Urban Decay Makeup
Our favorite animal-friendly brand Urban Decay (www.urbandecay.com) was created in 1996. The founders decided that the makeup world was lacking in color and since that day they have been bringing us bold innovative colors. I love Urban Decay cosmetics for being a cruelty-free brand making a stand against animal testing. Many of their products are also vegan. Currently I’m loving their Smoked Eyeshadow Palette and the texture of their newly formulated eyeshadows. A few of my favorite UD eyeshadow shades are Sin, Mushroom and Stray Dog. Here are all of the Urban Decay makeup reviews I have covered so far and if there are any Urban Decay coupon codes or sales, I’ll be sure to share those as well.
19 Urban Decay Makeup Reviews since 2010
Win Your Urban Decay Wish List!
In case you’re not already following Urban Decay on Facebook or via email I wanted to make sure that you knew that Urban Decay is having another Wish List giveaway! YAY!
One winner will be selected on 2/10 to win their entire wish list from Urban Decay online. Here’s what you need to do. Create an account on UrbanDecay.com if don’t already have one. And then create your Wish List! Easy-Peasy! The only small print I’m seeing is that the total of the wish list cannot exceed $500 (you’ll need to calculate this yourself as you’re creating the list) and you can only add 1 item per SKU (you can’t have multiples of the same product). Sounds pretty easy and harmless right?
It probably won’t take long throwing this together especially if you already have a wish list going. So why not try to win? 
Here’s what I have on my wish list! A lot of these products are ones that I probably wouldn’t buy for myself but wouldn’t mind being gifted. :]
Yeah, can you believe I don’t own any of the Naked Palettes?
I already have so many neutrals/browns, I never thought it was worth it for me to spend $50 each.
What are you putting on your wish list? Any particular product that you’d LOVE to win? Let me know in the comments below!
I hope one of you win your wish list! Let me know if that’s you next week!
Wishing you a fabulous Tuesday!
New Urban Decay Glinda and Theodora Palettes
Have you see the trailers for Disney’s The Great and Powerful Oz? It looks pretty interesting although I’m so in love with the Wicked version of the classic Wizard of Oz story. Have you seen the musical Wicked? If you haven’t I’d definitely recommend it. It’s definitely one of my absolute favorite Broadway musicals! But back to the topic- the previews for The Great and Powerful Oz look pretty neat!
I’m actually quite a fan of the beautiful Mila Kunis. My favorite of her roles being Meg from Family Guy!
Yup, I’m a Family Guy fan!
And of course the lovely Rachel Weisz aka Mrs. James Bond
So when I woke up this morning to see the Urban Decay and The Great and Powerful Oz movie collaboration I was pretty stoked! The two new palettes are named after the good witch Glinda and wicked witch Theodora. Each are available now for $49 at Urban Decay.
Glinda Palette set features 8 new eyeshadows:
Tornado (vibrant deep purple shimmer)
Aura (2 shades in 1: iridescent white w/blue shift and iridescent white w/red shift)
Magic (pinkish purple w/golden shimmer)
Illusion (pale peach satin)
Oz (2 shades in 1: gold shimmer w/gold glitter and silver shimmer w/silver glitter)
South (warm pale gray shimmer w/silver micro-glitter)
PLUS
Eye Pencil: Rockstar (deep eggplant)
Lip Color: Glinda (light sheer beige)
And the Theodora Palette set includes 8 new eyeshadows:
Broken (pale cream satin)
Beware (warm brown matte)
Bewitch (dark charcoal brown satin)
West (deep metallic brown)
Spell (2 shades in 1: black satin w/green and gold shimmer and gold metallic w/tonal glitter)
Jealous (2 shades in 1: pale green pearl and dark green pearl)
PLUS
Eye Pencil: Zero (black)
Lip Color: Theodora (bright red cream).
I especially love the Glinda palette tin. It’s such a magical color! But the colors in the Theodora palette seem much more wearable to me. I can’t to actually see these in person and swatch them against my skin tone.
