But all the Naked palette drama had us thinking about where it all started. So to uncover more about the origin of the Naked Palettes and their evolution, we sat down with Urban Decay mastermind, founder and Chief Creative Officer Wende Zomnir for a little Naked Palette History 101. Here’s what we learned. This is key to how the new Naked Cherry palette was created — all thanks to the constant shifts in the makeup social media world. “I always screenshot looks I like and keep them in an album,” says Zomnir. “I noticed that so many of my favorite eyeshadow looks featured ink and berry tones, done in a neutral way. So we decided to create a new Naked palette inspired by these shades, and when we saw them all together, the name ‘Cherry’ was obvious!” There are definitely a couple of shades that stand out more - in my own palette, I find that I use Half Baked (glittery gold), Snakebite (shimmery brown), Pistol (shimmery grey), Verve (shimmery silver), YDK (glittery silver with a hint of pink), and Busted (shimmery dark purple-brown) a lot more than the other shades. For Urban Decay it may be an issue that they are so synonymous with the product, that they may need to grow beyond that to grow the brand image into something else for the brand’s future,” he said, while adding that while it is not clear if the brand’s sales of Naked Palettes have begun to decline, but emerging brands such as Kylie Cosmetics are able to reach comparable sales faster than ever.

There is excellent value for money here. I do not really use a lot of product in my eyes or build a lot of coverage (or at least, not with this palette). I have had this palette for 2 years now, and use it lightly about 3 days a week. I have only hit pan on Half-Baked, Verve, and Busted. I can easily see myself using this palette for another 2 years. Given the timelessness of nude eyeshadow palettes, it should come as no surprise that makeup artists reach for them time and time again. “In my personal experience with neutral eyeshadow palettes, they are remarkably versatile and I have a habit of blending and utilizing all the shades,” says Celebrity Makeup Artist and Omnia Pro Executive Makeup Artist Dominique Lerma. The beauty pro explains that her staples consist of just three neutral shades: a cream color to use across the lid and brow; a light brown or caramel-colored brown to add definition in the crease; and an espresso shade to smoke out the outer corners. “The result of using the right tools and intentional technique is remarkable, and that’s only using three eyeshadow shades,” she adds.Booty Call is a peach-tinted white-beige with a frosted finish. It’s new for this palette. It’s just a little peach compared to Urban Decay Virgin. It’s also similar to shades like MAC Vanilla, MAC Baby It’s Cold, Urban Decay Skimp, Inglot #353, and MAC Brule. I did not have a lot of issues with fallout - the shades in this palette are not so pigmented that fallout is a major issue. However, on darker colours like Busted (this shades tends to crumble more than the others, probably because it is probably the most pigmented shade in the palette), you may want to apply some powder on your undereye area for safety before applying it.

Just like fellow UD palettes, the Naked 2 Basics Palette features Urban Decay's Pigment Infusion System™, a blend of ingredients that gives each shade its velvety texture, rich colour and serious staying power. This allows you to blend the buttery matte shades for a neutral, or drama-drenched eye look. And to highlight? Buff on a little Skimp, which boasts a slight satin finish for a multi-dimensional look. I wanted to love this. I wanted to love it *so much*. I'd heard sooo much about Naked (original) but it just looked too warm for my skin (though I do have a slight yellow-leaning tone, most warm shades look awful on me!). Naked2 seemed ideal, with it's "greige" (aka grey-beige) and taupe shades - right up my alley, I thought! Half Baked is a coppery brown with a golden shimmer-sheen. It’s very frosty but has good color payoff and a smooth texture. It’s part of the permanent range and is also in the Naked 1 palette. This shade is similar to a whole slew of others: theBalm Manic Maribel, Bare Escentuals Louder, MAC Amber Lights, theBalm Meep Meep, and Inglot #405 (and there are probably more). FeelUnique Harvey Nichols (UK) House of Fraser (UK) John Lewis (UK) LookFantastic Selfridges Sephora (BR) Sephora (FR) Sephora (PL) Urban Decay (CA) Considering that each pan is almost exactly the size of a full, single eyeshadow but costs approx.as much as 2.5-3 X single shadows would, you can't argue with the price.Foxy is a pale yellowed beige with a matte finish. It’s on the sheer side and a bit powdery. On my forearm (around NC20), it’s almost invisible. It could work for highlighting the brow on light to medium complexions. It’s similar to Bare Escentuals Daydream, Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone, and MAC Brule. The Naked Palette has been a total game changer and category creator, leading the palette category for the last eight years. It’s become a staple in everyone’s makeup collection, and we’re so proud of that,” said a brand spokeswoman. “But they say if you’re going to go out, you should go out on top, so it’s time to do that. And we need to make room for what’s next,” When working on Naked2, we really wanted to create yet another palette that would fulfill a need, but also one that could be used with the original Naked Palette,” Zomnir notes. “So we set out to create another neutral-type shade range that was more taupe and greige centric than the original Naked Palette — but it was crucial that the new version complimented the original’s bronze-y hues.”

You asked for more, and we delivered. Enter, the Naked 2 Basics Palette. For those that just can't get enough of neutral matte eyeshadows, Urban Decay introduces five never-before-seen shades in flattering nude hues. We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when Verve is a pale beige-gray with a pink tinge. This was in the Rollergirl palette. It doesn’t have a dupe or similar shade in the Naked 1 palette. NARS Grand Palais is several shades darker, while Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone is more golden and gray (less pink). Urban Decay Ruthless is more beige.Whether you take after Lerma and love a defined, everyday look, or tend to mix and match all kinds of colors, you can’t deny that a great neutral eyeshadow palette is a necessity in your makeup bag. If you’re looking to refresh your selection, or don’t have one yet (no shade—pun intended), you’ve come to the right place. We’ve consulted the experts on exactly how to weed out the best palette for you and got their favorites. From Charlotte Tilbury’s The Sophisticate to the cult-favorite Urban Decay Naked, these are the best neutral eyeshadow palettes ever. What to Look For in a Nude Eyeshadow Palette The Urban Decay Naked palettes were created to fulfill a need most individuals have, no matter their ethnicity or skin tone: the need to have all their favorite eyeshadow shades all in one place. “The Naked Palette was created to supply women and men with all their must-have shades to create their favorite looks, the ‘no makeup’ makeup look, to the office appropriate, to the dramatic and sexy smoky eye, and everything in between,” says Zomnir. Best Overall Neutral Eyeshadow Palette: Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Palette It's the palette you'll be pulling out time and time again. With six taupe-hued matte eyeshadows in total, the Naked 2 Basics Palette has a cooler tone than the original Basics Palette, and suits a variety of fair, olive and darker complexions. It's so versatile you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. And the Naked Palettes really are universal —you can literally morph into another makeup version of yourself with the touch of any of the shadows. “The beauty of the Naked Palette is that you can do your makeup with it in the morning, throw it in your purse, and transform into a more dramatic look for the evening,” Zomnir adds. It’s the palette that evolves with it’s wearer, and that’s truly what makes the Naked collection so unique, standing out from its many competitors in the beauty market.

Create subtle daytime looks or bold evening eyes with the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette, a small yet essential eyeshadow palette filled with six full-sized matte eyeshadows in cooler, neutral, taupe-like tones. Naked is successful because it’s the palette you reach for when you say goodbye to one version of yourself and hello to your new makeup self. It’s the epitome of makeup evolution right before your eyes, and as Zomnir put it so perfectly, “evolution is, as always, the key.”answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but