Urban Decay Backtalk eyeshadow & face palette

It has finally arrived in The Netherlands: the Urban Decay Backtalk palette. Quite possibly one of the most dividing eyeshadow palettes of 2018. Because for as many people who liked this, there was another person who didn’t. I thought the palette looked good enough to give it a try. This is my kind of color scheme and that is why this palette was high on my wishlist. It just took forever to make its way across the pond.  

Urban Decay Backtalk eyeshadow & face palette

Along with some more recent palette releases, this palette is a continuation of an Urban Decay classic. Where the new Born to Run palette resembles a Vice palette and the Beached palette features shades similar to the ever so popular Naked Heat, this palette revolves around one of Urban Decay’s most popular Vice lipstick shades: Backtalk. I own the lipstick and it is one of the best neutrals I own. At €53, this palette is up there in price, but it is not unusual for an Urban Decay palette.

The Packaging

I think the packaging of the palette is what divides most opinions. A fold out palette with the mirror to hold the whole thing together, this can be a bit tricky to use. People have shown that if you fold it back over on itself, the palette will no longer close properly. Since I lay my palettes flat on my vanity table, I have no issues with any of that. I just take out the mirror and lay it aside and put it back in place when I’m done. However, it is good to know that you need to be careful when using this.

The Palette

The palette consists of eyeshadows and cheek products. It features 8 eyeshadows, 2 highlighters and 2 blushes. However, that is of course not how you have to use these products. Personally, I would not be using this palette much for my face, so my immediate plan when I saw this was to feature the face products in eye looks as well.

So to me, I view this as a 12 pan eyeshadow palette. You do that, and you will count 5 mattes and 7 shimmers: a nice balance. Adding the lightest shimmer highlight will give you a good inner corner highlight and the matte blushes add some much needed crease and transition shades. In short, you can definitely make this work.

The Swatches

On the far left you can see the swatches for the 4 face products, followed by the 8 eyeshadows from the right. As you can see, if you put them all together you have a nicely completed and well rounded eyeshadow palette. Some of the mattes need building up, but I appreciate that about Urban Decay eyeshadows. It means you can do an eyelook almost with your eyes closed and still make it come out great.

The overall texture is a touch dry, but I don’t find these powders to feel chalky. Especially the shimmers feel smooth and those work best in the finger swatches. As with any eyeshadow palette though, the true proof of how eyeshadows work, is if you apply them to the eye. I find these blend well, stay put all day with a primer and I have little to no problems with fading throughout the day.

The Application

Look 1:
Lid: Curve
Crease: Cheap Shot
Blend out shade: Backtalk
Brow bone: 3 sheets
Lower lash line: Cheap Shot
Liner: 180
Inner corner: Party Fowl

For my first look, I wanted to instantly use my favorite shades in the palette. Backtalk works great on my as a blend out/ transition shade. The Cheap Shot then adds the definition I need in the crease. The overall look is a pretty, soft, almost romantic look that is very wearable. This is a great everyday makeup look that works well in many different occasion.

Look 2:
Lid: Attitude
Crease: WTF
Blend shade: Double Take
Inner Corner: Low Key
Lower lash line: Shade
Brow Bone: 3 Sheets

For the second look, I used pretty much all of the remaining shades I hadn’t used yet. This is a much more warm toned look. It is great to see that you have that option too. The shimmers aren’t super in your face shimmery though once applied on the lid. However, I like the color combination of this look as all of these shades work together so well. As long as you opt for shades that are not too similar, you are able to get some distinct looks.

Look 3:
Lid: Shade
Crease: WTF
Inner corner: Bare
Transition: Double Take
Lower lash line: Shade  & WTF

One of the toughest shades to work with in the palette is Shade. While it looks like a stunning shimmering plum shade, it sheers out to more of a pinky/ mauve. It isn’t as shimmery on the lid as it looks in the pan either and needs lots of building up to get an intense look. However, once you do that, it is a stunning shade. This shadow applies best with a short, dense brush that is great for packing, followed by dabbing on some shadow with a finger.

The Conclusion

It is true that the Urban Decay Backtalk palette needs a bit of TLC to make it work. Some of the shadows aren’t super easy to work with and need lots of building up. However, I prefer my eyeshadows to be buildable rather than super intense and difficult to blend. What I love most about this palette is the color scheme and I knew instantly that that’s why I would love it, even without having seen it in person.

If you already own more Urban Decay palettes, these may not be the most unique shades. I feel I already have shades similar to some of these in my other palettes such as the After Dark and Vice 3 palette. In this color scheme, this is one of the most unique neutral palettes on the market. If you like berry shades, but think the ABH Modern Renaissance is too intense for you, this would make a good alternative.

Which recent Urban Decay palette would you like to own?