Urban Decay at Sephora Ion

An afternoon jaunt to Sephora Ion to see the launch of Urban Decay reaped rewards even though not everything from the brand made it here. I spent a good hour playing with the brilliant colours and even had a nice chat with Eric Jimenez, Urban Decay’s effervescent pro makeup artist.

An extremely friendly man, he inundated me with product information, all the while emanating genuine passion for the makeup he endorses. Like the inimitable Gregory Arlt, Eric overwhelmed me with his product knowledge and warmth. I was thrilled that he liked my eotd, the same Urban Decay Vert + Zero one that I did last week! :)

Although the new oh-so-sparkly Stardust eyeshadows (sans one) are here, I’m disappointed that not more of the regular eyeshadow singles are available. I love how dense and blendable some of them can be. According to Eric, the brand wants to test the local market before bringing in more products. He will be back in March and June, hopefully with more UD goodies for us.

We do get twelve out of the fifteen Deluxe Eyeshadows. These luxuriously silky and richly pigmented shadows are a dream to blend! A good way to try these is the Deluxe Shadow Box, where nine Deluxe Shadow pans are nestled in one case for eyeshadow delight. The above is a combination I love: Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadows in Grafitti and Fishnet blended together, with Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy Rides Again; all over Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin.

Thankfully, the prices are somewhat reasonable. I was initially apprehensive, knowing that prices for American makeup lines can go north when they make the journey to the far east. ;)  The Deluxe Shadow Box is US$36 in the USA and S$63 in Singapore, while Eyeshadow Primer Potion – the star product of UD affectionately known as UDPP – is US$18 in the States and S$32 here. Incidentally, the Deluxe Shadow Box comes with a small vial of UDPP.

It’s wonderful to see the brand back on our sunny island. According to Eric, its previous showing wasn’t ideal and the brand wasn’t managed right. They’re obviously doing an excellent job at Sephora now – the display is generously filled with testers and the products are prominently displayed, aching to be touched!

Even the Sephora beauty advisors manning the Urban Decay display are gracious and friendly. Although I didn’t buy anything and hogged the display trying everything and taking down the prices, they were friendly and polite; occasionally offering me tissue paper for cleaning. I’m actually surprised they weren’t exasperated. :P Great customer service, really!

Buy at least two Urban Decay products and receive a gift with purchase. I had a look at the gift and many of the items that I’d predicted would be inside are indeed included in the freebie! Worth S$145, this gift comprises:

  • Eyeshadow in Goddess
  • Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy (that iconic Urban Decay product that started me on my UD path)
  • Clean and Sober Makeup Remover
  • 24/7 Mini Eye Pencil in Covet
  • 24/7 Mini Eye Pencil in Electric
  • Eyeshadow Primer Potion samples in Original and Sin (I think)
  • Skyscraper Multi Benefit Mascara

As for the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows, it will only arrive on our shores in March 2010. According to Eric, there are only 400 pieces available. I’m certain they will fly off the shelves. I’m getting one for myself, since I don’t own any of the Shadow Boxes. Here’s to stalking UD at Sephora! ;)

Image source: Urban Decay

32 Comments

  • xandrabelle says:

    Hi! I’ve been lurking about your blog hoping to see pixs of the Urban Decay counter, since I’m too caught up at work to actually stop by at Ion.

    By any chance did they say when exactly in March will the Alice in Wonderland book arrive?

  • Sara says:

    Just thinking about the Alice palette gets me excited. Can’t wait for it to hit the shores, it it’s one palette I want to own from UD, it’s probably this since I’m generally not too fond of the shimmer factor in UD shadows.
    Thank you for the photos!

    • makeupmag says:

      Hey Sara!

      You’re welcome. I’m excited about Alice too. :) By the way, it was really nice meeting you the other day. I always call you Edgy Sara in my head – your hair, makeup and overall look spells edgy chic! I think we’ll meet again at the Shiseido workshop, yes? ;)

  • Stephanie says:

    Hey, I was there this arvo! I chup two of the palettes already but coming back I am re-thinking if I should ditch one (am particial to the Graffiti and Fishnet palette too ) and wait for the Alice in Wonderland box. The store manager told me too that it would be here in March but no specific date as yet. Price point should not be more than S$150 or so.

