Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Eyeshadow Palette for Holiday 2017

I wasn't going to buy this.

I resisted the first few times I spotted a beat-up tester in-store.

But when I had a F&F coupon to use and saw a pristine tester, something about the colors sucked me in. Ironically, I'd just watched Jen Luvs Reviews' wrap-up of the palette and thought I was doing the right thing by passing.

But these colors, they drew me in.  And I had a stack of brand-new palettes to play with- guess which was the first to get photographed, pans untouched so I could start playing? You guessed it.

Say hello to the Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Eyeshadow Palette ($62, Sephora and KatVonD.com), the brand's offering for Holiday 2017. In the tradition of the past several years (Mi Vida Loca, Metal/Matte), it's visually stunning.

Like all other products, Kat Von D did all of the artwork for this herself.

I know I should roll my eyes at the cross-promotion with the fragrances, but I don't care. It's beautiful and that's all I care about. I've read/watched information regarding the inspiration for the palette. It should be clear that this is a stained glass window- and there's a heavy influence of Catholicism in the shade names (hi, vestment, rosary, chalice?)

The packaging is quite unique- the doors open up to give two small mirrors.

Let's dig into this beauty. There are 12 Saint and 12 Sinner shades. I'll be honest, when it came to drawing me in- I'm a Sinner. Each pan contains 0.04oz/1g of product. That means the palette contains 24g of product, and we have a price per gram of $2.58- making it a good value for Sephora.

Saint Shades (descriptions from the Sephora product page)

Absolution (ivory with gold super-glimmer), Worship (pearlescent eggplant), Immaculate (pearlescent olive)

Chalice (metallic antique bronze), Sacred Heart (pearlescent coral), Amen (matte cream)

Sanctuary (pearlescent nude coffee), Heaven (metallic silver), Crucifix (matte deep chocolate)

Cathedral (gunmetal with silvery blue glitter), Rosary (metallic garnet), Baptism (matte pale pink)

Sinner Shades:


Rapture (rosy pink with pink super-glimmer), Sabbath (matte jet black), Ashes (taupe with gold glitter)

Martyr (matte toffee brown), Devil (matte pumpkin orange), Revelation (brown with gold glitter)

Vestment (Shimmery maroon with blue-green shift), Ministry (metallic cobalt), Exodus (chartreuse with gold glitter)

Exorcism (matte deep purple), Relic (metallic fool's gold), Stigmata (metallic scarlet)

A quick note on the shades- I own the matte Shade & Light Eye, all four Shade & Light Quads, the Interstellar Palette, Pastel Goth, and Metal/Matte. I don't own any palettes before Interstellar, nor do I own the Shade & Light Eye Glimmer palette. I feel like I have a good representative sample of Kat Von D's palettes, and there are no shade repeats (aside from black, obviously).

I noticed some interesting flaking of some of the wetter metallics- take a look:

I don't mind, but I wanted to make sure to point it out in case that bothers you.

Overall, I have two major critiques of this palette. First, it's not a standalone palette. If you purchase this, know that you'll need to have a neutral palette with you to make a full look. I actually have pulled two different Kat Von D palettes- Metal/Matte and Shade & Light Eye. That's not a huge problem for me, but I know it's non-negotiable for some people.

The second critique has to do with the palette and how it's laid out. This is a piece of art. It's not intuitive, nor is it easy to just slap a couple of colors together and make a nice look. As much as it's a critique, I enjoy being challenged.

Let's talk about the looks that I tried and my experience with the palette. Just so you know, when I do a post in this format, I write my experiences as I go. Please keep in mind that I tested more looks after this, but forgot to photograph. Sorry, I was running low on coffee!

Look #1- obviously, this was a weekend.

