Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo Review, Photos, Swatches
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo ($25.00 for 0.317 oz.) features a cool-toned set of shades in a very light pink and a darker pink. The blush formula is supposed to “stay vibrant for a full 24 hours of wear” with “silky powders” that “blend effortlessly into skin for a flawless, buildable finish.” The texture of both shades left something to be desired as they were thin, chalky, and difficult to blend. The pigmentation is sheer and only buildable to semi-sheer after three to six layers of product. The marketing makes it unclear what level of pigmentation these should be on Sephora, but per the brand’s Instagram, they are “highly pigmented.” These are some of the worst powders I’ve have ever tested from Kat Von D, and it’s a real disappointment–and a surprise–after the success of the Shade + Light palettes as well as her recent eyeshadows. Both shades lasted no longer than seven hours; not even in the realm of “full 24 hours of wear.”
Oh, and if being a spectacular miss of a product wasn’t enough frustration, the packaging had issues (across all seven): 1) two of seven compacts had pans that fell out of the plastic compact; 2) the remaining five had loose pans that wobbled and moved (some more than others) within the compact; and 3) all seven were covered in blush residue (not sure why, nothing was broken).
Bonnie (Shade) is described as an “ultra violet.” It’s a soft, medium-dark raspberry pink with subtle, cool undertones and a matte finish. The texture was thin, chalky, and difficult to blend out on the skin as the consistency of the blush would stick in one place but not the other (and wouldn’t want to budge). Trying to build it up at all was extremely difficult; I was almost scraping the product off of the top in order to get enough color to show up on my skin tone. Please note, I am wearing FIVE layers of this product to get it to show up on my face. It was faded and even patchier in appearance after seven hours of wear. MAC Pink Tea (LE, $24.00) is darker (95% similar). Chanel Pink Explosion (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar). Too Faced Skyline (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar). Edward Bess Bed of Roses (P, $43.00) is brighter, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Hysterical (LE, $8.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar). NYX Bourgeois Pig (DC, $5.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (85% similar). Makeup Geek Hanky Panky (DC, $9.99) is brighter (85% similar). Stila Pink Rose Blush (LE, ) is brighter, warmer (85% similar). Urban Decay Naked on the Run Blush (-, ) is brighter (85% similar). Make Up For Ever S214 (P, $23.00) is darker, brighter (85% similar). ColourPop Mochi (DC, $8.00) is lighter, brighter, cooler (85% similar). Sephora Love Sick (22) (P, $14.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Clyde (Light) is described as a “lilac.” It’s a light lavender with pink tones and a matte finish. It had semi-sheer color payoff with a thin, powdery consistency that wasn’t quite as dry or as chalky as the darker shade (this is true of most of the duos). It was easier to blend as well, though it wasn’t foolproof. The matte finish and light color seems to make it the kind of blush that does darken slightly on the skin compared to how light it appears in the pan. It was noticeably faded after seven hours. NARS Threesome (LE, $30.00) is warmer (95% similar). Makeup Geek Promise Ring (P, $10.00) is darker (95% similar). Jouer Tease Me (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar). KVD Beauty Gomez (Light) (DC, ) is darker (95% similar). Makeup Geek First Love (DC, $9.99) is lighter (90% similar). Guerlain Carousel (LE, $65.00) is less pigmented (90% similar). NARS Cheek Studio I (LE, $30.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). NARS Sex Fantasy (LE, $30.00) is darker (90% similar). Hourglass Ethereal Glow (P, $40.00) is lighter, warmer (95% similar). Make Up For Ever B202 (P, $23.00) is darker (90% similar). Sydney Grace Always and Forever (P, $9.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Surratt Beauty Guimauve (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar). Stila Light Pink (LE, ) is darker (85% similar). Make Up For Ever B200 (P, $23.00) is lighter (85% similar). NARS Thrill (P, $30.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar). Physicians Formula Rosy Pink (P, $12.99) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar). NYX Pastel Chic (P, $6.50) is lighter, cooler (85% similar). ColourPop Floating Lights (LE, $12.00) is darker (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Bonnie + Clyde
PPermanent. $25.00.
Bonnie (Shade)
DCDiscontinued.
Clyde (Light)
DCDiscontinued.
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo
Kat Von D Bonnie Shade + Light Blush
Kat Von D Bonnie Shade + Light Blush
Kat Von D Bonnie Shade + Light Blush (5 layers required for visibility on my skin tone)
Kat Von D Clyde Shade + Light Blush
Kat Von D Clyde Shade + Light Blush
Kat Von D Clyde Shade + Light Blush
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo (Mixed)
Kat Von D Bonnie + Clyde Shade + Light Blush Duo (Mixed)
Nevermind these blushes, are you testing out the Zoeva Spectrum range??? So excited! 😀
I don’t know if or when I will review – sorry!
