First Look| Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

Are you blinded yet? My eyes are sort of tearing up from staring at this picture for too long. 

Urban Decay released their Electric Pressed Pigment Palette ($49) a while back, first coming on their website and then in stores at Sephora and Ulta. I picked mine up at Ulta to take advantage of the 20% off promotion they were having. I held off on purchasing ASAP simply because I knew that April was makeup sale season. 

Now, I'm not a huge sucker for crazy neon brights, garish colors, or hooker sparkle. In fact, I went in store to swatch it and the first time around I couldn't fully embrace the palette. When would I ever use it? One time on Halloween? Perhaps a few shades used sparingly as eyeliner? I told myself "not now" and walked out. I'm glad I decided to pick it up after all because it is stunning!

Now, read the fine print at the bottom closely. Some shades are "not intended for use around the immediate eye area." This is due to US regulation standards and UD not trying to get sued if anything does happen, but it's completely eye safe if you were say in Europe or Canada. The thing is, if you're allergic or sensitive to red and pink pigments, beware. 

Out of the 10 colors, I still can't think of a use for Freak, Thrash, and Slowburn. They are not really my cuppa tea, but I bet used with a loosely packed blending brush they would make cute washes of color on the lids for spring. 

As you can already tell the packaging is a sleek black with the explosive paint motif on the front with a huge mirror and dual ended brush inside. 

• Pigmentation is insane. INSANE. (I literally read the box after writing this and that's exactly what they said...so am I a spokeswoman nao or wut?) One swipe and you've gone overboard. I find that the pigments adhere better to a primer, but none is really "needed" to make the colors pop. 
• The shades vary in texture, from matte to frosty/metallic to full on glitter.
• Some shades blend better than others, but I would advise you to use a packing brush and packing motions. Then to tone down the look you can always blend a matte brown into the crease.  
• Keep in mind that to prevent fallout (there's minimal to none with these colors) they had to make the texture a tad drier. It's not powdery, but there is a slight drag to some colors (most noticeably Chaos) if you apply them dry.   
• The colors wear true and last all day on the lids with and without a primer. 

I've done swatches below. No primer. One swipe. Very light handed. I'm trying to prove that neutral lovers and people afraid of color can still enjoy this palette!

Look at how beautiful the colors are under direct sunlight!

Excuse the peasant backdrop, but you can tell that without direct sunlight the colors aren't THAT crazy. Sure they aren't natural colors, but they can be easily paired with "boring" colors like brown, black, dark brown, taupe, etc. 

From left to right: Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe. 

From left to right: Urban, Freak, Trash, and Revolt. 

From left to right: Chaos, Jilted, and another look at Urban. 

Here's a look I did with the palette: 

Eyes: Used Jilted on ball of lids, Savage all over crease and lid to blend out, Urban on lower outer half and Revolt in inner half. Took a matte brown crease color from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette to blend out the outer edges to um, tone down the look. 

Lo'real Voluminous Butterfly mascara and Marc Jacobs Rococoa liner to tightline.

Cheeks is Clinique Ginger Pop

Base is Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Petal. Mac MSFN in Medium Plus to set. 

Lips is Too Faced La Creme in Naked Dolly. 

Brows is Etude House drawing pencil in #5

Overall, I'd say that this palette is a good "additional" palette if you already have a solid collection of neutrals and workhorse palettes. You can use it as much or as little as you want, and all of the colors look amazing if you take a minimalist approach, in my humble opinion. Even if you do decide to use the colors with reckless abandon, they would look amazing at the club or at any casual event. If you tone it down and use only one or two colors they can enhance your eye looks!

Worth the price? Heck yeah! The quality of these shadows are unbeatable!

xo Be