Eyes Wide Open — Urban Decay Expands its Range of 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

Ask any eyeliner junkie or all-around beauty buff who makes the best, most long-lasting, easy-to-apply, highly pigmented, waterproof, colorful, eye pencils, and the response will likely be almost unanimous: Urban Decay. What makes their eye pencils so special? Well, first, there’s the electrifying, take-no-prisoners color options, which are leaps and bounds more adventurous than the timid khaki, olive, and brown shades to which so many cosmetics brand cling. Second, there’s the bevy of finishes (from duochrome to metallic, glitter, satin, matte, and shimmer). Third, there’s the fact that the color will not budge — even if you’re in a torrential downpour. And then, of course, there’s the delightful soft and creamy texture, which allows the color to roll right onto eyelids without any tugging, yanking, or pulling. For Spring/Summer 2013, Urban Decay has introduced 13 brand new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil shades ($19 each at UrbanDecay.com), along with 15 shades that were previously only available in limited-edition sets. That brings the total tally of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil shades to 40. Schwing!

All the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are formulated with moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil, vitamin E, and cottonseed oil, which of course accounts for their creamy texture and the ease with which their bold pigments glide onto eyelids.

The 13 new Urban Decay Glide-On Eye Pencil hue shades are:

SMOKE: A deep, almost sooty, eggplant-tinged gray with a matte finish

ROACH: A reddish brown hue with coppery brown shimmer

DESPERATION:A dark grayish taupe with a matter finish

CHAOS: An ultra-saturated cobalt blue with the faintest bit of a pearl finish

LOADED: A deep, mysterious, blackened forest green with emerald green shimmer

GOLDMINE: An 18k yellow gold shade with gold micro sparkle

SCORCH: A shimmery bronze shade with silver micro sparkle

INVASION: A charcoal-like gray-green shade with a matte finish

ABYSS: A shimmery, bright royal blue with aquamarine-colored micro sparkle

FREAK: A metallic grasshopper green that’s bright and clean for a tropical effect

ETHER: An iridescent, mysterious, violet-tinged, smoky gray with violet and magenta micro-sparkle

VICE: An eggplant purple with reddish undertones and a demure shimmery finish

CUFF: A futuristic, Jetsons-worthy metallic silver with tonal micro-sparkle

Below, you’ll find swatches of the five new shades I’ve tried: Freak, Ether, Roach, Cuff, and Chaos:

The Chaos shade is beyond intense, a perfect way to add some pop to your makeup look, while the Freak shade is this vibrant, tropical, chartreuse-like green reminiscent of a glass of Midori sour. I was immediately drawn to these two shades since they’re so bold and summery, but I also adored the way the Ether hue incorporates different tones and finishes for a more-than-meets-the-eye effect. The grayish base is, of course, smokey and mysterious but the magenta and violet micro sparkle particles make the shade alternate between a softer, more romantic, pink-y tone and a cooler, icier, more silver-y finish. As for Roach and Cuff, both of these are ultra-practical and versatile shades that can complement a number of different makeup looks while also infusing them with a modern personality.