April 12, 2011

Two Good Ways to Get Naked


My sister-in-law was describing her new favorite product. She said it was a collection of eye shadows in really pretty, really wearable colors. She loved it so much she had just bought another one to give to her sister. It was called Naked Eye or something. I said: The Naked Palette from Urban Decay? I LOVE THAT! She said: No, I don’t think it’s Urban Decay. I said: Is it in a velvet box? She said: No, but it’s called Naked something. I described my Naked palette in more detail, and she was sure hers was not the same one I was talking about. Eventually, she retrieved it from her purse and settled it. This was something I had not seen or tried… yet.


Two Faced's Naked Eye Shadow Collection is like little cardboard jewelry box. It even has a tiny drawer holding a double ended applicator! (I probably won’t use that though. I have an extensive collection of makeup brushes, which I’m sure totally surprises you, right?) There is a little pocket holding three cards, each of which has simple instructions for a different look: Day, Classic, and Fashion. The instructions have only three steps and use just three colors, so it would be great for someone who wants to wear eye shadow, but feels like they don’t know how, or for anyone looking for some easy new options. If you like the idea of an instructional kit, but you’re not into the “soft & sexy” Naked collection, they offer sets in Romantic, Natural, and Smoky as well.

What really got me here is what ALWAYS gets me with eye shadow. I’m a sucker for pretty colors. The Naked Eye kit has such pretty colors! They are right in my go-to range of shades, yet they’re (mostly) colors I don’t already have. The really great thing is that they’re all right there together. Very convenient, especially for travel. I love that it includes a matte black: Stiletto. Usually, I have to remember to bring along MAC’s Carbon.


The Urban Decay Naked Palette is more like a traditional palette. Packaged in a velvety brown box printed with big gold letters reading NAKED, are a dozen rich, beautiful colors. There is a mirror built into the lid, and it’s big enough to actually use. Mine came with a double-ended brown/black eyeliner, but Sephora is now showing it to include a REAL eye shadow brush and an eyelid primer. The shades are a little more intense than those from Two Faced. They also have a lot more shimmer, which is what you’d expect from Urban Decay. That’s just how they roll. Again, the colors are gorrrrrgeous! Fantastic neutrals, but they are special neutrals because they are so shimmery! They aren’t really glittery, but the shimmer is to a point where it is almost-glitter. One thing it’s missing is a matte black. There is a sparkly black called Creep, but I usually set my waterline with black shadow (more on that some other time) and I don’t want to put almost-glitter IN my eye.

If you’re in need of some really beautiful, really wearable shades, getting Naked is pretty fabulous, one way or the other. (NSFW.)

2 comments:

  1. Enlighten a makeup novice... Waterline?? Eyelid primer? Do tell because my eyes are pretty much all I do...

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  2. The waterline is basically the edge of your eyelid, on the other side of the eyelashes, where it touches your eyeball. If you put black eyeliner there, it looks very dramatic (even though it might make your eyes look a little smaller.)

    Eyelid primer is usually in cream form. You apply it to your eyelid to help keep your eye shadow in place. Some people's eye shadow stays on better than others, depending on skin type and shape of the eye/eyelid. Personally, I would really only use an eye primer if I had some kind of marathon day, like a wedding. Other people swear by it.

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