Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette ($54.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a set of cooler-toned shades ranging from beige to black with a definite slant towards grayish tones. The eyeshadows are arranged by finish from most shimmery to least shimmery. The formula feels different than previous Urban Decay releases; it feels noticeably drier and almost chalky to me, especially in the more satin/matte shades, and the press feels firmer. In a way, they remind me of the dryness I felt in the holiday palettes of last year, but the firmer press resulted in less excess powder kicked up all over the place when used and less fall out during application. They almost feel more like Too Faced or LORAC eyeshadows, though LORAC has a silkier feel overall. This texture made it particularly difficult to use them without primer, and I’ve been able to use the prior releases reasonably well (some better than others) without primer (and in general, I can do so with the majority of Urban Decay’s eyeshadows from the permanent line). For summer, the brand added several new brightly-colored eyeshadows that I was easily able to use without primer (see this post), but this was not workable on bare skin. The texture of these is nothing like the individual shades launched for summer and don’t really feel like any past iteration of their formula. Whether or not it is accurate, the texture and performance feels like a cheapening of the Urban Decay eyeshadow formula on the whole but at the very least, I’ve lost a lot of faith in their ability to put together a high-quality, high-value palette based on the recent palette releases.
One of the brand’s best matte eyeshadows (to me), Tyranny, was in the Urban Decay’s Pulp Fiction Palette, as it was smooth, velvety, and incredibly blendable with little work, while still retaining their color payoff over bare skin (no primer) — and the more recently added Beware and Riff were much easier to use. The mattes here tended to turn patchy when I applied to them in my crease, and they were harder to blend out as they applied unevenly and wouldn’t really go anywhere from there. The satins and mattes were prone to fading and fall out just sitting there; I put Dagger on the middle of my lid, went to apply color to the outer lid/crease, and it had gone from a deeper, bluish-gray to a faded, light-medium gray within twenty minutes. Really packing it on with a flat, synthetic brush (I used MAC’s 242) seemed to intensify it and keep it there a bit longer, but it just seems to settle into a more faded presence within a few minutes, and that’s the state it is in for the next several hours. The more shimmery shades were easier to use (shimmery finishes seem to have better or more binding agents in them that help them in the quest to apply to bare skin), but two of them have micro-glitter and the drier formula seemed to result in a greater amount of glitter fall out over time. I had the best luck applying everything with a flatter, firmer brush (I used the 242) and really pressing the eyeshadows onto the skin and gently lifting it away and doing blending towards the end with a very light hand. However, I think that using an eyeshadow primer is a must-have; it took 45 minutes per look to even get it to be that blended (and it’s not blended–both looks using this palette without primer are disappointing) and only 20 minutes over primer (and infinitely less frustrating).
Occasionally, I am asked why I don’t test eyeshadows with primer, and the reason is that many brands promise the moon and deliver a sliver of the moon instead. Take Urban Decay’s description of their eyeshadow formula as an example: “Every shade features our Pigment Infusion System™, the proprietary blend of ingredients that gives each shade its velvety texture, rich color, serious staying power and blendability.” All of those things are often the reason to use primer (make it easier to use an eyeshadow, improve color payoff and longevity), and you can easily take a pretty poor-performing eyeshadow, slap it over a white, tacky base and make it look beautiful–but an eyeshadow that can do it without primer doesn’t benefit as greatly from it (there is less room for improvement–if it is already totally opaque, it’s not going to get more opaque, you know?). My approach is to tell you how it works relative to the brand’s promises, knowing that you can always use primer, a white base, glitter adhesive, or even a colored base to improve the performance of a particular product or to really lock your makeup on for 16-hour days (which is why the scores are broken out so even at a glance, you can see where a product fell short and determine whether that’s an issue for you as well, because we each of our own styles, routines, and deal-breakers!).
It is packaged in a hard, plastic case that is slightly translucent and holds together with a magnetic closure. It’s sturdy, streamlined, and doesn’t feel like it is too bulky. The dual-ended brush is usable, though I think a shading brush would have been more useful (something to pack on color). I think the palette could use one more mid-tone transition shade to suit a greater spectrum of skin tones (perhaps ditch Slanted or Dagger, they are more similar than not, especially as they sheer out).
The palette releases on UrbanDecay.com on July 8th, with retailers like Sephora, ULTA, Beauty.com, and Macy’s to follow. ULTA has given July 12th for online, July 16th for in-stores, and the others have a “mid-July” date per Urban Decay. The palette is permanent.
High is described as a “champagne shimmer with micro-glitter.” It’s a light, peachy-beige with warm undertones and a frosted, metallic sheen paired with coppery micro-glitter. The texture is slightly dry but still yields good color payoff and adheres to the lid fairly well–you get a smoother, almost metallic finish when applied. Some of the glitter just gets trapped in the brush, but the glitter drops over time while worn. It lasted for eight hours. Urban Decay Last Sin (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted. LORAC Champagne (P, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler. Too Faced Cheers! (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery. Tom Ford Beauty Orchid Haze #1 (P, ) is less shimmery, warmer. MAC Fabulous Three #2 (LE, ) is lighter, brighter. MAC Jest (P, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter. MAC Summer Honey (LE, $21.00) is lighter, cooler. Urban Decay Sin (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter. Urban Decay Snatch (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, cooler. bareMinerals Custom Made (LE, ) is less shimmery. MAC Love Connection #1 (P, $21.00) is cooler. MAC Sweet Heat (P, $20.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler. Urban Decay Sellout (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter. Milani Champagne Toast (P, $6.49) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter. Makeup Geek Starry Eyed (P, $9.99) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Dirtysweet is described as a “medium bronze.” It’s a light-medium, golden brown with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. It had nice color payoff with a soft, smooth texture that felt a little dry and thinner compared to most of the brand’s more metallic eyeshadows. It wore well for eight hours before fading. LORAC Smokey Topaz (LE, ) is darker. Tarte No Champagne, No Gain (LE, ) is darker. MAC English Gilt (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery, brighter. Tarte Dare to Be Gold (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. Too Faced Nutmeg (LE, $16.00) is lighter. Kat Von D Nephilim (LE, ) is darker. Hourglass Exposure #3 (P, ) is cooler. MAC Natural Vigor #2 (LE, $21.00) is lighter, cooler. Hourglass Exposure #3 (P, ) is cooler. Hourglass Obscura #3 (P, ) is brighter, warmer. Giorgio Armani Cold Copper (09) (P, $38.00) is darker, cooler. Dior Golden Flower #4 (LE, ) is darker. MAC Tempting (P, $16.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer. Urban Decay Chase (P, $18.00) is darker, warmer. Makeup Geek Bleached Blonde (P, $5.99) is less shimmery, darker, warmer. