Urban Decay Basquiat Collaboration- This is Madness

I am trying really hard not to only come here to post when I have five minutes to scatter some thoughts out of my brain and into yours, but that doesn’t seem to be working, so at this point we will have to deal with the the time I have.

Recently Urban Decay launched a press release/marketing campaign announcing their collaboration with world renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. For those of you who don’t know who that is, that is completely okay. I didn’t know who he was either, until I watched She’s All That circa 1999, and they referenced his art style in relation to the main character killing herself. (deep, I know). For anyone who is actually interested in some of the history of Basquiat, please feel free to venture down the internet rabbit hole here.

One piece of background I feel like needs to actually be mentioned here, is that he is no longer on this earth. He passed from a heroine overdose in 1988. Here is an example of his art work. 

Interesting artwork that is for sure.

So.. here is the collab. 

Initial reaction

Omg must buy now, so new original and different! I LOVE IT.

Then I sat on it for a few days, and all I could think was, how I felt it was distasteful for UD to leverage an artist who was considered VERY edgy for his time to market a product they have launched time and time again. 

Look at this first palette, does it not look like a mixture of Gwen Stefani collab and Ultimate Naked Basics? You have these colours, why are we buying for packaging? There is nothing revolutionary here.

So then I thought, that second palette, THIS is where it’s at. Then I look closer at the second palette, and check out the swatches posted by trendmood, and it hits me. THIS IS JUST THE SPECTRUM PALETTE REPACKAGED. Why are they doing this to me? The torture is too much, and the reasoning is too high for me not to buy it, and not to promote it.

Is anyone else picking up what I am here? For comparisons sake, here is the full spectrum palette swatches. I can’t in my right mind look at this and think, “yes this is original, if this is not in my collection it will not be complete”. Photo Credit goes to @thefancyface. This is NOT my photo. 

All in all, before even seeing the true performance of this collection, there are just too many easy ways to dupe these shades, even from their own line. It’s just not for me.

I realize I have focused on the palettes, but let’s be real here, those are my true jam. Not to mention that blush palette can be easily duped by many of the existing blushes/palettes that you already have, and have been released by UD for years. The liners are in the same boat, Marc Jacobs, Mac, UD, KVD. It’s been done. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP RELEASING THINGS AS LIMITED EDITION THAT ARE ALREADY IN MANY BRANDS REGULAR LINES.

/Rant.