Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

So I lied in the last post, but really this time, the next few will be tutorial/outfit based. A lot of people on the internet have done a review on this palette, but I'm the only person I know in real life who has it, so I thought it could be helpful.
First, the price was $48, and mine came with the eyeshadow brush. It's synthetic fiber and while it looks nice, it doesn't impress me. I wish I had gotten the one with the double-sided eyeliner, it was cheaper too. This palette comes with 12 eyeshadows, so if you're getting technical, that's only $4 per shadow, for high quality makeup. Not bad. There are two matte shades, Naked (a skintone nude) and buck (a midtone brown), while the rest lie between satin and shimmer. This is the palette to have if you're a neutral eye lover. It is also very easy to travel with, being compact and versatile. I don't really care about packaging aesthetics too much, but it does have a sleek look to it. Mine is a little beat up because I'm a bit messy when I do my makeup, but it still looks nice. I've read on other blogs that the size of these shadows is nearly as big as a regular UD shadow, which I believe are somewhere from $15-$20.
The texture of these shadows is great- they're all very soft and pigmented. Sidecar is a bit hard to work with because it is very glittery, but most of the others are a dream. Gunmetal (a silvery blue) could be have a little more color payoff, but it's the most unique shade (compared to the neutral feel of the palette), so I guess it's a fair trade. The golds (Half baked, Smog) are beautiful and work well on any eyecolor/skintone. The pinker shades (Sin, Toasted) and the darker shades (Darkhorse, Hustle, Creep) are all very nice. There is a whitish satin shade called Virgin too, and it ties with Toasted for my favorite color in the palette. All of these are wearable though, and there are many different combinations.
I wish there were one or two more matte shades, especially because Naked and Buck are so well done and easy to use. But that isn't really the style of Urban Decay- in nearly all my past experience with the brand, they like a lot of color and shimmer/glitter/wow factor. With that in mind, I think this is a great investment for those who like convenient, high quality makeup. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody who owns a truck of neutral shadows already, but for beginners or anybody who doesn't live in Sephora or Mac, it's great. I've included pictures, my swatches are never the best. But if you look around on different blogs, you can get a better feel for this palette. And there's usually a tester in store to try all over arms and hands. :)



Enlarge and names of colors should be visible.



(Left to right) Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked.



(Left to right) Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal.



*no swatches were done over a base, each one is only one quick swipe of each color.
Also, according to Temptalia.com, six of the shades included are permanent, five are new and one is a repromote. The site didn't list which were which, but I know that Smog, Half baked, Sin and Naked are all part of the permanent line.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! :)
-Rhiana

face of the day and a product review

I did my makeup a bit differently today. As always, I began by doing my mascara (Covergirl Lashblast Fusion, L'oreal Carbon Black Voluminous, L'oreal Telescopic Explosion [review soon possibly]) and applying Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base. For secondary bases, I used NYX Jumbo Pencils in Purple and Lime. This look was mostly shimmery. I used a lime green from the coastal scents on the inner third, a light purple from the Stila Backstage Palette, Nocturnelle by Mac (a darker purple, nothing special), dark brown and a bit of red in the crease. For eyeliner I used Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Rockstar, a purple-y brown. I love it :D I also used a gold to line the inner half of my eye, something I almost always do. The shape was dramatic and I'm not sure if I like it or not. It's about time for some new eyeshadow- I have a lot, yeah, but I haven't gotten much new in a LONG time. For lips I used a nude lipliner and then L'oreal lipstick in Fairest Nude. I don't have a ton of options for lip color, but I'm working on it. :) I crimped my hair and twisted both sides. I didn't end up going anywhere, but this is a hairstyle that I'm recreating soon.

And now for the review...

(Image courtesy of Google)
I got this set of Urban Decay eyeliners for Christmas. Prior to getting these, my collection of eyeliners was modest at best. I mostly just had black, but that was okay with me because I wasn't crazy about eyeliner. Once I got these, I started to work with eyeliner more, and now I love it :D I found a way to do it that doesn't make me look insane. (Well..) True to their name, they glide on SO easily. Normally retailing for about $20 for a full-sized pencil, this entire set was $40 from Sephora. Definitely worth it in my opinon. A broad range of colors is given, they're great quality and even a full size of Zero is included. I wish that Perversion had been included too, but oh well. I plan on purchasing Rockstar and Whiskey as soon as I'm able :) I like Urban Decay a lot, and this set didn't disappoint. My only complaint is how small the eyeliners are, and how frequently they need to be sharpened. But I guess for the price and creamy texture, it's a fair trade.
Have a good weekend! :)

-Rhiana