Urban Decay Full Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette Review With Swatches

Colourful eye make up is one of my favourite vices in life, and it has been almost from the moment I began wearing make up aged eleven. While most people favour neutral shades like taupe, tan, and chocolate, I prefer and feel most comfortable wearing colourful make up, and love to wear the whole rainbow. Greens, yellows, purples... the more colourful the better!

So, naturally, when I first saw photos of the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette ahead of its release late last Autumn, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets with excitement. I knew I had to have it, so I stalked the Internet until it became available, and snapped one up the morning it went on sale. There was no way I was risking missing out on it by biding my time, especially as I'd missed out on the Spectrum palette the year before, no siree. I couldn't check out fast enough. I'm glad to say, when it arrived a few days later, the love was instantaneous, and we both lived happily ever after. I've been meaning to blog a review of the palette ever since, but for some reason it's taken until now to put finger to key. Better late than never, though, right?

So, the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette is Urban Decay's biggest, and most colourful eyeshadow palette yet, and it's the palette my rainbow-coloured dreams are made of. It features twenty-one eyeshadow shades covering the whole spectrum of the rainbow, from bold brights to matte white, bringing you all the colour options you could possibly need in one handy monochrome palette. It's quite simply a colour addict's dream.

The palette includes eighteen new shades, and three exclusives that have appeared in previous palettes, Alchemy from Vice 3, and Hatter and Metamorphosis from the Alice Through The Looking Glass palette, giving Urban Decay fans plenty of new shades to play with, and another chance to own some exclusives you may have missed out on first time around. I was so excited to see Hatter was included in Full Spectrum because I never managed to get my hands on the Looking Glass palette, but had been admiring that gorgeous vibrant green shadow from afar for ages; it's so beautiful and definitely one of my favourites of the twenty-one. Alchemy has become another firm favourite, so I'm happy to have a few recycled shades amongst the eighteen brand new colours. The eyeshadows also come in a variety of finishes, including mattes, shimmers, pearls, and metallics, and with so much variety, you're never going to run out of options with Full Spectrum.

The eyeshadows are conveniently arranged in a rainbow of ombré trios which are designed to be worn together for flawless results, so if you usually have difficulty pairing shadows together, you'll find colour-matching shades a breeze with this palette.

Of course, you aren't limited to wearing the same seven trios; you could wear a single shadow for a bold pop of colour, choose colours from one of the three colour groups, or mix and match to your heart's delight. You could even layer the white shadow under the other shades to make the colours even more vibrant! The possibilities are endless. Really, you're only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment.

The shades included in the set are:

♥ Alchemy- a deep fuchsia satin.

♥ Gossip- a bright metallic pink with subtle floating pearl.

♥ Paranoia- a soft metallic blue-pink.

♥ Warning- a deep metallic copper.

♥ Seize- a bright metallic coral with subtle floating pearl.

♥ Jones- a metallic orange with subtle floating pearl.

♥ Midnight Blaze- a black matte with yellow-gold pearl.

♥ Calavera- a bright yellow matte with subtle floating pearl.

♥ Goldmine- a metallic yellow-gold.

♥ Hundred- a deep metallic forest-green.

♥ Hatter- a vibrant green with tonal micro-sparkle.

♥ Mean- a bright metallic lime green.

♥ Minx- a deep navy matte with floating tonal pearl.

♥ Blindsided- a bright teal blue matte with floating pearl.

♥ Metamorphosis- a vibrant periwinkle blue with micro-sparkle.

♥ Delirious- a deep plum matte with subtle floating pearl.

♥ Sketch- a metallic medium purple.

♥ Faded- a lavender with gold shimmer.

♥ Platonic- a black matte with iridescent glitter.

♥ Iced- an oyster silver with shimmer.

♥ Bump- a white matte.

I've swatched all twenty-one shades on the underside of my arm in palette order to show you how gorgeous, vibrant, and well pigmented they look on the skin.

Top Row

Middle Row

Bottom Row

It's difficult to choose favourites because they're all so beautiful, but right now I think I'm leaning towards Mean, Hatter, Goldmine, Gossip, and Seize. The shades are all to die for! Evidently, I love a good metallic. There isn't a shade I don't love in the palette, although Bump, the matte white, and Iced, the oyster silver, get a little lost on my super pale skin, and are best layered over other colours, or for highlighting the inner sockets.

