Kat von D Shadeshifter Review-Love Letter (with swatches)

Loveletter in the box. The image shows the color on.

Kat von D's Shadeshifter eyeshadows are described as duochrome shadows meant to be used wet. There are three shades in the series besides Love Letter: On the Road (Green-brown), Devotion (gold-copper), and Stockholm (blue-purple). This series is limited edition according to the Sephora website (this seems to be supported by the fact that one of the shades is out of stock and two are no longer listed). This shadow is a Sephora exclusive.

Back of the box. Includes ingredients, instructions, etc.

The label has the same duochrome effect as the actual shadow.

This eyeshadow is about 2in x 2.5in x 7/16in (5cm x 6.3cm x 1cm), so it's still fairly small but it certainly isn't the smallest eyeshadow I own. The container is a little compact, and I like that you can see the eyeshadow through a little window, but there's also a little mirror, which I like. It's a small mirror, of course, but it's large enough to work for eyeshadow application. It also comes with a rather large sponge tip applicator, which is supposed to be used damp with the eyeshadow, according to the instructions on the cardboard box. The flash-style white rose outlines and the brand logo are printed on the case, so I have a feeling that with frequent use, they may wear off. The case is a a pretty sturdy matte black plastic and the clasp feels very secure. Each shadow costs $16 for 0.09oz (2.76g) of product, so they're the same size as the Stila eyeshadow compacts.

This shadow is described on Sephora's website as "An innovative eye shadow with a chameleon-like, color-shifting shade." TL;DR, it's a duochrome shadow, which are always neat. Love Letter is a warm plum purple shadow in a very smooth pearl/satin finish. The duochrome finish makes it appear to be a brighter purple at some angles, while at others it's almost burgundy. Overall, the duochrome finish isn't particularly obvious in this shadow.

This shadow is pretty pigmented, though it still really helps to apply a second layer or to use a primer/tacky base underneath it for full opacity and color payoff. I don't think that using it wet or dry makes a huge difference, to be honest. There's definitely dimension to it, though, and I can see it working well as an all-over color, especially if your eyes have more shape to them.

Swatches on NC37-40 skin

From top to bottom:
1. Dry finger swatch
2. Dry applicator swatch
3. Wet finger swatch
4. Wet applicator swatch

I honestly prefer to apply this dry, and if I apply it damp I like applying it with my fingers or a brush rather than the applicator, which I feel like tends to cause the product to ball up and crumble, causing a lumpy/streaky application.

Packaging: 10/10
Presentation:10/10
Color Payoff: 9/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall: 9/10