There's nothing I like to do more on a Sunday afternoon than put together a beauty blogpost. Honest to god. And that fun increases exponentially when the stuff I'm blogging about is fucking amazing. Excuse my language, but sometimes a lady gets excited, ya know? And yes, these products that Urban Decay is hyping for fall 2015 are definitely something to get much excite about. Read on for swatches and looks using UD Naked Smoky and Matte Revolution in 1993 (c/o).
Let's just start with the thing you all want to see: the Naked Smoky palette. After Naked original, 2 and 3 (and some matte basics palettes), the UD empire strikes back with a palette that answers the prayers of Naked fans everywhere. People wanted a better balance between mattes and shimmer (check) more cool tones (double check) and some darker shades (triple check). All of that packaged in the prettiest Naked case yet: don't mind if I freak out.
I mean LOOK at that case.
Translucent, hard plastic in shades of brown and grey, with a smokey 3D
pattern running through the top, a magnetic closure and to top it all
off, another great two ended brush: one for precision work, and one for
blending. Perfect for smoking out your make up.
Let's look at the shades. Not arranged from light to dark like in the Naked palettes, but paired based on finish: first the shimmery shades, then the satins, and finally the mattes. Four of each.
Shimmer: high (a very pale rosey silver), dirtysweet (a soft bronze) , radar (a dirty taupe-bronze containing micro glitter) and armor (a silvery grey and the most glittery out of the bunch). Armor is my bae because it's such a great layering product to add a touch of shimmer to a dark smokey eye, and it can look blue or purple depending on light and base colour.
The satins: slanted (a frosty, pearly light grey/blue), dagger (a mostly matte dark grey/blue with micro glitter), black market (black with a satin sheen) and smolder (a smokey eggplant-black that looks cool in the pan but warmer on the skin). Based on the colour in the pan I fell in love with smolder instantly, but dagger ended up being my fave when swatched. Smooth, super pigmented and super intense when used over a base.
The mattes: password (a cool grey/taupe), whiskey (a neutral dark brown), combust (a pink-ish medium beige) and thirteen (a cool pale beige). These are al simply stellar: smooth, pigmented and I've used all of them constantly both for all-over matte looks, and for those finishing touches in shimmery make up.
Of course, eye looks speak louder than swatches! Here are four very different looks I created with the smoky palette. There are so many different options though, this palette is definitely not just for intense, dark make up but works just as well for everyday make up if you prefer cool shades.
Clockwise starting from top left:
- a very 90s matte look using combust all over the lid, and password in the outer V
- a shimmery smokey eye using smolder all over the lid, black market in the outer V, armor as a touch of glitter in the center of the lid, password in the crease blended upward and thirteen on the browbone and on the inner eyelid, finished with some black kohl tightlining
- a warm daytime look using dirtysweet all over the lid, high in the inner eyecorner, radar and whiskey in the outer eyecorner, whiskey blended through the crease and combust on the brow bone
- a stunning blue smokey eye using dagger all over the lid, black market in the outer V, armor on the lower lashline, high in the inner corners blended toward the middle of the eye, password in the crease blended upward and thirteen on the brow bone.
All of these looks are layered over UD's Primer Potion, and I'm also wearing UD's Perversion mascara. Intense, thick black lashes: love.
I love all of these looks. I think that the smoky palette sets itself apart from the other Naked palettes with its matte shades, actually: smoky make up is all about blending until your edges are soft, and these matte shades + that blending brush are perfect for that. The top left and bottom right looks show it best here, those soft edges fanning upward towards the brow bone and outward towards the temples. I think this palette is a total win, and 100% worth its €49.90 pricetag. After all, you get 12 shades for that price. That's €4 instead of the €20 you'd pay if you were to buy each of these on its own! A total steal.
Now, for those Matte Revolution lips: I received 1993 to review. 1993 is a cool brick-brown, sort of like a darker version of MAC's Velvet Teddy. It's super smooth and soft on the lips, probably the softest matte lipstick I've tried yet! That makes it probably less long wearing than Velvet Teddy for example, but it reapplies like a dream.
A great neutral shade to offset autumnal make up looks. I'm wearing it in the top right and bottom left full face make up shots above btw, if you want to see it in context. A great lipstick in a very universally flattering, vampy yet subtle shade. It retails at €23.70.
As you can see, I'm pretty much obsessed with these products and can barely find a fault. I have a feeling that especially that smoky palette will make its way onto many a Christmas list. Let me know what you think!
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