Now, you may be looking at this palette feeling a little intimidated by all of that colour, but this palette really isn't as loud and as scary as it may look. Yes, it is a very colourful collection of eyeshadows, but only a handful of them are bold brights- the ones in the middle row- and they can be toned down with a blending brush, or used sparingly if you prefer. The shadows along the top are darker, smokey shades that could be a fun alternative to a black or navy smokey eye, and the eyeshadows in the bottom row are a little softer, and a little more subtle than those in the row above. You can create all kinds of look with this palette, and not just 'scary' rainbow bright ones; it's a surprisingly versatile palette. You can always start by experimenting with the softer and darker shades and work up to those striking brights once you're built up your confidence. For those of you who are already confident with colour, just you try to resist those brights! I promise you, it can't be done! This is the make up equivalent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory!

Each eyeshadow in the palette is infused with Urban Decay's Pigment Infusion System, which is the propriety blend of ingredients which gives each Urban Decay eyeshadow its amazing velvety texture, rich colour, serious staying power, and blendability. It certainly delivers what it promises; the eyeshadows are highly pigmented with fantastic colour pay-off, so you only need to use a little product to get gorgeous, vibrant results that stand out on the skin and make your eyes pop. Most of the shades aren't quite as bold as those in the Electric palette, but they're still more vivid than most. The shadows have a wonderfully thick formula that really do feel like velvet on the skin, and as usual, the quality is amazing. There's none of that chalkiness you often get with colourful eyeshadows, with the exception of the white shadow 'Bump', which I find a little crumblier. 

I have to say, I'm so impressed with the results I get from these eyeshadows. They're vibrant, they blend so beautifully, and they even last a good eight or nine hours on my skin without sliding off and needing retouching- which is pretty darn impressive because I'm constantly overheated thanks to fibromyalgia, and most make up slides off my face when I overheat.

They also come off easily with both cleansing wipes and micellar water, although a couple of the brights, including Blindsided and Sketch, leave some staining on the skin that can take a day or so to fade. I'd advise wearing a good primer underneath, and perhaps avoiding these shades a couple of days before an important event or if you want to brave the world fresh-faced the next day.

Moving on to the packaging, the eyeshadows are packaged in a large, hard black plastic case with tonal spectrum-like lines running from left to right on the top and sides of the palette, with a statement rainbow faceted UD jewel embellishing the top. While the case is heavy and sturdy, I personally think it looks and feels rather cheap, and doesn't follow the same quality and tastefullness as other Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes. I know some beauty bloggers have been raving about how much they love it, but the packaging for Full Spectrum just doesn't wow me. It also scratches really easily, as you can see by all the tiny white dust-like marks around the branding.

Once I open the lid, however, my feelings warm again. The black of the palette really makes the colours of the eyeshadows pop, and being the colour addict that I am, I always get the urge to dive right in and paint my eyelids with all of those beautiful colours.

The palette's huge square mirror makes creating any look super easy and convenient. It's actually large enough to see your whole face in, which is fantastic, and quite unusual for an eyeshadow palette. Other make up brands take note; most of us want to see our whole faces when we're doing our make up! Put big mirrors like this one in your palettes, please!

Full Spectrum also comes with a full-sized, double-ended, crease and eyeshadow brush, which I expected to be a fantastic tool as Urban Decay's make up brushes are usually incredible, but unfortunately, I'm left disappointed. Neither the crease brush or the eyeshadow brush picks up or packs on much product; so it's pretty much useless for everything but blending. I have to use other brushes in my collection to get the results I'm looking for, which is a shame, but not really an issue for me as I own a good collection of good quality make up brushes already. Please don't let the brush put you off this palette, though; it's still worth it's weight in gold! The brush is the only thing I can really fault with this amazing palette!

All in all, I'm well and truly impressed with the Full Spectrum eyeshadow palette. The shades are all gorgeous and highly pigmented, the formula is wonderful, they've got serious staying power, and they look amazing on my eyelids. What more could a girl ask for? The eyeshadows are honestly some of the best, and most beautiful colourful eyeshadows I've ever used.

It's the ultimate colourful eyeshadow palette for anybody who loves colourful eye make up and for anybody who wants to start experimenting with it. There is so much you can get out of this palette, and those of you with amazing make up skills will be able to create the most wonderful, elaborate, vibrant looks with it. It's a colour junkie's dream! Sure, it's not for everybody, but if you love colourful make up, trust me; you need this palette in your life! Step aside from the Naked palettes and give Full Spectrum a try; I promise you won't regret it- I sure haven't!

Full Spectrum is available now from Urban Decay and all good department stores, priced at £43. Snap one up before it goes!

Are you a fan of colourful make up, or do you prefer to play it safe with neutrals?