Shades from this palette used: Vestment (all over the lid, patted on with MAC 228 over Too Faced Glitter Glue), Absolution (inner corner highlight), Martyr (crease, outer V), devil (crease, V- a little closer to the eye), Crucifix (cut the lid with it, outer V)

Other shades used: Metal/Matte Bone, Suede

OhEmGee. Vestment was one of the reasons why I bought the palette, so I wanted to put it on my eyes ASAP. Yes, this is very dramatic but it's awesome. I have Eyelure Rose lashes on my eyes, for the record.


Look #2- Back to Work.

Shades from the palette used: Ashes (lid), Crucifix (outer V), tiny bit of Martyr (blended out), Absolution (inner corner, then realized it was a mistake!)

Other shades used: Metal/Matte Bone, Shade & Light Samael or Latinus (not sure how this corresponds)

Ashes was one of the shades that really intrigued me so I wanted to try it all over the lid. Kat Von D nailed this. The gold glitter shows up on the eye, but it's totally work-appropriate. Unfortunately my lighting situation (I get ready pre-dawn) doesn't allow for that to shine through in these photos, but you've gotta trust me)

I did four other looks but forgot to photograph. Fail.

Clearly, I've given this a good test.

To me, this palette is 100% worth the price. I look forward to using the few shades that I haven't yet. This is my favorite palette I've tried in awhile- even more than Lila!

October 2017 Favorites

Much like September's favorites, I'm going to try to keep it simple here. I was all over the board in terms of testing new products this month (I hope the diversity of posts- and the frequency- was a tipoff to that.) Consider this the best of the best.

Eyes:

Eyeshadow: Quite unexpectedly, Tarte Clay Play found its way into my heart this month. I find it such a quiet but reliable friend that can rescue most looks gone awry. I also became obsessed once again with putting highlighter on my eyes- in this case, Fenty Beauty Trophy Wife. I've been looking for the perfect gold for years and this is it. I haven't talked about it in this space yet, but my Inglot Eco Palette was a go-to. Marc Jacobs The Lolita continues to be that go-to when I don't know what else to do.

Eyeliner and Mascara: I'll continue to give a written nod to the perfect ABH trio of liners that are the foundation of my work. I continued to enjoy my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner and the Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara.

Cheeks and Face:

Blush: I got in a rut this month. I think Fiona Stiles Soft Cheek Veil in Valley was on my cheeks all but a few days, and Physicians Formula Butter Blush in Plumrose the other days. It was a neutral month, ok?

Bronzer: I finally finished my Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer this month, and I remembered why I love it. L'Oreal Glam Bronze continues to lurk around.

Highlight: I don't remember what I was wearing before it came into my life, but aside from the days when I was testing something else, MAC Whisper of Gilt has been my BFF. I get it, y'all.

Contour: Kat Von D Shade and Light palette. Enough said.

Primers: I wore quite a few, but nothing's fab enough to shout out. I have a quiet routine, but I'm not going to write the same thing every month.

Concealers and Correctors: I'm trying a new concealer that I'm not yet ready to shout-out... wait for the review.

Foundation: I discovered a new HG foundation this month- Inglot HD Perfect Coverup Foundation. Look for a full review soon. I also rediscovered how much I enjoy MAC Studio Fix Foundation, which is a true classic. An old HG, Chanel Perfection Luminere Velvet, just wouldn't stop jumping into my hands in the morning.

Powders: I rotated through a few powders this month. After taking the sifter off, I rediscovered just how good NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder in Flesh is. I also continued my love affair with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light, RCMA No Color Powder, and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light.



Lips:


I'll be honest, I've been playing with holiday releases for most of this month (for example, all 6 LORAC kits), so I don't have any favorites! I'm looking forward to giving my lips a break in November!

Nails:

I  pulled out some classic shades this month- Chanel Rouge Noir, Chanel Atmosphere, and Chanel Particuliere.

That's it- it's a light October because of all of the testing.  I'm doing something different this month- an entire month-long everyday makeup drawer. Wish me lujck.

