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— February 16, 2015 —

KAT VON D Shade + Light Contour Palette


Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette (0.72 oz.) retails for $46 USD ($55 CAD) and is said to be "a contour palette features three shades for contouring (0.15 oz.) and three shades for highlighting (0.08 oz.), designed to shape and define facial features to create a look of authentic dimensionality."

Lucid is described as a pinkish nude. [P]
Lyric is described as a yellow beige. [P] 
Levitation is described as a soft peach. [P]
Sombre is described as a true taupe. [P]
Shadowplay is described as a soft brown. [P]
Subconscious is described as a deep brown. [P]
"An expert sketch artist, Kat Von D uses shadow and light to create depth and dimension in her captivating portraits, infusing them with lifelike authenticity. Take artistry shading into your own hands with this Shade + Light Contour Palette, and effortlessly sculpt, chisel, shape, and slenderize your features for enhanced definition. Unlike traditional bronzing powders, the Shade + Light Contour Palette is loaded with a unique selection of matte shades that capture the true hues of shadow and light. The three contour shades create realistic shadows to recede facial features, while the three highlight shades impart a soft luminosity to amplify dimension. A true artist's palette specially designed to be used with the Shade + Light Contour Brush, these silky, buildable powders blend effortlessly into the skin for a flawless, fade-proof finish that flatters every skin tone or face shape."
The packaging is a slim palette made from thick, hefty, durable cardboard. The palette has a magnetic closure and features a mirror. Contained in the box is a handy dandy card with tips and tricks from Kat Von D herself on getting the most out of contouring and highlighting — great if you're new to the game!

Lucid is a light, pink beige with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was soft, smooth, silky and had good pigmentation that was buildable. Although the product was slightly powdery, it sat and blended out nicely on the skin. Lucid wore well for +7.5 hours. (5/5)
Lyric is a light, yellow beige with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was soft, smooth, finely-milled and had good pigmentation. Due to the finer texture it was slightly powdery on the skin, but blended out easily. Lyric wore well for +7.5 hours. (5/5)
Levitation is a light, peach beige with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was soft, smooth, ultra silky and had good, buildable color payoff. Again, the product was lightly powdery but blended out easily and evenly on the skin. Levitation wore well for +7.5 hours. (5/5)
Sombre is a medium, taupe brown with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was soft, smooth, silky and had good pigmentation. It was easy to build the color and blend out evenly on the skin. Sombre wore well for +8 hours. (5/5)
Shadowplay is a medium, camel brown with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was soft, smooth and ultra silky. The pigmentation of this particular contour color was so-so and it was only buildable to a certain degree—but it blended out beautifully on the skin. Shadowplay wore well for +7.5 hours. (5/5)
Subconscious is a dark, tan brown with warm undertones and a satin matte finish. This shade was ultra soft, smooth, finely-milled and had good pigmentation. It was extremely easy to build the color and blend out evenly on the skin. Subconscious wore well for +8 hours. (5/5)

Overall, I really like the design and fine details in a whole, ie. how clever that the names correspond with the "Light and Shade" theme of the palette. Like most contour palettes, the shades in this palette tend run on the warmer side. The textures are incredible soft, smooth, ultra silky and blendable. Some shades are lightly powdery but that doesn't seem to show once the product is applied and buffed out. All of the colors can be built for a more dramatic contour and highlight or sheered out for pale or fairer skin tones easily, depending on your needs—but for that exact reason, I think this palette is suitable for more skin tones than you would initially expect.

If you're in the market for a contour + highlighting kit, this Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette is definitely worth considering! (**Palette contains carmine.)



Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Lucid

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Lucid

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Lyric

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Lyric

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Levitation

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Levitation

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Sombre

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Sombre

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Shadowplay

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Shadowplay

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Subconscious

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette in Subconscious

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette
vs.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette
vs.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Lucid, Vanilla)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Lucid, Vanilla)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Lyric, Banana)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Lyric, Banana)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Levitation, Sand)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Levitation, Sand)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Sombre, Java)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Sombre, Java)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Shadowplay, Fawn)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Shadowplay, Fawn)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Subconscious, Havana)

Kat Von D + Anastasia Beverly Hills Comparison
(L-R: Subconscious, Havana)


Disclaimer: All product(s) featured were purchased by me for personal use.