I No Longer Support Kat Von D Beauty

This is a different kind of post, and it will be short. Yesterday, I learned that Kat Von D, creator and owner of Kat Von D Beauty, announced that she does not support vaccines and will not be vaccinating her child.

She has spread dangerous and unfounded propaganda about vaccines, and as a result, I can no longer support her or her brand. 

Vaccines benefit not only the vaccinated individual, but also the public at large. Without getting too much into the personal details of my health, I am vaccinated, but my immune system is weaker toward a few illnesses for which there are vaccines. Despite having these vaccinations, I still caught two very devastating illnesses as a child, and I was quarantined both times. 

One of these times, my pediatrician's office closed down the ENTIRE office during a normal business day and rerouted all of their patients to a different office just so that I could be seen. They obviously did not want me infecting all of the children too young to be vaccinated, and they took extreme precautions and measures so that I could been seen, including sterilizing the entire office before and after my visit. During my appointment, every single physician on staff observed me because they had not seen an active case of that particular illness throughout their careers. 

Now, as an adult, I am susceptible to these same illnesses if there is an outbreak caused by a non-vaccinated person. Choosing to not vaccinate a child is not only putting that child at extreme risk of devastating, debilitating, and deadly illnesses, but it is also unnecessarily compromising the health and safety of the public at large. People like me are at risk, as are those with compromised immune systems, as are children too young to receive vaccinations. 

The entire anti-vaccination "movement" was created by a false claim that vaccines cause autism, and there is zero evidence over countless scientific research studies to support this claim. Furthermore, as a person who has autistic family members, friends, and other beloved people in my life, I find it appalling that someone would rather put their child at risk of debilitating illnesses or even death for fear that they would be like these beloved people in my life. 

This is an ignorant, selfish, and irresponsible decision by Kat Von D, and sharing this choice on such a huge public platform is incredibly dangerous.

I am writing this blog post because, until yesterday, I was a fan of Kat Von D Beauty. I have written a ton of posts on new Kat Von D products, and I own several products from the brand as well. I even purchased Pastel Goth because Kat Von D posted "No mi presidente" on her Instagram and the comments were flooded with trolls saying that they would never purchase from her brand again. I do not support the current US administration or any of their actions, and I wanted to show my support for Kat Von D for posting such a strong statement.

But I can no longer support Kat Von D or her brand. To be anti-vaccine is to put the public's health in danger because you are uninformed and don't want to believe scholarly, scientific facts. Putting that ignorant mindset on public display could have incredibly dangerous ramifications.

I have yet to decide what I am going to do with the Kat Von D Beauty products that I already own, but I will no longer be purchasing from Kat Von D Beauty, recommending any products from Kat Von D Beauty, or showcasing any products from Kat Von D Beauty that I have previously purchased on this blog.

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What I'm Not Buying: Kat Von D Anniversary Palette

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Kat Von D has come out with an anniversary collection, which includes a palette. 

And I won't be buying. 

I've received a lot of requests to write about this palette, but I have to say that I'm a little cautious to do so because I have ended up with three Kat Von D palettes for which I have written anti-haul posts. 

Those include Pastel Goth, and my reason for purchasing can be found here:

Saint and Sinner, which I received as a gift:

And Metal Matte, which I also received as a gift: 

Out of all of these palettes, Pastel Goth is my favorite, and I am happy that I own it. However, I also find Pastel Goth to be very light (same with some of the matte shades in Metal Matte), which can make it difficult to work with. 

So even though I have no plan or desire to buy the anniversary palette, I also didn't have plans to own the above three palettes, and we can all see how that played out. However, I really can't see myself buying the new Kat Von D palette because it just looks so much like most Kat Von D palettes that have released in the past few years.

