Urban Decay eyeshadow & UDPP review

So I've been waiting to try UD's infamous UDPP and eyeshadow... so here's my review on what I got.

Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow in "Shakedown"

Product Description: By popular demand, we created new Matte Eyeshadows that are sexy, sophisticated, and never dull. The collection comes in a wide variety of shades—from blendable earth tones to vibrant bursts of color. Pigment-rich with an ultra-soft texture, Matte Eyeshadows are low in binders, so payoff is amazing and never chalky! The classic Urban Decay subway token is dressed up with a gunmetal finish so you can tell them apart from your other Urban Decay Eyeshadows.

Ingredients: Talc, PTFE, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Stearate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Sorbic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Boron Nitride Triclosan, Butylparaben. All Shades May Contain: Mica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77266 (Black 2), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 lake)

Pros: GREAT staying power, rich, deep, pigmented color, super soft and silky, smooth application, only takes one swipe for long-lasting color, doesn't crease.

Cons: A little on the pricey side for e/s (but worth it), color might be too opaque for people that like sheer e/s, contains talc, parabens, possibly bismuth oxychloride, and yellow 5 :(

What I thought about it: This is by far the best eyeshadow I've ever used. Like I mentioned, the staying power and rich color is excellent, however, it is a little too opaque for me since I'm more partial to sheer shades. This is still achievable though, I just apply less shadow with a lighter touch. The shadow is silky soft, but not powdery, and doesn't crease. "Shakedown" is a beautiful netural mushroom brown/taupe color that is great for an everyday look. I was debating between buying this one, "Nude", and "Secret Service", but I concluded that Nude was too light, Secret Service was too dark, so Shakedown was just right.

The only thing I have to complain about this e/s is that it talc is its first ingredient and it also contains a lineup of parabens, as well as possibly bismuth oxychloride (can cause breakouts and irritation) and yellow no. 5 (can possibly cause a variety of health effects: click). Not to mention it's $16... not something I can buy all the time. It's still a great eyeshadow, but I don't use it every single day because of the cost and I'm a bit wary of its ingredients.

Urban Decay Primer Potion (sample size)

Product Description: This miracle eyeshadow primer is unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing. Apply Primer Potion to lids before shadow application. It dries down almost instantly (and invisibly), creating smooth lids that are super powered eyeshadow magnets. The formula is full of silicone, which you beauty mavens know makes for a smooth and silky application. Packaged in a pretty genie bottle, our Potion applies with a magic wand and flocked applicator.

Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trihydroxystearin, Triethylhexanoin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Cera Alba (Synthetic Beeswax), Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methicone, Isobutylparaben. May Contain: Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)

Pros: makes staying power MUCH longer, easy to apply, goes on smooth, creamy, not sticky, doesn't crease or flake.

Cons: take a look at the ingredients. Also, the packaging design is a NO-GO. If you want to get the most of your product, you have to break open the bottle. Dries fast.

What I thought about it: this was nothing short of what I expected of my first shot at UDPP. I hear a lot of people rave about it and it doesn't disappoint. But, like what everyone says, the biggest disadvantage is the packaging, which doesn't allow you to use all the product you can without breaking the damn thing open. The wand applicator is also unhygenic if you want to share this with others.

As for the staying power, it's quite obvious if you take a look at the swatches. Even after I used m/u remover, the swatch with UDPP still stayed on pretty strong. Although UD's eyeshadow is already richly pigmented, using UDPP under it really intensifies the color (the pictures don't do it justice), which is something I don't need much. So I would only use UDPP if I REALLY needed some extra staying power (which isn't very often). However, it is a good thing to have in your makeup collection, as it comes in handy from time to time.