Product Review -- Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette

I've had my eye on the Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette for quite a while.

But I talked myself out of it for a long time because it's not like the shades in the palette are particularly unique -- though they are stunning, which was what had me so torn.

Well, that and the fact that I saw so many positive reviews for it that made me think I was really missing out.

So I eventually caved during the holiday season when I was shopping for others and decided I should treat myself to a gift too.

Fortunately, I don't regret the purchase in the least.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Naked Cherry and Elements Eyeshadow Palettes

Like many makeup lovers, the news that Urban Decay was retiring the original Naked Palette left me feeling strangely emotional.

I remember how much trouble I went to get that palette, how excited I was to play with it, how it seemed to start the whole natural/neutral palette trend back in the day. I've used it a ton over the years to the point where I'd hit pan on a few of the shades (and yes, I took advantage of all discounted pricing after its retirement was announced to buy a brand spanking new one).

To drown my sorrows over the news, I bought a couple of new Urban Decay palettes -- the Naked Cherry Palette from the Naked line and the Elements Palette.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Backtalk Eye and Face Palette

From the moment that I first saw promo photos of the Urban Decay Backtalk Eye and Face Palette, I knew I had to have it.

Peachy eye shadow tones are probably my favorite makeup item, but rose and mauve shadows are a close second -- the Backtalk Palette is full of nude mauve, berry, and rose shadows, and even includes some matching blushes and highlighters.

It's practically a dream come true.

So I ordered it pretty much the first moment it was available. I just couldn't help myself, and I have very little patience when it comes to new makeup items.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Distortion Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay always seems to be coming out with a new eyeshadow palette.

I'm a fan, so I pick up many of them -- and I don't ever really find fault with the shadow formula. Urban Decay makes some pretty great matte, shimmer, glitter, and satin shadows, and I feel like the brand is often trying to do something new and different.

The Distortion Eyeshadow Palette definitely falls into that category.

It contains 10 regular eyeshadows and five "transformer" shades that are meant for layering over the other shadows to change their look.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Heavy Metals Metallic Eyeshadow Palette

Metallic and shimmery/glittery eyeshadow palettes seem to be all the rage this holiday season.

I'm not really complaining, though I prefer metallic shadows to glittery ones personally.

(I just find that glitter shadows take a little more work to use, but maybe that speaks to my lack of patience more than anything else.)

The Urban Decay Heavy Metals Metallic Eyeshadow Palette was at the top of my must-have list, though, because I loved that it offered both natural tones, which I personally get more use out of, and fun, bright shades, which I like to play with when the mood strikes.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette

I'm not going to be coy about this -- I am pretty much head over heels in love with the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette.

So if you're looking for a post that talks you out of buying it, you're probably going to want to skip this one.

I know that there's been a lot of hype surrounding this, and warm, reddish-toned shadow palettes are really nothing new, but this one delivers in a pretty big way -- and is so beautiful that there was no way I could resist it.

It's definitely my favorite addition to the Naked collection since the Naked 2 Palette (and that's saying something because I've liked pretty much all of the Naked Palettes...)

Product Review -- Urban Decay Afterdark Palette

I usually enjoy Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes because they often contains shades that are at least a little bit outside my comfort zone.

That's always a good way to ensure that I don't wind up in a makeup rut.

So while I'm always interested in new Urban Decay releases, I was particularly excited by the Afterdark Palette.

It's an entire palette full of rich jewel tone shadows in metallic and shimmery finishes. 

What's not to love?

Product Review -- Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette

Usually at the holidays, Urban Decay puts out a new Vice Palette.

This year, they decided to do a variation on their matte Naked Basics Palettes with the Naked Ultimate Basics.

At this point, I'm nearly drowning in matte shadow palettes, but I still couldn't resist picking this one up too because the original Naked Basics Palette and the Naked Basics 2 Palette are some of my favorites.

Unlike those palettes, which contain six shadows each, the Naked Ultimate Basics features 12 shadows so if you don't own any matte shadow palettes, it's got all of your basics covered for sure.

Product Review -- NYC LOVATICS by Demi Eyeshadow Palette

The original Urban Decay Naked Palette has been out for several years now, and in that time, everyone and their mother has tried to dupe it.

I've tried plenty of budget-friendly attempts at duplicating the color shade and performance of the Naked Palette, but it's not only recently that I've found one that really delivers.

It may sound like an overstatement, but it's seriously impossible to imagine a palette that mimics the Naked shades, offers quality shadows, and is a better value that the NYC LOVATICS by Demi Palette in Natural (as far as I can tell, this is the only shade range that the palette's available in at the moment).

