Urban Decay Vegan Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Can You Resist Cute Packaging?
Urban Decay Vegan Palette ($34.00) is a new and limited edition eyeshadow palette for fall, and it features six eyeshadows, one eyeliner, and a miniature-sized eyeshadow primer. It features only products that are vegan-friendly.
The packaging is my favorite part about this product, which is creative, pretty, and functional. Otherwise, the eyeshadows are every bit of quality you’d expect from Urban Decay, but with the Naked Palette released simultaneously and featuring three of these shades (Smog, Gunmetal, Half Baked), it makes getting both of them rather redundant.
These are pitfalls of Urban Decay’s limited edition palettes, because long-time collectors often end up with multiples of several shades, since the brand reuses certain shades with great frequency. (I am personally tired of seeing Twice Baked and Baked in their palettes!) On the other hand, for newer Urban Decay fans, the palette is a cute palette with six great shades from the brand’s range. Each eyeshadow is 0.03 oz. in weight, along with a 0.03 oz. Zero 24/7 Eye Pencil and 0.13 oz. Sin Primer Potion. It’s a decent amount for the price tag, but…
The Naked Palette gives you so much for–double the eyeshadow shades (12 in total)–but every single shade in it is full sized at 0.05 oz. For $10 more, you’re getting 0.6 oz. of eyeshadow, instead of 0.18 oz. Pretty awesome, right? All six of the Vegan palette shades can be purchased individually, in case you’re dead-set on one of them. I guess what I’m really saying is if you were waffling between the Vegan and the Naked palette, I would recommend the Naked palette and not even think twice about it.
- Minx is shimmering aqua green with tiny flecks of teal glitter.
- Urb is a softly shimmered olive green with a golden sheen. It was the least pigmented shade of the six, though I wouldn’t call it sheer or lacking in pigmentation overall.
- Gunmetal is a blue-toned gray-black with silver sheen. Very pigmented!
- Twice Baked is a satin-y medium-dark chocolate brown.
- Smog is a shimmering bronze with a copper-gold sheen.
- Half Baked is a lightened copper with a near metallic finish.
The palette also includes a miniature-sized Zero 24/7 Liner (true black) and Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion (a shimmery burnt champagne base). I need another Zero like I need another eyeliner, period, but it’s a solid black eyeliner which will work well with any of the six shadows and any combinations thereof. I find Sin very, very shimmery–so frosty that it’s hard to use as a base, particularly with frost finished shades like these. I think Eden would have been a better choice here to make it more versatile.
Minx and Urb are the only shades that are on the glittery side, though neither is a glitter bomb. The other four shades are smoother and don’t feel glittery–just shimmery. All six shades are very true-to-color with nice pigmentation and a soft, smooth texture. I really do like and enjoy the palette, and there is nothing wrong with it. It just depends on what Urban Decay palettes you already own and how much overlap you have between them all.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you don’t plan on getting the Naked eyeshadow palette (how could you not?!) and you don’t have too much overlap with previously released palettes, it’s an adorably packaged palette with quality in mind.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora, Urban Decay
Minx, Urb, Gunmetal, Twice Baked, Smog, Baked
Minx, Urb, Gunmetal
Twice Baked, Smog, Baked
I actually like this one.
nice colors!
such pretty packaging and colors. I need both this and the naked palette
This is just stunningly beautiful. The packaging as well as the colours.
I am seriously considering asking my ex to get it for me from Sephora and mail it to me here in SA. Really nice. I would get it in a heartbeat.
Naked it is!!! =)
Is Minx close to Flipside (from BOS Vol 2)? It may be perm too, not sure
I’d say it’s tealer & a bit lighter.
I wish this palette included a highlight color
Beautiful package, and nice colors 🙂
I agree with you about the redundancy of colors. That’s why I did not buy the Summer of Love palette – I had ALL of those colors already, either in other palettes or as single shadows. And I have a whole bundle of Zero eyeliners because that’s what comes with every single palette, as well as the mini-sized primer potions. Those of us who are seasoned UD junkies would love to see less repetition. Though, it doesn’t stop me from collecting anyway 🙂
I so agree. I almost didn’t get this palette for that very reason, but the packaging was too cute so I got it anyway. I do wish they didn’t repeat the colors so much though. 🙁
Though the colors are good, I’d rather have the Naked Palette than the Vegan. The colors seem more cohesive and you get more for your dollar. Urban Decay is awesome, though.
I can resist this when I’m broke 😛 Otherwise, NO! I do plan on getting the Naked palette so I will probably skip this one. I already own Urb & Gunmetal (as well as the heavily repeated bottom 3 colors). If I wanted it bad enough, all I would have to buy is Minx! This makes me wonder why UD didn’t put off the Naked palette longer…I think more people would buy this cute one if the Naked palette wasn’t coming out till August or so..
