There's a lot of chatter out there about Urban Decay's Naked Basics palettes and how wearable and versatile these matte shadow sets are. But do you really need them both and are they even worth the price? Here's a look at how these basics measure up.
Left to Right:
Naked Basics, Naked Basics 2
Naked
Basics
Venus (soft,
off-white demi-matte)
Foxy (very
light yellow/white matte)
Walk
of Shame (very light nude matte)
Naked2 (taupe
matte)
Faint (warm,
dusty brown matte)
Crave (deepest,
darkest brown/black matte)
Favorite
Shadows: Naked2 & Faint
Naked
Basics 2
Skimp (pale
nude satin)
Stark (nude-pink
matte)
Frisk (warm
grey matte)
Cover (muted
red-brown matte)
Primal (muted
brown matte)
Undone (deep,
smoky, brown matte)
Favorite
Shadows: Frisk, Cover & Primal
Swatches
Naked Basics: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked2, Faint, Crave
Naked Basics 2: Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal, Undone
When
deciding which of these palettes to get I had originally wanted the
original Naked Basics palette because I'm usually
partial to warm tones and had heard so many people rave about how
versatile these shadows are, but I was lucky enough to receive both
of these palette as gifts from family members. While the
original Basics palette has warmer toned browns and
creams, the Naked Basics 2 is filled with cooler
taupes. They both have the same sturdy, sleek packaging which makes
them incredibly travel-friendly, and a range of matte light and dark
shades that make them great for both subtle, work-appropriate makeup and
a nighttime smoky-eye.
Although
the shadows in both palettes are soft, creamy and pigmented, I
personally prefer the Naked Basics 2 palette. I feel
like the shadows show up better on my skin and, I don't know why, but
they seem to wear much longer on my lids. I was
actually really disappointed with the way in which the
original Basics palette wore on me because after a
couple of hours (even with various primers) the shadows were pretty much
gone. I also didn't like that I could only really get use out of the
3 darkest shades in that palette because the lighter ones
(especially Foxy and Walk of Shame) just
blended in with my skin-tone. For this reason I do like to use Walk
of Shame to blend out any rough edges on crease eye-shadows.
I think this palette would have really benefited from having more
mid-toned shades that could be worn all over the lid.
The Basics
2 palette just seems to have more wearable colors for me
that work well together as a set. You can tell just by looking at the palette that there is more of a range of shadows, not just three lights and three darks. I was impressed by how well the
shadows wore on me, even after a very long day. I do feel like the
colors in the original Basics palette are probably
more versatile if you want to mix them with other individual shadows
because they're more "basic" everyday colors, but their
lack-luster wear time is a big fail in my book. Unfortunately, I just
don't think the original Basics palette is worth the
money. If I had to choose one I'd definitely say pick up the Naked
Basics 2 for some lovely, pigmented taupe shadows that can
easily take you from day to night.
Have
you tried any of the Naked Basics palette? Do you tend to prefer
warm-toned or cool-toned shadows?
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