Urban Decay Sparkle Out Loud Heavy Metal Glitter Gels Reviews & Swatches (Part 1)

• Stila Spiritual (LE, $24.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• Make Up For Ever 103 Pink White (P, $26.00) is less shimmery (85% similar).
• Fenty Beauty Oh-Zone (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
• Makeup Geek Light Year (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
• Makeup Geek Stargazer (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
• Make Up For Ever 106 Grenny White (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, warmer (80% similar).

Formula Overview

$22.00/0.49 oz. – $44.90 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have "hyper-reflective and holographic glitter" that "won’t budge for up to 9 hours" and is "super-concentrated." Per the brand, it can be used on "eyes, body, and face." I have no idea why they call it "high-coverage," when the base it’s in is clear, which results in instantly sheering the product out as it is applied to any area (eyes, cheeks, etc.) and spread outward.

The gel-base is thicker, spreadable, and works well over powder products, like eyeshadow, or over foundation without darkening, lifting, or creating patchiness of whatever it is layered over. The particle sizes used in these is quite large, and when applied as a cheek product, they often look like metallic (but not so sparkly/glittery) chunks of product. At certain angles, it looked like my skin was flaking off or raised texture. This is sometimes more or less the effect even on lids.

I tested only some of these on eyes, and the wear was the same across the three I trialled–absolutely great hold in the scheme of things (eight to nine hours), but there was always a particle or two that did drop at some point during wear. I was not always able to keep my eye from watering to the point where I ended up having eyeshadow and mascara running into my eye if even one piece of glitter fell into my eye or got close enough to my lash line. When worn as a cheek highlighter, there was minimal travel but typically a few stray pieces of glitter on my chin or jaw line. During removal, they definitely come off without too much effort, but I could feel it scraping against my skin, particularly when I was removing the glitter from my cheeks (using a balm-based cleanser)–it was like a glittery exfoliation!

The brand’s promotional images definitely show nearly opaque/opaque "pigmentation" from their glitters, but whether I used a brush or my fingertips, these instantly shered out to have more semi-sheer to medium coverage. I would recommend being very careful with applying these to the lids by using a brush or just the very tip of the finger to avoid accidentally getting any on lashes (tried it, 0/10, don’t recommend).

Browse all of our Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Gel swatches.

Ingredients

Aqua / Water / Eau, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Glycerin, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyurethane-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Chlorphenesin, Polyurethane-33, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Phytate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract / Matricaria Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract. [+/- (May contain/Peut contenir): CI 16035 / Red 40, CI 19140 / Yellow 5, CI 77510 / Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, CI 77000 / Aluminum Powder, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 77000 / Aluminum]. D234739/2

• Urban Decay Junkshow (P, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
• Urban Decay Distortion (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Pyro (P, $21.00) is less shimmery (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Catfight (P, $12.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
• Make Up For Ever 104 Blue White (P, $26.00) is more pigmented (85% similar).
• Stila Ballet Baby (P, $24.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
• MAC Feminine Edge (DC, $16.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar).
• Urban Decay Recharged (P, $22.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar).
• MAC Pink (P, $21.00) is darker, cooler (80% similar).
• Giorgio Armani Rose Reflection (33) (P, $39.00) is less shimmery, darker, more pigmented (80% similar).

Formula Overview

$22.00/0.49 oz. – $44.90 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have "hyper-reflective and holographic glitter" that "won’t budge for up to 9 hours" and is "super-concentrated." Per the brand, it can be used on "eyes, body, and face." I have no idea why they call it "high-coverage," when the base it’s in is clear, which results in instantly sheering the product out as it is applied to any area (eyes, cheeks, etc.) and spread outward.

The gel-base is thicker, spreadable, and works well over powder products, like eyeshadow, or over foundation without darkening, lifting, or creating patchiness of whatever it is layered over. The particle sizes used in these is quite large, and when applied as a cheek product, they often look like metallic (but not so sparkly/glittery) chunks of product. At certain angles, it looked like my skin was flaking off or raised texture. This is sometimes more or less the effect even on lids.

