Urban Decay's Drool-Worthy Gift And Glam Ideas for the Holidays

I love Urban Decay. Not the ruin of cities, but the glamour of beauty products that have funky, packaging and provocative names! Urban Decay's . trendy, high-performance, high quality, fabulous products that have made the makeup line one of my personal favorites.

When I didn't get products from UD for the Advice Sisters What Works Beauty, Cosmetics and Fashion review Holiday column, I did something I never do...although the three page review was past deadline, and my blog was becoming fully scheduled with posts on a daily basis, I called the company directly and asked them to send me whatever they could from the holiday collection to share with you.

...and they did send products...fantastic, gorgeous and glam products that are must-haves for a glam holiday season:

The Best of Urban $32.00, for example, comes in a purple metallic cardboard box with silver and gold metallic chains, and a clear window. There are two versions but each includes four products that are glittery, glamorous and party-perfect: one of the famous, Urban Decay Eyeshadows, a Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner, and travel-size versions of 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (the easiest way ever to make a straight, smooth line) and Eyeshadow Primer Potion that really help0s keep every shadow in place.

The"Half Baked Set"(named after the shimmery gold Urban Decay Eye Shadow) features hues of gold and bronze. The vixen, the "Spandex" set features avant-garde shades of black and silver. There's also a Best of Urban Set $32.00 called "Midnight Cowbody Rides Again.' This is my absolute favorite and I'm guessing it will be your favorite now or in the future. This set includes the beloved, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again Eyeshadow (The Advice Sisters originally reviewed it in the What Works Column Holiday column of 2006) --an eye shadow in a cute "garbage can" compact, that adds serious gold glitter to eyelids, plus you get a mini sized 24/7 Glide On Pencil in "Bourbon," a trendy metallic Bordeaux, a Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in "Baked, for more serious, gold glitter, and a travel-sized Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

For those who can't get enough of the pressed powder stuff (I mean eye shadow, naturally)there's the Sustainable Shadow Box $36.00. It looks like it should really cost a mint, but it's actually, affordable luxury! It's so amazing if you see it, you won't want to give it away even to your BFF! Small, rectangular portions of ten gorgeous , best-selling, UD eye shadows are nestled with a travel-sized shadow primer, a nice powder brush, and mini-sized mirror, into an eco-friendly, wooden palette reminiscent of something an artist might use. The entire cover and some of the back of the palette is covered with delicate "pen and ink" pop art inspired designs of butterflies, bamboo, water, and flowers. Colors in the palette include: YDK; Flipside; Grifter; Uzi; Twice Baked; Midnight Cowboy Rides Again; Flash: Oil Slick; Kiddie Pool and Half Baked. If the idea of so many color overwhelms you, don't worry, the colors are coordinated into duos of intense color with shimmer or glitter. Use these shadow as suggested, or mix them up, and use them wet and/or dry. For those who want to know how this is "eco-friendly," the lacquered case is made of bamboo, a really sustainable material and the shadows are nestled in a tray made of recycled paper. The clear, outside cello box is made of very recyclable PET ( polyethylene terephthalate ).

Another "ogle-worthy" item that's still affordable (although for most fashionistas, none of these are crazy way-out-of-budget items) are two versions of the Travel Size Set of Five $29.00 featuring those great, mini-sized 24/7 pencils. The "VIP" set has mini-sized versions of those great, 24/7 Pencil sets in trendy turquoise,. burgundy, glue, pink and black, while "Velvet Rope" is a new set with five neutral shades (including black a"Zero" and white "YeYo" that are just a little bit more subdued. These pencils also have 50% moisturizing ingredients, and are waterproof. The metallic and cello packaging make them cheerful with just a bow or some ribbon and ready to go!

If your budget is really tight, a great gift idea is one of Urban Decay's great Lipsticks $22.00 These lipsticks are seriously saturated with color, and they last (you'll still have a bit of a stain left even when the lipstick is gone). The lipstick itself is creamy, smells lightly of caramel, and it's easy to apply. But it also has good for your lips Vitamins A, C, and E and Hyaluronic Spheres (found naturally in the body) that stimulate cellular function, prevent dehydration, and fill-in lines and wrinkles. These are not just beautiful, they're a beauty spa for lips in a tube! "Jilted" is a va-va-voom red that seems universally sexy (and red is so important right now), but there are other great shades, of course. Of course, the "wow" comes from the purple, metallic bullet shaped tube with a sword handle and a weighty, clear cap with a swirly, lavender and purple design. For even more glamour, sure to make your other friends swoon with envy (unless you gift one to them) is the Special Edition Lipstick Cap $15.00 in a hard-sided presentation box with peek-a-boo window. This cap replaces the standard cap on any Urban Decay Lipstick. The standard cap is pretty nice, but this one is spectacular! It's a translucent purple, wrapped in a gunmetal outer shell with an edgy, filigree pattern that looks like stained glass. It's made of an incredibly durable material called Zamac, so you don't have to baby it in your handbag. either.

Drooling already? No need to wait--these are more great items can be yours. Visit www.urbandecay.com