Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Painted Love Lipstick Set

My love of Kat Von D eye makeup palettes is very well known, I have considered them to be the best product in her whole line for several years now.  Anyone that has been following this blog from the beginning will be a bit surprised when I talk about wanting this lipstick set, I originally hated the lipstick formula that came out with the introduction of this company and I have never used it since.  I would never have been attracted by this set except that is so cute and I love the little lipsticks.  In addition to not having been a fan of the original formula, I have already stated that the last beauty products that I should be buying for the end of summer and fall is any type of lip product since I have been buying them regularly since the beginning of the spring.  However, I have read that the lipstick formula from this company has changed very much in quality and pigmentation since the onset of the product line and I am looking forward to trying both it and this set out.

The Kat Von D is exclusive to Sephora and therefore that is the only place that this set will be available.  I have been living at the Sephora store closest to me every since the Nail Bar came out and I will be heading into the Kat Von D aisle the next time that I visit the store.  "A six-piece mini-lipstick set for the perfect pout in any situation.  This set of six purse-friendly lip colors comes in a beautiful assortment of neutral and bright shades, with finishes that vary from matte to foil.  The innovative, high-pigment formulas give you a burst of color and long-lasting results.  Natural moisturizers and antiaging properties keep lips soft, healthy, and total kissable."

I see that Adora is part of this collection, this looks like the original shade that I wanted the most when the collection released.  I was very disappointed when I tried this original shade because I was expecting a bright matte red and this shade turned out as pink-red with little pigmentation when I first tried it out.  I am really hoping that what I have read about the formula being changed around is true.  I do remember that I was not the only person that had issues with the lipstick formula when it was released.  Over the next few months, I do remember never seeing this lipsticks at the counter and then in the next year, they came back to the counter.  Something is telling me that this is when the formula was re-worked but I have no documentation on this change.

The shades that are in the set are...

- Agatha - mod peachy pink
- Cathedral - spiced pinkish brown
- Forever Never - metallic golden peach
- Adora - shimmering candy apple red
- Backstage Bambi - hot pink
- Stiletto - orange red

With the exception of Forever Never, all the shades in this collection appear to be on the cool side and will be flattering to my complexion.  Adora looks a deeper red with a shimmer finish and Stiletto appears to be a brighter red with yellow undertones so I will more likely to pull Stiletto right now and then keep Agatha for the fall season.  If Forever Never really doesn't work for me then I will give it to a friend and use the rest of the shades in the set.  I will have to try this shade with a clear lip balm (to sheer it out) while I am tanned and see if I can pull this shade off in the summer months.  Agatha and Cathedral look as those they will be easy to pull off with any eye makeup look and will work well with a natural look in any season.  Last but not least, Backstage Bambi looks like a great bright pink shade to add to my line up of pink lip hues!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Mi Vida Loca

Kat Von D has released a series of new products to Sephora this spring, starting with this eye shadow palette.  In addition to adding a new palette to her best-selling True Romance line, there will be a series of nail polishes and eye liners that will be coming out too.  We will start with the eye shadow palette since I am hearing that this will be the center of the new products and all the rest will be in shades to match those contained in this palette.  Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palettes are among some of the best quality available from the beauty industry today and are by fat the best product in her entire makeup range.  I have heard all kinds of mixed reviews on the rest of the line but I have rarely heard a bad review on any of these palettes, Ludwig still holds a prime spot in my traincase even though I have owned it for over three years at this point.

The newest addition to the True Romance Eye Shadow Palette line is named Mi Vida Loca and is the most colorful eye palette so far in this line.  The line started out by offering palettes that only created Kat's favorite look, the smoky eye.  Over the last year, she has been adding to this line, first introducing shades that would help to create a more colorful smoky eye and now she has released a palette that contains all bright hues.  This palette will be perfect for anyone that is looking to create a bright, funky eye makeup look this spring.  This palette is right on trend with many of the looks that we have been seeing all over the spring runways and I bet that it will sell out very quickly.

