Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette Review

Embracing the power of makeup means expressing creativity, exuding confidence and enhancing your best features. Contouring allows you to sculpt, chisel and slenderize the face and body to achieve any look you desire. One of the most popular palettes on the market is Kat Von D’s Shade + Light and today I'm going to discuss what all the hype is about.

This simple yet highly usable color collection is packaged in a Gothic case and features 3 contour hues from light, medium and dark and 3 highlighters with beige, cream and peach undertones.

When it comes to exceptional quality, and impressive pigmentation no one does it better than Kat. What makes these powders so popular among makeup artists and beauty junkies is the smooth, creamy texture that blends in buttery soft for a seamless, velvety finish. Each shade is highly saturated so it doesn’t take much effort to go from light contouring to deep definition without any harsh streaks or lines. At first glance I assumed the shades would be a bit too soft but the rich formula and matte finish makes the colors appear bold, deep and pure with the versatility to be dramatically enhanced and layered.

The darkest shade is the only true brown in the palette so I use it to sharpen and slim. It also makes a great eye shadow for sculpting the crease with little fall-out and no chalkiness. 

The other two pigments appear very similar to each other on my skin tone so I’d prefer more color variation by deepening the middle shade. They also have a beige-nude tint which can work for light facial contouring or highlighting deeper skin but I mainly use them as eye shadow for transitioning and creating shape.

Using lighter shades under the eyes and down past the cheekbones in a V formation brightens the face, amplifies dimension and creates radiance. The highlight powders are all quite basic in terms of color but they get the job done and I love the smooth, silky texture. I also use them as eye shadow base or brow bone highlight. The matte effect is great but in this case one shimmer would have been a nice addition for that frosty illuminated glow many of us crave.

Overall this is a good contour palette since there are options for most complexions and although you may not use every contour shade for sculpting (depending on your skin tone) you can use them in other ways. The palette retails for $43.00 at Sephora and katvondbeauty.com.