Naked2 Basics Swatches & Review

Naked2 Basics - Social

I’m late to the party, but once I photographed the Naked2 Basics for my giveaway, I decided I wanted it. (Is this a theme with me, or what?)

To refresh your memory (and also because I didn’t take new photos of the packaging…):

Naked2 Basics - Box

No, I didn’t just spontaneously add yet another palette to my collection.

Naked2 Basics - Unboxed

I don’t really do New Years’ Resolutions, but I knew I did not want to majorly expand my collection at least the first half of this year. Recently, I cleaned out a bunch of old stuff from my collection that I hadn’t used in ages, didn’t love, and wasn’t good enough to give to a friend (so it was tossed). That’s progress, but I still didn’t want to add another palette to my stash, especially considering I didn’t get rid of any palettes.

When I first wanted matte neutrals, I chose the Kat von D Ladybird palette over Naked Basics (the original) because I felt that some of the shades were too light for me to make use of, and I didn’t need yet another black(-ish) shadow – leaving me with only 2 shades I’d use often. KvD Ladybird is striking and chock full of lovely mattes, but in the year I owned it, I really didn’t (and don’t) use it all that much. There are neutrals, but they are very warm and cool, plus there’s an orange (which I like to look at, but couldn’t execute well on my face), a navy, and a plum. I wanted my neutrals to be more neutral, so I sold my scarcely-used-but-well-cared-for KvD Ladybird and bought Naked2 Basics instead. Thanks to one of the rare 20% off (almost) everything (including prestige!) coupon for Ulta, I got it for like $23 and change and had about $10 to spare from the sale.

I’m so glad I did!

On top of reducing the physical space taken up, getting a new thing, and coming out $10 ahead, I’m generally happier with this palette. Naked2 Basics, surprisingly, has a lot of warmth that I wasn’t expecting from the matte sidekick of Naked2, which was very taupe. Naked2 Basics is sure to complement any collection and skin tone (I really do think it is more versatile than Naked Basics!); whether you’re concocting an all-matte neutral look or combining it with other palettes, it isn’t a novelty palette that is better to look at rather than use.

Naked2 Basics

As for the physical aspects, this is the same size as the Naked Basics. I believe the mirror inside Naked2 Basics is the same size (but don’t quote me – I don’t have a Naked Basics!) as its predecessor. The clasp in the front doesn’t feel weak and the hinge in the back is strong. This is a pleasant contrast to the KvD Ladybird palette; though the shadows were nice and the mirror was large, the packaging felt cheap and the hinge wasn’t sturdy – it was either all the way open, or all the way closed. Not this little guy – the lid stays where you open it.

Naked2 Basics - Swatches & PaletteUrban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette Swatches

Now, even more fun (and, you know, photos that are new to the post – swatches! These are actually swatched over Too Faced Shadow Insurance because I have finally used up my Urban Decay Primer Potion (which I like, but I have other primers to use up before I buy anything else!) – here’s a less distracting photo.

Naked2 Basics Swatches

The colors, from left to right:

Skimp – Pretty warm, almost-peachy, ivory – this makes a great base shade on a variety of skin tones, especially if you want to do a lighter lid. It would also be a good fixture in a, “no-makeup,” makeup look. The texture is on the lighter side (almost airy?) but it is plenty workable. The only non-matte in the palette, Skimp features a Satin finish that I (frankly) did a crummy job picking up with my camera. I think the satin is a good thing – it will also make this shadow a really pretty, not-overwhelming-at-all brow highlight.

Stark – This peachy-pink shade feels very, “nude,” to me (it reminds me of a lot of so-called pinky nude lipsticks!) – but may not be on you. It is pigmented, but feels a little dry, so keep that in mind.

Frisk – Urban Decay is a little drunk with the shade descriptions for this palette, because this is not a grey shadow – it is a vaguely warm (but mostly neutral) taupe and is very pretty, would be nice for a one-and-done single-shade look. You’ll need primer with it (though you should be using primer under your shadow anyway) to get it to payoff properly. In the photo it looks slightly cooler than it really is.

Cover – Obviously is not Buck, obviously, but that was the first thing I thought of – it’s like a slightly lighter, taupe-er version of Buck (which is a really warm red-toned brown found in Naked). The formula is fantastic, picked up easily with a finger to swatch and felt almost as if it melted onto my arm when I swatched it for the photos above.

Primal – Another fantastic pigmented brown that wasn’t really described properly by UD – but is lovely nonetheless. The medium-to-not-quite-dark brown glides on (but not quite as amazingly as Cover) easily and beautifully.

Undone – Take charcoal. Take dark brown. Violently smash them together, combine them thoroughly, and press them into a shadow. You have Undone. It is a really nice alternative to yet another matte black eyeshadow, and is a little more wearable in the daytime or as shadow-as-liner. It seems to be the most powdery shade in this palette, so use a very light hand applying – it wasn’t the friendliest to blend out on my arm after the photos were taken, so I can’t imagine it will cooperate better in an outer-V or crease. (It isn’t bad, it just isn’t what I’ve come to expect from Urban Decay’s shadows.)

Naked2 Basics is available at Sephora, Ulta, Urban Decay, Nordstrom, Macys, and probably elsewhere – but these are the safest bets when it comes to purchasing UD products.

What do you think? Are you planning to purchase a Naked2 Basics? Are you planning to destash your makeup soon? What are your collection goals for 2015?