Like many other makeup fans, I had been anxiously awaiting
the debut of Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette. I adore their eyeshadows. 9 times out of 10, the texture
is rich and smooth with intense color payoff (which in some respects makes UD a
bargain because I use very little at a time). So when Urban Decay originally announced
in 2010 that they were producing a neutrals-only palette, I knew I had to have
it. And, seriously, the record-breaking Naked 1 blew my mind.
Fast forward a year-and-a-half to the arrival of the Naked 2
palette. I can’t tell if there’s less demand for the sequel compared to the
original or if Urban Decay is just better prepared for the mad rush this time
around. Either way, you can get your own at Sephora.com or Urbandecay.com
(although it’s out of stock at the moment). It will be in stores at the end of
the month.
PACKAGING:
Naked 2 comes in a sleek taupe metal case that snaps shut. I need to put a
little muscle into opening it, but that’s a nice feature for people who travel
often. Inside, there is a full-sized mirror, 12 eyeshadows and a double-ended
brush. Naked 2 is a fairly heavy palette, but it’s still light enough to toss
in a purse when on-the-go and it's easy to clean. Overall, I prefer the original Naked palette’s
packaging, but I’ll get into that another time.
PRICE: $50
for 12 full-size eyeshadows, a double-ended brush and mini lipgloss. If
purchased separately, that’s $234 worth of product. Not a bad deal!
BRUSH:
Included in the kit is a Good Karma double-ended brush with synthetic bristles.
One side is a flat shader with a thin tip for packing on color or lining the eyes,
while the other is a crease brush for applying (and blending) color. Although I
like the idea of a 2-in-1 brush, I’m not the biggest fan of this particular one.
Flat Shader: The bristles are too stiff to work with such soft eyeshadows;
I actually prefer using this brush with cream products. The
brush head is too thin for my taste and I find it takes me longer to do my
makeup than usual because the brush is so small. In comparison to my trusty Mac 239 (my favorite flat shader), the bristles are also noticeably longer. The bristles gradually form a blunt tip that is nice for trying to line
the eyes or create a dramatic edge, but I keep accidentally jabbing the
eyeshadows and creating little ruts.
Overall, I don’t like to use this end with the Naked 2 palette.
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Flat shader brush
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Mac 239 (top) compared to the Urban Decay flat shader (bottom).
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Crease: This reminds me a lot of the Mac 222, but slightly thinner.
The bristles are a bit stiffer than I find ideal; however, the brush’s size is
perfect for applying shadow into the crease and outer-v. I would prefer if the bristles
were a bit fluffier so that I could use the brush to blend more. Overall,
though, it’s an excellent crease brush and I definitely prefer this end to the
flat shader.
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| Crease brush |
EYESHADOWS: I
have developed high expectations for Urban Decay’s eye products over the past
few years and I’m pleased to report that Naked 2 meets them. Unlike the
original palette, this one has a mix of warm and cool-toned eyeshadows and a
matte highlighter. Naked 2 will be more flattering on individuals with cooler
skin tones than the original, but it will also work on those with warmer skin.
Foxy: Smooth matte yellowed cream. It swatches somewhat sheer, but is more pigmented when
applied with a fluffy brush. It disappears on my fair skin, but it still does
the brightening job of a highlighter.
Half Baked: Shimmery bronzey gold. This color has outstanding
texture and color payoff, but I can’t remotely understand why this is included
because it was also featured in the original Naked palette. For $50, none of
the colors should be repeated! This small feature bothers me enough that it
makes the overall grade of Naked 2 drop a bit. This shade is permanent.
Bootycall: Shimmery ivory with smooth texture and good
pigmentation. This is extremely similar
to Virgin from the first palette, although it’s a tad more peach-toned.
Chopper: Orangey copper with silver microglitter. This has
excellent color payoff, although the glitter is prone to fallout. This is a permanent shade.
Tease: Matte mauve-tinged-brown. It’s stiff and dry with average pigmentation.
It applies best with my fluffy Mac 217, but it can be tough to blend. Despite this, it’s my favorite color for the
crease.
Snakebite: Shimmery dark bronze with brown tones. Buttery smooth
and pigmented. Smog (from the first palette) is similar, but has more orange
tones.
Suspect: Deep shimmering champagne. Good color payoff with a
slightly dry texture, although it blends easily.
Pistol: Shimmery cool-toned sooty grey that has a slight brown cast
when on the skin. Buttery smooth with excellent color intensity. This is
another one of my favorites.
Verve: Shimmering icy-gray champagne with a hint of pink. That description
sounds contradictory, but Verve is a very interesting shade. Great texture and
pigmentation.
YDK: Pigmented cool-toned bronze with a metallic finish. Very faint
microglitter, but it’s a smooth shadow and isn’t prone to as much fallout as Chopper. This is a permanent shade.
Busted: Frosty dark brown with a hint of red. It’s very similar to
Hustle (from the first palette) in terms of shade and pigmentation, but it has
a much better texture.
Blackout: Matte true black. I was apprehensive to see this featured
because I didn’t love it in the 15th Anniversary palette; however, I
think it has been improved since its initial release. This has excellent color
payoff and is buildable to a very intense depth, but it can be a bit powdery.
BONUS GLOSS: The included Naked Lip Junkie Lipgloss is a miniature size. Naked is a peppermint-infused (yum!) neutral pink, although
it appears slightly brown on my naturally pale lips. Naked has a
hint of shimmer, yet it still appears natural. UrbanDecay claims it plumps the lips, but I didn't notice that effect. The gloss has a refreshing minty
taste, isn’t sticky and comes in a squeeze tube for easy application.
SWATCHES:
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Natural light: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper
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Natural light: Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol
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Natural light: Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout
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| Flash: Naked lipgloss |
OVERALL VERDICT:
Naked 2 is not necessarily a must-have if you already own the first Naked palette,
although it is more flattering on cooler skin tones and the very fair (like
yours truly). I personally prefer the second palette because the colors suit me better. The mattes in Naked 2 are not as smooth as in the original
palette, which is disappointing because Urban Decay can make some stellar matte
eyeshadows; however, they're still pretty good. I'm extremely irritated that Half Baked was included in both palettes, but I like the rest of the palette enough to let it slide. $50 may seem expensive initially, but if you don’t own the first
and like neutral colors, then I’d definitely go for it!
