Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

You all know how much I fell in love with the Naked 2, so it was no surprised that I couldn't wait to get my hands on their latest palette, The Naked 3. I never owned the first palette as I didn't really see the attraction. The second pulled me in with it's host of wearable shades that carry you through morning to evening looks. However, I am so excited about this one. As always they like to thrown in a sample to compliment their palettes, this time it was 4 sample sizes of their Primer Potion which last a week each. I think this is my favourite extra so far!

So what's different about the packaging then? They've stuck with the tin packaging which I'm super happy about. I find this super easy to travel with and it's supper sturdy and easy to wipe clean should it get dirty. They've changed the colour of the tin to reflect the shade of the palette, the tin is a gorgeous shade of rose gold with gold writing on it. The tin also has some groves to it, I don't know why they've done this but I'm guessing so it makes easier to differentiate between the Naked 2 and 3 when you're in a rush. They've also kept the huge mirror which I like a lot.

They've also thrown in a double ended brush with synthetic hairs, not the biggest fan as I use my better quality brushes but a nice little addition to those who many not own any/many brushes. The palette hosts 12 gorgeous rose-hued eye shadows - 3 matte shades and 9 shimmers.

• Strange – “a pale neutral pink matte-satin“.
• Dust – “pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter“.
• Burnout – “light pinky-peach satin“.
• Limit – “light dusty rose matte“. 
• Buzz – “metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter“.
• Trick - “light metallic pinky-copper shimmer with tonal micro-sparkle“.
• Nooner – “medium pinky-brown matte“.
• Liar – “medium metallic mauve shimmer“.
• Factory – “pinky-brown satin“.
• Mugshot – “metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift“.
• Darkside – “deep taupe-mauve satin“.
• Blackheart - “smoky black matte with rosy red micro-sparkle".

(Left to Right: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit)

(Left to Right: Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar)

(Left to Right: Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart)

The palette is a cooler, pink toned version of the Naked 2. This is aimed more at those with cooler complexions (MAC NW's) as opposed to those of us who suited the Naked and Naked 2 better. However, I'm very olive toned and I think the shades are gorgeous and find them totally wearable, so each to their own opinion I guess. Also, I'm not usually one for shimmers but the one's in this palette are exceptional. My favourites shadows are Strange, Limit, Buzz and Blackheart.

The palette retails for £37 which is pricey, but for the number of shadows and quality I think this totally reasonable. I have been using my Naked 2 religiously for the past year and half and my shadows are still going strong! I'm seriously impress with the palette and actually prefer it to the other 2 which I didn't think I would, something about rose gold makes me swoon!

Soap & Glory Lid Stuff™

Whilst in town the other day I popped in Boots so pick up some Mascara as I'd run out. I noticed they were doing a 3 for 2 across all their make-up and thought I might as well get my moneys worth being a student and all. I thought 3 mascaras may be a bit much and saw it as an opportunity to try something I'd wanted to for a while. I was instantly drawn to the Soap & Glory range of cosmetics which are something I have delved into yet despite being a great lover of their bath and body range.

I never used to use eye shadow before; but as I'm getting older and my nights become more sleepless, I notice I can suffer from discolouration on my lids. I find a nice neutral eye shadow always fixed this a treat. I've been using some shades from my Naked 2 palette for the past year but as they are hitting pan I thought I should invest in something that's more travel sized yet decent quality but not too pricey. I did consider the Naked Basics but thought it was quite expensive for my budget right now.

I came across this beauty, something I've seen raved about in the beauty circle for quite a while yet still in my eyes an under hyped product. The Lid Stuff quad comes in 3 different shades; What's Nude, Smokey Dokey and Off The Wallflowers. Obviously looking for a nude colours, What's Nude seemed like the perfect choice for me. The quad hosts 3 matte shades and one shimmer to create the perfect everyday look.

(Left to Right: Aubersheen, Mudhoney, Pink T, Vanilla)

I like to use 'Pink T' on my lids, 'Mudhoney' in my crease and 'Vanilla' for my inner corners and under the brow bone. If I'm travelling I also like to use Mudhoney for my brows too which is perfect! I haven't got much use from the only shimmer - 'Aubersheen' yet but I reckon it's a good switch up from Mudhoney for a night time look!

The packaging is super sturdy too which is essential for travelling with and can take quite a battering. The shadows are all well pigmented and last well on the eyes without much fallout if any. They're not quite Urban Decay standard, but for £10, I really can't complain; in fact I'm pretty impressed!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I'm a massive fan of Urban Decay, especially their eye shadows. I had wanted a Naked palette for ages, I use more neutral colours on my eyelids for day and evening wear. With the Naked, Naked 2 and Naked Basics around, it's hard to know which one to go for. I thought I'd do a little review on the Naked 2, my favourite of the palettes.

First of all, the packaging is very sleek. As an upgrade on the original Naked packaging they've gone for a tin case as opposed to card and fabric. I prefer this as it's much easier to keep clean and doesn't get so grubby. It's also a lot more sturdy than the original which makes it easy to transport, however it's still not quite small enough to fit in my make-up bag.

The palette hosts 12 eye shadows as well as a double sided brush and a large mirror. The mirror is very useful for on the go application although I don't tend to use it much. The brush is fully synthetic and doesn't work too great at holding the shadows on the hairs, I find my MAC natural bristle brushes catch onto the shadow much better and blend well leaving a more seamless finish. The shadows are all highly pigmented and apply well. There are a range of neutral shades from mattes to shimmers to glitters.

(Left to Right: Chopper, Bootycall, Half Baked, Foxy)

(Left to Right: Pistol, Suspect, Snakebite, Tease)

(Left to Right: Blackout, Busted, YDK, Verve)

Over the last year I've owned this palette I've used it pretty much everyday. I tend to use Foxy as a base colour and Tease to contour in the eye socket for an everyday look. I haven't experimented much with evening looks but there is a great selection and I'll continue to use the palette regularly. The only dislike is that you can get a lot of fallout and invested in a good eye primer such as the Urban Decay Primer Potion is a good call.

The palette retails for around £36 and I think it's worth every penny. I'm definitely considering invested in the Naked Basics palette as it's far more compact and hosts matte only shades which is my personal preference. However, the Naked 2 is a delight to use and definitely one of the best neutral palettes on the market.