Shiro Cosmetics A Girl and A Cat Tinted Balm

I am embarrassed to admit how long I've had this lip balm and kind of forgot it existed....I recently found it again and remembered how adorable it was!  I am a bit bummed that Shiro got rid of their opaque lip products and now only offers these lip balms or glosses.  

I had to get this one as its Kiki's Delivery Service themed which is one of my all time favorite movies.  I even cosplayed as Kiki last year! How can I say no to a purple lip product with a picture of Jiji on it? I can't.

This applies very easily and definitely leaves more pigment on the lips than the hand swatch would lead one to believe.  As you can see it turns my lips a very pleasant berry shade. I think it is very flattering and is a perfect choice for days I want to add color but not deal with lip upkeep.  It will last a few hours as long as you don't eat so I generally only throw this on if I won't be eating for a bit. It is very moisturizing and feels nice on the lips. It also has a slight smell to it, the website says its vanilla, its very nice and not overpowering.

I would definitely recommend these lip balms if you like this kind of lip product finish! They are all so fun and Miyazaki themed.  I'd probably own them all if they were matte liquid lipsticks! Unfortunately tinted balms aren't my go to, but I will enjoy this one. If I ever did buy another it would probably be the Princess Mononoke themed With Eyes Unclouded deep red shade.

Where to buy: shirocosmetics.com

Price: $5

Renaissance Faire Fairy/Elf Costume

So my boyfriend and I have been planning a Renaissance Faire trip since early August but it just did not happen until October.  We were supposed to go two weeks ago but we got rained out, forcing us to reschedule and go towards the end of October.  The theme for the weekend that we went was a spooky Halloween theme so a lot of people were there in all kinds of costumes, not just time period relevant costumes.  Which meant I fit in a lot better than I would have going any other weekend.

I was orginally going to go as a fairy but since it became much too cold for my original costume my wings no longer worked out and I had to wear a lot of layers to prevent myself from freezing to death. Therefore I've been referring to my costume as an elf instead of a fairy because of the lack of wings....

So here is a close up of the makeup I did for my costume.   I wore false lashes for the first time in over a year so it was pretty interesting trying to remember how to use them. I unfortunately bought these a long time ago and do not remember the brand name, but I really wish I did as they are so pretty with a mix of black and purple lashes.  \

On my lid is Colourpop in Liberty, which I then gently covered with Shiro Cosmetic's Maiden Queen to create a beautiful shimmery metallic teal. Next I lightly applied a matte black NYX eyeshadow from a palette I have to my crease. Under my eye I smudged boxom's VIP under my eyes to bring in some purple to match my dress.  Next I took my trusy Jesse's Girl liquid liner and drew a thin wing and also added a swirly under eye accent and dots on my brow bone. I finished up my eys with a line of glitter from a retired Urban Decay heavy metal glitter liner.

On my lips is MAC Rebel, one of my favorite lipsticks. I put this on before the faire and it was still there after eating dinner!

My ear cuffs and high elf ears are from Aradani Costumes. I added the leaf charm myself and I painted the ears with my foundation and makeup.  However because our faire trip was delayed two weeks I think my foundation turned more orange the longer it sat on the ears, resulting in them not matching as well.  My necklace is from an Etsy shop called Pegasus22.

Here is a full body shot of my costume taken right before we left.  Excuse the messy background as we were running about an hour late and were throwing everything everywhere trying to get ready quickly.  My dress is the same dress I wore to my high school prom, so I was glad to get at least one more use out of it. I originally wasn't planning on wearing the sweater, leggings, or boots, and was instead going to wear just the dress with wings tucked in the back and sandles adorned with fake flowers. My costume couldn't be exactly as I envisioned it but I still had a ton of fun and got tons of compliments on my ears and dress.

