Naked 2 Basics Palette Review and Comparison

I love my Naked 1 and my Naked Basics Palettes and was so excited to see that Urban Decay was coming out with a new Basics Palette in cool colors. I wear taupe, grey and black eyeshadows constantly, so it is kind of my signature eye look most of the year. Add those colors to the quality of Urban Decay eyeshadows and the convenience of a small, travel sized palette and I was in heaven. I swatched both palettes for comparison.

The packaging is the same as the first Naked Basics Palette. It is nice and heavy, great for travel and indestructible to minor messes. I should know, I spilled a full travel mug of hot apple cider in my purse and it didn't even get inside the palette nor did it do any damage to the packaging.

Naked Basics Palette

Naked 2 Basics Palette

All of the colors, other than Skimp and Venus, are matte. Both highlight colors are a bit shimmery and Skimp is definitely darker and more beige toned than Venus. Right away I noticed that the colors from the Naked 2 Basics palette were mostly darker than it's predecessor, and true to Urban Decay's claim, they are all cooler in comparison.

Naked Basics
Left to right: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame (W.O.S), Naked 2, Faint, Crave

Naked 2 Basics
Left to right: Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal, Undone

Venus vs. Skimp

I noticed a big difference between the two highlight colors. Venus is a creamy white while Skimp is more of a light beige. Both have about the same amount of shimmer.

Foxy vs. Stark

Very similar but Foxy is lighter and warmer than Stark by just a hair.

W.O.S. vs. Frisk

Walk of Shame and Frisk look very similar in the palette but swatched they couldn't be more different. W.O.S. is still in the light skin tone range while Frisk is a nice light taupe.

Naked 2 vs. Cover

Naked 2 is lighter than Cover. It is also still more on the beige side of things while cover is a mid toned taupe.

Faint vs. Primal

Here is wear we start to see differences in the 'Naked Basics is lighter than Naked 2 Basics' pattern. Faint is clearly a nice darker, warm brown while Primal is a darker taupe but lighter than Faint.

Crave vs. Undone

These last two colors follow Faint and Primal in that Naked Basics, Crave, is darker than Naked 2 Basics, Undone. Crave is a nice matte black while Undone is a dark, grey toned taupe.

Like with the 2nd Basics palette, all colors besides the first highlight shade are matte. The colors in the original palette seem lighter overall with the exception of Faint and Crave which are just a tad darker than their Naked 2 Basics counterparts, though they are no less pigmented. They are also cooler than the first Basics palette but not drastically so. Some colors are really similar and others are entirely different when you swatch them. I didn't notice a difference in quality between the two. They are both amazing; very pigmented, creamy and blend-able!

My Conclusion

I love both palettes and think that the colors can easily be used interchangeably. I prefer Basics 2 overall because of the coolness of the colors. These are going to be my go-to palettes for a long time! Don't dismiss it just because you already have the first Basics palette. You will not be disappointed.

Each palette retails for $29. Currently the Naked 2 Basics is currently only available on Urban Decay's website. Update! This palette is now available in Ulta and Sephora!


Disclaimer: Both products were bought with my own money. All opinions are my own.

This blog is fairly new. Constructive criticism and ideas on how to improve are more than welcome!