Third Time's the Charm With Urban Decay’s Naked Basics

by Sarah Campbell

Published Dec 17, 2012

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Urban Decay’s Naked Palette line took the beauty world by storm in 2010. It was for good reason: twelve neutral shades in a variety of textures, ranging from matte to glitter, made it an instant classic. The first Naked Palette was impossible to buy for weeks after it was released (Did anyone else set up an in-stock alert, or was that just me?). The second, Naked 2, which came out in 2011, was a similar smash hit with a slightly cooler-toned bent.

When I saw the third Naked shadow palette line, a brand new set of Naked Basics, I fell in love immediately. Six neutral shadows ranging from ivory to dark brown? Pretty much made for me (and everyone else on the planet).

I’ll admit to being partial to matte shadows. I’ve always found them easier to wear. You can’t exactly pull the “Who, me? Wearing makeup?” with a face full of disco glitter (fun as that can be on occasion). These shadows are more natural, look great on all skin types and ages, and are perfect for the girl-next-door look.

Although five of the shades are matte, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the lightest shadow, Venus, actually does contain the tiniest hint of shimmer—it’s the perfect inner eye corner shade: just enough shine to make your eyes sparkle, but not enough to blind anyone in direct sunlight. The other five shades are straight-up matte, though: Foxy is a light sand, W.O.S. is a light pink-ivory, Naked 2 is a fawn-beige, Faint is a medium tawny, and Crave is a dark brownish-black with delicious color payoff (perfect for a warm smokey eye).

Overall, the Naked Basics palette lives up to its name. This is the perfect palette for a makeup neophyte to to teach themselves with, but it’s also a great addition to round out the kit of a seasoned pro. And, at just six shades, it’s small enough to throw into your makeup bag.

Best of all? Since the shades are matte, the set also doubles as the perfect mix-and-match eyebrow palette as well! I have a feeling I’ll end up grabbing this for everyone on my holiday shopping list.