Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Review and Swatches
20:12As soon as I saw a picture of the Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics, I knew it had to be mine. I couldn't even wait for it to launch in Australia, so I used a forwarding service to get it here. I've been playing with this for a few weeks now, and these are my thoughts so far.
Packaging
Not going to lie, I wanted this palette mostly for the packaging. Although, that is the case with most of my makeup purchases. Unlike most, this palette is square. I actually find this shape convenient, particularly for travel, or popping it in the makeup bag. The square size also means that the mirror, which is pretty decent by the way, is of good size, and you can actually see your entire face as opposed to just a smell section of it. Unlike the Naked 2 and 3, the outside casing of this is plastic, but with a metallic finish. I believe this makes it more durable and lighter than previous Naked palettes.
The first row is mostly transition shades. This first row is definitely less pigmented of the two. With the exception of Lethal on the far right. It's also to be noted that whilst this claims to be an all matte palette, Blow is more of a satin as it has a very slight shimmer. Nudie, Commando, and Tempted are great transition and light crease shades, but they're also probably the least pigmented in the palette.
Top Row
Left to right - Blow, Nudie, Commando, Tempted, Instinct, Lethal.
The bottom row contains the deeper shades of the palette. I found these to be more pigmented in comparison to the first row. So far, Extra Bitter, Faith and Lockout are my favourites.
Bottom Row
Left to right - Pre-Game, Extra Bitter, Faith, Lockout, Magnet and Blackjack.
ValueSo how does this fair value wise compared to other eyeshadows? This is $54 for 12 eyeshadows, working out at $4.50 USD per 0.04oz. Compare this to Makeup Geek, with $6 USD for a 0.064oz eyeshadow pan. Or $3 USD per 0.02oz. of Anastasia Beverly Hills shadows in Modern Renaissance palette.
Price to product:
UD - $1.125 per 0.01oz
MUG - $0.94 per 0.01oz
ABH - $1.50 per 0.01oz
So, based on this, the Urban Decay Naked Basics Ultimate is of comparable value to other popular brands on the market.
Final thoughts
I like this palette. It's a good everyday colour selection. Perfect for work or school. It's a 'I don't have to think too much about this look' palette. Not to mention, the packaging is to die for. However, this palette doesn't blow me away. The colour selection is really nothing special, chances are if you're an avid makeup junkie, you already have these shades somewhere in your collection. The formula is sheer in comparison to other brands, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills, who is known for her pigmented mattes. I honestly don't mind that though, as it means less effort on my part with application and blending.
This palette has been a great addition to my collection, and I'm glad I bought it. But I don't think it's something that everyone needs. Especially if you already have a lot of eyeshadow. If you are however, starting out with makeup, or an avid makeup junkie, this is a great palette!
This is already available from Sephora US, which is where I bought it using the forwarding service Shop and Box. You can read more about Shop and Box on my blog post here. For Australian gals, this palette will be available at Mecca very soon, rumour has it the 11th of November. I figure I'd have this post up prior to release, in the hopes it will help you decide wether you want to pick this one up!
Thanks for reading!
Em x
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