Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Third Time Rosy

Like most beauty junkies, I was in danger of “Naked fatigue” from the continual releases from Urban Decay of their Naked eyeshadow palettes. When I first saw pictures and swatches of Naked3 online, I was a bit on the fence about whether the palette was for me. “Rose-hued neutrals” sounded off alarm bells in my mind about the difficulty of pulling off pink eyeshadows, and I’d largely dismissed the first half of the palette as shades I would hardly ever touch given they looked so light, and so pink. But you know how the story goes. With every new YouTube video I watched and blog post I encountered that featured Naked3, my initial lukewarm sentiments inevitably turned around. The fact the palette seemed perpetually out of stock on Look Fantastic and HQHair did little to dissuade me. Finally, one night in a moment of weakness, I made a order on BeautyBay, where I also previously purchased my original Naked and Naked2 palettes.



Before I get into the review, a little rant about BeautyBay. I noticed they deliberately hiked up the price of the Urban Decay Naked palettes to Australian customers by some $20. They also seemed to be selectively selling them to certain countries, as I would read messages on their Facebook from UK customers asking when Naked3 would come back in stock, but I’d check the website and Naked3 would be available to purchase for me, albeit at a whopping $82 or so. I checked my order history and in 2012, I bought the original Naked palette for $59.60 (which back then, included $9.90 shipping) and Naked2 for $58, but I paid around $82 for my Naked3. Granted, the Australian dollar has also fallen a bit since then, making foreign currencies more expensive, but it’s clear there’s been some deliberate, targeted price hike which I find dishonest and unjustified, especially since comparable sites like Look Fantastic and HQHair are selling Naked3 for the retail price of £37 or $69.






Moving on to my thoughts about the actual palette. I’ll begin by saying I love Naked3 much more than I thought I would, and even though I paid a premium for it, I’m thrilled to have it in my hands. Despite reservations about the shades in the first half of the palette, I actually use them more than I do the first half of Naked or Naked2. Yes, they’re generally very warm, pink, coppery, peachy shades, but I tend to focus them primarily on the first third of my eye or as an inner corner highlight. The more outright glittery shades like Dust, Buzz and Trick do have quite a bit of fallout (as well as Blackheart), but I usually overcome that problem by wetting my brush with one or two spritzes of Avene Thermal Spring Water first. Doing this also makes the eyeshadows much more vibrant and smooth to apply.

l-r: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick

l-r: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit,
Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Limit, Buzz, Trick,
Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick,
Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

A surprising favourite in this palette has been the ultra sparkly, bronzy, coppery Trick. Liar is also beautiful as an all-over lid colour, and the mauve/taupe matte shades like Limit and Nooner are super versatile and something a bit different to your usual beiges and browns. I feel Urban Decay has done incredibly well with the overall shade selection in Naked3, especially in coming up with twelve, all new eyeshadows that form a very complete, coherent palette that still is sufficiently different to its two predecessors. The quality is as you would expect from Urban Decay, and while a couple of the shades were perhaps slightly lacking in pigmentation and drier in texture than in the original Naked and Naked2 palettes, there’s nothing to really complain about. I’ve been reaching for Naked3 almost non-stop since it arrived. Just when I thought I’d had enough, Urban Decay have done it again.

54 comments:

  1. Your review has affirmed my want for this palette! I don't own any of the Nakeds so I feel it's justified haha, but also I absolutely love wearing pinky/coppery tones on my eyes, they're some of ma faves. That's really a huge shame about the price hike though, will make note to avoid Beauty Bay when/if I purchase!

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

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  2. I have read and watched around 764 reviews of Naked3 and have for some reason been quite unenthused by it. Now, upon reading your review, number 765, I feel like I need it! Surprisingly for me, it is the darker shades that seem to have me intrigued. Will I...Won't I?
    www.luluisloving.wordpress.com

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  3. Adrienne from Late Night Nonsense let me borrow hers last week and I didn't expect to fall SO in love with it... Suffice it to say this has shot right to the top of my wishlist! I love how it looks on green eyes and the pigmentation of their shadows is always unbeatable. Lovely post! T xx

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  4. I haven't yet fallen for the Naked craze; my Naked 1 palette doesn't get much use so I can't yet justify purchasing Naked 2 or 3. I think I purchased the wrong Naked palette though, 2 and 3 seem to have a lot more colours I would use. The original palette just has too many dark, smokey colours I don't usually dare to touch. Love the peachy shades in this one. And I agree about BeautyBay, what a shocker! Taking advantage of Australian consumers, for sure. xx

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  5. Ohh I'm really happy that you liked the palette :3
    An that thing from Beautybay was sooo bad :< Seriously, is that even legal? :/
    Here they actually increased the Naked palettes price by 4 euros after my purchase...(good thing I got mine with discount! )

    Anyway, take care, have a nice day!*

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  6. UD has been giving constant hits! I personally haven't had the chance of trying out any of the three naked palettes, and I know I am missing out big time but I still believe I'd like the original palette more for myself shades wise. I just think this is too light for me, but I'm glad to read that this works better for you! :)
    p.s: I like how creative you are with your post titles! :) xx

    Jasmine Catches Butterflies ʚϊɞ

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  7. I'm feeling Limit and Nooner. Should've waited for LookFantastic to stock it! Ah well, you have it now and it's totally worth it. Just hope you get enough wear out of it to justify! I do not wear my Naked 2 palette anywhere near as often as I should.

