Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches
The Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette ($46) is one of two new Kat Von D Eyeshadow Palettes for Summer 2014.
I’m unsure if this palette is limited edition but I think it might just be permanent. It’s actually a completely new variation of palette compared to the True Romance Palettes as it is considerably bigger in size. I’m both delighted and somewhat meh about the new packaging. For one thing it reverts back to cardboard! Recently many of the True Romance Palettes were repackaged in plastic compacts and I’d have loved for this to have a similar packaging. None the less it is a sturdy cardboard compact with a very generously sized mirror and some fantastic art on the cover and inside the palette. I actually placed my Ladybird Palette on top of it so you can get a feel for the dramatic size increase.
Let’s take a look!
The Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette is the cooler of the two palettes and not typically a shade range I’d go for. This is more of a purple, blue, and smoky eye palette for those who like more richer eye looks. It’s made up of a total of 12 eyeshadow colors. Three are larger base shades which you can use to highlight, blend with, or to use as an all over base to prep lids. The other nine shades are dubbed transformative accent hues….Um, yeah, so I’m not going to even tackle what they are talking about there! Let’s just stick to eyeshadow 🙂
I think the palette is beautifully arranged with plenty of shades to mix and match. The nice thing about shadows is they are arranged in trios so it does take the guest work out of matching up shades. Each shadow grouping has three contrasting shades that work well together. Of course, you can match and mix and cocktail shades in anyway you choose but I can always use a helping hand putting colors together so setting up in trios is welcomed by me!
The three largest shades are 0.095 in size with the other nine weighting in at 0.049. There are a few that are labeled “cream” on the Sephora website but ALL the shadows are powder.
Shades include:
- Lifelike (matte)
- Lunar Lights (pearl gray)
- Lucid (sparkle rose)
- Hybrid Moments (matte deep purple)
- Mezzanine (sparkle violet)
- Transition (pearl mauve)
- Glasswing (matte caramel)
- Melancholia (pearl silver)
- Black Milk (matte gray)
- Graphic Nature (pearl charcoal)
- Entombed (pearl blue)
- Tornay (matte navy)
I’ll be honest you’re going to hear a TON of raves about how wonderful this palette is and I agree! But I’m also jaded enough to admit it isn’t without issues. I find the shadows are nicely pigmented with a smooth, almost creamy-like texture that’s super buttery. However, they are pretty damn powdery! Mind you that doesn’t translate as chalky, it simply means they kick up a good deal of powder when a brush is swiped into them! I find this wasteful sometimes as you’re tapping off excess and just wasting a good deal of eyeshadow just during the initial application process. There’s also a bit of fall out here and there. Some of the shades are also patchy like Hybrid Moments. I just think palette isn’t without fault with some of the shades. They do need a primer to look and wear their best. Without one I find the color fades and I get a bit of creasing around hour five of wear. With a primer color stays true, doesn’t crease, and wears way better at around nine hours without creasing or fading.
Lifelike, Incid, Lunar Lights Swatches
Black Milk, Melancholia, Glasswing Swatches
Tornay, Entombed, Graphic Nature Swatches
Transition, Mezzanine, Hybrid Moments Swatches
Overall, the Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette is a very lovely palette but I think it falls into the trap of being slightly over hyped. You’re going to read raving reviews which it does deserve but also I urge you to go to Sephora and get a feel for the palette for yourself prior to dishing out your $50 as some of the shades aren’t without issues!
Did you purchase the palette?
What are your thoughts on it?
Do share!
Available now at Sephora and Sephora.com.