Sephora is the only retailed for the Kat Von D line and therefore I had to pull all the product details from their website.  "A palette of eight bright eye shadows and a mini eye liner for creating a variety of bold looks.  This collection from Kat Von D kicks off with eight stunning eye shadows and an on-the-go mini eyeliner, each in a daring shade that embraces the heritage of 80's neon colors.  The True Romance shadows are formulated with rich, long-lasting pigments that effortlessly blend and layer to create a variety of stunning looks.  The eyeliner has a creamy, waterproof formula that glides on smooth along the lash line for a bold result.  The sleek metal case is embossed with a hand-drawn design in a profusion of sassy, neon colors."  The name of this palette was inspired by the "Mi Vida Loca" tattoo that Kat Von D has on her back.
The eight eye shadows in this palette are as follows...

- Swan Song - iridescent pearl
- Marya - shimmery vanilla
- No Regrets - shimmery gold
- Drama For Yo Mama - shimmery kelly green
- Mad Max - matte sky blue
- Dublin - iridescent purple
- Sparklehorse - hot pink purple sparkle
- Altruism - pearl soft pink

The eyeliner is an electric blue shade named Wonderchild.  I love how Kat mixed up the brights in this palette, allowing all types of fun looks to be created.  Four of the hues are very colorful and the other four are more neutral (to tone them down I think), with the eyeliner being a very bright hue.  With the exception of Mad Max, I would use every single one of these shades this spring but since this isn't a type of look that I create very often, I would use through this palette very slowly and I can almost guarentee that I would never use the bright blue eyeliner hue. 

The selection of brights is great and the neutrals that are provided to blend with them are wonderful hues too.  I love this mixture of shades (except all the bright blues) and since I have been going crazy for pinks lately, I am very excited to see them well represented in this palette.  I have to check this palette out the next time that I go to Sephora and try out the hues in it.  Personally, I think that it makes more sense for me to buy one palette of brights rather than purchase single shadows in these hues since I may not wear very much after this spring/summer season.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Poetica

Everyone know that I love a good Kat Von D eye shadow palette and that I'm not exaggerating when I state that I really use every single shade in the palette and use them until there is no more product left in the container.  It seems like Kat Von D has been releasing a new True Romance Eye Shadow Palette either once a season or once every other season.  I wasn't really into the summer release, Angeles, for the simple fact that it contained several blues and brights, none of which are my top choices for eye makeup.  Poetica is her newest palette for the fall and winter and I am going to go out on a limb and state that this might be her best palette since the initial collection release.  Since these are great palettes overall, this is big accomplishment.  Poetica contains the traditional shades that Kat puts in almost every single palette, with two lovely lavender additions. 

"A palette with eight eye shadow colors and an eye liner pencil.  Create a smoky eye or try a rocker chick look with this True Romance Eye Shadow Palette.  Designed especially for Sephora by tattoo artist and reality television star Kat Von D, this artistic spectrum of shades includes neutral nudes and browns with purple highlights to bring a sense of edgy-glam to your look.  Plus, get a mini version of Kat's waterproof Puro Amor Black Autograph Pencil Eye Liner."  Is this the first palette to contain an eye liner or have I been missing something?!  My Ludwig palette certainly doesn't contain an eye liner and since I often use the shades with one, I wish this I had one in there that was hand-picked by Kat! 

I also read on the Sephora website that each of these eye shadows is formulated with rose extract, an ingredient with superior hydrating properties to help the eye lids stay soft and moisturized.  I wonder if that is the secret ingredient in her eye shadows, since every single one that I have tried so far is soft, buttery, and very easy to spread onto the lid.  If this is so than I hope that other companies with use this ingredient or that Kat will contain to grow her eye shadow line, I still would love to see duos and single eye shadows instead of just the palettes.

Here are the shades that make up the Poetica palette...

