As I've already mentioned, this palette is a lot more makeup friendly in terms of size as it's a lot smaller than the original 12 pan Naked palettes. I was actually surprised at just how small the palette is, with the whole thing being slightly smaller than my iPhone 4. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to dinky looking things so this made me love it even more, and it really doesn't take up much room in your makeup bag which makes it perfect for using on the go. You still get a good sized mirror inside the palette which is essentially the size of the lid, and this came in so handy when I was away on holiday a few weeks ago as it was a great size for getting a proper look at my eyes when I was applying the shadows.
The Naked Basics palette consists of 6 neutral shadows, with 5 matte shades and 1 with a shimmery finish. I'm definitely more of a neutrals girl when it comes to colours on the eye so this selection of shades was pretty much made for me, and the mix of lighter and darker shades means it's easy to create so many different everyday and evening looks. The 6 shades that you get with the Naked Basics palette are:
Venus - the only shimmery shade in the palette which is great for highlighting the brow-bone or inner corner of the eye. Venus is a slightly yellow toned shadow with an iridescent shimmer to it, and while it's not the most pigmented shade, it really doesn't need to be as you don't want a super obvious glitter shadow as your highlight.
Foxy - a yellow toned beige which is great for an all-over base color on the eyes, especially with its completely matte formula. I know that some people don't like the warmer tone of Foxy against their skin tone but I quite like it as it stands out a little bit against my cooler toned complexion.
Walk of Shame (W.O.S) - another great all-over base color but this time it's cooler toned. W.O.S is a pinky-toned beige color (as opposed to the yellow tones of Foxy) and is one of my favourites in the palette. Another great shade for everyday wear or as the base of a lovely smokey eye and is completely matte once again.
Naked 2 - a great color for the crease. Naked 2 is a cool toned taupe shade that isn't too dark for everyday wear which is why I love it, although it can be built up a bit more of you prefer a more dramatic look during the day. Once again it's completely matte which makes it great for a neutral eye look with minimal effort.
Faint - a warmer toned brown shade which is darker than Naked 2 but still muted enough for everyday wear. This is my other favorite in the palette as it's perfect for defining your crease without looking too dramatic and it also gives a lovely hint of warmth to your eyes which is great for this time of year.
Crave - a matte black shade which is just what you need to define a more dramatic smokey eye. This color can look a bits scary in the pan but it's so easy to work with, although you only need the tiniest bit on your brush or else you might end up looking a bit like a panda. Crave is also great to use as a liner.
All 6 shades are nicely formulated and have such a lovely buttery texture which makes them so easy to apply and blend. I've been wearing combinations of these colours everyday since the palette arrived and I've found the lasting power to be great with the colours still looking great at the end of the day.
All in all I've been absolutely loving the Naked Basics palette and have definitely been converted to matte shadows now. The selection of shades in the palette gives you everything you need to create a full eye look with so many combinations to try out. I tend to stick to W.O.S all over the lid, Faint in the crease, Crave as a smokey liner for the lower lash line and Venus on the brow-bone as my everyday look, although I'm looking forward to experimenting even more with the shades to see what other looks I can come up with. The quality of all 6 eyeshadows is great and the small packaging makes it such a handy palette to carry with you wherever you go. Well done Urban Decay, you finally made me join the Naked family and I couldn't be happier about it!
Are you a fan of the Naked palettes?