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Urban Decay Electric Eyeshadow Palette Review 

Urban Decay Kush Eyeshadow Review

For years, ladies everywhere have been raving about Urban Decay's eyeshadows, and with good reason- they're some of the best in the beauty world. We most commonly hear bloggers and beauty fans alike raving about the range of beautiful Naked palettes, and while they are amazing, my heart lies with their colourful eye make up. I don't think it's given the attention it deserves.

Sure, the vibrant Electric palette, which is full of amazing colourful eyeshadows got some love earlier this year (read my review of it here), but you don't often read about their single eyeshadows.

One in particular has won my heart; an eyeshadow in a stunning shade of green somewhere between emerald and kelly. Its name is "Kush".

I discovered it last December, drawn to the gorgeous shade which looked similar to an old favourite of mine. It looked like the perfect replacement for that retired shadow, and I couldn't leave the shop without it.

It was my first taste of Urban Decay, and it turned out to be even better than I'd anticipated. It quickly earned the title of "my favourite eyeshadow" the first time I wore it, and ten months later, I now wear it more than all the others I own- combined!

I was instantly impressed by the colour-pay off, and that's what won me over; bold colour is exactly what I look for in an eyeshadow. Urban Decay's eyeshadows feature a pigment infusion system, which help the colour hold tightly to pigment, resulting in beautiful, rich, vibrant colours. Colours that make this colour junkie happy. and some of the best colourful eyeshadows I've ever seen!

Rewinding a little to application, I find that Kush glides on easily, and a little goes a long way; I only need to use a little to achieve an even, opaque layer. It's also highly blendable, making it super easy to create a variety of flawless looks. It remains bold all day (or night!), without creasing, even without a primer, and it stays in place for a good ten hours on my lids without fading! It's rare that I need to touch it up throughout the day.

The shadow also has a lovely soft texture and feels like velvet against my skin; I can feel the quality on my eyelids every time I wear it. I've never worn such a high-quality eyeshadow in all the years I've been wearing make up; high end or drug store, In my opinion, Urban Decay eye make up is the best in the beauty world, far greater than others I've owned from brands such as Mac, Clinique, Estée Lauder, and even my other favourite brand, Inglot. They're simply amazing!

I think Kush looks quite striking against my dark eyes and pale skin. It's a cliché, but it really makes my eyes pop.,, but I say that about most green eyeshadows. They're my favourite colours to wear. I think this shade of green would suit almost all eye colours, skin tones, and hair colours, whether you're fair or dark, or somewhere in between. You can wear it on its own with a couple of coats of black mascara for a simple look, or team it with a variety of shadows and liners for something a little more striking.

Photo of me wearing Kush last Christmas, with the Heavy Metal glitter liner in Stagedive. Excuse the blotchy face!

They retail for around £14 for a 1.5g pot, which isn't bad for a high-end eyeshadow. It's quite a large pan, about the size of a £2 coin, so you get a lot for your money, especially as a little of it goes a long way.

You can find it on Urban Decay's website here, but if green isn't your thing, there are 67 other colours to choose from! I have my eye on several other shades, which I'm sure I'll slowly add to my collection over time. In the mean time, I'm more than content with Kush. Ten months after purchase and it's still my favourite. I don't see that changing any time soon.

Urban Decay Electric Eyeshadow Palette Review

If there's one thing I love as much as a pretty, printed dress, it's bold colourful eye make up, and I recently got my hands on the ultimate colourful eyeshadow palette. I'm of course talking about Urban Decay's Electric Pressed Pigment palette, and I'm here to review it for you today. If you're a colour junkie like me, I'm confident you're going to love this palette as much as I do!

I treated myself to it about a month ago, after spotting it in Debenhams from a hundred paces and immediately falling in love with it. My eyes practically popped out of their sockets when I saw the incredible colours, and I may have squealed just a little bit. I told myself I couldn't afford to spend £38 on a make up set, but nobody could've prised the box from my hands, and in the end I just couldn't leave without it. I'm so glad I didn't!

The Urban Decay Electric palette is a set of ten of the boldest, brightest, and most colourful eyeshadows I have ever laid eyes on in in my eighteen years as a make up wearer. This palette is quite simply a colour addict's dream! The shadows are a mixture of highly pigmented matte, satin, and shimmer shades, and every shade features Urban Decay's Pigment Infusion System, which is a special blend of ingredients that gives each shade a velvety texture, rich colour, serious staying power and blendability. Eight of the eyeshadows are exclusive shades that aren't available anywhere else, and Electric also sees a return of two popular shades- Chaos, a matte cobalt blue, and Revolt, a metallic silver.