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Radar is described as a “metallic taupe with iridescent micro-glitter.” It’s a medium-dark brown with warm, yellowed undertones and lighter gold sparkle over a frosted sheen. It was a lot firmer and less glittery compared to the version that was in the Vice 2 palette, which is good, but the color also appears less intense and lighter. Urban Decay Deeper (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery, brighter. Urban Decay Snakebite (LE, $18.00) is warmer. NARS Ursa Major (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, cooler. Hourglass Color Field #3 (P, ) is less shimmery. Hourglass Obscura #5 (P, ) is warmer. Guerlain Les Precieux #4 (LE, ) is cooler. MAC Permanent Press #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter. ColourPop Nillionaire (P, $5.00) is more shimmery, lighter. ColourPop Nillionaire (P, $5.00) is more shimmery, lighter. Urban Decay Reign (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, darker. Burberry Gold #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. ColourPop Mooning (P, $5.00) is less shimmery, darker. Burberry Gold #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. Urban Decay Stun (LE, $18.00) is darker. Make Up For Ever D640 Golden Snake (P, $21.00) is darker, warmer.See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Armor is described as a “metallic silver-taupe with tonal sparkle.” It’s a dark, taupe gray with a frosted, lightly sparkly finish. It had nice color payoff and was the densest shade with respect to texture in the palette, though it felt more prone to crumbling compared to the version that was in the Vice palette. It wore well for eight and a half hours with a tiny amount of fall out, but it was easy to use. Make Up For Ever #2 (P, $23.00) is less shimmery. Chanel Illusoire (P, $36.00) is darker. MAC Dangerous Cuvee (P, $18.50) is lighter, brighter, cooler. Chanel Illusoire (P, $36.00) is darker. Chanel Illusoire (P, $36.00) is darker. MAC Electroplate (LE, $21.00) is lighter. Giorgio Armani #4 (P, $33.00) is darker, warmer. Giorgio Armani Organica (Left) (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. Giorgio Armani Organica (Left) (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. Kat Von D Darkstar (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker. Surratt Beauty Patine (P, $20.00) is more shimmery, cooler. MAC Keep Your Cool (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, glossier. MAC Stolen Moment (P, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker, brighter, more pigmented, glossier, cooler. MAC Trusted Instinct #5 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter. MAC Stormy Sunset (LE, $16.00) is darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Slanted is described as a “light metallic gray.” It’s a muted, medium gray with cool, bluish undertones and a pearly sheen. It had so-so color payoff with a powdery, almost chalky texture that was prone to fading on the lid and going on unevenly. It started to fade after six and a half hours. Estee Lauder Modern Mercury #2 (LE, $21.00) is lighter. Urban Decay Ace (LE, $18.00) is darker. CoverGirl Charcoal (335) (P, $4.99) is lighter. MAC Smokeluxe #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, darker. MAC Thunder and Rain #1 (LE, $21.00) is darker, warmer. MAC Showgirl (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, lighter. Too Faced Chimney (LE, $16.00) is darker, warmer. MAC Graphic Style (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery. Kat Von D Piaf (LE, ) is lighter, brighter. Tarina Tarantino Silver Shoes (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker. Tarina Tarantino Diamond Dusk #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter. Milani Bella Gray (10) (P, $4.49) is lighter. Kat Von D Dios (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #2 (P, ) is lighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #2 (P, ) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Dagger is described as a “medium charcoal with micro-shimmer.” It’s a dark gray with cool, blue undertones and a satin finish. It had a soft, blendable texture, but it was thin, dry, and powdery–this is a shade that I would pat on, then work on another color, and it would look like I had hardly applied it. The color was significantly faded after five and a half hours of wear. Bobbi Brown Gunmetal (LE, $21.00) is darker, brighter. theBalm Matt McDonald (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery. Urban Decay Ace (LE, $18.00) is darker. Disney by Sephora Flotsam (LE, ) is lighter. MAC Thunder and Rain #1 (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery, lighter. Chanel Fascination #3 (P, ) is more shimmery. theBalm #26 (P, $6.50) is darker. Givenchy Gris Organza (7) (P, $23.00) is less shimmery. MAC Plumluxe #5 (P, ) is more shimmery, darker. Hourglass Graphite #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Black Market is described as a “jet black satin.” It’s a deepened black with cool undertones and a satiny sheen. It had decent pigmentation and wasn’t too powdery, but it was difficult to blend on bare skin as the texture was thinner and drier. It lasted for six and a half hours before fading. This shade was originally seen in the Vice palette. Estee Lauder Violet Underground #4 (LE, $21.00) is darker. MAC Smokeluxe #5 (P, ) is darker. MAC A Waft of Grey #4 (P, $21.00) is more shimmery. MAC Fashion Legend (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery. LORAC Caviar (LE, ) is warmer. Giorgio Armani Obsidian (01) (P, $38.00) is darker. Le Metier de Beaute Genre (LE, $30.00) is warmer. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Smolder is described as a “deep plum-taupe.” It’s a blackened plummy purple with subtle, warmer undertones in its base (but the sheen looks almost cool-toned). It had good pigmentation, while the texture was soft but a little dry, which made blending more challenging than I would have expected from this shade. It lasted for seven and a half hours before fading. MAC Pinkluxe #5 (P, ) is brighter. LORAC Deep Purple (P, ) is more shimmery. Too Faced Jungle Love (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, cooler. Make Up For Ever ME930 Black Purple (P, $21.00) is brighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Night Owl #7 (P, ) is less shimmery, lighter. Hourglass Exposure #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, brighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Night Owl #7 (P, ) is less shimmery, lighter. Hourglass Exposure #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, brighter. Hourglass Exposure #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, brighter. Hourglass Exposure #4 (P, ) is more shimmery, brighter. MAC Black Slip (LE, $16.00) is lighter, warmer. L’Oreal Smoldering Plum (P, $7.99) is less shimmery, brighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Password is described as a “cool taupe matte.” It’s a muted, medium-dark taupe with cool undertones and a matte finish. The texture was very soft, smooth, but on the drier side, and so this shade was prone to sheering out as it was quite powdery. I found it to be rather blendable, but it was just so sheer on bare skin. It lasted for six and a half hours on me. LORAC Stone (LE, ) is lighter. Make Up For Ever M106 Slate (P, $21.00) is darker. LORAC Cool Gray (P, ) is warmer. Guerlain Two VIP #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter. MAC Smoked Cocoa #2 (LE, $16.00) is lighter. Buxom Jetsetter (P, $12.00) is warmer. Sephora + Pantone Universe Deep Taupe (LE, ) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Whiskey is described as a “rich brown matte.” It’s a muted, dark brown with subtle, warm reddish undertones and a matte finish. The texture was dry and thin, and the firmness is really felt with these matte shades in the palette. It had semi-opaque color payoff and felt dusty in use, but it eventually “melted” on the skin and didn’t looked caked on after a few minutes. It was fairly blendable, and it wore for six and a half hours before fading. MAC Swiss Chocolate (P, $16.00) is darker, warmer. Chanel Charming #4 (LE, ) is darker. MAC Ground Brown (P, $16.00) is darker. Inglot #360 (P, $6.00) is lighter, warmer. Inglot #327 (P, $6.00) is darker, warmer. Tarte Powerful (LE, ) is darker. