The Urban Decay Wired Pressed Pigment Palette made me gasp when I saw promo images. It’s here- the followup of the oh-so-beloved Urban Decay Electric Palette! I still have my original palette (nostalgia to the max) so I was practically jumping at the chance to love on Urban Decay brights in a new format. Inside you have six eyeshadows to the left & four pressed pigments to the right which are labeled “not for use around the eye” very boldly. Keep reading to check out my thoughts!
Because there is so much swirling around about this palette especially- I really want to focus on a shade breakdown & chat about each individually. I normally do this anyway in reviews but I especially want to touch on a few things, edits I’d make in my dream world, & which shades I think perform the best.
Let’s talk packaging!
No shade to anyone who has already reviewed, but I haven’t really seen anyone photograph at this angle so that you can really see the cover. I’ve heard people say “raised” but I don’t think you truly can see that in a flatlay. It looks like acrylic blocks- very cool. It isn’t enough to be bulky or hard to store which is important to me. I just wanted to show that in case you would be surprised! The exterior is also a hard plastic.
Inside this palette there isn’t a brush- no wasted space. Some people have voiced issue with the amount of space between pans but I’m not one of them. Especially with pigmented shades, any kickup stays better contained when things aren’t smooshed closely together. I actually like that they’ve also separated the shades deemed not safe for eyes (more on that below) since most palettes sprinkle them throughout & people forget. The mirror is super dependable & stands on its own. I actually think the acrylic face plate is pretty cool too & easy to clean. I prefer cardboard packaging for the planet but I must admit I dig how sturdy this is!
Also- because I haven’t seen anyone else mention this…the inside of this box is so rad. I’d love something inspired by this detail in the future- but something I can keep & not a cardboard box I’m likely to toss.
See my review of the Urban Decay WIRED 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in
Jolt, Amped, Shock, & Vivid here!
For Face, Body, & the Eye Areas
Glitch- a matte white.
Chaos- a bright cobalt blue with a matte finish & a bit of sparkle.
Shock- a warm, brightened lavender matte.
Fluorescent- a pale, minty aqua with a matte finish.
Current- a brightened metallic emerald green
Jolt- a warm, bright chartreuse with a matte finish & a bit of sparkle.
Swatches left to right are on bare skin swatched with a finger. For pigments, I do one pass then another swipe with whatever product is still on my finger just to smooth a bit. For any application such as eyeshadow etc I highlight recommend a primer.
For Face & Body (aka not deemed FDA eye safe)
Gravity- a deepened grape purple with blue shimmer in a pearly,shimmer finish.
Savage- a cool hot pink with a matte finish.
Switch- a neon pastel tangerine orange in a matte finish & a bit of gold sparkle.
Slowburn- a bright very red-toned orange matte with a bit of sparkle.
Swatches left to right are on bare skin swatched with a finger. For pigments, I do one pass then another swipe with whatever product is still on my finger just to smooth a bit. For any application such as eyeshadow etc I highlight recommend a primer.
What would I change? What’s missing? What isn’t for me?
For me, the easy answer here, is that this could’ve been a beautiful duo of palettes- one with soft mattes & one with more of the Urban Decay Electric shades reinvented. I feel like Shock COULD fit into the palette but if you pulled out Glitch (matte white), Flurescent (matte teal pastel), & Shock (maybe even Savage!) & put them with coordinating shades…this palette would be something I reach for more. As it stands, Glitch could’ve been a fabulous choice as a cream base or a more opaque white to make any of these colors pop but instead blends away. Because they’re matte & pastel I just don’t find myself putting them with the other shades as easily.
For brights (more like UD Electric of the past) I’d have pulled out the white & matte pastel. You’d think I’d want to pop in a yellow but honestly, Jolt is a fun chartreuse that kind of mixes that whole yellow/green vibe since Current really doesn’t “fit” being that it is so metallic. I AM glad not to see a gold or silver thrown in since that seems to happen a lot when there’s a gap! There also aren’t ANY neutrals to blend with so plan on having a companion palette! Maybe something duochrome with a pale shift or even a taupe? I think a welcome addition would’ve been a duochrome since Glitch really isn’t a highlight I reach for & I do always prefer to highlight at the browbone & inner corners. Keep in mind, this is all just personal preference!