I ordered the nude spect eyeshadow palette and the nude blush palette! Can’t wait for them to arrive!!
crap..I looked.
Oh no, it’s such a pretty colour combo too! What a waste ?. The formula should have been extensively tested on cheeks before being released.
I’m sooo disappointed! They’re a huge compact, great price, there is certainly a lack of matte finish blushes out there… other than the totally outrageous 24-hour wear time claim, I was really hoping for gold.
The two products mixed look far less offensive than they do separately, That being said, this duo look challenging to say the least.
The light shade helps SO much. It’s almost like the powderiness of the lighter shade helps make the darker shade less chalky.
Well, that’s disappointing, but my wallet thanks you.
I had such high hopes that these would be good additions to her line!
Weird. Must have been the ones you got or how it sat on your foundation. I’ve used both of mine (Bonnie & Clyde and Morticia & Gomez) and both last 14+ hours, until I washed my face, with no fading whatsoever. I found them to be extremely blendable and also buildable. Next to the UD ones, these are the absolute best blushes I’ve ever tried.
I’ll post a pic under “Looks” with me in the Bonnie & Clyde bc I took a pic yesterday with it on.
I apply them to bare skin, just as a heads up 🙂 I love the UD blushes, but based on my experience, these have nothing in common for me unfortunately 🙁
Oh, that probably made the difference in wear. The Dior Forever leaves my skin feeling silky which makes application of blush, highlighter, and contour smoother. I do agree, though, the UD blushes feel “creamier” on application. I can see where applying the KVD on bare skin would be problematic…I just tried!
Oh, I should have mentioned, the pic of Bonnie & Clyde that I uploaded to your Looks page is a single pass of each shade. The pic is done with no filters and under the daylight bulb lighting in my house. You can see how different it looks on me!
I’ll have to check on my phone later, because I looked at your photo, where you look lovely, but I’m not sure I see the blush (or maybe not as I’m supposed to see it). 🙂
Definitely not an issue I have with the average blush (like UD’s!), but it is more emphasized when it is a poorer performing blush (same with a poor eyeshadow vs. poor eyeshadow over primer).
Christine, I’m confused about “I apply them to bare skin” because in the side-bar, it says you’re wearing Guerlain Parure Gold on your face. Do you mean that the swatches are applied on bare skin?
Hey Mariella,
I don’t apply foundation to my cheeks! I apply to my forehead, nose, chin, etc. but I leave the area around my cheeks without foundation.
Wow, I was expecting so much better. She’s been knocking it out of the park lately. At least I’m no longer tempted to get any of these.
Me too, Rachel! It seems like early reviews are all over the place – some are loving, some are really disappointed. I am, unfortunately, in the latter group 🙁 I actually feel a bit like the Studded Kiss lipstick era – there were tons of positive reviews but most were super firm/drying for me!
Ye Gads!!!! This is just plain awful! 5 layers to get a blush to show up is totally unacceptable. Especially in a HE brand, and one that is known for usually having excellent pigmentation and a really great formula. Hopefully, she reformulates these!
I really expected the texture to be like the Shade + Light contour palette!
I really liked these colours… What a shame.
I think that Kat Von D’s brand launches are all about trial and error, same as with the Studded Kiss lipsticks…
They do remind me of the Studded Kiss lipsticks, because I feel like the reviews are 1-star or 5-star!
So sad to hear this was so bad, and of the quality issues across the board. I was hoping these would be a hit but a bad miss saves my makeup budget. Thanks for your frankness.
Me too, Stephanie 🙁
Holy smokes, I wasn’t expecting a review like this based on how awesome everything she’s launched has been lately. So, so sad. 🙁
The 24-hour wear time had me wary of course, but I figured they already released the Contour palette, which is more like shadowy shades of flesh-tones, you know? So these are just colored versions, but nope, the formulas are quite distinct.
I wasn’t looking to get this or any of the blushes anytime soon as I have way too many that I need to start hitting pan on. But that is super disappointing that you really had to build it up and had issues with the packaging.
It was, Deidre! It’s pretty rare that a blush needs tons and tons of passes just to get visible color.
Lol! Oh lawd, now I see that the dollar store look of the packaging also matches the quality of a dollar store cosmetic product :(.
I’m really bummed!
Sad, I’d loved the colors in this one.
They are pretty in theory!
complete shock over this under performer!!
I am surprised!