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Dreamer #4 (P, ) is darker. Kat Von D Solas (P, ) is warmer. Kat Von D Sytry (P, ) is darker. MAC Choco Cake (LE, $16.00) is . Tarte Picnic Basket (LE, ) is warmer. Kat Von D Leather (LE, ) is brighter, warmer. Tarte Multi-Tasker (LE, ) is darker. Kat Von D Shadow Box (P, ) is darker. Make Up For Ever M630 Sweet Chestnut (P, $21.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Combust is described as a “soft pink-taupe.” It’s a dirty, muted, light beige with a subtle, pink-ish tone that gives it a more cool-toned appearance. It had good pigmentation and was blendable on bare skin. The texture was softer and smoother with this shade, but it was prone to kicking up a lot of excess powder when you put the brush to it. On me, it lasted for seven hours before fading. Bobbi Brown Truffle (LE, $22.00) is darker, warmer. Anastasia Nude (P, $12.00) is brighter. Kat Von D South (LE, ) is lighter. MAC Cozy Grey (P, $16.00) is lighter. Urban Decay Habit (LE, $18.00) is lighter, warmer. Inglot #390 (P, $6.00) is lighter. MAC Bisque (DC, $16.00) is lighter, brighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Thirteen is described as a “light beige satin.” It’s a brightened, subdued white-beige with a mostly matte finish. There is a little sheen that becomes apparent when blended out on the skin, but it is slight. The texture was soft, finely-milled, and a little powdery but very blendable on the skin. It started to fade after seven and a half hours of wear. This is a shade that I’d make sure to tap your brush off to minimize fall out during application. Kat Von D Lifelike (P, ) is darker, warmer. Bobbi Brown Ivory (P, $22.00) is warmer. MAC Pick Me Up (P, $16.00) is warmer. Too Faced Jingle All the Way Eyeshadow #10 (LE, $16.00) is warmer. Urban Decay Kinky (LE, $18.00) is darker. MAC Blanc Type (P, $16.00) is darker, warmer. bareMinerals Chance (P, ) is warmer. Inglot #353 (P, $6.00) is warmer. Kat Von D Liberatus (P, ) is lighter. Makeup Geek White Lies (P, $5.99) is cooler. Too Faced Meringue (LE, $16.00) is darker, warmer. Too Faced Meow (LE, $16.00) is darker, warmer. Too Faced Rockabilly (P, $16.00) is darker, warmer. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Naked Smoky
PPermanent. $59.00.
High
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Whiskey
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Combust
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Thirteen
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Dirtysweet
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Radar
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
Armor
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Slanted
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Dagger
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Black Market
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Smolder
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Password
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay High Eyeshadow
Urban Decay High Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Dirtysweet Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Dirtysweet Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Radar Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Radar Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Armor Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Armor Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Slanted Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Slanted Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Dagger Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Dagger Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Black Market Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Black Market Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Smolder Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Smolder Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Password Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Password Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Whiskey Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Whiskey Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Combust Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Combust Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Thirteen Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Thirteen Eyeshadow
Slanted (inner lid), Dagger (middle of lid), Smolder (outer lid), Black Market (crease), Password (crease),
Combust (above crease/crease), Thirteen (brow bone), Sephora Baby Blue Eyeliner — No Primer
Slanted (inner lid), Dagger (middle of lid), Smolder (outer lid), Black Market (crease), Password (crease),
Combust (above crease/crease), Thirteen (brow bone), Sephora Baby Blue Eyeliner — No Primer
High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner — No Primer
High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner — No Primer
Over UD Primer Potion (Original): High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Password (above crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner
Over UD Primer Potion (Original): High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Password (above crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner
Over MAC Painterly: High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Password (above crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner
Over MAC Painterly: High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid), Smolder (outer lid/crease),
Whiskey (crease), Password (above crease), Combust (above crease), Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone),
Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner
Over MAC Painterly/UDPP: High (inner lid), Dirtysweet (middle of lid), Radar (middle of lid/outer lid),
Smolder (outer lid/crease), Whiskey (crease), Password (above crease), Combust (above crease),
Thirteen (mixed with Combust, brow bone), Sephora Girl Talk Eyeliner
Part of me is intrigued. And then the other part of me remembers I never ever ever use my Naked3 and I wonder if it’s indicative of my feelings about UD shadows.
Possibly, though these feel pretty different from past formulations I’ve tried from UD, so who knows if these would be better/worse for you 😉
Me too!! I am so done with the UD craze, and I’ve been crazed for almost 20 years!
Totally agree Arielle! I’m kinda torn but really don’t think Ill end up purchasing this one. I got the Naked3 & was obsessed until I actually used it a couple of times! It’s that gorgeous packaging that gets me… Which is so stupid!!
Womp wooooomp. Well that’s anti-climactic. A company like Urban Decay knows by now that people are looking for quality. I won’t spend money on products which are mediocre when there are so many excellent options these days. I do like the color selection. Execution needs to be better – especially on those mattes. On the bright side, I love the looks you did, Christine! Beautiful as always. 🙂
The mattes were really a bummer – I had felt more confident in UD’s matte formulation as of late!
Could NOT have put it better, myself! EXACTLY. Down to the huge compliment on the beautiful look, Christine!
OH CHRISTINE THOSE EYE LOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just died, those are MY COLORS!!!
But it sounds like they are taking a lesson from MAC in their palettes vs. singles which is a shame.
Did I say THOSE EYE LOOKS? Seriously swooning here. It all looks gorgeous on you.
I just don’t know how they can put out the matte formula of Riff/Beware and then do something totally different here!
Ditto it looking gorgeous! I personally think the Sephora liners saved/made the look!
Yeah I think I’m gonna pass on this one. It’s nothing unique. Even so, if the quality were there I might could justify the purchase but since it’s not then I’m skipping it.
I was worried once I started to swatch through it, then more disappointed in use.
Thank you for the review! I was looking forward to this palette, but it looks like quite a miss… 🙁
Sorry to be the bearer of bad newws 🙁 I just feel bad.
No need to feel bad, I am grateful for your honest review.This is the reason why I check your blog, I know you can be counted on. So thank you!
