Maybe this is beauty blogger sacrilege, but I just can’t bring myself to care about the Urban Decay Naked palette. I guess I don’t feel the need to own that many high-end neutrals. At the height of Naked fever, when they were sold out all over the country, I twice found myself at Ulta locations (one in Oregon, one in New England) where they had the original Naked palette in stock, and both times I felt that limited-edition-need-to-own urge rise inside me, and both times I stepped back, took a long, hard look at reality, and realized I had no real interest in spending $48 on a palette that held almost no interest for me. Obviously the Naked palette has been massively popular, so I’m in the minority here, but I’m just not into it. And I’m really not into the Naked2 palette, which I realize has major differences to fans, but to me just looks like more of the same.
I think the price has a lot to do with it. I own other expensive palettes, including other Urban Decay palettes, but I’m trying to be a lot more responsible with my money in my 30s than I was in my 20s, and if I’m going to shell out 50 bucks for a palette, I really want to love it. Especially since now I have a husband who says things like “You spent what on eye shadow?”
If you’re like me and you’re not feeling the price tag on Naked and Naked2, here’s an alternative: The Physicians Formula Nude Shimmer Strip.
Same concept as the Naked palettes (well, let’s be honest — concept pretty much lifted directly from the Naked palettes) at less than a quarter of the price. I spotted this at my local Fred Meyer the other day and I have to say, I very nearly took it home with me despite the fact that I really don’t feel the need to own any more neutral shadows. The packaging is super adorable, and the price is right: nine shades, 11 bucks.
I wouldn’t necessarily call this an even exchange, of course. I have a few of the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips, and while they’re decent quality, they’re not as velvety or pigmented as the Urban Decay shadows I own. I also find the Shimmer Strips a little bit difficult to use with larger brushes; since there’s no divider between the colors, it can be a challenge to keep your all-over eye shadow brush from picking up a little bit of the wrong shade. If you’re really passionate about high-quality neutrals, the Naked palettes are almost certainly a better bet.
Still, at about $11, if I wake up one morning and decide I can’t live without a neutral palette, I’ll go for the Nude over the Nakeds. With a gap of nearly $40, the difference between Nude and Naked is a pretty good bottle of wine.
