Indisputably the first neutral eyeshadow palette to take the world by storm, the original Naked Eyeshadow Palette from Urban Decay was discontinued back in Fall 2018. Despite the massive outcry from the beauty community, the brand remained firm on its decision, promising the beginning of a new era that will introduce fresh, innovative products. Well, the time has come because Urban Decay is back with a brand new palette called the Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette ($55 CAD). Offering a range of universal nudes that can be combined to create an endless array of everyday or dramatic looks, the palette is available starting late February. To read my review, see some swatches, and find out the full release dates, click…
Packaging:
Housed in a slim palette that I initially thought was made out of cardboard, Naked Reloaded comes in a plastic rectangular compact wrapped with a cushioned layer of satin fabric. With gold vinyl letters pressed on the lid, the packaging is slightly thinner and narrower as compared to past Naked Palettes. Additionally, Naked Reloaded does not include a dual-ended brush, as had all past full-sized Naked Palettes. Urban Decay brushes are actually quite well-made but I personally have no issue with the lack of one here as I much prefer a lighter, sleeker (and less expensive) palette.
As compared to the original Naked Palette housed in a velvet, flocked packaging that picked up dirt and debris like no other, the satin covering of Naked Reloaded is definitely superior. However, because it is still fabric, the satin finish is prone to staining(i.e. foundation smudges) and everyday wear and tear. There is a total of 12 shades in the palette and all but four come with 1.1 g of shadow. The four “MVP” shades, as Urban Decay calls them, include either 1.3 or 1.4 g of product in order to provide maximum usage.
Formulation:
There’s really not much to be expounded upon with the formulation here as Urban Decay consistently creates high-quality pressed shadows that are silky and pigmented. Naked Reloaded offers a warm color selection and you get one satin (Bribe), two mattes with sparkles (End Game, Boundaries), two glitters (Angel Fire, Dreamweaver), three true mattes (Retro, Bucked, Blur), and four metallic shimmers (Barely Baked, Reputation, Burn, Distilled). The metallic shimmers are my favorites as they are buttery rich and super pigmented. All the satin and mattes are silky and non-patchy but their consistency is a touch loose and powdery. Finally, although pigmented and intense, the glitters are prone to fall-outs so clean-up is expected. See below for a description of each shade.
- Bribe: Soft satin ivory with a hint of pearlescent sheen.
- Barely Baked: Light gold metallic shimmer.
- Angel Fire: Pale rose gold glitter.
- Retro: Dusty matte peach.
- Reputation: Warm rosy brown metallic shimmer.
- Burn: Rich warm brown shimmer with a dark brown base.
- End Game: Deep chocolate brown with subtle copper brown sparkles.
- Dreamweaver: Taupe brown glitter.
- Distilled: Bronze metallic shimmer.
- Bucked: Matte medium brown.
- Boundaries: Matte terracotta brown with a subtle hint of golden sparkles.
- Blur: Matte beige nude.
Above is an eye look I created using the Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette. Overall, this is another solid addition to the Naked family but I’m not sure if it’s a worthy substitute for the original. Whereas the Naked Palette included a classic, balanced selection of warm browns, rich golds, and beige pinks, Naked Reloaded is heavy on the warm browns and terracotta nudes. With that said, if you aren’t comparing it to the original, Naked Reloaded is a great neutral palette. The formulation is A+ so if you like the shade selection, or just love collecting Urban Decay palettes, this is a must-have!
Availability:
The Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette is available at freestanding Urban Decay stores and Urban Decay online starting February 18th, Shopper Drug Mart and Sephora online starting March 4th, and in stores starting March 7th.