I was originally supposed to go with my boyfriend, his brother and his brother's girlfriend but they had to cancel last minute because of illness so my boyfriend and I went just the two of us.  It was his first time ever at the Ren Faire and I hope that I was able to show him a good time.  There is so much to see, so many shops to visit, and so many shows to watch that it was impossible to be everywhere.  Therefore we are definitely looking forward to going again next year! :)

Surprise!  One of my very best friends was also at the Faire!  Here we are hugging it out in front of the human chess board after the show.  I'm sure you can see just how bundled up she is....yeah this was later in the day and the temperature was dropping quickly.  You can't tell from the photo but I was perpetually shivering after about 4pm.

Even though it was cold, the people we were supposed to go with canceled, and my costume wasn't as I imagined I still had a really great day enjoying the faire with my boyfriend.  Next year we plan to go when its a bit warmer.

Ethereal Smokey Eye

Today's FOTD was completely unplanned.  I woke up and knew I wanted to do something dark but nothing too crazy.  I think I found the perfect combo between interesting, dark, and wearable.

I started by placing Urban from the Electric Palette all over my lid and into my crease.  I then patted Black Out by Urban Decay onto my lid and slightly blended it into the purple. I then attempted to create a slight halo effect by lightly dabbing Mother of Dragons by Shiro Cosmetics onto the center of my eyelid.  I love how it turned out!! Lightly putting Mother of Dragons over a matte black creates this really interesting ethereal shimmer on the eyes.  I will definitely be doing this again! It takes a dark look and makes a bit less heavy and a lot more enchanting.

On my lips is Ches Desire Cat by JCat Beauty applied lightly. 

Pink and Green Birthday FOTD!

Happy Birthday to me! Even though I have a week worth of finals ahead of me, I never let it get me down.  

I was planning on reviewing my Sephora birthday gift for today but because I left it at home, I won't be able to use it until the semester is over...I'm so good at life....sigh.

So instead, in honor of my birthday I wanted to share with all of you one of my favorite looks!

I feel so insanely fabulous every time I wear this.  The colors can also easily be changed up to match whatever outfit you are wearing.

To do this I first put Ever in Your Favor by Shiro Cosmetics all over my eye lid.  Then I take Blackheart from Naked 3 and put it in my crease.  I add a bit of depth to the outer part of my eye using Blackout by Urban Decay.  Next I draw a wing with my (brand new just opened!!!!) Jesse's Girl liquid liner.  I finish it up with a sweep of Fringe from the Electric Palette under my eye.

On my lips is NYX lip liner in Plum with Starlooks Odetta on top. 

With a green cardigan and my dark pink Turkish scarf I feel awesome today!

Purple and Teal Graphic Liner FOTD

When I put my favorite flannel on this morning I got the urge to do an eye look to match.  I'm not sure how I got there but I ended up doing a graphic liner of sorts.  I don't have too much experience doing this kind of thing but I still liked how it  came out.

To start I covered my upper lid in Urban from the Electric Palette.  Then I took Blackout by Urban Decay on a small brush and carefully outlined a wing and in my crease.  I only had to use my makeup remover pen 10 times to get this to look decent...Regardless, I then blended Blackout into the purple which looking back I probably should have used a different brush for.  Blending with the flat part of my liner brush was not a good idea.  I finished the look by taking Shiro Cosmetic's Maiden Queen and lining under my eye.

Lip is Mary Kay gloss in Berry Tart.

Pink and Purple Neutral Eye

I don't always wear neutral eye shadow, but when I do I almost always have to spice it up somehow.  This neutral eye has quickly become my  favorite and I'm so sad that my camera was not able to do this look justice because it just looks amazing in person. The little bit of pink seriously pops but doesn't overpower!

To do this look I....

1. Put Prometheus from BH cosmetics galaxy chic palette all over my eye lid

2. Put Jesse's Girl Plum Frost baked eye shadow in the crease.

3. Darken outer part of crease with Darkside from Naked 3

4.  Accentuate outer corner and teh lower lashline with Blackheart from Naked 3

5. Pat and blend Ever in Your Favor (super beautiful pink) by Shiro Cosmetics in between Prometheus and Blackheart on the lid.  