I thought it was pretty awesome that Urban Decay got James Franco to take a photo with the palette too! Haha
What do you think about these two new palettes?
Buy or skip? Does it help that James Franco is holding one himself? OH! And does anyone else out there think that James Franco and James Marsden look alike?!? I get those two mixed up ALL the time! Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a fabulous Wednesday!
Back to Basics: Makeup Brushes and GIVEAWAY – Makeup Brush Set and Urban Decay Products!
Thanks all for participating in this giveaway! The winners have been announced and this giveaway is officially closed!
Hey everyone!
WOOHOO!! This is my 300th post on ABD! And in honor of reaching 300, I’ll be hosting a GIVEAWAY at the bottom of today’s post!
But first things first, I want to take a step back and cover some makeup basics in my new “Back to Basics” series. If you’re just starting off your makeup collection and are learning how to apply your own makeup I hope you find this series helpful.
So let’s start off by going over makeup brushes. I’m going to share with you my top 8 brushes that I use daily. Why 8? Well, I first wanted to go with 5 but there was no way I could cut the other 3 out so there we have it, EIGHT! :]
Makeup brushes are extremely helpful in achieving different kinds of looks and actually can make the application much easier. I know some brushes can be pretty dang expensive but now days there are a lot more wallet-friendly options available. I’d really recommend investing in a few key brushes when starting off your makeup collection.
So here are the makeup brushes that I use everyday!
Let’s split the brushes into 4 categories. Face, cheeks, brow and eyes.
FACE
I know many girls like to apply their foundation with a brush but personally I prefer either using my fingers (the warmth helps for a smoother application) or using my blender sponge. The only brush that I use everyday for my face is my Bare Escentuals Flawless Application Face brush. This is the brush that I use with my MAC Blot Powder after I’m done applying my foundation. It helps my foundation to set and also helps keep my face matte longer.
Bare Escentuals Flawless Application Face Brush $22
Description: “The natural, soft-tapered bristles of this professional brush are designed to provide sheer-to-medium coverage for a broad range of easy, professional-looking applications with bareMinerals Foundation, All-Over Face Color, Blush and Mineral Veil® finishing powder.”
Brush Material: Goat Hair
CHEEKS
For my blushes, I use my MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face brush. Since 90% of the time, I’m reaching for one of my highly-pigmented NARS blushes, I like to use this skunk brush for a lighter application. I’ve also found that I prefer more narrow brushes for my cheeks so that I have more control over the application versus large fluffy blush brushes.
MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush $35
Description: “A flat-topped, full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of any formula colour – fluid, cream, powder or pigment. Ideal for creating soft layers or adding textures.”
Brush Material: Soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.
BROWS
For the longest time I was using Bare Escentuals brow brush ($12) which is a firm angled brush made with coarse pony hair bristles. But for the past month or so I’ve been exclusively reaching for the synthetic angled brush from the 24-piece makeup brush set (giving away 2 sets below!). The synthetic material allows for a smooth application making it easier to shape my brows the way that I want. It also grabs less pigment than the pony hair so it’s harder to mess up. It’s the one on the right side of the below picture.
EYES
The other angle brush in the picture above on the left side is my MAC 263 Small Angle brush $19. I’ve been exclusively using this brush to line my eyes with my MAC Fluidline. I like the angle because it helps create a nice wing and also helps reach those small corners of the eyes.
Description: For lining, shading or shaping the eye or eyebrow. Flat shaped with angled tip. Firmly distributes colour over the lid and into the corners. Works with all formulas of eye colour.
Brush Material: Synthetic fibre
And the other 4 makeup brushes are for my eyeshadow application.
So let’s go from left to right!
On the farthest left is my MAC 238 Eye Shader brush $25. This is good for patting on pigment and eyeshadow onto your lids for a heavier application. Description: “Soft and dense to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. This brush has a tapered, rounded edge with smooth, firm, fine fibres. It can be used to build intense colour on the eyelid. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials.
Next is a large shader brush that I actually got as part of a set from… I don’t remember the brand now. I use this brush to apply my highlighter shade under my brows. A similar alternative would be the Laura Mercier All Over Eye Colour Brush $30.
