Review & Swatches: LORAC Unzipped Palette

Hi Everyone! In all of my makeup obsession, nothing gets me quite as excited as eyeshadow. My opinion is, if the eyes are the window to the soul, why not make that window as pretty as possible? So naturally, when I came across LORAC's new Unzipped Palette, limited edition for Spring 2012, I just knew I had to have it. 

The makeup gods must have been smiling down on me when they created LORAC's Unzipped Palette. For only $40, you get a collection of 10 stunning shadows with shimmers, satins & mattes to please everyone (and a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer). If you have ever felt that Urban Decay's cult classic Naked was too warm for you, but their new Naked2 was too cool, then the Unzipped Palette is that happy medium you may have been looking for. The colors are mainly neutral, a bit on the cool side. What I love is that most of the shades lean towards more pink or plum tones. I honestly don't think there is one color in this palette that I would never wear.  

The pigmentation of these shadows is wonderful. They are very finely milled and glide on & blend with ease. The shimmer shades remind me of the new bareMinerals Ready shadows, in that they feel and look like crushed metallic pigments. They lend a bit of light-catching shine to the eyelid, which is very flattering in my opinion. The matte shades are lovely as well. They are not at all chalky, which I have found can be the case with some other brands.

The only negative I have found with the shadows in the Unzipped Palette is that there can be a tiny bit of fall-out. As long as I used my trusty Urban Decay Primer Potion and a flat shader brush to pat on the color (MAC 239) it really was negligible.  

Packaging

Palette Top Row Swatches: Top to Bottom: Undercover (not very visible on my skin), Unbelievable, Unattainable, Unconditional, Unbridled

Palette Bottom Row Swatches: Left to Right: Untamed, Unspoken, Uncensored, Unreal, Undiscovered

LORAC Unzipped Palette vs. Urban Decay Naked Palette

Don't get me wrong, my Naked Palette will always have a special place in my heart. I feel Urban Decay makes some of the best eyeshadows available on the market in terms of color range, texture and pigmentation. The only thing that frustrates me with that palette, and makes me consider whether or not I will ever repurchase, is that I really only ever use 4 of the shades out of the entire palette (Sin, Naked, Buck, Toasted). All of the other colors are either too glittery (hears looking at you UD Sidecar), too warm, or too dark to work with my coloring. 

If you already own Urban Decay's Naked Palette, I'm not entirely sure you need LORAC's new Unzipped Palette. But if you are like me, and are inclined to use more truly neutral tones on your eyes, Unzipped might be something to consider. 

As far as packaging is concerned, aesthetically I think I prefer UD's Naked Palette. I really enjoy the felt case & think it looks more luxurious and high end. That's not to say I feel the LORAC packaging is bad, it is just your standard cardboard packaging, akin to Stila Cosmetics palettes, for example. The LORAC packaging is however much more compact & would be more convenient for travel or carrying in your purse. 

Below I've included some comparison swatches between shades from the LORAC palette & the UD palette I thought were similar. 

LORAC Unreal (Left) vs. UD Sin (Right)

LORAC Undiscovered (Left) vs. UD Half Baked (Right)

LORAC Uncensored (Left) vs. UD Smog (Right)

Bottom Line: Ladies, go pick up this palette while you still can!! It is worth every penny!

Thank you so much for reading! Does this look like a palette you might pick up?

Lots of Love,

Louise