- Forgiveness - pearlized butter-cream
- Sand Timer - pearlized sand
- Chandler - pearlized copper
- Tijuana - brown and black with gold sparkle
- Wonderland - burgundy with gold pearl
- Skiba - purple with gold pearl
- Babe - lavender
- You Alone - matte vanilla
The left half of the palette (Forgiveness, Sand Timer, Chandler) look exactly as many of the other Kat Von D shadow palettes, none of these shades are that unique but I guarentee that you will get tons of usage from them as highlighters.  Skiba is the most unique of all the shades, it is rare to find a good purple with a gold vein, I am hoping that this one is easier to work with then the version that I have of it from MAC (name escapes me at the moment, it was limited edition and came out in A Rose Romance).  That would be awesome because this palette could very easily be used to create a fantastic purple and gold gilded eye. 

I love that Kat Von D has changed her palette style just a bit to get away from the smoky eye look that seems to have dominated her last few palettes, they are all lovely but how many versions of a smoky eye palette does one person need?  This one will help to create the gilded eye look that will be so popular going into fall and helps to break the smoky eye palette trend.

This one is going on my Most Wanted List...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Angeles

A Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette nevers fails to make me stop in my tracks when shopping and forget why I was in Sephora in the first place.  It amuses so much how I love these eye shadow palettes since nothing else in her makeup line could be called remarkable or unique.  It seems to me like all the design talent that was meant to go into this line went right into the palettes and then there wasn't much left over for anything else (unless her lip products have done a 180 since I last tried them).  Her newness palette for the spring/summer, named Angeles, has just been released and the white package of this product is what drew my attention to it initially.

All of the palettes are made to create a smoky eye look, a look that Kat has favored for years.  All of the palettes create a different version of the smoky eye, this newest one for summer looks as though it would create more of a bronze and aqua look than the traditional black and gray looks that we see all winter.  Like some of her other palettes, this one contains seven powder shadows and then one cream shadow that can be used to highlight.  "A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery - create your own with the True Romance Eye Shadow Palette.  Designed especially for Sephora by reality television star Kat Von D, this artistic spectrum of shades will bring a touch of edgy-glam to your look.  The palette's sleek compact is stenciled with imagery inspired by an old-world romantic place and is itself a tattoo-inspired work of art", states the Sephora website in the overall product description. 

The shades contained in this palette are...

- Venus - shimmer bronze
- Leather - matte dark chocolate brown
- Specimen - pearly medium brown
- Rehab - pearly beige
- Peggy - pearly turquoise
- Bukowski - pearly aqua
- Bellbottom - pearly slate blue
- Morphine - cream iridescent white

All of the shades are the traditional powder format except the Morphine, which is the shade in the cream formula.  I love the traditional powder.  It goes on very pigmented and lasts all day (when layered over an eye shadow primer).  The powders are also quite soft and are very easy to blend, helping to create the smoky eye effect.  This powder shadow formula contains three active ingredients to set this one apart from on the ones on the rest of the market.  Squalane is a plant derived antioxidant with well documented rejuventating characteristics.  Lauroyl Lysine is an ingredient that acts like a tattoo for your eyes and is an amino acid that ensures a longer wear time on the pigment used to create the shadow.  Glyceryl Caprylate is a hydrating ingredient helps each shadow avoid flaking and chalking and also helps to adhere the shadow to the eye lid.  Kat Von D's eye shadows are certainly unique so I can say that these ingredients must work that way they are made to.

I can speak from experience that Kat's bronze and gold shades are among the best in her palettes.  Since this palette is almost half bronze, I will stand behind all four of those shades.  I have not worked with her blues yet however all of her greens and olives are also very high rated shades.  My only major dislike of the palette is the cream shadow shade since I normally have a harder time worker with a combination of creams and powders.  I love half of this palette but since all the blues are in it, I can't really say that I would buy it since it would be a waste for me to only use the bronze shades.  I would LOVE if this company would start using this eye shadow powder formula to make single eye shadows so I can keep collecting all the bronzes and golds in this formula.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Truth

If there is one product from the Kat Von D collection that is top notch and produces very few misses, it is her eye shadow palettes. The mascara was good but nothing amazing, I have been told the lipsticks are very oddly pigmented in some shades, but no one come up with anything against the True Romance Eye Shadow Palettes. I bought one of these palettes from the original product collection and am still using the product quite faithfully. One of Kat Von D's signature looks is the smoky eye so all of her eye palettes contain shades to create the look, the different shades make it appropriate for all seasons. This time of the year, she is releasing her palette that will create the lighter version of the look and this palette is just the product in her collection to do that.

