Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit ($39.00) is a limited edition set that features four eyeshadows, one lipgloss, and one travel-sized brush. It will be available at ULTA and select Macy’s in-store and online at ulta.com and urbandecay.com. The four eyeshadows included are: Midnight Cowboy (champagne with silver glitter), Midnight Rodeo (brown pearl with silver glitter), Midnight 15 (pearly oyster with silver glitter), and AC/DC (smoky grey/purple with shimmer).

It is all housed in a champagne-colored pleather case with a zipper enclosure wrapped around it. It’s fairly heavy (feels heavier than it looks) and definitely sturdy–it’s not easily crushed by any means–but the heft of it is not something I’d want to stash in my bag.  The overall size is nice, and I’m sure some will have no problem stashing it in their bag.

• Midnight Cowboy is a pale champagne pink with a frosted finish and chunky silver sparkle. The underlying base color has good color payoff, but the sparkles cause major fall out. I wish I knew of a dupe for the color, but the only thing I could think of was Safe Bet Annette which is still a bit pinker.
• Midnight Rodeo is a sparkly taupe brown. It does have glitter, but it’s subtle and doesn’t seem as large as Urban Decay’s other glitter-finished eyeshadows but may still have some fall out. The color payoff is good, and the texture is fairly smooth. I thought Urban Decay Toasted might be similar, but it’s not–much browner, less of a taupe. theBalm Insane Jane is grayer (more cool-toned), while Inglot #402 is nearly indistinguishable from Midnight Rodeo. This shade is a repromote from the 15th Anniversary Palette and BoS 4.
• Midnight 15 is a soft champagne with a hint of gray and frosted finish. There is a subtle amount of glitter which has a touch of fall out. Initially, I thought it might be similar to Urban Decay Virgin, but it’s grayer–looks taupe in comparison. It’s a little darker compared to the beige in Chanel Prelude and less yellow compared to Urban Decay Ruthless (this is the closest).
• AC/DC is a smoky purple with a very subtle red undertone; it’s more of a neutral purple. It was in the BoS 2. Am I the only one who expected to see another Midnight-themed shadow here? Don’t get me wrong–I’m so glad at least one shade isn’t fall out city. Urban Decay Gravity is a little purpler but similar. theBalm Kissy, Kissy is a touch darker. Bare Escentuals Encore has a stronger red undertone.
• Midnight Cowboy Lip Junkie is a sheer champagne-tinted gloss with lots of champagne shimmer. It’s mint-scented and virtually colorless on the lips but imparts shine and shimmer. You can check out my full review of the formula in my original review.

Each eyeshadow is 0.04 oz., which is just shy of full-size (0.05 oz.), while the gloss is full-sized (0.34 fl. oz.)–plus the travel-sized Shadow brush ($26 for the full-sized version).  The value is at least $73.40 (the value of the eyeshadows and gloss) but likely closer to $85 or so because of the brush.

Urban Decay’s eyeshadows with “sparkle” are problem children.  Sometimes they’re sweet and you can get them behave, but most often, they’re unruly, frustrating, and wreak havoc upon your eye/face because of the glittery fall out.  Of the three sparkly shades here, Midnight Cowboy is the worst offender.  The other two are lesser offenders but still have some issues with fall out.

My advice for working with eyeshadows prone to fall out is to use a stiffer brush and pat on, rather than sweep.  You might also want to lightly tap the brush against your forearm after you’ve picked up the eyeshadow to loosen any excess product (and glitter).  It’s best to apply eye makeup first in this instance, so you can easily remove any residual fall out without removing foundation and the like.  A stickier base (mixing mediums, sealers, etc.) can also help the glitter to adhere rather than to fall away or generally disappear.  I just don’t think you should have to work that hard.  I’m also surprised that–given how much Urban Decay enjoys themselves glitter eyeshadow–they haven’t come out with their own adhesive base/sealer.

The Glossover

	Midnight Emergency Kit C+
	There is a lot of fall out, and three of the five color products in this kit require some trial and error to find a method that works. Unless you're using an adhesive base, there is glitter fall out both during application as well as throughout the day. The packaging seems heavy for how little is inside it, so it's not as purse-friendly as it seems.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 7.5/10 Application 3/5
	Where to Buy
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Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit

Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Midnight 15 Eyeshadow

Urban Decay AC/DC Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Lip Junkie

Urban Decay Spring 2011: Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Eyeshadow Palette ($34.00 for 0.34 oz.) includes six eyeshadows: Stray Dog (cool medium brown), SWF (light cotton candy pink with silver micro-glitter), Midnight Cowboy (pink champagne with lots of silver glitter), Aquarius (aqua green with shimmer), Darkhorse (bronze patina), and Ecstacy (bright purple with slight pink tint). Also included is Zero 24/7 Liner (black) and Eden primer potion (nude).