The shades included are:

♥ Revolt- a bright metallic silver shimmer with silver glitter.
♥ Gonzo- a bright turquoise matte with floating tonal pearl.
♥ Slowburn- a bright red-orange matte with floating pearl. (More orange than red).
♥ Savage- a bright hot pink matte.
♥ Fringe- a bright metallic teal.
♥ Chaos- a bright blue matte with floating tonal pearl. (A gorgeous cobalt blue).
♥ Jilted- a bright metallic fuchsia with a blue shift.
♥ Urban- a bright metallic purple.
♥ Freak- a bright green with a gold shift. (It's stunning!)
♥ Thrash- a bright lime green matte with floating gold pearl. (More yellow than lime green).

Here are the shadows swatched on the under-side of my arm:

The swatched photos haven't been altered at all, and were taking without a flash in good daylight, near a window.

Colour:

As you can see, all of the colours, with the exception of Revolt, are so beautifully bold, vibrant and pigmented. They're all absolutely gorgeous and really stand out on my very fair skin, which is what I like my eyeshadows to do. You certainly won't blend in to the crowd wearing these eyeshadows, so they're not for the faint-hearted or colour-shy, but I guarantee they will add some personality to your look and make your eyes pop. 

I'm a little obsessed with all ten shades, and at the moment my favourites are Slowburn (a fiery orange-red), Freak (a stunning bright green), and Gonzo (a vibrant turquoise). However, as beautiful as they are, I do think three blue shadows is a bit repetitive and it would have been nice to see a different colour in place of one; perhaps a deeper shade of green, a red, or a sunshine orange. That's the only thing I would change about the colour selection, but I still thing all three shades of blue are stunning.

Application:

I've had so much fun testing the shadows out and trying out new looks, using the double-ended eyeshadow / blending brush that comes with the set. It takes just one or two swipes of the brush to achieve an even, opaque layer of eyeshadow; and as they're so highly pigmented, I find a little goes a long way.

Quality:

The make up feels soft and velvety, and there's none of the chalkiness you sometimes find with colourful make up. The formula is wonderfully thick; you can really feel the quality of the eyeshadows on the skin. I've been impressed by the quality of Urban Decay eyeshadows for years, and in my opinion, these are some of the best quality eyeshadows I've ever worn. 

Durability: 

I found them to be long-lasting, although there was some fading after a few hours with some of the colours so a quick touch-up was needed. I haven't tried them with a primer underneath yet, though, which may extend the longevity and help to keep them in place.

Removal: 

I've used both cleansing wipes and make up remover to remove the make up (to compare results), and found that the shadows lifted easily with both. A couple of the colours did leave some staining to the skin, although the stains haven't been too vibrant and faded away within twenty-four hours. I would advise wearing a primer underneath, and perhaps avoiding these eyeshadows a day or two before an important event- especially if you're going fresh-faced.

The Eyeshadow Brush:

The brush that is included in the set is a full-sized, double-ended eyeshadow and blending brush, and the quality of it is fantastic. The handle is made of heavy, sturdy black plastic and tapers down towards each brush, which makes it comfortable to hold and easy to work with to precision. The bristles are silky soft, dense, and well attached; there's no danger of those bristles shedding the way cheap brushes do. They apply and blend the make up perfectly, and give fantastic results. I've never used such a high-quality brush in all my years of wearing make up! I'm so impressed with it, I want to start investing in more Urban Decay brushes! It's true what they say; the right tools do make a difference to the end result! 

The Mirror:

On the inside of the palette is a rare sight; a large mirror! A mirror I can clearly see most of my face in! It's large enough to show both eyes clearly at the same time (helpful for checking your look is symmetrical!), and it's size is so useful for using away from the dressing table and on the go. You'll have no problem doing your eye make up on public transport with this palette! (We've all done it at some point!) Why can't all make up palettes feature a mirror like this one?

Packaging:

The palette itself is sleek and fashionable, made from sturdy black plastic with a neon bright floral design to the front. It's solid and sturdy, and about half an inch thick when closed. It's heavy enough that I don't have to worry about it getting knocked around a bit, but light enough to carry around in my handbag without rupturing another disc. The design is also easy to wipe clean without ruining the palette or make up.

Outer Packaging: 

The outer packaging is made from black cardboard, and features the same eye-catching, neon bright Urban Decay Electric design to the front. The back gives you a preview of the eyeshadows and brush, along with a little information about the set, and of course, the ingredients are included on the side.