 Kat Von D provides a quote about her palette, in addition to the usual product description for Sephora. She states that, "The illustration on the cover of this palette features a stylized pattern made up of vintage keys. 'The keys are displayed above my desk. I collect them because I love what they signify: romantic, classic, Victorian, antique, access to an old castle, fairy tales, or a secret compartment. Locks and keys fit together and symbolize love. A key feels like a special way to unlock what's otherwise forbidden...in the case of my palette it's about unlocking the soul and refining beauty.'"

"A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery. Create your own or try a rocker chick look with this True Romance Eye Shadow Palette. Designed especially for Sephora by tattoo artist and reality television star Kat Von D, this artistic spectrum of shades brings a sense of edgy glam to your look", states the Sephora website about the palette.

 All of the shadows in the palette are the powder formula unless otherwise noted.

There are eight shades in this palette and here they are...

- Sugar Skull - vanilla
- Long Distance - citron -
 Snake Eyes - lime
- Finland - aqua (cream formula)
- Prague - plum
- Galeano - pale lilac
- Rehab - golden tan
- Sister - peach

I agree with this company that these are great shades for spring, they all are right on trend and they is a great variety in this palette which will appeal to tons of customers. But looking back on their description, I cann't really see how this palette could make much of a smoky look since the only really deep shade is the plum. however, I love the palette shades so much that I would certainly be willing to try to make the smoky eye with the plum and I won't be upset if it doesn't really work very well. I am really looking forward to working with the Galeano and Prague (lilac and plum shades) to make a purple eye this spring.

 photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D High Frequency Mascara

I am finally onto a new mascara after using Benefit's BadGal Lash for the past few months. Yeah, I know. We all know that I am mascara obsessed but for some reason I decided to go back to a standby of mine instead of heading into Sephora and buying any new mascara to see how it performs. I haven't tried any type of mascara from Kat von D and I was originally attracted to this product because of how pretty the packaging is. I have had a great experience with her eye shadow palettes so I wasn't hesitant to buy this product. Besides, I have been trying to break my makeup rut since the beginning of the year and trying a different brand of mascara certainly won't kill me.

This mascara is made to curl, separate, and volumize lashes, there is no mention of lengthening properties with this mascara formula. I wanted to point one thing out before I begin to review this mascara. Mascara cannot curl your lashes, it can only hold any natural curl that you have or hold the curl after you use an eye lash curler on your lashes. Already, the description of this product is promising something that cannot be done only with the use of the mascara. That being stated, I found that it held the curl well from when I used an eye lash curler before mascara application.

Sephora gives the following description of this product on their website, "Create a sophisticated and intriguing eye look with this exceptional formulation. Polyester film forming makes for stellar flexibility, application, adhesion, and curl retention. The unique, easy-to-use applicator brushes lashes one by one, delivering outstanding results". I prefer the full description of this product in which they state "curl retention" instead of just calling the product a curling mascara. With the words "polyester film forming" in this description, it seems that this mascara falls into the category of "tubing mascara" and fully coats lashes from root to tip.

After first opening the tube, my first thought was that the brush was much smaller than many of the mascaras that I am used to. And it surprised me that I actually had a bit of difficulty working with it the first time since I am so used to the huge mascara brushes (however I got it down pat within one application). This mascara excels at creating separate lashes and retaining the curl from the curler. My lashes look lush and naturally full. It is a good (not great) volumizing mascara, it adds a nice amount of volume but doesn't stand a chance when compared to Diorshow Iconic or Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash. Of course, the brush size of this one is nothing compared to those so I am not thinking that it is made to compete with the super-volumizing mascaras. This is wetter formula and gives my lashes a bit of sheen. So far, I haven't had problems with smudging or flaking that are common with a wetter formula mascara.