Then there’s the MAC 217 Blending Brush $23. I use this brush A LOT. I love how it picks up pigmentation really well but also it’s firm enough to give you lots of control as you blend it out creating the eye shape that you desire. Description: “For shading or blending of colour or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials”.
And lastly is my Sephora Collection Pro Crease Brush #10 $20. I like to use this brush as my final blending brush to take away any harsh lines. I usually swirl this in a mid-tone eyeshadow shade like MAC Kid or MAC Quarry for a smooth, blended eye look.
As you can tell I’m not really brand loyal when it comes to makeup brushes. I do recognize that the brushes that I buy individually (particularly MAC brushes) are higher quality and do not shed hair/bristles like some of the cheaper brushes that I got as sets do. In my opinion, I think it’s better to buy makeup brushes individually than to buy an entire set and have a handful of brushes that never go used. I have tons of brushes that I got in sets that are sitting in a dusty bag in a drawer somewhere. To prevent this poor waste of brushes, I would just say to buy what you need/want and know you’ll use.
That said… a while ago I saw a ”Professional 24 Piece Makeup Brush Set and Carrying Case” on a daily deal site and caved. I ended up ordering 3 of them. 1 of me, 2 for you!
Thanks all for participating in this giveaway! The winners have been announced and this giveaway is officially closed!
And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!
I admit it’s not as great as I was hoping but I did pull out a handful of brushes that I do like. All the brushes are synthetic so they’re good for cream/liquid products like cream eyeshadows, concealers, eyeliners, lipsticks, etc. My complaint is that a lot of the brushes look pretty much identical and I don’t think I’d ever use the large synthetic face brushes. Also, the makeup brush holder smells really chemically once you pull it out of the plastic wrap. I’d recommend leaving it out and open for a couple days (maybe a week) to let the smell air out. Mines not so bad now.
Below are the handful of brushes that I’ll be using from this set. The rest will most likely go into the sad bag of unused makeup brushes.
And since I have 2 to give away, I’ll be choosing 2 winners!
Here are the two prizes!
The first chosen winner will receive the 24 piece makeup brush set and carry case PLUS Urban Decay Pocket Rockets in James and Max.
The 2nd winner that will be chosen randomly will be receiving the 24 piece makeup brush set and carry case PLUS an Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Timothy and Urban Decay Vintage Eyeshadow in Toasted.
Here’s how to enter!
Giveaway Guidelines
Entries will start today and will be open until Thursday (12/06/12) midnight pacific time. The two winners will be randomly chosen and announced the next morning on Friday (12/07/12). If you’re under 18 make sure you have your parent’s permission. I’ll contact the winners via email.
To be eligible for my giveaway you must:
1. LIKE A Beautyfull Day on Facebook (easy click on the sidebar!)
2. Leave a comment on this blog post about what you’d like to see more of on A Beautyfull Day (tutorials, reviews, my personal story, cooking, or anything else!). Don’t forget to include your email address so that I can contact you!
For additional entries (on the same 1 comment) let me know you’re following me @abeautyfullday on Twitter (make sure to include your Twitter handle in the comment) and/or have subscribed to ABD emails! Of course you really need to be following/subscribed for the extra entries, haha.
What’s in my Travel Makeup Bag – Oregon Edition
Hey All!
It’s been my goal to start traveling lighter- makeup wise. I always take so much makeup and then end up using maybe a quarter of what I’ve brought. It’s such a waste of space and adds extra weight to lug around. So here’s all the makeup that I took on my mini-vacay to Oregon that was 5 days, 4 nights long. I tried my very best to only pack what I need and know I’ll use.
I took Hubs’ Lacoste toiletry bag that I bought for him a couple years ago. He’s never used it… so it’s mine now, ha. I took this guy instead of my usual pink Victoria Secret makeup bag because it’s much smaller and forces me to pack lighter.
And here are the contents of the bag. It only filled the bag about half way! Pat on the back for me!
