Best Urban Decay Eye Shadow Ideas That You Need To Try

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Stephanie Jensen

Makeup Artist at Glamour N Glow

With a personal style that screams rocker chick, Stephanie is not just a makeup and beauty enthusiast; she's a force to be reckoned with in the beauty community. Her journey began during her college days, working at Sephora. Today, her collection has grown so vast that it's almost rebellious in its proportions, leading her to stash extra products even at her boyfriend’s apartment. A testament to her dedication, Stephanie is constantly on the hunt for the latest beauty releases, often adding new products to her collection daily. For Glamour n’ Glow, she brings her expertise to the forefront, reviewing a plethora of beauty products and crafting engaging tutorials. Her passion doesn't stop at writing; when she's not contributing to Glamour n’ Glow, you can find Stephanie shopping at Sephora, engrossed in YouTube MUA videos, or meticulously caring for her makeup tools and practicing her skincare routine. Dive into her content and get a taste of her edgy, rocker-inspired approach to beauty.

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When you think of intense and highly pigmented makeup, Urban Decay is likely one of the first brands that will come to mind. UD took the makeup game up several notches when they introduced their versatile and long-wearing makeup, specifically their eyeliners and eyeshadows.

Since then, this brand has developed a cult following. So much so to where their Naked palettes generate over $1 billion. I first discovered Urban Decay when I was in high school, getting into makeup and wanted products more pigmented and better quality than what I could find at the drugstore.

Funny story, I discovered Urban Decay from My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way. In an interview, he said he used their products. I was curious and decided to research the brand. Online shopping was first becoming popular, so I found their website and ordered a couple of single shadows.

Since then, I’ve been in love with this brand. I’ve used just about all types of their products, but their eyeshadows still remain my favorite. For this article, I took out my Urban Decay shadows and did a few looks with them. But I can’t possibly own every Urban Decay shadow and palette, so for the ones I don’t have, I searched the internet for the best looks.

How I Chose These Eyeshadows for Idea Inspirations

We ranked these eyeshadow palettes and shades based on a few factors, such as:

• Notoriety
• Shade options
• Size
• Palette themes
• How they complement certain skin tones
• Packaging
• Price

Use Naked 1 for a Shimmery Brown Look that Stands Out

Now, I never bought Urban Decay’s classic Naked 1 palette because I thought the colors were too brown. That and they all looked the same to me.

But I may change my mind after watching YouTuber AllThatFresh wear this palette. I love the neutral glimmery look she did. It’s an easy look and the cool tones look beautiful on her. While this palette is discontinued, it’s great to look back on this classic.

Pros:

• Versatile
• Easy to apply
• Good price for the quality and color options
• Great eyeshadow formula
• Perfect when traveling
• Great as a gift
• Long-lasting shades

Cons:

• Discontinued
• Fall out
• Creases
• Can be difficult to blend for beginners

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Create a Naked 2 Smoky Eye Look with Tons of Dimension

When I first saw Naked 2, I had to have that palette! Unlike Naked 1, where the colors are too brown for my tastes, I loved all of the versatile colors in Naked 2. Surprisingly enough, I mainly use Naked 2 for a smoky eye. But for today, I’m actually combining a smoky look with more neutral colors to show off the versatility of this palette.

I legit only used these two colors: Tease and Snakebite. Tease actually reminds me of the more intense version of Nooner in Naked 3. It’s a smoky mauve. I actually use this color quite often, but mainly in my crease. Now, I’m using it as my base shade. Then I’m following with Snakebite, a shiny and golden brown, on my crease.

Honestly, Tease may become my new base shade. It melts perfectly into my skin. I only applied a little to my lid. From here, I followed with Snakebite. Just a little blending and I’m done!

I love how perfectly these two colors blended together. Just a little eyeliner and mascara, then you’re done! This is perfect as an effortless running-late-to-work look.

Pros:

• Long-lasting colors
• Great product quality
• Applies easily
• Super pigmented
• Love the powder formula

Cons:

• You can’t see it in my pictures, but the black color “Blackout” fell out of the tin and I lost it.

