Spellbound By These Shadows

Besides receiving a Barbie for my birthday, I was also gifted an awesome eyeshadow palette from a fellow makeup enthusiast - my sister.  If you think I have a bunch of stuff (which I really don't), you should see her stash!  OMG, it fills her entire bureau top, continues to the inside of its upper drawers and then spills over to various storage bins and units.  She has a lot of makeup.  But enough about her.  Let's talk more about me... and how I am in absolute awe of my new palette - the Spellbinding Eyeshadow Book by Kat Von D.

This is my very first palette from Kat Von D, the popular LA-based tattoo artist, and I'm so glad my sis picked this one to introduce me to the brand.  With a black and white sketch of a doe-eyed girl framed by an ornate design of skulls, the box itself proves to be a work of art.  And listed on its backside are the names and color layout of the palette tucked away inside.

As you pull the palette out you immediately discover the same hauntingly beautiful portrait repeated on the front with a color and name guide of the shadows listed on the back as well.

Then you open the book of shadows...  Wow!  Underneath the plastic overlay (which is actually bound to the palette) lies twenty-four gorgeous eyeshadows that were specially paired to layer on top of and/or complement each other seamlessly.

First four, left column, top to bottom: Dark Throne, Sunset Blvd, Holy Bible, Instaglam

Second four, second column, top to bottom: Precious, 8 Bit, Oddfellow, Stupid Autocorrect

Left to right: Stupid Autocorrect, Oddfellow, 8 Bit, Precious, Instaglam, Holy Bible, Sunset Blvd, Dark Throne

First four, third column, top to bottom: Babe, Geek, Birdcage, Galore

Second four, fourth column, top to bottom: Piaf, Fallen, Gunner, Hexagram

Left to right: Hexagram, Gunner, Fallen, Piaf, Babe, Geek, Birdcage, Galore

Bottom four, left side, left to right: Bukowski, Cry Later, Queen, Smile Now

Bottom four, right side, left to right: WTF, Wonderland, Countess, Arcadia

Left to right: WTF, Wonderland, Countess, Arcadia, Bukowski, Cry Later, Queen, Smile Now

Can I just tell you that these shadows live up to their long reputation of being highly pigmented and easy to work with?  This palette is absolutely stellar with no duds whatsoever to speak of!  From a range of satins to pearls, the shadows are firm, but smooth and non-tempermental as they were very eager to coat every finger with color while swatching.  And the colors!  The duo-chrome Queen, which is a far superior version of MAC's Club; and the duplicitous Smile Now, which is a peach that boasts pink undertones, are two of the standouts.  But that's really not saying much as every shade in the collection turns out to be a bona fide star.

Smile Now

I am super happy to have gotten this palette and can't wait to really take it for a spin.  Kat Von D has now become a fixture on my radar as I am curious to find out what else she may have up her cosmetic sleeve down the line.  But for right now, her Spellbinding palette has garnered my undivided attention and will keep me sated until her next offering.

Kat Von D Spellbinding Eyeshadow Book is available at Sephora and retails for $55.