Thank you for taking the time to even write about these. I feel really bad that you purchased all of these! It is really a shame. 🙁
No problem, Nicole!
Well, with, what was it, five layers it looks nice. I really dislike blushes that are hard to blend and are patchy, you blend, and blend, and add a bit, and blend until your skin turns red (almost). Not fun.
lol! So much work.
How disappointing 🙁 I was really excited for these and this one in particular.
Same here, F 🙁
I will be the first to say it…Awwwwwww! 🙁 Had high hopes for this, but I am glad you gave me the heads up!
If you happen to be in-store, you might still check ’em out. A few readers have raved about theirs (reviews seem to be love/hate from what I’ve seen so far), so maybe it’s a batch thing (though that’s not good either).
What a disappointment. I so loved her old blushes.
I’ve pretty much only heard raves for the previous formula!
Wow, I’m really shocked & disappointed. Kat Von D’s products are always so wonderful and pigmented, what happened here? I was so excited when I first heard about these, but damn! What a flop! I really liked the shade Clyde, but I guess I’ll be checking out the dupes instead. Thanks for the review & alternative suggestions. 🙂
No problem, Asche!
Seeing that blush makes me sad T-T. I hope it’s just a miss from KVD and not the beginnig of future faillure.
But your eye look, so gorgeous!! I like this kind of nude eye on you, you really have pretty eyes.
Here’s hoping it’s a one-off!
The dark shade is so sheer that the two shades ended up looking the same. Could you have gotten some duds. Kat is such a perfectionist that I’m shocked she would release such a blush. Makes absolutely no sense.
I purchased all seven from Sephora online the day it released – not really sure what else I should be doing in order to get the right product!
Wow, this sounds like a disaster. I was really excited for the blushes 🙁
Me too, Kira 🙁
I just went Saturday to my Sephora inside JCPENNEY and was so happy to see they had these out! I was all ready to buy 2-3 so I started swatching and could not believe how awful they were. I literally thought my store had duds or something but the more I read online, the more I see that wasn’t the case.
I don’t get it. Everything KVD has been putting out lately, had been amazing. What happened with these?!
I was surprised the texture was so different from the Contour palette!
This makes me sad. Mainly because I just ordered this blush yesterday. ? *clutches the original Kat Von D blushes a little tighter*
Maybe yours will perform well! 🙂 There are a few readers who have mentioned enjoying theirs (and also some who did not, of course).
Before I tried a few of KvD’s eyeshadow palettes (having seen excellent reviews of them by you, Christine), this was the impression I had of the brand – poor quality, tacky, cheap packaging, just not a quality product. My first experiences with this brand taught me that just the opposite was the case (okay, so not having the eyeshadow names right under the eyeshadows was a packaging “minus” for me). But now, seeing this release, it’s just caused me to cast my mind back to what I used to think of this brand before the Monarch palette…. It can be so hard to build up a good reputation for quality and it’s so easy to lose that reputation with releases like these blushes (though I have to say that these do look absolutely lovely on you; I don’t think you can make a single product look bad!)
What’s really bizarre to me is that the texture is just off – it is unlike the Shade + Light family, which this is billed under, so it is even more curious as to why these are nothing like them.
Wow, can’t believe you have to wear 5 layers just to get this blush to show up ! Too bad this is such an epic fail, as the colors are pretty. Time for a product recall !
Wish these were better!
Ugh. The colors in theory are beautiful. In your makeup shots they look good, but 5 layers to achieve that look is insane! How is that considered highly pigmented? How is that worth $25? Seems like such a huge detour from her other powder formulas. Makes one wonder if there was a bad batch that was distributed instead of scrapped.
Yep! 🙁 Wish they were half as pigmented as they said!
Super disappointed 🙁 i was looking forward to these and I never got a chance to pick up any of her old ones before they got discontinued. I hope the others work for you!
I wish it was better, too! 🙁
I had so much hope for the formula. Hopefully they reformulate these. I really wanted Morticia+Gomez and Samson+Deliah. ?
I don’t know why the texture is so bad 🙁
WOW! I really love Morticia and Gomez, but keep in mind I am an N10 in MAC…so it shows up great. Apparently that might be one of the only good duos, and of course it’s sold out.
Happy you’re enjoying it, Rachel! It is permanent, so I’m sure it’ll be back in stock sooner rather than later.
Christine, you shouldn’t have even reviewed these. It’s a waste of your time. All you had to do was say they all got an F.