Use Naked 3 to a Natural Rosy Glowing Eye

At first, I was hesitant about using Naked 3. I’m not the biggest fan of pink in general, let alone pink eye makeup.

Urban Decay first released this palette when I worked at Sephora. I ended up demoing the palette for clients who were curious about it, and I was shocked by how natural the colors looked and how subtle the pink was. So I caved and bought it. Now, it’s one of my favorite palettes.

I usually use this palette for natural, rosy looks. But today, I was curious to try something a little more dramatic. I also used colors I typically don’t use, just to experiment. I started with Burnout, a metallic light rose, as the base shade.

I dusted it all over the lid and crease. Looking at the pictures, it looks so natural yet adds that little bit of pinky sheen.

Next, I took Nooner and applied it all over my crease. Nooner is actually a color I use quite often. It’s a deep mauve, but it’s not so dark to where it’s smoky.

From here, I took one of my favorite colors ever, Blackheart, and applied it to the outer corner of my eye. After blending it in, it adds just the perfect amount of definition.

I kept my eyeliner the way it is. As I said, I mainly wear Naked 3 as a natural-looking palette, so I usually don’t do anything extreme with my eyeliner. But if I were going out and rocking this look, I would add a cat-eye.

Pros:

• Very nice, rosy feminine colors
• I personally was impressed with this palette

Cons:

• Not everyone will use or appreciate the pink colors

Discover Naked Honey to Create Golden, Stand Out Eyes

This is a pretty palette but not one I would wear, personally. It’s too gold and mustardy for me. I do like those dark browns, though. But I would rather watch other MUAs play around with it.

YouTuber Angela Bright did a great look with this. She used some warm browns with a glimmery yellow and smoked it out with a dark brown. It’s not a look I would do and it’s definitely too complex for a beginner, but the final result is absolutely gorgeous!

Pros:

• Simple to use
• Gorgeous colors

Cons:

• Many people complained there weren’t enough matte shades
• Too many mustard and gold colors, I’m not a fan, and I’m sure others aren’t for this reason

Go Dramatic with the Naked Ultraviolet palatte

I have to say, I absolutely love this palette, and I can’t believe it fell under my radar! While I wouldn’t consider this a typical Naked palette, this is definitely one that is absolutely stunning.

This palette has so many purple shades but also some neutral and smoky tones. You can easily create an extravagant and colorful look one day or a subtle and toned-down look the next. To amp these looks up, all you need to do is add some of the darker colors to make your eyes pop!

Of course, I had to look at Robert Welsh’s tutorial with this palette! He did a very non-traditional look with the Ultraviolet palette.

He started by blending some of the rosier tones in his crease, added a light lavender to the inside of his brow area, blended some of the darker purples to the outer corner of his eyes, added a light blue to his inner corner, and added a bright purple to his lower lash line.

The result is a very futuristic look that looks amazing on him!

Pros:

• Edgier version of the classic Naked palette
• Combination of vivid purples and lovely nudes
• Can do different looks
• Works well with different skin tones

Cons:

• Many people would have rather this be packaged outside of the Naked series since many of the colors aren’t neutral

Try the Naked Reloaded palette for a Retro-Inspired Look That’s Sure to Please

I actually walked into Sephora and was looking at this palette. I was really intrigued because it looks like a prettier version of Naked 1. I definitely feel like this palette has more colorful neutrals if that makes sense. For example, Retro is like a natural peach color.

Kelly Strack did a pretty look with this palette. She used some of the more intense and glittery neutrals for a very pretty and almost gold-brown smoky look. She finishes off the look with fake lashes. This definitely looks like something I would do with this palette, minus the fake lashes because I’ve never found lashes that cooperate with my eyes.

