** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **
Eyeshadow palettes are my absolute weakness. There. Now you know my Kryptonite. Wave a palette of pretty shadows in front of me, and you can bet that I’d get weak in the knees. I just love looking at my palettes in the morning, with my mind spinning as to what kind of color combinations to create.
So how could I ever pass up the chance to purchase Urban Decay Book of Shadows III? I had to visit my local Sephoras a few times when it first hit the shelves before I found it in-stock and waiting for me to take home.
Urban Decay Book of Shadows III is one of those shadow collections that get a lot of attention very quickly. But the big question is: does it live up to all the hype?
Urban Decay Book of Shadows III Swatches & Pictures
- 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero – a classic matte black
- 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Ransom – a bright purple
*~* Urban Decay Perversion, Uzi, Loaded & Kush Swatches *~*
No Primer
With UDPP
Row 1 of the palette:
- Perversion – a matte black shadow
- Uzi – a bright silver with lots of glitter
- Loaded (Exclusive) – an emerald green that’s very close to black
- Kush (Exclusive) – a vibrant grass green with metallic finish & silver sparkles
*~* Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar & Money Swatches *~*
No Primer
With UDPP
Row 2 of the palette:
- Midnight Cowboy Rides Again – a light shimmery & glittery pink color
- Last Call – a shimmery deep-wine color
- Rockstar (Exclusive) – a deep purple-brown shade with metallic finish
- Money (Exclusive) – a metallic grayish blue with a tinge of green
*~* Urban Decay Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello Swatches *~*
No Primer
With UDPP
Row 3 of the palette:
- Haight – a shimmery sky blue
- Maui Wowie – a sandy-beige shade with glitter
- Smog – a shimmery bronzy color
- Bordello (Exclusive) – a lighter wine version of Last Call (sort of like a few before the round of last call)
*~* Urban Decay Radium, Snatch, Suspect, Psychedelic Sister Swatches *~*
No Primer
With UDPP
Row 4 of palette:
- Radium (Exclusive) – a bright true blue
- Snatch – a shimmery rosy shade with a tinge of coral
- Suspect (Exclusive) – a sparkly beige color that reflects the light
- Psychedelic Sister – a beautiful bright violet
Claims: TRUSTED
- √ Going beyond neutrals & brights
√ Range of textures
Key Notes
- Name: Urban Decay Book of Shadows III
- What I Paid: $65 CAD
- What’s Included: 16 x 0.8g or 0.03oz Eye Shadows, 3.7ml or 0.13oz Travel Size Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Original), 2x 0.8g or 0.03oz 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
- Where to Buy: Sephora in store, Sephora online, Urban Decay website
Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. III Review
In a few short months, I have purchased 3 Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes. I’m not sure if that shows you how much I’m into Urban Decay eye shadows or rather how much of a shopping addict I am. In any case, I love Urban Decay eyeshadows.
They are super pigmented, and the ones in the Urban Decay Book of Shadows 3 are no different. As you can see from the swatches, the colors are nearly as saturated when applied naked as on the primer.
But I do recommend using the Primer Potion in Original. 1.) It helps the powder stay on longer. 2.) It makes applying the shadows much easier. 3.) You do get a slightly more intense hue. 4.) I experience a lot of glitter fallout with Urban Decay shadows, and a primer helps the glitter adhere to the skin better. This is a big, big must.
Most of the shadows apply smoothly; the only one I had trouble with is Uzi. That’s because it’s made of so much glitter! If you use the primer first, however, the glitter will actually stick to your lid. You end up seeing more of the color on your lid… and less of just glitter falling down your cheeks.
I am loving the colors in Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. 3. They are, for one thing, gorgeous with many different textures available. But another reason: I feel like Urban Decay didn’t hold back any when it came to choosing which colors to include. And really, it’s inspired by NYC, so how can they? The reason I say that is because all the shades can be worn as the main attraction on the lid. They all definitely steal the show. Yes, there are a couple of highlights and contouring shades. But UD really meant it when they said this palette is beyond “neutrals and brights.” Every color can be a showcase color!
Seven – count them – SEVEN of the shadows in UD BOS III are exclusives. Wohooooooo. And they definitely are worth the price of ticket. I love almost every one of them. Loaded was the shade that caught my eye first when I saw the palette, yet it’s the most disappointing one for me. It’s so near black that I can hardly see the color. It could fit in with Urban Decay The Black Palette very nicely.
Three of the shades I already own from Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box: Smog, Maui Wowie and Last Call, but I don’t mind since they’re so beautiful.
Eyeshadow colors aside, let’s talk about the two Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. The Urban Decay Book of Shadows III set lets you take these gems out for a spin if you’ve never tried them before. Oh man. I’m totally in love. They glide on soooo smoothly – no tugging at all. I’ve worn them without primer, and they didn’t budge or melt!
I didn’t forget about the packaging. Overall, I really like the design, but I wasn’t knocked-over silly by it. It’s pretty cool that the pop-up collage literally lights up (maybe not as much as Time Square), and I like that UD incorporated NYC essences everywhere. But the pop-up doesn’t stand up very well on its own, so you can’t display it on your vanity without it shutting itself out.
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Final Verdict: 9.5/10
To answer my first question, yes, Urban Decay Book of Shadows III really does live up to all the hype. The colors are gorgeous! Even if you have many of them from other collections, there are 7 beautiful exclusive shades to win you over. It certainly won me over!
What do you think of Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. III? Is it worth the price for you?
