Urban Decay Electric Palette Alternatives/Dupes

The Urban Decay Electric Palette has been a long-awaited prism of acid bights since UD's Naked takeover. As always with Urban Decay, the pigment and longevity means you receive great quality and pay-off for the price you pay, but understandably Urban Decay products can stretch the purse-strings. It can also be quite a significant commitment for those who may only want to dip their toe in the rainbow shadow family, and buying this palette may be a risk for some who may end up not liking it. Below are some examples of cheaper alternatives to the Electric palette. 

Urban Decay Electric palette surrounded by Sleek 'i-Candy' palette, Sleek 'Acid' palette, and Sleek 'Lagoon' palette. 

Sleek are renowned for catering to darker skinned women but have since expanded to suit paler tones. Adding to their line of skin revive foundations and richly pigmented blushers, they have a multitude of vibrant i-divine eyeshadow palettes to choose from. Sleek is perhaps one of my favourite brands for eyes and complexion and after digging through my collection, I found three i-divine palettes that can be considered as alternatives to the Electric palette. These are:

• Sleek i-divine 'i-Candy' palette.
• Sleek i-divine 'Acid' palette.
• Sleek i-divine 'Lagoon' palette. 

Urban Decay Electric palette surrounded by Sleek 'i-Candy' palette, Sleek 'Acid' palette, and Sleek 'Lagoon' palette opened. 

Before going into detail about the Sleek substitutes, I will start with this Spring's most anticipated vivid eyeshadow palette, the Urban Decay 'Electric' palette. There are ten shades in the palette, eight of which are brand new to Urban Decay. With the exception of Revolt, all of these shadows are either matte or satin, with a velvety smooth consistency and extremely high voltage pigmentation. Read a full review here. 

Top Row:

• Revolt - bright silver with silver glitter, frost finish. 
• Gonzo - bright turquoise, matte finish. 
• Slowburn - vibrant orange-red, matte finish. 
• Savage - vivid hot pink, matte finish.
• Fringe - bright metallic teal, shimmer finish. 

Bottom Row:

• Chaos - bright cobalt blue, matte finish. 
• Jilted - bright fuchsia with metallic blue duochrome, shimmer finish. 
• Urban - vibrant metallic purple, shimmer finish. 
• Freak - vibrant green with pale golden duochrome, shimmer finish. 
• Thrash - bright chartreuse yellow-green, shimmer finish. 

This palette contains a net weight of 11g making each shadow just over 1g. It also comes with a dual ended brush, a standard edition to Urban Decay palettes over recent years.

RRP £38/$49. 

Available from Debenhams, House of Fraser, Urban Decay and Sephora. 

Top image: Urban Decay 'Electric' palette.
Bottom image: Top row. from left to right: Revolt, Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe. Bottom row, from left to right: Chaos, Jilted, Urban, Freak, Thrash.

Sleek 'i-Candy' Palette

Sleek 'i-Candy' palette contains 12 shades inspired by summer ice-creams and candied treats you would see in jars from old sweet shops. The eyeshadow finishes range between shimmer and matte. 

Top Row:

• Strawberry Sherbet - light to mid-tone pink, matte finish (a paler version of UD Savage).
• BonBon - pale mauve, shimmer finish (UD Jilted is deeper with more blue iridescence). 
• Parma Violet - deep purple, matte finish.
• Apple Sour - mint green, shimmer finish (UD Freak is more yellow). 
• Pear Drop - chartreuse green, shimmer finish (a greener version of UD Thrash). 
• Flump - violet, matte finish. 

Bottom Row:

• Liquorice - black, matte finish. 
• Blue Fizzle - denim blue, shimmer finish. 
• Aniseed - rose gold, shimmer finish. 
• Bubble Gum - sky blue, matte finish (similar to UD Gonzo).
• Mint Cream - teal green, matte finish (UD Fringe is darker and more blue-based).
• Cream Soda - white, shimmer finish. 

The net weight of this palette is 13g making each shadow 1.1g

RRP £7.99/$11.99.

Available from Sleek, Superdrug, Amazon and eBay.

