Product Review -- Winky Lux Kitten Palette

These days, all it takes for me to get excited about an eye shadow palette is a collection of shades that isn't the same old "warm neutrals" or just warm in general shadows that everyone brand and their mother seems to be offering lately.

Don't get me wrong -- I love warm shadows, particularly since they make my blue eyes pop like nobody's business, but it would be nice to see some variety in the market again.

So I was pretty jazzed to get the Winky Lux Kitten Palette in a Boxy Charm a few months back -- it has some warm shades, but there are some cool and neutral shades too, so it's not the same old color scheme we've seen a hundred times over recently.

The palette comes in sturdy cardboard packaging that's decorated with adorable kitten and floral artwork. There's no mirror inside, so it's not the best option for doing your makeup on the go.

Inside, there are nine shadows: Purr, a shimmery pale pink; Duchess, a matte cream; Strut, a matte warm tan; Holographic, a shimmery purple-y taupe with a green and gold duochrome; 9 Lives, a matte light navy with silver micro-glitter; Cateye, a metallic bronze; Romeo, a wine satin; Cheshire, a matte reddened plum; and Boots, a matte dark brown.

Winky Lux Kitten Palette

(My apologies for the photo of a dirty palette. I actually took photos before I even used the palette, but must have accidentally deleted them from my memory card... so I had to take them again yesterday after using the palette for several months. I'm a messy makeup user -- I admit it. :P)

I didn't really have any expectations for the palette going in because I didn't know much about Winky Lux as a brand (I think I once got a Winky Lux lipstick in a PopSugar Must-Have Box, but the shade wasn't something I'd wear so I passed it along to my mother. Maybe, I can't remember exactly.), but I was immediately drawn to the color scheme.

In terms of formula, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's quite good.

The shimmer, metallic, and satin shades are so nice and creamy, but the mattes are lovely too. They aren't chalky, don't even kick up too much powder, and blend like a dream.

For me, personally, I feel like the entire palette would be worth it for the Holographic shade alone.

From l. to r: Purr, Duchess, Strut

From l. to r.: Holographic, 9 Lives, Cateye

From l. to r.: Romeo, Cheshire, Boots

It's such a unique, brightening shade that looks so lovely on the lid, and pairs surprisingly well with the wine and plum shades in the palette -- though it can also work well for a single shadow look too.

Cateye is a gorgeous bronze that I love for a more subtle smokey eye, and Purr is a pretty for soft, natural looks. I also think 9 Lives is a good blue shadow for folks who might be a little tentative about using those kinds of tones on the eyes (as much as I love blue, I'm definitely one of those people) and a nice option for a smokey eye if you're tired of the usual black, brown, or charcoal.

All in all, I think this is a pretty great palette -- and probably not a color scheme that's repeated a ton of times in most people's collections. And if you love kitties, I think the artwork alone makes the palette a nice addition. Someone needs to get to work on a puppy palette -- I'd snatch that up in an instant.

The palette retails for $25, which I think is a pretty fair price considering the quality and amount of product you get (The palette has 13.5 grams of eyeshadow. Compare that with the Kylie Cosmetics palettes, which are laid out in the same way, and only offer 12.6 grams of product for $38).

You can purchase the palette on the Winky Lux website or at Ulta.

Have you tried the Winky Lux Kitten Palette? Are you a fan?