Review| Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Has an irrational hatred of packaging ever stopped you from purchasing an otherwise stellar product? For example, clunky and bulky cardboard packaging really irks me because they often dent easily in the corners, take up a lot of space, and grab onto loose powders flying through the air easily. 

In this case, the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette ($44) was that AND ultra tacky. I mean, the aesthetic is just not for me. I refused to even take a picture of the front of the palette because it is hideous. 

In every other aspect, however, this palette exceeded expectations. The huge mirror? Awesome. A contour shade for every skintone? Nice. A banana and peach shade for under the eyes? Awesome. 

If you're familiar with the original contour kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills (the one BEFORE the contouring kit trend blew up in Sephora...) you'll be disappointed to find that there are no sparkleh, shimmery, iridescent highlight shade in this palette. Rest assured, if that's not a concern for you, you'll really love the fact that these powders are much more softly milled, silky to the touch, and much more blendable once on the skin. 

Here are swatches of ONE swipe with no primer underneath, in natural indoor lighting. 

I expected ultra-pigmented powders, which I got, but they aren't hard to blend out on the skin. Heavy handed Snickers bar contouring is a viable option, but I can also use a natural hair brush and a light hand to achieve the most flawless (and natural) contouring that's daytime appropriate. 

The Shadowplay shade (warmer brown) sticks out like a sore thumb in a contouring kit. Here's where naysayers step in and take a massive dump on the streets of my parade. "It's orange! That's not the color of a shadow!"

Well no shit. But it's perfect for bronzing up the perimeters of the face after you've slapped an obvious stripe of GREY underneath your cheekbones. By the way, Sombre is perfect for that very technique and could fit anyone from NC20 to NC35. If you're deeper or like dramatic contouring, the Subconscious shade is a good option as well. 

Here's my technique: contour with Sombre, blend out with a small amount of Shadowplay, and concentrate Subconsccious on the very back of my contour (toward the ear) if I want to amp it up for nighttime. 

As for setting and highlighting the undereyes, I actually reach for Levitation (the peachy shade) because it helps hide my purplish dark circles. If you use a light hand, they're no heavier than your average setting powder. I didn't notice any major creasing into fine lines which is a huge plus for my dry under-eyes. 

A few negatives: 

The highlighting powders may blend straight into your skintone or be way too stark to use. My arm is currently at NC30 or so and you can see the starkness of the white powders. 

Also, nothing is shimmery! There's no true "cheekbone" highlight in this palette.

Those on extreme ends of the color spectrum will find the color selection lackluster and exclusive. 

There are a lot of contour kits out there that will fit your budget, criteria, or skin tone range. I didn't think I would like another "pro" palette like this one, but it actually condenses a lot of products I would use on a semi-daily basis into one ugly packaging. (I will probably depot into a smaller Z-palette for future usage.)

If you're looking for the perfect grey tinged contour powder similar to Sombre, may I suggest Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder in Medium, NYX blush in Taupe, and Dolce & Gabbana blush in Tan? All of these come in much more compact packaging. 

xo Be

Review| Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

I had a mediocre stint with the Dolce Vita quad by Charlotte Tilbury, but my curiosity still got the better of me. 

The Filmstar Bronze and Glow ($65) is a duo of, you guessed it, a sculpting and highlighting powder. Even if reviews are mixed for her other products, many people adore this duo and hail it as "perfect" for fair to medium complexions. 

This product is best for those who don't want to look like they've put effort into finding their own cheekbones. In broad daylight, a heavy brown/grey stripe across your face is pretty damn obvious. This duo makes it easy to get away with daytime contouring, even more so than with the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder and Candlelight highlighter. 

I really enjoy how enthusiastic I can be with my tapered brush and the Sculpt pan. Seriously, I could swirl my brush in the product all day and go straight onto my face, but the end result is never obvious or muddled. The sculpt powder is very light in color, but ultra buttery in texture (read: blendable) and doesn't drag or become a powdery mess on the face. There's a hint of micro-shimmer in pan but it only adds a slight glow on the face. 

The highlight is subdued and neutral champagne that leans neither too warm or cool. I don't think it advertises my pores at all. In fact, it's much more of a sheen than shimmer meaning no disco ball at this party. 

For how much you're paying, the quality is reflected in both the packaging and product. The rose gold casing has some heft, opens and closes with elegance, and includes a full mirror inside. It's not the same cheapo plastic feeling as her eyeshadow quads and yet fits nicely in a makeup bag. 

Did I mention the completely classy packaging? See below. 

The outer shell breaks in half. 

Then, a fancy sheath envelopes the compact. 

Instructions!

Isn't this sort of packaging the reason why we pay $65 for this compact? It's the attention to details that makes or breaks a first impression on a product. 

Below I have swatched the compact along with similar sculpting powders and highlighters. Sadly, they are in their own pans and not able to be combined together to be taken along in my purse. I have TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer, KA Candlelight, the Glow shade, the Sculpt shade, KA Sculpting Powder in Medium, and Dolce and Gabbana blush in Tan. 

In direct sunlight, Bronze and Glow is absolutely virginal in comparison to the rest of the products swatched. It's soft, very light, and natural even with 2 swipes. Yes, it's "no-makeup makeup" for contouring! Oh me? I woke up with these cheekbones. While it looks orange in comparison to my two other sculpting shades, it's actually much more natural when you blend into the skin. 

Here's a shot in indirect sunlight and outdoors. Don't get me wrong, it's not light to the point of not showing up on skintones past NC20. I am hovering between NC25-30 and find it to be noticeable on the face. But is noticeable the right word? It's there...or is it? I think this compact would suit anyone from N10-N35, but medium to tan complexions will find this lackluster or even non-existent on their cheeks no matter how much they reapply. 

Did I mention it lasts all day on the skin? No need to whip it out and reapply, as fancy as the packaging makes you feel.

If you want an every day contour compact that's as elegant as it is effective...look no further. 

xo Be