If you’ve been following beauty news from Urban Decay, you might have as much new-product-release whiplash as I do. In the past couple months we’ve gotten like… three to four new palettes? The Petite Heat was definitely an instant favorite, but nothing else had caught my eye until the most recent launch. The new Beached collection is so summer-ready and gorgeous, I was excited to take a closer look.
The Beached Eyeshadow Palette is a cool $34, which is a pretty reasonable price to get a little UD into your collection. The palette has eight shadows, and opens horizontally with a mirror on the lid. I’ll say this up front: I don’t like the orientation of this palette and I think the direction the lid opens is awkward. It’s awkward to hold and takes up more counter space since it basically lays flat.
Moving on, the eight shades are so beachy and paradise-y, it basically looks like vacation in a palette. There’s a really great gradient between neutrals and bold shades with some gorgeous blues and golds that really pull the whole thing together.
As per usual with Urban Decay, we get nice pigmentation with every single shade in the palette. Go light with your hand, because fallout does happen with the shimmer shades. On that note… there’s only one matte in this palette: Daybreak. It’s a really pretty deep peach that makes for a great transition. But I’m pretty sure you can tell how I feel about the lack of balance between finishes here.
I am personally of the opinion that all-shimmer shadow looks tend to look muddy, flat, and 2-dimensional. So with the only matte in this palette being a medium shade that’s not going to add a lot of dimension to my crease, I’m left asking: what do I do with this? At least the shades are all pigmented, so using Wedge in my crease and outer corner does help, but I still think all-shimmer looks tend to look… outdated? Am I alone in this? Literally, if Wedge was matte I think this palette would be complete. JUST ONE MORE!
Here’s a look I created with wedge in my outer corner, Daybreak in my crease, Double Dip on my lid and 16th St. in my inner corner. I think it came together nicely, but maybe you can see what I’m talking about as the outer corner catches the light just as much as my lid does.
There are three new Vice lipstick shades in this collection, but the one that I think is a must-have is Heatwave. It’s this gorgeous metallic orange that is super wearable and smooth, and I’ve been getting compliments every time I wear it. It can be a statement alone, but as you can see plays well with fun eye looks without overpowering the face, too.
So what’s the final verdict? At $34, I think the Beached Eyeshadow Palette is a great opportunity to add some gorgeous summer shades from Urban Decay to your collection. But, if you’re on Team Matte, you’ll probably have to dip into another palette or shadow single to complete your look. As for Heatwave, get it— totes worth the splurge.
How do you feel about the Beached Eyeshadow Palette?
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