I actually took this picture before my trip and decided to leave my Benefit Hoola and Coralista behind along with MAC Lazy Day lipstick!
For my face I used my Garnier BB Cream and MAC blot powder
For cheeks, NARS Gilda and NARS Gaiety
For lips I took Tarte Charming, Buxom Bunny and Sandy, MAC Plink! and Media lipsticks and NYX Pumpkin Pie lipstick
For eyes, Urban Decay Smoked palette, my new small Z-palette filled with 9 different mostly nude shades, eyelash curler, MAC Added Goodness Fluidline, Covergirl Lash Perfection mascara and Urban Decay Primer Potion.
I did take my makeup brushes and those were packed in a different bag
I think I did a pretty good job of only taking a handful of things! What do you think? Is this a lot more than what you would take or a lot less? Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a wonderful day!
ABD News: Volume 3 – August 16th, 2012
Good morning from ABD News- providing you with makeup and fashion news updates from around the globe!
Thanks for joining me this Thursday morning!
Are you a fan of 007? I sure am and so is O.P.I. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, O.P.I will be releasing a new polish around the same time that the newest Bond movie, Skyfall, comes out into theaters this Fall. This super special limited edition polish is more of a top coat with flakes of REAL GOLD in it, hence the higher price of $38 per bottle. (article/picture credits)
Let move on to the “NAKED” battle! Urban Decay has sent a letter to Victoria’s Secret demanding that they stop production and sales for their THE NAKEDS palette saying that they are copying their own NAKED palette. Victoria’s Secret is pushing back saying that their THE NAKEDS palette is based off of their panty line, “The Nakeds By Victoria’s Secret” and that the word “naked” is too broad for Urban Decay to claim. Both Urban Decay’s Naked palette and Victoria’s Secret’s “The Naked by Victoria’s Secret” line came out in the same year 2010. If I had to choose a side, I’d stand behind Urban Decay. Everyone in the makeup community knows Urban Decay’s Naked line but how many people know about The Nakeds by Victoria’s Secret? And now they are coming out with an eyeshadow palette named after their not-so-publicized panty line coincidentally after the huge success of Urban Decay’s Naked palette? I dunno, sounds suspicious to me. It’ll be up to the judge to decide who’s in the right! Click here for full article.
Victoria’s Secret The Nakeds Palette
And to end today’s news on a happy note, Laura Mercier has announced that they will be donating 100% of profits from 2 of their products in September to the Ovarian Cancer Fund in honor of Ovarian Cancer awareness month. What a great reason to purchase these two beauties- Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette and Rose Hope Lip Glacé.
Would you want real gold flakes on your nails in honor of the James Bond series? If you were a judge, who would you rule in favor of- Urban Decay or Victoria’s Secret? Do Laura Mercier’s Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette and Rose Hope Lip Glacé look like they’ll make your shopping list next month? Let me know in the comments below!
I’m Soo Jin with ABD News signing off!
Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss Swatches and Review – Max and Rashad
Happy Monday everyone!
Can you believe it’s Monday already? Where did the weekend go?? I had a pretty relaxing Sunday. Got to lay out in the sun for a bit (10 minutes max because it was so hot), take a nap and paint my toes. I love lazy Sundays.
Today I wanted to introduce you to a couple of new friends of mine- Rashad and Max! Rashad in a smart, caring doctor and Max is an easy-going, fun surfer.
Why are their pictures so blurry? Well it’s because Rashad and Max wanted to strut their muscles for you!
Haha, how funny are the Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Glosses?? I ordered these last week for only $6 each during the Urban Decay Sale which is still happening. I really liked the natural pink of Rashad and I have to be honest, I HAD to pick up Max since it’s my beloved Hubs’ name! Hehe!