Removal of this product requires eye makeup remover. The first time that I tried to get it off, I must not have wiped it throughly enough since after I got out of the shower, I realzied that I had mascara running down my cheeks. I have found that I don't need to tug to get this formula off (unlike Smashbox Bionic) but I must clean the eye area really well.

One coat of this mascara will get you a naturally pretty, separated daytime look. Two coatsd of this mascara will get you a naturally full looking set of lashes. But when compared to the volume that I get from other formulas, this isn't enough for my taste. Two coats are about enough volume for when I am going for a natural look in the daytime, not when I am doing anything else which is somewhat disappointing. I own this mascara in the black shade (named Lucifer), this is one fo the deepest and best black shades that I have worked with so far. It is also available in a bright blue shade (named Techno) that I will not be buying anytime soon.

This is nice mascara for someone who wants volumizized lashes that still look natural and is not trying to go for false eye lashes look. I find nothing wrong with this mascara but it doesn't provide the super volume that I look for in mascara, other than that I like the formula and it has many benefits to it. If the formula/brush were tweaked to make it more along the lines of Buxom Lash, I would be in heaven.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D Tattoo Chronicles Palette Volume 1

The last Sephora Christmas catalog was pretty mehhh, if I do say so myself. The pink eye makeup look on the cover didn't really do it for me and I feel like I already owned or had seen many of the items that they had listed as "new" for the holidays. One of the few items that really jumped out at me is this Kat Von D palette. I first noticed this palette becuase the package reminds me of an antique book and was so different looking than every other product in the catalog. Sephora classifies this product as "A set of Kat Von D products that lets you express your defining individuality".

"Kat's secret weapons for pulling off a long-lasting, rockin' look come together in a beauty stash that includes false lashes, eye shadows, and primers. Plus, a secret compartment reveals a hidden double-ended rollerball fragrance that embodies Kat's two sides: saint and sinner". The rollerball fragrance really sets this palette apeart from many of the others that are out in the market right now. Really, how many eye makeup palettes give you the fragrance from the company so that you can bring the whole rock and roll look to life, from head to toe.

This set includes...

- One set of False Eye Lashes

- Eye Shadows in Tijuana, Taxidermy, Hollywood, Peanut, Redemption, Solitude, Heartkiller, Baudelaire, Monastary, Poe Blue, Night Owl, Lemmy

- High Voltage Primers in Skin, Stellar, Smoky

- Double-ended Saint/Sinner Rollerball

The Sephora website does not list what shadows are what colors but you can see from the picture that the user will ahve many chances to make Kat's trademark smoky eye. It also contains some brighter shades to lighten up the palette and appear to be equally divided between cool and warm hues. I haven't really worked with the primer to know what the different shades are going to translate out when they are applied. I looked this product up and the Skin shade is the universal shade for all skin tones and the Smoky shade is made to prep the eye for a smoky look. Stellar isn't listed but the name implies that it will have a shimmery finish and maybe will be reminisent of Urban Decay's Sin Primer Potion.

I also saw a lip version of this concept in the catalog too. I recommend her eye products much more than the lip since I have heard nothing but raves for the eye and the lip reviews are rather mixed. But if anyone wants to prove me wrong and give me a reason to revisit the lip products, leave you comments.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D Adora Collection Makeup

Today we are looking at the second part of the Adora collection. The perfume wasn't a fragrance for me, so I am hoping that the new makeup products will be. The overall description of the new collection from Sephora is, "To create her thirdself-inspired makeup-and-fragrance collection, Kat Von D has blended unexpected ingredients with real emotion. Adora, which means "Beloved One" in Latin, reflects the skilled artist's edgy exterior and romantic soul with enigmatic, provactive hues. Discover what lies beneath Kat's beautiful, tough surface".

Let's see the color collection...

True Romance Eye Shadow Palette Adora - A limited-edition palette of eight richly pigmented eye shadow shades, from tatto artist Kat Von D. A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery - create your own, from angelic to devilish, with the Adora Eye Shadow Palette. Designed by reality television star Kat Von D especially for Sephora, this artistic spectrum of shades brings an edgy-glam creativity to your makeup. Adora fuses love and fury - two sides of color reflect two distinct facets of Kat. One side has an assortment of frosty whites and silvers; the other side includes a range of sexy black and maroon shades. The versatile shadows comes three in cream and three in powder. The sleek black eye shadow palette is stenciled with passionate red roses and speaks to a romantic soul, with an edge.

