Saturday 1 November 2014

Review: Naked 2 Basics


Oh yes, you got it! Another review~~~~! As soon as I caught wind of this being in Sephora stores in Singapore, I knew I had to get my marathon-worthy shoes on and race out the door to land myself one of these babies and get the review to you guys as soon as possible. BEHOLD, my follow die-hard UD fans/ Neutral/ matte shadow fanatics, the NAKED 2 BASICS Palette. *Cool music ensues*

Hahahaha okay okay, enough with the over-dramatic entrance. Let's get down to business.

Naked 2 Basics Palette
Naked 2 Basics
 Such a beauty~~~ Does anyone get as excited as me whenever they unbox a new palette, especially one that you've been eyeing for months and months? Oh come on, I know there are some of you out there, don't try to hide it, hehe. Firstly again as I feel about the first Naked Basics Palette, the packaging on this one is sturdy, compact and sleek. 1UP there, UD, 1UP. The colour of this palette is of course slightly different than the first one, with a cooler, more greyish tone but again, still the same size.

Naked 2 Basics

Top: Naked 2 Basics, Bottom: Naked Basics

Left: Naked Basics, Right: Naked 2 Basics

As you can see, the two palettes in the Naked Basics line are different from each other, with Naked basics being slightly more brown-toned based and Naked 2 Basics being more taupe/grey-toned based. They do both however, share the same 1 non-matte & 5 matte shadows format, although in the Naked 2 Basics palette, Skimp being the non-matte in the palette is more peachy-toned and more of a satin finish (than Venus in the first palette having a more frosty/ satin-shimmer finish). The pigmentation of the shadows, like alot of other UD shadows is impeccable which comes as no surprise, seeing as how I personally feel that UD does  some of the best shadows in the market, especially the mattes.

Naked 2 Basics Swatches  in Natural Daylight L-R: Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal, Undone
Another thing that I have to commend Urban Decay on is that they listened to their audience's gripes of having too many highlight shades in the first Naked Basics Palette and offered more crease/ lid/ outer V shades this time round in the Naked 2 Basics. I love how the creases shades Stark and Frisk are different enough such that you don't feel like you have two of the same shades in the palette that you paid quite abit for. For those who are expecting a crazy dark black or brown that u could use as a punchy eyeliner in place of a pencil/ gel/ liquid liner, this palette I'm afraid doesn't have that like the first installment has. However, for those who like me prefer a semi-dark brown/ grey eyeshadows for eyeliner, this would be such a good one for you.

Overall, UD has done a great job with their second installment and even with their overall Fall collection this year. Kudos to them! Definitely check out their launches for this holiday season and I swear, you will not be disappointed! Another big question we all ask as all their NAKED line eyeshadow palettes come out is: Is the Naked 2 Basics different enough from the Naked Basics palette to render a purchase? My answer would be: YES! If you like the taupes/ greys on your eyes but don't want them too be overly cool, I think the Naked 2 Basics provides a good middle ground between warm and cool.

Grade Breakdown:
Do I like this?: Do you need to ask??!! (yes yes yes!)
Would I repurchase this?: Yes! seeing as how this one is going into my 'likely to hit pan and finish' list!
Grade: A

So my lovelies, what are some of your favourite Urban Decay Products for Fall? Bracing the onset of holidays to come yet? ;)

*( The Naked 2 Basics Palette is out now at Sephora Stores in Singapore for SGD $45)

Stay lovely and happy!~


Review: Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Hey there my lovelies!

So excited to finally get my hands on this baby after deciding to pass it up the first month it came out in my local Sephora and it totally going out of stock for months and months ahead [sadness]. So, the moment I saw it back in one of my local Sephora I lunged, snagged it and made a run for it to the check out counter. After that (and the purchasing of some other products *guilty*), I knew it was definitely time for a review. So woohoo, let's get on with the review~~'

The palette set I got though did not come with the mini mascara set it originally came with when it was first launched but hey, the price was lowered so Im not one to complain. First of all, the packaging, I like. It has a sturdy cardboard exterior and the part holding the eyeshadow is actually made of plastic, which is nice. Simple and black works for me.


Smashbox Full Exposure Palette
Smashbox Full Exposure Palette: 14 Eyeshadows with one dual-ended brush

The palette still comes with the dual ended brush of which is of good quality and not those that you would just typically toss out in the trash. It also comes with a very comprehensive look book for those who are in need of some guidance should you feel overwhelmed by all the colour in one palette of awesomeness. The layout of the shadows is great with shimmer/glitter on the top and mattes on the bottom. The first row consists mostly of shimmer shadows with glitters, with the exception of S4 which is just more of the shimmer without the glitter that the other shadows in that row have. The second row would be the mattes with no shimmer or glitter in sight. The colour layout of this palette is also totally up my alley. I adore the way the colours are arranged from the  browns to the greys/blacks. The palette has a nice mix of both warm and cool neutrals so its great for those like me who want the best of both worlds.


Smashbox Full Exposure Palette: First Row (Shimmer/ Glitter) L-R: S1 to S7

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette: Second Row (Matte) L-R: M1 to M7 

The shadows swatch BEAUTIFULLY. They are very smooth, velvety and blend very well on the lid. Lasting power on these babies are just a dream. I went from wearing them on the lids from eleven in the morning to one at night and they were still on (IKR). The pigmentation on these are excellent no doubt but should I compare them to the likes of the NAKED family from Urban Decay and other nude/ naked type palettes from LORAC, Too Faced, Stila, The Balm (& the list goes on), these are definitely up there but not the ultimate top. The pigmentation in this sense is not a bad thing that it isn't at the top as it allows more room for easier blending and less patchiness. Another thing I must say about the shadows in this palette is that, the mattes seem to perform better in terms of smoothness and pigmentation but neveetheless as a whole eyeshadow palette, they work so well together. The only thing I would say you should look out for is the slight fall out you might face with the shimmer shadows but nothing that belongs to the 'OMG look at all this fallout now I have to remove and redo my makeup *grumble grumble*' category.

Overall, if you are one of those self-proclaimed 'live for the neutral palettes and must get your hands on every single one of them' type makeup junkie (like myself *ehem*), this is one that you should totally grab and stash in your makeup arsenal. Or if you are just looking to pamper yourself or just looking for a nice inclusive palette, this is also one that you could possibly get your hands on! Smashbox did a wonderful job on this palette and I definitely look forward to trying more of their products!

So! Grading Breakdown:
Do I like it?: Yup! Definitely!
Would I repurchase it?: Yes (if I would actually get through one full one that is~ hehe)
Overall Grade: A-

So, are you lovin' or hatin' this little box of treasures? What are some of you favourite Smashbox products? ;)

*(The Smashbox Full Exposure Palette is available at Sephora stores in Singapore at SGD $73.00)

Stay lovely!