KKW Beauty x Mario Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Mario
KKW Beauty Mario 10-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($45.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features 10 eyeshadows across shimmery and matte shades. Nine of the ten are in the neutral family and then there’s the pop of blue. The eyeshadows are supposed to be formulated for “easy layering and blending.” Per the brand, the metallic eyeshadows can also be used “wet or dry” and with “brushes or fingers” for a “saturated pearlized color finish.”
I really liked the matte formula, as it was denser but pigmented and very easy to use–I can see exactly what the brand meant by “easy layering and blending.” I also recall Mario mentioning in an Instagram story about these working better on the eye than just swatched (and I’ve found instances where how something swatches on the arm is inconsistent with actual performance on the lid!). They had the type of pigmentation and overall texture that I didn’t notice any shortcomings in pigmentation in practice as they applied and built up or blended out as I wanted them to. Glam was beyond fantastic–one of the best textures I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing!–but 2008 was a bit of a let-down.
The brand has set a restock date for the KKW x Mario collection for 4/20 at noon PST.
Ingredients
Look Using this Product
Mario
LELimited Edition. $45.00.
2008
2008 is a pale white with warmer undertones and a glittery, frosted finish. It was more loosely pressed in the pan, which made it more prone to fallout during application, and the larger chunks of shimmer and sparkle made it more challenging to apply evenly to the skin without some of it layering on itself and yielding an uneven thickness in places. It had semi-opaque coverage that lasted for seven hours with slight fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- Moira Quartz (P, $7.50) is darker (95% similar).
- Buxom Diamond Darling (P, $12.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Dior Lucky Star #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Light (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Smoky Black Friday #1 (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Skulls (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Sparks (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- LORAC Black Tie Attire #1 (LE, $19.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Too Faced La Croisette (PiP, $16.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- NARS Mortal (DC, $25.00) is cooler (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
2008
LELimited Edition.
Glam
Glam is a golden bronze with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had fantastic pigmentation that applied beautifully to bare skin with even, smooth coverage in a single layer. The eyeshadow felt soft, smooth, and incredibly cream-like (but definitely a powder)–if every metallic eyeshadow felt this nice, our wallets would be doomed! It wore nicely for eight and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Too Faced Dear Diary (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Pat McGrath Bronze Nova (LE, $25.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Give Me Glow Rich Chocolate (P, $7.00) is darker (95% similar).
- NARS Love Train (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Tweed Cuivre #3 (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes 2 #7 (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Blaze (PiP, $6.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Hello Kitty Chocolate Chip (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Brav-O (P, $29.00) is more muted (95% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Charge (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Glam
LELimited Edition.
Miami
Miami is a medium brown with warm, orange undertones and a matte finish. The color coverage was good–just shy of full coverage–and buildable. The texture was soft, a touch dusty in the pan, but it blended out easily on my lid and was really effortless to work with as it adhered evenly and built up well. It lasted for eight hours on me before I noticed any fading.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Note to Self (P, $4.50) is darker (95% similar).
- Lisa Eldridge Deep Ochre (P, $16.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Creme Brulee (DC, $6.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Satin (PiP, $6.99) is cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Castille (DC, $25.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Sora (LE, $6.00) is brighter (95% similar).
- Anastasia Eccentric (LE, $12.00) is darker (95% similar).
- NARS Palmas (LE, $19.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Latte (DC, $6.00) (95% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Cumin Get It (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Miami
LELimited Edition.
Armenian
Armenian is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. The pigmentation was opaque and true-to-pan in a single layer. The eyeshadow’s texture was smooth, dense without being too firm or stiff to work with, and it blended out nicely without losing its intensity. However, I noted that it did not seem to look quite as shimmery on the lid after a few minutes compared to the initial swatch; in order to get the sheen to remain, I had to use it with a dampened brush. On its own, it wore well for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Smashbox Revenge Bod (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Moonlight (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Too Faced Bananas (LE, $16.00) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Golden Hours #3 (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Tarte Compass (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Halo (PiP, $29.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Gold Rose (LE, $6.99) is darker (95% similar).
- Becca Opal (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Anastasia Sunny (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (95% similar).
- Tarte Sunset (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Armenian
LELimited Edition.
