Lorac Ultimate Unzipped Collection Review : Unzipped, Unzipped Gold, Unzipped Cheeks
So recently I used my 20% off coupon and my Ulta points and got the Lorac Ultimate Unzipped Collection for free! This collection is a pretty good deal in general. Its $80 for 2 eyeshadow palettes, a blush palette and a lipstick. The Shadow Palettes retail for $42 each and the blush and lipstick set retails for $25. The lipstick on its own retails for about $16... so $125 worth of makeup for $80 or with the coupon (they usually put out another 20% off everything coupon right before the holidays FYI) $64... thats good. Getting it for free is even better. Lol.
So I'm going to do little reviews on each of the sets here... I wanted to keep these together just because I think this is a good value and thats how I received it... so that makes sense to me.
Initial Swatch First Impressions
All of these swatched really well. If you are familiar with the Lorac Pro shadows, these are a little bit stiffer, which I like. I feel like sometimes a stiffer shadow lasts better on the lid, and as much as I like the matte shades in the Pro palettes, I think I like the matte shades in these a little more. Its kind of hard to do an all matte look with the pro palettes for me... but with these palettes I think it will work a little better. Maybe I'll do a matte look and update on that.
The pigmentation is just the same. I feel like some of these don't look quite as good swatched as they look on the lid... so if you're trying these in store... keep that in mind maybe. If they have things were you can kind of put these on your eyelids in store... maybe do that. If you can get someone to apply them on you at Ulta or something, that might be more helpful than swatching, but its not like these swatch badly at all. They look pigmented... but for some reason, I think these would be better on the eyes. Especially with the Unzipped Gold because that is very warm toned, and I can see that being scary on a cooler toned person. I'm a little more cool toned... and I thought it looked pretty good on!
The blushes swatch really really well. I think there's a really nice range. They're mostly matte shades. I think there is one shimmer. There's a very light color in this that doesn't really show up in swatches, but it shows up nicely on the cheeks. And it lasts really well too. I know this is just a first impression thing, but I just think this is a good value and this I was probably expecting the least from and I was most impressed with. Not saying its the best of the 3 palettes... but this is a good deal for $25. I'd say one of these blushes is worth like $26 probably. That's how much the Tarte blushes are worth and these are just as good quality as those... so that's saying something!
Unzipped Gold Palette
I really like the color selection of this palette. I've heard people say its not as unique as the Unzipped... but most of these colors are really unique to me in my collection and I don't know that many palettes that are quite as gold as this. And there's a lot of different shades of gold, theres light gold, champagne gold, rose gold, coppery gold... a lot of different types of golds that are really unique and some really awesome matte shades.
These are similar in quality to the Lorac Pro shades, but they aren't quite as easy for me to use. The Lorac ones blend very easily and they are quite soft shadows that do kick up powder... but I've never really had a problem with fallout on those shades, whereas this palette I have a ton of fallout with. I would definitely recommend going in with this palette before doing your face makeup just because it really will fallout. The other day I wore it before doing my face makeup and I had some fallout on my cheekbones where I would put my highlight... and it looked good as a highlight, so I left it there and it looked good. So that was fortunate.
I can't tell if I like this more or less than the Pro Palettes. I like the matte shadows a little better and I Like that the shimmery shades are a little more stiff... but it isn't as easy to use as my Lorac Pro 2... That palette has a special place in my heart but these are coming close.
I also think this one is just easy to come up with a look for because the colors just go together so so well and its hard for me to look at this and not find inspiration. There are just so many good combos that go really well together and I just like it a lot.
Unzipped Palette
I love this palette. I really like Rose Gold shades and these shades are just some of the prettiest in my collection. I feel like from swatting this I wasn't nearly as impressed as I am with the way it looks on my lids. They just look so nice on the lids. I get less fallout from these colors than I do with the Unzipped Gold... I feel like that one has a lot of metallics in it, this one I think is easier to do a look in a hurry.
And this is a very rose gold palette like the Naked 3. I think they're different enough to justify having both. I prefer the packaging on the Unzipped palette because the Naked 3 isn't as sturdy and some shades fall out of the pan. I feel like the Naked 3 you can get more nighttime and going out looks and this one you can get looks you can wear to work or wear out. There's a better selection of mattes in this palette... but I think you can get a better 100% matte look from the Naked 3 palette. I did an all matte look with this and I liked it... but I've done all matte looks with the Naked 3 that I like just a little bit more. This I feel like I'd get more use out of though. And there is lots more fallout with the Naked 3 shimmer shades... but with Lorac Shadows I need a good primer and the Urban Decay ones I could wear without a primer.