Quickie Review: Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Quads

Consider this a quickie review on these 4 quads- I mainly wanted to put out a few swatches and photos alongside my $0.02 as all four of these are on sale at Sephora right now for $15 each!

A wee bit strong on the studio lighting, but this is a quickie review and I wanted to get the pans to look as close to pristine as possible.

Going along with the whole Shade & Light line, there are four eyeshadow quads in the Kat Von D line- all of which are marketed as eye-contouring. Each quad comes with a base, define, contour, and highlight shade (from L-R); all shadows are matte. You get 1x2.63g pan and 3x1.15g pans. There are 4 versions- Plum, Rust, Sage, and Smoke.

I've owned Plum since last winter; I plucked Smoke from a local SiJCP clearance bin a couple of months ago and just got Rust and Sage. The formula is the standard KVD matte. It's good but not my HG.

Let's start with Plum:

This is a gorgeous warm-toned assortments of purples and pinks. They're just lovely on the eyes. Let me swatch:

Studio Lighting

Natural Lighting

This is very flattering to my blue eyes.

Next up, Rust.

It's a freaking gorgeous orangey brown quad. Enough said.

Studio Lighting

Natural Lighting

This is glorious with blue eyes- and I'll come back to this one.

Next up, Sage.

These cool-toned mattes and have a nice green pop.

Studio Lighting

Natural Lighting

Last up, Smoke.

These greys have a nice blue undertone as well.

Studio lighting was the most accurate

Yes, I know this is short and sweet but I wanted to share my initial thoughts and swatches while the palettes were still on sale!

You can use these alone, or layer with other shadows. I did this look with Rust and the Viseart Sultry Muse palette layered over on the lid the other day:

1. Stunning
2. I need to fix those brows, stat. But this was a 5:30AM photo, ok?

I think these are a great value at $15 each and totally worth adding to your colleciton.

Glitter Tuesday Vol 1: Happy Birthday, America!

WOO! It's our nation's birthday, America, so let's take a long weekend and enjoy life!

And if you're not American, please just enjoy the glitter and my first attempt at drawing shapes on my eyes. WHAT? Please keep in mind your QBB is legally blind without her glasses. Double WHAT?

Let me take a moment to divert from the impending awesomeness to tell you how much better this post would've been if a company had shipped in a timely basis. I had planned to start a new series on this blog today that I've been dreaming about and feature the 2 new Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow shadows. And then Stila decided to take over a week to ship order #1. So, I started thinking about the best way to welcome Glitter Tuesdays to QBB, and then BOOM! I had a glittery American flag on my lid. WHOA. I did get them after I completed this look, naturally.

First of all, it takes a small army of products to do something fun:

Let me give you the step by step before I show my first real lid art attempt. Many of the products I used were limited edition, sorry!

1. Prime entire eye area with MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. Set with Kat Von D Bone down to crease, Kat Von D Linen in the crease and lid.

2. Take a small blending brush and work a mixture of Kat Von D Bone and Kat Von D Suede into the crease area to define the eye area.

3. Take NYX Eyeshadow Base in White with a small brush and cut the crease. Apply all over the eye.

4. Set with multiple layers of Kat Von D Linen. Don't stop until it's a bright white canvas. This is what you'll be building on.

5. Pick up a little bit of Giorgio Armani Liquid Eyeshadow in 2 on a tiny brush and pat onto the inner 1/3 of the lid. Build a nice consistent layer.

6. Immediately take a tiny brush and pick up Kat Von D Nebula and pack on top of the blue base.

7. Once that's all set, take a nail dotting tool, sanitize, and pick up a couple of flecks from Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Diamond Dog to create the "stars".

8. Set up an area with some Too Faced Glitter Glue on a palette, some MAC Fix+, and some Pat McGrath Venom Microfine Glitter. Work with 1 brush to slowly draw part of the straight line across the crease and immediately tap the glitter on. Build the solid line.

