Ulta Eye Shadow Review and Swatches

I have a complicated relationship with Ulta brand cosmetics. On the one hand, I love that they’re budget friendly, frequently have good promotions, and come in a wide variety of colors. On the other hand, it seems that more often than not you’re getting what you pay for… and it can sometimes leave a little to be desired. 

That being said, I’ve found myself with a pretty healthy (those darn promotions!!!) collection of Ulta shadows. These come in Shimmer, Matte, and Glitter finishes and offer a large range of colors from neutral to colorful. 

The following swatches are applied twice, plain on the left side, with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion on the right. It’s pretty clear that if you want colors that are vibrant and pop, you can’t use these on bare lids. They can also, occasionally, be a little bit difficult to apply, but it varies from shade to shade.

*= Shade is no longer being sold through Ulta.com, but may be available in stores. 

Amethyst                                    Love

Aztec Gold                             Bermuda Sand

Brass*                                    Flirty

Truffle                        Trendsetter

Platinum                     Granite

Pearl                                Pink

Mystical                              Silk

Verdigris                           Galaxy

Smoke*                          Black Ink*

Polished*                             Milk Chocolate

Au Naturel                         Seashell

Lustre                             Toast

Sable                                 Chianti

In the Buff                             Molten

Mint                                     Bone

Envy                             Naked

Sage                                    Stardust

Brown Sugar                         Zephyr

Bloom                                 Wisteria Lane

Majesty                               Calla Lily

Bayou                                  Sterling

Glamazon                              Ice Queen

Peacock                                   Deep Sea

There we have them. Though the colors are fun, I feel as if I’ve done a better job advertising the Primer Potion, rather than the shadows. That being said, if you like the colors there’s no need to not enjoy them. Just be willing to invest in a good eye base/primer, unless you’re a fan of the super-sheer look.

One final plus is that Ulta often includes these in Gift-With-Purchase promotions and they come in neat little quads that are amazing for travel.

Final Verdict: Like it! 

Ingredients:

Talc, Corn (Zea Mays) Starch, Nylon-12, Magnesium Stearate, PTFE, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Black 2, Tin Oxide, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide Green, Chromium Hyrdoxide Green, Carmine, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polyurethane-11, Aluminum, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Acrylates Copolymer, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Bismuth Oxychloride, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue1 Lake, Manganese Violet.

Mardi Gras Eye Shadow Look

I love holidays that give me an excuse to wear something colorful and loud that turns heads wherever I go. And what better holiday for this, than Mardi Gras? Unfortunately for me, Mardi Gras only comes once a year and The Gilded Lily missed it back in February. But with this makeup, I know I’ll be prepared for February 12, 2013. Read on for a fun, sexy eye shadow look incorporating the colors of one of my favorite crazy holidays. 

Step 1:

Apply a foundation all over to give yourself a nice, even skin tone. Skin imperfections draw attention away from pretty makeup, so you want to cover any up. Also, since most of the attention will be drawn to your eyes you’ll want dark circles or puffiness to be concealed.

Step 2:

Even though I love my brown eyes, I’m going to be using green contacts for this look. They’ll help bring out the colors in my eye shadow, plus green is one of the colors associated with Mardi Gras.

Step 3:

Apply eye shadow primer to just your lids. This will make colors pop and will help keep the loose mineral make up in place. I suggest doing one eye and proceeding to the next step, then coming back to do the next one, as this primer tends to dry fairly quickly and you don’t want it to be spoiled. Also, make sure the application is even and smooth, to avoid creasing.

Step 4:

Apply a gold shadow with reflective green hues to the area you primed. Here I’m using Instant Beauty mineral shadow in Pear*. It’s a lovely, multicolored shade that goes beautifully with the contacts. Take care apply to avoid spills.

*Note: I've only seen Instant Beauty kiosks in Miami malls, so I’m not sure if the brand exists elsewhere and I can’t find any information online stating otherwise. Luckily, MAC, Inglot, and Coastal Scents offer eye shadows similar to this shade.

Step 5:

Once both lids are done, use the eye shadow brush to carefully line your bottom lids. Use primer if necessary to make a straight, neat line. 

Step 6:

Once again use your primer to prepare the area. This time, cover the area from your crease to your brow bone, giving the outer corners an upward sweep, as if you were doing a cat-eye look, but keep the corner rounded, not pointy. Doing this will make it nearly impossible to mess up the eye shadow.

Step 7:

Fill in the area you primed with a light yet vibrant purple shade with pink undertones. If you have L’Oréal shadow due in Reckless like me, use the lighter shade in the palette. 

Step 8:

Once you’ve done both eyes, take a dark, deep purple (the darker shade for those using the L’Oréal duo) and form a line around the area you just filled in (don’t line the crease, though!)

 With tiny, gentle downward strokes, blend in the darker shade so that it gives the shadow a gradient effect. 

 Step 9:

Take the same shade and lightly blend it into the outer section of the brow bone, making sure to keep the edge of the line darker. You want to give it a fading effect, not cover the lighter color up. 

 

Step 10:

With a green eye pencil, line your top and bottom lashes. Don’t worry about making the line too thin, as you want it to be noticeable. Also, if you use the same pencil from The Body Shop, keep in mind that it’s very creamy and dulls out very quickly (as you can see in the photo.) 

Make sure to have an eyeliner sharpener nearby, as dull pencils make for sloppy liner. 

Step 11:

Now take a glitter liner and paint over the green lines. It’ll take several strokes to fill it in, so don’t try to do it all in one sweep. Glitter liner is very thin and without the lines underneath it, it wouldn’t stand out much against the other colors. 

 For extra drama, give the outer corner of your eye a tiny cat-eye sweep.

Step 12:

Line the bottom lashes with glitter, but only stick to the outer corner. You want just enough so that it blends with the glitter on top. Doing the line the whole way, would close off the eyes too much and make them look smaller.

 Step 13:

Use a high-drama mascara on your top and bottom lashes, like the YSL’s Shocking mascara, in a deep, black shade. Make sure it’s one that will curl and extend your lashes. Remember, this look is all about getting noticed. 

Step 14:

Almost done! With a black eye pencil, liner the lower and upper waterlines of your eyes. 

There you have it! A fun, wild look for a fun and while holiday!

List of tools and products I’m using, in order of appearance:

Lioele Beyond the solution BB cream

Expressions contact lenses in Green

Urban Decay Eye shadow Primer Potion

The Body Shop eye shadow brush

Instant Beauty mineral eye shadow in Pear

L’Oréal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos in Reckless

The Body Shop metallic eye definer in #11 Vibrant Emerald

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Stagedive

Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking Mascara in #1 Deep Black

Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Du Regard Crayon Yeux Haute Tenue Eye Pencil in #1 Velvet Black

Enjoy, everyone!