6. Highlight inner corner with NYX Whipped Cream

7. Do eyeliner, mascara, and all that!

I'm in love with this neutral eye <3

On my lips is Castle by NYX

Mini Shiro Haul! Red Wedding, Maiden Queen, and a Custom Gloss!

I haven't made a purchase from Shiro in a while and after seeing how Red Wedding looked on my friend I knew it was time.  I picked up Red Wedding as well as a full size of Maiden Queen.

This gloss. Is. Amazing. I mean, just look at the swatch, it even friggin looks like blood! It wears beautifully on the lips and stays for a decent amount of time.  Its such a beautifully flattering deep red.  It is also fairly easy to apply with the doe foot applicator.

I also picked up Maiden Queen because 1. I love Margaery and 2. I love teal. I wear this under my eyes all the time.  Like basically every day I wear some sort of blueish color you can bet I'm wearing this shadow.  Its so gorgeous. As you can maybe see from the swatch it doesn't get too much more intense over NYX Milk so I generally just wear it alone and it stays pretty well.  For anyone interested on my lips is NYX round lipstick in Castle.

And lastly, this is not my own purchase but one made by my friend who agreed to let me share her lips.  She loves the Red Viper and bought two of the LE eye shadows and this custom gloss as well.  Even though it is no longer available I thought this could be a good reference for anyone looking to get a golden colored custom gloss from Shiro.  Up close it doesn't look like it covers well but from far away it looks just fine.  I also saw her wear this over Kat Von D's Poe and oh my god the gold over the dark blue looked amazing!! If you like gold I would recommend checking out Shiro's custom glosses.

I <3 Shiro

<3__)~

Shiro Cosmetics Silvery Blue Eye Shadow Look

Today I did a silvery blue eye shadow look with my Shiro shadows!

To get this look I put Nayru's Love on the lid, Twilight Realm in the crease, and Colonel on the outer corner and lash line. It looks a bit more blue in real life.  My camera just refused to pick up the baby blue of Nayru's Love :(

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Shiro Haul: Mother of Dragons and Not Very Effective

My sample size of Not Very Effective getting dangerously low prompted me to buy my very first full sized eye shadow from Shiro Cosmetics.  I also picked up Mother of Dragons because I love Daenerys and Game of Thrones.

I also made sure to mention that I love pink and purple eye shadow and of course Shiro came through by giving me the perfect samples :)

So here is Mother of Dragons.  First off I love the art, not going to lie it was 70% of the reason I got the full size instead of the smaller size. The color is nice too.  When swatched it looks to be a pretty even mix of red, purple, and silver.  However when on, at least on my skin, the red is what shows up the most.  Overall I have no regrets! <3

Not Very Effective is my favorite purple crease color.  I wore the sample a lot and I'm glad to finally have the full size. I know I've swatched this before but oh well you can look at its prettiness again!

And here is a quick look I did using Mother of Dragons on my lid and Not Very Effective in my crease.

And here are swatches of the two samples I got.  Ever in Your Favor is from the Hunger Games collection and based off of the extravagant Effie Trinket.  Also it is the most beautiful pink ever.  I am seriously going to be sad when this is gone.  From what I could find I'll Move That For You is MineCraft themed, I've never played it so I don't quite understand the reference but its still pretty so I'm happy.

Here is a look I did using Ever in Your Favor on my lid, Mother of dragons in my crease, and I'll Move that For You in the outer corner.

Where to buy: Shiro Cosmetics

Price: $6 for full 2 gram jars

Oh also just because its related here is a picture I started a while ago of The Mother of Dragons that I never found time to finish. Maybe one day.

