumnal. Even though Divine Justice’s layered effect was cool, and even though Mistrust had some issues, I would pick this shade over the former if I was stuck between the two. This is because the pigment in Mistrust is bound better (Divine Justice just looks muddy and dirty). However, Divine Justice had pretty much no application issues, so of course, the choice is yours!
I purchased my Shiro shadows in the “medium”, 1g size. Mine came in small, circular, clear plastic jars, with screw-on lids, a sifter inside, and a color-label sticker/ingredients list on the bottom of each one. Since Shiro is an indie brand, there can be some inconsistencies with the packaging, e.g, some sifters can be difficult (dispensing too much or too little), some lids can be tricky to screw on, etc. The plastic isn’t super thick, and these are pretty small in size, so I don’t think they’re ideal for travel. Even if you put them in a plastic bag, so they wouldn’t get lost in the bottom of your travel makeup bag, a good amount of product will come out of the sifter as the shadows get tumbled around (the lids screw on nice and tight, so there’s little risk of product waste, but if you’re very neat, opening up the lid and finding a ton of product already sifted out may be annoying or inconvenient). Also, because of the sifter, the lids can get quite dirty.
Shiro sells their shades in three different sizes, sample baggies for $1, 1g jars for $.350 USD each, and the full, 2g size for $5 USD each. Shiro features a permanent “buy the whole collection and get 10% off” deal with this collection, as well as with most of the brand’s other collections. Each shadow is hand-made, cruelty-free, and vegan. And, like many of the shadows in this collection, Mistrust is safe for use on the lips, if you desire. However, since the brand is pretty small, their availability is limited to their online site. However, their customer service is amazing, and I received my package within 2 weeks of placing my order.
Color: 4/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 4/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.1 (B-)
Recommend: As I’ve said, you don’t need both Mistrust and Divine Justice. Mistrust is a pretty brown shade, but a lot of that prettiness comes from the glitter. I don’t think it’s highly dupe-able, but I don’t think it’s the most unique shade, either. If you really love it, the quality and price point could be worth a purchase.

 Shiro Cosmetics are available at shirocosmetics.com

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Heart Attack Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

When I received my order of The Notebook Collection from indie brand Shiro, the “deep maroon with blue duochrome” shade Heart Attack was one of the hues I was most excited about. The brand’s description isn’t totally accurate, though. I found this shade to be a frosty, cranberry/wine color, with silver and blue glitter. There was no duochrome, but the shade was still really pretty. As with all loose shadows, I foiled mine, and Heart Attack looked the same on the lid with or without a base. I had a few slight lookalikes in my collection: Urban Decay Last Call, when foiled, is lighter, warmer, and less berry, and also has a golden sheen and no glitter. This is the closest dupe though, as the base colors, when foiled, are only slightly different. L’Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Glistening Garnet (foiled) is lighter, pinker, has a gold sheen, and no glitter. MAC Star Ruby (foiled)  is much lighter, rosier, and golder, and has no glitter.
I used Urban Decay Primer Potion to test this shadow, and oddly, I noticed that the base made the shadow more difficult to apply. The powder went on patchy and was more fussy to blend, and the base didn’t add any of the promised color intensity. However, when applied without a base, the shade was smooth, easy to blend, and opaque. It went on without a hitch. I had no fallout when I applied this either way.
Like the other Shiro shadows I’ve tried so far, Heart Attack completely impressed me in terms of wear. Once it dried down, it stayed put for a full eight hours and didn’t budge. Even though this shade has glitter in it, I experienced no fallout whatsoever. It stayed bright and solid, with no unevenness, or fading around the edges. It continued to look the same as when I initially applied it.
I have the “medium” size of these shadows, (aka, a small, 1 gram jar). The packaging is small, circular clear plastic with a sifter included, a screw-on lid, and a sticker marking the color name and ingredients on the bottom. I think it’s a nice touch they included their ingredients right on the packaging. However, I noticed some inconsistencies between the different shadows’ packaging (which is kind of expected, considering Shiro is an indie brand). In this case, the sifter on my Heart Attack let out way too much product to use at one time. However, the lid screws on tightly, and none goes to waste. The interior of the lid is prone to getting dirty, though.
The cost of the 1 gram jars is $3.50 each. A full-size (2 gram) jar will set you back only $5. I purchased the entire Notebook Collection at once, though, which came with a special 10% discount for doing so (many of Shiro’s collections feature the discount). Also, many of the loose eyeshadows, including Heart Attack, are safe for use on the lips. The brand is also completely cruelty-free and vegan. So needless to say, Shiro shadows are value-packed, especially given the quality you get. The only downside, though, is that, like many other indie brands, Shiro is only available online.
Color: 4/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 4.5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 4/5
Overall: 4.3 (B+)
Recommend: Yes. Even though Heart Attack is pretty dupable, this version is super pretty (with the extra touch of glitter), wears nonstop, is the most affordable, and is completely cruelty-free and vegan.

