Okay, this is probably going to be a very unpopular opinion but.........I'm not a fan of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I should start by saying that I don't think this is a bad palette but for some reason, I never reach for it! Today I'm going to weigh up the pros and cons and see if I can figure out why I never use this palette whilst hopefully providing you with a useful review.
This palette is pretty expensive, it costs £39.50 and comes with 12 eyeshadows and a dual-ended brush. The palette comes with lots of pink shades in mostly shimmer or satin formulas with three mattes. The packaging is a rose gold metal tin that pops open to reveal a nice big mirror, it's not the sleekest or most lightweight but it does look good and is very durable.
One of the biggest reasons I don't think I like this palette is because I don't think pink eyeshadows suit me (I wish I had figured that out before picking up this palette) but when I swatch the shades I always think 'wow these look so pretty I should them more'.
All of the eyeshadows are pigmented and blend well but I don't they are anything more special than a lot of other less expensive eyeshadows that I own, they don't blow me away, don't get me wrong I love Urban Decay as a brand but I don't think the collection of Naked palettes are for me. A few of the shimmery shades have fallout and leave little particles of glitter on my face which I really don't like. The matte shades are actually my favourite, they apply smoothly, blend easily and can be built up. I also find that some of the shades swatch beautifully but don't apply quite as well with a brush so I would suggest applying the shimmer shades over the lid with your fingertips to get the best results.
Shades
Strange - An off-white shade that applies smoothly and is ideal for setting the lid and highlighting the brow bone.
Dust - The name is appropriate for this shade as it is very dusty and chunky, it's a pale pink shimmer shade with lots of fallout that leaves glitter on the face.
Burnout - This is a light pink shade with a satin finish, it feels smooth and applies evenly. I don't really have any strong feelings about this shade.
Limit - A cool toned matte eyeshadow in a pinky-grey shade. This works well as a transition shade and it's one of my favourites from the palette.
Buzz - This is a mid-tone shimmery pink, this is one of the more chunky shades, it is nice shade but I don't think it suits me.
Trick - This is a rose gold shimmer that looks really pretty but it does fall down and leave glitter particles on the face.
Nooner - This is another one of the matte shades and another favourite of mines, it's like a deeper version of Limit that's perfect for darkening up the crease.
Liar - This is yet another pink shimmer shade, it's deeper than the others that I've mentioned and is pretty but not anything special.
Factory - This is one of the few shades that aren't pink, this a cool-toned brown with flecks of gold, it has a satin finish that can be used all over the lid for deeper smokey looks.
Mugshot - This is a similar shade to Factory but lighter and more shimmery, it's very pigmented and pretty.
Darkside - This is a dark grey satin eyeshadow that can be used to deepen up the outer corner of the eye, it does work but I don't think it's as pigmented as some of the other shades in the palette.
Blackheart - This is a beautiful black shade with little flecks of gold and pink, it's a nice alternative to a standard black and it has good pigmentation.
Overall I think the reason I don't reach for this palette is that the shades just don't call out to me, the quality is good but nothing exceptional and for the high price I would expect a little more. I might enjoy some of the other palettes from the Naked collection more but I don't think I'll pick any of them up, in future, I'll try out other products from the Urban Decay line. I will give it one more shot with this palette but if I don't learn to love it then I think I will give it away to someone who will enjoy it and appreciate it more than I do.
What are your thoughts on the Naked palettes?
Overall I think the reason I don't reach for this palette is that the shades just don't call out to me, the quality is good but nothing exceptional and for the high price I would expect a little more. I might enjoy some of the other palettes from the Naked collection more but I don't think I'll pick any of them up, in future, I'll try out other products from the Urban Decay line. I will give it one more shot with this palette but if I don't learn to love it then I think I will give it away to someone who will enjoy it and appreciate it more than I do.
What are your thoughts on the Naked palettes?