Urban Decay Bondage Weightless Makeup Adhesive

Urban Decay Bondage Weightless Makeup Adhesive ($14.00 for 0.20 fl. oz.) is described as a “clear, water-based adhesive [that] sets and holds glitter.” It’s supposed to help the brand’s new Heavy Metal Loose Glitter apply “for a full-on jewel-encrusted effect that lasts all day (with very little fallout).” It’s a good thing they added that little bit “with very little fallout,” because I tried two different shades of the new glitters on top of the adhesive, and there was still some fall out. It seemed like one or two glitter particles fell per hour, but in general, the glitter adhered well and was comfortable to wear over the adhesive. The consistency is very much weightless, and it doesn’t feel tacky or thick, so it’s easy to spread across the lid, but I found you needed a fair amount of it on the skin if you wanted a solid glitter effect. If I spread out the adhesive, the glitter tended to apply in a sheer, sparse layer. The adhesive definitely breaks down easily with water, though getting all the bits of glitter off is a different story (more on that below).

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Loose Glitter ($12.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as an “easy-to-use loose glitter.” Each shade had the same instructions included on a separate pamphlet in the box, which said to lay down a layer of their adhesive first, then with fingertips or brushes, apply the glitter. I didn’t like using fingertips, because the majority of the glitter stuck to my finger and only a smattering adhered to the lid.

The jar has a plastic sifter that is level with the top of the jar, so you have to tap out the glitter into the lid, which makes closing it a glittery mess. I wish the sifter was dropped, so that there was a couple millimeters of space for the glitter to sit on top of the sifter but still inside the jar. When I used a brush, a lot of the glitter didn’t stick to my brush–there is a very small window of how you make the journey from jar to eyelid and keeping your brush just so, and then patting it on the lid and hoping that most of it sticks to the lid. I had three or four times the amount of glitter underneath my lid as on it unless I really slathered on the adhesive, and I had to put adhesive straight onto the brush, too.

The included instructions said to brush away any excess during application, and while those glitters might not stay on the lid on their own, they weren’t easy to remove them from the skin. I tried several different methods, but I ended up resorting to tape. Urban Decay’s loose glitters aren’t really any more difficult or easier to use than most loose glitters available–they’re simply not an improvement on the status quo. With the particle size of these, I prefer using something like Lit Cosmetics’ adhesive base, because I can easily apply it to the lid and my brush to really minimize the fall out during application and get a much more glitter to adhere at once.

ACDC is described as a “bright purple glitter.” It’s a medium, cool-toned purple glitter.

Catfight is described as a “pink glitter.” It’s a medium-dark, pinky-red glitter. MAC Pink (P, $21.00) is finer. See comparison swatches.

Goldmine is described as a “yellow-gold glitter.” It’s a medium-dark yellow-toned gold glitter.

Loaded is described as a “bright, deep green glitter.” It’s an emerald green with cool undertones glitter. Lit Cosmetics Yoda (P, $12.95) is lighter, finer. See comparison swatches.

Pyrotechnics is described as an “iridescent glitter.” It’s a multi-colored mix of iridescent pink, lilac, and gold glitter.

Reverb is described as a “bright, deep blue glitter.” It’s a medium-dark blue glitter. Lit Cosmetics Bar Star (P, $12.95) is finer, more multi-dimensional. See comparison swatches.

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