I've always been intrigued with Kat Von D makeup products and I keep staring at the products at the Sephora store and the Kat Von D beauty website. I love the very edgy badass packaging and I've seen swatches on how pigmented the products are. However, when I went to Singapore last year, I visited several Sephora stores and unfortunately, I was not able to find Kat Von D products. I figured out it must only be in the US.
For those who do not know Kat Von D, she's actually a tattoo artist, model, and musician. She used to appear in the show Miami Ink, which I used to watch. What I noticed in her is not just her fantastic inks but also how she wears makeup.
She also has two gorgeous cats!
She really is a true artist from her inks up to her makeup. She now has her own makeup line (cruelty-free!) with super pigmented products in super edgy packaging that are surprisingly super wearable. I've been stoked to buy a Kat Von D product for as long as I can remember and I'm glad I got one. I got myself a Shade+Light Contour Palette, one of her newest products.
I got this from Tupped last week, debating whether to get this or the Shade + Light eye. Since I've had quite a lot of eyeshadows, I thought I would use this one instead, and the matte shades could actually double as eyeshadows. Besides, I already had similar shades from that palette already.
A lot may ask, is contouring really necessary? Aren't people trying to forgo it already? Here's my answer: There are days when I myself do away with contouring, like if I do makeup for everyday. I do understand that on certain occasions, there may be a need for contouring.
The objective of contouring or sculpting is to bring features forward and to create depth and dimension as well as add warmth on the face. How I contour depends on the occasion. For everyday warmth, I just add a bit of matte contouring on where I want some shape. I give more definition and bring out cream contours if I would be doing a photoshoot or have all the time in the world. How I contour for weddings is different than how I contour for say a stage performance, where we need stronger shadows to bring features forward as the lights onstage are a lot stronger. For weddings, I just give dimension and warmth so the face doesn't flatten so much in the photos or look too washed out. If I'm doing drag queen makeup, that's when I bring out cream contours, intense baking and highlighting, and if I have time and want to have some fun, I may do clown contouring if I'm feeling artsy.
Anyway, back to the product. The colors are matte, which are excellent for contouring, since contouring with shimmer is practically nonsense.
Like I said earlier, they can be used as eyeshadows as well, if you want to do a sculpted eye.
Individual swatches on my skin, which is approximately a MAC NC35.
Lucid and sombre are more on the pinkish side and can be used on ladies with fair skin with a pink or beige undertone. Lyric and Shadowplay are more on the warm side. For Pinays and Asians, this is probably what fits our skin most, since it's more on the yellow side. For Levitation and Subconscious, you can use this on morenas, but use this sparingly as it can be a bit too red or pink. Those with olive skin tones or reddish tones may find this as a nicer alternative. Subconscious can also be used as a nice and warm crease eyeshadow.
Since the colors are pigmented, I recommend to use this a bit sparingly. They are also blendable and can be made as subtle or as intense as you wish.
I contoured a bit strongly on my cheekbone here, sort of a stage performance level of contouring. I used Lyric and Shadowplay and as you can see, it didn't gray out my skin as much.
A bit close up and more subtle blending. This one is still performance level so the contour line is still kind of strong. If it were just everyday, I would have stopped halfway.
In any contouring technique, for it to look seamless and natural, I would really recommend blending the bejeezus out of it like crazy, especially if your are going for a natural look. For stage, go ahead and be harsh with your lines. But for bridal or special occasions, I would prefer just natural shadows.
By the way, it also comes with a cheat sheet
It is recommended that you use this with a Kat Von D Shade + Light contour brush but you can use an angled brush that fits your fancy or is already present in your kit. I personally use a MAC 168 angled brush for contouring and a tapered blush brush or small dome-shaped brush for highlighting.
With its varied options in shades, I recommend this product for makeup artists since we need various shade options since we deal with a lot of faces. For makeup enthusiasts or for ladies who are just doing makeup for themselves, I would recommend getting an individual matte bronzer that's the shade for you so as not to overwhelm things. But if you're ready to up your contour skills, then by all means go. Oh, to preserve the sleek black packaging, you can clean the sides with a tissue or cotton bud in case there's a bit of powder scatter.
The Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette is available at a Sephora US store or the Kat Von D Beauty website. For Philippine residents, you may check Tupped Boutique or you can ask a relative in the US to get for you.
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