It’s a pretty palette, and to me it seems comparable to some of their previous ones, if not better. But I think the mistake came from launching this at the same time as the Naked palette. Maybe people who want a bright pop of color will choose it over Naked, but I feel like most people wanting only one palette from UD this fall would choose Naked in a second.
And Zero again? Let’s play a game where we all go through our stashes and count our mini and full-size Zeroes…
The packaging is too cute but since I already own 3 palettes and over 20 full size Urban Decay shadows I’ll take a pass on this one.
What would make this product even more amazing is if Urban Decay donated a percentage of the profits to ASPCA/SPCA or WWF…
wow such a lovely packaging!! & the colors are stunning 🙂
The Naked palette is NOT vegan, so for vegan customers, this palette is not redundant. I personally wish that it had way more colors, even if that would make it the same price as the Naked palette
Thanks for pointing that out, B!
Could you be less rude next time? It’s pretty obvious this is a VEGAN palette and if you are only buying VEGAN products, the comparision does not apply to you. She was pointing out how there is a huge difference in value AND redundancy between the two.
Rude? Jikes…
Could somebody explain to me what actually makes cosmetics vegan? How are the shades in this palette different from the normal shades? Or the 24/7 pencil? Or is it just the packaging? Are other palettes made of animal products? Sorry for the silly questions, but I don’t understand what makes this vegan?!?
It’s usually ingredients – like beeswax and carmine are two ingredients that are animal by-products and therefore not vegan friendly!
Carmine is the main non-vegan ingredient that sneaks its way into eyeshadows. Carmine is literally ground up beetles. The shades in this palette are not reformulated to be vegan specifically for this palette; it is just a selection of already vegan products the line has. Any Urban Decay product with a paw print next to it is vegan. Check out http://www.crueltyfreeface.com for completely vegan listings and makeup tutorials!
I really love these colors. I will probably get both this and the Naked palette. Thanks for the great pictures!
This is adorable, and I like the colors! As a vegan who is coveting the Naked palette (but won’t buy it because it’s not vegan) this was a really welcome post. Thank you Christine! I love Urban Decay.
I don’t think I’m going to get Naked as I find it boring, but I really love this and can’t wait for it to be released in the UK. 🙂 I’m pretty sure I already have most of the shades, but the palette is so gorgeous, I have to have it!
I know what you mean about Half Baked and Twice Baked, but I hate Midnight Cowboy and M. C. Rides Again popping up in their palettes even more, so I don’t mind the Baked family too much. 🙂
Oh I totally agree with you on the Midnight cowboy, thats the shade I dislike the most with all that glitter fall out!
It’s out on Debenham’s website now, along with the Black Eye palette!
i already love it 🙂
Naked palette for me has too many shades i don’t need. this it’s perfect, packaging is so cute, and hey, it’s vegan!
only one question for you Christine: when will it be available internationally?
I believe in August!
thank you! 🙂
christine, can i borrow your images for my company’s blog? we’re a packaging design firm – our blog is here: http://capsuleshak.typepad.com/ not sure what your policy is on this but of course i’d give full attribution to you! your shots are great.
Hi Yvette,
Could you let me know what for and how many images?
Sorry I just responded now. We design packaging, and so our blog showcases some great examples of packaging out there – new, innovative, well designed. Probably 3 or 4 images. Thanks!
Yes, that’s fine!
I love the packaging so much!!! Too bad I have pretty much all of these colors so it wouldn’t be worth my money.
I have to agree Christine, I love this palette, but I am so tired of seeing Baked and twice baked in their palettes! I have one of those palettes in my purse right now(Get baked palette)! I wish they would change it up a bit or make some new shades!
I just got this! The packaging is definitely adorable and the colors are gorgeous. I also like that they included Sin Primer Potion. It’s my favorite of the UD primers. I don’t really care for Eden.
Christine,
How would you compare Minx to MAC’s Birds and Berries shadow from the Liberty of London collection?
It’s darker, bluer!
This palette appeals to me way more than the naked palette !
Christine, any info that the NAKED Platte will be permanent??
Just checked on UD and Sephora website, this baby is out of stock again!
I love vegan, but NAKED is irresistible!
Hi Rachel,
I believe I mentioned it in my original review of Naked, but it is permanent according to Urban Decay.
I am so relieved to hear this! Thank you for repeating that info.
Totally getting this!
I absolutely know that I don’t need this palette because I ahve 4 of the six shades and definitely WILL be purchasing the Naked palette… however, you’re right — the packagin is so cute I could die! Maybe I’ll wait for the F&F sale if I do end up buying this, though.
