Naked HEAT
I thought I'd kick off my old school blogging month with an old school swatchathon of a brand new Naked palette.. it all feels very 2011, doesn't it? I actually skipped the last Naked incarnation (Smoked, was it?) because after 3 I was over it. When I heard they were bringing out a FIFTH I thought, seriously? but this one is right on the money for me. I am not a big eyeshadow wearer these days but I cannot get enough of warmer colours (usually only one at a time.. I've lost my sense of shadow-venture) when the urge strikes and I am really digging the number of mattes there are in this one.
Sauced and Low Blow are my bread and butter basics but Cayenne (as the name suggests) just kicks it up a notch. I know they will be my most used shades. That being said, Lumbre (I had to google, it means fire) is the prettiest golden coral that even this matte addict can't ignore and Ember has that 'wow' factor too.. I'm a sucker for anything a bit duo chrome looking, they really do look like they're (pardon the over-used term) lit from within.Obviously the quality is good, we all know Urban Decay can deliver and these shadows pack a serious punch pigment-wise and blend like a dream. I've been lured over to The Balm and Lorac in recent years with their amazing matte formulas but Urban Decay will always have my heart for first introducing me to the wonderful world of talc-free eyeshadow and they still rarely let me down. The palette itself is far improved from the cardboard and tin, (I think maybe the last one was like this but again, I skipped that) mirror in the lid, dual ended brush included.. I still miss the dual ended pencil though, anyone else?
I actually worked for Urban Decay when the original Naked palette came out and remember that the reason they were always out of stock is because the pencils were too difficult to manufacture. Eventually they replaced it with a brush and they flew out of the factory but I still wonder now whether that limited availability early on made the Naked brand what it is today. Would we have been so desperate to get our hands on it if there were stacks of them on the shelves? Who knows.Will there be a sixth Naked? Would you want there to be? I'm not sure what's left that could still even be tenuously linked (anyone else a Radio 2 listener?) to the word Naked but given the buzz around Heat I think it's safe to say there's a market for it if they decide that purple is the new neutral.Available online here