Loyalty
Loyalty is a medium brown with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. It had opaque color payoff that applied easily to bare skin. The consistency was soft, velvety, and smooth without being too powdery nor too firmly-pressed in the pan. This shade stayed on nicely for eight hours before fading a bit.
Top Dupes
- MAC Natural Brown (LE, $17.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Cocoa Mirage #4 (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- Chanel Deep #3 (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Guerlain Tonka Imperiale #5 (DC, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- LORAC Earth (LE, $19.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Viseart Ghiradelli (Cool Mattes 2 #9) (P, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Sephora Espresso (LE, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Cool Complement (PiP, $17.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Anastasia Smoke (P, $12.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- LORAC Dark Brown (PiP, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Loyalty
LELimited Edition.
Decade
Decade is a pale beige with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. The color payoff was good–particularly for such a light shade–and had a denser, more substantial texture that enabled it to adhere well to bare skin without sheering away to nothing too readily. It lasted well for seven and a half hours on me before fading noticeably.
Top Dupes
- Tarte Date Night (LE, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Too Faced Glaze (LE, $16.00) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Center Stage (LE, $4.50) is cooler (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Puff (282CM) (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Stocking Stuffer (LE, $17.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- KVD Beauty Lifelike (DC, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Crystal Cove (LE, $4.50) is more muted (95% similar).
- ColourPop Distressed (LE, $4.50) is cooler (95% similar).
- LORAC Blanc (PiP, $19.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Tarte Compassionate (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Decade
LELimited Edition.
Albanian
Albanian is a medium-dark, coppery brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had nearly opaque pigmentation that built up to full coverage easily. The consistency was velvety, smooth, and blendable with just enough substance to work well with or without primer but still blended out without trouble. It wore well for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Make Up For Ever M738 Auburn (DC, $21.00) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Opera (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Tribe (LE, ) is brighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Spawn (P, $6.00) is lighter, brighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Chaser (PiP, $4.50) is cooler (95% similar).
- Sydney Grace Sunset (P, $5.25) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Rosewood (LE, $6.99) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Gold Rush (PiP, $4.50) is lighter (95% similar).
- Too Faced Gingerbread (LE, $16.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Danessa Myricks Rustic (P, $18.00) is darker (95% similar).
Albanian
LELimited Edition.
Vegas
Vegas is a dark, reddish plum with warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had great color payoff that applied fairly well to bare skin, but the texture was slightly drier and stiffer in the pan, so it wasn’t as easy to work with as other shades in the palette. It had a duller sheen, too, used dry on the skin that made it look almost faded and more matte–and this sometimes worked out since it provided another deeper, “matte” shade for depth. For better shine, I’d recommend using it with a dampened brush. The color lasted well for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- MAC Vacation Speed Zone (LE, $17.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Royal (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Aristocat (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Tarte Plum Away With Me (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Tarte Hot MoMA (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Ciate Morello Cherry (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- NARS China Seas #2 (DC, $25.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Plummed (LE, $17.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- MAC A Medley of Mauves #3 (PiP, $21.00) is darker (90% similar).
- LORAC Merlot (PiP, $19.00) is cooler (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Vegas
LELimited Edition.
Libra
Libra is a medium blue with cool undertones and a pearl finish. The pigmentation was opaque, while the texture had moderate slip and felt a bit creamier, which I find feels nice to the touch but makes blending a little harder to along the edges as the product doesn’t always have such a diffused look and feel in the end. It packed onto the skin well, but it just didn’t diffuse as nicely as I wanted it to on the edges (so better as a lid shade or on the lower lash line but not for anything more blown out). It wore well for seven and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Estee Lauder Fired Sapphire (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- MAC Freshwater (DC, $17.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Glacier Gang (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Nile (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Stila Lapis (LE, $18.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Mad About U (PiP, $4.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Sephora Dina (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
- Sephora Aja (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
- NARS Wishful Thinking (LE, $24.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Smashbox Nile (LE, ) is lighter, more muted (85% similar).
Look Using this Product
Libra
LELimited Edition.
Bronzy
Bronzy is a deep copper with warm undertones and a pearl finish. It was richly pigmented and had a smooth, dense consistency that was easy to apply to bare skin and diffuse along the edges without losing its richness and shine. The eyeshadow blended out nicely and stayed on well for eight hours.