• Stray Dog is a cool-toned, taupe-tinged dark brown with a frost finish. This shade is part of the permanent range and available individually; it has also been in the Foreshadow palette.
• SWF is a pale cotton candy pink with a bright metallic-frost sheen. This shade is part of the permanent range and available individually.
• Midnight Cowboy is a gilded champagne bronze with flecks of champagne glitter. It has less fall out than Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, but it still has plenty of it to make one frustrated. This shade is part of the permanent range and available individually; it was also in the Cowboy Junkie set.
• Aquarius is a pale aqua green teal with a silver metallic sheen. This shade is part of the permanent range and available individually.
• Darkhorse is a darkened deep chocolate brown with flecks of bronze. This shade was in the Naked palette and is not available individually.
• Ecstacy is a brightened, medium cool-toned violet purple with a soft frost finish. This shade is part of the permanent range and available individually; it was also in the Book of Shadows, Vol. 2. By the by, marginally annoyed that ecstasy is misspelled–imagine it was deliberate but find it annoying nonetheless! It is spelled correctly in the actual BoS Vol. 2, though…

my thoughts on the formula: Urban Decay’s eyeshadows are rich in pigment, apply evenly, and feel like butter. Generally speaking, their formula is excellent. I will warn and caution you against their shades with “glitter” or “sparkle” in the finish–some of these can be prone to fall out (for example, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again).

In terms of value, the palette includes 0.18 oz. of eyeshadow ($61.20 value), 0.03 oz. of eyeliner ($12.75 value), and 0.13 fl. oz. of primer potion ($6.88 value). The total value of the palette is $80.83, while the retail price is $34.

I think sometimes we lose sight of what the beauty industry and market are like as a whole — not every person purchases every palette or even much at all.  Not everyone enters at the same time, so even though you may find yourself owning many of the shades, it doesn’t make it a terrible product – Urban Decay does some really excellent shades that you can get year round, but these sure make those shades more accessible and affordable to people who don’t have a lot of Urban Decay or have always wanted to try it.  It would be great to see new shades, of course, but I recognize what value they may hold to others.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 28/30
• Value: 10/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

final thoughts: In this palette, only Midnight Cowboy is the finicky shade, while five of the six are lovely.  Only Darkhorse is not available individually, but at least a couple shades here haven’t been in half a dozen palettes previously.  As long as you love at least two shades (and like one or two others), then it works out to be a deal, since two eyeshadows will run you $34 if purchased individually.

where to buy: Urban Decay

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Feminine Palette: Stray Dog, SWF, Midnight Cowboy, Aquarius, Darkhorse, Ecstacy

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Urban Decay Feminine Palette

Feminine Palette: Stray Dog, SWF, Midnight Cowboy, Aquarius, Darkhorse, Ecstacy

Feminine Palette: Stray Dog, SWF, Midnight Cowboy,

Feminine Palette: Aquarius, Darkhorse, Ecstacy

Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion

Zero, Ransom (not included)

Urban Decay Dangerous, Feminine, & Fun Palettes: Sneak Peek

Just launched, Urban Decay has three new palettes for spring.  Each features six shades of eyeshadow and a medium-sized 24/7 Liner, plus a miniature-sized primer potion.  I’ll have full reviews up tomorrow, but I wanted to at least get a quick palette photo and swatches.  Each palette retails for $34.

See swatches & the other two palettes!

Dangerous Palette: Haight, Mildew, Virgin, Oil Slick, Rockstar, Gunmetal

Feminine Palette: Stray Dog, SWF, Midnight Cowboy, Aquarius, Darkhorse, Ecstasy

Feminine Palette: Stray Dog, SWF, Midnight Cowboy, Aquarius, Darkhorse, Ecstasy

Fun Palette: Woodstock, Baked, Uzi, Sin, Flipside, Psychedelic Sister

Fun Palette: Woodstock, Baked, Uzi, Sin, Flipside, Psychedelic Sister