And the applicator brush
Swatch of Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Rashad on top and Max below
Rashad is a cool tone medium pink. It’s super wearable and is pigmented enough just by itself
Top and bottom photos both of Rashad
And I’d describe Max as a pale creamy peachy nude
Photos top/below with Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Max on
The texture is thick but not too sticky and gives lips a nice full look. Pigmentation is really good for a lipgloss especially if you naturally have less pigmented lips. I love the little application brush and prefer it over the doe-foot ones. It’s such a smooth application. Packaging? The shape of the bottle is awesome- I like that it’s flattened versus normal lipgloss tubes that roll around everywhere. The boys are so silly and fun but definitely would feel weird flashing them around in certain places (work, church, in front of Hubs, etc, haha). They’re not THAT noticeable though. The one thing that I don’t like about these is the smell! It’s said to be creme brule but to me it reminds me of vitamins. It’s not so bad though that I wouldn’t use these and for $6 a pop they’re so worth it! As you know from my Urban Decay Haul post, I also picked up Pocket Rockets in Timothy and James. I’m saving those for the giveaway so I won’t be swatching them!
Have you tried Urban Decay Pocket Rockets? What do you think about Rashad and Max? Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!
My Urban Decay Sale Haul! And Giveaway Preview
Hi Everyone!
How was your Saturday? Hubs and I spontaneously decided to go watch Bourne Legacy this morning at 9:30AM!! I didn’t know that theaters opened so early until today! Haha! The theater was nice and quiet filled with a much older audience, just how we like it! I thought Jeremy Renner did a great job taking the reigns from Matt Damon. Have you seen Bourne Legacy yet? What do you think?
We just got home from my bestie’s birthday party. We had a wonderful time at Melrose Market, this cute cluster of restaurants/shops in Seattle. The food was amazing- I’d definitely recommend it if you’re ever in town. Oh and by the way, while we were exploring around town before the party we stopped by this building with a grocery store inside. The architecture was really cool and we got to see the store from a bird’s eye-view. Have you ever seen grocery aisles from the top? It was new to me so I snapped a picture.
On the way home, Hubs and I finally got a chance to check the mail and WOOHOO!! my Urban Decay package came today!! **insert little happy dance**
From L-R: Pocket Rocket Lip Glosses in Max (X2), Rashad, James and Timothy.
Vintage Eyeshadows in Sin and Toasted
Now the part that you’re probably most interested in! I actually picked up some extra goodies for my next giveaway.
The giveaway will feature Pocket Rocket Lip Glosses in Max (of course I had to get this one for you AND me since it’s Hubs’ name!), James and Timothy and also the vintage eyeshadow in Toasted. I had ordered both Toasted and Stray Dog, my two favorite shades, but I was later notified that they were sold out of Stray Dog! Anyway, stay posted and I’ll be featuring my giveaway soon!
Okay, it’s time to unwind and get ready for bed! Good night all! 
Urban Decay Eyeshadows Swatches and Review – Blaze, Toasted, Smog, Stray Dog and YDK
I know there’s a frenzy going on right now on the Urban Decay site since you can pick up a vintage eyeshadow for only $9 (original price $17). I did a haul a couple years ago (before these eyeshadows were considered “vintage”) but never got to show you guys a swatch. Click here to see the original post on my neutral Urban Decay eyeshadows. I figure a ton of you are looking for swatches right now so here are mine! I only picked up 5 neutrals but I love them!
From left to right: Blaze, Toasted, Smog, Stray Dog and YDK
Skintone came out differently in each picture so you get all 4 pictures
Blaze, Toasted, Smog, Stray Dog and YDK
Blaze, Toasted, Smog, Stray Dog and YDK
Blaze, Toasted, Smog, Stray Dog and YDK
I love Urban Decay eyeshadows. They’re super soft, easy to blend and highly pigmented. Be careful of the ones with sparkles or glitter because for sure they’ll end up somewhere on your face throughout the day. Here are the descriptions for each of the eyeshadows above.
Blaze: Golden peach | Shimmer – luminous sheen, no glitter
Toasted: Rich copper | Shimmer – luminous sheen, no glitter
Smog: Deep coppery bronze | Shimmer – luminous sheen, no glitter
Stray Dog: Cool medium brown | Shimmer – luminous sheen, no glitter
YDK: Bronzed mocha with gold micro-glitter | Shimmer – luminous sheen, no glitter
My favorites from this group are Toasted and Stray Dog (2nd and 4th from the left). I use them the most often. Anyway, I hope this helps you decide on which eyeshadows to pick up from the Urban Decay sale! Let me know what you pick out in the comments below!
