Review -- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eye Shadow Palette

I always used to think that I hated matte eye shadows.

That's probably because I thought that they were boring or had used too many that were chalky and hard to blend.

In recent years, though, I've bought so many matte-only palettes that I absolutely love and find myself reaching for on the regular.

Of the five or so that I have, the Urban Decay Naked Basics is probably the one that I'd recommend first -- it's a nice compact little palette, with a reasonable price tag as far as high-end products go, and six basic shades that everyone probably needs.

The shadow formula is also top-notch -- smooth, creamy, and easy to blend.

I use at least one shade from it on a near daily basis.

Of course, because the original Naked Basics Palette was so successful, Urban Decay decided to come out with a second one, the Naked 2 Basics Palette -- and of course, I had to have it.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette

Urban Decay bills this as a cooler toned palette compared to the original -- while it definitely has cool tones, I can't say that I think of the original palette as being warm. Part of the reason I like it so much is that the shadows all seem rather neutral so you can pair them with a ton of other shades. The Naked 2 Basics works best with cooler shadows, but you can make them work with some warm shades too.

Like the original Naked Basics, the palette contains six shadows: Skimp, a satin-y flesh tone; Stark, a pinky beige; Frisk, a gray taupe; Cover, a mid-tone brown; Primal, a dark brown; and Undone, a dark charcoal.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette 

Just as in the original Naked Basics, the palette actually isn't entirely matte -- one shade, Skimp, actually has a satin-y finish. I like that because if you're using the palette all on its own, it's nice to be able to work in a satin shade with all the mattes so your look doesn't seem too flat.

In terms of formula, I actually think I like the shadows in the Naked 2 Basics better than those in the original palette. They seem just a little bit smoother and creamier, so they're really easy to apply and blend.

I've used the palette to create entire looks, but I really see it and the original Naked Basics as supplementary palettes. They are ideal for pairing with other palettes that don't have the matte shades that you need, so I do kind of feel like they're must-have palettes for everyone.

But I don't think you necessarily need both of them.

They are fairly similar, even if the Naked 2 Basics is slightly cooler, so one or the other is probably enough.

As for which one I'd recommend, it really depends on you and which shades you like best. I'd recommend checking out swatches of both to help you choose.

The palette retails for $29 at Urban Decay's website, Sephora, Ulta, and anywhere else you can purchase Urban Decay products.

Have you tried the Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette? Are you a fan? Do you prefer it or the original Naked Basics Palette?