Weekly Looks: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix and Desert Dusk

So, uh, there is a new palette in my life that is not a new palette at all, which is Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix (!!). I honestly could not be more thrilled to own it, but I'll talk about that toward the end of the post. I traveled again this week and will be traveling for about a month, so these weekly and weekend looks posts may be disrupted. This week, I was only able to get three looks done, but I figured they were still worth sharing. 

Here are three looks I did this week. 

Look 1: Colourpop Glass Bull and "Desert Dusk"

Colourpop Glass Bull on the lid, Inglot peach and purple shades blended into the crease as transition shades, Coloured Raine Ladyship blended into the crease, and Fyrinnae Octopus (pressed) padded onto the outer corner and on the lower lash line. Too Faced Satin Sheets on the brow bone. Makeup Geek Phantom on the inner corner. 

Look 2: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix 

Destroyer on the inner and outer lid, Harpsichord on the center lid, Swoon blended into the crease as a transition shade, Destroyer blended into the crease, and Rewind padded onto the outer corner and blended into the crease and on the lower lash line. Legend lightly padded on top of Harpsichord. Fran and Legend in the inner corner. Skulls on the brow bone. 

Look 3: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix

NYX Milk as a base over the mobile part of the lid and inner corner, Synth on the lid, Swoon blended into the crease as a transition shade, Swoon and Destroyer blended into the crease, Analogue blended above Soon and Destroyer, Fran blended above Analogue, and Rewind blended above Synth to deepen the crease. Echo on the lower lash line. Lyric on the inner corner. Moulder on the brow bone. 

Look 1: Colourpop Glass Bull and "Desert Dusk"

I am still really enjoying this dupe palette I made of Huda Beauty Desert Dusk, and it is one of the few palettes I chose to travel with for this long stretch of time. That has traditionally been a gauge for me in terms of if I like or dislike a palette: if I'm excited to use a sole palette for two weeks or more, that's certainly a keeper; if I'm dreading it, that means I should probably return (if new) or declutter. Now, if I'm being totally honest, I don't think I would have felt as jazzed to take the actual Desert Dusk palette on such a long trip, but I really do love my duped (and then some) palette as a collection of some of my favorite singles. 

With this look, I had been really itching to try out Colourpop Glass Bull, and I have to say that I wasn't too thrilled with it. And that is surprising because so many people have been raving about it. I applied it over NYX Glitter Primer, and on me, it looked just like a brown-gold. It didn't have any of its neat duochrome or blue shift. But that also could be because of the shadows I paired with it. I feel like pairing it with the deep berry shades of Coloured Raine Ladyship and Fyrinnae Octopus totally drowned out Glass Bull. Next time, I think I would like to pair it with some lighter browns. On first impression, though, I was disappointed by how much of it was lost in this look. 

Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix

I feel a couple different ways about talking about this palette. A big part of me wants to squee and gush because I am so, so thrilled to own this and have not been excited about a pre-made palette this much in a long time. I'm still over the moon with my Just Peachy Matte duped palette, but in terms of an actual palette produced by a brand, I can't think of another one I feel this struck by. At the same time, this was a limited edition product from two years ago that many people have expressed regret in not purchasing, and I would say that it is a "coveted" makeup item. And I don't want to gush about a product that is challenging, to say the least, to get a hold of. 

I bought this palette, and though it was pre-owned, it was never used. I wrote about this palette recently in my Kat Von D Saint and Sinner anti-haul post, and I said that while I don't really have "makeup regrets," this was a palette that I would have liked to own. I thought about buying it when it released because it was the hot new item, but at the time, I did not touch color with a ten-foot pole. I remember all of the tutorials on this palette at the time were something like, "How to make Mi Vida Loca Remix wearable," and I remember thinking that if I had to try and make it wearable, it wasn't the right product for me. 

Looking back on it, that was absolutely the right decision. And I am proud of myself for making the decision that I did because that was a time when my makeup spending was at an all-time high. I was buying makeup to get through the day and through my graduate program, and I certainly wasn't thinking about why I was buying things or really evaluating their worth in my collection. I'm surprised, frankly, that I didn't buy Mi Vida Loca Remix due to my state of mind at the time, but if I had, I know I would have absolutely decluttered it by now. 

And that's also why I'm so glad that I didn't buy this palette when it first released, because I wouldn't have it now, when I actually want it. 

I made the decision to buy this palette now because I had been trying to build a dupe palette for it, and I didn't have the dupes. I started dipping my toes into color about a year ago, and I haven't looked back. For the better part of the year, I loathed the days when I was forced to wear neutral eyeshadow, and I strongly hope those days are forever gone. When I fell in love with color, I realized I didn't have much of it, and I wanted more. And every time I would look for what I wanted, I realized it was the Mi Vida Loca Remix palette. I purchased Urban Decay Electric and Sephora Pro Editorial, and while I really enjoy those palettes and am happy to have them in my collection, it still wasn't what I wanted. So recently, when I was looking up at the shades of Mi Vida Loca Remix and trying to figure out dupes I could buy for it, I decided to look into what it would cost to buy a pre-owned one. 

