Why yes, I am a lucky, lucky girl. After finally cracking down and asking Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette (click for review) for my birthday this summer, I suddenly find myself owning all three Naked palettes (click here for my Naked Original review), as well as the Smoky palette (review here)! An incredibly lucky turn of events, thanks to promo surrounding Urban Decay coming to Belgium.
I've had the pleasure of trying a wide range of their products, and
while I have my favourites, the overall quality is just consistently
amazing. While some might say that UD is milking their Naked palette formula by creating new variations of the same theme, but I have to say that with each palette I add to my collection, my love for the Urban Decay brand grows. These palettes are not interchangeable, and I will soon do a post on how to pick the right palette for you. But today, I'm just going to review this little rose gold beauty: Naked 3.
I think Naked 3 sparked the most ooh-ing and aaah-ing when it was first released. I'm 100% sure that this was the palette that initially turned my attention to Urban Decay. Rose gold is pretty much the most on-trend colour of the last few years: girly, luxe, classy and just a bit fresher than gold or silver. And just look at that range of shades! That's pretty much the stuff makeup lovers' dreams are made of, no? A gorgeous transition of muted peaches and pinks into purple leaning taupe browns. Swatches!
Strange - a slightly powdery matte white with the faintest hint of pink to it, Dust - a sheer wash of warm, pale pink micro glitter (apply with wet brush to get better coverage), Burnout - a satin salmon pink, and Limit, a creamy lilac-taupe that is just perfect for blending into the crease.
Buzz - a frosted, stunning warm pink that reminds me of raspberry ice cream, Trick - a pink leaning frosted copper with micro glitter, Nooner - a matte medium brown with pink-plum undertones when blended out, and Liar - a semi-metallic shade somewhere between mauve and taupe.
Factory - a warm satin brown with pink undertones, Mugshot - a frosted taupe, Darkside - a cool, plum leaning brown with a satin finish, and Blackheart - a matte black with red micro glitter.
The shades are gloriously pigmented and supremely creamy - none of these eyeshadows is a dud. I also feel like, although the palette feels more shimmery than the other Naked palettes, there are still enough mattes to balance everything out. However, I do have one complaint: Naked 3 boasts is a gorgeous, harmonious collection of shades, but I feel like the second half of the palette contains a number of shades that are very similar. I would have gladly switched out Liar, Factory or Mugshot for an intense purple or burgundy, to widen the range of the palette. Still, this palette is pure eyecandy.
Let's see how these work out on the eyelid! I created four different looks to show the diversity of the palette.
First, a simple neutral look that works as a great base for a cat eye, or on its own when you only want to subtly emphasize the eyes. I used Strange (inner eye corner) Liar (center lid) and Darkside (outer eye corner and along the lower lashline), and blended everything together with Limit along the crease. When used on the lid, you definitely see that even the neutral shades have a subtle pink-lilac undertone that comes out when the light hits it just right, and it's gloriously flattering on my colouring. I kept the cat eye soft and smoked out, because sometimes I'm not in the mood for a sharp flick.
Second, a combination of the peaches and mauves of the palette.
I love how this look came together. I used Trick all over the lid, Dust in the inner corners, and Nooner in the outer V and blended throughout the crease and along the lower lashline. Very sultry, but still soft.
Let's up the ante with some extra va-va-voom! A smokey eye.
This is definitely my favourite out of the bunch. I used Buzz from the inner eyecorner to the center lid, and that gorgeous Blackheart shade smoked out from center lid to outer v and along the lower lashline. Nooner and Limit in the crease, Strange on the brow bone. I finished off with a bit of Dust dabbed on the center of the lid for some extra sparkle. Love!
Finally, a warm cat eye.
Here, I used Burnout on the lid, Dust in the inner corner, Factory in the outer corner and along the outer lower lashline, Limit + Nooner along the crease and Strange on the brow bone.
Again, playing with this palette has me tickled pink (pun intended). I think that this is the type of palette that really has to look good on
you: while Naked original probably flatters everyone and their mother,
Naked 3 isn't quite as neutral. While the Naked 3 palette is not as versatile as the Naked original, there's something about those pink, sparkly shades paired with purply taupes that works so well with my hair, eyes and skintone. I'm sure I will continue to use this pretty baby whenever I want to emphasize my girly side.
Stay tuned for my review where I compare the different Urban Decay Naked and Smoky palettes to see which one would work best for you!
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