Sneak peek at 2 eye looks I created using this palette & the liners ( see my review of the Urban Decay WIRED 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Jolt, Amped, Shock, & Vivid here!)
Which shades are a thumbs up & which are a pass?
I’m a sucker for pigmented jewel tones- so Current is at the top of my list. But the catch is- I prefer applying with my finger because it practically rejects a brush. I know that’s not for everyone but I get much better application & sparkle this way. Surprisingly…the “face & body” side tends to perform much better than the ones meant for eyes. I’m not sure if that is the formula difference? Pigment difference? Savage, Slowburn, & Switch are all pretty much what I expect from a bright, pressed pigment. In my experience, they tend to be a bit more stiff but can be built up & these blend better than the others. Gravity (the deep purple) is also on that side but like Current…I don’t love it applied with a brush. Wet with some setting spray as a liner, it works though! But purples are difficult & I’ve seen some of my favorites come from Urban Decay so I had higher hopes.
Glitch is a mixed bag- if you like the whole “make other shades pastel” thing, then maybe you’ll like it more than I do. Like I said above- a white base works WAY better but this one is way too thin to qualify. Chaos is so gorgeous in the pan- but really needs help. This shade blends away like crazy. Shock is one that I was super excited about ( see how it matches the eyeliner in Shock in my review?!) because purples are my thing. Over a base- gorgeous…especially a matching one. On it’s own…poor little faded thing. Fluorescent is the same story but worse- that sucker not only blends away but sheers out beyond belief & definitely kicks up. So those two lighter shades are difficult…what about Jolt? Well, I actually think Jolt is awesome in my opinion, despite being a pigment with stiffness as expected. I love it- a chartreuse is incredibly rare & one this bright normally reads lime or yellow. It takes some work but this one performs well.
A Bit of Controversy…
So I wasn’t sure whether to include this or not- but I think this is a good conversation to have. I was linking through for my posts & notice that Urban Decay themselves had responded to this no-so-positive review.
Miko’s customer review on the UD site:
i ordered this two minutes after it was available and have been able to use it three different times…all with primer because that is a MUST with this. some of the shades: Glitch, Current, Jolt, Savage, and Slowburn are good but the rest i will not continue to use. chaos is not as good as the formula was in the old Electric palette, Flourescent does NOT live up to its name at all, Switch and Gravity are disappointing – like super dry if this makes any sense. maybe i got a dud palette but only liking 50% of the shades because the formula/payoff/blendability seems like a let down. i wish i could get half my money back. i really count on Urban Decay shadows and this just seemed like a bit of a let down.
Urban Decay’s response:
Hi there Miko, thanks for reaching out to us and trying our new Wired Palette. We’re selling it as an accessory palette. Something to add a little spice to what you already wear. Pop the purple in your outer crease with your naked 3. Take ANSS and dip in powder to make a vibrant liner. Use the pinks and orange as a blush. This is a fun palette that takes your look up a notch. We aim to provide the highest quality products to our consumers, and we will gladly pass your comments along to our team. We thank you for choosing Urban Decay!
I am…not impressed with this response guys. I don’t like calling it “an accessory palette” because the takeaway is that it isn’t a palette you can use to create full looks.
From the Urban Decay site:
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A 10-pan palette of pressed pigments in shockingly bright yet ultra-blendable shades for face, eye, and body.
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
Go electric with the Wired Pressed Pigment Palette, a 10-pan lineup of velvety-smooth pigments that deliver insane color payoff while being super blendable and buildable. Experiment with these hyperpigmented shades or dip into Glitch, a pure white hue, to transform bright shades into ultra-modern pastels.
Nowhere does this really say what their response to the customer’s honest review says. I like their ideas for getting more use out of the palette, don’t get me wrong, but I do think the phrasing is quite poor & that’s disappointing. They also aren’t really showing this as a pastel palette so I don’t think it is being advertised that way? But maybe I missed something!
You can purchase the Urban Decay Wired Pressed Pigment Palette on the Urban Decay site, Sephora, ULTA, QVC (with a brush), & Macy’s.
See my review of the Urban Decay WIRED 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Jolt, Amped, Shock, & Vivid here!
See my post : Eye Looks featuring Urban Decay Wired Pressed Pigment Palette & Eyeliners – Two Options! here
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