VIB sale dilemma: UD vs ABH

[Superplin]

Like everyone else, I'm trying to plan my shopping strategy for when the sale opens up to VIB members next week. I've added and removed so many things from my cart, but trying to be smart and not go crazy with spending.

My dilemma is about the eye palettes. A few weeks ago (behind the curve, I know) I got the Anastasia of Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette, and it's my absolute go-to. I love the colors and absolutely adore the formula: mattes and shimmers both go on easily, blend like a dream, and last for hours. I don't have the problem with fallout some have complained of.

I want to expand my selection into brights and cooler shades. I got the Huda Beauty Obsessions mini-palette in blue, and so far have been kinda underwhelmed. Not a lot of pigmentation without doing a lot of work (primers, wetting, etc.), a lot of the shades are the same, and the texture just seems kind of chalky, with the exception of the kind of acid green shade and the darkest indigo.

I had been planning to splurge on another ABH palette, the Riviera, with its fun, bright range. But then I stumbled across UD Born to Run, and now I'm torn. I've never used UD shadows, so am not sure of what to expect. The Riviera feels like a sure bet when it comes to liking the formula, but maybe the UD is more versatile and less likely to go out of fashion quickly? Or maybe I should stick with a type of shadow I'm confident I'll like, and just try to be more creative in putting together looks with it?

Help me decide, please!
All thoughts welcome. I'm especially interested if you have experience with both and can give me some idea of what to expect.

[Superplin]

So, what I decided to do in the end is to go for both the ABH Riviera palette and the Violet Voss "fun size" palette (I went with Le Macaron), since I could get both without breaking the bank. (Er, much.) Worst case scenario I end up returning one. #

I might decide to pick up the UD palette later, or I might decide to go with singles, since it's really just the peacock colors I'm interested in.

I very much appreciated all of your opinions and advice--it was all helpful! 

[AnnaCassandra]

Honestly in my opinion pick the colour story you like best- I've never really come across an eyeshadow formula that I couldn't make work for me. Some might have more colour payoff than others and require a lighter touch or some might require a lot of time to build up to the intensity that you want but if it's a colour you like and want to use you'll figure it out. I just bought the ABH riviera palette and I'm really looking forward to playing with it and seeing the looks I come up with. Not long ago I nearly bought the UD Born to Run palette but went for the Huda Dessert Dusk instead. Now there's really only a few colours in the BtR that I can't replicate so I don't see myself spending the money on it but It's a nice palette and if you like the colours I'm sure you'd be happy with it. 

[sunny1903]

I prefer UD over ABH... ABH is my least favorite formula. ABH is too powdery for me and I have a hard time getting an even blend with it. I feel like you don't have much say in how saturated your eye looks are with ABH. I like UD more because you can build up the color. You can go subtle or saturated. The colors also don't shift. You mentioned you want cools and brights. Born to Run, color theory-wise, is warm toned, including the blue and green. Riviera, minus 2-3 colors, is neutral-warm leaning. Born to Run offers more cohesive color scheme options, there are different hues of orange/gold, pink/purple, green/teal. Riviera is more grounded in neutral looks with only 3-4 pops of fashion colors. If you are new to color and unfamiliar with color theory, I think UD is easier to use. UD is generally a lighter mid-chroma (gray toned) than ABH. Whereas ABH is more deep mid-chroma (dark gray toned). ABH palettes have less contrast than UD palettes. Colors that are too similar in chroma can give an overall less dynamic look. They can also look muddy. I think ABH produces really nice brown-type shades, basically Soft Glam. Everything else, I don't like. Also, 3 shades in Riviera may stain your lids, since they contain synthetic dyes. Not the end of the world though, in my opinion. Huda's Obessions palettes are inconsistent. Some palettes are good, others, not so much. Most people didn't like Sapphire. Most "cool" palettes in the makeup industry are actually mid-chroma, or gray-toned. If what you want is a true-to-color theory cool-toned palette, look at Huda Obsessions Electric, Pat McGrath La Vie en Rose, Viseart Cool Mattes I and II, and Viseart Liaison. Some people don't like him, so research and see if you're ok with him, but Jeffree Star's Blood Sugar and Blue Blood palettes are cool toned. The pinks and reds in Blood Sugar are blue-toned pinks and reds. If you want gray-toned "cools," Kevin Aucoin Nude Pop, Pat McGrath Mothership Subliminal I, ABH Norvina, UD Naked 2, and UD Smoky (still available on UD site).

[Superplin]

This is very helpful! When I say "cool tones," I mean I want more blues/greens/violets. I am very drawn to the teals and greens in the Born to Run palette, but I'm worried that a lot of the others will be duplicates of things I already have. The Riviera is more distinct from other colors I have on hand. 

Soft Glam was my first ABH palette, so perhaps it's given me a skewed perception of the formula. I do know that there are three pressed pigments in Riviera, which I've never worked with before. 

