For years, I've been searching for the perfect neutral eye shadow palette. Not one single neutral palette out there satisfied me. As I got older, my search for a matte neutral eye shadow palette increased. I've been trying to steer clear of shimmery shadows since I've entered my thirties as they draw attention to wrinkles.
Enter Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette: 6 neutral shades. 5 of the 6 are matte and 1 is shimmery. I can forgive for the 1 shimmery shadow since I use it to highlight the brow bone area and the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up. The color pay from the shadows are good since they are well pigmented. The shadows themselves are smooth and blend very well.
Shadow colors from left to right: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame (W.O.S), Naked 2, Faint, and Crave.
Venus: I use Venus, the shimmery white to the far left of the palette, as a brow bone highlight as well as an inner eye brightener.
Foxy and W.O.S. can be used all over the lid, as a brow bone highlight, or inner eye brightener.
Naked 2 can double function as an all over lid color or as a transitioning/blending shadow.
Faint can be used as an all over lid color or for the outer corner of your eyes to make it more defined. I personally like to use Faint to define the creases of my eyes.
Crave can be used for the outer corner of your eyes in addition to being a great liner.
If you want to transition from a natural daytime look into an evening look, the eye shadows in this palette can act as a base. Apply colored shadow over the Naked Basics shadows and, voila, you're ready for a night out. As with any other eye shadow, I recommend using an eye shadow primer before application to prolong its staying power as well as decrease creasing from oily lids.
Aside from the gorgeous shades and their smooth application, I like that these shadows come in a very compact container. In fact, the palette itself is smaller than an iPhone and just as sleek. Thus, this will be a staple in my makeup bag when I travel.
Available at urbandecay.com, Sephora, Ulta, and Macy's for $27.
Verdict: A necessary staple in my makeup bag.