Let's take a look at it:

I think we can all agree that this is a beautiful palette, and I think (in promotional images) it looks like it was curated quite well. It has a mix of warm and cool tones as well as neutrals and colors. It feels evenly balanced. Unlike so many palettes releasing right now, it's not a neutral palette with one or two pops of color. It offers a really complementary color scheme. Even better, the colors are on trend, but aren't too trendy that they are essentially disposable. And, because it's Kat Von D, the artwork on the packaging is also gorgeous:

If I didn't own so many palettes, this would definitely be something that I would consider purchasing. But I do. And my guess is that if you're interested in this palette and have found your way to my blog, you probably do too. 

Let's look at swatches:

Lately, when I've seen swatches provided by a brand, it has made me want the palette less than I did before. But with these swatches, I have to admit that I am tempted. However, we all know by now that brand swatches are incredibly misleading. And I have to say that Kat Von D has always been one of the worst offenders with this. 

When I compare the above swatches to those provided by Instagram user @vspinkmelissa, there is quite a difference:

Image credit: @vspinkmelissa

I would assume that the bottom swatches were applied without primer, and I have said many times that I believe swatches to be generally unhelpful in terms of evaluating performance and quality, but I do think it's interesting to compare the way the actual colors looks. 

The swatches will of course look more complex and exciting in promotional images, but these two pictures, I think, are a great example of "expectations versus reality." That's not to say that the colors in the bottom swatches are't great; they just look different from the ones being advertised. 

When I look at the swatches in the bottom photo, I have to admit that there are not any that I don't already have or like enough to want to buy again. 

It makes sense to me that an anniversary palette would be filled with "classic" Kat Von D shades. But, this palette claims to have 16 new shades. And herein lies the "issue" with buying Kat Von D palettes: very often, if you buy one, you have the basic color scheme of many moving forward. 

At this point, I own several Kat Von D palettes:

• Mi Vida Loca Remix
• Metal Matte
• Pastel Goth
• Saint and Sinner

And have also owned but since decluttered:

• Shade and Light Eye
• Shade and Light Eye Quad in Plum
• Monarch

Between all of these palettes, I definitely feel like I have covered the entirety of the anniversary palette color scheme a few times over.

In addition to the palettes listed above, this also looks like Serpentina:

And Star Studded:

As well as Colourpop Dream St.:

Juvia's Place Nubian 2:

Jaclyn Hill X Morphe:

Kylie Cosmetics Blue Honey:

Juvia's Place Festival:

And Elf Jewel Pop:

To name a few. 

The anniversary palette is a whopping $52 before tax, which feels steep. To put that into perspective, the anniversary palette has 16 shadows compared to Saint and Sinner, which had 24 shadows and cost $60. So for an additional $8, Saint and Sinner had eight more shadows. Saint and Sinner has one-third more shadows, and by that measurement, it seems like a more appropriate price for the anniversary palette would be $40.  

But the thing that the anniversary palette has going for it that Saint and Sinner didn't is that the color scheme flows nicely and there seems to be some "sense" to it. When I first saw Saint and Sinner, I was not drawn to it whatsoever because the colors felt so random and unorganized. Even now, after being gifted Saint and Sinner, I find it difficult to look at it and feel inspired. I typically get too overwhelmed and don't even know where to start. So the fact that the anniversary palette is "curated" is certainly a positive, but that doesn't mean that the shades are not repetitive. 

Out of all of the Kat Von D palettes that I own, the ones that I think are the most unique are Mi Vida Loca Remix and Pastel Goth. Unfortunately, both of these palettes were limited edition, and it doesn't appear at this time that they will make another appearance. 

And this is another point I would like to make. The overwhelming majority of Kat Von D eyeshadow palettes are limited edition. At the time of the writing of this blog post, Kat Von D has seven eyeshadow palettes for sale at Sephora. They are:

• Shade and Light Eye—permanent 
• Shade and Light Glimmer—permanent 
• Alchemist—permanent 
• Shade and Light Eye Quads—on sale; discontinued 
• Metal Matte Mini—limited edition 
• I Am Divine—limited edition
• 10-Year Anniversary Palette—limited edition

Nearly half of the palettes available are limited edition, and one palette/group of palettes has been discontinued. That means the brand only has three permanent palettes. Two of them are incredibly neutral and matte/shimmer versions of each other, and the other is only a quad of duochrome shadows that all have a white base. 