If you're deciding between this and the Unzipped Gold also... I'd say kind of the same thing I said with the Naked 3. This is more of an everyday use palette I think and I feel like the Unzipped Gold... you could use everyday but there are lots of metallic shades that might be better suited for going out. I also find this easy to come up with looks with as well. Its hard to look at the selection and not feel inspired by it because the colors do go together so nicely and they just look really gorgeous on. I really like the matte shades in this for the crease also. I know I said I like the mattes in Urban Decays better but... I like those better for a totally matte look and these I like better for the crease and for the browbone if that makes sense. If you're deciding on one or the other... both are great palettes... I know a lot of people have trouble with Lorac's shadows because they're very soft and pigmented. These are a bit stiffer than the pro shadows so I think they'll be easier for most people to use. I have a 5 minute look that I do with the Pro 2 Palette that I haven't found with any other palette... so that's always going to be my quick "grab and go" look palette and I have a special place in my heart for it... but these shadows are amazing and pretty and I would recommend them. If you aren't good with softer shadows... these might not be for you... but if you think the Lorac Pro's are good but you just want something a little stiffer... these might be perfect for you!
Not all of these colors last that well on my eye though... which is unfortunate. I think if I use the Lorac Primer or the Urban Decay primer or just a concealer, it may work a tiny bit better... but I was using a cream eyeshadow from Ulta because the Rose Gold cream eyeshadow makes the colors look really pretty and foiled... but with some colors like Undiscovered, it doesn't wear amazingly. Weird issue right? But yeah.
Unzipped Cheek Palette
So yeah, as I said... I'm super impressed with this palette. I think its such a good value, and I'm not a big blush person, but I'm quite fair and like having some color on my cheeks and these blushes are all colors that I really like. I think these are all colors that will look good on everyone, I think these could work really well for women with deeper skin tones. These are awesome. And this palette comes with 4 good sized blushes and a lipstick for $25... As I mentioned Tarte blushes are like $26 for one and I feel like these are just as good quality as the tarte blushes I've tried. The light shades show up really pigmented. I have a hand swatch that didn't really show up that great with the lightest color, but I think that one still shows up really well. These last so long too, I've tried all 4 shades and I like all of them. These are great.
Alter Ego Lipstick
This I didn't like so much... Its very dry and just shows all of my lines and dry patches on my lips. I thought it would be good with Nars Turkish Delight Gloss on top... it didn't... It just kind of looked bad on me and felt really uncomfortable. I want to make this work because it is a pretty color and it looks good if you take a picture of it... but its just kind of all around a bad lipstick that I don't like at all. Has anyone tried any other Lorac lipsticks? Are they good and this shade is just bad? Cause I like other colors and I'd want to try more... but this one wasn't very good.
The packaging of this is gorgeous and I like that they put a full size lip color in a neutral color that would work on everyone and would kind of work with any look... but you can find better lipsticks from Maybelline or Elf or NYC even... I just wasn't a big fan.
Update: I think this works well with a lip brush and if you have a nude gloss on the center of the lip I think that's really pretty too. And with a lipliner too. That's a lot of steps to make this lipstick work... but its a pretty color, so I probably will use it that way from time to time. And I appreciate the fact that it is a color everyone can wear.
na
Bottom Line: Is it Worth The Price?????
This is hard for me to say because I know I'd probably NEVER pay $80 for this. I might buy them all individually... but I don't like to pay full price for anything and I did get these with a 20% off coupon and my Ulta points... so I didn't feel like it was a complete splurge. I do think this is definitely worth the price as a whole set if you know you're going to get use of both palettes. If you're like "I don't really like warmer tones" or "I don't feel that inspired by these really neutral shades" then maybe just get one palette... but I think if you're trying to decide which of these palettes to get and you really kind of want them both... this might be a good set to just get. I think they do a 20% off coupon in December and February too... I would bet this value set will still be available at least till December... so maybe wait for that. If you have the points, this is a great way to spend them.
If I could only pick up one of these things... I love the Unzipped palette, it may be in my top 5 favorite palettes... but I think the Blush Palette is really great and its such a good value that I definitely recommend that. Even if I never use the lipstick... these might be tied with Tarte as my favorite blush formulas and I think its a great value to get all of them in this one kit.