    I had a different experience at Sephore today. The very nice SA serving me had a fumble and dropped & broke one of the lippies & gel liner. The Caucasian product lady was really curt & kept casting accusatory glances at us. Another local SA even adopted a patronisingly belittling attitude towards her. I felt really sorry for my SA. Maybe I am too used to the Sephora in other countries where the SAs appear to genuinely like serving you and do not believe that they should be nice only to the person they are serving. But I must praise the store manager who was really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and knows what customer service is.

    I guess I will see you at the workshop? I am booked for the Sat one.

    • makeupmag says:

      Hi Stephanie!

      Oh, we may have met! I was there around 1. I really like the Graffiti + Fishnet combination. The other shadows are lovely too. Thanks for the price feedback on Alice. That’s quite pricey, seeing as it’s only US$52. I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience at Sephora. Bad customer service at Sephora can be a wet blanket, especially when we’re there for makeup cheer. I’m glad that the manager brightened the experience somewhat.

      I’ll be going tonight. ;)

  • Stephanie says:

    This is what happens when you type in the dark after a long night’s work … sorry, sorry, for the typo. The store manager said the Alice palette should be around S$120.

  • Lilian says:

    thanks for the pics, as I haven’t been able to make it there yet :( I really need one of those box of shadows!

  • Dina says:

    Hi! What a great post! So helpful :)

    Is Urban Decay available at both Sephora Ion and Sephora Ngee Ann City? Can’t wait to check it out!

  • Amanda says:

    Hi! I was at the class tonight – one of the Sephora beauty advisors and Eric both said the AiW BoS would be in about a couple of weeks from now! Also, Eric said they’re bringing in 400 pieces instead (I think you might have heard). Here’s hoping we can all snag a piece!

    • makeupmag says:

      Hello Amanda!

      Were you the pretty girl who was holding a camera? :) Thanks for that information; I thought I heard 300! It’s good to know they’re bringing in more.

  • Linnette says:

    Hi Stephanie,

    Your pics look really nice, I’m definitely stopping by UD next week. By chance, the 3 deluxe shadows missing here, are they the 3 new ones, Frigid, Ruthless & Freakshow? Thanks!

  • Melissa Miller says:

    oh thank you for this info!

    Didn’t know that Urban Decay was even available in Singapore! Now thanks to you, i know! I’ve wanted to get their primer, cos i have a photo shoot coming up and i do my own make up, so thanks! I’ll be making a trip to Sephora ion soon!

  • Amanda says:

    Hi Mag!

    Yup, I was the girl with the camera (in the green top with fringed sleeves :D); my friend recently came back from the States with the AiW BoS for me! After taxes, it was about USD56 which roughly converts to SGD80, so the price point (SGD88) you mentioned in your AiW update is pretty decent. (I think Smashbox’s WISH Eye Wish Palette was priced at more than SGD140 here but it retailed for USD44 in the US – outrageous!)

    I was very surprised my friend managed to get it from the Sephora store on 42nd & Madison in New York a few days ago considering how accessible that store is and how popular the AiW BoS is, but I suppose UD foresaw demand and tried to bring in a lot more to the bigger stores :)

    The colours are so wearable! Enough neutrals (might have to be careful of looks getting too muddy) but a few standout shades to bump up a look. Super pigmented. If I didn’t have Too Faced Shadow Insurance or UDPP, I’d hate the amount of fallout. It’s also nice that they put Flipside 24/7 Liner in instead of Bourbon – Flipside is such a quirky bright peacock blue/teal. I really love this palette! It’s so magical in all its purple and gold glory.

    Packaging’s gorgeous but I’m leaving a pair of scissors with the heavier side pressing down the top of the mirrored lid for a while – that way the spine will stretch enough so that the lid will stay open in the future without anything pressing down on it. (Like Temptalia commented, lid won’t stay open when you first get the palette.)

    By the way, I also bought the OPI AiW mini nail lacquers from Metro Paragon (slightly cheaper than Sephora) – Absolutely Alice really is “the most gorgeous polish OPI has done since My Private Jet” to quote Scrangi (and My Private Jet is my favourite OPI shade – I’ve eschewed regular black polish for it forever), and the reds were my go-to for Chinese New Year! (Off With Her Red was opaque in one shade; and the name is strangely satisfying.)