Adora Painted Love Lipstick - A rich, full-color lipstick from tattoo artist from Kat Von D. Adora means "beloved" in Latin. Kat choose this name to reflect the captivating next chapter in her evolution. Kat has discovered a renaissance inspired by artisitc introspection, reaching deep layers, stories, and scars - laced with love and fury. Designed by reality television star Kat Von D especially for Sephora. Painted Love Lipstick takes Kat's signature lip color, a sophisticated red, and expands it into a range of smoldering shades from crimson to blood red. The sleek black tube is stenciled with passionate red roses and speaks to a romantic soul, with an edge.

- Adora - shimmering candy apple red

This makeup collection is much more my style. I love the new eye shadow palette and I am excited to buy it very soon. I love the packaging with all the roses on it. The lipstick I am a bit more cautious about. I like the shade as it is pictured on the website but her red lipsticks have tended to look more pink when applied. So I will have to work with this one at the store before I decide what I think about it.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D Adora Collection Perfume

The Kat Von D collection that was just released is named Adora and consists of a new fragrance and makeup products. Today we will look at the fragrance and tommorrow we will look at the colour products in this new collection. I am lukewarm about many aspects of Kat Von D collections except my love of her eye makeup and her packaging. I find the packaging very pretty on this collection but I have yet to look at the contents of the perfume bottle and rollerball to find out.

The Sephora website states the following about the new fragrance, "Adora means 'Beloved One' in Latin. For Kat, Adora reflects the next chapter in her personal evolution - an introspective renaissance discovered through deep layers, stories, and scars. She's a romantic soul with an edgy exterior. Adora is a sensual and passionate perfume journey - unexpected and provactive. This scent reveals a stirring glimpse into an enigmatic life...tortured, beautiful, and brutally honest. At the top, crushed juicy notes of lychee and boysenberry intertwine with thyme and a crisp shot of cassis. The heart fuses the distinct sweetness of hyacinth with jasmine to create floral notes, enhanced by freshly peeled mango. At the base, patchouli finds her spiritual matches with sheer musk and amber wood".

Sephora also gives some background about the bottle design. "Inspired by one of Kat's favorite art nouveau artist (Alfonso Mucha), the solid black bottle's side panels are decorated with original sketches of whimsical features, flowers, and butterflies, in a captivating red ink". Not my favorite perfume bottle that I have ever seen but it is still very pretty.

Here are the notes: Lychee, Boysenberry, Thyme, Cassis, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Mango Flesh, Patchouli, Sheer Musk, Amber Wood.

I found this fragrance to be a bit too sweet for me when I tried it out at Sephora. It is classified as a floral fragrance but there was too much berry and mango in it for me to wear it as a floral. I also felt that those notes were too light to balance out the patchouli notes in it after it fully develops. I really just don't love the sweet berries in it and that ruined it for me. I will be passing on this fragrance. Hopefully the makeup collection will work out better for me...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D Momento Mori Eye Shadow Palette

Kat Von D has added another eye shadow palette to her collection, this one is much lighter and brighter than her previous offerings so it should be perfect for the springtime season. Even the packaging is different with this product, the container is white instead of the traditional black. This palette is named Momento Mori and it represents the Day of the Dead skulls. Kat is always creating her palettes around be able to create a smoky eye and I do wonder how the brighter shades in this palette will be able to do this.

This palette is exclusive to Sephora (as are all other Kat Von D products) and their website states the following about this product, "A smoky eye creates an air of mystery. Create a hauntingly stunning gaze with Kat Von D's Momento Mori palette". Sephora goes to further explain the meaning behind the palette. "Momento Mori is a Latin expression meaning 'remember you are mortal". This artistic array of hues inspired by the Day of the Dead also known as El Dia De Los Muertos. The holiday set aside to remember the friends and family they have lost".