Now, I will say that I haven't personally purchased pre-owned makeup before, and it's not really something I feel overly comfortable with. I think buying anything pre-owned requires a lot of work and research on your part to make sure you are buying an authentic product from a reputable seller. And with makeup, especially eyeshadow that goes around the eyes, it is that much more important to understand how used the product is and how well it has been sanitized. And for the overwhelming majority of products, it is simply not worth it for me personally to go through that hassle. 

To my surprise, there are quite a few of these palettes available for purchase, but the prices are all astronomical (not surprising). I'll be honest and say that I did buy this palette for a marked up price, but I was aware of that going in. I did not pay an astronomical amount for it, however. I had a set price in mind and negotiated with the seller to get to a price that we were both comfortable with. 

The main selling point for me in getting this product was that it was entirely untouched. It hadn't even been swatched. It was clear from working with the seller that they purchased this item because it was the hot item at the time and they didn't want to miss out, and then they never used it because it wasn't their taste in makeup. (And that would have been my exact experience had I purchased it at the time too.) 

What I've always kept in mind whenever I've decluttered products is that makeup is meant to be used, not collected. And if I am not using an item, I shouldn't keep it just to keep it. The item was made to be used, and I love thinking that whoever gets the product will love it and use it more than I ever did. And when I think about it like that, it is always easier for me to let products go. 

I've just never really been on the other side of it. I know it was difficult for the seller to let go of this palette (they flat out said so), but it really had never been touched. And within seconds of it arriving to me, I swatched the entire thing and immediately started playing. And it's such a great product! It should be used and loved. And this entire experience has just been a great reminder for me of how I should feel about my products. 

Look 2: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix 

I loved this look. And what I love so much about it is that I was certain it was going to come out so crazy, but it was actually quite neutral. (This could also mean that my definition of "neutral" has become very liberal.) I definitely thought that the orange in Harpsichord would be more obvious in the center of the lid, but I kind of love how it just blended seamlessly with the hot pink/red shades. This was my first time ever putting a yellow in the inner corner, and I completely loved it.

Look 3: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix

This look just made me so happy. I was inspired by this look by Tarababyz, which I thought was just so fun. This was also the first time that I have ever successfully used NYX Milk as a base. I have wanted to declutter this product so many times, but I always knew that it didn't work for me because of user error. The trick for me was only applying it to the mobile part of my lid instead of the entire thing. I typically don't like to apply a white base under shadows because I want them to perform well without them, but this palette was kicking so much ass that I knew that wasn't an issue. And I wanted to see just how blue that color could look with a white base. I absolutely love how this look turned out, and love how seamlessly all the colors blended into each other.

Final Thoughts 

There are just a couple more things I would like to address about my purchase and experience of Mi Vida Loca Remix. First, I would like to talk about buying "old makeup." This is a topic that is getting a lot of attention recently, and I think that's great. I declutter so often that the overwhelming majority of products in my collection are two years old or newer. I don't mess around with cream products, so primers, foundations, eyeliners, lipliners, lipsticks, and mascaras are kept at a minimum to something I can reasonably get through long before they go bad. Powder products are different, but I still keep a very strict eye on those products as well and throw away when appropriate.

With that said, there was a lot of consideration that went into buying a product that is already two years old. Just because this item was unused doesn't mean that it isn't still two years old. But, because it was unused, I did feel more comfortable buying it. This was also a now-or-never moment for me, because I would not have wanted to buy a product that was more than two years old. It performs like a dream, so I feel the palette has a long life ahead of it.

The second thing I would like to address is that, yes, it performs like a dream. And it performs better than a lot of newer Kat Von D items I have tried, which include the Shade and Light Eye palette, the Shade and Light Quad in Plum, and the Pastel Goth palette. While I have not personally tried the Metal Matte or Saint and Sinner palettes, from what I can tell, Mi Vida Loca Remix also outperforms those products. (I should note this is also something I have heard from people who own all three palettes.) I know that Kat Von D has undergone a lot of formula changes and that the brand is also transitioning to being fully vegan, which is very commendable, and I also have seen that their lab has changed. Several of Kat Von D's earlier palettes, including Mi Vida Loca Remix, were made in the USA, but her most recent palettes (Shade and Light Glimmer and Saint and Sinner) were made in Canada. It is my opinion that the quality of Kat Von D eyeshadows has slightly declined, which mades me sad to say because there is a lot that I really like about the brand. Considering that Mi Vida Loca Remix was a limited edition holiday palette (and, traditionally, holiday palettes are of lesser quality), I am astonished at how well it performs, and it makes me wish that this was a formula that Kat Von D kept.

What I'm Not Buying: Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette

Huda Beaty is releasing another warm-toned eyeshadow palette. 

And I won't be buying. 

I think I may have had a perspective shift. As some of you know, I have been in recovery for the majority of the summer from two back-to-back major surgeries. And during that time, I haven't physically been able to apply makeup. I've seen the collection of makeup that I have sit, unused, and also seen the flood of new releases and teasers for holiday collections. 

