The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: First Impressions and Comparison
The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette was a highly anticipated release, launching on urbandecay.com for $50. Upon opening, the layout is similar to the original Naked Palette, featuring 12 full-sized eyeshadows and a full-length mirror. This mirror is notably larger and more practical for application than the smaller one in the original palette. The palette also includes a miniature lip gloss with a decorative filigree cap. The gloss offers a wearable, pretty color with a cooling mint sensation and features a rubbery, angled applicator for enhanced control during application.
The Naked 2 palette contains 12 eyeshadows, including three matte shades: Foxy, Tease, and Blackout. The inclusion of a matte highlight and a matte black shade is a welcome addition. Compared to the original Naked palette, Naked 2 offers more light metallic shades and a greater variety of medium greige-taupe colors. Some shades, like Chopper and YDK, are also available for individual purchase. Technically, the palette introduces 5 new shades, but considering Foxy was previously discontinued, 6 shades are new to Urban Decay's current lineup.
However, the layout of the shades in Naked 2 can be slightly less intuitive than in the original Naked palette. While Naked 1 presented a logical progression from light to dark shades, Naked 2 seems to jump around more, making it less straightforward to find coordinating lighter shades next to their darker counterparts.
When considering whether to purchase both Naked and Naked 2, it's important to note that many shades are quite similar. For those who already own the first palette, a second purchase might not be entirely warranted due to the overlap. However, for individuals new to the Naked line, Naked 2 is a well-rounded palette offering a good range of colors and finishes, from light to dark. The choice between Naked and Naked 2 ultimately depends on personal shade preference. The original Naked palette is recommended for those who prefer traditional warm browns, while Naked 2 offers a different, yet equally appealing, selection.
Disclaimer: This palette was generously gifted by Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Naked Cherry Collection: A Surprising Delight
The Urban Decay Naked Cherry Collection presented a color scheme that initially seemed unlikely to suit a neutral-makeup enthusiast. Despite a personal preference for avoiding reds and pinks on the eyes (as Naked Heat was too warm), the Naked Cherry collection proved to be surprisingly wearable and easy to incorporate into a neutral makeup routine.
Urban Decay's eyeshadow formulas are consistently praised for their quality. The mattes and shimmers in the Naked Cherry collection are buttery smooth, highly pigmented, and blend beautifully. They also offer excellent staying power, even for glitter shades.
When comparing the Naked Cherry palette to the Charlotte Tilbury Stars in Your Eyes palette, both offer similar tones but distinct characteristics. The Charlotte Tilbury palette leans more towards shimmer and glow with lighter, warmer gold tones, creating a more glamorous feel. In contrast, the Naked Cherry palette offers a more monochrome aesthetic with pink, plum, and cherry colors, providing greater depth in the deeper plum and pink shades.
The Naked Cherry 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Love Drug and Black Market are smooth eyeliners that apply without tugging or drying out. While they may not always be smudge-proof or last a full 24 hours, they generally stay put for several hours without sliding. Love Drug is a shimmery plum, and Black Market is a satiny black with a subtle sheen. For extended wear, setting with a deep powder shadow can enhance longevity.
The Naked Cherry Highlight and Blush Palette offered unexpected results. While swatching with medium pigment on the arm, the application on the face is more sheer. One shade contains a subtle shimmer not immediately apparent in the pan. The colors include a soft champagne with a hint of pink, a sheer light cherry pink that applies naturally, and a duo-chrome pink flash shimmer. This palette is virtually foolproof, applying smoothly, blending naturally, and not emphasizing pores or fine lines.
The Vice Lipsticks in Juicy, Devilish, and Cherry feature special-edition cherry packaging. These lipsticks are not scented, which is a welcome feature for those who dislike cherry fragrances. While Urban Decay's Vice Lipstick formula can be hit or miss, the three shades in the Naked Cherry line are excellent. Juicy is a unique sheer, shimmery, iridescent peach with micro-shimmers. Devilish is a bright berry pink with micro-shimmers, and Cherry is a perfect deep cherry cream. The shimmer shades offer sheer to medium coverage, while the cream shade provides full coverage. Application is smooth, with a slight sheen and good lasting power.
The Naked Cherry All Nighter Scented Makeup Setting Spray, despite initial reluctance due to the cherry scent, proved to be more pleasant than expected, with a sheer, sweet cherry aroma. It performs comparably to the original All Nighter Spray in setting makeup and maintaining its longevity.