The website lists all of the shades that are available in the palette but it doesn't state what name goes with what shade or what shades are in the palette. One cream eye shadow is in this palette, it is named True. The seven other shades are powders and here are the names: Solitude, Meditation, Agatha Pink, Sugar Skull, Peggy, Hard Luck, and Tijuana. In this palette, I see a bright blue shade, pale lilac, some pale neutrals, a teal, what looks like an olive, and the traditional black shade. This will not be the easier palette to create the Kat Von D smoky eye with. The reviews on the Sephora website agree with my train of thought. The reviewers talk about the pretty, bright colors and no one talks about creating a smoky eye with it.

Very pretty palette, lovely colors for spring. But there is no way that I can create a smoky eye with these shades. I think that I will be using the neutrals as my bases and adding a pop of color into the crease. When playing with the tester several days ago, I think that I would be able to get a good amount of color payoff and I think this is product worth buying.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Ludwig

"Le smoky eye vous donne un air mysterieux." Those are perhaps the best words that Kat Von D could ever write on the back of an eye shadow palette to instantly get my attention and get me to run into right up the register in Sephora. The palette that she has written this line about is the True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in Ludwig, one of the first products to be released from her collection at Sephora. Several times, I ended up only seeing the tester of this product and it took several months for me to actually find it in stock. However, after several uses of the shades in this product, I realized that it was well worth the wait that I had to endure.

To start with, when I bought this palette, I did have a fresh memory of how little I liked her lipstick shades and the overall quality of the product. Quite honestly, if the shades in this palette hadn't been so much to my liking, I would have passed it by all together. I wasn't sure what to expect with the first usage of this product, I was expecting a hard texture and little pigment payoff. But, to my great happiness, where Kat fails in lipstick, she more than makes up for it in eye makeup. The shadows are all soft and silky and very easy to apply. And the color payoff is more like MAC than Cover Girl.

So what are the shades that made me flip for this product? Here is the palette description from the Sephora website, "A palette of eight eye shadow colors from tattoo artist Kat Von D. A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery - create your own with the True Romance Eye Shadow Palette. Designed by reality television star Kat Von D especially for Sephora, this artistic spectrum of shades brings an edgy-glam creativity to your makeup. This sleek black eye shadow palette is stenciled with silver roses and arrives packaged in a silk-screened black and silver box that is itself a work of art - and inspired by Kat's favorite tattoo."

Here are the shades in the box: Lucifer (matte charcoal black), Orbi (golden green shimmer), Dimebag (metallic lime green), Clay (beige with gold glitter), Tequila (metallic cornsilk shimmer), Downtown (metallic light copper shimmer), Baroque (golden bronze shimmer), Leather (deep chocolate brown sheen), and it also contains two double-ended applicator brushes (both of which are totally useless). My favorites from the palette are Tequila, Downtown, and Orbi. Clay is best used as a highlighter but the others can be used either in the crease on directly on the eye lid.

This is my first Kat Von D palette and while I would stay away from her lipstick shades, I am very happy that I bought this palette and would recommend it to anyone else looking for shades for smoky eyes or shades that are more on the neutral side.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Fragrances

As I have discussed in the past, I normally do not go for celebrity fragrances (with very few exceptions) and tend to find them overrated and low quality. However, once in a while, a celebrity releases a fragrance that makes me sit up and take notice. Honestly, I am on the fench about whether to qualify these new Kat Von D fragrances under celebrity fragrances because she already has a makeup collection out and these could be seen as an addition to the makeup line instead of just another item to slap her name on. Maybe it might be better if I didn't even look at them from a celebrity fragrance point of view. On the flipside to that, she is using her name recognition from her L.A. Ink show to launch both the makeup line and the perfumes so it could be looked at as a celebrity fragrance. I think that it tends to be on the celebrity fragrance side because she is in the ad herself and uses her name to promote the new fragrances. Ok enough with my soap box...let's discuss the two new fragrances.

Kat has released two fragrances, one is named Saint and the other is named Sinner. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which one will be the lighter of the two and which one will be heavier. The Sinner fragrance looks like it was designed for Kat herself and the Saint one was designed for someone like me.

