URBAN DECAY NAKED 2 PALETTE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

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.

Flat shader brush

Mac 239 (top) compared to the Urban Decay flat shader (bottom).

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.

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 15^th 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:

Natural light: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper

Natural light: Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

Natural light: Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

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!