I purchased this palette because I have learned that I love warm, bronzy shades on my blue to blue-green eyes. I am very glad that I used my Ultamate rewards points to get almost $20 off this palette rather than paying full price. I am disappointed in the quality of these shadows, and compared to my other $36-50 dollar palettes from other brands, this one should be priced more in the $10-15 dollar range.
In the pan, the shades of the Naked original palette look perfect for this use. On the eye, I have had difficulty getting the shades to show up. I have used this product with several different primers: MAC paint pot, Lorac Pro primer, Wet n Wild Fergie primer (my favorite for all other shadows), and Nyx jumbo eye pencil in Milk. Of all of them, the Nyx eye pencil achieved the best color payoff. However, none of the combinations tried have lasted even through a short 5 hr workday. I have not had any creasing, but the color just fades away to the point of having no shadow on by 2:00.
The colors of the shadows are very pretty, but the amount of shimmer does detract from them, because the eye sees mostly just shiny lids rather than beautifully blended colors. This is why the colors look better in the pan than on the skin, where the sheen overtakes the look.
There is a lot of fallout with these shadows. I don't mind pigment fallout, which can be cleaned up easily, but the glitter that dusts my cheeks and temples is difficult to remove. As a professional who aims for a polished look, I do not want glitter on my face as I am seeing patients.
Overall, I continue to experiment with this palette to make it more wearable. Tips I have learned so far:
1) apply the mid tone shades to the lid with a finger rather than a brush to get better color payoff and less fallout. I don't like doing this, because I feel that the oils from my fingers will eventually cause the shadows to harden, but I have not been able to achieve similar color payoff with any of the brushes I have tried so far (flat shaders, medium shaders, fluffy blenders).
2) These shadows are better suited for a more simple look than a multi-hued nuanced look, as the shimmer/glitter overpowers nuances.
3) As the matte shades are neutral to slightly cool-neutral browns, I quickly end up with a bruised look using just these for my crease and transition. The overall look is much better on my skin tone when I reach for a warmer crease and transition shade to mix with this palette, making the entire thing more wearable.
4) speaking of wearable, if you are going for a more mature, professional look, I recommend reaching outside this palette for a matte highlight. The Virgin shade of this palette does have its uses, but to me it feels a little drag queen to shimmer from lashline to brows, especially for day. I like precise use of shimmer best, so I don't recommend Virgin as the go-to highlight.
5) The Physician's Formula matte quad Classic Nudes complements the palette perfectly. This drug-store brand eyeshadow does last longer on the eye than the UD Naked shadows, so blend well or you will look weird 4-5 hr in. This quad gives a matte highlight for brow and blending out transition shade, as well as 2 warmer crease/transition tones that I prefer over Buck and Naked.
6) If you are used to other high end shadows, adjust your expectations for this palette. I have figured out how to get the looks I want with the impact I want after much trial and error, but I still have not been able to get these shadows to last even until the afternoon. I will try at least 2 more primers (UD Primer Potion and TF Shadow Insurance) and see what I get on longevity, will update if I find any improvement.
This is my first Urban Decay eyeshadow product. I love their Naked foundation, but this eyeshadow just cannot hold a candle to other shadows that I love. If you want blendable, versatile, long-lasting shadows, I recommend other palettes over this one.
