Art as makeup. Makeup as art. From the colours to the shade names to the packaging, EVERYTHING in this special-edition collaboration spells A-R-T. Be immersed in a world of whimsical colours and graphics with the work of groundbreaking artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Like Urban Decay, Jean-Michel Basquiat was an outsider who challenged the status quo and used color in non-traditional ways. From his informal graffiti work and his mixing of mediums and colours to the way he spoke out against social injustice, it’s no wonder he was chosen to work with Urban Decay to produce a wonderful collection of wearable art.
The #UDxBasquiat collection consists of 12 special-edition products – from eyeshadow and blush palettes to lipsticks, eye pencils and even makeup pouches – all inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artwork. In this review, I will be talking about the Tenant Eyeshadow Palette, the Gallery Blush Palette, 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Post Punk and Vice Lipstick in Exhibition.
Tenant Eyeshadow Palette
The Tenant Eyeshadow Palette features a medley of eight exclusive bright shades inspired by the painings of this artist. No doubt, every shade features UD’s proprietary Pigment Infusion System™ for rich, velvety and blendable colour that lasts. A double-ended brush in the palette also gets you equipped with the right tool for your eye makeup.
Housed in a mini reproduction of Basquiat’s artwork, the Tenant Eyeshadow Palette is wrapped all the way around with canvas so the art printed on top comes to life. To complete the deal, there’s even a small cutout on the back for you to hang it up and create your own mini Basquiat gallery.
The 8 shades in the palette are:
- Studio – pale matte pink
- 1960 – bright matte pink
- Neo – rich aubergine with micro-shimmer
- Les – matte-satin charcoal-black
- Graffiti – deep metallic green
- Exu – bright shimmer yellow-green
- Boom – bright matte teal
- Untitled – rich matte deep blue
However, though the shades are fun and lively, I did find that the matte shades were very dry and hard to swatch as compared to UD’s usual eyeshadow formula. They are pretty blendable though but requires you to pat on more colour if you want it to be intense. The other eyeshadow palette is Gold Griot Eyeshadow Palette, a rusty neutral palette for the more serious side of you.
24/7 Glide On Pencil in Post Punk
To complete my eyeshadow look, I used the 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Post Punk in the inner corners of the eyes and the Vice Lipstick in Exhibition.
I’m really not a fan of the Glide On Pencils because they are not waterproof and smudge-proof at all on my eyes despite what they claim to be. However, if you’re looking for something to glide onto your inner eye corners or the lower lash line just to brighten up your eye makeup, then go for it. On the other hand, Post Punk is a matte yellow-green which I initially thought to be rather tough to use on the eyes because of its funky colour. I used it on my inner eye corners to give it a pop and surprisingly it’s quite wearable! The 2 other shades in the Basquiat collection are Anatomy (matte burnt orange) and Vivid (bright sky blue).
Vice Lipstick in Exhibition
Since I have started makeup, the Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks have been my favourite and staples on my vanity table. There are 3 exclusive shades of lipsticks launched within this collection, all wrapped in canvas printed with Basquiat’s art. Voilà, a mini art gallery in your handbag! The shades were made based on the colours in Basquiat’s work. Each delivers intense payoff with a rich, creamy feel and features UD’s Pigment Infusion System™ as well. Vice Lipstick in Exhibition is a matte pink-violet (comfort matte finish) that offers a pop of colour to your lips. Drench in this shade if you’re ready for some Summer fun! The 2 other shades in the collection are Abstract (pale toffee brown in cream finish) and Epigram (burnt sienna in cream finish).
Gallery Blush Palette
To finish off my million-dollar artistic look, I’ve used my favourite product in the entire collection – Gallery Blush Palette. This is a four-pan face palette that holds two shades of blushers, a bronzer and a highlighter, all extremely pigmented!
Have a light hand when dealing with these pigments because the brush picks up a load of pigment that requires blending all in just a light tap. The 4 shades are:
- X-Rated – bright medium matte pink
- Now’s The Time – gold-champagne shimmer
- Jawbone – medium bronze
- NOHO – matte mauve berry
In my opinion, the Tenant Eyeshadow Palette lacks quality pigmentation whereas the Gallery Blush Palette is too pigmented for a face palette. Instead, if both were to even out, they would be perfect. I do love the Afterglow highlighter, Now’s The Time, for its in-your-face shimmer as a highlight! It gives you the glow you can never imagine to have with just a light sweep!
Swatches
Here are swatches for the blush palette, eye pencil and lipstick:
With this highly artistic collection, generally speaking, I say go forth and be creative! My makeup looks for these:
The Tenant Eyeshadow Palette retails for SGD62, 24/7 Glide On Pencils at SGD32, Vice Lipsticks at SGD29 and Gallery Blush Palette at SGD52.
Create yourself and be gorgeous! XOXO, Roanna.
Disclaimer: Product was provided by Urban Decay Singapore for consideration. The above review is based on my true and honest opinion and experience, without influence from others or the brand. It contains information from the brand. I am NOT affiliated nor compensated by the brand.