Top image: Sleek 'i-Candy' palette.
Bottom image: Top row, from left to right: Strawberry Sherbet, BonBon, Parma Violet, Apple Sour, Pear Drop, Flump. Bottom row - Liquorice, Blue Fizzle, Aniseed, Bubble Gum, Mint Cream, Cream Soda. 

Sleek 'Acid' Palette

Sleek 'Acid' palette contains 12 acid bright shades which appear to be truer neons when compared to the Electric palette. Similarly to the Electric palette, this palette contains neon pigments are not approved by the FDA so please check with Sleek and your own country's regulatory body for any concerns. The eyeshadow finishes range between shimmer, pearl and matte. Whereas the majority of these colours are intensely pigmented, the white shadow and the five neon highlighter shades are substantially less intense, making them quite sheer and chalky. This is a daring palette shades which do not have names so I will give them number based on their position in the palette.

Top Row:

• Acid Colour 1 - blue based magenta, pearl finish (darker version of UD Jilted).
• Acid Colour 2 - white, matte finish. 
• Acid Colour 3 - neon yellow, matte finish.
• Acid Colour 4 - neon orange, matte finish (UD Slowburn has more red).
• Acid Colour 5 - mid-tone blue, shimmer finish. 
• Acid Colour 6 - sky blue, shimmer finish (shimmer version of UD Gonzo). 

Bottom Row:

• Acid Colour 7 - neon orchid purple, matte finish (lighter, matte version of UD Jilted). 
• Acid Colour 8 - mid-tone yellow green, pearl finish (deeper than UD Thrash). 
• Acid Colour 9 - neon pink, neon finish. 
• Acid Colour 10 - neon green, matte finish. 
• Acid Colour 11 - greyish silver, shimmer finish (darker version of UD Revolt). 
• Acid Colour 12 - black, matte finish. 

The net weight of this palette is 13g making each shadow 1.1g

RRP £7.99/$11.99.

Available from Sleek, Amazon and eBay.

Top image: Sleek 'Acid' palette.
Bottom image: Top row, from left to right: Acid Colour 1, Acid Colour 2,  Acid Colour 3, Acid Colour 4, Acid Colour 5,  Acid Colour 6. Bottom row - Acid Colour 7, Acid Colour 8,  Acid Colour 9, Acid Colour 10, Acid Colour 11,  Acid Colour 12. 

Sleek 'Lagoon' Palette

Sleek 'Lagoon' palette contains 12 shades inspired by mythical tales of mermaids and sea creatures. The eyeshadow finishes range between shimmer and matte. 

Top Row:

• Sassea - teal with gold duochrome, shimmer finish (UD Fringe is deeper). 
• Deep Water - indigo, matte finish (UD Urban has more of a metallic sheen).
• Reflection - mauvey lilac, shimmer finish. 
• Emerald - emerald green with blue iridescence, shimmer finish. 
• Oyster -white with silver iridescence, shimmer finish. 
• Black Pearl - glossy black, shimmer finish. 

Bottom Row:

• Pink Jewel - pink gold, shimmer finish. 
• Sand Dollar - yellow gold, shimmer finish. 
• Underworld - sky blue, shimmer finish. 
• Sea Shell - bronze, shimmer finish. 
• Night Sky - mid-tone periwinkle blue, matte finish. 
• Ariel - like the name suggests it is similar to the hair of Disney's princess Ariel and so is coral red, matte finish (Similar to UD Slowburn).

The net weight of this palette is 14g making each shadow 1.1g.

RRP £7.99/$11.99.

Available from Sleek, Amazon and eBay. 

Top image: Sleek 'Lagoon' palette.
Bottom image: Top row, from left to right: Sassea, Deep Water, Reflection, Emerald, Oyster, Black Pearl. Bottom row - Pink Jewel, Sand Dollar, Underworld, Sea Shell, Night Sky, Ariel. 