Pros:

• Cheaper than many palettes
• Wider pans
• More neutral and natural shades than other recent Naked palettes, but you can also make a statement with the darker colors.
• Beautiful packaging

Cons:

• Many people are upset they discontinued the original Naked palette and replaced it with this one (I personally don’t care because I like this new palette better)

Try the Naked Cherry Palette for a Dramatic Pinky/Red Look

I have to admit; I was SO CLOSE to buying this palette. Then, I saw Urban Decay had a smaller palette that has practically the same colors (and was significantly cheaper), so I bought that one instead.

The other reason I didn’t buy the cherry palette is it looks too pinky. When I think of cherries, I think of red.

I love red eyeshadow, and it’s so hard for me to find them, let alone the red eyeshadow that doesn’t make your eyes look bloodshot. Urban Decay’s Gash is the perfect example of a reddish shadow that looks absolutely beautiful.

But looking around on YouTube, I love the look that Chloe Morello did with this palette. While her shadow is more on the pink side, she did use some of the more gorgeous maroon shades to balance out her eyeshadow look. There’s still plenty of colors here, but it’s not overpowering.

I also love the red glittery Marc Jacobs eyeliner she used in this look. I may consider getting this pencil for myself.

Pros:

• Very juicy and lovely red-toned colors
• There are also many neutral shades
• Easy to use
• Probably the most unique Naked palette that Urban Decay has released
• It’s on sale at Sephora now

Cons:

• Urban Decay has a smaller and similar palette (though I can’t find it on the Sephora website, so I think it’s discontinued)
• Many people complained this palette doesn’t work with all skin tones and eye shapes.

Try the Naked Heat palette for a Stunning Neutral Smoky Eye

Honestly, this palette is nicer than I expected. It has some lovely maroons and neutral smoky colors. Maybe I’ll get this one in the future, too.

I’m including another video from Angela Bright. I just love the looks she does with these Urban Decay palettes. I also like her tutorials because they’re short and to the point.

For this look, she does a brown smoky eye with some glitter in her crease. The end result gives her eyes a lot of definition, and the glitter brightens up her eyes. All of the colors are beautifully blended, and the look is absolutely perfect.

Pros:

• Beautiful colors. I especially love all of the fiery colors.
• Easy to use, especially for beginners
• Can do different looks
• Easy to blend

Cons:

• It May look weird on certain eye shapes, like hooded eyes

Experiment with Vice Palettes (Demoing Vice 4) and Add Some Sparkle to Your Eyes

Urban Decay’s Vice palettes are some of my favorites, and I wish they came out with more of them.

I have the Vice 4 palette and absolutely love it. It’s so versatile, and I can achieve so many looks with this one palette. But I mainly do this smoky eye look. I love smoky eyes and red lipstick — I would say it’s my official look. I applied some red lip gloss before the eye tutorial, so I could look all glammed up.

For this palette, I took the shade Low and applied it just to my lid. It’s a dark yet shiny gray-brown and is one of my favorite colors in this palette.

I love pairing it with Robbery, a metallic silver. I applied Robbery to my crease.

To amp up the smokiness, I applied Deadbeat, which is an intensely glittery black, to the outer corners of my eyes. I blended the colors in so they all are cohesive. There’s some fall out here, and the shadow is a little uneven. I’ll clean it up later.

To brighten up my eyes, I took a small definition brush and applied Bones (a metallic cream) to the inner corners of my eyes. As you can see, I’ve used this color quite often. It’s also the perfect base shade!

I only applied a thin line of liquid liner (Kat Von D Ink Liner) and used a black Sephora eyeliner pencil on my waterline and lower lash line. From here, I finished off with some Tarte Surfer Curl mascara. I used concealer and my foundation brush to clean up the fallout and imperfections, and voila! The perfect smoky eye.

Pros:

• Love the colors and it has an incredible color selection
• Beautiful packaging

Cons:

• Discontinued
• Big palette, not the best for traveling

Go Bold with the Electric Palette and Harness Your 80s Fantasy

When I first saw the Electric palette, I was amazed. It looked like paint! I ended up buying it the day it was released.