🙂 The best way to describe is more like – when you guys get excited for something, I’m excited for you, so when something people are excited about it and my review is not glowing, I’m like ohh 🙁 I’m looking forward to once readers can buy and have my fingers crossed that maybe others will have better luck with it!
Makes sense. I guess your credibility is a gift and a curse ;(
Luckily, doing right by readers is ultimately easy and always the right thing to do, so it’s all good 😀
I can see why you would hate to give this news. Oh well I wasn’t getting it anyway, too dark . But you sure did some pretty looks with it!
Thank you, Denise!
Christine, have you tried any of the previous Naked palettes recently? I got the Naked 2 within the past year, and I was pretty disappointed with the color payoff. the shadows don’t look good without primer and many are pretty hard/stiff. I love the LORAC shadows, so I was surprised by the quality gap between the two products. I’m wondering if this is par for their quality nowadays.
I only have the ones from their original launches. I’ve never finished a palette, so I haven’t had reason to repurchase one!
oh no, that makes me nervous! i’m still on my first Naked 1 palette and I would like to repurchase that when I’m done (will still be a while!). I hope they don’t tinker around with past formulas!
I got the Naked 2 very recently, and mine is a dream to work with in terms of application (longevity is another issue entirely, that I’m struggling with). Maybe you just got a dud? Which, is still a Quality Control issue that shouldn’t be a thing, but still.
I have a really strange things happening around naked palettes. I had a couple of single eyeshadows that I liked and naked 2 basics that I enjoyed so I decided to purchase one of the naked ones and choose Naked 3. In sephora sample had great pigmentation, but the palette I got was nothing compared – 2 matte eyehsadows did not fingerswatched at all, like zero pigmentation. And I was quite sure I did not get fake(beauty consultant told me that sometimes people return fakes to them and that is how they can get on the market). When I came back to return it I tried the sample one more time and I did not have issues with the same colors. I exchanges it for Naked 2 and the same thing happened – eyeshadows that I got were less creamy and pigmented than ones on display. Moreover I got allergy reaction on it that I never ever had on eyeshadows. Does someone know how is this happening?
Could be because of people always touching the displays, they may have absorbed finger oils, moisture, etc. give yours some time
Well that seals it. I’ll be passing on this one. Thanks, Christine, for the honest review!
No problem, M!
The looks done without primer don’t look that good, but to be honest I never apply powder eyeshadows without a primer, so I don’t think that it would be a deal-breaker for me.
As for UD’s shadow formula in their palettes not being as good as it used to be – hasn’t that been the case for a while now? I feel like saying that UD’s shadows are the best is now like saying MAC’s shadows are the highest quality: it used to be true, but it’s simply not anymore.
Totally understand! 🙂
Yes and no. The Shadow Box was a MASSIVE drop in quality – like WHOA! what happened?!?! drop (to me). Their summer eyeshadows that just launched a month ago are amazing! The Pulp Fiction palette was good overall. The Vice LTD was decent to good, but the regular Vice for last holiday was so-so.
Thank you for your honest review! I do not think I will be purchasing this, I have better things to spend money on such as Makeup Geek and Viseart 🙂
I liked the Pulp Fiction palette so much that I purchased a back up. I really like the Ammo palette and my very first UD palette was the skull palette in 2005 which was excellent. However I will say that every time I go to use my VICE 3 I feel soooo disappointed. I’ve tried 3+ times to do a look with Last Sin and it just flakes off my eyes. The shadows I have used just don’t perform well. This is saddening to me because I love my Naked 2, Naked 3, Ammo, Deluxe Shadow Box (old). So I am not sure what is happening with them. They have always been my favorite brand but lately I’m just not impressed. However their recent eyeshadow single releases have been great and I love the Naked Skin foundation, sooo I guess I just won’t buy any more palettes.
This is so disappointing. As someone who was super excited about this palette because I don’t own any of the Nakeds and this seemed to be more my speed, I will once again not purchase it. I simply don’t get the hype behind Urban Decay, their shadows seem to be a step above mediocre at best, comparable to the Coastal Scents Revealed palettes. Those palettes are in my opinion worth the price I paid for them.
I have really liked a lot of their palettes, but some of the recent ones I have had issues with. I loved their summer eyeshadows, personally!
2nd comment/question – I don’t own any UD palettes except Glinda – so I think it’s reasonable for me to get this. And I’m sure over primer it should be OK, right? The only palette I have sorta similar right now is Uptown Girl by Charlotte Tilbury – would you say these overlap much with this UD palette? I really love the coolness of this palette.
#3 is more glittery and brighter than High, but it’s the “most comparable,” and same #4 compared to Smolder (but it is lighter and warmer). I did two looks with primer, so you can see how those look. They’re the last two in the post!
I really did love the Pulp Fiction palette and I also own the three first Nakeds but I’m passing on this one. It’s far too cold-toned for my skin and your review just sealed it.
Pulp Fiction’s mattes are so much nicer too!
I’m suddenly not excited for this as much anymore.
I hear you! 🙁
Well, considering it’s not CF, it shouldn’t be as painful a loss!
UD is cruelty free. Their parent company? No. But UD, yes.
Sorry! I wasn’t sure where you drew the line; L’Oréal is, in itself CF, as they don’t directly test on animals, but since you’d commented previously about L’Oréal not being CF, I presumed you included everything under the umbrella (as that seems to be the case with most people I know).
Thanks for putting the effort in to explaining why this isn’t the best. I’m just gonna buy Nars smudgeproof base and wait for a cheaper dupe of this palette. That’ll work.
There ya go! I haven’t tried it, but maybe Maybelline The Smokes could work. I keep waiting for a sale, lol!
Watch for Makeup Revolution. They are always duping other brands palettes for a fraction of a cost, never tried their stuff, but there have been some rave reviews and swatches online.
I looooove the Nars smudge proof primer, I have hooded eyelids that are actually greasy, and it makes all eye products wear like iron.
This palette was going to be a skip for me anyway, I wasn’t too impressed with the other NAKED palettes and barely use them, but thank you for the honest review!
My pleasure, Pavithra!
Oh my. That was both disappointing and very helpful! 🙂 I was most excited for Whiskey, but it doesn’t sound like that particular shadow will be as great as I was thinking. Looks like I’ll be sticking with Naked 1; you can honestly get a nice smoky eye out of that without needing a separate palette. Thanks for the quick and honest review–much appreciated!
No problem, Joanne!
I fully support and have nothing but gratitude for your stance on testing without primers. While I use primers when I must, it is important to me for brands to stay true to what they advertise and I believe that a quality item WILL perform without primer just as well as they do with primer. Not everyone can use primers as so many eyes are sensitive to the ingredients. And while that’s not a problem for me, I personally find it misleading when site’s don’t disclose use of primer in eyeshadow review. Showing and testing both with and without is great and important. I like that you always discuss your results with and without, including what kind of primer works best (if it works on thinner formulas, more common formulas, epoxies, or a tackier and thicker base). It’s the more truthful approach and takes integrity and time to test that way (40+ MINUTES WITHOUT PRIMER? WOW!)