Other alternatives may include:

• Sleek i-divine 'Ultra Matte Brights Volume 1' Palette - 12 vivid and matte shadows. RRP £7.99/$11.99. The net weight of this palette is 13g making each shadow just over 1g. Available from Sleek and Supedrug. 
• Sleek i-divine 'Del Mar Volume 1' Palette - 12 limited edition shades inspired by the tranquillity of Ibiza's chilled out atmosphere. RRP £7.99/$11.99. The net weight of this palette is 13g making each shadow just over 1g. Available from Sleek. 
• Sleek i-divine 'Snapshot' Palette - 12 rainbow matte and shimmer shades ideal for the summer months. RRP £7.99/$8.99. The net weight of this palette is 8.5g making each shadow just over 1g. Available from Sleek and Supedrug. 
• Make-Up Revolution Redemption 'Acid Brights' Palette - A mix of 12 pearl, matte and shimmer acid bright shades. RRP £4/$6.60. Available from Make-Up Revolution and Supedrug. 
• Make-Up Revolution Redemption 'Matte Brights' Palette - 12 vivid and matte shadows. RRP £4/$6.60. Available from Make-Up Revolution and Supedrug. 
• EyesLipsFace '144 Colour' Palette - 144 shades of colour in a mixture of finishes including matte and shimmer. RRP £20/$30. The net weight of this palette is 86.4g making each shadow 0.6g. Available from EyesLipsFace USA. 
• EyesLipsFace '100 Piece Endless Eyes Pro' Palette - 1oo limited edition shades of colour in a mixture of finishes including matte and shimmer. RRP £15/$20. The net weight of this palette is 90g making each shadow just 0.9g. Available from EyesLipsFace UK and EyesLipsFace USA. 
• Sugarpill Addicted to Pretty 'Burning Heart' Palette - Quad palette of insanle pigmented and vibrantly matte colours including Flamepoint (orange), Buttercupcake (yellow), Love+ (red), and Poison Plum (violet purple). RRP £24.95/$34. The net weight of this palette is 3.5g making each shadow just under 0.9g. Available from Cocktail Cosmetics, Love Make-Up and Sugarpill.
• Sugarpill Addicted to Pretty 'Sweet Heart' Palette - Quad palette of insanely pigmented and vibrantly matte colours including Dollipop (hot pink), Afterparty (mid-tone blue), Midori (mid-tone green), and Tako (white). RRP £24.95/$34. The net weight of this palette is 3.5g making each shadow just under 0.9g. Available from Cocktail Cosmetics,  Love Make-Up and Sugarpill.
• Sugarpill Addicted to Pretty 'Heart Breaker' Palette - Quad palette of insanely pigmented and vibrantly matte colours including Mochi (seafoam blue), 2AM (purple), Acidberry (chartreuse green), and Velocity (cobalt blue). RRP £24.95/$34. The net weight of this palette is 3.5g making each shadow just under 0.9g. Available from Cocktail Cosmetics, Love Make-Up and Sugarpill.

Perfect Palette Tag

I really hope I am not the only girl in the world who would happily re-arrange my make-up palettes all day long without the onset of boredom. I love my eye palettes as they have either been gifts from someone special or been as a little treat to myself over the years. I suppose, they are reminders of contentment of having cosmetics wishes being fulfilled. I first noticed the Perfect Palette Tag making the rounds on YouTube just before Christmas and really enjoyed watching them. After four months of viewing palette picks from some of my favourite beauty enthusiasts and make-up artists I decided to do my own. Click here to watch my selection in motion. 

Perfect Palette Tag.

Perfect Palette Tag.

1.Best Packaging

Urban Decay 'Book of Shadows Volume 3/NYC' Palette

This was gifted to me in 2010 and I rarely use it simply because it was a gift and I want to cherish it forever. Bit of a silly reason to not use something, I may as well enjoy it. The Urban Decay NYC palette contains 16 eyeshadows in a variety of neutral and colour shades, all with shimmer and frost finishes. The shades are Perversion, Uzi, Loaded, Kush, Midnight Cowbuy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar, Money, Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello, Radium, Snatch, Suspect, and Psychedelic Sister. It also comes with a tiny eyeshadow primer potion and two Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on pencils including the shades Zero and Ransom. The special aspect of of this palette is when you flip the lid, exposed is a motionless animation of an illuminated New York City scene. As it was limited edition for the Christmas season the year I received it, it is no longer available to buy via the usual places. If you do manage to find it for a reasonable price, it makes a great display addition to a vanity table. 

