Monday, January 20, 2014

Kat Von D Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette - Review, Photos, Swatches


It was love at first sight.  I spied the Kat Von D Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette on Instagram and, had I been a cartoon, hearts would have been floating above my head.  I went to Sephora.com and bought it, swatch unseen.  I've used other Kat Von D shadows before and I've always found them to be of excellent quality, so it wasn't a huge gamble to buy it without waiting to see how it faired on other beauty blogs.  I'm happy to report Esperanza, Spanish for "hope", is fabulousity.
Esperanza contains eight 0.035 oz shadows in matte, pearl, and high-glitter finishes including one transformative color veil.
  • Selena (glitter purple) 
  • Dayglo (transformer shade, iridescent white) 
  • Galore (pearl peach) 
  • Placebo (matte peony pink) 
  • Santeria (glitter greenish grey) 
  • Archangel (sparkle seafoam green) 
  • South (matte beige) 
  • Dog Roses (sparkle bronze)
All of the shadows are creamy and blend exceptionally well without fading away into nothingville.  Even Archangel, the pastel mint shade, applies beautifully without being chalky or patchy.  A true feat for a pastel shadow, amiright?!  Tracy at Beauty Reflections, I'm looking at you! ☺
Sunlight / NW20 skin
Flash / NW20 skin
Dayglo, the transformer shade, adds a golden/green duochrome finish to any shade you layer it over.  I swatched it over Archangel (pearl), Placebo (matte), and Santeria (glitter) so you could get an idea of the results across the different finishes.  I think it looks pretty jazzy, especially over Placebo!
Archangel, Dayglo over Archangel / Placebo, Dayglo over Placebo / Santeria, Dayglo over Santeria
The palette design is all kinds of Dia de los Muertos gorgeousness.  It's a cardboard palette, so if you're a die-hard fan of plastic and/or metal packaging, this may not be for you.  The palette contains a full-sized mirror, which makes it even more desirable for the frequent flyers among us, or those who find themselves applying makeup on the go.


I'll be featuring some looks I've put together with this beautiful palette soon for a few face of the day posts, so keep your eyes peeled!  This is a gorgeous palette with fantastically-formulated shadows.  LOVE IT.

My Rating: A+
Cost: $36.00
Where to Buy: Sephora

Just looking at Esperanza makes me think spring is right around the corner!  Though for selfish reasons, I kind of hope it's not because that means everything should be completely planned, booked, set up, and done for our April 26th wedding and GIRRRRRL - it's NOT!  This week I've got to lock down a DJ, a rehearsal dinner place, book a hair consultation (FIND a hair example I like), schedule our engagement shoot, find something to wear for our engagement shoot and rehearsal dinner, finish our wedding website, test out my wedding makeup ideas (including learning to apply false lashes), narrow down the decoration ideas from the 80 thousand on my Pinterest board, and maybe only 15-16 other things.  I need a mimosa and some 70's soft rock, STAT!  Bring on the America.  "Ventura Highway...in the sunshine...where the days are longer, the nights are stronger than moonshine..."  PS: What exactly do they mean by "alligator lizards in the air"?  Anyone?



On an unrelated zen note, check out this gorgeous hawk we saw in the woods off our back porch this weekend!  We looked it up in the bird book my mom gave Jason for his birthday and think it's a Broad-Winged Hawk.  What a beaut.  It just looked around for a long time and then flew away in an amazing whoosh!

22 comments :

  1. Oh wow, this looks like a fun one! I like that transformer shade! It makes everything else so much more interesting!

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  2. I so thought this palette was going to be released along with the other Holiday items when Kat Von D posted this with those, but they switched it to Spring. This is SO pretty though! I really wanted it, but I need another palette like I need a hole in my head. Your swatches are amazing too! I'll live off your swatches & motd if you do looks w/ it! :D I want to use that pink as a blush too... hah. Ohh! & your wedding is going to be on the 26th of April? That's my boyfriend's birthday! lol.

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  3. Look at Selena and Placebo!! OMG! Please create looks with these two shades! I really wanna see them in action. :D

    As for your wedding, is it even possible to finish all those tasks before the wedding day?!! I mean, I would freak out, are you freaking out? LOL! I really hope you get it done and still have time to relax before the big day, Kristen!

    And great photo of the hawk! You framed it nicely! :)

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  4. When I see palettes like this, I go Yay colours! But I never buy them... because I know I hardly wear colours like this. Would love to see how it looks on you though :-)

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  5. the pigmentation of these are amazing! Although I'd never purchase these colours myself, I am very intrigued by Kat Von D's makeup products and It'd be one of the first things I'd check out on a visit to the US .. :)

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  6. This is the first time I've seen this palette - its so amazing! It really does scream spring (as I sit here watching 5-8 inches of stupid snow come down. lame.) I'm not envious of all the wedding planning stuff, I'm so glad that ship has sailed! It all comes together on the day, but leading up to it, it's like WTF%$^#%^# haha. But it will be great, and well worth it!!

