It makes complete and total sense for Urban Decay to head back down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole. The edgy makeup brand and the film's marketing team collaborated in 2010 with the The Book of Shadows eyeshadow palette. The blockbuster palette sold out quickly, because the products, the packaging, and the passion of fans of both the brand and the film were stupendous. Previous success and complimentary aesthetics are likely the main reasons the makeup company and the film franchise are teaming up again ahead of the release of the new movie Alice Through the Looking Glass.
However, there are plenty of differences between the classic Book of Shadows palette and the new collection. While the 2016 UD x Alice line is expanded to include five limited edition lipsticks, there are key changes among the actual palettes. How does The Book of Shadows differ from the new Urban Decay x Alice Through the Looking Glass palette, specifically?
The Book of Shadows boasted 16 eyeshadows and retailed for $52. It also came packaged with a mini vial of the brand's iconic Primer Portion and two mini eye pencils. Temptailia pointed out that there weren't any brand new shadow shades in the palette. Instead, previously existing shades were re-christened with Alice in Wonderland-related names and re-packaged under one fabulous roof.
Here's a look at the previous palette. The BoS packaging was a bit more stark and dark.
The Alice Through the Looking Glass eyeshadow palette has a price of $60, but it features 20 shades. Gone are the primer and pencils, but you get four more shadow hues to play with. The characters of Alice, Time, Mad Hatter, Red Queen, and White Queen each have four shades that are dedicated to them.
Bustle reached out to Urban Decay PR to inquire about how many/if any brand new shades were created expressly for the Alice Through the Looking Glass palette or if they are repurposed versions of already available colors.
UPDATE: Urban Decay's PR team responded to Bustle's inquiry about the palette shades. All 20 shades are brand new. They are not pre-existing shades with new names, according to the brand's reps.
Both palettes have pop-up packaging. BoS featured a mini Alice surrounded by mushrooms, while the ATTLG boasts a multi-colored butterfly.
Brand founder Wende Zomnir told Women's Wear Daily that is was a challenge the differentiate the original palette from the new one without dissolving the connective tissue and common threads.
Zomnir explained, "We loved the original construction and keeping it in the same vein, but we wanted to tell a different story with the shades and really bring a focus to the shades."
The outer shell of the new palette is much more attention-grabbing, with Zomnir telling WWD, "This was made to look like an acid trip. We took a different approach and decided, 'Let’s make it really colorful and bright because the shades are like that.'"
One final beyond cool element of the Alice Through the Looking Glass palette? If you don't care about or remain uninterested in the actual film, you can still adore and use the products. Zomnir explained, "Even if you aren’t attached to the film, the butterfly tells the story of what the makeup is all about, which is transformation."
That's a beautiful thing. Here are the lipsticks, which should ensure further gawking.
Images: Urban Decay/Instagram (2); Courtesy of Urban Decay (2)