RRP £45/$54.

Number of Eyeshadows: 16.

Net Weight: Shipping weight is 2lbs. 

Individual Shadow Weight: 0.9g

Availability: Unknown.

Best Packaging: Urban Decay 'Book of Shadows Volume 3/NYC' palette.

2.Best Colour Payoff

Sugarpill 'Addicted To Pretty' Palettes

These Sugarpill palettes are beyond pigmented. I have two from the 'Addicted To Pretty' range which are 'Burning Heart' and 'Sweetheart.' Each palette contains four shadows and between them the colours are Love+, Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Poison Plum, Dollipop, Tako, Afterparty and Midori. They are mostly matte shades but some do have a trace of shimmer, which is virtyually undetectable when applied to the lids. These shadows are rich and intense with a soft feel, making application and blending seamless. 

RRP £24.95/$34.

Number of Eyeshadows: 4 per palette. 

Net Weight: 3.5g per palette. 

Individual Shadow Weight: Just under 0.9g per shadow.

Availability: Cocktail Cosmetics,  Love Make-Up and Sugarpill.

Best Colour Payoff: Sugarpill 'Addicted To Pretty' palettes.

3.Most Versatile

ELF '144 Neutral' Palette

The ELF '144 Neutral' Palette contains every neutral colour you could imagine including cool and warm hues of brown, cream, bronze, gold, burgundy, cranberry, silver and black. This palette is versatile in texture as they range between matte, satin and shimmer finishes. When layered on top of an eyeshadow base these colours can last all day. It is a perfect palette to take your look from day to night making it an adaptable palette that will help you achieve any number of looks. For a full review click here. 

RRP £20/$30

Number of Eyeshadows: 144.

Net Weight: 86.4g.

Individual Shadow Weight: 0.6g.

Availability: EyesLipsFace USA and Amazon UK.

Most Versatile: ELF '144 Neutral' palette.

4.Best for Travelling

Coastal Scents 'Revealed' Palette

The Coastal Scents 'Revealed' palette is a more affordable version of the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes as it combines the colours of both with a wallet-friendly price. The neutral shadows range in finishes including matte, shimmer and satin as well as vary in colour from taupes and pewters to bronzes and golds, not forgetting creamy beiges, ochre nudes and a spectrum of browns. With the colour choices and Revealed's  stiff slimline cardboard packaging, it the perfect travelling cosmetics companion.

RRP £21.49/$19.95

Number of Eyeshadows: 20.

Net Weight: 30g.

Individual Shadow Weight: 1.5g.

Availability: Coastal Scents, Amazon UK and eBay.

Best for Travelling: Coastal Scents 'Revealed' palette.

5.Biggest Regret

Urban Decay 'Black' Palette

I don't have any make-up regrets as, I believe, with everything in life, it is all a learning curve. However, for me, a disappointing palette was the Urban Decay 'Black' palette. Not a recent release as such, just a late purchase from me. The downfall of this one is not because of the palette itself as the smoky colours are impressive, it is more to do with my own experience. I bought this from eBay and the seller listed it as 'new other' stating that it was barely used. The shadows themselves have hardly even scratched the surface and I disinfected it with surgical spirit as soon as I received it. I was just disheartened that the packaging was shabby as if it had been living in unkempt squalor. The silver lettering was not as pristinely intact as I'd have preferred. I think I was more annoyed with myself for buying a used palette, even though previously used (yet clean) products are part of the territory for make-up aficionados. My OCD brain just won't let me use it myself. I think once I actually wear it, I'll feel more encouraged to use it regularly. 

RRP £32/$39

Number of Eyeshadows: 6.

Net Weight: 6.8.

Individual Shadow Weight: Just over 1.1g each.

Availability: eBay.

Biggest Regret: Urban Decay 'Black' palette.

