Naked the Second Time Around

Don't get ideas with the title here. LOL. I am talking about Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette. I ordered my palette from Sephora though. It's available there now, so that should be good news for those of you who've anticipated more Naked 2 palettes to come. I'm so glad I don't have to wait a whole year to get this unlike with the original Naked palette. A big YAY to not missing out. Hehe...

One little bothersome thing I knew I'd be in for is the return of Half Baked. I'm pretty sure that's one of the first things everyone noticed about the Naked 2 palette. Don't get me wrong. It is a pretty color. Isn't it enough that it's in the original Naked palette already?

Other than my small rant about Half Baked the second time around, I have no other complaints about this palette. It arrived just this afternoon, so I'm just sharing my initial thoughts.

I really like the new packaging. It feels durable. I also like how it actually locks shut. Being the nostalgic person I am, I thought the palette's tin container reminded me of a pencil case I had back in elementary school. LOL.

In terms of colors, Naked 2 has a cooler and lighter range of shades compared to the original Naked. Instead of having just two matte shades like the original, Naked 2 has three. Namely Foxy, Tease, and Blackout. On me, you can't see Foxy at all (first swatch in last pic). Therefore, I will use it as a highlight on my brow bone. I can see Tease (fifth swatch) as a transition color to go over the crease color. It's a nice plummy mid-tone brown shade, but it didn't blend too well when I swatched it on my arm. Blackout (last swatch) would be nice as a liner, crease color (when blended with a light hand), or definition color for the outer-V.

Colors I instantly liked while swatching are Pistol (eighth swatch), Verve (ninth), and YDK (10th). All three shades are either frosty or shimmery. Pistol looks borderline charcoal and cool brown to me. Verve looks very hard to describe. It looks like a very shimmery mix of silver and very light taupe if that makes any sense. This color would look so flattering and gorgeous on the lids. I can see this brighten up either the eye color you were born with or the colored lenses that you're rocking. :D As for YDK, this looks like a rosy copper. This would look pretty either worn on the crease or outer half of lids.

As for the other colors, they range in various shades of brown and bronze. These are all very ideal for anyone who prefers more neutral, wearable eyeshadow colors. They are shimmery, so apply them with a lighter hand for a more subtle eye makeup look.

Oh, and another flesh-tone color is Bootycall (third swatch). In the picture of my armful of swatches, it looks very similar to Foxy. I promise you in real life, Bootycall is more pigmented. It's shimmery too. If you're going for a luminous looking brow bone highlight, this color is the one for you.

If I wake up early enough tomorrow to have some time to do makeup, I probably might play with this palette. I know for sure I will be using this in conjunction to my original Naked palette. All the colors in both palettes should compliment each other very well. It's quite hard to go wrong when combining neutral colors on a single eye makeup look.

It is nice to have both palettes. Especially if you really love makeup and like collecting it. In my case, if you're obsessed already. LOL. :P Having either one or the other version of Naked is nice too. You're not missing out on much if you have one or the other. If you have neither, it's okay too. There are a lot of just as nice dupes provided by other makeup companies. And in case you're on a budget or not willing to fork over $50 for a palette, a lot of Naked 2 (and original Naked) dupes are affordable.