New In / Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

The Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette* needs no presentation. Just look at it - it's stunning.

Every time there is a new naked palette coming out is hard to believe that they can come up with a better one... and sure enough they do.

All the palettes are beautiful in their own right but smoky is a different class, in my opinion, and a must have!

It's the most versatile and - although intended for smokey looks - you can also easily create a nude look and the shades work well with any eye colour: purple is great for green eyes, browns for brown eyes and silver for blue eyes.

It comes in a beautiful and sturdy case with smoke twirls on a transparent background and magnet fastenings - the print gives it a certain mysterious je ne said quoi that recalls the sexy looks that you can create wit these shadows. The quality is great, exactly what you would expect from Urban Decay eyeshadows.

l-r: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor

Personally, I have divided the 12 eyeshadows in 3 sections: the highlighters, the greys and the neutrals - there are 9 new colours and 3 exclusive ones.

Most of the shades are shimmery - the first 4 are:

High is a light champagne with a metallic finish; Dirtysweet is a golden bronze with yellow undertones; Radar is a medium brown with warm undertones; Armor is taupe grey with frosted finish.

l-r: Slanter, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder

In the mid-section we have a selection of greys that are perfect to create shadows and smoke the eye look: 

Slanter is a light silvery grey with cool undertones and a pearl finish; Dagger is a medium grey with a blue tint; Black Market is the darkest shade of them all - a near black with a satin finish; Smolder is a blackened purple with silver finish.

l-r: Password, Wiskey, Combust, Thirteen

Finally, the right part contains the only matte shades of the palette and they are the neutral colours: 

Password is a true cool taupe with a matte finish; Whiskey is a warm, reddish brown also with matte finish; Combust is a pinkish nude and I can't detect any glitter here either; Thirteen is a white beige, perfect as a base or to neutralise any eyelid discolouration.

The palette also includes a guide to recreate 4 popular looks and a double-ended brush.

Both sides of the brush have a rounded head - the shorter has a denser consistency whilst the other side is fluffier, perfect for some blending work.

This beauty is a guaranteed success and one to add to your collection! You can get yours here

Recent Loves / Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Urban Decay is bringing pink back… and this is making me sooo happy!

I've been wanting to get a Naked Palette for a while but I just couldn't decide between the 1&2… when the 3rd came along just at the right time.

Pinks, purples have always been my favourite eyeshadow colours and only in recent years, I've been exploring more the neutral side of the spectrum (I guess partially because bloggers seems to be really keen on neutrals - am I right?!) ;)

The pinks for the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette are the PERFECT compromise!

They are still muted and suitable if, like me, you're over 30s and you fear pink hues don't suit you anymore.

My favourites are Buzz, Nooner, Burnout and Darkside. They are the same high quality that we are accustomed to, with Urban Decay eyeshadows: soft like butter, smooth like silk and nicely pigmented.

Trick is an interesting cooper shade with orangy undertones that would look great with blue eyes; Blackheart is a deep purple/nearly black that doubles as eyeliner with gorgeous red/pink shimmer.

Factory, Mugshot and Liar are bound to be very popular since they are the shades with the most amount of brown/taupe; Strange and Limit are matte base colours, one cooler and the other warmer.

I guess Dust is the only shade that I was disappointed with: It's beautiful but I found it to be a bit chunky, therefore I experienced the most fall out; it's easily manageable, using the colour wet.

l-r: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit

l-r: Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar

l-r: Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

As a bonus, you also get 4 samples of the legendary Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion  and of course, a double-ended Karma brush. The original primer is a staple in my daily routine and I'm particularly interested in trying the anti-aging version. 

If naked shades are not your thing, I just saw today a spoiler for a new Urban Decay Electric Palette (check my Twitter for a photo) - no release date just as yet - and yes, you guessed it, it's BOLD and cheerful! ;)

In the meantime, you can paint your eyes rainbow with the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette!