The Naked Truth — The Scoop On Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Palette

Forget the Dark Knight 2. The most anticipated sequel among makeup lovers has proved to be, without a doubt, the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette ($50 at UrbanDecay.com). Version 2.0 of the famed neutral eye shadow palette hit UrbanDecay.com on December 1st and it sold out in a matter of hours. A mere five days later, Urban Decay restocked its Naked2 inventory, and the announcement was met with a harried frenzy of online shoppers, causing the palette to sell out within a day yet again. Fortunately, I managed to nab my Naked2 Palette when it first dropped (score!), and I’ve been living in the buff ever since!

So why the excitement over a palette of neutral eye shadows, you ask? Well, first, you can never really have too many earthy shades — they suit all skin tones, they work for day and night, they won’t clash with any ensemble, and they can be layered and blended to achieve varying results.  But, of course, there are a thousand neutral eye shadows on the market, so the allure of Urban Decay’s Naked family can be attributed to such factors as the richness of the pigments; the combination of frosted and matte finishes; the gradation of colors, as the palette includes everything from a chalky ecru to a crushed coal-esque black; the integration of metallic colors for added pop; the long-lasting and waterproof shadow formulation; and the blendable quality of the shadows, which play together better than siblings int he sandbox.

Now, this 12-color palette only shares one hue with its predecessors: the ubiquitous Half Baked, a golden bronze with Etruscan gold shimmer that tends to pop up in many an Urban Decay palette (along with Midnight Cowboy which, thankfully, sat this one out!). Six of the shades  in Naked2 have previously been released either as single shadows or within palettes: Chopper, a sparkling copper color with silver and rose gold shimmer particles (available as a single eyeshadow on UrbanDecay.com); Blackout, a stark black shade with a dusky finish (previously seen in the 15 Year Anniversary Palette); YDK, a muted bronzed brown with rose gold undertones and an even metallic sheen (available as a single eyeshadow on  UrbanDecay.com); Foxy, a muted yellow-ish eggshell shade with a wispy, chalky, matte finish (previously released for a limited time); Suspect, a dirty gold taupe shade with a sprinkle of bronze and rose gold shimmer (previously released as part of the Urban Decay Loves NYC palette, among others); and Verve, a shimmering mushroom shade with champagne undertones and tiny glimmer particles for an even, lustrous finish (seen this summer in the Rollergirl palette).

Now on to the newness! The five just-on-the-scene shades introduced in the Naked2 palette are: Bootycall, a pale cork color with peach undertones and a matte finish; Tease, a pale brown color akin to hot cocoa powder with an ethereal, dusky finish; Snakebite, a very dark bronze with light bronze and gold glitter particles; Pistol, a beaver brown shade with cool gray undertones and bronze pearl particles; and Busted, a deep espresso brown with a hint of gold and copper sparkle.

The Naked2 palette comes in a slim, rectangular-shaped, taupe-colored metal box with the “Naked 2” name and the Urban Decay logo embossed in a darker brown color, and it features a hinged top lid, built-in mirror, and the double-ended Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (which is itself available exclusive to the palette). To complete the naked motif, the palette is accompanied by a travel-sized Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked, a sheer pink nude shade.

Below, you’ll find swatches of the Foxy, Half Baked, Booty Call, Chopper, and Tease shades. Though they may not have the wow factor of their glittery counterparts, the Foxy, Bootycall, and Tease shades are a marvel — they’re ideal for use as a base color for creating more elaborate looks, and they’re also perfect for diffusing shadows and blending. I’m especially fond of the Tease shade, which can be used for a smoky neutral look.

Next, you’ll find swatches of the Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, and Verve colors. Snakebite and Pistol might just be my favorite shades in the palette — particularly Pistol, since it blurs the line between gray and brown, and the shimmer particles give it a metallic finish that reads gunmetal in certain lights, bronze in others, and like oxidized brass in others. Genius!

Last, you’ll find swatches of the YDK, Busted, Blackout shades. I’m loving the richness of the Busted color — the brown is so deep that it almost looks like semi-sweet chocolate and the rose gold and copper glimmer give it this alluring luminosity.

And, of course, if you aren’t familiar with the Naked shade of the Urban Decay Lip Junkie gloss, here is a swatch of it:

So what do you think? Will you be joining other beauty buffs and getting in the buff with Urban Decay? If you’re interested, make sure to visit UrbanDecay.com and get on the wait list to buy the palette. They should be restocking their inventory shortly, so make sure you’re the first to know when they do so!