9. Repeat to create 2 more lines.

10. Pick up Kat Von D Suede & Bone on a small blender and buff any crease mistakes.

11. Get rid of fallout. Do your undereye concealer. (I used Tarte Shape Tape and set with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light)

12. Do your brows. I use a combo of Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow & Brow Whiz

13. Pick up Tom Ford Eye Defining Pencil in Navy Black. Line upper and lower 1/3. Pick up Sephora Collection Diamond Eyeliner in Swagga and line outer 2/3 upper/lower.

14. Inner corner highlight- MAC Silver Pigment.

15. Finish with L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise.


And here's the look!

Not perfect, but not bad for a first attempt, huh? Keep in mind I'm legally blind without glasses, too!

Now, let's talk what Glitter Tuesdays will be. At least through the end of summer, if there's a post on Tuesday, it'll be a glittery product. Even though I'm in my 30s, I still adore glitter- just not every day. And on America's birthday when I didn't want to post a review, this seemed like a great way to kick off this series... since Stila decided to not cooperate and ship in a timely matter.

Oh, well.  If you've got the day off, enjoy it! If you're an international reader, sorry for any celebrating Americans in your midst. We like to have fun once a year, ok?

Have a wonderful day!

Kat Von D Lolita Blush & Eyeshadow

One of the craziest frenzies I've been in awhile was the release of Kat Von D Beauty's eyeshadow/blush in Lolita. And it's ironically my first real color product review back.

Although I thought it would be popular, I didn't expect it to sell through 100% of online stock in mere hours. I ordered mine while commuting into work (yay for mass transit multitasking and apps!), and received it two days later.

According to Sephora's Beauty Talk, it appears that this won't be restocked online, but will have a limited in-store release on June 15. That's the only reason why I'm going to review it at all. (For those stumbling onto my blog, I don't like to review things that you can't also still get. Hence why I'm holding off on reviewing the Sunset palette, etc.)

For $19, you get 3.2g of product. I've seen photos that indicate it's about the same size as the single Metal Crush shadows (I only own the Metal/Matte palette so I can't double check that). It's a hefty little single but a small blush. That said, it packs one heckuva punch in terms of pigmentation.

It's a chestnut rose, which I agree with. Depending on the lighting and background, it looks Burgundy, maroon, mulberry, and brown.

Reviewing this eyeshadow is particularly tricky for a number of reasons.

First: the hype. Lolita is a cult classic, and there's huge hype around this. I tend to shy away from the uber-hyped products. I also trust that KVD Beauty is telling the truth: this is actually, for reals you guys, limited edition. So any of us makeup collectors are going to buy it anyhow.

Second: my skin tone. I was able to de-self tan for these swatches and I'm back to my usual NW13-15 self. I'm finding in swatches that this color is shockingly complex and depends on a person's complexion. It's more ruddy on me (dang those pink undertones) but it looks more brown on others. I really think this is best on the cheeks for medium or deep complexions, but a killer eyeshadow for blue-eyed ladies. If you've seen my photos, that's me.

Third: The formula. This is very densely packed and in that regard reminds me of the discontinued blush duos. It kicks up quite a bit of powder and requires some serious tap-tap-tapping of the brush! I think this is really small for a blush, though. (No worries on my end because it won't be used like that by me.)

Since these types of colors are so popular, I was sure that I'd seen it in my stash before. We'll get to that in a bit.

Here is is, watched with an eyeshadow brush in a couple of different lighting situations. Note the texture in swatch #2- that's a theme.

I didn't bother trying to do a blush-type swatch because of my skin tone. I did try it on my cheeks, but I'm not going to share those photos. If you'd like to see sort of what it looked like on me, but with better lighting and a live demo, watch this video from one of my favorite beauty YouTubers- livloveshermakeup. I also had clown cheeks. If you keep watching her video, you'll see the blending gymnastics she had to go through for her eye look. More on that from my perspective.