I think negative reviews are worth the time, even if they are Fs, just as much as A reviews 🙂
I’m glad you do this. I’ve given up on most blogs because all they do is give good reviews as they get sent everything for free and don’t want to risk losing the goodies. I for one don’t need that, I order online because of a lack of any other options and I need to know if a product I like the look of is actually any cop or not and how it looks applied and I know that I can trust you to be honest. 🙂
I understand the why, but it is always interesting to me that it is the “negative” reviews that inspire more trust than the positive ones. Like nobody ever comments, “I’m so glad I can trust you!” on an A+ review, lol. It makes sense when you think about it (it’s easier to say nice things), but it has always made me wonder why there aren’t more “negative” reviews out there, since there are a lot of benefits to writing glowing reviews, critical reviews, and the ones that just fall in the middle! I actually feel like it is a large part of why Temptalia keeps growing when it should be flattening out more (we have been around for coming up on 10 years).
I thought these blushes would get a few B’s, a few C’s from you but wow an F is super disappointing. It looked promising from preview pics and great value too for the size. It’s really too bad when there are so many hits from KVD.
I wasn’t expecting A+ (that 24-hour wear claim would be tough to get to!), but I agree, Fs weren’t what I was expecting.
Oh nooooo I was SO planning on getting this, it’s my namesake blush!!!! *tears* 🙁
🙁
Yikes. I was hoping the Morticia and Gomez duo would be nice, but if the formula on those is anything like this one….just yikes.
I hear you 🙁
Myeah, from the preview I was expecting this much… Boo.
I was hoping they’d apply better on the face, lol!
Ugh…that’s no good. Again, what a shame. :/
Agreed!
Quick question: is the texture/pigmentation anything like that of the Maybelline FitMe blushes? I bought one of those last year purely because of your review – lovely colours, near-nonexistant pigmentation – because I’m ghostfaced enough that a very faint blush is easiest for me when I’m rushing in the mornings 🙂 It’s been my go-to since. Some of these might work for me also.
But if this is a drier texture I’ll happily avoid it.
Hmm, are you sure it was me? I was a little blank at the mention of the blushes, and when I googled (that is how I jog my memory or find it, lol), I did not find any reviews of that formula from me.
I did review some Revlon blushes in 2014 that I did not find quality at all – but if those were what you were thinking of, then these are similar, though I think the matte finish on these makes them chalkier/harder to blend!
… this is so weird. I was certain it was your review. I was certain I remembered you literally digging pieces of the blush out of the pan because it was so difficult to get any onto the brush. But I searched and – yeah. Clearly not you. Possibly I need a lot more coffee? lol
Thank you so much, though: difficulty getting product onto a brush is fine, but chalky/unblendable texture is a deal-breaker. I appreciate the great review!
I did that with Revlon, lol! 😉
I’m with you on the coffee! There are definitely some who are enjoying the blush formula, and when mentioned, it seems to be fairer/lighter complexions – so maybe try in-store? I don’t know if there are serious inconsistencies in batches, but it is starting to sound like it!
I’m such a KVD fan but these just look rough… :/
They do 🙁
Man that’s so lame. These actually worked for me! Blended lovely and stayed vibrant all day. Having said that though, when I first swatched them on my arm my thought was “man for anyone that isn’t crazy pale, these will be chalky and barely show up.” That’s so incredibly disappointing! And I agree on the packaging issues, my Bonnie+Clyde pan is all wobbily. I’ll probably pull it out and re glue it. But I shouldn’t have to.
I’m happy to hear yours blended out nicely, Lindsey! I was most troubled by the texture and application issues. I mean, sheer isn’t what they said it was, but I can definitely see some preferring a sheerer blush (not all, of course), so it was the issues I had with texture/application that make it impossible for me to recommend based on my experience, though! 🙁
It is really interesting how divergent our experiences are, and I wonder if there are issues in batches or not. It’s never a good sign when you just have people who LOVE it and people who hate it!
I lust after the By Terry ones with this concept. I hope it’s not rude but in many swatches it appeared like they balled up on themselves, especially when you blended it out. This one does not look as bad as some posted earlier in the preview but there are great dupes up there! ColourPop is $8 for blush. I wonder if they will make split pan highlighter/blush? I feel these would be duds from a drugstore.
Ps. I like your comment about loving the UD blushes, but unfortunately these having nothing in common them. ?
They are chalky/powdery 🙂
It’s really a shame that these were such losers — these could be pretty colors for me. And the brand knows how to make better products! What were they thinking?
I don’t know 🙁 Even when I look at the brand’s swatches on Instagram, I have no idea how they got them to look so good, lol!
Oh man…wish I would have seen this earlier. I normally check Temptalia before I buy anything. I just picked this up today. :O
Maybe it’ll be better for you, Cat 🙂