On the palette itself: I found the brush shape choice interesting here. Normally I like the included UD brushes more than you do, Christine, but I agree that the shape here threw me off a bit. It’s a nice-looking brush, but lacks a color-packing side. It just feels like something is missing to me, including transitional options and a hint more color to allow for more diversity in look creation. I do appreciate that they are adding cooler tones and hope it sells well to encourage them to continue do so. I don’t think it’s for me with a B-, though I do like some of the tones here. The first look you did with Smolder looks nicely ethereal on you and you know how much I love ethereal 😉 Hope everyone who does get it loves it! I’m always happy when makeup makes others happy even if it’s not for me.
All that said, I will probably swatch it and check it out. But I am a little nervous at some of the thinner, firmer, less velvety releases from UD. As you said, they are still producing lots of their more classic velvety offerings with singles and certain palettes so I still have hope that they’ll stick with those sorts of formulations instead of some of the newer/thinner ones.
The only upside is they did have less powderiness, but it was just such a different feel compared to a lot of their more recent matte eyeshadows.
I do agree — an A+ eyeshadow on its own will still be an A+ eyeshadow over a primer, so it’s really a distinctive way to show A+ from a C. I feel it’s a comment on the primer’s performance that it can take a C product to an A-looking product! My husband is always like, “Why doesn’t everyone just use primer?” LOL 😉
Can you imagine sitting there, blending away the same shade for over a half hour? I usually just reach my threshold for frustration and go, “That’s all folks!’ Because this IS such a buzzed about palette from a popular franchise, and because I haven’t had issues with the formula to this degree in the past, I did want to see how it would work over primer (in case it was so bad, even primer wasn’t helpful enough).
I look at my job as setting expectations; it’s less saying “Don’t buy this!” and “You need this!” (which is uncomfortable for me to say) but more “this is how it performed for me, so you might want to look out for these things or know that maybe you’ll need a primer or a glitter adhesive if you hate fall out.” Readers are smart enough to know what they’re willing to work with (or not) and what things are deal-breakers (one of the more polarizing is suffering a drying lip product for crazy long wear, which some have no problem with and others prefer reapplying multiple times a day to get hydration instead).
Thanks, Celia! 🙂
Exactly. I love that you are clearly not trying to sell readers on anything or something remotely of the sort. Instead, you share information for the benefit of people who are just as passionate as you are about the subject. There is never any influence to buy or not buy. Informing the consumer and allowing for realistic expectations is a great thing. And ugh, unfortunately I can totally imagine the frustration of sitting there attempting to make a look work. Though I would’ve been tempted to throw in the brush, so to speak 😉 Your patience was tested for our benefit so thanks as always <3
Thank you, Celia!
Agree on the feeling of the site, it does not feel “selling” which I would dislike a lot. It is giving information and then we can see what we’ll do.
Also the companies get tons of exposure, still, especially when a product performs well. So this site is good for companies, too, without that this fact is disturbing the joy of reading. Even the bad reviews are good for companies because if they are smart, they will try to fix the problems (like BIte, did, for example.). So win-win-win for everyone.
On the subject of primers, I have considered trying to use face powder that contains a lot of silicones. It would be essentially related, because primers are mostly silicone, too.
I understand that the creams create a different texture and are more tacky, too, but it might be an alternative for people who are very sensitive, as some powders use fewer ingredients than the primer gels and usually liquids require more preservatives.
I tried this with a drugstore e/s two days ago and i still have some bits of colour between my lashes (tried with three different removers) – might be the e/s which wears like iron, though but it could work, at least when it’s not humid.
Than you, Lilac! 🙂 It pleases me greatly to know that it doesn’t feel like selling!
Good companies appreciate the good and the bad as far as feedback goes, and great companies will take it back to development (whether they use it or improve is another story, but if they actually consider it, even for a moment, then that’s what they should be doing).
This. THIS convo right here between Celia and yourself is gives the definitive answer to why this particular site is so very needed, appreciated and most importantly, highly respected. It’s your integrity, Christine, as well as how comprehensive and in-depth your reviews are. I find your honest evaluations refreshing. And because I’m a picky perfectionist, I love your thoroughness and detailed appraisals.
Thanks so much, Nancy! 🙂
I came here to say exactly the same thing!!! I totally second (and third! Fourth!) these awesome ladies (Celia, Nancy, Telisilla) who are loving and appreciating your honest, in-depth and no-holds-barred reviews!! There is just really NOTHING else like it on the entire Interwebs. Seriously your site and your reviews are the gold standard of beauty blogs (and there are many, as you know!) while I still love watching some YouTube vloggers, and bloggers of other genres, this is my only DAILY site I read, of any kind! I was so happy to read your explanation backing up why you always test makeup without primers, and just thought “YES please don’t ever change!” 🙂
Aww, thank you so much, Bonnie! 🙂
I totally agree. Thank you Christine for this space 🙂
This is the very reason this is my go to site when I want good information about a product. You don’t pull punches and when something disappoints you, you give details on why. If you say that a product only lasts six and a half hours, for example, I can see why a lot of people would skip it, while someone like me, who doesn’t wear makeup all day, wouldn’t have a problem with it. I really really appreciate all the work you put into this site.
I’m so used to stuff not lasting like 10+ hours that it’s no big deal to me (plus I’m home most of the time!), but then I’ll travel and then be like, “Gah! I need everything to last 16 hours now! What actually wears all-day?!”
Thank you! 🙂
If I use *any* shadow with the Kat von D primer, it stays until I take it off! The only issue I have with it is because my lids are already on the drier side, it can be a bit drying, so I only use it on days I really need to, and over an eye cream.
Amy, I was having a severe dry eye problem awhile back and found a savior in MUFE HD Elixir. I’m not sure if it’s still sold at Sephora, but you can get it at boutiques. It wonderfully increases hydration throughout the day and is very kind to sensitive eyes! Maybe that could help?
Preach! Amazing conversation! I fully agree! It’s nice to see the appreciation! Aww! 🙂
I agree, I think it gets a bit tough when every review someone posts is with a specific primer! – “I get all day wear with primer” doesn’t really tell us anything about the product itself!
Thanks so much for the review. I was very excited and convinced I was going to buy but I think I’ll pass.
No problem, Lindsey! Maybe you can check it out in stores when it is convenient, just in case!
I’m so dissappointed, in particular in the matte shades. I have been looking for a shade like Whiskey but when I see this poor pigmentation… Overall I’m really in love with the colors in the palette, but the price/quality ratio is just not worth it I guess (allthough I would love to have my Naked collection complete haha)
UD has done a lot of really nice matte browns, so I was really surprised that Whiskey was so lacking!