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  8. I caved into the Naked 2, but won't be hopping on the naked 3 bandwagon even though your swatches look so beautiful and rosy - esp the last 6 colors...just perfect for a good smokeout.

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  9. If I wore eyeshadow regularly I think I would be hitting the checkout button right now, I love the colours in this way more than I thought I would. That's not good that you had to pay so much money for it, but I'm pleased that you love it! <3

    Jennie xo | sailorjennie.com

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  10. I love this palette more than I thought I would too. I knew I would like it but I love ALL of the shades in it whereas I don't use the last two shades of the Naked 1 at all. And that's such a shame about BeautyBay, horrible business practice!

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    Replies
    1. I hate Gunmetal with a burning rage, and all similar dark, metallic slate blue/gray shades that seem to be in a LOT of neutral palettes! (LORAC Pro, Stila In the Light...)

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  11. This is my favorite palette from the Naked Collection. At first I was thinking I might not use it at all or maybe the second half of the palette. But turns out I use it almost everytime. Love love love ... LOVE doing a soft smokey look with this palette and pairing it with brown eyeliner and mascara for a softer everyday day look. I mean the Naked 3 is by far the best versatile palette of the Collection.

    www.thelipglossdiary.blogpost.com

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  12. I like the palette. It's not my favourite of the three, and I really wish I had waited until it came back to Sephora so I could use my gift card on it, but I don't regret buying it.

    RIKKI POYNTER
    // RIKKI POYNTER, MAKEUP!

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  13. That's such an absolute shame about the website you bought this from!! Sounds awful all around but, then again, at least you got your hands on this palette and are enjoying it. I definitely love my NAKED2 more but have a lot of love for this one in its own right :) Very happy to hear you're loving it more than you thought you would!!

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  14. wow, the palette is so pricey in Australia! I thought us Canadians are paying extra compared to US gals. I love this palette as well and to my surprise, this is the palette I grab the most.

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  15. Totally agree with you. I was hesitant about buying it but I'm so glad I did. I love Trick and Liar too. Definitely experimenting more with this one than with the other two for some reason. Cannot believe the extortionate amount they charged for it. It's a good thing you like it!

    Emma x

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  16. I caved in and got one as well. I still need to take photos of it, though, so I haven't tried it yet. XD

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  17. I'm in NZ and have been keeping an eye on both HQHair and BeautyBay's prices for Naked 3, and thought they were fairly similar. HQHair has N1 & N2 for GBP37 each, so I assume N3 would be similar (it's out of stock).

    BeautyBay has N3 for GBP 36.50, or AUD 68.10 when my country preference is set to NZ. But if I change my country to Australia, the price changes to GBP 44.10 / AUD 82.30 ! $14.20 more to send it to Oz than NZ.

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    Replies
    1. Wowwww, that really affirms the dodginess of it all! I wonder why it seems only Australian customers were subject to that kind of inexplicable price hike? I guess we really are just suckers used to paying more for everything!

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  18. I really want this palette but the price is making me hesitate. It's so pretty though...

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  19. yay! glad that you like it better than expected!! from the 1st time I saw swatches of Naked3, I knew it was made for me..
    I have naked 2 but I am not completely happy with it, not because of the quality but more because of color selection..
    Beautybay was one of my fave online shop to get make up that are not available in Germany.. but I also realize that they 'secretly' mark up the price.. They offer excellent service in terms of shipping though, but now I have to think twice to order from the website... T.T

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  20. It's totally gorgeous. Such a shame you had to pay so much for it.

    I actually grabbed a dupe for around £5.

    Georgina at itotallypaused.com

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  21. I love all three naked palettes but Naked3 is definitely my favorite. I think it compliments my blue eyes. :) I second the person who said you have awesome post titles. :))

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  22. The beautybay price hike of this palette is exactly the reason I haven't bought it yet. I bought the Naked 1 for about $50 and I just cannot justify an extra $30 on top of that.
    This is such a pretty palette, and I really want it, I just am so hesitant because of the price. ARGH.

    xx
    Michaela // Where is my mind?

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    Replies
    1. I know, it totally sucks. I guess wait for it to come back on stock on Look Fantastic or take a chance with HQHair (I had a bad experience but at least the goods did arrive in the end). Really sucks about Beauty Bay though!

