Review: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I am finally part of the Urban Decay Palette Club! The Naked Basics Palette is the one I've had my eye on for awhile now, but kept umming and ahhing over whether to buy it (I'm a big shimmer lover). The decision was taken away from me when my fiance's Mum surprised me with it at Christmas and oh was I excited!

The Naked Basics Palette is Urban Decay's first matte eyeshadow palette, designed to be exactly what you need for a neutral, matte eye. It costs £22.00, though I have seen it for £20.00 on the website Beauty Bay. My first thought of the palette was how small it is... Although they do say that good things come in small packages! Inside the palette is a mirror and six neutral, full size eyeshadows from light to dark. According to Urban Decay, four of these are completely new shades and two have featured in previous palettes. Five of these shades are completely matte and the lightest one is "demi-matte", so has a slight sheen to it for use as a highlighting shadow.

The shades are as follows (from left to right): Venus (soft, off-white demi-matte), Foxy (cream bisque matte), Walk of Shame (very light nude matte), Naked2 (taupe matte), Faint (warm, dusty brown matte) and Crave (deepest, darkest brown/black matte). The descriptions of these shades are taken from the Urban Decay website and I think they're pretty accurate. In terms of quality, I find there's quite a lot of excess when the eyeshadow brush meets the eyeshadow, however once it's on the lid I can't fault it. The eyeshadow literally glides over the lid it's so smooth and you don't need a lot to get the right amount of colour (apparently this is due to Urban Decay's Pigment Infusion System™ - ooh!). I'm also seriously impressed with the longevity - I haven't used eye primer with this palette because the only one I have by ARTDECO is shimmery and shows through - yet the eyeshadow lasts for a good 7-8 hours. Ah-maz-ing.

My favourite look using the palette is the one in the picture below, which is inspired by the beautiful Victoria from In the Frow. This is Walk of Shame all over the lid and Naked2 blended into the crease and outer edge. Often with this perfect pair I'll use Crave applied thinly as an eyeliner on the upper lid and Venus in the inner corner of the eye. This is perfect for daytime, whether at work or for weekend socalising, as it's so natural but gives you a really finished look.

The Verdict
The Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette has certainly opened my eyes to the beauty of matte eyeshadows. It's an expensive palette for just six eyeshadows, but I think it's a must have addition for anyone who loves their neutral shades. I'm reaching for this palette a lot and it will be perfect if I'm going away and need to travel light.

What do you think of the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette? What are your favourite neutral palettes?

Beauty Bird xx