I’m disappointed. I love the colors. I may still get it just not sure.
I love the concept of a cooler-toned palette!
Ahh.. the matte colors look like total miss! I was looking forward to your review Christine, thanks for always being so honest!
Sadly, they were more problematic than good 🙁
Yes, the swatches clearly shows that 🙁
Their summer eye shadow release seems better, I have Fireball in mind. This palette rating is disappointing. Thankfully it’s pretty dupable, but I wish it had performed better! I love the colours.
The summer eyeshadows were sooooooooooooo good in comparison.
I hope UD is reading this blog, because I want them to come up with a better and more affordable custom palette ( 4-6-9 pans with a discount and slimmer design). I mean wouldn’t it be so cool if we could pick the best UD colors with the best formulas (like the summer collection) and pop them into that kit to create our own look? I bet THAT would be a huge hit.
I gave them an earful when it launched initially, LOL.
Yeah, their build-a-palette system needs a complete overhaul. Like YESTERDAY. I hate that bulky quad thingy of UD’s, plus the lack of incentive because of no discount when sooo many other companies do! UD needs to get their act together!
Agreed! They need to sell individual pans like Mac and Makeup Geek. I would buy more!
*Yep, this pretty much confirms my suspicions when I saw the initial swatches. If you compare them to swatches of the other Naked palettes, many of the shadows are not as vibrant, and looked dry and patchy.
* I agree with you on not using primer to test. I mean ANY awful shadow can look better with primer – I recently got the Hello Kitty Mon Amour shadow kit, and the pastels were probably an F because I couldn’t even get them to swatch on my arm, but with primer and an NYX Milk Pencil, they showed up on my lid, but you have to spend time doing it.
*And 20 minutes to blend these UD shadows WITH primer???? WTH? In the morning, I only get 20 minutes to do my entire face!! And 45 minutes WITHOUT primer??? Uh no thanks.
I’d say that if I’m not rushed, I usually spend 20-30 minutes to do two eyes if the shades aren’t similar (like all browns is always easier than four distinct colors), so you might be able to do it faster than I! 🙂 The time with no primer was only the point where I gave up trying to make it any better, haha. I started to feel like maybe it was getting WORSE.
Gosh, the mattes are disappointing. I am learning how to apply makeup to best complement my complexion (NC42), and I really need good, smooth, pigmented mattes to build contrast and create smooth transitions. Considering that this is supposed to work to create smokey looks…yeah, not so impressive.
Your looks, however, are divine!
That’s a good point, Amy! It’s a darker, smokier palette, so blendability is key to success. You can make a real mess if you have to keep going back to blend and pack on color!
I am so very disappointed. I am really torn and very happy that you got this review up so quickly. Your final look is gorgeous. I have painterly and I do use a primer regularly- I prefer just to use Nars or a regular primer versus the thicker base. But, I just purchased Lorac’s Dream Girl knowing that it will likely require a heavier base. I probably will reread this and make my final decision. But, I’m leaning on getting it in all honesty. At least I can make an informed decision though. Thanks for the honest review Christine!
NARS Smudge Proof should work with this, though I think UD’s is a little tackier (NARS is almost velvety) that UDPP/TFSI may be the better base between those three. Painterly works, but the thicker base and cooler-toned base muted some of the eyeshadows (depends on the shade, but Dirtysweet seemed ever-so-slightly less metallic over Painterly).
Ok. I have Too Faced shadow Insurance. I also have UDs anti-aging primer. The older formula. Do you think that would work? I could always pick up an UD primer if you think it is the best to make the palette the best. I’m not happy that I have to do that. But,Im going to look over the review again.if I buy it, I want it working as good as possible.
UD Anti-Aging is perfect 🙂 I think TFSI will work just fine as well!
Thanks Christine! Tremendous review! I need to wait until I have some timet set aside to thoroughly read it to make a decision. You are just amazing! 🙂
Have you ever considered doing a comparison post about eye primers? For example, tackiness, viscosity, color effect, etc?
I ask because I’ve only used Too Faced and one UD one a long time ago and I don’t use them often enough to know which I should use if I’m looking for a certain effect on the eyeshadow. I have a small Nars foil sample that I’ve been saving for a special occasion! LOL!
I have, but I haven’t tested enough of the primers on the market, and each primer takes about a week of testing (have to test on a variety of brands/formulas/finishes), so finding time to do that has always been difficult (it means I can’t test any new eyeshadows during that time) — I’ve been trying to work through them on days where I don’t have an eye product to test, but it has slow-going!
Hmmmm I’ll probably wait to swatch it in store then. I didn’t mind the Vice 3 palette but I always use primer since I have crazy oily eyelids. It is odd that the texture in their palettes has become so different than their singles. The summer singles I have are amazing.
I’d say try it in-store – no harm giving it a shot! Vice 3 was easier to use than this one, but even just using UDPP made a really significant difference in not just color payoff but ease. Normally, a really terrible eyeshadow is still not that easy to use over a primer (it’ll still take layering and more time to blend/work with it), but it was a lot easier with UDPP.
The summer eyeshadows were so smooth, blendable, pigmented, and had that delicious denser, more buttery/creamy consistency. Not a single one of these is like those! 🙁
Also, I totally get and appreciate why you don’t swatch with primers but I’ve always thought that, when it comes to something like this where there seems to be a big difference with how the shadows perform with primer, to maybe do comparison swatches (with and without primer). Kind of like how you’ve done with the look as a whole but just doing a single shade or something to kind of show that difference more.
Still love that you’re so impartial with your reviews though! You’re one of the only people I feel like I can trust when it comes to reviewing high-hype products.
Totally get it! 🙂
I think that while that sounds like a good idea, in practice it might be a bit more difficult – I mean, what if we don’t own the same brand of primer as Christine? I think that different primers can have vastly different results, and it might not be very scientific to assume that the “with primer” swatch represents all primers, or that “I achieved x hours of wear” could apply to anything other than the 1-2 primers in the post. Personally, I love that Temptalia tests things on her bare skin, so we have a baseline and everything is able to be compared fairly, without the use of a product that has nothing to do with the product or brand itself. Not everyone uses primers, and primer+eyeshadow combinations probably vary in effectiveness. Plus, introducing an extra product in does introduce an extra element to the review (we’d either be seeing the same primers consistently reviewed, or inconsistent reviews depending on which primers she tried) and an extra cost, if we want to get the same results Christine achieves.
Yep, this is exactly why it can get very complicated! Even primer is no guarantee of wear, but as you mentioned, one primer can work for me and then not someone else. And you would absolutely have to be consistent with the primer you were using to test if you wanted to have consistent, comparable reviews across the board.