Urban Decay and Tarte Sales
Good morning everyone and Happy Monday!
I hope your Monday is starting off BEAUTYFULLY. I don’t know about you, but I was pretty excited to find out that Urban Decay was having their biggest online sale of the year. I waited up for the sale to begin at midnight last night and was confused when I didn’t see any changes on the site at the strike of 12. It actually took a good 5-10 minutes for the sale to upload onto the site while people were commenting like crazy on their facebook page wondering what was going on. The site didn’t start running smoothly until 15-20 minutes in. I was pretty sleepy by then. :T
I didn’t end up getting anything that night but did add Sin eyeshadow into my cart for only $9 (regularly $17). As of now I can’t justify paying $6 for shipping for a $9 item so I’m looking around to see if there is anything else that I want. $50+ will give you free shipping. Don’t get me wrong- there are some pretty sweet sales! Here are the few that I’m pretty stoked about.
Urban Decay Vintage Eyeshadows for only $9! (Regular price $17)
Urban Decay Lipsticks for only $8 (Regular Price $22)
Urban Decay Pocket Rockets only $6 (Regular price $19)
So while I’m having a hard time deciding on if I can get $50 worth of sale items from Urban Decay, I had absolutely no problem filling up my cart from the Tarte sale that’s going on right now. It ends TODAY so take advantage of it! 30% off their entire site with the code FFAUG. Here’s my shopping cart.
I have yet to own any LipSurgence lip tints from Tarte so I’m excited to try both the original version in Charmed and also the matte one in Hope. Also, Tarte has come out with a new cheek stain for their Fall collection called “Loving” which is a soft rose. I’m really excited to give that a go as well.
Anyway, I hope you take advantage of the sales that are going on right now! Of course, only if you’ve been eyeing something or need anything, haha! If not, I’d say save your money for something that you really want and love and don’t get suckered in just because of the sale! Let’s be financially responsible! I will try hard to take my own advice today
Have a fun sale-filled Monday!
FOTD – Featuring Urban Decay Smoked Palette
I’m pretty dang excited right now! Remember how I told you that I was most excited for the Mushroom eyeshadow from the Urban Decay Smoked Palette? I was planning on buying just the single eyeshadow when I discovered that it was going to be included in this amazing palette. Well, today I discovered the BEST base pairing for it! It’s Benefit’s Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Skinny Jeans! It’s like they were meant to be together. Click here for my review for Skinny Jeans!
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Skinny Jean – $19
Urban Decay Mushroom Eyeshadow – $18
Urban Decay Smoked Palette – $49
On the left is a swatch of Benefit Skinny Jeans and on the right is a swatch of Mushroom
It’s COMBO-TIME!! This is Mushroom eyeshadow with the Skinny Jean base (indoor)
And outdoors – isn’t the color gorgeous??
And now the look
So I started off with Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Skinny Jean as a base. Then I used Freestyle from the Urban Decay Smoked Palette to blend it upward. I used Kinky right under by eyebrows as my highlight and then Evidence on the outer corner of my eyes. I lined my eyes with MAC Fluidline in Added Goodness and lined the outer bottom lash line with Barlust. Then highlighted my inner lash line and corners with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer. Last step, I curled my lashes and used Covergirl LashPerfection mascara.
Whew- that sounds like a lot of steps just for eyes but honestly it’s so fast when you do it (versus writing it all out!).
I wish my camera did a better job at capturing the true colors of the eyeshadows. Trust me it looks darker in person.
I know, my eye is red 
I LOVE my Urban Decay Smoked Palette!
And last but not least, CRAZY-EYE!!
I’ll keep working at figuring out how to take better photos. In the meantime, let me know if you’ve discovered an amazing eyeshadow combo! I’d love to give it a try!
Wishing you a love-filled day!