So that is what I think of all of this. If you get this for a friend or split it between 2 or 3 Friends, this would be awesome. All of these palettes are just great and I know I'll use them a ton.
Hope this helped!
Byeee!
-Shannon
So I'm going to do little reviews on each of the sets here... I wanted to keep these together just because I think this is a good value and thats how I received it... so that makes sense to me.
Initial Swatch First Impressions
All of these swatched really well. If you are familiar with the Lorac Pro shadows, these are a little bit stiffer, which I like. I feel like sometimes a stiffer shadow lasts better on the lid, and as much as I like the matte shades in the Pro palettes, I think I like the matte shades in these a little more. Its kind of hard to do an all matte look with the pro palettes for me... but with these palettes I think it will work a little better. Maybe I'll do a matte look and update on that.
The pigmentation is just the same. I feel like some of these don't look quite as good swatched as they look on the lid... so if you're trying these in store... keep that in mind maybe. If they have things were you can kind of put these on your eyelids in store... maybe do that. If you can get someone to apply them on you at Ulta or something, that might be more helpful than swatching, but its not like these swatch badly at all. They look pigmented... but for some reason, I think these would be better on the eyes. Especially with the Unzipped Gold because that is very warm toned, and I can see that being scary on a cooler toned person. I'm a little more cool toned... and I thought it looked pretty good on!
The blushes swatch really really well. I think there's a really nice range. They're mostly matte shades. I think there is one shimmer. There's a very light color in this that doesn't really show up in swatches, but it shows up nicely on the cheeks. And it lasts really well too. I know this is just a first impression thing, but I just think this is a good value and this I was probably expecting the least from and I was most impressed with. Not saying its the best of the 3 palettes... but this is a good deal for $25. I'd say one of these blushes is worth like $26 probably. That's how much the Tarte blushes are worth and these are just as good quality as those... so that's saying something!
Unzipped Gold Palette
I really like the color selection of this palette. I've heard people say its not as unique as the Unzipped... but most of these colors are really unique to me in my collection and I don't know that many palettes that are quite as gold as this. And there's a lot of different shades of gold, theres light gold, champagne gold, rose gold, coppery gold... a lot of different types of golds that are really unique and some really awesome matte shades.
These are similar in quality to the Lorac Pro shades, but they aren't quite as easy for me to use. The Lorac ones blend very easily and they are quite soft shadows that do kick up powder... but I've never really had a problem with fallout on those shades, whereas this palette I have a ton of fallout with. I would definitely recommend going in with this palette before doing your face makeup just because it really will fallout. The other day I wore it before doing my face makeup and I had some fallout on my cheekbones where I would put my highlight... and it looked good as a highlight, so I left it there and it looked good. So that was fortunate.
I can't tell if I like this more or less than the Pro Palettes. I like the matte shadows a little better and I Like that the shimmery shades are a little more stiff... but it isn't as easy to use as my Lorac Pro 2... That palette has a special place in my heart but these are coming close.
I also think this one is just easy to come up with a look for because the colors just go together so so well and its hard for me to look at this and not find inspiration. There are just so many good combos that go really well together and I just like it a lot.
Unzipped Palette
I love this palette. I really like Rose Gold shades and these shades are just some of the prettiest in my collection. I feel like from swatting this I wasn't nearly as impressed as I am with the way it looks on my lids. They just look so nice on the lids. I get less fallout from these colors than I do with the Unzipped Gold... I feel like that one has a lot of metallics in it, this one I think is easier to do a look in a hurry.
And this is a very rose gold palette like the Naked 3. I think they're different enough to justify having both. I prefer the packaging on the Unzipped palette because the Naked 3 isn't as sturdy and some shades fall out of the pan. I feel like the Naked 3 you can get more nighttime and going out looks and this one you can get looks you can wear to work or wear out. There's a better selection of mattes in this palette... but I think you can get a better 100% matte look from the Naked 3 palette. I did an all matte look with this and I liked it... but I've done all matte looks with the Naked 3 that I like just a little bit more. This I feel like I'd get more use out of though. And there is lots more fallout with the Naked 3 shimmer shades... but with Lorac Shadows I need a good primer and the Urban Decay ones I could wear without a primer.
