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| Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette |
The Afterdark palette is speculated to be either the sequel to the Electric Palette or the Full Spectrum Palette, both of which are also Limited Edition. While I have no answer as to which itch this particular palette is supposed to scratch if you like either of those palette, I found myself drawn to this one in a way that neither of the other two were able to achieve. If anything, I find this as a good complement to Moondust but instead of glittery goodness you get a nice range of satins.
After buying the Electric Palette and returning it (on principle, it just annoyed me that Urban Decay advertised it as an eyeshadow palette when apparently it is actually a "body art" (wtf?) palette. That kind of unclear marketing is just poor in my opinion and rubbed me the wrong way. regardless, I felt that I probably just wouldn't use that palette and if I DID ever want those shades I'd go for the Colourpop pigments at like $6 each). I know a lot of people absolutely adore the Electric palette and while the quality is superb, it just wasn't for me. The shades in AD, while still fun, bright shades, are not the same as those in the Electric. As they aren't pigments, they won't be that full on "I'm practically wearing a neon sign on my face" intense color payoff Electric palette lovers crave.
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| Urban Decay Afterdark & Full Spectrum |
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| Urban Decay Afterdark & Full Spectrum |
So I bought the Full Spectrum at launch which, of course, also doesn't have the same insane, intense pigmentation. It does have a nice range of colors to fool around with that are more on the subtle side but which can be built up (nothing a little Fix+ won't "fix"!). Many were disappointed in this palette since after Electric, I gather that many speculated it would be basically the same thing but with a ton of other shades. Well, the FS shadows aren't pigments (read the product description people!) and so disappointment ensued.
Then, along comes the Afterdark palette which, of course, I had to try as well. This palette hits that sweet spot of what I was originally looking for; a nice color range that can be built up for a night out at da club or toned down for everyday use in conjunction with neutral toned shades. It also has good pigmentation and smooth application. Not to mention the actual palette case itself is gorg. It's fun and flirts with the line of being "overwhelming" like Electric but not muted like FS.
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| Urban Decay Afterdark |
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| Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette |
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| Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette |
Quality-wise, this bypasses Full Spectrum by a long shot but doesn't have the range that FS does. So depending on which you prefer (more shade quantity/lesser quality vs less shade quantity/higher quality) you may be disappointed or you may be pleased. For me, Druggie is a little chalky and takes a few swipes to get a fully opaque swatch (Paralyzed has a bit of the same issue). But 2 or 3 swipes of these depending on how hard you press your finger into the pan fixes this and it really isn't a big deal to me (it's not like we don't apply layers and layers of eyeshadow on anyway). Backfire and Druggie are a bit on the lighter side but a few swipes brings out more color. They do not require the same amount of effort as FS to bring out the color that's for sure--the effort put in to get good color payoff is much less in AD.
The rest of the swatches came out beautifully with 1 swipe swatches (finger swatches, no products used, 1 light swipe on the pan and then on the inside of my forearm). They also perform nicely on the eyelids (remember to use your favorite primer!). I often use my finger when applying satiny or glittery shades on my eyelids, especially one quick dash at the end to add a pop of shine to finish the look off makes a difference.
Visit my Instagram post HERE for a short video clip of the swatches!
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| Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette |
I did feel that some of these shades are close to existing UD single shades. Backfire and Lounge look pretty familiar to me, and Druggie seems similar to either Asphyxia or maybe even Tonic. I think this is a good palette for those looking for some color variety who don't already have an overwhelming UD eyeshadow collection or for those wanting to add more color to their existing neutral-themed collection. If you have massive Z palettes filled with your favorite color shades from various companies, you probably don't need this particular palette unless you're a real collector then I would recommend this one.
That packaging though <3 ;)
For full price I think this is worth it, but UD products lately (especially eyeshadow palettes) have had a tendency to go on sale. So if a Day 1 buy is important to you, this one is worth it. BUT if you're a bit iffy because of the price tag, it will probably go on sale eventually but you may have to wait a bit. I don't anticipate this to go on sale as quickly as Full Spectrum did though (which was only a few months from launch to sale). It is Limited Edition though so it's possible, because the quality is so good, that it may not be available at a lower price before UD stops producing it. I do hope the consider putting this in their permanent line, as the quality is so good, seems a shame to limit it to LE. Of course, who knows how long it will be around given that LE can mean over a year nowadays.
One look I created using a few shades in this palette. To get extra color impact and minimum fallout, I used Nyx Matte Finish Setting Spray on my brushes.
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| Afterdark palette look |
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| Afterdark palette look |
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