And I've realized something. I have, basically, every single color I can possible think of in eyeshadow form. I have every shade of neutrals, berries, plums, greens, brights, glitters, duochromes, etc. And the thing I keep saying about all these new releases is that I don't see any innovation. I just see the same things being recycled over and over again. 

But I don't know if a brand could come out with anything at this point that I don't already have. Or that the majority of us have. The only difference is how a brand chooses to arrange the colors, the formula, and the packaging. But for the most part, you basically have your pick of the type of product you're looking for from most brands. 

And that is exactly how I feel about the Desert Dusk palette:

Now, I will admit that this is a gorgeous selection of colors. You've got gold, bronze, purple, orange, berry, red, brown, etc. But when I first saw this palette, I didn't even feel a little excited. And that's because it just looks like so many palettes. 

Like Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts:

And Lorac Unzipped Desert Sunset:

And Kylie Cosmetics Burgundy: 

And Makeup Geek X MannyMUA:

And Urban Decay After Dark:

And Too Faced Glitter Bomb:

And Jaclyn Hill X Morphe:

I think the most interesting shade in this palette is Twilight, which appears to be a purple/blue duochrome. And I'm sure a lot of people will buy this palette because they are drawn to that color (and maybe the berry/purple shades next to it) and will justify the purchase because they know they will get use out of all the other shades. And the reason they know they will get use out of these shades is because they already have those kinds of shades. 

But really, Twilight looks just like Urban Decay Tonic:

And for a significantly cheaper option, it looks just like Makeup Geek Blacklight:

I have Blacklight, and recently made a quad with it and some other shadows. And the shadow I've paired next to Blacklight in this quad (Colourpop 143) looks just like Amethyst from Desert Dusk:

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but it really just makes so much more sense to buy the one or two interesting colors you're most drawn to rather than an entire palette. And if Twilight and Amethyst were the shades you were most into, you can buy two singles for about $10 and add them to the other colors in your collection. 

I should also add that I am skeptical of the quality of this palette. When the first Huda palette released last year, it was met with some pretty mixed reviews. Huda palettes tout having several different "textures," which is just another word for finish. The finishes in the Desert Dusk palette look to be matte, shimmer, and glitter. Glitter shadows are incredibly difficult to do well. They tend to be gritty, chunky, difficult to apply, and prone to fallout. But glitter eyeshadows look incredible in the pan and in promotional photos, and so people are drawn to them. And if you take out the glitter shadows from this palette, all you are left with are neutral warm matte colors that every person likely has in spades in their collection. 

This palette costs a whopping $65, and that is not including shipping or taxes. That is quite high for a palette, especially if it doesn't perform well, and even moreso if you have all those colors already.

I feel as though we are at a peak of oversaturation at the moment. We are oversaturated with brands, products, and even "influencers." We are so trained to look beyond what we currently have and focus—constantly—on what's coming next. And at times I think we don't even realize when "what's coming next" is what we already have, just slightly repackaged. These products cost a lot of money, and I feel the overwhelming attitude is that they should be disposable, used for a couple of weeks, and then forgotten when the next thing comes out. The fact that there were two palettes released within weeks of each other with the same theme, colors, and basically the same name (Lorac Desert Sunset; Huda Desert Dusk) perfectly captures the oversaturation. 

And to just speak about this a bit more, I remember when the Urban Decay Naked palette came out. I was in Sephora, and it had just launched. It wasn't hyped (there hadn't been time to hype it), and I remember being so enthralled by it. I had maybe eight eyeshadows at the time (all MAC singles), and I remembered thinking I would never need to buy another eyeshadow if I just got this one palette. But that also my entire collection of eyeshadows would more than double with this one purchase. It was such a great value, I thought. So, I bought it. 

And after that, I feel like palettes just completely exploded. And I was always caught in that same mentality of "this is a great value." 

But the issue was that I hardly ever used the Naked palette. I used those MAC singles so much more. And it was because I had picked them out myself. And it has taken me years to get back to the point I started from to see that palettes are actually the opposite of a great value. They make you buy colors you already have or colors that you would never buy or use. If people had collections of singles and just bought the one or two interesting colors that attract them to palettes, they would spend less money overall than buying the palette itself. But people get so caught up in the idea of what that same palette would cost if you bought the colors individually—even though you would never buy those colors individually. 

And so when I look at Desert Dusk, I just see Queen of Hearts and Shade and Light Eye and Modern Renaissance and all the palettes I listed above. (Out of all of them, my personal recommendation would be Queen of Hearts, especially since this is now a permanent item.) I see a really beautiful selection of colors, and that's not all that surprising considering the theme: a desert sunset. I'm originally from the desert and miss those vibrant sunsets terribly. The color scheme really is gorgeous, but that doesn't mean that I need to buy all these colors that I already own. 

Huda Beauty is a relatively new company, and Desert Dusk is their second eyeshadow palette. So, they aren't like a brand like Too Faced that releases a new half-assed palette every couple months and is happy to oversaturate the market with crappy products. But still. It's hard to be a brand in a market this saturated and come out with something that truly feels special. Despite missing my desert sunsets, I just don't need this palette as it would add nothing to my collection other than bulk and clutter. So I won't be buying.