I echo what other people are saying about recycling shades — ESPECIALLY for those of us with last summer’s Get Baked palette. This one is vegan so that helps, but otherwise the twice/half baked shades are the same, Smog = Baked and Minx = Flipside. Urb and Gunmetal are both really pretty but I feel like I already own this palette…
No. I refuse to buy one more palette from Urban Decay where the regurgitate the same colors from the last 2 years AGAIN. Seriously, I may be exaggerating a bit but I have all of these colors. Why? Why? Why can’t they release other colors in a palette? What is the deal? Christine, if you have any in’s with their marketing team please ask them for us.
I’ll try!
I agree, and I wish they’d lighten up on the glitter which is why I just purchased Naked. Finally I think they get it. I also find the typical Book of Shadows packaging a major turn off – tacky, too busy, and doesn’t maintain well.
Since I’m completely new to UD, I will most likely get this and the Naked palette. This one, because it is vegan and the packaging is absolutely beautiful. And because I think it is perfect for a weekend away, when you only want one palette that also has some colour to it.
But seriously, the packaging is gorgeous.
Same here!
Love love love Gunmental hate the design on the palette
ugh, I’m so annoyed that UD keeps putting the same colours in multiple palettes. Half of these are in UD BOS2, so those of us that have BOS2, we would be spending a ridiculous amount of money for just 3 shades. You have to be a really die hard fan to do that, the rest of us will just pass.
This pallet is SOOOOOOOOO GORGEOUS. As an animal lover this pallet is sooooooo cute! I actually don’t have any of the baked shadows, so this one is alright for me! And I actually don’t have the Zero pencil! I have one of the book of shadows but they don’t have any of these shadows. So this one is a good buy for me! I’m gonna purchase the Naked pallet too so I’ll just have one repeat eyeshadow, gunmetal.
Ahhh shoot. I just realized I’m gonna have 3 repeat eyeshadows. :/
Oh well, the value is still good for the 3 eyeshadows alone, plus the sin potion and pencil. I just can’t resist that packaging!
I really wanted the naked palette…. but maybe I should get this one instead. That green looks gorgeous and so does the blue. And that packaging is too cute!
I’ll be buying this the minute it hits Sephora stores! Urb and Minx are the only two colors I don’t have, but this palette is more convenient to toss in a bag than the big BOS.
I am glad they included the Sin primer potion, if I’m in a hurry I just use that. It’s not too frosty on my skin.
Love Urban Decay, and I am happy they have decided to put out this palette to showcase some of their vegan colors.
I like urban decay eye shadows.. I prefer when they come out with different pallets to come up with different eye shadow colors because am not going to be spending 38 or 40 dollars and keep buying the same colors again. Am not that crazy to spend that much money just cause two new shades came out and the rest are colors I owe from the previous pallet.
I would love to see you create a look using colors from this palette and maybe a highlight color that’s not in the palette. Since the colors aren’t all neutral, I wouldn’t quite no where to begin, but I would like to experiment with it!
Love the kitty and the owl on the packaging too…
I’ll see what I can do, Ariel!
is there anything that would dupe Baked from MAC? Oh and what’s the difference between vegan and without animal testing in the beauty world?
Hi Inaya,
The two ingredients I know are common and are by-products of animals are beeswax and carmine. Vegans do not consume any animal by-products (milk, eggs, but then also beeswax for example). Vegans are therefore concerned with ingredients and whether they’re from an animal as well as testing (well, assuming they are also against animal testing – there are some who eat vegan/vegetarian for health).
Lanolin and silk are also animal by-products that are, unfortunately, common in cosmetic products.
Amber Lights would be the closest, I’d say…
Vegan means the ingredients used in the makeup aren’t animal-based (e.g. beeswax)!
It’s pretty, but (as many have stated) quite redundant. 3 of these shades were in BOS2 and one was in the Show Pony palette, so unless you’re vegan, this palette is worthless. Even if you’re new to the brand, I suggest you wait for the Naked Palette…
I really wish UD would use some different shades in their palettes. Also, I agree, this would sell better if they weren’t releasing the Naked palette in August.
Semi-related question:
What’s the difference between Eden PP and regular?
Eden is 100% matte and opaque, regular is nearly invisible and just a smidgen of shimmer.
I like this a lot..but I think I’m going to buy the naked palette first!
Believe it or not but I don’t own any palettes, but I’m planning to get this one. It looks more versatile than Naked, so I imagine it is possible to do more different looks with it. I also love that it’s completely vegan and the packaging is seriously one of the cutest I’ve seen in a long time.
I am getting this and the naked palette, and I can’t wait. But it seems like it was already released but sephora doesnt have the naked in stock.. which to me is weird. anyway, i cant wait =]
This is on sale on urbandecay.com for $19!
The color Minx looks very much alike to the color Deep End from the 15th Anniversary palette. hmm.. :/