First, let's look at the Sinner fragrance. Here is what Sephora has to say about it, "Introducing Sinner, created by makeup artist Kat Von D, exclusively for Sephora. Light, delicate top notes of orange blossom, refreshing mandarin, and fleshy plum create a provacative, sultry heart. Rich jasmine blends seamlessly with a white-flower bouquet, beautifully tainted by the spicy wamrth of cinnamon, an herb assocaited with ancient rituals of pleasure. A dark, mysterious back of earthy vetiver, patchouli, and woods enveloped in creamy vanilla and sensual musk lingers on the skin." This one is not for me, the cinnamon just kills it. Next...

The other fragrance, Saint, holds more promise for me than Sinner. "Introducing Saint, created by makeup artist Kat Von D, exclusively for Sephora. The sweet nectar of Mirabelle Plum and sparkling juicy mandarin create an addictive, mouth-watering top. At the heart, exotic, heady Tiare Flower and sweet, tempting caramel are adorned with the velvety floralcy of jasmine, the queen of the night, as she emits her spellbinding fragrance into the sky. Sensual vanilla and creamy musk combine with the wamrth of sandalwood for a comforting drydown".

I smelled both of the fragrances the last time that I was at Sephora and Saint was much more to my liking. The spice note in Sinner was so strong that I could not even bring myself to spray it on my wrist to test it out. Saint is much lighter and more on the floral side and would work for in the Spring and Summer months. I haven't bought either of them yet since I heard rumors that a solid perfume ring was upcoming and now that it is arrived, I am glad that I waited. The ring is a large black rose and quite frankly, I like the ring better than either of the two fragrances.

Want the Saint ring, maybe I will purchase the Saint fragrance too. Nothing with the word "Sinner" in it will every work out for me. Also, thinking it over, I consider this a celebrity fragrance, these scents would be nothing without Kat Von D's name on them.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kat Von D

I am forever in the quest to become more "hardcore" even though i am Charlotte York through and through. My quest for this has lead me to ogling everyone's tattoos and covering myself with Ed Hardy temporary tattoos in order to try and live up to this ideal.

So when Kat Von D (legendary LA based tattoo artist) made her own makeup line for Sephora, I was super excited. Her personal trademarks (other than numerous tattoos) is smokey cat eyes and red lips, two looks that I own the makeup to do but have a very hard time carrying off. Hearing about the creation of this collection gave me hope that I could buy this collection and somehow be able to pull this look off (don't ask me why).

I saw a lipstick shade in last month's Lucky, which just grew my excitement for the launch of this line. Kat herself designed all the colors and based the packaging on various tattoo designs that she has done for clients. Well the line is now out in Sephora and I wanted to witness it for myself. This was easier said than done.

Sephora number one - This one only had a couple shades of lipstick and nothing else.

Sephora number two - This store only had a couple of lipstick shades, the eyeliners, and the testers of the eye palettes.

Sephora number three - This store had the lipsticks, the eyeliners, the brush set, and one eye shadow palette.

There are several pieces that I wanted the instant that I saw them; the Ludwig Eye Palette, the Romantico and Puro Amor Autograph Liquid Eyeliner, and Painted Love Lipstick in Hellbent and Underage Red. When the last Sephora that I visited actually had all of these products, I was so happy and ready to buy everything. Until I began to try to the products.

The colors look fantastic in the package but once they are applied to the skin, it becomes evident that this is a drugstore quality makeup line that has been dressed up with fantastic packaging and Kat Von D putting her on the products. The texture of the lipsticks is dry and crumbly and the pigment leaves much to be desired when applied. The eye shadows were much of the same quality. The liquid eyeliners were little to no different than any other that I have ever tried and may in fact be of worst quality than others I have tried.

With acute disappointment, I left the store empty handed and changed my whole view of the line. The colors look good in the package but leave much to be desired when applied to the skin. I would advise staying with MAC, NARS, Smashbox, and Make Up Forever to combine great quality with eye popping shades.