I originally was not planning on swatching this palette, since it's so ridiculously popular that it has been swatched a million times, and well. I am lazy. BUT, while talking makeup and pretty packaging with my friend Susan, she requested a swatch, so I figured why not? This blog needs more content (haha), and it is not like swatching is an all-day task or anything :p
So, after receiving my Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary limited edition palette today, I figured that I would get 'er done. Swatches of the 15 Year Anniversary palette are still a work in progress though, so they will be in a different post!
Anyway, description of the Naked palette from the Urban Decay website:
"You can look great NAKED! This long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal, and feature FIVE NEW shades with names like Darkhorse, Virgin and Buck. We've also included a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte. The chocolaty velvet case is emblazoned with the word "NAKED" in gold foil lettering. (Just wait 'til your friends see you pull this sexy thing out of your bag. Jealous!) The mirrored case also includes a professional quality, cruelty-free Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush, AND a travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in original formula. This is a shadow palette EVERYONE can use, and a truly spectacular gift. Experiment with office-appropriate neutrals, summertime bronzy looks, or sultry smokiness. With such a diversity of neutral shades at your fingertips, there's more to neutral than meets the eye."
Alright, now that we've gotten the introduction out of the way, let's get reviewing and swatching!
Shadows, from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal
First off, I apologize for the crappy focus job on the shadows. I don't know whether I should blame it on my camera's lens, or me... though I think that I am more inclined to blame it on the lens, since I did my absolute best to focus it, haha.
ANYWAY, colour descriptions:
Virgin: a champagne-y colour, with the slightest hint of pink. The perfect highlight colour
Sin: A sparkley pink colour, which is suitable either as a base or a highlight (I have personally used it for both)
Naked: A matte nudey beige. It's pretty aptly named, haha.
Sidecar: A VERY sparkley, pretty pink/champagne.
Buck: A matte medium brown
Half Baked: A shimmery gold colour (sorry, this one did not photograph well at all!)
Smog: A shimmery bronze colour
Darkhorse: This colour is somewhat hard to describe. I guess I would describe it as a shimmery very dark brown. I personally use it to set my eyeliner (or in place of eyeliner) and, if I'm feeling adventurous, to do my brows.
Toasted: A bronzey taupe colour.
Hustle: A matte mocha (and slightly purpleish, at least to my eye)
Creep: A sparkley charcoal colour
Gunmetal: Again, aptly named, as it is a sparkley gunmetal shade, haha.
Swatches:
 |
| Ran out of room on my arm for Creep and Gunmetal, which is why they're in an awkward position... Colours are presented left to right in the order in which they appear in the palette. As you can see, Virgin almost COMPLETELY disappears on my ridiculously white skin. I swear it is not a bad swatch -- that is actually what it looks like in real life, on my arm at least. I get better colour payoff on my eyelids, fortunately. These swatches were all done without the use of a primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion or otherwise), and I did not dig too hard into my shadows to get them. As you can see, even with my noobish swatching skills and lack of digging into the shadows, these shadows still have EXCELLENT colour payoff. My Thoughts: This palette is definitely well-worth the money and is exactly what it claims to be. There is a variety of textures, the shadows have excellent pigmentation, and it has such a variety of colours that it can truly take you from day to night. And, again, it is pretty much universally flattering. Granted, some shades may not be as flattering on some skin tones as others, but for the most part, I am pretty sure that everyone can pull these shadows off. It just may require a little bit of adventure and experimentation for some colours. As for usage, I have mostly used this palette for day looks so far, just because I have not been out a whole lot since I received it (despite the fact that that was three months ago -- sad, right?). However, I have gotten a chance to use every single colour, and have been pretty pleased with all of them. The only ones that I do not currently use on a regular basis are Sidecar, Creep, and Gunmetal, but that is because they are (to me) less friendly for day looks. My only complaints: Sidecar - When I used it, I found that there was some glitter fallout. Not the end of the world, but could be a bit of a piss-off, particularly if you really slather it on and the fallout makes you look like a 13-year-old on her way to her middle school dance. Creep - This is definitely not as sparkley on the eye as it is in the palette, which is a bummer, but I have yet to find a sparkley black/charcoal shadow that is as sparkley as it is in the palette. Gunmetal - The pigmentation on this one is lacking a wee bit, I feel. But that could just be user error, since it looks amazing in my swatch... maybe I just have to dig into it a bit more when I am applying it on my eyes? Other than that, I give this palette a solid A+ and reach for it constantly. I use at least one shadow from it nearly every day (even on days when I swear that I am going to use my other stuff), and it is generally my palette of choice when I am travelling, so it is pretty safe to say that it is my favourite. It also comes with a shadow brush which, even though I don't use it all that often, is excellent quality in comparison to the freebie brushes (or sponges) that you usually get with eyeshadows. And, if that weren't enough in itself, it ALSO comes with a mini-primer potion, aka the eyeshadow primer that is a cult favourite in the beauty world. Therefore, it goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend it -- it is worth the hype! Also, as a bonus, in addition to being awesome, it really is a good value. 12 full-sized eyeshadows, a mini primer potion, and an eyeshadow brush? 'Nuff said. My mom even ended up trying it out, loving it, and then eventually ordering her own, and she is someone who is very picky about her eyeshadows and brands. So, if you are in a market for a new product or palette... nudge, nudge ;) In Canada, this is available at Sephora for $58 CAD or at select Shopper's Drug Marts. |
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment