The Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Collection for Holiday 2012 includes two Shu Uemura Karl for Shu Eye and Cheek Palettes ($65 USD / $85 CAD each), each including five eyeshadows (two silk eye shadows and two regular powder eye shadows) and one blush. This collection features color selection and package design created entirely by Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for the legendary fashion house of Chanel. The collection is available for purchase this month online, and in stores November 2012.

Ahhh the palettes. I feel like eyehadow palettes are always the showstoppers of any collection. I always anticipate what colors will be chosen, how they will be paired and what textures will be used.  This collection features the Karl for Shu Smoky Velvet Eye and Cheek Palette, a combination of blues and greens with a hint of gold as well as the Karl for Shu Prestigious Bordeaux Eye and Cheek Palette, with various wine and orange tones.

Both palettes feature a burnt red blush (which could easily be assumed to be an eyeshadow if you didn’t read the information on the back- but I personally think it would be gorgeous as an eyeshadow)! The palettes also include two double-ended applicators (one sponge-tip and the other brush-tip) and feature a mirror on the inner lid, frosted into a shape of Mon Shu, the mascot for the collection (cute, but not so practical when actually using the mirror).

Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Eye and Cheek Palettes

Note the size

Included sponge-tip & brush applicators

The Prestigious Bordeaux Eye and Cheek Palette is my favorite out of the two- I find the colors to work well together and seem more consistent. The two Silk Eye Shadow colors (at the very top of the palette) include a deep shimmery plum and a shimmery bronze shade. I’m in love with the texture of these eyeshadows! Super creamy, blendable and feel like pure silk on the skin. They are more pigmented than the regular eyeshadows, and work amazingly well as bases (but I do recommend using a primer first)

The palette includes a soft shimmery lilac, a satin warm peach and glittery golden orange eyeshadow as well. While I’m usually not a fan of glitter shadows, I do have to say that Shu Uemura does the best job of them that I’ve ever seen- they have the least amount of fall out and have a smooth finish- not gritty in texture.

The blush is a gorgeous burnt red shade, and although it looks stunning on the skin, it’s a little hard to apply because the product is so small, and so close to the other glittery shade. Getting a fluffy blush brush into that tiny area isn’t too easy, and the included fluffy brush is just too small to be practical for applying it. I would have preferred to see a pull out tray or a larger palette with an area dedicated to the blush instead.

Shu Uemura Karl for Shu Prestigious Bordeaux Palette

Shu Uemura Karl for Shu Prestigious Bordeaux Palette

Swatches (L-R): Silk Smooth Eye Shadows (1 & 2), Eye Shadows (3-5) & Glow On Blush (6)

The Smoky Velvet Eye and Cheek Palette includes a blackened, sparkly navy and a shimmery olive green Silk Eye Shadow. The three powder eye shadows include a soft grey, an aqua blue and a glittery pale gold. The blush has the same problems as the other palette, and although it looks almost identical on the skin, it is a little more on the pink side.

These palettes are definitely beautiful and while the color combinations may seem a little challenging and unexpected (well, they kinda are), I find they speak to the artistic nature of Karl Lagerfeld (remember, he chose the colors!) and I think they help to boost my creativity. Perhaps they will do the same for you!

Shu Uemura Karl for Shu Smoky Velvet Palette

Shu Uemura Karl for Shu Smoky Velvet Palette

Swatches (L-R): Silk Smooth Eye Shadows (1 & 2), Eye Shadows (3-5) & Glow On Blush (6)

Summary

• Price: $65 USD / $85 CAD
• Availability: Shu Uemura (November 2012)
• Overall: These palettes really speak to the artistic nature of Karl Lagerfeld; unexpected color combinations, yet superb quality in each dimension. I like the Prestigious Bordeaux palette the most, but both are stunning. The included applicators aren’t the most useful, and the frosted mirror is cute, but isn’t the most practical. I love the various texture in the palettes, but the cheek color is a little hard to apply because of the tiny pan size and location.
• Rating: A-