Urban Decay Naked Palette

Okay, so I realize that I am really late to this Naked Palette party (seeing as the Naked 2 Palette is out already), but I originally wasn't going to buy it because I have way too many eyeshadows as it is, and what the hell do I need another palette for? But my curiosity got the better of me, and I succumbed to it at the Sephora in Buffalo's Walden Galleria a couple weeks ago. (The lower retail price and lower tax rate in New York helped, as well as the 20% discount coupon I received from Sephora.) This palette has been reviewed to death, but I figure, what's another review to add to the mix?

As most of you will already know, Urban Decay's Naked Palette is a palette containing 12 eyeshadows in shades that Urban Decay has deemed "universally flattering." It mixes neutral shades from light to dark and in different textures so you can create a slew of different looks. It comes in a sleek brown velvet case with gold embossing on the front, and is by far the most minimalist palette packaging that Urban Decay has come out with. The palette contains a total of 15.6 grams of product (12 x 1.3 g), and comes with a Good Karma eyeshadow brush as well as a 3.7 ml bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The Naked Palette retails for $58 in Canada, and is available at Sephora.

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, and Half Baked

Virgin is a satin light nude beige. It has some fine, subtle shimmer, but I can see it working well as a highlighter on fair to medium-dark skintones. It has a smooth, silky texture, and has great pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Brule, and is slightly warmer than MAC Shroom.

Sin is a metallic rose-tinged champagne. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and slightly more pink than MAC All That Glitters.

Naked is a matte medium beige brown. This is the only shade in the palette that I had trouble with, as it's on the drier, stiffer side. As a result, the pigmentation was quite sheer and I really had to pack it on to get it to look like the pan colour. It is similar to MAC Soft Brown.

Sidecar is a metallic medium bronze brown. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Woodwinked.

Buck is a matte medium-dark golden brown. It has a smooth, silky texture, and has great pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Saddle.

Half Baked is a metallic medium-dark golden bronze. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Amber Lights.

Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, and Gunmetal

Smog is a metallic darkened bronze. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Bronze.

Darkhorse is a metallic dark chocolate brown. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is like a metallic version of MAC Charcoal Brown.

Toasted is a metallic medium-dark mauve-brown with a bronze sheen. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Sable.

Hustle is a metallic dark taupe-brown with a hint of plum. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Satin Taupe.

Creep is a frosty blackened blue-grey. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Print.

Gunmetal is a frosty medium-dark blue-grey. It has a very smooth, almost buttery texture, with excellent pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Knight Divine.

Overall, I am really impressed with this palette. (I guess I'm not that surprised.) With the exception of Naked, every single shade had amazing pigmentation and a smooth texture. It also has amazing versatility; you can create anything from a really simple, natural eye look to a dramatic smoky eye look with this range of shades. I guess it's hyped for a reason, right? Seeing as one single eyeshadow from Urban Decay contains 1.3 grams of product for $20, this palette alone is worth $240. Along with the Good Karma eyeshadow brush, which retails for approximately $30, and the 3.7 ml bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which is worth approximately $7.74, the Naked Palette set is a ridiculously good value.

That having been said, these shades are very dupeable, so chances are, you'll already have many similar shades found in this palette, regardless of whether you're a make-up junkie or not. Moreover, most of the shades in this palette lean warm, so those with cooler undertones may find it a little harder to utilize. They should, however, work well on all skintones from fair to dark. I would recommend this palette to anyone, but ultimately to someone who is looking for a universally flattering range of shades and doesn't already have a ton of product at home. It's especially great for those who are new or inexperienced in working with eyeshadow, since this palette creates foolproof colour combinations.