I have times when I use this palette constantly and phases where I don’t touch it for months. The colors are extremely intense, so I use them sparingly. Actually, I tend to use this palette just for one color only. For example, when I did the crazy blue colors for my Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil review, I used the shade Gonzo as the base shade.

I decided to use several colors to create a crazy multi-colored look. Just letting you all know, I typically never do a look like this.

I started by taking Thrash on my base and crease. Thrash is a yellow-green color.

I typically don’t use this as a base shade; I typically wear it on my crease with the silvery Revolt on my lid. But again, I wanted to play things up.

Next, I took the dark blue Chaos and applied it to the middle of my lid, blending outward.

The result is a mix of dark blue and lime green, so Thrash looks a little smokier.

From here, I took the dark purple Urban and applied it only on the way outer part of my eye, and blended it into my brow bone.

All of my eyeliner was gone at this point (I’m doing all of these looks in one night and wash off the makeup with a wipe after each application), so I decided to do a crazy cat-eye. But I took that same Urban color and applied it only to the lower lash line.

Pros:

• Serious bursts of color, extremely pigmented
• Long-lasting
• Great quality

Cons:

• Too bright for daily wear
• Applies intensely
• Can be difficult to blend
• Difficult to take off

Take Your Eyes to the Dark Side with the Pulp Fiction Palette

I should have known to have used the Electric palette last.

There was no way a simple makeup removing wipe could have taken off those intense pigments. It was time to pull out the Ponds Cold Cream Cleaner — which washed off the rest of my eye makeup plus a good chunk of my face makeup. I just finished reapplying my face makeup, primed my eyes, and I’m ready to go again!

Now, I want to highlight one of my favorite palettes that UD did. Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie, and some years ago, UD released some makeup inspired by the film’s main female star Mia Wallace (played by Uma Thurman). I bought the palette and lipstick — both of which I still use.

For this look, I’m just doing a simple smoky brown eyeshadow look.

I took the lighter brown, Tyranny, and applied it to my lid and crease.

Next, I applied Vengeance to the outer corner of my eye. They blend so beautifully together!

I just did some simple liquid liner. After applying the pencil liner to my waterline, I took the white color, Anger (as you can tell, I’ve used it often) to the inner corner of my eye.

Pros:

• Long-lasting
• Great quality
• Applies and blends well
• Super pigmented, even though they’re natural colors
• Love the powder formula
• The Pulp Fiction theme is amazing

Cons:

• Other reviewers complained this is too similar to some of the shades in the Naked palettes. I personally didn’t care.
• Discontinued

Experiment with the 24/7 Single Shadows for New Bright, Vibrant Eye Looks

Well, I did have more Urban Decay single eyeshadows, but I used a lot of them. Looking through my makeup, I only have two: Grifter and Peace. But hey, I can totally do an awesome look with these two colors!

Grifter is a pretty pale lilac. I dusted this one all over my lid and crease.

Peace is a light but intense blue. I took a flat brush and applied it like eyeliner. I started it on the lower lash line into the upper lash line but smoked it out to the outer corner.

Pros:

• Easily blendable
• Super pigmented
• So many beautiful colors

Cons:

• They’re long-lasting, but I wouldn’t say they last 24 hours

My Favorite

Okay, so if I were to pick a favorite palette, it’s probably the Pulp Fiction palette because of the intensity of the colors here.

Beyond the fact that the theme is amazing, the neutral shadows are long-lasting, they blend well, and are seriously pigmented. You can create an easy neutral look or a full-on smoky look with them. People complained about the colors being too similar to others you would see in the Naked palettes, but I love how the Pulp Fiction palette is small and portable, and the colors are matte for the most part.

Urban Decay also does collaborations constantly, which I love. Now, they’re doing a collaboration with Prince. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

But if I had to pick a palette, they currently have in stock, then definitely Naked 2. While this one has a taupe theme, the colors are overall very versatile. Surprisingly, this is my favorite palette for smoky looks, but I do plenty of neutral looks for this palette. You can combine just about all of these colors, and they blend beautifully.

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