Urban Decay Vice Palette "Chaos" Look

Without a doubt, Chaos is the standout shade from Urban Decay's Vice Palette, so I really wanted to challenge myself to use it for a day look.  I got so many compliments on this look it was insane, especially since I only went to get my blood taken and to the gas station.  It's something about this kind of electric blue that demands attention.  List of products after the jump!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Swatches & My New Favorite Crease Shade!

I debated on posting about Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette because I'm aware that I'm quite late to the party.  But there's one shade in this thing that is approaching HG status for me and so I had to rave about it!

Urban Decay Vice Palette Review & Swatches!

The Vice Palette from Urban Decay is the first thing I've bought from the brand since that whole China animal testing debacle.  Not only was I still a little testy about the whole thing even though they apologized and changed their minds, I wasn't really interested in the new products they were pushing out.  But I just couldn't resist the 2 selling points of Vice:  1) 20 shadows and 2) all completely new shades!

I've Been Going Naked A Lot Lately!

As it eventually goes with most of the products in my arsenal, my UD Naked palette has been collecting some dust lately.  However, as I've been in a rush to get out of the house this past month, I've found myself grabbing for it's neutral versatility.  I don't have time to try to figure out what shadow will best complement my outfit for the day so Naked has been a good friend lately.

This look is complement of just 3 shades from the palette:

• Half Baked all over the lid and in the inner corner
• Smog on the outer half of the lid and along the bottom lash line
• Darkhorse in the outer V

Easiet look in the world and it goes with everything!  I'm sure a lot of you have done this look before as well.  It's my favorite no-brainer, go-to shadow look :)

HOLY CRAP!!! Urban Decay Changes Their Mind About China!!

Just wanted to drop a quick note to you guys that Phyrra just reported that Urban Decay has decided against selling their products in China!!!!!!!!!


If you remember my post a while back, or have read any of the other rants that have been springing up you know that a lot of people, including myself, have been pissed at Urban Decay deciding to sell in China due to China's animal testing requirements.  The biggest problem I had personally was that the company had so long used their cruelty-free status as a selling point and had then decided to do something that seemingly went so against their principles.


I'm very happy to see that they've decided to change their mind about this.  It takes some balls (and/or a giant potential for profit loss) for a company as big as Urban Decay to say they were wrong and correct the situation.  I'm still a bit tiffed about how their PR handled the aftermath of their decisions, but at least I don't feel bad about using their products anymore :)


Read their official statement on not selling in China on their website here!

Beach Ready with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Shadow Pencils

As mentioned last week, despite my disagreement with Urban Decay's recent business practices, I will proceed with my current planned line-up of UD product reviews because I recognize that some of my readers may still like to read them.  So I will start these reviews with the 24/7 Glide-on Shadow Pencils!

This Whole Urban Decay "Cruelty-Free No More" Debacle....

I'm not going to go into this extra long tirade about this topic that I'm sure 99% of you have already read about on other blogs and YouTube videos.  I do want to share some quick notes about it though because this will be minimally effecting my blog.

The Best and The Rest: May 2012

It's that time again!  Check out my May 2012 favorites (and a couple not-so-faves) after the jump!  And just a note, aside from 2 or 3 of these products, I haven't reviewed most of these yet but you can bet you'll see these popping up in posts very soon so this is also kind of serving as a preview post too. 

How I Rocked Woodstock with the Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette

The Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette was the company's summer palette last year and when it went on sale around the holidays I added it to my Christmas List since I have a well established compulsion to BUY ALL THE URBAN DECAY PALETTES!!!!  I've had the palette since then and sadly I haven't really touched it.  I mean, what the hell am I going to do with a bright ass pink shadow, I would ask myself, let alone the shades all having shimmer in them.  So a few days ago I made myself sit down and figure out how to incorporate all 4 Rollergirl shades into one look and still be able to walk out of the house.  To see what I came up with, take the jump!

Some Quick Swatches of Urban Decay's 15th Anniversary Palette!

When Urban Decay's 15th Anniversary Palette first came out for some reason I wasn't interested.  Of course when it became unavailable I decided I just had to have it and as luck would have it, Sephora brought it back in stock so I jumped at the chance.  Just like theBalm's Nude Tude palette, I'm not going to give a formal review, just a quick batch of swatches for you since this product has been out on the market for a while and I'm sure you've read plenty of reviews already.  In a later post, I will also do a comparison of these shades and other UD shadows in case you're wondering if the palette is worth the purchase if you're like me and already have a ton of other UD palettes already.  So without further adieu...take the jump for more swatches!

Bloodshot Eye Makeup

So I finally figured out a way to use that red shade in the Sleek Me, Myself, & Eye palette.  I've been staring at it since I got it, so excited to try it yet unsure about how to go about wearing it.  Then I took a cue from Marilyn Monroe.  She used to take a red lip liner and draw an almost undetectable small red dot in her very inner corner to make her eyes appear whiter.  So I thought, maybe I could use the red shadow as an inner corner highlight?  For some reason the combo of the red shadow and purple liner reminds me of superhero comic books.  Don't know why, it just does.  This is also the first look I've done with as strong a brow as pictured here, and I think I like it!  I've been doing my brows similarly ever since.  List of products used after the jump!

Urban Decay Naked vs theBalm Nude'tude: Do You Really Need Both?

Firstly, let me apologize for the delay for this post.  I promised it would be out yesterday, but my internet was going in out all day and I couldn't get it done.  But now I've finally finished my comprehensive comparison of the Urban Decay Naked palette and theBalm Nude'tude palette!  This post is NOT to say which one is better or worse, as I personally love them both and don't think there's a problem, for me anyway, in owning them both.  But I realize some of you may already have one or the other and are weighing whether or not you want or need to shell out the cash for the second.  So hopefully this can help you in your decision.  Just a warning, this post is pretty pic heavy.