<3__)~

Shiro Cosmetics Red and Purple Eye of the Day

I told you some looks would be coming soon, I bet you didn't expect one the very next day! :D

I did this using Majora's Mask on the lid, Philosopher's Stone in the crease, and Master ball in the outer corner and as a liner. I wish Majora's Mask wasn't so sheer. I think next time I'll need to use it over a white base.  I really need to get my hands on NYX Milk.

Sample Shiro Eye Shadow Swatches

To start I just wanna say I love Shiro Cosmetics and the owner Caitlin.  The products are amazing and she is so sweet and goes out of her way to make her customers happy.  I have collected a total of 12 sample sized shadows that I have pressed (some successfully some not) and put into a single palette.  I also have some of her lipsticks but that is for another post :)

So here they are all pretty and sparkly.  I pressed them all the same way, some pressed perfectly, others just won't hold.  I'm guessing its the formula.  Also most of these aren't even whole $1.00 samples.  I split a few of these with my friend and there was still a ton of product left to press!

Top Row:

Philosopher's Stone (Fullmetal Alchemist): A very pretty red. I received this as a free gift with an order.

Nayru's Love (Legend of Zelda): A light shimmery blue. I received this as a free gift with purchase as well.

Masterball (Pokemon): A Purpley Red. I love this color and would probably repurchase in the future.

Majora's Mask: A sheer sparkly purple. Very pretty but too sheer for me, received as a gift with purchase.

Middle Row:

Not Very Effective (Pokemon): A deep purple with red sparkles. I LOVE this color and have already purchased the full size.

Twilight Realm (Legend of Zelda): A silvery blue.

Alkahestry (Fullmetal Alchemist): This is a light purple with all kinds of blue and purple sparkle.  I used half of my sample to make a custom lip gloss. 

Housewife (Fullmetal Alchemist): A shimmery silver.  I received this one as a gift with purchase.

Bottom Row:

Rupee (Legend of Zelda): A green with gold sparkles.  I don't wear green much but its a nice color.

Elite Four (Pokemon): A really nice purple with gold sparkles.  I might repurchase this.

Colonel (Fullmetal Alchemist): A dark blue with gold sparkles.  I only bought this because Colonel Mustang is my favorite character I havn't worn it much, haha.

Rebellion (The Hunger Games): It looks like a almost black purple in the pan but swatches mostly black. This was a gift with purchase.

Where to buy: Shirocosmetics.com

Price: Sample $1, Mini $3.50, Full $5

Affordable and beautiful, I highly recommend anything from Shiro Cosmetics. Look forward to some looks done with these shadows!

March Makeup Obsession

So at the end of every month I'd like to share a certain look or products that I have been particularly obsessed with. This month I have been seriously crushing on purple and red eye shadow combinations! The products above are the three shadows that I have been using quite frequently in various combinations and places to create some seriously awesome looks. Below I'm going to share with you a fairly basic look using these three shadows!

To get this look I put NYX loose pigent on the lid, BH Cosmetics Aphrodite in the crease, and then put Not Very Effective on the outer corner and as a liner.

On my lips I'm wearing BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Speak your Mind

Now, I wanna talk a little bit about these three shadows.

NYX Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in Purple: This is a loose pigment that has a very pretty light purple hue.  It goes on very easy and I experience little to no fall out from it. It is such a pretty color and has been on of my go to purples for a while.

Where to buy: Nyxcosmetics.com, ulta, drugstores

Price: $3.00

BH Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Aphrodite: This shadow is from the Galaxy Chic palette which I want so bad! I got the single eye shadow from an ipsy bag and I absolutely love it.  It goes on smooth and pigmented and when used wet as an eyeliner has incredible color pay off.

Where to buy: Bhcosmetics.com

Price: $22.95 but is usually on sale for less

Shiro Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Not Very Effective: This is such an incredible pretty deep purple with some red sparkle.  I'm almost out of my sample so I recently placed an order for the full size because I can't live without it.  Plus its Pokemon themed so win win.

Where to buy: Shirocosmetics.com

Price: Sample $1, Mini $3.50, Full $5

<3__)~