I loved the look that I tried with this. Lolita looks very red on my eyes in this form, and I find that very wearable. I tried something new for me- no liner, fluffy brows and lashes (mystery mascara I'm still testing). For full disclosure, I have the cream shade in Viseart Neutral Mattes all over, one of the light tan shades (Shade #2) in the crease, a bit of Sweetheart from the Tartelette in Bloom palette in the crease to deepen it, then Lolita all over the lid and buffed out a bit. No liner.

I show this photo for multiple reasons. First, those lashes!! But really, look at the blending issues and texture (See, I said that would come back to this). I fixed this later, but this is representative of the blending issues at the 5 minute mark. Most "average" professional women don't want to spend more than 5 minutes on our eyes before work. It's not that I don't know how to blend; I wanted to show you an issue that I encountered. It's a great shadow, but it takes some finesse. This is not a slap on and go formula.

It did last all day with a primer and all that jazz. We expect that type of performance with all of Kat Von D's products, since the line is focused around long wearing makeup (a heaven-sent concept for those of us with a 10-hour work day and 3+ hours of commuting per day).

One side note- the concealer under my eyes is the Revlon Youth FX. Look for a throwdown later in the week on new drugstore base products.

Here's the real question most of you have- is there an existing dupe? Warm eyes are on trend, so someone has to have put out a similar color already,  right?  I went deep into my collection to try to find something. These were the semi-finalists:

I'd also like to point out that these palettes (aside from the Lorac Pro 1 and my custom MAC palette) were all released within the past 12ish months. These colors, they're everywhere!!!

I'm happy to say that I found 2 suitable substitutes for KVD Lolita on my skin tone if you're not able to grab this/want to pass the insanity. The bad news is that one of them is in an $80 palette; you probably own the other if you're reading a beauty blog.

On a side note, I'm working on my lighting setup again and my photo editing setup. You don't want to know how ridiculous it is- which means this is an effort from the heart.

Since my lighting is so dodgy, I'm going to show you the same swatches under 3 lighting conditions.

Studio Lights/ Warm:

Studio Lights/Cool:

Warm, Yellow Light ("normal" incandescent lighting indoors):

Of all of these, there are 2 clear winners (bolded). However, let's talk about all of them quite quickly:

• Natasha Denona Sinai & Natasha Denona Panjin- Both are from the Sunset Palette; both are not even close.
• ELF Mad for Matte 2 #6- If you can only afford drugstore products, this is the closest dupe that I found. It's lighter and requires more layering and has less pigment overall. For the price ($10 for the full palette v $19 for one shadow), it's good. This is one of my favorite drugstore palettes overall.
• Fiona Stiles Electra #3- This looked closer in the pan than in person. This turned out to be a lot darker and closer to the brown side.
• PUR Pop Icon- This is from the Trolls palette; I know it's not a matte but I was looking undertones. As I suspected, it's a lot more red (but closer to how Lolita looks on my eye).
• Lolita is starred
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Red Ochre- This shade is still only exclusive to the Modern Renaissance palette, which is one of the best palettes on the market (in my humble opinion). This has a similar texture and is actually a lot easier to work with than Lolita. ABH mattes are a dream to blend as well.
• Viseart Warm Mattes #12- I eventually plan to review the entire Viseart line, but here's an early spoiler alert: this is my favorite shadow formula on the market. If you can afford the $80 price tag, I highly recommend all of the mattes. This is very close to Lolita.
• LORAC Refined Romance #3- I thought the darkest shade would pull similar to Lolita, but it's much cooler. That's fine, since this was LE.
• MAC Everyone's Darling & MAC I'm Into It- I'm honestly not sure of the origins of these two shadows but they're the two closest MAC shades that I found in my collection.

QBB's Final Thoughts: If you're into these type of colors, you more than likely own the Modern Renaissance palette.  If you don't, where have you been? If so, you've got a decent dupe for Lolita that blends easier. This is a fun product to have for collectors, but don't stress if you're unable to get your hands on it.