Shiro Cosmetics are available for purchase online at shirocosmetics.com

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Shiro Loose Eyeshadow in Divine Justice Review
Image via Shiro Cosmetics

Shiro describes Divine Justice as “tan-brown with strong golden shimmer.” However, that’s not a totally apt description. It’s a warm, medium orange with a warm brown overlay. The golden shimmer is more noticeable when used with a base (I used Urban Decay Primer Potion), but it is visible without one. It doesn’t look much like the photo included above.
Divine Justice is such an unusual color! I noticed that the orange-brown dynamic is not a duochrome. Even though it’s just one shadow, it has a very distinct separation in the colors. It looks like an orange shadow, with brown shadow layered on top of it, then gold shimmer layered on top of that. It’s a pretty cool effect! I just wish the colors were prettier (if they used this formula for something like blue with purple with silver shimmer, I think I’d be in love!). Despite this bizarre “separation”, the color blended well and didn’t have any fallout.
Another great thing about this shade is the wear. It looked flawless and interesting for 8 hours. When used without a base, there was just slight fading around the edges after 4 hours. I experienced no creasing during this time. The “dirtiness” of this hue, as well as the layered effect, remained the entire time, and the gold shimmer was noticeable throughout.
My Shiro order was in the “medium” size. So, the containers for this size are pretty small (a fraction smaller than MAC or Urban Decay pots), made of clear plastic, and have screw-on lids. I noticed that the lids are a little tricky to screw on-they don’t function like bottle caps, where you screw the lid all the way down. With these, you have to firmly press the lid on, then tightly twist it shut once. If you don’t the lid may be uneven or come loose. These shadows do come with sifters, but the sifters, sadly, are also a mixed bag from shadow to shadow. Some of mine are easy to use, and pop off and on easily .Others are so tight they’re impossible to remove, some give too much product, and others gave too little. While these shadow containers are small enough to travel with, I feel the plastic is too fragile to handle any rough treatment or a drop.
Because Shiro is an indie brand, their products are only available from their website. This limited availability is a drawback for those who don’t like online shopping. However, I love online shopping, and was glad to see that the shipping and processing time was considerably quick for an indie brand (it was less than two weeks from my order placement to the package on my doorstep). A “mini” jar (the medium size I got) is $3.50 USD for one. However, Shiro has really good deals, where you can purchase an entire collection and get 10% off. Also, the customer service is top notch-Shiro is very sincere, and a friendly, cruelty-free and vegan company.
Color: 4/5

Wear: 5/5
Formula: 5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Wow Factor: 5/5
Overall: 4.5 (A-)
Recommend: Definitely. Divine Justice isn’t a color that’ll work for everyone, but the formula is top-notch and the wear is there. Also, that unique layered effect is that little something extra that makes me fall in love with a product like this!

Shiro products are available at shirocosmetics.com

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