Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette.

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette (£20 from Debenhams). 

Can you tell what it is yet? Why, it's the release of Urban Decay's latest palette of course! To go along with the ever successful NAKED (see my review here) and NAKED2 palettes, Urban Decay have released the baby of the family in the shape of a six shadow matte palette called NAKED Basics. I chose this palette as one of my Christmas presents off my boyfriend when it was released and was on offer at Debenhams for £18. This palette comes beautifully boxed with images of the powders on the back- but note that the box is actually a bit bigger than the palette it contains. I've photographed the NAKED Basics and original NAKED palettes next to each other for size comparison. As you can also see, the case of the new palette is made of a rubbery plastic (think of Nars packaging) which is much less prone to attracting dirt than the velvety exterior of the original palette. The logo on the front is prominent and slightly raised (for anyone whose interested!).

Inside the palette there is a large mirror (effectively the size of the lid) which is great for travel and on-the-go application or touch-ups. There are six matte shades inside (well, five matte shades and a super subtle shimmer shade), four of which are exclusive to this palette. Venus is a really subtle shimmer highlight (exclusive); Foxy is a buttery matte beige; W.O.S (Walk of Shame) is more of a flesh-toned peachy beige; NAKED 2 is a milky light brown (exclusive); Faint is a dark coco colour (exclusive) and finally, Crave is the deepest, mattest black you ever did see (exclusive). As with all Urban Decay eyeshadows, the formula is super light whilst remaining heavily pigmented. The powders blend like a dream and last all day long (although this is improved by wearing a primer, I find). I will say that you can get quite a lot of fall-out when applying the powder to brushes, so my top tip would be to try and use up any excess fall-out before pressing into the powder (if that makes sense?).

So, why do you need this in your life if you've already got either of the original NAKED palettes (or not)? Well my friends, because these are the best quality, least chalky and truest coloured matte eyeshadows that I've ever used. The colours are prefect for creating both daytime and dramatic looks and all compliment each other beautifully.The palette is compact and light- perfect for travelling. And, as if you weren't already sold on it, the shades work beautifully well with the original NAKED shades (I haven't got the NAKED2 so I can't comment unfortunately). I love the original NAKED but sometimes, for a daytime look, it can be too much shimmer shimmer, but when paired with some of the shades out of this palette, you're good to go! I truly love this palette and I think every makeup-loving girl needs to have this in her collection! Have you tried the NAKED Basics palette? Let me know what you think!