Urban Decay Chronic Matte Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches
Going Green with Urban Decay, Part 1
Urban Decay Chronic Eyeshadow ($17.00 for 0.05 oz.) is a near-matte grass green shade. What’s interesting about the matte formula is that you can see little specks of shimmer/glitter, but when you use it (whether just to swatch or on the lid), none of the shimmer/glitter shows up. It’s almost like a very, very near-matte eyeshadow with perhaps the slightest pearl sheen. I used it a couple of weeks ago in my St. Patrick’s Day look, and I really found it surprisingly easy to work with. It blended nicely, and it didn’t look chalky at all (which is often an issue with matte textures) nor was it dusty. I also got a good level of color intensity without having to pack on the eyeshadow, and with a color like that, I’m definitely looking for that richness of color.
I actually think the packaging is well-done, too. I feel like the case goes above and beyond the typical eyeshadow compact, because Urban Decay makes it uniquely theirs. It’s functional without being flimsy or cheap, but it still looks fun and totally fits with the brand’s image. Of course, I’d love Urban Decay to sell empty palettes and allow you to customize your own, but they do put out eyeshadow palettes throughout the year, so there is always that, I suppose!
I do want to say that I haven’t tried any of the other shades in this formulation, so my review is truly for this shade only! The Matte Eyeshadow formula is also available in: ABC Gum (pale peach), Cult (eggplant), Electric (electric blue), Foxy (light neutral), Heist (dusty purple), Illegal (smoky rose), Naked (buff nude), Narcotic (bright turquoise), Perversion (jet black), Purple Haze (bright purple), Revolver (stone gray), Secret Service (medium brown), Shakedown (taupe), and Yeyo (powder white).
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
Recommendation: If you love colorful, matte textures for your eyeshadows, Urban Decay’s Chronic was a pleasant surprise!
Availability: Urban Decay
Urban Decay Eyeshadow: Chronic, Urb, Graffiti
omgosh it looks just like mac’s (long discontinued) guacamole!
i have graffiti, but its a much more pigmented green that the one you have swatched. Here its so pastel-ish. did they reformulate it?
Huh? Graffiti is on the right… it’s pretty pigmented!
Yes…maybe its just this swatch but usually its very bright. Even the St.patty’s look you did, it came out as a true bright green. Or maybe its just my eyes. no big.
In my St. Patrick’s day look, it was layered over True Chartreuse (which is a matte green), so that would have given it a lot more green that way!
I really like that color and the packaging is awesome.
I’ve been really into matte shadows lately (mufe being my fave). I want to check these out. Thanks, Christine.
omg you neeeeeeeeeeeeeed HEIST. best color EVER
I’d prefere Graffiti, anyway Urban Decay is not available in my country 🙁
Interesting. I love using mattes with my shimmers – why haven’t I been hip to this formula before? Thanks for the heads up!
Nice, but I prefer Graffiti. 🙂
Very pretty. I need to try some UD.
Alice from the Alice In Wonderland Palette is suppose to be one of the Matte eye shadows isnt it?
Alice is a shimmer!
Ooh, pretty looking! Do you think you could maybe do some reviews on the other shades, too, Christine? Since I am kind of a matte/satin finish girl n__n
I’ll try!
I have many UD matte eyeshadows, they are so smooth… I love them! And Narcotic is very crazy!
Oh man, that’s so pretty and the pigmentation looks good. I had to have Narcotic, then it didn’t show up. :/
love the packaging!
UD — please come out with a matte Book of Shadows. Thankyouverymuch!
I’ve always had terrible luck with the Urban Decay eyeshadow packaging, and think it’s really flimsy, myself. The glue that they use it weaker than the glue to keep a credit card on the paper, and my eyeshadows always fall out of the container (and I never travel with them, that’s just normal gentle usage). On the upside, depotting these is as simple as turning them over, hehe.
This looks like a nice color that I don’t have. Might have to look into it.
I haven’t tried Chronic yet but I wear Graffiti and Urb a lot. In fact, I’m wearing Graffiti right now! Urb is a deceiving color, for those who haven’t tried it; it looks sage green in the pot but is more of a very shimmery light gold w/ silver glitter on the skin.
Hey Christine,
Saw this on UD’s facebook page earlier today 🙂
Just wondering, do you think UD will make a matte eyeshadow palette?
Thanks!
I’d love them to, but I doubt it based on history!
Chronic is a very nice matte green though I rarely do matte eyeshadow. Grafitti would be more of my type of shadow, and looks a bit like the shimmery more pigmented version of Chronic.
I love this packaging! I’d like to check out their other colors as well
LOVE these mattes! I got Foxy and Naked for $5 each at Winners! Keep your eyes open, girls!!
I actually got Chronic at a Winners as well! I love UD Matte eyeshadows and they are so soft!
I love the UD mattes.
jajaja, looks like an oreo, cute
i like how it’s green & named after marijuana…and yeyo is white and named after coke :/ very cool urban decay, lol.
I *love* color, I *love* matte shadows and I don’t think I have a green like that!
*adds Chronic to wishlist*
Thanks for the review Christine! 🙂
Have you ever played with Revolver Christine? I’ve been really interested in trying that lately…it looks like it’d be a really strong yet subtle grey (if that makes any sense). =)
I don’t think so!
I have this shade, too! I really do like it, though I do not wear it often. I got it for $5.99 CAD, aha!
I bought three of these UD matte formula eyeshadows including this one and have since traded two of them (illegal and yeyo) away. The formula is nice, but they just really aren’t my cup of tea. Because mattes are so much harder to work with, I prefer my mine to be neutral (and somehow even UD neutrals aren’t exactly neutral). I find intesely colored mattes are too unforgiving for me so I just don’t ever reach for them.
these are all the reasons why I absolutely love Urban Decay. The other reason which is very important to me and may not be to most of your readers is that, although not a vegan company, Urban Decay takes the time to post their vegan colors separately making it easier for the consumer to find the products without having to search the ingredients and look up all the names to make sure the product is vegan. I love this about them.
If you have not tried their other matte colors you should try. I promise you won’t be dissaponted at all. I don’t have a large collection (I will be doing a video and a blog post on the colors that I do own) but the colors that I do own are all very pigmented and “dust free.” They all look amazing on.
I think with Urban Decay, a little goes a long way.
Great review of the product. You are amazing.