Product Review: Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV Redux

I'm doing the walk of shame today my lovelies- I'm finally getting around to reviewing some of my amazing Christmas presents!  I know I haven't posted much lately, and I again apologize- life has yet again gotten the best of me.

On to the pretties, shall we?

When I opened this on Christmas morning, I let out a little squeal.  I love butterflies, and always have- this is the perfect packaging for my tastes and my BFF Tonja chose this gift very wisely.  The colorful smoky starburst mixed with the iridescent white butterflies are just perfect, in my opinion.  I love that purple ribbon is used for the drawer and to secure the lid.  My drawer fits quite snugly, and it's a bit of a pain, but honestly I love this palette so much I don't even really care.

Book Of Shadows Inside

When I opened the Book of Shadows IV, I was even more impressed with this palette- before I even made it to the makeup!  I am most definitely a sucker for beautiful packaging, and this palette delivers to my tastes perfectly!  The butterflies are printed on clear plastic, so it seems that they are fluttering just in front of you and the medium-sized mirror.  The phone holder on the left is just the right size for my iPod Touch, and I've enjoyed popping it in and listening to music while I get ready.  

"Steal the Look" Card

"Steal the Look" Card

Also included on this first tier is a hole for the included speaker, and a two sided "Steal the Look" Card.  The looks included on the card are Purple Cat (a pretty cat-eye look) and Crystalized (a simple shadow look).  While I haven't used the card to create a look yet, these would be wonderful for anyone who is new-ish to makeup and are an excellent guide.

Inside the Drawer

Once you pull out the drawer, the fun really begins.  16 pans of eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner, mascara, original primer potion, and a portable speaker with connecter and charger make this a wonderful set for the beginner, experienced, and collector.  All of the removable products have a flap beneath them, with a ribbon pull, making them easy to remove.

Eye Shadows: Top row: Kiddie Pool, Gunmetal, Creep, Baked; Second row: Grifter, Psychedelic Sister, Lost, hijack; Third row: Midnight Cowgirl, Sin, Sidecar, Strip; Bottom row: Stray Dog, Missionary Virgin, Polyester Bride

It's really no secret that Urban Decay is my favorite eye shadow brand. The range of colors and texture, paired with the soft, buttery feel and awesome blendability just makes Urban Decay stand out in the crowd.  Some of the shades in this palette are repeats for me, as none are unique to this palette, but I don't mind that- you can never have too many of your favorite eye shadows)  The shades in this set have some differences from the original Book of Shadows IV; they are NOT exact duplicates of one another.  The shadows are all the Vintage shadow formula, and not the currently used one, but again, I really don't mind as most of my UD shadows are the vintage formula.  The shades included in the palette are Kiddie Pool (light blue shimmer with iridescent sparkle), Gunmetal (grey metallic with micro sparkle), Creep (grey/black metallic with micro sparkle), Baked (bronze shimmery metallic), Grifter (pinky/purple with micro sparkle), Psychedelic Sister (dark purple shimmer), Lost (darkish brown metallic), Hijack (dark teal shimmery metallic), Midnight Cowgirl (yellow toned cream with lots of sparkle), Sin (pale pink shimmer), Sidecar (light brown/beige sparkle), Strip (blue-silver metallic), Stray Dog (medium brown metallic), Missionary (pale pink-grey shimmer), Virgin (pale beige satin), and Polyester Bride (white with white sparkle glitter bomb).  Each shadow pan is 0.8 g/0.03 oz, for a total weight of 12.8 g/0.48 oz.

Swatches of Book of Shadows IV Redux Shadows: left to right- Kiddie Pool, Gunmetal, Creep, Baked, Grifter, Psychedelic Sister, Lost, Hijack.  Swatched with no primer (top row), and over NYX Jumbo Eye pencil in Milk (bottom row)

Swatches of Book of Shadows IV Redux Shadows; left to right- Midnight Cowgirl, Sin, Sidecar, Strip, Stray Dog, Missionary, Virgin, Polyester Bride.  Swatched with no primer (top row), and over NYX Jumbo Eye pencil in Milk (bottom row)

The shadows in this set are super pigmented, and blend like a dream.  I've tried lots of combinations, and always love my look, and the staying power.  

24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Perversion

I seriously love me some liquid eyeliner, especially when it is waterproof.  This liner does not disappoint- long lasting, blackest black, and so easy to apply.  While eyeliner pens are my personal favorite, this liner is definitely up there on my "love" list.  

Swatch of 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Perversion

The extra long wand handle sets this apart from the rest- when I first opened this, I thought that the smaller end of the liner would be the cap,and the longer end contain the product , but it is just the opposite.  I was kind of sad about the perceived smaller amount of product, but the fact that the handle is the longer end actually makes much for sense- in my experience, longer handle=more control!  The eyeliner included in this box is 1.7 ml/0.05 fl oz. (full size), and retails for $19.00, available HERE, in 11 shades.

Supercurl Curling Mascara

I've received samples of the Supercurl Curling Mascara before, and was happy to see this lovely product again in this box.  The Supercurl mascara is long lasting, doesn't flake, and didn't create raccoon eyes for me.  The wand is a traditional curved wand, and works well to make my lashes look amazing.  The tube included is 5.4 ml/0.18 fl oz, deluxe sample/travel size, retails for $10.00, and is available HERE.

Original Primer Potion

Urban Decay's Primer Potion is a great primer, and makes my shadows stay put all day long.  The original shade dries to an invisible finish, and goes on silky smooth.  Only a little dab is necessary for all day staying power.  I absolutely love this primer!  

 Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original; left is blended in, right is straight from the tube.

Since UD redesigned the packaging (the original packaging looks like a potion bottle), it is much easier to use- just squeeze out a little bit, and you are good to go!  The tube included in this set is 3.7 ml/0.13 fl oz (deluxe sample/travel size); full size retails for $20, is 11 ml/0.37 fl oz, and is available HERE. 

Speaker

This is my favorite "extra" in this set- I love that they thought to include a mini speaker!  The speaker connects to your device using the headphones jack, with an included 2 tipped wire.  The speaker battery is rechargeable, using the included USB wire.  It's awesome to have this with my makeup, so I can turn up some tunes while getting ready.  Love it!

If you are in love with this set and haven't picked it up yet, it's currently available at Ulta and is priced at $32.

Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: I received this item as a gift from a good friend, that she purchased for me with her own money.  I was neither requested nor required to review these items, and all links in this post are NOT referral links (except the clearly marked one at the end of the post).  I strive for honesty.