Indie beauty brands continue to define the spirit of the season, and Shiro Cosmetics never misses the chance to get creative with their Halloween collections. Their inspirations range from pop culture to literature, and this year, their Into the Unknown Collection a little bit mystical, a little bit mischievous, and perfectly suited for fall.
The team at Shiro Cosmetics was inspired by a miniseries called Over the Garden Wall. It was an animated series created by Patrick McHale, who previously worked on Adventure Time. Wikipedia says that the “series centers on two half-brothers who travel across a strange forest in order to find their way home, encountering odd and wonderful things on their journey.” To me, that means that there is potential for the Into the Unknown Collection to include woodland creatures, enchanted plants, spooky forest scenes, and lots of sparkle.
Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring,
But where have we come, and where shall we end?
If dreams can’t come true, then why not pretend?
If you haven’t shopped with Shiro before, you may not know that their packaging changes constantly. There are various artists and dozens of themes that run through the Shiro Cosmetics inventory, and each major collection is accompanied by original artwork on the labels. This time, Shiro’s artwork for the Into the Unknown Collection was created by Hailey McLaughlin who is a perfect fit!
Shiro Cosmetics Halloween Collection: Into the Unknown
Fifteen eyeshadows and one lip gloss make up Shiro’s Into the Unknown collection, and they included a little bonus lip gloss to help you celebrate fall.
Lip Gloss in As Autumn Colors Fall
$2-$9
Shiro’s lip glosses have higher coverage and look juicy and beautiful on the lips. They are well-known for their glosses in the indie beauty world because they offer a custom gloss option, which is… basically unheard of. As Autumn Colors Fall is the most perfect deep orange with a tiny tinge of red.
Shiro Cosmetics Into the Unknown Collection Eyeshadows
$1-$6.50 per shade or $58.50 for the entire collection
From top to bottom:
Row 1: Adelaide of the Pasture, Ain’t That Just the Way?, Black Turtles
Row 2: Come, Wayward Souls, Edelwood, Jason Funderburker
Row 3: Milk-Light of Moon, Normal Place, Normal People, Poetry and Clarinet
Row 4: Ringing of the Bell, Rock Fact!, Through the Wood
Row 5: Potatoes and Molasses, Make Ends Meet, Bluebirds are Good Luck
Shiro has included several different finishes including some matte, a ton of shimmers, and some super-duty glitters. As with almost all indie beauty brands, the duochromes and shifts in these shadows are immaculately done. Where a pressed palette from a drugstore brand might offer a slight glint of duochrome (hi, NYX Duochromatic Highlight, I’m talking to you), indie cosmetics give you a payoff that will leave you satisfied and glimmering.
All of the orange tones are getting me really excited, but my eye keeps being drawn to Potatoes and Molasses, which is described as a “silky warm beige with an off-white shine.” The other shade that I can’t stop looking at is Ain’t That Just the Way?, which is a warm, smoky, seafoam green matte. They call it “desaturated teal” which is probably more accurate, but either way, I need it.
Each shadow is available in sample size (1/8 tsp.) for $1, mini size in a 1g jar for $3.75, and the full sized, 2g jar for $6.50. Only full-sized products have the original art packaging. If you see a shade that intrigues you, I really encourage you to try it! No one makes eyeshadows like indie brands, and Shiro’s formula is incredibly good.
Lip Gloss in Acorny Joke
$2-$9
Last but not least, your bonus fall-inspired lip gloss. This gloss was September’s Color of the Month, and I couldn’t resist adding it to this list. It’s a gorgeous “greige” with a warm, rose tint. Best of all, it’s flavored like caramel! I’m a little bit obsessed with this color… Neutral-to-cool tones have been really intriguing me lately, and this one seems almost too wearable.
Detrivore Halloween Collection: Beware the Autumn People
Shiro Cosmetics inherited Detrivore in 2014, and they released a Halloween collection, too! Truth be told, Detrivore is similar to Concrete Minerals and Notoriously Morbid in the sense that they celebrate Halloween all year ’round. Their Halloween collection is called Beware the Autumn People, inspired by Ray Bradbury’s famous novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Detrivore Beware the Autumn People Collection Eyeshadows
$1-$6.50 per shade, or $58.50 for the entire collection
From top to bottom:
Row 1: A Shadow Among Shadows, Abyss Between the Stars, The Hollow Dark
Row 2: Burn Yourself at Both Ends, Carousel Calliope, Comparing Life to Libraries
Row 3: Licorice Colored Cage, Richly Treasured Pockets, Sins Tenterhooked and Running Red
Row 4: Beautification to the Witch
Clearly, Detrivore has put out a much spookier, deeper set of shades for Halloween. I love the earthiness of these shadows, and the blue-green based shades definitely have me intrigued. Abyss Between the Stars is a blued-out grey that, when applied, has a bright, golden shift. Detrivore describes it, “like a streetlight reflecting off of wet concrete in the dark.” Richly Treasured Pockets looks like rich cocoa powder in the pot, but on the lid, it renders as a fiercely metallic copper-gold.
As with Shiro’s collection, each shadow is available in sample size (1/8 tsp.) for $1, mini size in a 1g jar for $3.75, and the full sized, 2g jar for $6.50. The label art on Detrivore’s is also creative and exciting, though they’re keeping it a mystery, I guess, because I can’t find anything about it.
Go forth and pick up your favorites from these two incredibly beautiful collections! Shiro ships worldwide, so everyone around the world can experience the delight of well-done indie makeup.
Bear in mind that loose shadow is going to last you a long, long time. If you are curious but have commitment issues, I can’t recommend mini sizes enough. The price is perfectly set, and it’ll last you for months. Plus, Shiro Cosmetics will always includes samples (and candy!!!!) in your order, so you’ll get some out-of-your-comfort-zone experiences, too.
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