Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II Review and Swatches
There isn’t ever any GOOD excuse to refrain from reviewing incredible makeup but let me explain my side of the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II tale.� I know SO many of you have e-mailed begging and pleading for me to review but I kinda wanted to do looks with the palette before reviewing…sigh….sadly my schedule is always jammed tightly packed and I didn’t have that chance to do the looks which is why I’ve been held up with my review.
Don’t hate me k?
Since Urban Decay Friends and Family is on at the moment now is good as any a time to spread the cheer and joy that surrounds Book of Shadows II.
Note before making the jump please know the post is photo intensive. I’d really appreciate it if you not download images from the post as it will bring down my site. I took lots of photos because I know it’s fun to see each and every aspect of a makeup item but it’s also at the cost of possibly causing a problem with my server so please refrain from downloading images, thanks!
If you want a bad ass palette Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II has you covered. They took a great idea and they added in more and bam they gave birth to a second volume of a cult item that’s been loved by fans since it’s release last year.
Difference between 1 and 2 would be the size of the actual palette and design plus what’s inside. Volume 1 is leaner more compact and doesn’t come with the extras included in Volume 2 which are two mini 24/7 Eye Liners and a Mini Urban Decay Primer Potion. Volume 2 is bigger, thicker, includes minis, plus it has a look book for recreating some of UD’s signature looks. Both have sixteen shades of shadow, both contain exclusive shades, and both are mean little pieces of makeup awesome. Now Volume 2 isn’t as “pretty” as Volume 1 was. Volume 1 had this very pretty pop up design where as Volume 2 sports a full size mirror plus a hidden fold away which contains the look book. I thought 1 was really pretty where as 2 is a bit more functional, practical, and not as pretty.
Secondly, and most importantly, I will say that the shades in Volume 1 are some of my favs and I can’t think of a single one aside from Perversion (Black Navy Matte ugly shade) that didn’t work for me. Now Volume 2 I’m not as lucky….There are quite a few shades in Volume 2 I wasn’t loving. Perversion, Gunmetal, AC/DC, Sellout, and Misdemeanor are all shades I wasn’t feeling the love for. I guess in terms of vibrancy and colorfulness Volume 1 gets the award. Volume 2 contains considerably less shimmery shades.
Now the design is the same in the fact you have to pull out the “draw” of shadows. Some people have ranted this design and deemed it flawed but personally I like it. It keeps the shadows snug and secure and doesn’t make a mess in the least. It’s a rather ideal way to keep the shadows safe.
Few pages from the look book….
I love the initiative Urban Decay has taken with the exclusive shades. It’s a firm marketing technique and they have stuck to keeping the shades exclusive and limited to these palettes. As in you aren’t purchasing the palette and suddenly next month it’s being released in a pot form. That shadow is exclusive to the palette as stated. I like this alot. Yes, it could be potentially lethal if it’s a favorite shade and you run out but I love the idea that for once something is indeed limited, as advertised, and not reinvented in a new format later on down the road. The term limited edition and exclusive is thrown around way to loosely within the US it’s actually nice for once seeing it used in it’s truest light.
Speaking of exclusive….
The exclusive shades have doubled with the new Volume so you actually get a total of eight shadows. Some of the key shades in the palette that stand out for me are Jinx (Bright Blue Shimmer somewhat like Kiddie Pool but less glitter and more true blue), Homegrown (a true bright green), and Flipside (Teal).
Overall, Volume 1 is my favorite of the two but Volume 2 has alot to offer as well. If you don’t have spare cash hanging out at the moment you can probably safely skip but if you have a bit to throw around, I’d buy it, especially as it’s 30% off with the Friends and Family event ongoing. The extras included and wide array of colors makes it a worthy palette to haul particularly if you don’t have a slew of Urban Decay shadows or you never tried them before. I won’t say I love it because that’s reserved for it’s predecessor but I will say I like it.
Who’s hauled it?
What do you think?
Which is better for you?
Volume 1? Volume 2?
Tell the Muse!
Disclosure: The following item was provided to Musings of a Muse by a PR firm for review purposes. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.