Because this little baby is only $4.99 -- and has some of the best quality eye shadows that I've found in a drugstore palette in years.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Urban Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

With so many nude, neutral, or natural palettes on the market these days, it's kind of refreshing when a collection of shadows comes out that actually features bolder, brighter hues.

And I say that as someone who doesn't really rock colorful looks all that often (with my incredibly pale skin, the look is usually more clown-like than fierce).

It's just nice to have some options.

So when I had a Sephora gift card that needed spending, I decided to go a little outside my usual box and pick up the Urban Decay Urban Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette.

While most of UD's palettes seem to contain a mix of natural and brighter tones, the Urban Spectrum Palette really only has four natural/neutral shades -- but it's such a gorgeous collection of colors that I think it'll appeal to plenty of people.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

I've mentioned before that I've been obsessed with blush palettes recently.

I mean, I've always liked blush, but there's something about having several pretty shades all in one convenient place that just really makes me happy these days.

So as much as I told myself that I didn't need the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette (I already have 101 blush shades ... could there really be any unique shade in this one?), I wound up caving. 

Because I absolutely love the UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette, and the blush version has the same sturdy plastic packaging with the cool black-and-white cutout design under clear plastic for a polka dot effect and gold accents, including an antiqued metal label with the palette name.

In other words, it's totally the kind of palette that looks fabulous sitting out on your vanity.

Review -- Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

(My apologies for disappearing for the past week or so. I've gotten caught up in holiday-related craziness. 

To make up for my absence, I'm going to try to have reviews up everyday this week for some of the more exciting palettes that are available at the moment  -- so if you've got some last minute holiday shopping to do or you're putting the finishing touches on your own wishlist, hopefully you get some ideas.)

Right off the bat, I have to confess that I've always been a pretty big No Doubt fan.

Back in the day, I had all of their albums and could recite pretty much all of their lyrics from memory. Even today, I have "Just a Girl" and "Spiderwebs" on one of my favorite playlists for running.

And while Gwen Stefani's style is not really something that would ever really work for me, I've always admired it.

So when I heard that she was working on a palette with Urban Decay, I knew I was going to buy it.

It didn't even matter what it looked it -- it was going to be mine.

And I've got to say, I'm totally in love with the UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette. I've used it almost exclusively from the day I got it.

Product Review -- Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

I was going to be good, I swear.

I told myself over and over that I really didn't need -- hell, that I didn't even *want* it.

But then I saw a photo of the shades and there were one two many that pushed my buttons and I caved.

So yeah, I bought the Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette.

It would be really hard to top the Vice 3 in my mind, because there were just so many pretty warm burgundy/red/plum shades that I love for fall in it, but I was hoping that the Vice 4 would.

Right off the bat, it scores brownie points with me -- that's because it's actually the slimmest of all the Vice Palettes. Now, don't get me wrong -- I love impressive packaging, but if it's bulky and hard to store, it can lose its appeal very quickly.

Review -- Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

When I heard that Urban Decay was coming out with a new Naked Palette, I told myself I wasn't going to rush out to buy it.

I lasted an entire week before breaking down and ordering it.

That's something, right?

My initial reluctance to buy it was due to the fact that it's the Naked Smoky Palette -- because while I love a good smoky eye, I have very specific requirements for the smoky looks I like on myself so I'm usually better off putting together my own looks than buying generic 'smoky' palettes.

That's because I have super fair skin so I prefer warm, bronze-y smoky looks on me over traditional black, gray, navy, etc., smoky eyes.

(Which is not to say that fair-skinned folks can't rock those kinds of looks. I see lovely examples of it on YouTube and Instagram all the time. It just requires a skill that I don't have ... or maybe it's just that I'm too lazy to put the work in. One or the other.)

The Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette falls more in line with the traditional idea of the smoky eye, so if that's your thing, I think you'll definitely enjoy this palette.

Review -- Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette

I'm a pretty big fan of Urban Decay's Naked line of products.

I have all of the eye shadow palettes, the foundation, and one of the Flushed blush/bronzer palettes -- and they're all very nice. The Naked shadow palettes are probably some of the most used in my collection, actually.

So when the Naked On The Run Palette came out, I was seriously tempted to pick it up.

But then, I told myself that I have enough palettes that I like well enough for traveling -- which is supposed to be the main selling point of the palette; it's got everything you need to take "on the run." -- so I talked myself out of it.

Until I got some gift cards for the holidays and a coupon code for my birthday from Ulta and I figured why not.

Review -- Coastal Scents Revealed and Revealed 2 Palettes

Back in the day, I bought quite a few products from Coastal Scents.

