Urban Decay Naked Palette Review

Dear folksickles, let's end the year with a bang, a soft, beautiful neutral bang. I bring to you the Naked Palette trilogy. Please enjoy. 

Availability: This particular iteration of the palette is discontinued. Many of the shades, however, can be purchased individually. For further information, Google and urbandecay.com are your best friends.

Would I buy this again?: Yes.

Notes: Ah the Naked palettes. This particular one, because I've had it for years now, is so very nostalgic to me. I bought the palette back when it was $44 (ah the days!) and came with the Whiskey/Zero pencil. I remember buying it in the brief interim it was available at Sephora in between the two long bouts of it being sold out. I honestly picked it up just to see what the buzz was about and because YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH AN URBAN DECAY PALETTE! I was very unsure, I technically had close-enough dupes for all the colors but I have to say, I think the same thing I thought then - it's convenient to have them all in one place, it's convenient to take it on the go with you or grab it in the morning quickly when getting ready because all these colors are easy to wear and don't require much thought - they all work well together. It has every color you could need if you were to use just one palette and nothing else, a highlighter (though I wish there was a matte option), darker colors, a few mattes, lots of shimmer. Some people have complained to me that they don't like the near-metallic quality of the shimmer shades and I feel it's definitely personal preference. I love them and think they make my eyelids look huge unlike anything else. 

I'll speak a bit about the packaging before I show you the shades - this has my favorite packaging of all three. I feel that the velvet feels far more luxurious than the tin(?) and is also less bulky. I feel like it's more sturdy also because I think that if I were to drop it the velvet would somehow absorb the shock of the fall better than the tin. Maybe it's just me. This does come with a smaller mirror than the other two but to be totally honest I don't use the mirrors from these palettes so I don't really care. 

Everyone who comes in to buy, or owns, these palettes has a favorite. This is mine. It's the most golden, warmed-tone of the three and those are the neutrals I reach for most often. I love the contrast of warm tones with how cool-toned my skin is. I think it brings out the pink-ness in my skin but in a flattering way, kind of giving me a glow. I kind of like how they emphasize how pale I am because I'm a weirdo. Overall, I just have to plug in that I absolutely love Urban Decay's eyeshadow textures - the shimmers are beautiful, highly pigmented. The mattes... have you touched these mattes?!? One of the best matte formulas ever - well pigmented, smooth, buttery, blends well together. The only other brands I've found where mattes truly play well together are Sigma and Inglot; Sugarpill comes close but their textures are just a wee bit less buttery. The only reason I haven't picked up the Naked Basics palette (it contains mostly mattes) is because I'll never use it by itself, but if you like the idea of the Naked Palettes but want more matte in your life, I suggest you take a look at that one. 

I also have to tell you that each pan here is a .05 oz, the same as a full-sized Urban Decay eyeshadow which currently retail at $20 each. Meaning if you were to buy each shadow separately, the palette would cost you $240.

Without further ado, swatchfest!

Virgin is described as a cool beige satin. To me it's a satin white with a kiss of champagne. 

Sin is described as a champagne shimmer. I'd describe it as a very soft pink with a white pearl. If anything, it's a pink champagne, it's not warm or golden-toned enough to be a true champagne. 

Naked is described a nude matte. I have to agree with that, it's a soft matte brown. 

Sidecar is not available on its own and I can't find a color description. I'd describe it as a taupe that can lean pink or golden-looking depending on the light, with sporadic glitter flakes that can easily be tapped out. 

Buck is described as a fawn brown matte. I'd describe it as a warm, matte mid-tone brown. 

Half Baked is described as a golden bronze. OMFG it's not bronze at all! It's my favorite gold. It's neither too yellow or amber-y. I'd describe it as a the perfect gold color. 

Smog is described as a deep coppery bronze. It's a gorgeous golden brown, bronzy shade. One of my favorite browns ever. 

Darkhorse is described as a deep mocha shimmer. To me it looks like a deep, cool-toned brown. 

Toasted is described as a shimmery antique copper penny. I can see why they'd say that but no... it's so much prettier than an old penny! I would describe it as a mauve-y taupe with a pink pearl. This is one of my favorite colors in the palette, it always jumps out at me.

Hustle is a plummy brown.

Creep is described as a very dark, blackened charcoal satin with a silver pearl. I'd have to agree with that description.

Gunmetal is described as a dark metallic gray with silver micro-shimmer. I'd describe it as rich dark silver-gray satin with a silver pearl. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I bought this myself with my own funds.