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  7. Jealous, I may have to run over to sephora.com myself and nab this. As we've already established I'm obsessed with dog rose but those other colors are fabulous as well. I think this palette could create some really fun eye looks. And that hawk is really cute. When I saw the picture I thought it was maybe a monkey and I was like wait, what? Then I read it was a hawk, which makes more geo-sense. Didn't think there were too many monkeys in Atlanta... I mean I think that's where you are, for all I know you could live in the jungle.... awk.


    PS; good luck with the wedding list this week!! I'm going to your pinterest now because I'm nosey trololololol.



    Much Love,
    -Stephanie Eva

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  8. Oh I loooove Galore, Placebo and the transformer! You shall be hot to trot this a spring! Speaking of, do you remember the movie Hot To Trot? This palette is sweet!

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  9. Ooo I must add this to my palette collection! I just love palettes lol. Such pretty colors! Aw, hope you get finished what you have to do! I'd probably be a stressful mess.

    http://ahintofbeauty.blogspot.com/

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  10. Love the packaging! I am not having the best week this week but just looking at it cheered me up a little! I really hope I get a chance to try some Kat Von D make-up soon.

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  11. Bird watching is really fun - and relaxing, too! KVD does make some good stuff but so far I've only forayed into her shadows, which have all been really high quality. Gotta love some buttery-ness! ;)

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  12. Aw, I'm sorry you weren't having a good week, Melsie! I hope this one is going a heck of a lot better. I feel like Kat von D makeup, especially eyeshadows, would be right up your alley!

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  13. I love palettes, too! They are so handy and always get my heart racing, lol! I am actually doing pretty well with the task list without going too crazy. I'm just trying to keep in mind, "it's only a wedding", I'm not trying to produce the Grammy Awards or anything! :) Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. I really want this palette! I have the Spellbinding palette, but I wasn't wowed for some reason. This one looks like something I would use all of the time!

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  15. I cannot believe you dropped the phrase "hot to trot"! HILAIRS!!! I could totally see you hot trotting these shadows.

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  16. Ha ha! Yes! "WTF%$^#%^#" pretty much sums it up! Just when you think you've got it "all covered", you remember something else vital! It's craziness. I spent several hours of my life today ordering invitations. They are truly super cute and I love 'em, but oh mah gawwwwww...that was a painstaking process I never want to repeat! Anywho, I'm sure there's more fun stuff waiting in the wings for me to flip biscuits over, so I won't burden you with further groaning, lol! And yes - this palette is a spring screamer, for sure, even when it's snowing on our parades!

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  17. Kat Von D has some really great products and I hope you do get to check them out on an adventure here someday! People are always going nuts for the Lock-It Foundation, which has me very curious! :)

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  18. Thanks, Lils! I know, my default shade is brown, but something about these happy colors makes me feel adventurous enough to put them to use! I know I promised I'd post a few looks but then it Snowpocolypsed and I stopped wearing makeup, lol! I need to get back on that pony and post some looks ASAP!

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  19. I will work on posting some looks soon! And thank you for the sweet compliment on my hawk shot! Coming from you, that means a lot! You're like, Lady Canon, lol!


    Ha ha! Ya know, I'm not freaking out that much. I have moments when I'll think of something I've completely failed to set up or when someone reminds me of something I hadn't even thought of yet (those are the best!) where I feel like flipping, but I'm trying to just "keep calm and carry on". After all, it's only a wedding, right?! And chances are no one is going to notice the minute details if the food and music and drinks are good! Or at least that's what I'm banking on. I wish you lived here so I could invite you! I really wish all of my favorite beauty gals could come! It would be so damn fun! :)

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  20. Ha! that's fun that our wedding day is your boyfriend's birthday! Happy early birthday to the greatest boyfriend of all-time - one who buys his girlfriend beauty treats 24/7 and likes to go on foodie adventures! You guys are an adorable couple, btw! And LOL on your palette "needs" comment! I kind of feel the same way but I just couldn't resist this little beauty!

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  21. Right?! It's like doubling your palette adventures! ;) Fun is the perfect description of this one!

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  22. Aw, I'm sorry you had such a disappointing experience with it! That's how I felt about Naked 3! Everyone else was frolicking through the meadows with theirs, madly in love, and I was like ".......". Can you return your Esperanza palette? Might as well get your money back so you can spend it on something you love if at all possible!

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