This really isn't a proper review because I didn't include my own swatches but here's a peek at something I ordered from Sephora a few days ago -
Tis the UD Book of Shadows III - Love NYC (and a Philosophy Hope In A Jar sample)! It's Urban Decay's Fall 2010 palette and it debuted on August 28ish. It's my first UD palette and I bought it at after seeing the color swatches on Temptalia.
Btw, the reason I'm not doing swatches of my own is because Temptalia and Pursebuzz truly have the best swatches for this palette and my camera's crap macro (combined with my wobbly photography skills) just can't measure up. Temptalia's swatches (imho) are more accurate in terms of how the colors look on your eyes. Pursebuzz's pictures look a TAD on the saturated side (and a bit dark) but show the undertones and glitter specks the best. So use those swatches as you will - I will say both swatches combined give you a very accurate look at what you're getting short of going to Sephora yourself. And also I am only comparing the respective strengths of temptalia's and pursebuzz's pics because it really is impossible to capture the reflection, hue and sparkle of a shadow in one picture. Both reviewer's focus on slightly different aspects of makeup so it's up to you to see if the palette is for you I think ^^
Anyway, my first impression was I was shocked by how huge this palatte is O_O!
It literally is the size of a book! The sample palette at Sephora was (understandably, to fit on the rack) was half this size so my eyes just popped out when I held the real thing in my hand. It feels weighty and has a really expensive heft to it :) Not a portable palette for sure because the size and weight but very sturdy regardless. And this book has a surprise ~
It lights up! Actually the lights had turned off by the time I snapped a pic but it's really pretty ^^ if a bit useless ;) Lots of attention to detail though and I appreciate that :D The palette came with a sheet with all the colors . . .
Opening the drawer . . .
Gorgeoussssss!! You can tell from the pics that this is no cheap cardboard box. It's heavy, sturdy...well...the packaging is just great. The primer potion is a mini size -
Quick summary (from Temptalia) - 16 colors total
In Blue = favorites
Exclusive to this palette: Loaded, Kush, Rockstar, Money, Bordello, Radium, Suspect
Sephora exclusives (aka a permanent color but hasn't been in other UD palettes): Haight, Psychedelic Sister
Repeats (in other UD palettes): Perversion, Uzi, Midnight Cowboy, Last Call, Maui Wowie, Smog, Snatch
Eyeliners: Zero, Ransom (both permanent colors in the 24/7 Pencil collection)
Eye primer: Original
I didn't own any UD shadows (or Ransom or the famous Primer Potion) so this was a 100% great buy for me and worth every penny ($54 at Sephora.com). While the bright colors like Radium, Kush, Rockstar and Psychedelic Sister really catch the eye, this palette really is pretty versatile. Perversion (matte black) is a staple for a smokey eye or simply tightlining your eye. Uzi (glittery white) is a little on the glittery side for say, work, but with a deft hand you can definitely get away with dabbing a bit on your inner corners. Last Call (red-plum) is definitely a can-do for work even with it's rich color. Rockstar even can pass at workplaces with a slightly more relaxed dress code. Snatch (a delicate pink-peach with a gold sheen) has no fallout despite the glitter and is seriously my favorite base shadow at the moment. And of course the famous Smog (bronze) is in the Naked palette (among many others) basically speaks for itself. Suspect (a lighter bronze than Smog) is also obviously a very wearable color.
Midnight Cowboy (pink with gold glitter), despite looking modest in the pan, is actually way too glittery and Temptalia is quite right in saying it has a ridiculous amount of fallout. Speaking of, I've read a number of negative reviews about this particular color and many have commented that it is their outright least favorite shadow :\ I can certainly see why, I put this on once and spent the next 15 minutes wiping off gold flecks from my nose, cheeks and picking it out of my lashes :P
I already own a couple UD 24/7 Pencils (including Zero) but I was so happy to get my paws on Ransom (purple with a blue flash). I played around with all the colors and they are all incredibly pigmented, I can definitely see why UD is famous for their rich colors. FYI the 24/7 pencils are fantastic. As I mentioned before, I'd never used the Primer Potion before (or any kind of lid primer for the matter) and these pencils do not budge. Without the lid primer, colors are definitely less vibrant but no less long-wearing I think. I must do some swatches one day.
Just looking at this palette makes also sorts of makeup look ideas run through my head - I'm thinking of just doing a series of looks just from this palette to get to know it properly ^_^ Anyway, I hope you found this mini-review helpful in some way. For people looking to make their first UD palette purchase, I definitely recommend this. The ever-out-of-stock Naked palette is a good option as well (if you can actually get your hands on in the next few months) but I think for first time purchasers the BoS3 is actually a better palette in a lot of ways because you get a mix of colors both bright and neutrals to get you used to UD shadows AND have an array of colors to play with.
