Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

A few months ago the news broke that Gwen Stefani would be collaborating with Urban Decay not only to create an eyeshadow palette but a collection of matte lipsticks and blushes too (available from January 2016) - well to say I almost burst due to sheer excitement is an understatement. Is there anyone cooler than Gwen Stefani nor a brand more suited than Urban Decay for the lady in question to team up with? The answer is of course no; trust me when I say that the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshaodow Palette is not only a must have but a great investment too.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

Forgive me for being a little cynical but celebrity make up collaborations rarely excitement me - more often than not it is a case of said person slapping their name on the product, cashing the cheque and calling it a day. What makes the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette pretty darn special is that Gwen Stefani had input in the total package: from the casing (the mirror features a No Doubt nod) to the eyeshadows inside. The case itself was inspired by Gwen's favourite colours and prints, the shades inside were mostly named by Gwen and the shadows hand selected to create Gwen's dream palette. A little selfish by her own admission but as the palette exceeds expectation, I'll forgive such confession ha!

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

Much like the majority of Urban Decay Palettes there are 15 large, pans of powder eyeshadow: 12 shades are exclusive to the palette, the others are iconic-must-have Urban Decay staples. Along with an extensive variety of shades to choose from, the formulations also vary: matte, sparkle, pearl, satin and metallic. There is no look, nor taste that this palette does not cater to: from jewel tones, neutral mattes and all that is in-between. I'm willing to bet that for most this will quickly become a-go-to, everyday staple item within their collection...or at least that has been the case for me.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

The shades within the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette are as follows and shown above in order (extra bonus points if you spot any No Doubt/Gwen reference's):

Blonde - pale beige w/pink iridescent shift
Bathwater - pale beige w/gold pearl
Skimp - pale nude satin
Steady - medium rose w/metallic gold shift
Punk - reddish brown matte
Baby - cool metallic rose
Anaheim - light taupe-brown matte
Stark - nude-pink matte
Zone - medium brown matte
Serious - smoky grey w/iridescent floating pearl
Pop - pale coral w/iridescent sparkle
Harajuku - metallic blue-pink w/iridescent micro-shimmer
Danger - deep metallic royal blue w/blue micro-sparkle
1987 - bright metallic yellow-gold
Blackout - blackest black matte).

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

It goes without saying that the eyeshadows within the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani are close to perfection; I've said it before and I'll say it again Urban Decay are King of the eyeshadow world. Each of the fifteen shades are soft, finely milled and offer intense pigmentation yet they can be sheered out with a blending brush. As a side note Urban Decay eyeshadows also work well damp, great if you like a more intense foil-like finish. In terms of wear Urban Decay eyeshadows are one of the few formulations that I would dare to wear minus a primer, not only do they apply in a bold flash of colour but they can withstand my oily lids, and remain crease free for around 6 hours. With a primer, it really is a case of the shadow remains intact until I am ready to remove it, which is never more than 10 hours. Impressive to say the least.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette £40 via Debenhams - link.