I love their eyeshadows, particularly when they do satins and pearls, which so few brands do. I think they have some gorgeous color schemes in their arranged palettes, and I appreciate that they’ve put out more consumer-friendly palettes (and sizes) over the years. I’d love to see more expansion into other types of products, and I’d love to see some more unusual palette color combinations.
— Christine
Not enough new colors??? Is that really a valid complaint?? I’d love to see the Prismatic gloss range expanded, and I’m desperate for a more shimmery take on the Amuse Bouche formula! I could also see the brand rocking a more semi-sheer/medium coverage formula.
— Christine
There are a lot of permanent products from Urban Decay that I really love (Vice Lipsticks and 24/7 Eyeliners are some of my go-tos, as far as I can have go-tos!). I’ve found that their seasonal/limited edition launches can be more hit or miss, and they can be repetitive, despite the brand not having THAT many launches per year (like why it is always the same cheek trio?).
— Christine
I don’t like when they’re too soft that they don’t pick up product well–I don’t want super dense either, but I tend to prefer moderate to dense and then using pressure to control how much (or little) gets picked up. I think it’s because I also find that when it’s so soft that it gets hard to pick up product… it is also more time-consuming to diffuse/blend out because the bristles aren’t efficient enough for my liking.
— Christine
They’ve been steadily improving–in general, not always–their products, I think, and they have hit on some good formulas/star products in the last few years, too. I had major issues with quality with their releases in the past (particularly eyeshadow palettes).
— Christine
I don’t have much to rant about; I get a long well the most classic shape (tapered, moderately dense), so I don’t feel like I’ve ever struggled in this area to find at least a few to love and love quickly! It might be nice to see more variety in shapes and densities, though.
— Christine
Rave: I love how inclusive their marketing campaigns are, and I love how many promotional images/model shots of products in action they release for each collection/product launch. Rant: They have some great products, but they also have some duds and misses–more than I’d expect from newer brand and one backed by Kendo.
— Christine
Rave: When the products are good, they can reach exceptional status. Rant: The brand has released less consistent offerings over the last year or so, and this has resulted in less enthusiasm for new products as I’m never sure how they’re going to pan out.
— Christine
Rave: They have a huge selection of permanent products, and they’re true mainstays–they don’t have a constant cycle of new-in, old-out when it comes to those ranges, so it can be relied upon. Viva Glam is still one of the best charitable programs in beauty. Rant: They create new formulas for limited edition collections that can be stellar but then never seen again. They also need to update their core range of products as they have discontinued some shades (without replacing) in the last couple of years.
— Christine
Rave: Maybelline knows how to do great lip products! They’ve also stepped up the game when it comes to highlighters. Rant: They have discontinued a lot of their great lip product shades without replacements!
— Christine