I tested only some of these on eyes, and the wear was the same across the three I trialled–absolutely great hold in the scheme of things (eight to nine hours), but there was always a particle or two that did drop at some point during wear. I was not always able to keep my eye from watering to the point where I ended up having eyeshadow and mascara running into my eye if even one piece of glitter fell into my eye or got close enough to my lash line. When worn as a cheek highlighter, there was minimal travel but typically a few stray pieces of glitter on my chin or jaw line. During removal, they definitely come off without too much effort, but I could feel it scraping against my skin, particularly when I was removing the glitter from my cheeks (using a balm-based cleanser)–it was like a glittery exfoliation!

The brand’s promotional images definitely show nearly opaque/opaque "pigmentation" from their glitters, but whether I used a brush or my fingertips, these instantly shered out to have more semi-sheer to medium coverage. I would recommend being very careful with applying these to the lids by using a brush or just the very tip of the finger to avoid accidentally getting any on lashes (tried it, 0/10, don’t recommend).

Browse all of our Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Gel swatches.

Ingredients

Aqua / Water / Eau, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Glycerin, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyurethane-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Chlorphenesin, Polyurethane-33, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Phytate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract / Matricaria Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract. [+/- (May contain/Peut contenir): CI 16035 / Red 40, CI 19140 / Yellow 5, CI 77510 / Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, CI 77000 / Aluminum Powder, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 77000 / Aluminum]. D234739/2

• Urban Decay Pyro (P, $21.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• Make Up For Ever 104 Blue White (P, $26.00) is lighter, more pigmented (90% similar).
• Colour Pop New Magic (LE, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Pyrotechnics (P, $12.00) is warmer (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Luna (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, cooler (80% similar).
• MAC Mirrorball (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (80% similar).
• Colour Pop Ice Dream (LE, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
• Viseart Coy #9 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (80% similar).
• Stila Perlina (P, $24.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar).

Formula Overview

$22.00/0.49 oz. – $44.90 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have "hyper-reflective and holographic glitter" that "won’t budge for up to 9 hours" and is "super-concentrated." Per the brand, it can be used on "eyes, body, and face." I have no idea why they call it "high-coverage," when the base it’s in is clear, which results in instantly sheering the product out as it is applied to any area (eyes, cheeks, etc.) and spread outward.

The gel-base is thicker, spreadable, and works well over powder products, like eyeshadow, or over foundation without darkening, lifting, or creating patchiness of whatever it is layered over. The particle sizes used in these is quite large, and when applied as a cheek product, they often look like metallic (but not so sparkly/glittery) chunks of product. At certain angles, it looked like my skin was flaking off or raised texture. This is sometimes more or less the effect even on lids.

I tested only some of these on eyes, and the wear was the same across the three I trialled–absolutely great hold in the scheme of things (eight to nine hours), but there was always a particle or two that did drop at some point during wear. I was not always able to keep my eye from watering to the point where I ended up having eyeshadow and mascara running into my eye if even one piece of glitter fell into my eye or got close enough to my lash line. When worn as a cheek highlighter, there was minimal travel but typically a few stray pieces of glitter on my chin or jaw line. During removal, they definitely come off without too much effort, but I could feel it scraping against my skin, particularly when I was removing the glitter from my cheeks (using a balm-based cleanser)–it was like a glittery exfoliation!

The brand’s promotional images definitely show nearly opaque/opaque "pigmentation" from their glitters, but whether I used a brush or my fingertips, these instantly shered out to have more semi-sheer to medium coverage. I would recommend being very careful with applying these to the lids by using a brush or just the very tip of the finger to avoid accidentally getting any on lashes (tried it, 0/10, don’t recommend).

Browse all of our Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Gel swatches.

Ingredients

Aqua / Water / Eau, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Glycerin, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyurethane-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Chlorphenesin, Polyurethane-33, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Phytate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract / Matricaria Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract. [+/- (May contain/Peut contenir): CI 16035 / Red 40, CI 19140 / Yellow 5, CI 77510 / Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, CI 77000 / Aluminum Powder, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 77000 / Aluminum]. D234739/2