Product Review -- Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

I was going to be good, I swear.

I told myself over and over that I really didn't need -- hell, that I didn't even *want* it.

But then I saw a photo of the shades and there were one two many that pushed my buttons and I caved.

So yeah, I bought the Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette.

It would be really hard to top the Vice 3 in my mind, because there were just so many pretty warm burgundy/red/plum shades that I love for fall in it, but I was hoping that the Vice 4 would.

Right off the bat, it scores brownie points with me -- that's because it's actually the slimmest of all the Vice Palettes. Now, don't get me wrong -- I love impressive packaging, but if it's bulky and hard to store, it can lose its appeal very quickly.

The Vice 4 comes in a fairly slim, rectangular plastic palette. The lid features a plastic overlay with a metallic finish in shades of green and purple that's pretty cool, and like the Vice 3, it comes with a pouch to keep the palette it, which is black and silver but features the same design as the lid.

Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette in matching pouch

Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

Inside there is a large mirror that stays open without needing to be propped up, so it's perfect for travel. There's also a double-ended synthetic eye brush, which features a fluffy blending side and a flat shader side.

The palette contains 20 brand new shadows: Bones, a cool beige pearl; Grip, a light taupe with silver micro-glitter; Deadbeat, a black satin; Beat Down, a metallic blue violet; Pandemonium, a blackened plum with silver micro-glitter; Framed, a matte light tan; Fast-Ball, a metallic peachy pink; 1985, a metallic fuchsia; Underhand, a brownish burgundy satin; Harlot, a metallic lilac; Discreet, a matte pale mauve-y pink; Grasshopper, a metallic emerald green; C-Note, a metallic sage; Arctic, a teal with silver micro-glitter; Robbery, a deep metallic taupe; Bitter, a matte reddish brown; Flame, a copper with gold micro-glitter; Low, a mid-tone brown with iridescent micro-glitter; Crowbar, a blackened gold with gold micro-glitter; and Delete, a matte chocolate brown.

The color selection for this palette is interesting because there's a mix of cool and warm tones, neutrals and bold shades -- I feel like that makes it a good option for a pretty wide audience. In terms of texture, there are matte, shimmer, satin, and glitter shadows, which makes it a pretty well-rounded palette.

Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

From l. to r.: Bones, Grip, Deadbeat, Beatdown, Pandemonium

From l. to r.: Framed, Fast-Ball, 1985, Underhand, Harlot

From l. to r.: Discreet, Grasshopper, C-Note, Arctic, Roberry

From l. to r.: Bitter, Flame, Low, Crowbar, Delete

I like Urban Decay's shadows, though the glitter shades can be a bit a chunky and tend to require more work to use than other shadows. When I first opened the palette, Flame was the shade that I was instantly drawn to because it's a gorgeous orange-y/peach-y/coral-y shade, but I expected to be disappointed because it's one of those chunky glitter -- I was actually pleasantly surprised because while the texture is a little off, it applies well and blends really well too. It's definitely my favorite shade in the palette.

I also love Fast Ball, Underhand, Harlot, Grasshopper, Robbery, and Bitter.

There are two shades that are somewhat disappointing -- Low and Crowbar, which are both chunky glitter shades that feel a little dry and apply fairly sheer. They can still work well for darkening up the crease or outer corner, but they're more difficult to work with.

On the whole, I really enjoy this palette. I think I ultimately give the edge to the Vice 3 Palette, but only by a hair. And Vice 4 might actually be a better option if you're not a fan of Urban Decay's usual bright, bold shades, because there are only a handful in this palette and they somehow manage to be pretty wearable.

If you're starting to do some holiday shopping, I think this palette would be a great gift for any makeup fan on your list.

The Vice 4 Palette retails for $60, and is available at the Urban Decay website, Ulta, and Sephora.

Have you tried the Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette? What's your verdict? Which shades are your favorite?