Company Review: Shiro Cosmetics

I really love finding new MMU companies. I mean really love it, like get all giddy and excited about trying their products. If I was still five, shopping for MMU would be comparable to a great Toy's R Us trip. Shiro Cosmetics caters to my nineteen year old self, and my inner child. Why, you may ask? Because their current collection, Super Effective, is Pokemon themed. :)

Website:

Shiro's website is easy on the eyes, which is a big plus for me. The text is clear and the website is easy to navigate. Everything is perfectly organized, another huge plus.

"Shiro Cosmetics is independently owned and operated by me, Caitlin. I'm kind of a nerd.
I've always been strongly interested in art, and over the past 5 years or so, I've found myself drawn especially to makeup artistry. Creating my own cosmetics, much like mixing paints, is a way to ensure I'm using precisely what I want in order to create a masterpiece. I'm nothing if not a perfectionist, and I take pride in each and every item I produce and ship. Since I personally handle everything related to this brand, from web maintenance and networking to formulation and production, I can guarantee consistent quality and customer service every step of the way!"

(taken from Shiro's 'About' page. Read more + FAQ here)

Eyeshadows:

There are lots of options to order eye shadows - sample sizes, 'mini' sized (3g jar) and regular (5g jar.) Full sized shadows are $5, the minis are $3 and samples are $1. I went all out and placed an order for the complete set, regular sized. (It was a sad day when I realized I was getting too old for Pokemon.. haha. I love being able to have Pikachu in my 'collection' again, despite that collection now being eye shadows!) The full set was only $60, a whopping 20% off compared to what you'd pay if you ordered them individually. Here's a look at the colors:


They apply very smoothly, and show up great without a primer - two things that I adore with mineral shadows. Caitlin states that she does not repackage on her website, and this is something I can verify 100%. The colors are very unique - my favorite being Pikachu, a bright yellow with red glitter. The Super Effective collection also offers a great selection of bright colors and neutral colors, something you don't always see with a themed collection.

With every order you get free samples. I wasn't expecting any, as it is stated that no samples come with full collections because you're getting every color. It was a great surprise to find three very generous samples of new colors included in my package - thanks Caitlin!
Here are the three colors I received:

Shipping:

Caitlin offers free shipping on all orders over $35. I received an email the day I purchased, with a tracking number and everything. :) That is great service in my opinion.

Customer Service:

As I stated above, the email and tracking number in the same day completely blew me away.
My shadows came in a red organza bag with a personal note attached. I can't stress enough how much I love when companies take the time to write a nice note, or even a thank-you.
I was very impressed with the shadows the day I received them, and tweeted Caitlin to let her know I loved them. While it might not be a huge deal to some, I appreciate that she took the time to reply. Some company owners aren't as involved with their customers as they should be, and I love that Shiro is a company that is.

Overall Rating: 5/5

I'm confident in giving this company a top-rating, and recommending it to anyone that has wanted to try some shades out. Shiro is very impressive for a new MMU company (they just launched in April of this year!) and I cannot wait to see what Caitlin comes up with next!