Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

You know I love my Urban Decay eyeshadow and this review is then also long overdue. I’ve had this palette for close to two years but just hadn’t gotten round to writing my thoughts up just yet. And it’s not as if I don’t love this, but it’s one of those palettes that has become such a part of my routine it’s simply a given that it’s there.

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

My love for Urban Decay runs deep, but that doesn’t mean that I blatantly love everything the brand does. When the Naked Basics palettes were released I was hesitant to say the least and while I love the original Naked Basics palette, I wasn’t all that sure that I would love these or would really need another 6 pan matte eyeshadow palette. At €31 a piece these are not cheap and so it came as a surprise to me how often I end up using the Naked Basics 2.

The Packaging

One thing I love about the Naked Basics eyeshadow palettes is the packaging. Slim, sleek and easy to handle, these palettes are smartly designed. The only difference between Naked Basics 1 and 2 is the big 2 on the front so it sometimes takes a while to find the one I need, but since there’s only two it’s not too much of a hassle. The compact comes with a full mirror in the lid and has a rubberized feel to it. No space is wasted by giving you a brush you never use (though I generally like the brushes Urban Decay adds in their palettes).

The Shades

Where the original Naked Basics is warm toned, this is more cool toned. A big gripe you hear from most people about this palette is how similar the shades in this palette are. On my skin tone, however, each shade shows up uniquely and I love how many mid tones this palette gives you. Cover and Primal are both excellent crease colors, while Frisk is one of my favorite blending shades. Undone is dark enough to create some depth and skimp and stark are both excellent highlight shades: one matte and one shimmer.

The Swatch

Skimp – Stark – Frisk – Cover – Primal – Undone

Each shade is excellently pigmented. They aren’t powdery at all and blend nicely without disappearing on your lids. Skimp isn’t a super intense shimmer, but very natural. This palette is a neutral/ cool toned fair skinned girls dream. All of these shades work so well against my light skin tone and while I don’t like wearing this on its own (boring!), I do love pulling this in to complement other shadows and palettes.

The Look

The biggest complaint about this palette is how samey samey these shades are. And I agree, they are, but depending on how you use this palette it will actually work out. If you want to use this as a stand alone palette, then this isn’t the best. As you can see here, the result is very light and neutral and that is after using every single shade in the palette. Great for a barely there makeup day, but not something you use for some variety.

How I Use This Palette

Like this: I put a cream shadow on the lid (or a Colourpop Supershock eyeshadow) and then use this to blend out the crease and build up the rest of the look. For me this works excellently for that purpose. And the good thing is: this is your one stop shop and you don’t have to pull in a million singles to make a complete eye look. Whenever I find that I need some good neutral mattes to build up a look, this is a what I grab for without fail. It is quick, it is easy to use and it always gives me the desired look.

The Conclusion

The Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 ended up being one of the biggest must haves in my make up collection. I use this palette at least a few times a week and it is easily one of the most used products in my make up collection. If you’re looking for a matte eyeshadow palette that can hold its own ground, this isn’t the one (I would suggest a The Balm Meet Matte palette for that). But if you’re looking for a can-do-it-all palette in conjunction with some of your more special shadows, then this is the one.

How would you use the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 eyeshadow palette?