Kat Von D - Tattoo Chronicles Candelabra Edition Palette

The latest offering from Kat Von D's line at Sephora comes in the form of the Tattoo Chronicles Candelbra Edition eyeshadow palette. As with the previous Tattoo Chronicles palette, this is also packaged to look like a book.

And what spectacular packaging it is! The attention to detail on packaging is always first rate with the Kat Von D line, but this particular palette, with its black velvet finish & red metallic overlay, is truly something else.
Inside, there are actual pages with artwork & writing by Kat.

Flip past these and you reach the shadows themselves. In the previous Tattoo Chronicles offering, you got 12 shadows, eyelashes & perfume housed behind the shadows. This time around, you get 16 shadows that are larger in size & a full-sized tube of Sin-Full mascara in Puro Amor (black).

The colours are a combination of softer, more neutral colours & darker, bolder shadows. Although the majority are of a frosty finish, there's a matte, a satin-type finish & some with added sparkle.

First Class, Sunset Blvd, Precious, Downtown

The first row of shadows boasts two colours that have appeared in previous palettes & two new shades. First Class is a frosty white shade that's featured in the Metal Orchestra palette. Sunset Blvd, a yellow-gold with shimmer, makes its debut here. Precious is also a new shadow, it's a frosty champagne/beige shade that works well with this row of colours. The last shadow here is Downtown, which has previously appeared in the Ludwig & Saint palettes & is a smooth, frosty coppery-rose shade.

First Class, Sunset Blvd, Precious, Downtown

All four are smooth, well-pigmented & were incredibly easy to swatch with a good, strong colour. Sunset Blvd may be prone to a little fallout due to the shimmery flecks throughout, but nothing too problematic.

Camilla, Galeano, Blackhearts, WTF

Three new colours here & a couple of different finishes too. Camilla looks like a very soft pink in the pan, although it appears to be matte, it has a slight sheen that gives it a satin finish. Galeano, also in the Truth & Beethoven palettes, is another frost. It looks almost taupe in pan, but it has more of a purple tone to it on the skin. Another shimmery shadow is presented in the form of Blackhearts, a slighty frosty blackened plum with golden shimmer. The last colour on this row is WTF, which is a plummy-red rather than a true, blue-based red.

Camilla, Galeano, Blackhearts, WTF

Although it applied easily, Camilla is such a soft colour that it barely shows up on my skin-tone, you can just about make out a slight shimmery sheen. Galeano, Blackhearts & WTF were easy to swatch & all are soft with good pigmentation.

Holy Bible, Speed Blue, Oddfellow, Blacksmith

Of the four shadows on the third row, only one is a new colour. Holy Bible, a frosty silver-white, has been in both the Love & Fury (or Adora) & Sinner palettes. Speed Blue is a deep, frosty blue, not unlike MAC's Deep Truth. It's previously appeared in the Beethoven palette. Oddfellow has a matte black base with green & blue shimmer throught, it's very much like a velvet finish from MAC & has been seen in the Love & Fury palette. Blacksmith, a black base with silver shimmer, may be a new shade but it's very similar to Monastary from the last Tattoo Chronicles palette.

Holy Bible, Speed Blue, Oddfellow, Blacksmith

All four of these shadows applied well. Despite being swatched dry, straight on to bare skin, the shimmers in both Oddfellow & Blacksmith do show up (not quite as much in the picture as they do in person) but they'd really pop if applied with a slightly damp brush.

Helsinki, Evil Monkey, Nerd, Night Of the Hunter

An entire row of new shades! Helsinki is a warm, champagne-toned base with golden shimmer. Despite the shimmer, it's a subtle colour. The next colour, Evil Monkey,a warm mid-brown shade with a sheen that gives it a satin finish, would pair well with Helsinki for a neutral eye. Nerd, an emerald green, has slight green shimmers to it whilst its fellow green, Night Of the Hunter, is a matte, hunter green.

Helsinki, Evil Monkey, Nerd, Night Of the Hunter

Each of the four shadows swatched well. Night Of the Hunter was a little harder due to its matte finish, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's a hard, chalky matte shadow. It's still soft & applies easily, it just doesn't have the buttery soft finish of its frosty neighbours.

Finally, there's the tube of Sin-Full mascara. I haven't had a chance to try this out as yet, so it will probably end up with its own review. I am impressed with the fact that it's a full-sized tube, though, and the packaging detail is just stunning.

So, is this palette worth it? I'd say yes. Whether you're looking to add to your shadow collection, you collect the Kat Von D palettes or you're just swayed by the stunning presentation, this palette has a lot to offer besides its beautiful appearance. As much as I love my Tattoo Chronicles Volume 1 set, I think the Candelabra Edition is more versatile due to the larger amount of neutral/daytime-friendly shadows it contains. Fans of smoky eyes won't be disappointed either, there's an array of options here to enable you to create an edgier look.

The one caveat is due to the otherwise gorgeous packaging; if you want something portable, other Kat Von D palettes would be a better option. Although it isn't quite as big as the Volume 1 palette, it's not exactly handbag-friendly & I could see how the velvet/metallic foil finish would easily get trashed by being carried around.