6.Best Colour Names

Urban Decay 'Deluxe Shadow Box' Palette

Urban Decay colour names always combine metropolitan glamour with an alluring hobo corrosion, making the brand appealing to make-up addicts similar to me who adore raw, idiosyncratic beauty. The 'Deluxe Shadow Bow' was the first Urban Decay palette I owned and so these were the first unconventional colour names I knew of, making this palette the most memorable. Subsequently, Urban Decay palettes contain some of my all time favourite eyeshadows and this love of the unorthodox influenced my interest in other brands that similarly promote individuality such as Illamasqua and Too Faced. The names of this palette include Fishnet, Honey, Ransom, Graffiti, Zero, Peace, Shag, Scratch, and Underground - all of which nod to Urban Decay's mission of edgy, feminine beauty. Could not possibly love them more. 

RRP £14.99/$21.99

Number of Eyeshadows: 9.

Net Weight: 10g.

Individual Shadow Weight: Just over 1g each.

Availability: eBay.

Best Colour Names: Urban Decay 'Deluxe Shadow Box' palette.

7.Least Used

Make-Up Academy 'Undress Me Too' Palette

Make-Up Academy is one of my favourite brands. This palette is a replica of the often copied Naked 2 - which I love so this is not a personal dislike. It is simply a matter of already owning Naked 2 AND W7's 'In The Buff and so now I  have triple the amount of these cool neutral eyeshadow palettes (and now coveting Make-Up Revolution's 'Iconic 2' - why?? ... because I have make-up mania). There really is no need for me to use this except as a means to save room in my make-up bag as I'd opt for this over the bulkier Naked 2 and In The Buff palettes. 

RRP £4/$10.99

Number of Eyeshadows: 12.

Net Weight: 9.6g.

Individual Shadow Weight: 0.8g.

Availability: Make-Up Academy and Superdrug. 

Least Used: MUA 'Undress Me Too' palette.

8.Most Used

Sleek 'Oh So Special' Palette

The Sleek 'Oh So Special' i-Divine palette is affordable, compact and contains exceptional quality pink and neutral shadows. This palette is essentially a condensed version of the Naked 3 and has a good mixture of matte and shimmer shades. These are Bow (matte white cream), Organza (pale iridescent pink),  Ribbon (matte pink), Gift Basket (pink bronze), Glitz (pewter mauve), Celebrate (blackened plum), Pamper (shimmering pale pink), Gateau (pale golden mauve), The Mail (matte beige), Boxed (matte chocolate brown), Wrapped Up (deep matte mauve), and Noir (matte black). This is perhaps one of my favourite ever palettes as these pink gold colours are most complementary to my skin tone and eye colour. 

RRP £7.99/$11.99

Number of Eyeshadows: 12.

Net Weight: 13g.

Individual Shadow Weight: 1.1g.

Availability: Sleek and Amazon.

Most Used: Sleek 'Oh So Special' palette.

9.Most Loved

Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar' Palette

This cocoa infused Too Faced Chocolate bar smells good enough to eat. This palette has a great mixture of matte, satin and shimmer shades, two of which have a larger pans for highlight colours. The shadows are Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Armaretto, Hazelnut, Creme Brule, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, and Champagne Truffle. With these charming names, suggestive of luxurious sweet treats mixed with velvety soft, richly pigmented shadows, it's no wonder it is my most loved palette. Read a full review here. 

RRP £45/$49

Number of Eyeshadows: 14.

Net Weight: 13.3g

Individual Shadow Weight: Just over 0.8g per shadow and 1.6g per highlight shade. 

Availability: Debenhams, Sephora, Too Faced and Ulta.

Most Loved: Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar' palette.

10.Desert Island 

Urban Decay 'Naked 3' Palette

The Urban Decay Naked 3 is a much cherished Christmas gift from my fiancé who understands my immediate need for yet another eyeshadow palette. Naked 3 is the rosy hued sister of Naked, Naked 2 and Naked Basics. It comes with a dual ended synthetic brush perfect for laying down the product on one end and blending out with the other. Naked 3 does not disappoint with 12 blendable, never seen before velvety shades all centred around rose gold hues. There is a mixture of matte, shimmer and glitter shades. The colours are Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, and Blackheart which resemble the metallic cast of a certain infamous Michael Kors watch. Read a full review here. 

