Nadia Comăneci's gymnastics routine in the 1976 Olympics. Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird. Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park. There are very few things in the world with a perfect rating — so, when you find one, you know it's truly special.
That's part of the reason I was initially drawn to Colourpop's Yes, Please palette. Since launching a few months ago, the collection of affordable, buttery shadows has nearly reached a flawless 5-star rating on the brand's website — though, in my personal experience, it's a 10. I didn't think anything could top that, which is why I was eager to try Colourpop's new KathleenLights collection, which just launched this month.
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The talented YouTuber, who is known for her range of eyeshadow looks, recently partnered with the brand to create the 12-shadow Dream St. palette. The pressed powders, which look great on a range of skin tones, come in your standard neutrals (cream, camel, brown) as well as more non-traditional takes on fall trends (mustard brown, reddish clay, and rich teal). There are also two coppery shades and two duo-chrome shadows, my favorite of which is Kaleidoscope, a cool beige-silver shimmer ideal for that inner-corner highlight all the celebs are wearing.
So how does it stack up against my favorite Colourpop palette? For one, I immediately noticed that these shadows were a lot softer and more pigmented than the Yes, Please palette. Translation: You're going to want to go in with a much lighter hand. I started with Shooting Star, a matte soft brown, and Potion, a red rusty shade. I swept them into the outer corners of my lids as well as along the lower water lines. (Check out my results, below.) Because the shadows are so intense, you need to work quickly and blend thoroughly to avoid any patchiness or harsh lines. But, overall, I love the cool sunset smoky eye you can get from these shades.
In addition to the shadow palette, the collab also features three lip products — all for the price of a single prestige version. I typically avoid bright lipsticks, but I'm willing to make an exception for Rêver, an orangey-red liquid lipstick with a satin finish. It's one of the only reds I've found that flatters my light skin and neutral undertones and also looks beautiful on my coworkers with deeper, warmer skin tones. In her video announcing the collab, Kathleen said that was her goal.
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Moon Child, the gloss, might be my favorite, though; it's the perfect nude with the right amount of subtle, plumping gold shimmer. It made my lips look perfect, almost airbrushed (I'm wearing that in the photo, left, too), and I was surprised by how long it lasted. Hands down: It's one of the best glosses I've tried this year.
Overall, I really liked this collection, and appreciated the out-of-the-box shade selection. I won't be replacing my everyday Yes, Please palette anytime soon, but when it comes trying new trends and unexpected colors, this is definitely my new go to.
Colourpop Dream St Pressed Shadow Palette, $16, and Dream Team Lip Bundle, $15, available at Colourpop.com
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