Can we say, “Splurge?” Yes, we can, and it was totally worth it.
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I know, I know… I said I was going to lay off purchasing makeup for a while. But this palette called to me!
I think the last time I bought an Urban Decay eye palette was maybe about three years ago. It was the Vice 3 palette. It was beautiful. It was versatile. It was 20 shadows arranged in color stories that were easily accessible and usable. I still love that palette.
When I saw photos of the Born To Run eye palette, I was intrigued. Even more so than the Vice 3 palette, the 21 colors in Born To Run looked beautiful, versatile, and ultimately usable for everyday looks. When I saw the palette in person, put my fingers in it, and swatched it, I knew it was coming home with me.
Wait a minute… doesn’t this break your $20 rule?
Yes, it does. The Urban Decay Born To Run eyeshadow palette costs $49.00 (USD). That works out to about $2.32/shadow. You can get the entire Born To Run collection at Ulta, Sephora, and Urban Decay. And that $20 thing is more of a good guideline than a hard and fast rule. As I mentioned in this post, there are a few caveats.
Besides, I had a coupon for 20% off my entire purchase at Ulta that could be used for prestige brands, and I still had a couple of gift cards from Christmas (Thanks, Mom!). So I saved about $14.00 on this purchase, didn’t spend anything from my checking account, and got Ulta Reward points to boot!
Enough about your savvy shopping skills! What is this palette like?
It. Is. Lovely.
The packaging feels nice, heavy, and sturdy. The outside has a photo collage of far away places, and along the spine it reads, “You’re not lost. You’re born to run.” The lid has a magnetic closure, a good-sized mirror on the inside, and can be folded all the way back.
The overall size of the palette is large enough to house all 21 pans of shadow without any wasted space, but still small enough to tuck into your carry-on, makeup case, or a large-ish purse. This feels like a palette that could stand up to the rigors of travel very well. This palette does not come with a brush, but honestly, I never use the brushes included in palettes anyway.
All right, you really like the packaging. What about the eye shadows?
As for the eye shadows… It has a nice mix of matte, satin, and shimmer finishes across a spectrum of shades that range from My Skin But Better to Deep, Dark, and Sultry. This is a predominantly warm toned palette with a few dark, cool shades carefully considered and added in. If you prefer a more cool-toned palette, you could use this one, but you would probably be happier with something else.
These pressed powder shadows feel buttery to the touch. They have good pigmentation. (I would be surprised and disappointed if they didn’t!) There’s very little, if any, kick up when I dip my brushes into the shadows. They blend out really well. (Well, of course! It’s Urban Decay.) They also seem to have little, if any, fallout when applied to the eyes.
The color range in this particular palette is such that you could do natural everyday looks, smokey looks, or vibrant, colorful looks. I feel that I don’t really need to bring in shadows from other palettes to achieve a wide range of looks from the Born To Run palette.
Is there anything you DON’T like about this palette?
I think the only complaint I have about this palette so far is that it has a pan of the color Smog in it. I know Smog is a best-seller, but I don’t need another pan of it. I don’t know about you, but I have at least 5 pans of Smog or Smog dupes in various other palettes and singles. Other than that (and it really is a very small complaint), this palette really is brilliant. Is it life changing? No, but it’s pretty darn good.
You mentioned lipstick. What about the lipstick?
The other items in the Born To Run collection are three new shades of Vice lipstick in limited edition Born To Run packaging, three shades of the 24/7 Glide On Eyelinerpencil (only two of which are new), and a travel size of their All Nighter Setting Spray in special Born To Run packaging. I wasn’t interested in the liners or spray, but I have a soft spot for lipstick.
Out of the three shades available, I chose the shade 66. It’s a dusty mauve nude in UD’s comfort matte finish. It can be dabbed on the lips with a finger for a very natural, My-Lips-But-Better look, or it can be swiped on for an opaque, deep mauvey lip look. I was also tempted by the sparkly rose shade called Ready?, but I felt that 66 was much more wearable for me. As much as I love purple lipstick, the shade Marfawas right out.
I really like UD’s comfort matte finish. It is more of a creamy matte finish, but the color lasts for quite a while without making my lips feel dried out or crusty. If you like matte lipstick, but hate dry-feeling lips, try any of UD’s comfort matte shades. They have several to choose from.
We really don’t have to ask, but would you buy this palette and lipstick again?
Definitely! Although I won’t have to since eye palettes tend to last a while. I’m hoping Urban Decay will add 66 to their permanent lipstick lineup.
I have to admit, I do like Urban Decay makeup. Not everything, mind you. My favorite UD items are their eye shadows, eyeliner pencils, Heavy Metal glitter liners, lipsticks, and those Hi-Fi Shine lipglosses. So, the eye palette and lipsticks are right up my alley. However, if I didn’t like the products, or they did not perform as well as I know UD products should, I would DEFINITELY tell you. A bad product is a bad product, no matter who makes it.
Wrinkles & War Paint 