[Purchased by myself, part of a holiday set/palette series, Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks next!]
This is the first Vice palette I've ever owned and I was surprised even by myself for wanting it. Something about the color combinations really spoke to me and I am a sucker for pink shadows (Naked 3 is my favorite Urban Decay palette). After wearing all the shadows at least once, I decided I can form an opinion on the palette as a whole now. Sorry I didn't do swatches and the lighting in these photos not being great but there's already so many great swatch pics online (the ones that inspired me to order it) and I got excited so I had to use it right away when it arrived.
The packaging of the palette is pretty unique I would say, and the added case is nice. It's not essential, but I think it makes a good makeup bag for other uses. Size-wise, the palette is surprisingly compact which is great for people who don't like bulky packaging (most people I'd say). The brush included is use-able, but not as dense as the brushes that come in the Naked palettes and with these shadows that could pose an issue. I'll get into that soon, but I thought I'd break down the palette in columns based on the colors are grouped together.
Column One: The "Mattes"
UD knows how to make some great mattes, but these are off from the ones in their other palettes. The texture is very powdery and kicks up a lot of fall out which can be a pain. I wish they were as densely packed as some of their other matte shades. However, the shades in this palettes are very pretty and practical. They lean more pink almost mauve but aren't excessively warm. The powdery quality doesn't impact the way they blend and the result you get when you use these in the crease is not lacking in any way when compared to other matte shadows. I wish the texture was better, but the pigmentation and blendability isn't impacted.
Column Two: The "Blues"
While most other companies would probably falter when it comes to blues, UD really brought it with these shades. I would actually say Brokedown is the least intense of the four (but still pigmented and smooth). Freeze is an absolutely gorgeous metallic teal blue that comes out a little darker than your average turquoise and paired with Freeze it makes for a really stunning look. The pairing isn't overly blue because it's not too light, so I find it surprisingly easy to wear.
Column Three: The "Neutrals"
I find the neutrals in this palette to be pretty, but unexciting. The first three shades have a satin finish and are extremely wearable. Even though Vanity could technically be called a purple, it doesn't come on too strong and makes for a nice shade to smoke out the outer corners.
Column Four: THE PINKS AKA THE BEST SHADES IN THE WHOLE THING
Can you tell I was excited about this column? Well it didn't disappoint as Sonic is probably the best performing and prettiest color in the whole palette. Alchemy and Bondage are more satin than the metallic awesomeness that is Sonic and the three work well together. Alien is a bit of a weird color. I can't tell if it's supposed to be a sheer with gold flecked shimmer shade or a pale pink that is not pigmented. I prefer to think of it as a subtle shade with pretty micro glitter, but I can see some people not liking that one.
Column Four: A repeat, see above
Column Five: The "Greys"
I get a surprising amount of use from this column since I don't find this palette to be particularly cool-toned, adding in these darker greys and charcoals keeps the looks from getting too warm and making you look sick (a common problem with pink shadows). Last sin is the weird shade in the bunch, working better as an overspray shadow than something to pack on to the lid, but the other three are straightforward satin finishes.
My final thoughts on the palette? The formula isn't with issues here, as the mattes are prone to fall out and you have a couple shades that work better as enhancers rather than stand alone shades. The texture is not the same as the Naked palettes, which might bother some people but that's being nit-picky if you're talking Urban Decay. These are 20 new shades, the packaging is gorgeous and I can tell a lot of thought went into it. I don't think this is something you would buy if at least 60% of the shades didn't appeal to you. When I look at the palette as a whole, I get excited because there's a lot of interesting color combinations that I can make and it kicks me out of a neutral rut. But if you look closely, there's a lot of good neutral shades that you can wear on a daily basis too. I think it was worth the purchase based on my own preferences, but I don't think it suits everyone's tastes.
