I’ve finally treated myself to the Naked Ultimate Basics by Urban Decay! These palettes were on sale on the website & I had student discount, so it was definitely time for a UD splurge. My beauty collection already contains a lot of eyeshadow palettes but I just couldn’t resist this one! I’m on placement a lot of the time so I like keeping my makeup neutral, which this palette is perfect for. This palette was made purely from UD lovers asking for a bigger collection of neutral shades!
The packaging is gorgeous – it’s a square palette rather than the usual Urban Decay rectangular style, and it’s a stunning rose gold shade. I love that this palette has a mirror inside, and it’s big enough to use for a proper face of makeup. It’s really sturdy too so I feel safe throwing it in my bag when I’m travelling. I’m not saying buy it just because it’s pretty – but it’s definitely a bonus!
This palette contains 12 warm toned all-matte shadows, along with a dual-ended brush and a mirror. I did find the first three shades (Blow, Nudie & Commando) a little similar to be honest, but they all work well as a base on my skin tone – I normally run out of the pale shades really quickly as I use them for a base as well as for highlighting under my brows. I love the warm terracotta shade – Extra Bitter – it looks gorgeous in the crease & blended under your lower lash line. Lethal & Instinct are great shades too, and all the shadows are really smooth & blendable. Some of the shades are lacking a little pigment-wise, but they’re easy to build up. This palette is perfect for more neutral looks anyway.
Most of my palettes have a couple shades I never end up using, or just don’t reach for. I haven’t had that issue with this palette at all. This palette was definitely worth the money – it’s normally £39.50 but it was on sale on Urban Decay, & I had student discount so this was a steal at £17.50!
My first time swatching! I cheated a little and used a template from the lovely SwatchPerfect – they’re super affordable & easy to use! I picked up a set of 12 different designs & I can’t wait to get swatching. The balance of warm and cool tones is great, as well as being designed to compliment all skin tones. They also work well applied with other shadows. Sometimes adding some shimmer shades from my Naked Smoky palette into the eye look really mixes it up.
Overall I’m pretty happy with this palette. Some shades could definitely be improved formula wise but I love how versatile it is. It’s not bad at all for the price! Urban Decay always do the best eyeshadow palettes, and this one is no different to their high standards.
What’s your favourite Urban Decay palette?
