Hey everyone! Today I'd like to tell you about a brand that's quickly becoming one of my favorite indies: Detrivore Cosmetics! Detrivore has been through some ups and downs over the last couple of years, but ever since Shiro Cosmetics purchased exclusive distribution rights to the brand (read more in our post on this subject), I've heard (and given!) nothing but praise for the company and its products.
Detrivore Cosmetics full size blush jars
Detrivore Cosmetics is based out of Portland, Oregon, USA. Brand owner Distorria is currently working behind the scenes to develop new products. The Shiro team handles packing, shipping, and customer service, and I understand they also assist in making batches of product when Distorria is not able to keep up with orders.
The brand name comes from a term used to describe organisms that eat dead plant and animal material - think of mushrooms, slugs, some bugs, and a ton of ocean invertebrates. The brand's logo is the silhouette of a stag beetle against a black background, and a lot of the product names lend themselves to a dark, mournful brand image.
From left to right: Full size blush jar, full size eyeshadow jar, eyeshadow sample, blush sample
Selection: The selection is relatively small but cohesive. The current lineup includes 25 permanent shadows in the "general catalog", one permanent shadow collection of 9 colors, 9 blushes, and a rotating selection of limited edition eyeshadows. Both blush and eye colors come in a range of "normal" to more unusual shades, though Distorria's focus does seem to be on her beautiful matte formula. One thing I've noticed about Detrivore eyeshadows is most of them seem to appear a little grayed out, as if the saturation were turned down on a photo. I find it really appealing, but folks who prefer their colors as bright as possible may only find a few options in Detrivore's selection.
A few Daedric Princes shades: Boethiah, Hermaeus Mora, Malacath, Molag Bal (full review here!)
Prior to the distribution deal with Shiro, Detrivore's line was somewhat larger, and it included the cult favorite Graveyard Collection of a couple dozen shadows. It's unclear at this time what shadows will be returning (either permanently or in limited supply) and what schedule they're on, but the permanent range does seem to be very slowly growing. New Detrivore releases are generally announced on the first of each month on the Shiro Facebook page.
Samples: Samples are offered for everything except the Embalming Tubes and the limited edition shadows. Shadow samples come in little zip-top bags with 1/8 teaspoon of product (enough for a heavy arm swatch and many eye looks, in my experience!) and blush samples come in the same packaging but with 1/4 teaspoon of product. All samples come with a sticker indicating the brand name, product name, ingredients, and whether it's vegan and lip safe.
Quality: I fell in love with Detrivore almost instantly because I think the product formulas are just as beautiful as the color selection. The vast majority of the blushes and shadows seem to start with the same creamy matte base, regardless of whether the finish will ultimately be matte or shimmery. The soft, blendable blushes in particular won me over instantly, and I've already purchased five of the nine shades in full sizes. You can read my rave review of the original six shades here, and you can read my review of the rest here.
Macro swatch of Detrivore Azura eyeshadow from the Daedric Princes collection
The shadows are also quite lovely. Like the blushes, they blend beautifully, which would make them really good for eyeshadow beginners and connoisseurs alike. By some sorcery Distorria has managed to make a matte formula that works really well over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, which generally turns mattes into a patchy mess. I haven't tested the full range yet (I'm in the middle of swatching and reviewing the 25 general catalog shades!) but of the shades I've tried, I've only encountered one that wasn't absolutely perfect. You can check out my review of the Daedric Princes collection here, and I encourage you to check back in the first week of every month to see my swatches of each new round of limited edition shades! To see the limited shades from previous months (many of which are still available), check out all our posts with a Detrivore Cosmetics tag.
We haven't yet reviewed the Embalming Tubes, but if you keep an eye out you might see one here soon!
Cost: The brand's pricing is right in line with many other indie brands. As of writing this post, permanent eyeshadows are $1 for samples and $6 for full sizes, Limited edition eyeshadows are only offered in full sizes and are $5. Embalming Tubes are $4.50 each. Blushes are $1.50 for samples (though do note blush samples are twice as big as shadow samples) and $8 for full sizes.
Customer Service: Since Shiro Cosmetics is currently handling Detrivore's customer service, my comments from our Shiro Company Overview apply here as well. In brief, I think Shiro's customer service is absolutely stellar, so any issues should be rare and resolved immediately.
Detrivore blush in Beloved
TAT: Shiro Cosmetics is handling the packing and shipping side of the Detrivore line, so all Distorria's products fall under Shiro's current turnaround time. Lately this seems to be approximately two weeks, but you can check the Shiro Facebook page for updates and look for the current TAT on the checkout page.
Shipping: Once again, this falls under Shiro's domain. Most orders are generally wrapped in a paper envelope that's sealed shut with a sticker, then put in a padded mailing envelope. I've never had any issues with products leaking or getting damaged during transport.
Personal Thoughts: Detrivore is one of the indie world's success stories, and I'm so happy to use and recommend Distorria's products! I feel the quality is really consistently high throughout the range, and both the color selection and the branding really work for me. I look forward to Shiro's announcements on the first of every month just as much for the new Detrivore shades as the Shiro Color of the Month. Even more telling, I actually had to hide my Detrivore blushes in a box to force myself to use some other colors. I think it's safe to say I'm in love!
Have you tried Detrivore Cosmetics? What are your favorites from the brand?
Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, follow us on Pinterest, and/or follow us on BlogLovin to get all of our updates!
Me too with my blush concubine
ReplyDelete