UD Naked Ultimate Basics Review & Swatches

As promised, here’s a short UD Naked Ultimate Basics Review & Swatches. I’m sure by now, everyone already sees reviews from other youtubers and beauty bloggers, so I’ll be doing just a simple short review about this palette. Read more below to find out my personal experience and honest opinion regarding this palette. Don’t forget to check out my previous tutorial using this palette!

ud naked ultimate basics review

Some of you might know that I’m a big fan of the UD Naked 3 palettes. I liked the Naked 1 & 2, but I was absolutely in love with Naked 3. When I was deciding to go back to Indonesia for a year, I knew I had to buy the UD Naked Basics 1. The palette was small, but it has everything I needed to do my eye makeup as well as brows. That palette had travelled with me everywhere inside and outside of Indonesia. Small & compact, I didn’t need anything else.

You all might also know that UD released the Naked Basics 2 palette shortly after the success of Basics 1, however, I didn’t feel that I need Basics 2, so I didn’t buy it. Fast forward, couple weeks a go, some of the Beauty Influencers I followed on Instagram kept showing the swatches of the UD Naked Ultimate Basics palette, and I knew I had to grab it! This palette has been one of my go-to palette this Fall.
ud naked ultimate basics review

So, with this palette, you’ll get 12 eyeshadows – 11 matte and 1 demi-matte. The demi-matte shade is on your top left most pan, it’s a shade called Blow. I don’t know why they call this colour a demi-matte, when I think it’s a definite shimmers. Anyways, let’s list all the shadows below and talk about each one of them, shall we?

All these swatches were made using a dense flat eyeshadow brush. My arms were primed using Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma. The eyeshadows description is based on Sephora’s description. Pictures are taken using a daylight.

Top Row  (Left-Right) – this top row is quite disappointing since the eyeshadows on this row, are mostly quite pale and light. Most of the colours on this row can be used as eyelid colour or transition colour, with the exception of Blow (can be used as highlight) and Lethal (as contour/liner colour). The eyeshadows on this top row leans on the redder undertones.

  • Blow – light nude (demi-matte)
    • Again, as mentioned before this shade has a shimmery finish, and it’s similar to Venus from UD Naked Basics 1 palette.
    • This shade is a white shimmer, which looks pretty as a highlight colour.
  • Nudie – soft pink-nude (matte)
    • Nudie doesn’t really show up on my skin since it’s very similar to my skin colour but slightly pinkier.
  • Commando – light taupe-brown (matte)
    • This shade is a taupe shade, also barely shows up on my skin colour.
    • Great shade as transition colour.
  • Tempted – pale brown (matte)
    • This shade, in my opinion is a light brown shade.
    • It probably works well as a transition colour, or as a crease colour if I’m going for a natural makeup look.
  • Instinct – medium pink-taupe (matte)
    • This colour is more on the dusty pink shade.
  • Lethal – reddish brown (matte)
    • I feel like this shade is the most exciting shade on this top row.
    • It looks more like a plum than reddish-brown, in my opinion.

Bottom Row (Left-Right) – the eyeshadows on this row is slightly more on the yellow undertones. The colours are much better than the top row’s. The colours on this row is darker and bolder, and definitely more versatile than the top row.

  • Pre-Game – pale yellow (matte)
    • Doesn’t really show up on my skin either, since it’s very light and similar to my skin colour.
    • This shade leans on the yellow undertone.
    • Perfect as a base colour.
  • Extra Bitter – burnt orange (matte)
    • My favourite shade in this palette.
    • Very orange, very Fall!
  • Faith – medium warm brown (matte)
    • This shade is in UD Naked Basics 1 palette.
    • I used it in my previous tutorial, and it works as a transition colour.
  • Lockout – rich neutral brown (matte)
    • I feel that this shade is just 1 shade darker than Faith.
    • It’s a great crease colour if you want to just add a little bit of extra depth on the eyes. (again, i’ve used it in my previous tutorial, check that out)
  • Magnet – smoky gray (matte)
    • a warm grey shade.
  • Blackjack – warm black (matte)
    • a warm black shade, which I think it’s interesting since most black eyeshadows lean towards the blue/cooler end.
    • This black eyeshadow is still very black, even though it’s warm, and I think it ties in the whole palette together.

ud naked ultimate basics swatches

Conclusion:

This palette costed me CA$68, and you’ll get 12 x o.o4oz eyeshadows. Is it worth the $68? I’m not sure. I’m having doubts about this palette, still. I mean, I love the colours, and I love how compact the palette is, but I feel like they could have added more exciting colours. The top row, in my opinion, is a bit boring. I think they could have done better.

The eyeshadows are very buttery and smooth. The blend easily, and there’s very little fall out. There is no question about the quality of the eyeshadows, very pigmented and easily blendable.

Nevertheless, I think you’re better off buying Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye palette ($55) than this UD Naked Ultimate Basics palette. With KVD palette you get more for your money, and you get all the neutral shades with 3 different undertones (warm, neutral, cool). The only thing you don’t get with the KVD palette is the pink and dark plum (instinct & lethal).

The brush that comes with this palette is small and short, and to be honest quite useless. The 1 end works well as a blending brush, but the other end is so small, you can barely do anything with it except to use it as a smudge brush.

The palette itself is pretty, and I think it’d be a great addition if you travel a lot and like matte colours. It’s very compact, and I think I’d be bringing this palette to travel with me.

However, do I think it’s worth the CA$68? I don’t think so. All in all, pretty palette to have, but not necessary to have.