Eyeshadows and lipsticks are my biggest beauty obsession. Every new launch is a big temptation and the latest release to lure me into splurging was the URBAN DECAY NAKED SMOKY PALETTE.
I'm a massive fan of Urban Decay's eyeshadows. I have the Naked 1 (see post here), Naked 3 & Naked 2 Basics (review here) and simply love all of them. So when I found out another palette was coming out, it was peer excitement. But I won't lie... when I saw the new palette for the first time, I wasn't too keen. I'm a warm tone, brown and neutral shades kind of girl. So the mostly cool tones didn't scream at me. However, the more I saw reviews, swatches and all, I grew increasingly more tempted to get out of my comfort zone and give it a try. And so I did. :)
The first thing I will mention about this palette is that the packaging is beautiful. It's sort of see through, with smoke printed all over, 3D writing and a swift magnetic closure. It's also got a big mirror. It's by far, my favourite packaging out of all Naked palettes.
Inside, you get a double ended brush with one side being a blending brush and on the other end you have a smudger brush. I'm not usually a huge fan of UD's brushes but this one is really soft and I've been using it a lot with this palette.
But let's talk about the stars of the show... the 12 beautiful shades. The cool thing about this palette is that they included shades in 3 different finishes. So you have some glittery shades, some satin ones and at the end, you get 4 matte shades, which are incredible.
1. HIGH is a metallic peachy-beige with lots of glitter. Very pigmented. I love using this all over the lid or as an inner corner highlighter for days I go for a darker eye look.
2. DIRTYSWEET is your usual golden brown shade. Also pigmented, buttery smooth and stunning. I do experience a tiny bit of glitter fall out but it's very minor and doesn't bother me.
3. RADAR is a chocolate (medium-dark) brown, with a tiny bit of golden glitter. The colour is simply beautiful and I love to wear it all over the lid for a quick and simple look. I find that the pigmentation on this one is a bit sheer, so it takes longer to make it look as intense as I like, but it's still one of my favourite shades in the palette.
4. ARMOR is a sparkly deep gunmetal/taupe grey shade. It's so pretty and very wearable. Although the pigmentation of this one is also a little weak, once you pack it on the lid, it looks stunning for a night out, especially if applied wet.
L to R: High, Dirtysweet, Radar and Armor |
5. SLANTED is more of a bright metallic grey, with a satin finish. Another beautiful shade.
6. DAGGER is described as a "medium charcoal with micro-shimmer". Beautiful dark grey, with blue undertones.
7. BLACK MARKET is a black. But not a super black like the eyeshadow Blackout (also from Urban Decay). It's a more wearable black, with satin finish. Really like this one just to add a bit of drama to the eye but I also wear it as an eyeliner.
8. SMOLDER is one of my favourites. Such a stunning deep plum. It doesn't translate as plum on the lid as it looks on the pan, but still looks lovely on and adds a nice hint of colour to the look.
L to R: Slanted, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder |
9. PASSWORD is a cool taupe. Matte and pigmented, it's the perfect crease colour, adding the right depth to the eye. Love it.
10. WHISKEY is another chocolate brown colour, this time in a matte formulation (and a bit darker than Radar). In fact those two work great together and I've been wearing them a lot since I got this palette.
11. COMBUST is described as a "soft pink taupe". It's such an amazing transition shade for my skin tone. Easy to blend and great on it's own for a simple daytime look or to help soften the crease colour.
12. Last but not least, THIRTEEN. This is a light beige colour that works really well as a brow bone highlighter. Have been really enjoying it.
L to R: Password, Whiskey, Combust, Thirteen |
So overall, although the pigmentation of Radar & Armor are not quite what I usually expect from Urban Decay (I blame it on the glitter), I still love all the colours and really like that this palette offers a good variety of finishes, a mix of warm and cool toned shadows, including all kinds of wearable shades for a complete look (brow bone, inner corner highlighter, transition, lid and crease colours all in one palette). Plus the packaging and the brush make this palette a winner in my eyes. Could it be better? In terms of pigmentation, yes! But apart from that, this palette ticks all the boxes for me. I think the colour selection is beautiful and I'm really glad I got it. It's been my go to since the day I got my hands on it and I won't look back. I'm beginning to like the Naked Smoky as much as the Naked 1. And that says it all, as the Naked 1 (original) has been my favourite palette for years.
Have you tried the Naked Smoky? What are your thoughts on this new Urban Decay release? X
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