For those who own previous BoS's, here is a short and sweet comparison (with pics) of UD's BoS 1, 2, and 3 at London Beauty Review. She does a quick comparison of the boxes and an overview of the colors. Nothing too specific but enough to give you a taste of whether you should splurge on this palette if you have others.
| The box was huge O_o Sure was packaged well with enough packing paper to last a year. |
Btw, the reason I'm not doing swatches of my own is because Temptalia and Pursebuzz truly have the best swatches for this palette and my camera's crap macro (combined with my wobbly photography skills) just can't measure up. Temptalia's swatches (imho) are more accurate in terms of how the colors look on your eyes. Pursebuzz's pictures look a TAD on the saturated side (and a bit dark) but show the undertones and glitter specks the best. So use those swatches as you will - I will say both swatches combined give you a very accurate look at what you're getting short of going to Sephora yourself. And also I am only comparing the respective strengths of temptalia's and pursebuzz's pics because it really is impossible to capture the reflection, hue and sparkle of a shadow in one picture. Both reviewer's focus on slightly different aspects of makeup so it's up to you to see if the palette is for you I think ^^
Anyway, my first impression was I was shocked by how huge this palatte is O_O!
It literally is the size of a book! The sample palette at Sephora was (understandably, to fit on the rack) was half this size so my eyes just popped out when I held the real thing in my hand. It feels weighty and has a really expensive heft to it :) Not a portable palette for sure because the size and weight but very sturdy regardless. And this book has a surprise ~
It lights up! Actually the lights had turned off by the time I snapped a pic but it's really pretty ^^ if a bit useless ;) Lots of attention to detail though and I appreciate that :D The palette came with a sheet with all the colors . . .
Opening the drawer . . .
Gorgeoussssss!! You can tell from the pics that this is no cheap cardboard box. It's heavy, sturdy...well...the packaging is just great. The primer potion is a mini size -
| This picture turned out a little too yellow . . . |
In Blue = favorites
Exclusive to this palette: Loaded, Kush, Rockstar, Money, Bordello, Radium, Suspect
Sephora exclusives (aka a permanent color but hasn't been in other UD palettes): Haight, Psychedelic Sister
Repeats (in other UD palettes): Perversion, Uzi, Midnight Cowboy, Last Call, Maui Wowie, Smog, Snatch
Eyeliners: Zero, Ransom (both permanent colors in the 24/7 Pencil collection)
Eye primer: Original
I didn't own any UD shadows (or Ransom or the famous Primer Potion) so this was a 100% great buy for me and worth every penny ($54 at Sephora.com). While the bright colors like Radium, Kush, Rockstar and Psychedelic Sister really catch the eye, this palette really is pretty versatile. Perversion (matte black) is a staple for a smokey eye or simply tightlining your eye. Uzi (glittery white) is a little on the glittery side for say, work, but with a deft hand you can definitely get away with dabbing a bit on your inner corners. Last Call (red-plum) is definitely a can-do for work even with it's rich color. Rockstar even can pass at workplaces with a slightly more relaxed dress code. Snatch (a delicate pink-peach with a gold sheen) has no fallout despite the glitter and is seriously my favorite base shadow at the moment. And of course the famous Smog (bronze) is in the Naked palette (among many others) basically speaks for itself. Suspect (a lighter bronze than Smog) is also obviously a very wearable color.
Midnight Cowboy (pink with gold glitter), despite looking modest in the pan, is actually way too glittery and Temptalia is quite right in saying it has a ridiculous amount of fallout. Speaking of, I've read a number of negative reviews about this particular color and many have commented that it is their outright least favorite shadow :\ I can certainly see why, I put this on once and spent the next 15 minutes wiping off gold flecks from my nose, cheeks and picking it out of my lashes :P
I already own a couple UD 24/7 Pencils (including Zero) but I was so happy to get my paws on Ransom (purple with a blue flash). I played around with all the colors and they are all incredibly pigmented, I can definitely see why UD is famous for their rich colors. FYI the 24/7 pencils are fantastic. As I mentioned before, I'd never used the Primer Potion before (or any kind of lid primer for the matter) and these pencils do not budge. Without the lid primer, colors are definitely less vibrant but no less long-wearing I think. I must do some swatches one day.
Just looking at this palette makes also sorts of makeup look ideas run through my head - I'm thinking of just doing a series of looks just from this palette to get to know it properly ^_^ Anyway, I hope you found this mini-review helpful in some way. For people looking to make their first UD palette purchase, I definitely recommend this. The ever-out-of-stock Naked palette is a good option as well (if you can actually get your hands on in the next few months) but I think for first time purchasers the BoS3 is actually a better palette in a lot of ways because you get a mix of colors both bright and neutrals to get you used to UD shadows AND have an array of colors to play with.
For those who own previous BoS's, here is a short and sweet comparison (with pics) of UD's BoS 1, 2, and 3 at London Beauty Review. She does a quick comparison of the boxes and an overview of the colors. Nothing too specific but enough to give you a taste of whether you should splurge on this palette if you have others.