What's interesting about this is that when I personally think of Kat Von D as a brand, I think of bold colors, not the neutrals in the permanent line. That's because nearly every Kat Von D holiday release is a large palette filled with interesting color combinations. For years, while every other brand was trying to reinvent brown, Kat Von D was giving color. So it's curious, then, why the brand doesn't have a permanent colorful palette. And it's frustrating as a consumer that whenever the brand does release a "signature" colorful palette, it is limited edition. 

But let's talk about that. When a brand releases a limited edition product, it is for two main reasons:

1. They don't think it's a product that will be a bestseller if it was permanent and people had as long as they wanted to make a decision on whether to buy.
2. They know people WILL buy it if there is a perceived scarcity to it.

With Kat Von D specifically, they continue to release the same palette, just packaged slightly differently. And I think this is why they don't have a permanent colorful palette. Because if they did, people would be less likely to buy their limited edition colorful palettes. Added to that, Mi Vida Loca Remix is on most people's list of "one that got away" palettes. And because of this, people are more likely to buy limited edition Kat Von D palettes so that they don't have to feel they have missed out yet again. But I can't help but to think that Kat Von D could just bring back Mi Vida Loca Remix and make it permanent. I know that Kat Von D has become a vegan brand since that palette was for sale, so some of the shadows would need to be reformulated, but knowing how high the demand is for that palette, it baffles me why the brand doesn't just give consumers what they want. 

And my guess is that they don't rerelease that palette because then not as many people would buy the latest limited edition palette. Also, there's this strange phenomenon in taking pleasure in owning something that other people can't. I'll never forget watching a YouTube video where a woman was lamenting how the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette was ruined for her when Too Faced released it again. She said the main reason she liked it so much was because she felt special for owning an item other people wanted but couldn't have. (This same woman is thrilled that she owns Mi Vida Loca Remix and considers it one of her prized makeup products.) Now, there is a lot of honesty in what she said that I don't think many people would admit to. At the same time, it seems kind of petty to me to feel so elitist about a makeup item. The point of makeup is to give people confidence and inspire creativity. So to feel so great about owning a product specifically because other people can't seems a bit counterintuitive to me.  

Also, makeup is a moneymaking industry. So tactics that brands employ are always going to be in their best interests. As consumers, the best thing that we can do is just be critical with our thinking and smart with our purchasing decisions. I don't need another limited edition Kat Von D palette. Sure, I won't have the "10-Year Anniversary Palette," but I have other versions of it. And more versions are undoubtedly coming in the future. This is a palette of the moment, and when the moment passes, no one will talk about it anymore. If you want proof of that, think of how many people currently talk about the original Metal Matte palette. 

Although there is a lot about this palette that's interesting and appealing, I just don't need it, full stop. I have these colors already many times over, and I don't need any special "10th anniversary" packaging. For me, this palette would be a waste of $52 because, ultimately, it would just sit and get lost in the shuffle of all the other palettes that I already own and love. I don't need this palette, so I won't be buying.

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Weekly Looks: MAC, Natasha Denona, Juvia's Place, Colourpop, Kat Von D, and more

I hit a snag this week in terms of makeup. I've been feeling a lack of inspiration for a while now, but I really felt it this week. I think I was still able to come up with some cool looks that I really enjoyed, but I'm certainly feeling "pressure" to come up with a new look every single day. And, frankly, that has become a little exhausting. On days where I feel inspired to play, it's so fun to come up with something new. But other days, like the majority of this week, I just haven't been in the mood, and looking at my makeup collection felt like looking at a full closet and feeling like there was nothing to wear.

I'm also prepping for a major life change that will happen next week, so that is likely the reason for the lack of inspiration. Nonetheless, I feel like I maybe want to start my "one week, one palette" project again. I can't promise that will happen, but I think it might be a good place for me to start and get my bearings again.

With that said, this week, I mainly pulled from my single shadows and custom or duped palettes.

Here are five looks I did this week.

