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| Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette |
Never in a thousand years did I think I would ever buy an entirely matte palette, let alone a neutral one. Don't get me wrong--mattes are an essential part to every eye look of mine but it's always the shimmery or glittery shades that catch my eye. I tend to use the mattes included in the palettes already but after bouncing from palette to palette, I thought it was time to settle down and find a workhorse matte palette that covers all the bases--and I think I've found it in the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette.
{THE BREAKDOWN}
First things first, let's get the logistics out of the way. The Naked Basics 2 houses 5 completely matte and 1 semi-matte shade for a total of 6 shadows. The shades run cooler than most palettes, a key quality I was looking for. The taupe undertone jives well with the makeup looks I like to wear. Colors run from lightest cream to darkest charcoal black. Each full size shadow is 1.3g/0.05oz for a total of 0.3oz of product. The palette retails for $29usd ($96.67usd per oz), making it slightly more expensive than a regular Naked Palette ($90usd per oz).
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get into the fun stuff! The texture of the eyeshadows are to die for (not literally). Thanks to the Pigment Infusion System, the shadows are so soft and buttery; I could run my fingers through it for days but that would be wasteful. Swatching it is a dream and applying it on the eyes is even better. Since the shadows are so smooth, there could be fallout if you're not careful. I lightly tap my brush in the shadow a couple of times--no need to dig your brush in there--and using a patting motion, apply it to my eyes. I don't need a lot of product to get my desired intensity; less is more with this product. These blend out well and last a long time. Since I never wear eyeshadow without primer, wear time will vary. Even without primer, these shadows perform almost on par with creasing after hour 4 on my oily eyelids. I actually prefer them without primer but I'd much rather have my makeup last all day.
Packaging is another hit with me. The compact palette is great for travel, though I'll get exact dimensions up soon once I find my palette. The mirror also stands up on its own so both hands are free for makeup application. It's a decent size and I can do my foundation using it. I'd describe the feeling of the palette as a suede-y plastic yet it feels durable. Kind of feels like NARS packaging without the grubbiness.
Though this palette can create a look all on its own, I don't like to wear all matte shadows. My preferred way to wear this palette is combined with my shimmer shadows. I pretty much use this every day because it is so basic; like the backstage crew, it seamlessly executes every step so that the stars on the stage shine without a hitch!
If I had to compare it to my beloved Lorac Pro Palette, I'd say the NB2 is equally soft but slightly more pigmented and less likely to have fallout. There's not really an overlap in terms of colors but formula-wise, it's hard to pick a favorite. Urban Decay and Lorac are definitely my go-to, all-time favorite eyeshadow brands, so much so that I haven't bothered to venture out into any other brands. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
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{THE SWATCH}
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| From left to right: Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal and Undone |
Skimp is described as a "pale nude satin". On my skintone, it's a creamy white that's perfect for a subtle inner corner brightener. It's too pigmented for my tastes as a brow highlighter but if you're looking for that intense highlight, this could work. Stark is a "nude-pink matte". I can't detect the pink tones at all as it seems to melt into my skin a bit. I like to use this to even out the tone of my lids before I go in with other colors. Frisk is a "warm gray matte" and I agree. I love this for a subtle contoured eye look or for accentuating my lower lashline for a rounder eye. Cover is described as a "muted red-brown matte". This is the perfect crease shade for me and as you can see from my swatches, it's my most used shade. I'm dreading the day I hit pan on this because it isn't offered as an individual purchase. Primal is a "muted brown matte" and it does double duty as crease shade and wait for it--eyebrow powder. I actually forgot to pack an eyebrow product during Spring Break and this lasted all day on me and looked great on my dark, neutral brown hair. Lastly, Undone is a "deep, smoky brown matte" that works as a soft eyeliner shade or for a smokey outer corner color.
{THE BOTTOM LINE}
I can't recommend this product enough! I even convince my non-makeup wearing friend to buy it and she uses it almost every time she wears makeup. As much as I love a bargain buy, this palette really packs a punch! Neutrals are boring but the formula is top=notch. Urban Decay really knows their shadows and I can't wait for more palette. Definitely a pretty penny but worth every cent!
There's also a Naked Basics Palette that started off the trend but the warmer tones seem more dupeable, especially if you have a larger collection like mine. I might cave and buy it but the shades don't resonate so much with me, especially the black one that I've got in several palettes that rarely gets used.
Naked Basics 2 || sephora | ulta | urban decay
What's one product that you've overlooked for years
before you discovered you couldn't live without it?
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