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  23. I have the Naked 2 palette but not the original or the third one. I just find this a little too pink-toned and it kind of freaks me out. I'm just on the fence about it still. We'll see if I cave at some point! xx
    Celina | The Celution | Bloglovin’

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  24. I love this palette and the first one the best. I find that I don't really need any other colors!
    The Grass Skirt

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  25. I really want to get this palette! I remember getting the original Naked palette for less than $50! The currency sucks :(

    Nhi | Miss Blushaholic

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  26. I totally agree with your annoyance at BeautyBay! Totally made me rethink purchasing from them before, plus their shipping hasn't always been stellar for me. I ended up opting for the Lorac Unzipped Palette (from Amazon, $9 shipping for a total of $49, yay for shipping to Australia finally haha) and I feel it does an adequate job with shades fairly similar to Naked 3.

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    Replies
    1. Oooh, that sounds like a good deal! Do you mind me asking which Amazon seller? I've been eyeing the Lorac Unzipped Palette too ... and so many other neutral palette beauties :p

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  27. We must be on the same brain waves...I just posted my review on this too! But it looks like you are enjoying it far more than me. Perhaps my issue is not wetting my brush? I actually dislike Trick the most! I don't know what to do with it. Your opinion has made me want to try it out more to see what other possibilities there are. I do love Liar though :)

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    Replies
    1. Yes I saw your review! Was bummed you hated Trick when it was my favourite :p Maybe wetting your brush will make it more workable :) Liar is gorgeous, and after you said it reminded you of Toasted, I really see it :)

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  28. It's too bad that the website was such a rip off, but at least it was worth the money in a sense that you're loving the palette. Naked 3 is probably the most loved palette out of all the them, although I still enjoy the original and second very much. I just feel that the shades in Naked 3 are totally right up my alley and that there's not a colour I would gravitate less towards, whereas I find that the original and second naked palette had shades that I rarely use.

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  29. This review came just in time. I was just about to go on Beauty Bay to check out prices because I've finally decided that yeapppp, I want a Naked 3. Can't believe they put up the price so much! As much as I really want one, not sure I want to be forking out $82 for it! >.<

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  30. Beautiful pigments! Love the Naked collection!

    http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

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  31. I cannot describe how much I love your blog. If I wasn't positive that I needed this palette before you definitely reassured me! <3 xoxox

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    Replies
    1. Awww, thank you so much Amy! :) I really enjoy reading your blog too!

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  32. I'm with you on the outrageous price difference for Aussie customers. I'm British, but many of my friends are Australian so I fell your pain! It's so unfair.

    However, the Naked 3 is a wonderful palette. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do, but there are some very special colours in this palette. I think it bridges the gap between Naked 1 and 2 really nicely. Great post, as usual.

    www.sophiemakesup.blogspot.com

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  33. I also didn't think I would like it at first, but now I use it more than both of the other Naked palettes. Nooner and Mugshot are my favorite, I hope they come out with singles soon. I've almost hit pan on a few shades! lol

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  34. Hahaha! YEP! I really really need this one, the Naked 2 and this one...I already have MUA undressed and its a pretty much dupe with the first naked. I think there are so many thousands of women out there who ended up buying two or all three of their palettes! This one is just sooo perfect, deep shades, light shades, rose toned and so versatile! I'm glad you've been using it non stop!

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    Replies
    1. I know Anna Kendrick is one judging by her latest Instagram, haha! :)

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  35. You have such a lovely blog! I just recently stumbled by it and have been reading a few of your posts! I really want to try the naked 3 palette, I've used my friends one the other time and the shades are so lovely! I guess the hefty price tag is whats putting me off especially when I also too paid only $50 for my N1! Great post!

    http://beautybyjnfr.blogspot.com.au/

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! The price hike was definitely off-putting but in the end I just couldn't resist any longer ... I think I lasted 7 weeks trying to convince myself I could wait/I didn't need it :p

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  36. Damn you! I was also on the fence, but your swatches and photos are oh so pretty they make me need it. Thanks a lot... :P
    xx

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  37. I've been on the fence about this too, but your swatches are beautiful! That is terrible of BeautyBay to do that though - I had no idea they did that to overseas buyers :( x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

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  38. One day I hope to have a little naked in my life :)
    would you suggest 1,2 or 3?

    AmBlog | Life, Beauty & Anything In Between.

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    Replies
    1. So hard to say! Depends on your colour preferences and skin tone. But right now I'm in a bit of a honeymoon phase with 3 ;)

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  39. Ahh, these colors are so pretty! Thanks for swatching. It's nice to see them on skin.

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  40. I had that exact moment of "Do I need this? But it's pink!" and as much as I love these hues, I was afraid of pulling the "sick" person look all the time! I really like how they are warm toned, and so far I have been loving all the colours and the looks I have been able to put together using the palette! Definitely no regrets here!

    Stephanie | theFantasia

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  41. I like so much the colors of this palette, I only have Naked2 Palette, these palettes are quite expensive but I want Naked3, I like that have pink tones :)

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  42. Oh very wonderful palette very wonderful and lovelies colors~
    xx

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  43. You are making me want this palette .... NO! LOL.
    Your swatches look so enticing!! I can't wait to see the looks you create with these.

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