I was waiting for your impressions about this christine!
Having read all your past reviews of naked palettes, this is the lowest review they’ve had. (naked1(A+) naked2(A-) naked3(A) and now the naked smoky (B+)) tbqh it didn’t got my inmediate attention because i’m not that skilled to do smoky eyes without looking like a racoon but if it was worth getting (temptalia gave an A+ get it, get it please! review) i would reconsiderate… after watching your naked palettes comparison post, even though i have the naked2, the naked1 seemed more appealing to me than getting this one (i know i dont need both because of the similarities but it looks so pretty hah)
It’s sad that it wasn’t as good as advertised 🙁 btw loved the eye looks you created!
and thank you for being honest about the products you test but in a way that don’t says “don’t buy this, it’s crap” but says “you will need this and that to make it work” and it leaves the choice to the reader to decide if they have the patience to do the extra work, i’ve seen other reviewers that test the same products as you but they say they loved everything or just point out a couple minor disadvantages of the product. i have to say since i read your blog i’ve been happier with the makeup purchases i do, no more unpleasant surprises! so thank you once again xx
Yep, this is the worst by a significant amount! I think the math worked out to be barely a B-.
Thank you so much, Marissa! 🙂 I really just want everyone to be happy with whatever they buy. Even if I don’t like something, if someone else loves it, I’m a happy camper! There are some products that I still really enjoy using even though they’re not perfect or they don’t meet whatever ridiculous claim the brand made, lol.
I agree, I think it’s wonderful that Christine will just say that the eyeshadow kicked up powder, that it was patchy, that it was difficult to blend/much sheerer than the brand’s claims – it’s all information we can actually use and understand. When a reviewer says things like “THIS SUCKS!” or “DON’T BUY IT!”, it isn’t allowing us to make an informed decision or giving us real information we can work with. That’s not to say that I don’t think a negative review or most disappointing product list has its place (I sometimes get a guilty pleasure from the F-rated reviews, I just feel like Temptalia is our guardian and she’s protecting us from having to try fractured disco ball shimmer and really, really physically painful eye pencils!) – so long as they inform us why the product was so disappointing (that the application was painful, that it didn’t live up to its claims, etc), rather than just judging anyone who buys it or telling people what to do.
I think that if people are okay with eyeshadows being a bit patchy or are willing to experiment because they love the colors, that should be their choice. I also think that Christine keeps her reviews really fair, factual, and classy – she doesn’t tell you what to like and what not to like, and she’ll never tell people she hates it and that it’s a stupid product/use insulting words or tell people not to buy it, she’ll just honestly say when she’s disappointed in a low quality/difficult to use product, and then give us real reasons. If you have better luck with it, or have been able to find or want to find a way to make it work, then I’ve only seen Christine wish people luck, saying “I hope you have better luck and that x or y works for you!”. She’s a sweetheart!
Aww, Alison! Thank you so much for your support 🙂
Meh…
🙁
No sad face! It’s your honest, thorough reviews and ample pictures that keep me from buying ALL the things! This is highly dupable so I don’t need it, thank GOODNESS!
Glad I could save you some money!
Of course. A palate with all the cool colors I need (and actually want) and the formula goes to hell. At this point, when I see a group of colors that will actually look good on me, I assume they suck.
LOL! Awww, Alice 🙁 That is all I could think of – I was like, “Finally, a sort of cooler-toned palette and they have to drop the ball…”
Have you lookef at the Kat von D Innerstellar palette? It’s not a “dupe”, but it has a similar vibe!
Check out the Storm or Bad Girl palettes by Sleek. The quality of their shimmer shadows is just as good as top-notch UD.
Agree about the Bad Girl palette. It’s is sensational. Plus it has smokey purples, navy, greens. Not a single dud in the bunch. It’s the best Sleek palette I’ve tried (I have 6 or 7 of them) I haven’t tried the Storm palette.
I googled the Sleek Bad Girl palette, and wow! Love the rich smoky blues, purples, greens, grays and blacks. If UD had done those colors, and thrown in a few smoky browns/neutrals, the color combo would’ve appealed to both fans of neutrals and others who want some more color. Interesting….
I’ve been wanting to buy some sleek palettes for a while now!! Which are your favorite Rachel? Thank you!!
Hi, Bonnie! I have super-pale skin, so everything looks really intense on me. Your mileage may vary. 🙂
The i-Divine palettes I have:
Bad Girl, which I think is the best.
Arabian Nights & Vintage Romance (both are also beautiful darker palettes. Arabian Nights has a couple finicky shades, but it’s still a gorgeous palette. Christine reviewed it: http://www.temptalia.com/sleek-makeup-arabian-nights-divine-eyeshadow-palette-review-photos-swatches . Vintage Romance is mostly plums and purples, with some warm neutrals and a sparkly silver. Really lovely colors.
Rio Rio is a pretty tropical brights palette, heavy on bright golds, oranges, hot pinks. It’s all shimmery, so the colors are really good.
Acid is a great UD Electric Palette Dupe. Acid also includes white & black shadows. The white is matte and awful; stiff and no pigmentation. I like Acid for traveling, since it’s smaller and cheaper to replace than my Electric Palette.
They are all very good. I think the really light matte shades can be underpigmented, and some of the darker mattes are patchy. It really depends on the shade, though. Primer helps the so-so shades. So maybe 4 finicky shades out of the whole lot, plus the horrible white matte in Acid.
Sleek also sells a Primer Palette, that has 12 colored cream eyeshadow bases. I don’t think it’s a must-have, but they do help boost the so-so stuff and make the great shadows even more intense. I use mine occasionally.
Thank you so much Rachel!!! That was immensely helpful! Thanks for all the details!! I really love color too, (especially purples!!!) so I think I’ll really enjoy your recommendations! I have the UD electric too- I mean also, I WISH it was number 2 right? Lol – so I don’t “need” the Acid palette right now, but that’s a good point about using it for travel, when you don’t want to take a $50 palette with you!
I remember when Christine reviewed the Sunset palette and it got such a good grade for such a great price, that I put it on my to-buy list and have wanted a reason to buy some sleek palettes since then. I’m using UD’s disappointing crappy new release as my reason. Time to go shopping! 😀
Bonnie I would shout out the Sleek palettes Bad Girl (if you like smoky), Vintage Romance (if you like berries and bronze), Arabian Nights (if you like *colorful* smoky), Storm (semi-neutral with some fun thrown in), and if you have any propensity for warm colors, do check out Sunset. It might look wild but most of the colors (especially the bottom row) are surprisingly wearable and every single shadow is great quality. Christine reviewed Vintage Romance, Arabian Nights, Sunset, and Garden of Eden (one that I personally love but it’s not without its faults) so you can search her site or Google for swatches. Beware of palettes with a lot of mattes as they won’t be too blendable. All in all Sleek’s shimmer shadows are awesome–blendable, not too much fallout, and they don’t crease (on me).