RRP £37/$52

Number of Eyeshadows: 12.

Net Weight: 15.6g.

Individual Shadow Weight: 1.3g.

Availability: Debenhams, House Of Fraser, Feel Unique, Urban Decay, Sephora and Ulta. 

Desert Island: Urban Decay Naked 3. 

I imagine that the way I talk about my make-up palettes is the way Miranda interacts with her fruit friends and vegetapals.

Now I want to put faces on my palettes.

I think I will do this tag again in another six months to see if I have found anything to replace my current selection. 

Perfect Palette Tag.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed vs. Sleek Face Form

Since the beauty blogging community expanded in popularity in the late 2000's, brands want to offer innovative products that will keep gurus talking and consumers consuming. Big beauty brands are in competition with each other to be in vogue for hauls, reviews and demonstrations, and along with huge conglomerates owning the majority of cosmetic houses, there are no doubt going to be similar offerings of products in order for make-up businesses to be one step ahead. 

Urban Decay and Sleek are popular for different reasons. Urban Decay initially rose to fame for their "beauty with and edge" products but have now spread the love to neutral wearers throughout the globe with their Naked collection of nude hues. Sleek's affordable, yet incredibly pigmented blushers, lipsticks and eye palettes ensured Sleek a secure place among YouTube's beauty community. Both brands are two of my favourites and have palettes containing everything you need to enhance your complexion after foundation. They are Urban Decay Naked Flushed and Sleek Face Form palettes.

Left: Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette.
Right: Sleek Face Form palette. 

Urban Decay thought of what a make-up user would use the most and this is clear in the layout of their Flushed palette. Sleek simply added a complimenting blusher on to their original contour kits.

Left: Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette.
Right: Sleek Face Form palette. 

Unfortunately, the Flushed palette only comes in one colour and is only going to suit light to medium skin tones. The bronzer/contour shade is the largest of three as bronzer is a product that is used on more areas of the face, neck and décolletage. The middle shade is shimmering pink champagne, reminiscent of darker powder formula of their previously discontinued Urbanglow 'Sin' cream highlighter. The blusher on the right side of the Urban Decay palette dusty raspberry rose hue. This is a universal shade that would suit most skin tones as many people naturally flush this colour, thus giving credence to this aptly named kit. 

Sleek makes up for Urban Decay lacks and offers their Face Form in four shades including Fair, Light, Medium and Dark, catering to all skin tones.  It would have been nice for Sleek to include a matte blusher the way Urban Decay did.  Even though they look different in the palette, they swatch quite similarly in the photo below. However, when applied to the face the do vary in colour and finish. 

Top: Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette.
Bottom: Sleek Face Form palette. 

So who wins in the battle of the complexion kits? It's is hard to decide as both palettes offer the consumer something different in terms of texture, finish and colour. I cannot recommend one in particular as people would need to consider various factors before buying. The list of pros and cons for each palette is listed below, which may help you decide which one to buy (unless you are like me and must... have... both). 

Urban Decay Flushed palette: Pros

• Sizes of each shade corresponds to how much a person would use of that particular section on their face. 
• Blusher shade is matte, allowing the consumer to decide if they add want to add more sheen with the highlighter. 

Urban Decay Flushed palette: Cons

• Most expensive of the two, although considering the price of similar separate products from Urban Decay, this is not going to be the deal-breaker for some shoppers.  
• Only comes in one , supposedly universal, shade.

Sleek Face Form palette: Pros

• Comes in a variety of colours to suit many skin tones. 
• Least expensive of the two, which in fact is cheaper considering the price of a separate contour kit (£6.49) and blusher (£4.49) together is more expensive. 

Sleek Face Form palette: Cons

• Blusher is not matte so may not be suitable for some for day-wear.
• Sizes are consistent so the user may hit pan on contour or blusher before highlighter and may need to repurchase just for one section. 

Both palettes are perfect for travelling, and whilst they do vary in colour and finish, there is no difference as to what they are designed to do for your face. 

Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette £22/$30

Sleek Face Form palette £9.99/$14.99