FORGIVE ME TOO!! (And Urban Decay Smoked Palette Review and Swatches!)

It's so funny, I'd been getting on Lotus's case a few weeks ago for not posting for a while, and then the other day I looked at the date of my last post and I realized that Holy moly, it's been over a month since I last posted!!! What a hypocrite I am. So bad, I know, I'm sorry!! I really don't know where the time goes. This has been a crazy couple of months for both of us, but fret not, we are still alive and kicking!! =) Hopefully the upcoming months will be less crazy and leave more time for zee bloggage!!!

So, on to some good stuff. I finally (FINALLY) have done a review of the Urban Decay Smoked eyeshadow palette that I got I-don't-even-want-to-think-how-long ago. I've actually been using this palette pretty frequently these days when I want a more dramatic look, I just never got around to doing a proper review with pictures and swatches and stuff (again, I'm sorry!!!). So anyway, here goes!!

Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette

This is what it comes with...

10 Urban Decay Eyeshadows
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion

"Smoked" Look Book

Sample Size tube of Urban Decay Primer Potion

It's a little on the pricey side ($49 at Macy's), but if you think of all the stuff that it comes with, it's really not a bad deal at all (and I had a gift card!! Woohoo!! =) ). The look book is pretty sweet, it's got a lot of different looks in it, some of them incorporating the colorful shades, some of them not. I've tried a couple of different looks that it has in it and added a little twist of my own, and it comes out pretty awesome.

Here are some looks that I did... btw, my sincerest apologies for the quality of these pictures. The lighting was just not working out that day. Also, I took them on a day that I was home sick (and was dying of boredom by the afternoon) so I didn't really have the energy to fix up the rest of my face, so it pretty much looks like a car accident (as you'll see!).  ;-)

In this look I used the following:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion all over lid
• Freestyle washed all over lid up to brow bone
• Barlust on lid up to crease
• Backdoor on inner and outer crease
• Blackout contoured on outer crease (winged out slightly)

This look was a little more colorful:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion all over lid
• Freestyle washed all over lid up to brow bone
• Barlust on lid up to crease
• Rockstar contoured on crease
• Evidence and Loaded layered as liner on lash line

I really wish these pictures came out better, they really don't do justice to the rich pigmentation of the colors.  

So, in conclusion.... =)

Pros:

• You get a lot for your money!! A little pricey, but definitely worth it.
• Color payoff is pretty amazing. 
• Easily blendable, with or without primer.
• UDPP is one of the best primers I've ever used. It does great even with other eyeshadows (Lotus, thanks for the recommendation chica!)
• I didn't talk about the eyeliner in this post, but I did mention it here. It is a great eyeliner, very creamy, easy to apply, and very pigmented.

Cons:

• You do have to watch for fallout on these shadows. The first couple of times I used this palette, I ended up with little sprinkles of shadow all over my lashes, nose, cheeks, etc. I now know to do my eyes first before mascara and blush if I'm using this palette. ;-)
• The colors are very dramatic, at least to me. There's lots of shimmer and/or pigmentation in each one (except the highlight colors, which pretty much blend into your skin, so they don't count.  ;-)) If you're looking for a palette for a more subtle look for the office or something, I wouldn't recommend this one (I would, however, recommend Too Faced Natural Eye! Reviews to come!) For a night out with the boy or the girlfriends, though, it's perfect!

Overall, two thumbs up!!

Do you own this palette? If not, are you considering getting it? Let me know what you think!