Review: Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing the much talked about Kat Von D Shade + Light Eyeshadow palette. This has gotten so much buzz and has some great reviews. I had wanted it since before it came out and was able to snag it during the Sephora VIB sale back in April. 

The packaging is made of cardboard and has a magnetic closure set-up like the Monarch, Chrysalis and Innerstellar palettes. I have the Monarch and Innerstellar palettes, but honestly haven't used them nearly as much as this one. 

Here is a description of the palette from the Sephora site:

What it is:
An eye contouring palette featuring three color quads in neutral, cool, and warm shades.

What it does:
Transform your eyes through the art of contouring. After tapping into makeup pro secrets, Kat Von D created this first-of-its-kind eye shadow palette. It’s specially-designed for eye contouring, a groundbreaking technique once used only by beauty experts to define and enhance eyes. This palette features a gorgeous, versatile array of true contouring shades, arranged into three color quads—neutral, cool, and warm—to flatter every skintone.

Three large base shadows are arranged above three coordinating powders for contouring, defining, and highlighting. The palette includes an easy-to-follow contouring guide with step-by-step instructions for creating three different eye-opening techniques. Each velvety powder is blendable and buildable, and it features Kat Von D’s signature high-pigment, long-wear eye shadow formula, created to deliver rich color that lasts all day and all night.  

This is the neutral quad. The top large color is called Laetus which is a creamy nude. The other three colors are called Samael, a dusty fawn, Solas, an espresso brown, and Lucius, a soft beige. These are the colors I tend to use the most since they seem the most flattering for my fair skin. I'm in love with the shade Samael for my crease, and the two lightest shades are so close to my skin tone, so they're great for either highlighting or as an all over lid shade for a base. 

This is the middle, cool quad. The top color is called Lazarus, a cool taupe and the other colors are Saleos, a smoky brown, Shax, a jet black, and Liberatus, a pinkish ivory. I have yet to use Saleos and Shax, but I'm completely obsessed with using Lazarus as a transition shade. It's perfect for my skintone and I use it in conjunction with some of the warmer and neutral shades in this palette. 

This is the warm quad. I have to be careful using these shades because they can make me look sick if I don't use the colors right. The top color is Ludwin, a peachy bronze, and the other colors are Succubus, a rich rust, Sytry, a chocolate brown, and Latinus, a golden bisque. I'm surprised I like these colors! I really like using the color Succubus as an accent color on the outer third of my eyes, and Latinus is a good all over lid shade for me. 

Overall, I'm extremely happy I purchased this palette! It does cost $46 at Sephora which is pretty expensive, but I think it's completely worth it. There are endless combinations you can do using this and you don't have to stick with just using the cool tones or warm tones. Mix it up! That's what playing with makeup is about! These shades are pretty darn pigmented and I find them easy to work with and blend. There isn't much fallout either, which is a big bonus. I have to use a primer on my eyes, but these shadows last all day on me and still look good at the end of the day. I've been a huge fan of Kat Von D's makeup for years and she just keeps coming out with better products.

Have you tried this palette? What do you think of it?