Look 1: MAC Satin Taupe

Lid: MAC Satin Taupe

Transition: MAC Quarry

Crease: Ardency Inn Violet

Inner corner: Kat Von D Saphyre

Brow bone: Wet N Wild Brûlée

Lower lash line: Juvia's Place Dalia

Look 2: Natasha Denona Industrial and Nina's Orchid 

Lid: Natasha Denona Industrial 

Transition: Makeup Geek Cupcake 

Crease: Natasha Denona Nina's Orchid 

Inner Corner: Makeup Geek Phantom 

Brown Bone: Wet N Wild Brûlée

Lower lash line: Natasha Denona Nina's Orchid

Look 3: Juvia's Place Zola

Lid: Juvia's Place Zola

Transition: Kat Von D pink

Crease: Colourpop Silver Lining

Inner Corner: Kat Von D Saphyre

Brown Bone: Wet N Wild Brûlée

Lower lash line: Makeup Geek Caitlin Rose

Look 4: Colourpop Come and Get It

Lid: Colourpop Come and Get It

Transition: Inglot 361 matte

Crease: Inglot 392 matte

Outer corner: Coloured Raine Ladyship 

Inner Corner: Coloured Raine Crown

Brow bone: Too Faced Satin Sheets

Lower lash line: Ardency Inn Orchid

Look 5: Kat Von D Saint and Sinner

Lid: Worship

Transition: Sacred Heart

Crease: Rosary

Outer corner: Exorcism

Inner corner: Absolution

Brow bone: Baptism

Lower lash line: Worship

Look 1: MAC Satin Taupe

I recently added Satin Taupe and Quarry to this palette, and I have to say that I was really disappointed with how they looked. I don't know if I was just having an off day, but the colors looked really muddy to me. And I don't mean that they muddied together, I mean they looked dirty. I tried to spruce this look up with some purple and vibrant blue, but it felt like a loss all the way around. 

Look 2: Natasha Denona Industrial and Nina's Orchid

This look came out of my duped/reimagined Modern Renaissance palette, and I really enjoyed it. I think these taupe silver shades pair so nicely with a purple in the crease, and I really loved how this look turned out overall.

Look 3: Juvia's Place Zola

This was definitely my favorite look of the week, and I love how beautifully Zola pairs with pinks and purples. I was again reminded how much I love Colourpop Silver Lining, and I am always shocked that many people think it's terrible. (Even Temptalia gave it an F rating!) I don't typically buy into the "maybe I just got a bad batch" excuse that many people give when a product performs poorly, but I genuinely feel like I have a better pan of this shadow than most. This was a really fun look for me and is an easy way, I feel, to wear color without feeling like you are overdoing it.

Look 4: Colourpop Come and Get It

One of the reasons I want to do a one week, one palette project soon is because I want to use this palette for an entire week and just get all the sunset looks out of my system. (Who are we kidding, I would need to do at least a one month, one palette project for that.) I love this palette, but I know that it is also a very pink/purple/berry/orange palette. And maybe I'm not all that creative, but there are only so many looks I can do with a palette like this that aren't going to look totally similar. Luckily, I love the look of pinks and purples in the crease, so that doesn't bother me, but I don't know how interesting it would make these weekly posts. Either way, I loved this look.

Look 5: Kat Von D Saint and Sinner

(This palette was given to me as a gift.)

On an almost daily basis, I reach for this palette thinking that I want to use it and then I put it away because I can't think of a new look to do with it. I haven't wanted to make the obvious neutral looks with it, and most days I'm just not feeling a lime green on the lid with orange in the crease. I believe I've done a version of this look before, but it was one that I liked and wanted to revisit. I like how this look turned out, but I think I would have liked it more if the colors were swapped and there was pink on the lid with purple in the crease. I wear a version of a look like that all the time, so I guess that makes sense. I do like this palette overall, but I continually find it difficult to spark inspiration.

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Weekly Looks: Natasha Denona, Viseart, Urban Decay, BH Cosmetics, Kat Von D, and more

This was a pivotal week for me where I made some important life decisions. As always when you make those decisions, it was challenging and emotional. The beauty community also erupted with much-needed discourse on the lack of inclusivity in the industry, which has been very powerful.