You know, those 28-pan neutral palettes or 88-pan shimmer palettes that are so great for expanding a makeup collection on a budget.

But they aren't exclusive to Coastal Scents -- you can get similar palettes from BH Cosmetics, eBay, Amazon, and other sites.

Since then, Coastal Scents has started to put out their own products but I hadn't gotten around to giving them a try.

But I'd heard such good things about the Revealed and Revealed 2 Palettes that when Coastal Scents had a 50% off sale for Black Friday, I had to give them a go.

And I'm not disappointed in the slightest.

Review -- Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette

I admitted in my last post that I'm an eye shadow palette addict.

I am particularly bad when it comes to limited edition items.

In all honesty, though, that doesn't just apply to palettes. As soon as you tell me something's only available for a limited time, I panic and make rash decisions about whether I need it or not.

In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes.

I'm sure fellow makeup collectors understand.

That's what happened with the Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette.

Review -- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eye Shadow Palette

I always used to think that I hated matte eye shadows.

That's probably because I thought that they were boring or had used too many that were chalky and hard to blend.

In recent years, though, I've bought so many matte-only palettes that I absolutely love and find myself reaching for on the regular.

Of the five or so that I have, the Urban Decay Naked Basics is probably the one that I'd recommend first -- it's a nice compact little palette, with a reasonable price tag as far as high-end products go, and six basic shades that everyone probably needs.

The shadow formula is also top-notch -- smooth, creamy, and easy to blend.

I use at least one shade from it on a near daily basis.

Of course, because the original Naked Basics Palette was so successful, Urban Decay decided to come out with a second one, the Naked 2 Basics Palette -- and of course, I had to have it.

Review -- Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil

I don't mind having to use multiple makeup products.

I like to take my time when I'm doing my makeup -- most days, it's the only time I have to sort of shut off my brain and just relax -- so it doesn't really matter if it takes 3 or 13 steps.

But there are definitely times when I'm in a rush or just not feeling all that great and I want to get through my makeup as quickly as possible.

One step that always seems to trip me up on those days is concealing.

That's because when I find a concealer that's hydrating, brightening, and lightweight enough for under the eyes, it doesn't cover acne, scars, and other discolorations on the rest of my face.

Or I find a heavy duty concealer that's got enough coverage to hide my breakouts, but it's way too cakey to put under my eyes without worries of it creasing withing minutes.

So that's why I usually wind up using two different concealers -- one under the eyes and one on the rest of my face.

Now, it's certainly not a big deal but it would be really nice to have one concealer that I could throw on everywhere and be done with it.

It seems like Urban Decay has answered my prayers because their 24/7 Concealer Pencil is just the kind of versatile concealer that I've been looking for.

As its name implies, it comes in a pencil form, but it's a thicker pencil so a couple of quick swipes beneath the eyes and dots on redness or dark spots and you're covered.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA

I've tried pencil concealers before and I always found them to be either too creamy (so they disappear as soon as you try to blend them in) or too dry (so you can't blend them in at all).

As Goldilocks would say, the 24/7 is just right.

It's creamy enough to easily blend under the eyes, but it doesn't disappear when I blend into other spots on my face. The consistency is great too -- it's lightweight so it doesn't crease under the eyes, but there's still enough coverage to hide most blemishes.

It comes in 8 shades, and if you're super fair like I am, you'll be happy to hear that the lightest shade, CIA, works perfectly with my pale skin.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA

The one thing I don't love about the 24/7 Concealer Pencil is that it has to be sharpened -- and you need a sharpener that can handle thicker type pencils. The Urban Decay Grindhouse is perfect for it, but if you don't have that sharpener, you might have to purchase a new one to accommodate the pencil.

Otherwise, I wholeheartedly recommend the concealer -- to pretty much all skin types too.

The pencil retails for $19 at the Urban Decay website, Sephora, Ulta, and anywhere else where you can buy Urban Decay.

Have you tried the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil? Are you a fan? What's your favorite concealer for using under your eyes *and* on the rest of your face?

Review -- Urban Decay Naked Flushed in Native

When Urban Decay came out with their Naked Flushed Palette a year or so ago, I was intrigued.

I liked the idea of having a bronzer, highlighter, and blush all in one convenient compact.

But then I read some blog reviews and saw some swatches online and I got the impression that the original palette was a little too dark for my super fair skin so I couldn't justify paying $30 for a product that I wouldn't use all that often.

So I was really happy when Urban Decay came out with three additional color schemes in the Naked Flushed line -- and the palette in Native looked like it would be a good match for pale-skinned folks like me.