Urban Decay's latest shimmery eyeshadow palette is a collection of their Moondust eyeshadow formula, which is described as "dazzlingly sparkly" with a "diamond-like" effect. Apparently this was Urban Decay's "most requested" eyeshadow palette since the Moondust formula was first introduced.
And I won't be buying.
I'll admit that the idea of this palette really sparked my interest. I had heard a lot of buzz about Urban Decay's Moondust formula, and the idea of trying eight shades in a palette was really appealing.
However, this was something that I needed to remind myself first and foremost: I don't like Urban Decay's eyeshadow formula, especially the formula in palettes.
I know this is an incredibly unpopular opinion, but after trying so many different eyeshadow formulas, I don't like that of Urban Decay. I find the formula to be inferior to the likes of Make Up For Ever, MAC, Makeup Geek, and Kat Von D. I even prefer the shimmery shadows in the two Morphe palettes that I've tried more than those from Urban Decay.
In fact, I've decluttered more palettes from Urban Decay than from any other brand. I've decluttered:
- Naked
- Naked 2
- Naked 3
- Naked Basics
- Vice 4
- Midnight Emergency Kit
- UD X Gwen Stefani
That's truly a staggering number of palettes that I have owned, tried, and disliked enough to declutter.
But what's even more staggering is that I continued to buy from Urban Decay even though I didn't like their eyeshadow formula.
The main reason I dislike Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes is because they produce a substantial amount of fallout. Another reason is that several of their shadows are packed with glitter, so when I inevitably get fallout, glitter chunks will rain down my face and stay put for the rest of the day. Third, I don't think Urban Decay does mattes well, at least in comparison to Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye, Viseart, and even MAC and Makeup Geek. Lastly, the shadows feel incredibly dry and are prone to flaking in the pan.
Interestingly, I now only have one Urban Decay eyeshadow, and it is incredible. It is a single in the shade Chase that I bought it because it was a happy medium between my two favorite shades from the Naked palette: Half Baked and Smog.
Urban Decay Chase
Photo: Temptalia
This shadow is fantastic. It gives off incredible pigment with a metallic finish, it's not too dry, and produces minimal fallout. It's so unlike any other shadow I've tried from the brand. And that's when it occurred to me that Chase was the only shadow I've tried from Urban Decay that wasn't in a palette.
At $19 per shadow, Urban Decay single shadows are considerably more expensive than those from MAC or Makeup Geek, and it would be cheaper to buy a Naked palette instead of three singles. This leads me to think that the eyeshadow singles could be of a superior formula than the formula in palettes. Of course, I could be absolutely wrong, and Chase just might be a uniquely great shadow.
The bottom line is that because of the experiences that I've had time and again with Urban Decay palettes, I really can't see myself purchasing another one.
Still, that didn't stop me from stopping in a Sephora to look at the Moondust palette. There are some positives:
The color selection really is lovely.
I appreciate that there are neural (enough) colors in here, like the light pink, silver, and bronze, as well as jewel-tones to play with. I also applaud Urban Decay because this color selection looks as though it will work well and look lovely on a true variety of skin tones rather than catering to light skin.
The Moondust palette has also received generally favorable reviews, however, it has been noted that the best effects come from applying the shadows with a finger and/or wet. If you're looking for a super glittery shadow and don't mind having to work a little be harder to achieve that, than this may absolutely be a winning palette for you. For me, I don't want to work that hard.
As far as the swatches, I was less than impressed. I swatched with the colors with a finger over bare (non-primed skin), and they swatched terribly. It was just a light streak of colored glitter, and not at all the "dazzlingly sparkly" finish I had been promised.
This one will have to boil down to personal preference. There have been many favorable reviews of this palette, so if this is the kind of item you're looking for, you probably won't be disappointed. But if you're like me and you want the sparkle without the additional work, this might be a pass.
In my own collection, the Nubian 2 palette from Juvia's Place has a similar color scheme, has much more vibrant colors, and I don't have to work to achieve nice results.
Finally, I think cost is important to consider here. The Moondust palette costs $49 for eight shadows with 0.02 ounces of product per shadow. A full-sized single Moondust eyeshadow costs $21 for 0.05 ounces of product. The Naked palette in comparison costs $54 for twelve eyeshadows at 0.05 ounces of product per shadow (the size of a full-sized shadow).
The Moondust palette is incredibly expensive for 0.16 ounces of product. If you're curious to try the Moondust formula, I would recommend instead buying one of the Moondust singles in a shade you really love and would wear often.
As for me, I already have high performing shadows in similar colors that give a beautiful finish without troublesome fallout, so the Moondust palette is a pass for me.
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