Holiday Gift Idea #1: Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection Swatches and Review

Am going to randomly post about products that I think make really fabulous gifts for makeup fanatics.

The first of these is the Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection.

The great thing about this collection of 15 intense shades is that they are all completely original. These are not a compilation of "best-selling" shades from the regular lines. The bad thing of course, is that they will not be available after this limited edition collection sells out.

That aside, I've only had time to swatch these, and I must say I'm impressed with pretty much ALL the colors. I prefer to group them by column, as they seem to be positioned by theme. 

15 Year Anniversary Collection Column 1

The first column on the left is a compilation of lighter neutrals with a trace of warmth. Very wearable and versatile. The whole row is metallic. Colors go from L-to-R.

• Midnight Rodeo: Soft beige-bronze metallic with gold glitter
• Midnight 15: Beige metallic with silver shift and gold glitter
• Vanilla: Pearl with pale yellow-gold shift (yes, MAC Vanilla pigment dupe)
• Flow: Cool peachy beige metallic
• Chase: Golden-bronze beige metallic

15 Year Anniversary Collection Column 2

Column 2 in the center of the kit is a collection of strong, cool-toned shades that can give quite a bit of drama to your look. 

• Tainted: Soft satin-matte mauve with pale gold glimmer (the sheen is barely visible when applied)
• Junkshow: Fuchsia pearl with blue shift
• Omen: Violet metallic with blue shift 
• Evidence: Deep, dark navy (Goes on a little like MAC Blue Storm pigment)
• Deep End: Metallic teal (MAC Steamy lookalike)

15 Year Anniversary Collection Column 3

 Column 3 is another standout column composed of deep, smoky shades, and the only true matte in the palette. Colors from left to right:

• Deeper: Deep Bronze Brown metallic (similar to MAC's discontinued Brass pigment)
• M.I.A.: Deep, dark cocoa pearl 
• Ace: Black with a metallic teal-grey shift
• Blackout: True, matte black
• Half Truth: Smoky eggplant purple with violet shift

Overall:

The colors are extremely pigmented and very soft. (I actually dropped my palette right after I purchased it, and shattered one of the shadows. The very kind SA at Sephora actually got me a new one on the spot even though it was my fault.)

If you like rich, strong colors with intense pay off, Urban Decay is one of the best brands to go to.

I love that these shadows are all new, and the quality is outstanding, although it's not the cheapest thing around. 

The combination of shades is also lovely, and I like how they are sorted into soft neutrals, strong cool colors, and deeps. I'll definitely be doing a series of looks using this kit, so watch out for that!