This is a gorgeous palette with a bit of edge and a lovely array of shades. I adore the layout of this palette. It is laid out in quads...three on the left side and three on the right. Each quad consists of a base shade, crease shade, lid shade, and an accent shade.
Quad 1: consists of warmer toned neutrals
~Solar: base shade, matte light baby pink
~Nephilium: lid shade, metallic bronze
~Platonic: crease shade, shimmering golden peach
~Mandala: accent shade, matte bright red-orange
So, that matte red-orange is just a teensy bit scary. But when combined with the other three shades, it works. The quality and pigment of this quad is amazing. I feel that the colors in this quad would be better suited for those with warmer skin tones. But that won't stop me from wearing it. ;)
Shades Clockwise: Solar, Nephilium, Mandala, Platonic
Solar, Nephilium, Platonic, Mandala
Quad 2:
~Anti-Star: base shade, shimmering white
~Estrella: lid shade, shimmering dark blue
~Black Star: crease shade, black with purple micro glitter
~Starflyer: matte bright, medium toned blue
This quad will probably be the most terrifying quad of the palette because of the blues. Personally, I think these colors are gorgeous. The quality of these shadows is also great. They are smooth, buttery, and pigmented. I expected Black Star to be gritty due to the micro glitter, but that is happily not the case here.
Shades Clockwise: Anti-Star, Estrella, Starflyer, and Black Star
Anti-Star, Estrella, Black Star, Starflyer
~Moz: base shade, matte peachy beige
~Heaven Knows: lid shade, shimmering taupe
~Smiths: crease shade, shimmering red brown. Not quite red enough for me to call copper.
~Leather: accent shade, matte brown
This is probably my favorite quad of the palette. The quality and pigment of the shadows is nothing short of amazing. Plus the shades are gorgeous and easy to wear. They pair well with a tone toned lip or work with something bold.
Clockwise: Moz, Heaven Knows, Leather, Smiths
Moz, Heaven Knows, Smiths, Leather
Quad 4
~Damned: base shade, matte light pink
~Division: lid shade, shimmering olive
~Depeche: crease shade, shimmering bronze
~Brass Knuckles: accent shade
I LOVE the lid shade in this quad. Which is odd because I normally don't care for this kind of shade. But the quality and pigment is just so stunning. And it works well with the other shades in the quad. Like the other shadows, these are buttery, pigmented, and apply well.
Clockwise: Damned, Division, Brass Knuckles, Depeche
Damned, Division, Depeche, Brass Knuckles
Quad 5
~Banshee: base shade, matte pinky beige
~Violator: lid shade, shimmering lavender
~Gothica: crease shade, sparkling purple with silver micro glitter
~Fascination Street: matte purple
So, this was the most disappointing quad of the entire palette thanks to Gothica. It looks so smooth and pigmented. But it is a huge flop. It has a nasty, gritty texture and is not as pigmented as you would expect. It doesn't fit in in with the other shadows of the palette. Basically, it broke my eyeshadow loving heart.
Clockwise: Banshee, Violator, Fascinaton Street, Gothica
Banshee, Violator, Gothica, and Fascination Street
~Crosses: base shade, matte light tan
~Covenant: lid shade, satin brown with green undertones
~Craft: crease shade, sparkling green with micro glitter
~Cult: accent shade, matte bright green
My thoughts on this quad are similar to the above one. I had the exact same issue with Craft. Looks amazing in the pan, but it turned out to be gritty and nowhere as smooth as I would have expected. The other three shades, however, are just fine.
Clockwise: Banshee, Covenant, Cult, Craft
Banshee, Covenant, Craft, Cult
With the exception of two eyeshadows, this palette is wonderful. It is also important to mention that a lot of the shades do kick up some powder. Other than creating a mess in the palette, this hasn't been much of an issue for me. As I mentioned before, I love the layout. Even though I'm the kind of person that will mix and match shades, I still appreciate the fact that this palette is organized into corresponding quads. It does make like a little easier if you are in a rush to get ready.
My mom did get this for $28, which is one heck of a deal. At $55, I still thought this palette was a good deal for what you are getting. If you can find it on sale, I say definitely pick this one up. At $55, it kind of depends on your palette collection and preferences.
What do you think of the Kat von D Star Studded Palette?