FOTD: Pacific Pop

I'm always looking for new ways to get that fun pop of color without looking like a rainbow so this is what I came up with today.  It's a nice sea-bright teal shining through the crease over top an ivory peach lid.  When I have my eyes open I have a gorgeous halo of what reminded me of the pacific ocean.   List of products after the jump!

FOTD: Tarnished

Today's FOTD is done using all Urban Decay Shadows and a few Too Faced.  I was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest, (which by the way is the most addictive thing ever), that had a bronzey look with a mossy green touch.  I just put a more golden tinge to it though. 

My Go-To Going-Out Look

There are days when I know that I'm going to be doing something other than just work, lying around the house, or just going to the store.  I just don't know at the time what that's going to be.  My friends and I are pretty spontaneous so there have been many occasions when, at the last minute, we decide we're going to a movie, a restaurant, or a bar.  For times like these when I have no idea what to expect from an excursion, this look is what I go for.  It's fairly simple and neutral so it will go with whatever I wear.  Also, it's just dramatic enough to be appropriate for various night activities but light enough to be worn during the day.  List of products after the jump!

Urban Decay Vegan Palette Look (E.L.F. Teal Tease Remix)

This look was originally done by Urban Decay to promote their release of their Vegan palette.  I love the original look that they created, but I also thought it was a great opportunity to showcase E.L.F.'s Studio Cream Liner in Teal Tease, as I got many questions on how to go about wearing such a bright colorful liner.  This is obviously a  more dramatic (but very simple) approach, but I will be doing a more wearable look to show how to use colorful liner for everyday life.  Read on for list of products, tips, and the inspiration picture from Urban Decay!

Revlon 16 Hour Shadow Quad Comparisons

Yesterday in my Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Shadow Quad Review in Precocious, I promised a post comparing shadows that I already have with the shadows in the Revlon quad, so here it is.  As noted in the review, I wasn't too impressed with this quad in particular, but if you're looking for some dupes or similar shades of shadows from brands like Urban Decay, you might be really happy to get this quad.  Read on for shadow comparisons and swatches (Warning, a little pic heavy)!

Easy on the Eyes: Last Minute Party Makeup

FACT:  this post was supposed to be up early New Year's Eve Day, but I ended up running a lot of errands and making dinner for my family last night so I just didn't get around to it.  However, I think this can apply to many different occasions.  This is my go-to look whenever I originally have no plans for the night but change my mind or get asked out at the last minute.  Typically, I spend a larger amount of time on "going out, dance my ass off makeup" than I do for daytime looks because 1) it has to be built to last since I party like a rockstar lol and 2) I prefer to go all out on the drama since I can't do it during the day.  But when I'm going out at the last minute, I don't necessarily have the time.  This eye look gives me the ease and quickness I need to get out the door while still packing heat with shimmery/smoky drama.  And as an added plus, it's neutral enough to pair with any bright lip you want to do (or natural/nude lip if you prefer).  Read on for more pics, tips, and list of products!

Sephora V.I.B. Sale Part 1: Urban Decay

So here is Part 1 of the promised pics/swatches/first impressions of the products I received from last weekend's V.I.B. sale.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna lose my V.I.B. status after this year is over, so this could be the last perk I get for a while :(.  Oh well, I'll have to do some hardcore shopping in 2012 lol.  Anyway...on to the makeup:

Urban Decay Mariposa Palette

UD Mariposa Swatches L-R:  Top:  Rockstar, Gunmetal, Skimp, Infamous,
Wreckage/Bottom:  Haight, Money, Mushroom, Spotlight, Limelight

Not sure how I feel about the UD Mariposa Palette yet.  On one hand, I was UBER-excited to finally get a palette from Urban Decay that didn't have even one of their famous fallout-from-hell shadows (*cough* maui wowie/chopper/snatch *cough*).  All the shadows in this palette are just shimmer/satin finishes that will give your lids the sparkle they crave without giving your undereyes the disco ball makeover they hate.  I was also happy to get a palette that didn't include Smog for once.  I have 4 other palettes from Urban decay and the ALL have Smog which, don't get me wrong, is a very nice color.  But at this point there so much Smog in my collection that I'm starting to choke on it.  However, on the other hand, some of these shadows lack the pigmentation and smooth texture I've come to count on from UD.  Infamous in particular was lacking saturation, as it took multiple swipes to get a good swatch, while I found the texture of Spotlight to be a little on the chunky side.  Only time will tell if this guy ends up on my 'Much Devoured' or 'Much Neglected' list, but I can tell you that Skimp and Money is SCREAMING my name.

Urban Decay 24/7 Travel Size Set - Electric

Sephora V.I.B. 20% Off Sale Haul Preview

After ping-ponging back and forth during the Sephora Family & Friend's Sale, (trying to figure out what to get instead of the out-of-stock Tarte LipSurgence Set, grrrr!), I finally decided to give up and wait for the upcoming V.I.B. sale to take advantage of.  I was hoping the Tarte set would be in stock by then but, alas, it wasn't meant to be I guess.  However I did snatch up some goodies that I'm currently swatching for you :)  Joining my overpopulated vanity are:

• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Travel Size Set - Electric
• Urban Decay Mariposa Palette
• Nails, Inc. Kensington Caviar Top Coat
• Nails, Inc. Magnetic Polish - Houses of Parliament
• Buxom Lash Hurrah Set - Full Size Buxom Lash & Mini Amplified Lash Mascara
• Sephora False Lashes - Elegant
• Deluxe Sample of KP Duty Moisturizing Therapy

So did you take advantage of any of Sephora's sales?  Family/Friends or V.I.B.?