    I also did some really quick and slightly messy nail art using the two reds and MAC Baby Goth Girl to match my Chinese New Year outfit (http://twitpic.com/13hn38), with a light but eye-catching topcoat of Mad As A Hatter to add some glitter.

    Hope you’re enjoying your Chinese New Year, I wish you much beauty and happiness in the year ahead! :)

    • makeupmag says:

      Hello Amanda,

      Thank you for your lovely lengthy reply; I enjoyed reading it so much! :)

      YAY, you have Alice! It’s so difficult to get these days, so you owe your friend one?! ;) I’m not even sure if everyone who has reserved it here will receive it. I love muddy colours, so I’m really looking forward to it. It helps that I don’t have many of the colours in it (I don’t own any of the Shadow Boxes – well, except for the Deluxe Shadow one that I just bought). You could try using the 24/7 pencils as a base; they’re great for that. I’m honestly not fond of the glitter shadows – the ones I love are ones with intense shimmer! That tip re: the heavy weight is great. I know many people detest the boxes because of their imbalanced packaging, if you can call it that.

      I LOVE My Private Jet! I’d even go so far as to say it’s my all-time favourite polish if not for my sometimes-mercurial opinion of beauty products. ;) I read what Scrangie said but I still think MPJ beats Alice hands down. I saw the Metro offer at Causeway Point – I wonder if it’s still on though? Your themed mani was so cute!

      Happy New Year to you too. Stay beautiful! :D

  • Athena says:

    Hi! when will the free gift with purchase end?

  • Amanda says:

    Hi Mag,

    Haha I suppose I do owe her one! I was sooo happy when she got it; I’m uploading a few pictures on my personal blog because it’s just so gorgeous! Thanks for the tip about using the 24/7 eyeliners as bases, I’ll try that soon! (Since I have like 8 shades of 24/7 I guess I should try, huh?)

    Right now I usually use MAC DSquared greasepaint sticks for black bases; I’m looking forward to the MAC Art Supplies collection – 8 greasepaint sticks and all those lipstain markers! (I wish we had Cover Girl in Singapore.) Benefit’s Pocket Pal has been my loyal companion for years – I’m buying a full bottle of Benetint just so I can top up my Pocket Pal :P

    I got MPJ purely by accident because I was desperately looking for a black polish when I was holidaying in Melbourne – I just grabbed the first one I saw and bought it. MPJ and I are now very very happy.

    I think they’ve sold out of the mini lacquer set already! Haha it was 2am so it was an impromptu job :)

    Thanks for the post on methylated spirit – I can now fix my Lavshuca palette! (Btw, what’s the difference between denatured alcohol and methylated spirit? I’ve read that both can be used to fix broken eyeshadows.)

    • makeupmag says:

      Hi Amanda,

      It is a gorgeous palette and I’ve seen your lovely photos! I like your blog layout, by the way. :) If you’re going to apply the 24/7 pencils over UDPP, you have to work quickly because that base sets quickly. I like the pencils over a base that’s more moist.

      The DSquared Greasepaint Sticks are amazing. They flew off the shelves in no time. I can’t imagine the stampede for these when the Art Supplies collection arrives. And lip markers….mmm! Hey, that’s a good tip re: Benetint top up. What would you use to decant though?

      MPJ is the BEST. I don’t understand why they changed the holo formula and why they won’t make it perm! It is especially beautiful over a true lack nail polish.

      I’m not sure about the actual difference(s) but they’re both alcohols that can be used safely on makeup, as far as I know. You’ll have to consult a pharmacist or cosmetic chemist on that! ;)

      Sorry I took so long to respond. I wanted to take my time to answer it properly (as with my last reply). ^_^

  • Rani says:

    How do people get invited for product launches etc! i buy so much but no one calls me :-(

  • Irene says:

    Has the Alice In Wonderland arrive? and how much izzit??

  • LARA says:

    do you have any lipstain or lipmarker .. im craving for a pair :(

  • Izzati says:

    Hi! I will be going to Sephora this weekend. Can’t wait!
    I’m from Malaysia. :D

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