Price and Value For Money:

The palette retails for around £38, which I think it's very reasonable for a fantastic set like this. It may sound expensive, but the set includes ten eyeshadows, which work out as £3.80 each- and that's if you don't include the make up brush! Urban Decay eyeshadows are usually £14 each, and a single-ended UD eyeshadow brush is around £14.50, so this set is in fact a bargain! I personally think it's worth every penny! 

I'm extremely impressed with the Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette, and it is without a doubt one of the best eyeshadow palettes I've ever owned. The colours are stunning, the colour-pay off is incredible, it gives fantastic long-lasting results, and the quality of the make up is far superior to most of a similar price tag. It gets 5/5 from me for each factor (and overall)! I can't find a fault with it! I'm a little bit obsessed with this beautiful set and I'm so glad I invested in it. It's the best purchase I've made in ages!

I can't recommend this palette enough, and if you're a fan of colourful make up, I just know you will adore it as much as I do.

The set should be available from all good department stores and pharmacies with high-end beauty departments. It's not available on Urban Decay's UK site, but it can be purchased on the American website here. I purchased mine from Debenhams, and it's available on their website here.

Have you got your hands on the Urban Decay Electric palette yet? Are you planning to purchase it soon?

L'Occitane Petals Eye Quartet Eyeshadow Make Up Review

A few weeks back, I popped over to outlet village Bicester Village with my older sister and brother-in-law, and couldn't resist having a peek in L'Occitane while we were there. I only allowed myself one tiny little purchase, and came away with a beautiful eyeshadow palette for just £6.60 which was originally £22.00! I do love a bargain!

I bought the L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Petals Eye Quartet.

The outer packaging has a water colour design, which if you turn it on it's side, you will see is made up of the bodies of four dress-wearing ladies. It's a little grubby above the logo, but in general it looks very pretty and high-end.

Isn't this the most beautiful, feminine design for a make up product you've ever seen? Four ladies in dresses  in the shades of the eyeshadows! I like to think they're ballerinas.

The packaging is, as best as I can tell, made from thick card and covered with some type of paper or tape. (I'm useless at working these things out). It has a corrugated, masking-tape like texture, but it's also very sturdy, like a hardback book.

The palette is easy to open as it's simply magnetised. And voila! Inside it holds four really lovely eyeshadows, a mirror, and a double ended applicator brush.

These four eyeshadow shades are much more subtle, soft, and feminine then I generally wear, but sometimes a sweet, girlie look is necessary or even craved. These are the sort of colours I might wear to a wedding, or christening, or just when I want a sweet romantic look. The set includes a pale pink, a beige, a hot pink, and a dark purple, which could be worn alone, together, or in various combinations for day and night.

As the back of the packaging's blurb reveals, the eyeshadows have been enriched with a softening peony extract in shades which gracefully highlight the eyes. I have to agree; these powder eyeshadows are so delicate and soft on my skin. They glide on like silk, and create such lovely graceful looks. The make up is also dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested, and made in Italy.

 I've tried each of the colours out, and found they stay well in place for at least seven hours (longest I've worn them so far) without dulling / disappearing away. I'm very impressed!

These are the swatches on the back of my arm in natural daylight. I've not altered these two photos in any way, so you can see the real colours. I've very pale white skin, but I think these colours would work on most skin tones and colours. The pale pink is definitely best as a highlighter than a lone colour on very pale skin, though!

The palette's little mirror can be removed from the palette if required by pulling on the handy ribbon.

The back of the mirror is printed with the item's design.

It's quite a decent size mirror for a small eyeshadow palette, which makes it much easier to work with when applying the make up, or checking your face later on.

The eyeshadow brush provided is double ended with a different applicator at each end. It actually surprised me when I tried it out and realised how great the quality was. The sponge applicator is very soft and well attached, whilst the brush side is silky soft with no loose or sharp bristles. The make up glides on like a dream with both brushes, so I don't feel the need to use a different make up brush.

And finally, the back of the palette provides a few tips on how to use the different colours, which is helpful if you're unsure of how to wear these colours.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this truly beautiful eyeshadow palette, and I'm so glad I stumbled up on such a great bargain. I think it just goes to show, you don't necessarily have to spend a fortune to buy up- market make up. I haven't bought a full price make up product in ages!

 I'd definitely recommend checking out outlet villages, and can tell you both Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, and Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth have great L'Occitane shops. I recently bought make up from both, so it's worth popping in to see if they still have some if you're nearby. The make up is gorgeous, and so worth the money because the quality is fantastic!

I should note, this WASN'T a sponsored post, I just genuinely wanted to talk about a product I'm impressed with, and thought you might like, too.

Have you used L'Occitane make up before?