In terms of makeup, I was drawn to my duped Modern Renaissance palette this week as well as some colorful looks, and it has been nice to get use out of some of these previously neglected products while also still getting use out of newer ones.

Here are four looks I did this week.

Look 1: Natasha Denona Glam Green and Viseart Dark Matte

Lid: Natasha Denona Glam Green

Transition: Dark Matte 12

Crease: Dark Matte 11

Brow Bone: Viseart white

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Look 2: BH Cosmetics Zodiac

Lid: Aries shimmer

Transition: Aquarius matte

Crease: Cancer matte

Deepen crease: Leo matte

Brown bone: highlight 

Inner corner: highlight 

Look 3: Duped Modern Renaissance 

Lid: Urban Decay Chase

Transition: Makeup Geek Créme Brulee 

Crease: Makeup Geek Desert Sands

Outer corner: Inglot 335 matte

Brow bone: Viseart white

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Look 4: Kat Von D Metal Matte

Inner lid: Watt

Outer lid: Volt and Twinkle

Transition: Fringe and Silk

Crease: Ribbon and Velvet

Brow bone: Linen

Inner corner: Twinkle

Lower lash line: Volt

Look 1: Natasha Denona Glam Green and Viseart Dark Matte

I don't believe I have used this Natasha Denona shadow often, but, man, it is really pretty. My natural inclination with all of these shadows is to throw a brown in the crease, but because I was so into the green look I did last week with Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix, I wanted to see how a darker, smokier green would look. And I have to say that I really loved this look. These were also some of my less-used shadows from Viseart Dark Matte, so it was nice to get some use out of them in a way that I think made them both look really pretty and a little subtle (for olive and forrest greens). 

Look 2: BH Cosmetics Zodiac

I loved how this look turned out. Maybe it's all the 80s movies I've been watching, but I was really feeling some shimmery blue with purple in the crease. And this look totally lived up to my expectations. I loved wearing this, and I am constantly impressed by this palette. These shadows pack so much pigment without needing to be layered, including the baked shimmers. And that is just so surprising to me considering the price of this palette compared to others of the same performance and size. 

Look 3: Duped Modern Renaissance 

So this look is what my own personal Modern Renaissance dreams are made of. I haven't worn a traditional "neutral" look in a very long time, and I have liked it that way. I think this look is really beautiful and complements my eyes well, but it's never going to be a look that I feel really inspired by. This is more of a go-to pretty look for me, and it is something I would have wanted to achieve with the actual Modern Renaissance but never could because the neutral shadows lacked the depth I wanted. Urban Decay Chase is such an underrated gold, and it is easily one of my favorite upgrades I made this this duped palette. Same goes with Makeup Geek Desert Sands. Although I don't like it quite as much as Bobbi Brown Camel, I still think it's a great mustard brown that is just that much more interesting than a standard warm brown. As neutral as it is, I really loved this look and it made me appreciate the duped palette I built. 

Look 4: Kat Von D Metal Matte

I feel bad saying this since this palette was a gift, but I am finding it really challenging to use, even more than the Saint and Sinner palette. I feel like my options are either very dark, neutral, or pastel (and therefore too light). This was easily my least favorite look of the week, and you can see in the photo that the shimmer shadows quickly transferred into my crease. I also found that there was not much distinction between Ribbon and Velvet, and when blended together on my lid, it looked a bit like a bruise. With Saint and Sinner, it took me a while to really get the hang of the color scheme, and maybe that's what is happening here. I'm still willing to use it and try to figure it out, but it's not the easiest palette to work with. 

On a separate, more serious note, today is the Women's March. Due to the surgeries I had last summer, I am not able to march this year, but last year, I drove down to Washington, DC, and marched on Washington. It was a humbling and empowering feeling to be surrounding by hundreds of thousands of people marching and fighting for equal and civil rights. 

I snapped the below photo at that march and felt like sharing it today:

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