I’ve gotten alot of comments mentioning KATE as not being pigmented enough or not the best quality, etc…
This made me want to do a review of my own on KATE because it’s one of my favorite Japanese Brands and I think the quality is fantastic!
One of my favorite products in the KATE lineup are the Glamtrick palettes. They are sincerely some of the best quality palettes I’ve come across Japan side. The colors blend fantastically and the smoky eye looks you can create are truly fabulous.
KATE has an edge about it that other brands don’t and this reflects in the darker color selection available from KATE. In particular the Glamtrick palettes sport darker colors used to create very interesting smoky eye looks.
The Glamtrick palettes contain a total of five colors. One light shade of shadow, one dark contrasting shadow, one base, one liner, and a shimmering shade used over your completed look.
The palettes are at 1600 yen (about $16 USD) and in my personal opinion give alot of bang for your buck!
In order to create each look I used the lightest shade as a base on my entire lid, I proceeded to stroke the next medium shade from my lid to my crease, after this I packed on the darkest in my crease and on half of my top eye lid. To complete my look I lined my bottom and lower lash line with the shadow liner and dusted on a bit of the sparkling/shimmer shadow on top of the entire look and Bob’s your uncle the perfect smoky look!
Created Using BU-1
Created Using GD-1
Created Using BR-1
Created Using GN-1
Created Using BK-1
KATE has an entire line of various palettes but I thought I’d share the Glamtrick ones with you as they are my favorite in the line! The palettes make creating what I called a “colored” smoky eye look goof proof and they take the smoky look to a new level with interesting shades instead of your standard gray/black look.
KATE’s Glamtrick palettes are most definately Muse Approved for their inexpensive cost, quality and pigmentation, and ease of use!
Love these?
Yearning to try KATE?
Hate ‘em?
Tell the Muse!
Related posts:
- Product Musings: KATE Glamtrick Palette GN-1
- Reader’s Request: KATE Glamtrick in GN-1 FOTD
- KATE Gradical Eyes S in BG-1
- Summer Collections 2008: KATE Dual Carat Eye Shadow Review
- KATE Spring Collection 2008: Review and First Impressions
- KATE Website Update: KATE Gel Eyeshadows
- Visee Glam Hunt Palette Review
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
ahhh i like the GN-1… make me feel like going hunting soon.. ahhaha… but i’m never good with eyeshadow.. haha
GN1 is a fav of mine at the moment
Awww! Try something simple at first Ping and then work yourself up to a bit more dramatic!
You’ll get the hang of it!
Those palettes look really great! Where did you order them?
These look fantastic! I may start searching for some!
Oooo after seeing your review & FOTD, i really want to buy the GD-1 and the GN-1. Those colors are so beautiful and look pretty on you
Give me a big sloppy snog you gorgeous creature!!!!!
i love you baby
xox
thanks for sharing my love for KATE. my fav. is their line spicy. I use it as my everyday office look in the BR-2, not too shimmery and glittery, but just enough to open up my eyes. love it love it love it!
now i gotta try Glam Trick.
Looking lovely! :]
Love, love, love! Oh, how wonderful they look, evey single one of them! And you look wonderful as well! Mmmmm!!!
My personal favourite is BU-1 since it is dark, mysterious and cool. You look mysterious and cool in it and I bet I would look mysterious and cool too!
But I must say you look so absolutely stunning in GD-1 that my eyes almost popped out and I felt an instant urge for browns… Sadly I know I do not look as sensual and feminine as you do when wearing that kind of colours. No, my heart is set for BU-1! Yes!
And I do love a smoky eye on you and on everybody! It is perfect look for a confident, independent, yet sexy and feminine kind of woman!
hiya becky!
I actually got these from a friend who cp’ed them for me from Japan. You can get them for a bit of a higher price at adambeauty.com
Hope this helps!
hiya bliss! Your fotd was super using the PU version! I want that palette badly!!!!!!!!! That’s the pink and purple combo! so yummie!
Thanks honey!
*mwah*
hey steph!
I love these so much! Do an fotd please
Would love to see!
I like the spicy line too but glamtrick has my heart
hiya sminkan!
Thank you thank you thank you
I loved gn1 the best
I’m really digging the greens!
Oh stop! I bet you look gorgeous! I’ve seen your eyes and they look amazing
bet the rest of you is just as beautiful!
I agree! Smoky eyes are definately very sophisticated and elegant! I love bringing that to the next level with a bit of bold
thanks for making my day with your lovely comments!
*mwah*
awww u look stunning!! and this has made me waddle over to adambeauty and order me some
great review! thanks
I have BU1 and i LOVE it xD
the GN-1 looks pretty too! you’re so lucky to have em all!
Wow, okay, you sold KATE to me! I’ll have to check them out when I’m in Taiwan next. I believe they are rather inexpensive there. I especially like the black palette and the green one.
By the way, is the glitter/shimmer from the palettes? Or did you use a different highlighter?
OMG! They look amazing on you! I especially love the BU-1, such pretty colours!
NICE!!! I think my favorites are the Green and Black palettes! You look absolutely marvelous with them! Actually, you just look marvelous
XOXO
I like Kate’s Glamtrick palettes too! They are pigmented enough for me. For the price, definitely worth getting them! Oh! Great FOTD for each palette!
hey museeeeeeeeeeee
been ready bt havent been commenting much cos of uni >< "
but yeaaaaaaa
I WANT TO HAVE THEM ALLLLLL
*waits patiently for mine to arrive*]
lol
my fav on you is gn-1 and bu-1. http://bp3.blogger.com/_CNe_Ww09xTo/R-bccM_zhoI/AAAAAAAAHz4/MYFLqPi9Q6c/s400/Picture+113_400×300.jpg is JUST GORGEOUS. end of story. soooooooo prettyyyyyyyyy
ah muse, thanks to your review of the green glamtrick I rushed to adambeauty and bought the palette. I think it looks so stunning on you and I love the colors inside, they look really workable.
hi Shauna!