I definitely do no know this level of color theory. It looks like I'll have to study up a lot more before buying more eye shadow. 

[sunny1903]

My first palette was UD, so I learned to build to opacity and that's how I prefer to apply makeup now too. There is no right or wrong way to formulate makeup, just preference. You learned with ABH so it makes sense if you prefer ABH-type eyeshadows. Since you're drawn to specific colors, have you considered buying singles? I prefer palettes but I think buying singles when it comes to blues, greens, and purples can be more preferable. Some people look better in warm blues, greens, and purples, other people look better in their cool counterparts. Cool blues, greens, and purples are a lot harder to find in palettes too, if you're interested in those colors. Imo, the most important thing to know for color theory is that warm-leaning hues look best with other warm-leaning hues... same concept for cools, cool with cool. So if you wanted to do a look with purple, orange, and green, you want them to either be all warm-leaning or cool-leaning, so red violet vs blue violet. Competing color temps (warm vs cool leaning) can dull each other out, so mixing a lemon yellow (cool) eyeshadow into a teal blue (warm) may yield a dull or olivey green, not a bright cool green. Depending on the formula, some colors can produce a gray when blended (ABH Subculture). Most formulas stay true to color and don't actually mix into new colors with each other when blending. Lastly, opacity and pigmentation can be mutually exclusive. Some people equate an opaque eyeshadow with having a lot of pigment. This is not always the case. Pigments have a property called a refractive index, which indicates how much a pigment can bend light. High refractive index means a pigment is more opaque, low index is more transparent. A translucent eyeshadow formula can be highly pigmented, but its pigments don't bend light that much so it looks more like a wash of color than a mask of color. Blues tend to have a lower refractive index than reds and whites, so blues can appear less pigmented even though there could be a lot of blue pigment. Mixing low and high refractive pigments, like blue and white, doesn't always yield a brighter color. Usually, colors come out duller. Translucent pigments perform best over a solid white base. It's possible that your Huda palette is just using translucent blue pigments and it's chalky to give the translucent property more body. Try it over a true-white base and you may end up liking it... I'm thinking a white cream-eyeshadow will do the trick. Personally, I don't like the look of eyeshadow over a white base, so don't feel bad if it doesn't work for you either. It just means that a high opacity eyeshadow is important to you. Most bright eyeshadows are transparent unless layered or applied wet. I have pressed pigments and if I want them to be true to pan, I usually have to wet and layer.

[jozkid]

Hoo boy @Superplin thats a tough one. I’ll be honest, I have a few UD palettes and I tend not to use them. I find the formula to be powdery and I get tons of fallout from the shimmery shades. I have had much better luck with ABH and their formula. That being said, I haven’t tried any of the newer UD palettes and have heard good things about them. 

Now I’m going to confuse you even more. Have you ever tried Violet Voss?  I have a few palettes and enjoy them immensely. The quality is there and the price isn’t insane. I think they’re every bit as good as Natasha Denona for a lot less $. 

[mrsmouse]

Hi @Superplin   I have to agree with @jozkid  on the Violet Voss recommendation.  I have 3 palettes and just order another one.  I find them to be highly pigmented, easy to blend, and long wearing.  I know a lot of people love UD, but personally I haven't had the best of luck in getting them to stay all day.  I don't have any experience with ABH, so I can't comment on that. 

I hope whatever you decide on works great for you!  🙂

[Superplin]

I have not tried Violet Voss! Now I am intrigued. I confess that Natasha Denona is scarily expensive for my budget.

[jozkid]

@Superplin If you’re looking for a palette with a bunch of brights, Violet Voss has mini palettes for short money VIOLET VOSS - Fun Sized Mini Eyeshadow Palette - Fruit Sorbet

and VIOLET VOSS - Fun Sized Mini Eyeshadow Palette - Le Macaron

Only $18! Personally I’m a fan of the Creme Brûlée palette... soooo versatile!

[Superplin]

Oh, those mini-palettes look like a great option! Thank you.

[jozkid]

@Superplin  👍 Hope they work out for you!

[GG84]

@Superplin Go with your gut. I’ve had nothing but subpar experiences with Urban Decay. Their palettes are hit or miss in terms of formula. 

[SportyGirly125]

@Superplin I love URBAN DECAY - Born To Run Eyeshadow Palette for its versatility  

you can see looks I created with it on my profile as well as the one pallete challenge. 

[alexasteph]

@Superplin I really love UD shadows and do not love ABH shadows, so I don’t know if you’d be fond of UD. I actually don’t have Born To Run but I have five naked palettes and really enjoy them. I find the UD palettes just tend to be more cohesive for me. But honestly - I reach for my Too Faced Chocolate Bar and Sweet Peach or Natasha Denona palettes waaaaaay more than my UD ones. If you are looking at expanding your collection, I think ND is the way to go. Grab a couple minis or a 5-Pan. They are seriously so good.