Naked Smoky Palette Review

Like I posted on Instagram yesterday.. I have to confess that I've had this palette since it came out (in July) and I have yet to do a review or even tell you guys about it! I'm honestly pretty indifferent about the palette. I definitely wouldn't say its my favorite, but I use a few of the shades daily, so I definitely wouldn't say I hate it.

I realized that you guys were probably curious about it.. so I thought I'd post swatches with a description of each shade, as well as some pros and cons so you can make up your own mind (heh, get it?) on whether its a palette you'll use or not :)

Here's the breakdown though- in case you can't make it through the whole post: it isn't an everyday palette, its a smoky eye palette (duh). That means that you're spending $54 on a palette you'll mainly use for going "out", hot dates, or formal events.. and lets be honest, I don't do those things very often. If smoky eyes are something you have perfected and love doing, this palette is for you. If you like cool-toned shadows- this palette is for you. Okay, read on.

I'll get started! Here are the swatches..

Shimmers:

• HIGH: a super shimmery (but not sparkly- don't get it twisted!) iridescent with a pinky/beigy undertone

• DIRTYSWEET: a shimmery gold, almost a rose gold. very creamy.

• RADAR: as you can see, this one didn't want to show up on my arm, its very similar to my skintone. its a medium brown with gold sparkle.

• ARMOR: a somewhat taupe-y color with a bit of a purple/steely grey undertone. definitely the most sparkly shade in the palette and a bit more flaky than the rest

Satins:

• SLANTED: looks very blue in the actual palette but on my skin looks more of a dark silver. it has a bit of sparkle but definitely more of a satin than the shades to its left.

• DAGGER: this also looks very blue in the palette, but I would call it a dark charcoal. very nice texture

• BLACK MARKET: okay this shade bugs me because its supposed to be black (hence the name) but I definitely don't consider it black. it looks very blue in the palette, AND on my eyes, although on my arm it just looks dark gray or black. hmm.

• SMOLDER: smolder is a really pretty purple although in the swatch it doesn't look it. I think I may have had a bit of black market left on my finger which messed up the swatch. its actually a very vivid eggplant-like color with a really pretty sheen.

Mattes:

• PASSWORD: a matte, dark grey with a slight purple undertone.

• WHISKEY: this is another one I don't feel swatched as well as it looks. I think my tan arm must be throwing it off. its definitely a warm-toned chocolate brown.

• COMBUST: a really creamy peachy-pinkish color great for blending/transitioning

• THIRTEEN: strangely enough, my favorite shade. its a very opaque (as you can see) white/ivory shade that really pops. its great for the inner corner or brow bone, especially since its matte.

Pros..
- The same excellent quality you can expect from all Urban Decay products, the shadows are nice, pigmented and last a long time.

- I really like the packaging. its very sturdy with a nice, big mirror. it also has a hinge which means the top stays open so you can use the mirror without having to hold it up (if that makes sense)

- There are some really pretty shades. I use thirteen almost every day to brighten the inner corner and along my brow bone. Combust is also really nice for blending because its not too pink to blend in, but its also not your typical matte brown blending shade. High is also really pretty for highlighting and is very pigmented. Password is great for the crease if you're going for a smoky eye (and this is a smoky palette, soo..) it would, however, be too dark for an everyday look.

- There are four matte shades, more than I think in any other Naked palette. I'm a huge fan of mattes so this is a really great bonus

- The brush is nice, as usual. It has a small, tapered end good for smoking out your lower lash line, and a really nice blending brush which has more of a pointed (not as round/dome shaped as the others) which is great for getting a color right into the crease.

Cons..
- It is almost an entirely cool-toned palette.. and I guess depending on who you're talking to, this could be a good thing. For me though, I don't do cool tones on my eyes often, at least not for an entire look. When you think of smoky eyes though, you do think of cool-toned grays and silvers so I know that's what they were doing. It just isn't my favorite look.

- The shades are all pretty dark (except the obvious white/ivory/beige shades). This seems a little silly to complain about- it is a smoky palette which means dark, smoky shadows; however, most people don't wear looks like that daily, so it isn't a palette you'll get everyday use out of. I just think when spending $54 on a palette, I want to use the crap out of it.

What do you guys think? See why I'm a bit torn? Let me know you're opinions!
xox Katie