Overall, the Naked Cherry collection is a charming assortment. The eyeliners might be dupeable with existing black or plum shades in one's collection, though Love Drug has a more distinct cherry tone, and Black Market is a more muted black. The Highlight and Cheek Palette may be hit or miss depending on skin tone; it provides a subtle glow for medium skin tones but might be too sheer for darker complexions. The eyeshadow palette was an unexpected success, offering a pleasant departure from the usual peach, gold, and bronze shades.
Choosing Your Perfect Urban Decay Naked Palette
For those seeking guidance on selecting the right Urban Decay Naked palette, understanding the nuances of each offering is key. With multiple options available, including Naked 1, Naked 2, Naked 3, and Naked Smoky, making an informed choice can be challenging. However, owning all four allows for a comprehensive comparison and tailored advice.
The enduring popularity of the Naked palettes stems from several factors. Firstly, the quality of the eyeshadows is exceptional: they apply smoothly, are highly pigmented, creamy, and blend beautifully. Secondly, these palettes provide curated selections of eyeshadows, enabling users to create a wide range of looks, from subtle and natural to glamorous and dramatic, without needing to purchase multiple palettes or single shadows. Thirdly, the cohesive arrangement of compatible colors within a single palette is highly inspiring, simplifying the makeup application process.
Naked 1: The Versatile Classic
The Naked 1 palette is often described as the most versatile. It features a mix of matte shades alongside vibrant shimmers and metallics, with a strong emphasis on beiges, golds, and browns. It is generally considered suitable for warm, neutral, and cool complexions. However, some beauty writers suggest that Naked 1 is better suited for those with warm undertones, while Naked 2 is a better fit for cool undertones.
Naked 2: The Cool-Toned Alternative
The Naked 2 palette is presented as the cool-toned counterpart to Naked 1. It primarily features taupes and grays, with some warmer shades like Foxy, Half Baked, and Chopper interspersed. While Naked 1 leans warm with some cool additions (Creep, Gunmetal), Naked 2 balances its cool tones with warmer accents.
It's important to consider personal color preferences over strict undertone matching. The choice between warm (golds, browns, beiges) and cool (silvers, grays, taupes) shades often comes down to what colors one enjoys wearing most. Makeup application is also influenced by the base color underneath; for instance, beiges and browns from Naked 1 might appear cooler on a pale complexion and warmer on a deeper skin tone.
To ensure a cohesive look, it's advisable to coordinate eye, cheek, and lip products. When using Naked 1, peachy blushes and plum, brown, or sheer coral lipsticks tend to complement the warm tones. For Naked 2, pink-toned lip and cheek products create a harmonious ensemble.
The taupe shades in Naked 2 can work well on both cool and warm complexions, adapting to the individual's skin tone. For example, on a warm complexion, the taupes might appear slightly muddier, which can be flattering. The key is to match all makeup products to the same color temperature (cool or warm) for a unified look.
If your preference lies with taupes and grays, Naked 2 is an excellent choice. Naked 1 and Naked 2 are often seen as two sides of the same coin, catering to distinct preferences for browns versus taupes, while both include essential shades like a bright gold, an intense black, and a neutral highlight.
Naked 3: The Pink-Toned Palette
The Naked 3 palette is characterized by its cohesive color family, with shades largely falling within the same range, except for Trick, which stands out. While this palette may not be as diverse as Naked 1 or 2, it is particularly stunning for paler complexions. For those with medium to darker skin tones, many shades might appear too subtle unless a very understated look is desired. For pale individuals, Naked 3 can be a beautiful choice, with shades appearing more pink or lilac-grey depending on the wearer's undertones.
Naked Smoky: For Dramatic Looks
The Naked Smoky palette distinguishes itself with darker, more cool-toned shades compared to the other Naked palettes. While Naked 2 is generally neutral to cool-toned, Naked Smoky includes shades that are purely blue-based. Although it contains some warmer shades, they may not form a complete look due to the absence of a warm or neutral dark shade. For those seeking warm-toned, intense smoky eye looks, Naked 1 is a more suitable option.
The grey shades in Naked Smoky can appear slightly green on complexions with peachy or golden undertones, and more purple on pink skin. When selecting blending shades, consider your complexion: cool-toned individuals may prefer cool matte blending shades, while warm-toned individuals might benefit from warmer blending shades to add depth.
Which Palette is Right for You?
In summary, Naked 1 and Naked 2 are considered the foundational palettes, ideal for most individuals seeking an everyday option. Naked 3 is a recommended alternative for very pale complexions that do not gravitate towards beige or taupe neutrals, offering beautiful pink tones. Naked Smoky serves as an additional palette for those who want to expand their collection with dark, cool-toned shades for evening looks, rather than a basic everyday staple.