Storm palette is just as good as Bad Girl (sometimes Sleek’s mattes are dry but there are only like two mattes in Storm). It leans a little more neutral with some browns thrown in but still has some unique colors like a great rusty pink and a muted denim-blue. I have 8 or 9 Sleek palettes and the best of them are Storm, Bad Girl, and Sunset.
I googled Storm. It is really pretty. Next time I order from Sleek, I’ll have to pick it up. Thanks, Ginny!
Those are definitely going in my cart. Thanks for the recs Ginny! 🙂
Have fun shopping, Bonnie! Oh, and I have almost all the blushes. Every single one is awesome, if you’re in the market. lol
I know next time I do a Sleek Haul, I’ll be adding Storm and maybe Sunset.
Wow came on the comments looking for exactly this! I thought bad girl looked like a good smoky palette… I’ll be adding it to my sleek order promptly!
As usual, a great and thorough review which I do put stock in. However, I am still chomping at the bit for this since, as I’ve said in prior comments, these kinds of colors are my favorites, this palette format in my favorite, and UD, for all it’s hits-and-misses, is still one of my go-to brands. I will make this work for me and my OCD will be satisfied. 😉
I wish I could buy it and take it home NOW.
Enjoy it, Christina! You know it might be a little harder to use, but you’re willing to make it work, and who knows, it might be easier for you than me (but maybe not as good as other palettes still) 😉
Something fishy is going on with Urban Decay. I regularly see complaints on UDs Facebook page shipping problems (products arriving damaged) and poor customer service. Now the quality of their products have changed. It’s like they are putting so much effort into expanding the product range, they are dropping the ball on what made them popular. I swear if their 24/7 liners turn to crap, I will have a complete fit.
Hopefully not! I think they already did a little “revamp” to the 24/7 Liner formula a couple of years ago… or at least they did a redo of the shade range, so hopefully nothing will change for awhile!
Even if you didn’t like the overall palette, the look you created suits you perfectly!
Thanks, Stephanie!
Oh my god…. Those looks you put together look like they were created with dollar store shadows! I can’t believe it.
LOL!
A B- grade?? That’s just embarassing on UD’s part. Those palettes have always been good quality. I hope this isn’t a sign of a trend to come. I was excited about this palette because it had a good mix of warm and cool tones, but I guess I may have to pass it up unless I can get it when it’s on sale. :-/
Yep! 🙁 By far the lowest for any of the Naked palettes! I mean, mattes are tough to get right 100% so in general, a B+/A- matte (on my scale) is usually quite good, so it wouldn’t have surprised me to see this at more like an A-, but B- was unexpected.
Wow! I was pretty sure I was going to pass on this–I already have the Naked3 and the Tartelette, so I don’t REALLY need another neutral palette–but after this review, yup, DEFINITELY going to pass on it. It’s pretty and all, but I’d rather take a risk on something different. Maybe I’ll splurge on a customizable Buxom set instead! 😉
Tartelette is so much easier to use in comparison, lol!
Well, I will say that the initial swatches pretty much showed up this palette’s flaws. Not sure whether these are totally fatal flaws though, but certainly after reading this in-depth informative review, I just don’t know whether I would buy this or not. The looks that you put together using UDPP or MAC Painterly is absolutely STUNNING and something I would enjoy doing myself. And I always use primer because I have to due to oily, hooded lids. But perhaps I could actually achieve it using the MUFE Nudes You Need with Revolver, DTF and Last Sin from Vice 3? Hate to say it, but Vice 3 performs better than Smoky Naked, it seems.
I bet you could totally use those shades to get something close! The shades are nice, and I like the concept of the color combination, but they are rather dupable!
I just did a blacker/ taupe-ier iteration of your look using the shades I mentioned ( LOVE MUFE Black Satin! ), it turned out really good! I do wonder whether KVD’s Interstellar would be a good alternative…?
It would be an option! I think it’s not quite as dark overall, but it’s certainly a cooler-toned, slightly smoky themed palette!
Christine, kudos – your ability to stay so on-point, explaining the way you test products out, and still remain objective is phenomenal. I think you made some really great points; bottom line, we all expect something different from a product, making it hard to really rate anything these days.
As someone who isn’t a fan of the Urban Decay palettes at all (had the Smokey and Vice 2, both poorly performed on my oily lids, even with every primer imaginable), they actually got me a bit excited with that color range and the different finishes. With this review in mind, I’m guessing I’ll give this one a pass. I often leave the house really (really!) early in the morning and don’t come back until 19:00 or even later, so this is totally not going to get the job done for me. Still, I’m sure it’s going to be a hit either way 🙂
Thanks, Noga!
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from readers who check it out how it works for them! 🙂 I wonder if the formula here would end up working better on oily lids, since it is a drier formula, though by no means is that a recommendation to go spend money to find out, LOL. My guess is it’s probably not different enough from their base formula that it’ll likely still break down on you! What eyeshadow formulas hold up better in your experience, Noga?
Well, the Mac permanent line is pretty good (girl don’t even get me started on their recent LE stuff :)), but not all of them last the entire day on me. Considering how long my days usually are, no surprise there.
I recently find myself switching to the Lorac Unzipped palette (which lasts all day, other than Undiscovered, that just plain disappears after an hour or so) and MUG e/s and pigments. I am waiting for a couple of the foiled e/s to come in to test them out, but to be honest, I can’t imagine them staying on all day, which is why I waited so long to try them out.
It’s actually funny, but MAC eyeshadows are longer-lasting and better-performing on the eye than a lot of them would lead you to believe. It’s usually not that way, but I think it’s how firm their press is that makes them ehh initially but in practice, it adheres/holds better.
Glad that you have a few brands you can go to for longer-wear 🙂 I’ll be curious if Foiled holds up at all on you. They’re so pretty!
Hi Christine,
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been testing out the MUG Foiled eyeshadows for about three weeks now, and I’m happy to report they last all day on me (over Nars’ pro-prime, which I’m in love with, so thanks for that recommendation btw)! I’m still kinda shocked by it, to be honest.
Wow! That is awesome news 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to update me, Noga!
I can dupe this palette amongst all my Kat von D & tarte palettes, but I like the idea of having them all in one place. I *have* to use primer/base on my dry lids, anyway, so this is definitely going to find a home in my stash.
I remember Urban Decay’s marketing for the “original” Naked palette: ” The only neutral palette you’ll ever need”, yet this is 4th (6th if you include the “Basics”), LOL!
I guess the difference is that was the one you NEEDED, but the rest are all the ones you WANT! Though looking back, it is quite hilarious 😉 (Especially because we all know that no one neutral palette fits all!)