If you're deciding between this and the Unzipped Gold also... I'd say kind of the same thing I said with the Naked 3. This is more of an everyday use palette I think and I feel like the Unzipped Gold... you could use everyday but there are lots of metallic shades that might be better suited for going out. I also find this easy to come up with looks with as well. Its hard to look at the selection and not feel inspired by it because the colors do go together so nicely and they just look really gorgeous on. I really like the matte shades in this for the crease also. I know I said I like the mattes in Urban Decays better but... I like those better for a totally matte look and these I like better for the crease and for the browbone if that makes sense. If you're deciding on one or the other... both are great palettes... I know a lot of people have trouble with Lorac's shadows because they're very soft and pigmented. These are a bit stiffer than the pro shadows so I think they'll be easier for most people to use. I have a 5 minute look that I do with the Pro 2 Palette that I haven't found with any other palette... so that's always going to be my quick "grab and go" look palette and I have a special place in my heart for it... but these shadows are amazing and pretty and I would recommend them. If you aren't good with softer shadows... these might not be for you... but if you think the Lorac Pro's are good but you just want something a little stiffer... these might be perfect for you!
Not all of these colors last that well on my eye though... which is unfortunate. I think if I use the Lorac Primer or the Urban Decay primer or just a concealer, it may work a tiny bit better... but I was using a cream eyeshadow from Ulta because the Rose Gold cream eyeshadow makes the colors look really pretty and foiled... but with some colors like Undiscovered, it doesn't wear amazingly. Weird issue right? But yeah.
Unzipped Cheek Palette
So yeah, as I said... I'm super impressed with this palette. I think its such a good value, and I'm not a big blush person, but I'm quite fair and like having some color on my cheeks and these blushes are all colors that I really like. I think these are all colors that will look good on everyone, I think these could work really well for women with deeper skin tones. These are awesome. And this palette comes with 4 good sized blushes and a lipstick for $25... As I mentioned Tarte blushes are like $26 for one and I feel like these are just as good quality as the tarte blushes I've tried. The light shades show up really pigmented. I have a hand swatch that didn't really show up that great with the lightest color, but I think that one still shows up really well. These last so long too, I've tried all 4 shades and I like all of them. These are great.
Alter Ego Lipstick
This I didn't like so much... Its very dry and just shows all of my lines and dry patches on my lips. I thought it would be good with Nars Turkish Delight Gloss on top... it didn't... It just kind of looked bad on me and felt really uncomfortable. I want to make this work because it is a pretty color and it looks good if you take a picture of it... but its just kind of all around a bad lipstick that I don't like at all. Has anyone tried any other Lorac lipsticks? Are they good and this shade is just bad? Cause I like other colors and I'd want to try more... but this one wasn't very good.
The packaging of this is gorgeous and I like that they put a full size lip color in a neutral color that would work on everyone and would kind of work with any look... but you can find better lipsticks from Maybelline or Elf or NYC even... I just wasn't a big fan.
Update: I think this works well with a lip brush and if you have a nude gloss on the center of the lip I think that's really pretty too. And with a lipliner too. That's a lot of steps to make this lipstick work... but its a pretty color, so I probably will use it that way from time to time. And I appreciate the fact that it is a color everyone can wear.
na
Bottom Line: Is it Worth The Price?????
This is hard for me to say because I know I'd probably NEVER pay $80 for this. I might buy them all individually... but I don't like to pay full price for anything and I did get these with a 20% off coupon and my Ulta points... so I didn't feel like it was a complete splurge. I do think this is definitely worth the price as a whole set if you know you're going to get use of both palettes. If you're like "I don't really like warmer tones" or "I don't feel that inspired by these really neutral shades" then maybe just get one palette... but I think if you're trying to decide which of these palettes to get and you really kind of want them both... this might be a good set to just get. I think they do a 20% off coupon in December and February too... I would bet this value set will still be available at least till December... so maybe wait for that. If you have the points, this is a great way to spend them.
If I could only pick up one of these things... I love the Unzipped palette, it may be in my top 5 favorite palettes... but I think the Blush Palette is really great and its such a good value that I definitely recommend that. Even if I never use the lipstick... these might be tied with Tarte as my favorite blush formulas and I think its a great value to get all of them in this one kit.
So that is what I think of all of this. If you get this for a friend or split it between 2 or 3 Friends, this would be awesome. All of these palettes are just great and I know I'll use them a ton.
Hope this helped!
Byeee!
-Shannon
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