I KNOW I’m a little late with my review on the much anticipated Naked2 palette from Urban Decay but it is better late than never and I am now in the privileged position of assessing –
with the benefit of hindsight – whether the palette was worth all the hype.

Indeed, beauty geeks and lovers of neutral-toned eye shadows across the globe were longing to ‘get Naked’ for the second time with Urban Decay after the luxury cosmetic company announced a sequel to their first Naked palette late in 2011. Now as the excitement has died down and everyone has had a chance to put it to the test, was Naked2 worth all the hype?

The palette features twelve pigment-rich, long-lasting eye shadows in neutral tones, with a mix of satin and shimmery finishes. Offering the lightest champagne beige hue, the darkest charcoal black and plenty of neutral taupe colours in between, this is the go-to palette for creating anything from a barely-there casual daytime look to a sultry smokey eye for the evening.

The palette features five new shades exclusive to the Naked2 palette, alongside seven other Urban Decay favourites. The names of the shades are: Foxy; Half Baked; Bootycall; Chopper; Tease; Snakebite; Suspect; Pistol; Verve; YDK; Busted; and Blackout. In the same order, this is a matte cream colour; a beautiful metallic gold; a satin champagne tone; a rose gold shade, with tiny specks of silver glitter; a matte taupe colour with purple undertones; a deep bronze; a light taupe shade with a hint of shimmer; a steel grey hue; a light metallic silver; a really shimmery bronze; a satin dark brown; and a matte black. The palette certainly covers every shade you need for creating both daytime and evening looks, and everything in between.

Many users have commented on the outstanding quality of the shadows which are highly- pigmented, easily blended, and long-lasting. If you want to make your eye shadow last even longer, try Urban Decay's Eye Primer Potion which promises a crease-free colour that lasts for 24 hours.

The quality isn’t just in the eye shadows either. As always, Urban Decay have gone all out on the packaging too. The palette is presented in a sleek metal tin which – unlike the velvety
exterior of the first Naked palette – is easy to clean and won’t gather dust. The familiar Naked logo is embossed across the front of the tin and comes complete with a mirror, making it ideal for travelling with.

The sleek packaging also features a snug space beneath the eye shadows which houses a dual-ended application tool with a blending brush on one side and a flat brush on the other.
This applicator is made from soft, cruelty-free fibres and – despite facing criticism from some users who believe the palette should have featured eyeliner rather than an applicator – comes in very handy in my opinion.

I find that the flat brush side is perfect for filling in over-plucked eyebrows. I apply the shade ‘Busted’ with the flat brush to make my brows look fuller and I honestly couldn’t fault
the applicator– the quality is outstanding. The brush is exclusive to the Naked2 palette too, so you can’t buy it anywhere else.

Finally, the palette features a miniature Urban Decay Lip Junkie lip gloss which is aptly named ‘Naked’. It promises to cool and soothe your lips as well as plump them up a little too,
and the cooling mint sensation definitely leaves your lips feeling slightly tingly. The barely-there light pink colour certainly fits with the neutral, ‘naked’ theme and will look great on a variety of skin tones for adding a natural touch of gloss.

For me, the Naked2 palette covers every neutral colour I need for creating beautiful casual looks for the daytime, before updating to a sultry evening look with a touch of sophisticated
glamour. This palette is definitely worth the investment.

Let me know what you think of the Naked2 palette! You can contact me on Twitter: @LauraRachelleT. You can also comment on my blog  here or on my YouTube channel here .