Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics!!!

This is Urban Decay’s latest eyeshadow palette offering and boy is it a good idea!   They have definitely listened to what their customers want and I think a (pretty much) all matte palette from such a high quality brand is great.  For ages I have found it so annoying that most eyeshadow palettes have a very high ratio of shimmers to so few mattes but yet we all need matte eye shadows.

Previously I reviewed MakeupRevolution Flawless Matte palette which as the name suggests is a ‘drugstore’ matte palette; you can see that review here.

Anyway back to the all new and shiny (quite literally…have you seen the packaging?) Naked Ultimate Basics palette.  The packaging is just stunning, giving the palette a young yet expensive feel.  It contains a massive mirror so is good if you are on the go a lot.

The palette contains 12 shadows of which 11 are truly matte, with shades ranging from a very pale skin colour to matte black.  I’ll talk you through the shades now:

Starting with the top row:

Glow is a great shade for setting your eye shadow primer. It is a pearlescent off white colour however it isn’t really light enough to cause a highlight on me (but I am very pale).  This is the only not matte shade in the palette – however the glow is very subtle.  I also like this shade for minimal makeup days with a darker colour in the outer corners and this placed over the rest of the lid – simple yet effective.

Nudie is exactly as it is described, a light pinky nude.  I like it for a transition colour as it blends effortlessly, so quick and easy for the mornings.

Commando, the matte more taupe looking nude is also perfect for a very subtle transition colour again blending very easily.

Tempted is a cool toned brown shade.  It also blends easily and I use it in the crease to bring depth to the eye.

Instinct is a subtle pink / purple taupe.  I really like this colour for fall, great to wear with berry toned lipstick.

Lethal is a highly pigmented shadow so be warned, only use a little product and build if you need to.  I would describe this shade as a purple brown, however Urban Decay describe it as reddish brown.  Have a look for yourself at the swatches and see what you think.  This colour can be a little streaky (as with another few below) when you apply but it blends out lovely, you just need to keep blending.

The second row has:

Pre-game is a light yellow toned shadow.  Again this could be used to set your eye make shadow primer or like Glow is lovely on the lid for an all matte day with darker shadows in the crease and outer corners.

Extra Bitter has to be my favourite colour in the palette.  This highly pigmented burnt orange shade warms up the eyes and is so autumnal.

Faith is a light chocolate brown.  I really like this shade but do find it can be a little streaky but with blending it looks great, just like the shade lethal mentioned above.

Lockout is slightly richer in shade than faith, being a slightly darker matte brown.

Magnet is a lovely grey colour which I have used and love.  This colour blends lovely however it is highly pigmented so use sparingly (obviously dependent on the look you are going for).

Blackjack is the matte black.  I have used this shadow a lot as liner and love it, giving a softer look than gel liner.  I have used it as a shadow and found it blended nicely for a such a dark shade.

I have had this palette for over a week now so this post is really a ‘first impressions’ although I have used the product a quite a few times and have tried to use all the shades.  One thing to note about the palette is that some colours are not as pigmented as others for example, Nudie to Tempted on the top row.  Whereas Lethal and all of the bottom row are very pigmented.  I don’t think this is an issue you as those with less pigmentation blend so easily it is simple to layer to provide a fuller colour.

As I mentioned above, a few of the colours are harder to blend than other, mainly Lethal, Faith and Lockout, however with a little extra blending they look great.

Overall I like this palette, the shade range is great and overall the quality is great.

Have you tired the Naked Ultimate Basics palette?  Let me know what you think?  Or what your favourite Urban Decay palette is? Get involved!

Love

Being Graceful xx