Top Dupes
- Too Faced Old Money (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Stila Rose Gold (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- LORAC Illusion (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Anastasia Rum Cake (LE, $12.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Linda Hallberg Cosmetics Gamma (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Sable Riche (LE, $17.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Heat Ray (P, $38.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- YSL Scandal #4 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Smashbox Liquid Fire (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Juvia's Place Casablanca (P, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
Your mattes are better than mine but my shimmers are better than yours. Interesting. I agree – this one would be better on than swatched. Thanks for your review!
Is anyone else tired of palette after palette of orange and red tones.?
Hand waving here…ever since Modern Renaissance, I feel it’s been a nonstop conveyor belt of palettes like that. But there are 2 or 3 shades in this one which (and it pains me to say this) I really love (especially Glam and Armenian) but the inaccessibility of this palette coupled with the shipping cost, the warm shades and especially my feelings about that family all make this a “pass” for me.
YES
I love the look of these eyeshadows, the blue is amazing and Vegas looks lovely too. I need to get more creative with my eye make-up. I like the look of the lip gloss in the collection too but was sold out when i last looked.
Even though I’m not a fan of KKW, this is an undeniably decent palette. Especially so for ones who may not have these shades already. Thankfully, I do, except for that bright blue. Hmm, I’m thinking I just *may* within my BH Foil Eyes palette perhaps?
Christine my palette is performing exactly as yours did. I found I had to build up the blue because it would just diffuse away when I would blend. I’ve created 3 looks using this palette, needless to say I’m pleased.
I’m not a Kardashian/Jenner supporter, but I’m happy that it’s a good quality for her fans, but for me I have dupes for everything but the super light bone colors which I am not interested in at all.
I think that this is an absolutely stunning neutral palette – just love those shades and Glam is indeed glorious. Loyalty is a perfect dark brown matte – so many dark brown mattes are way too dark and sludgy.
I just wish that the pop of colour was not that bright blue (even though I am a blue lover and probably the only person in Australia that wears blue eyeshadow), an olive or forest green would have been more commercially viable. I have never heard of this brand before, but they are offering quality eyeshadows for a reasonable price.
Stunning eye look Christine.
Genevieve, ABH’s Smoke, which Christine lists as one of the dupes for Loyalty, is a wonderful brown and is (or was) available as a single. Sephora used to carry it (when ABH shadows first launched at Sephora) and I was lucky to grab it as a 4th shade to make up a quad (and qualify for the better pricing and free compact to hold the shadows). They no longer carry it but I think it’s still available from ABH, if that’s any help to you. It is that perfect shadowy brown that isn’t red toned or too dark and intense.
Thanks Mariella, but I just went to Sephora’s this afternoon and they don’t stock the ABH Singles at all… we only get a fraction of the makeup available to you in the US and Canada.
I really do have enough neutrals to last me several centuries, but it is a lovely shade of brown.
The way these colors look on your eye are making me want this palette. I’ve been on the fence but I think I need it.
Such a pretty palette! I am looking forward to Mario hopefully having his own makeup line, if so, I would definitely buy whatever he comes up with. I did snag his collab with ABH before and I am happy with it. However, this one I’d pass on because I would rather not give my money to the K or J family. Also, that shipping is too much..it is not like they cannot afford to offer a better price w/ whatever delivery company they use.
Pretty much as expected, give KKW’s tendency to super contour all features. Given MD, the palette should be good. As to the provocative nature of KKW’s pose/‘apparel‘ with the product, this is typical, too, and possibly at the root of the anti K-J clan feeling. But think about it: K-J-ism. It is a very USA phenomenon. Can you imagine Korean, English, German, Kenyan, or Turkish K-Js? With faces, body parts, acquisitions, and personal lives aired 24/7/365? In the era of SM self-promotion…the person as a brand….they do it quite successfully. Even if you’re a hater.
I’m not a fan of KKW herself, but this looks like a really nice palette.
Totally agreed about the blue shade!! Not easy to use all over the lid,and I’m struggling trying to get a perfect blendind with transition colors. Gonna try as a detail. Thanks Christine!!!
I’m not a fan or supporter. That said, this palette is beautifully thought out and equally well performing.