14 Dupes & Alternatives to Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet + Lavender & Violet Single Eyeshadows
If you were looking forward to the recently-released Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet but are put off by quality concerns or loved the idea but not the execution (in terms of the actual color story)… this post is for you! These are not designed to be 1 for 1 dupes of each shade; they’re about getting the vibe of the palette–so pushing toward various takes on purples (lavender, plum, purple, and so on). I did a few that were more of a peach/purple combo (which is what the actual Naked Ultraviolet is, in totality, but I know some readers were disappointed by the peachy twist to it!).
I pulled eight shades per Color Story with the idea being that they’re the “core” colors that create the overall palette’s theme, but then you can anchor with your desired transition and brow bone kind of shades. I pulled three versions using Sydney Grace Eyeshadow singles, and then I pulled shades from various palettes that were in a purple/plum theme. Just for fun, I pulled from Pat McGrath’s entire catalog (there’s not a particular palette that leaned purple enough otherwise).
If you are looking for all-purple palettes, though, ColourPop’s Lilac You a Lot, ColourPop It’s My Pleasure, and Coloured Raine Power are all very much in that vein. Natasha Denona Love is warmer and more of a pink/red based palette but would work for someone who wants both warmer tones overall. Natasha Denona Lila is also a nice mix of rose and mauve with pops of brighter berry/purple shades (but at the price point, it’s over double UD).
About This Series
Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. I know that I tend to use more like five or six shades in a typical look, but I think that four is a happy medium to give a good idea of the “core” color scheme of a look while giving you the ability to lighten/darken as desired. I have listed the colors in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease.
You might see combinations that seem slightly repeated but placement will vary (e.g. a halo placement where the lightest and more shimmery shade is placed on the center) as placement can also create a different effect/look! You might also want to consider incorporating your favorite matte/shimmer shades (as applicable) to increase the versatility of certain palettes. Consider these ideas a jumping off point!
Create a Color Story
Feeling inspired? Share your own color story using this palette or create a color story from scratch.
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
ColourPop Lilac You a Lot
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Viseart Eyeshadows
Natasha Denona Lila
ColourPop It's My Pleasure
Natasha Denona Purple-Brown
Natasha Denona Love
Anastasia x Jackie Aina
Anastasia Norvina
Pat McGrath EYEdols
Natasha Denona Sunrise
Bonus
Here are some of the best single shades available to get the more “eye-catching” shades from Naked Ultraviolet!
I think also huda beauty amethyst palette could dupe the vibes. Yes, it has more plummy/berry shade instead of the orange part of the ud’s ones, but I think it also has quite similar purple and fuxias to dupe the ‘purple’ section if the ultraviolet. And the quality is quite good for me, I’m enjoying it. Probably also the new huda’s pastel liliac could be an other option, even if I cannot tell for sure, since I don’t have this
While I certainly appreciate you compiling this list with swatches for us, it’s still very disappointing that Urban Decay seems to have dropped the ball when it came to creating the palette that all us purple lovers out here had been asking from them for years. As for me, I’m sure I have enough truly phenomenal purples, lilacs, lavenders, plums, etc. to get the same vibes as this. However, I will likely have to do some mixing and matching of my various palettes and singles to get there. That’s the whole fun of makeup, though, isn’t it? Stretching our creative brain cells. ?
To Urban Decay: Y’all let us down!
My thoughts exactly Nancy on brand UD…
This whole post makes me incredibly happy! I love all the purples… :o) I even have Tom Ford’s Daydream…which thankfully I didn’t have trouble with. Was worried after your review. And I had no idea Sydney Grace had so many lovely purples! Thank you for doing this…
Same! I need to try out Sydney Grace.
I absolutely love this reference guide!! Thank you! ♥️
Greater lemming for your alternatives than the palette. And Sandy, if you think SG purples are good, check out the greens! The one i really want is Fyrrinae Seattle Fog, though duped enough on Reindeer Fur. Eyeshadow is rather like chocolate. There’s no point in settling for second rate. And there are some fine examples here.
Christine – you are a legend! How stunningly perfect for all the purple eyeshadow wearers. And it also reflects on how brand UD has fallen with this palette, so that you feel you need to offer an alternative.
I like your alternatives far better than the original.
I have the CR Power Palette, and love it. These color stories are great reminders.
I still want to try the Power Palette by Coloured Raine . I watched a live stream from the owner on Instagram and she seems to be a very nice lady who’s products look really nice . Great dupes by the way .
This post is A+, I love it!!! Also I bought Flannel by Sydney Grace months ago and still haven’t used it -I really need to fix that!!
What a GREAT post, Christine!!! Thank you so much for this!
Great Post!
This is so beautiful! I love how Sydney Grace does cool colors with green and purples, but I wish they would expand their range of blues and blurples. I also love the Viseart palette you curated – Grande Pro 2 is probably my most coveted palette but I really don’t want to buy anything with PET glitter