Aw you’re too kind *blush* Thank you!
Hehe I’ll waddle along with you
You’re most welcome! Thank you!
hiya nic!
Have you done an FOTD with BU1? Would love to see
They are super for colored smoky looks
ps nic
I don’t
I’m missing a few from pass collections!
Like PU1 that’s a killer combo they did with pinks and purples!
hiya liz!!!
hehehehe YAYYYYYYYYYYYY! This post was inspired by you!
They are ’bout 16 usd? I think?
The green is my fav at the moment!
The only one I used a bit more glitter on was the black but the rest is from the palettes. However don’t be discouraged if you hate glitter. My camera picks up glitter in a major way and makes it look more sparkley then it is!
The black I took a kate dual carat and used a bit of that as well! I did the look ages ago and just rehashed the pic!
Hi StolenPJ’s!
Awwwww thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*mwah* Thanks so much!
hey serene!
Thanks! I’m glad someone else is a big lover too
I love these so much!
Got any FOTD’s for us!?
hiya helly!
Welcome back
You were missed! How’s uni been treating you? Almost over for Summer?
LOL!!!!!!
Did you order some? What colors? YAY!
I love the gn1! So great! Bu1 is great too for a deep smokey blue!
Thanks Helly your comments made my day!
*hugs*
Now get back to school work
The muse doesn’t want to be the cause of procrastinating from study 
hehehe!
hiya fruitycat!
Thanks for dropping by to comment!
Thank you very very much! Appreciate the lovely comment. GN1 is my favorite. At first I wasn’t going to get it as I was a bit tired of the array of glamtricks but it’s definately a beautiful, beautiful palette!
The colors are go so well together as well agreed!
Do stop back when you have it and tell me how you like it!
Maybe do an FOTD for us?!
Hahaha, so all my skepticism (and border-line bashing!) paid off?? Thanks! :8
US$16?? Hmmmm, that sounds a bit more than I expected. I’ll have to ask my friends in Taiwan how much they retail for over there.
heya liz
hehe! Yes I was trying to convert you to kate
Hmmm isn’t it always about 3.5% more or so in Taiwan then it is in Japan?
Curious how much they are.
I’m converting from Yen to US could be our weak ass dollar!
Hmmmm… okay, so I prawled the Internet (Google Taiwan) and found a retail price quote of NTD390 (around USD13). That’s closer to what I expected!
kate glam trick are beautiful!
i wanted to get one but when i tested on my hands, it was only glitter and not much colour showed. >_< maybe i shud go and try again :D
love the GD and BR and BK!!!
regards,
???
hiya liz.
good price! At the moment converting from USD to yen it’s around $16 which isn’t too bad but $13 is way better!
hiya ???!
I concur
Swatching it definately comes out lighter but when it’s on and you pack the color it looks beautiful!
Definitely retry it
It’s worth looking at again 
GN1 is my fav of the moment!
Hugs!
I’ve decided to go back to Taiwan for a conference in late October this year… will definitely make time to check KATE out!!!
If I do find them to be less than $14, I’m going to get the green and black. Do they have purple too? $14 is like 10 euro… which is near drug-store price!
fantastic liz
there is a purple and pink variation which I don’t own called PU1. It’s not part of the line up since last year but stores may have it still
You’re so lucky as you’ll be able to nab some of the fall/winter collections during that time
Fab! Eager to see FOTDS when you get these!
w00t!
Adambeauty.com also has them but not sure of his price!
Ohhh okay… purple is often paired up with pink (like my Etude one). Why can’t it be paired up with green in one pan?? >:P
If I do get any KATE, I’ll be sure to let you know… but it won’t be for a long while!
i want the blue and black ones! but i made an order from Adam beauty last week, just before you wrote this post so i think i’ll wait til my next order
liz
the purple pink combo is definately beautiful!
but I’d love some greens and purples paired up or even pink and green! I know that Banila Co did a pink/green duo this season! So yum!
when you do
I wanna know your opinion 
Puzzled tho, the GN-1 green eyeshadow looks so blah, boring and unattractive in the pan. How did it transform itself to look nice??? Looking at the colours, I would not have thought them flattering. Or maybe it’s just the pic.
~ Lladyrain
hello there lladyrain
Always the way with kate shadows and most japanese brands. They always look so boring and blah in the compact but when I wear them they look AMAZING! Especially when I’m using a heavy hand to apply
GN1 is a staple and a holy grail palette for me. Simply LOVE it
Worth adding to your collection =-)
GORGEOUS !!!!!
I love KATE. ^___^
thanks kathy! Kate fan too!
ooo, all the palettes looks awesome, and I love all the looks you created.
Your site is addictive, love all your reviews and tips.
that’s cookie!!!!!!!!!
you’re lovely!
WoAhhhh u bought the whole GlamTrick line? Amazing… I only got myself the BK-1 and I love it.. Well, I actually gave my sister as a gift but I often borrowed it hahhaha..
yeah, i think it’s a really nice eyeshadow palette and i think the color payoff is pretty good.
I love how u do ur eye make up and i love ur eyes! Pretty <3
hi shayna I really love the GlamTrick Line good stuff
LOL I don’t blame you for borrowing it 
aw thanks so much!
xoxo.
aw thanks jingen I love this palettes
I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of the palettes, stop back soon!
Hugs!