URBAN DECAY NAKED CHERRY EYESHADOW PALETTE | HIT OR MISS?

Urban Decay caused a major stir a couple of months back when it discontinued the palette that essentially defined our concept of what an eyeshadow palette should be. And shortly after, images of the Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette* | £42 | hit the internet. It was a pretty bold statement: out with the browns and in with the purples! I wasn't originally going to pick this up, despite my curiosity, but was kindly sent it (twice, in fact! There's a giveaway of my extra palette along with some Pixi and Nars on Instagram). Today I'm going to give you the lowdown on this new launch and whether I think it's worth picking up or not!

Packaging and theme

I don't have the Naked Heat and I never got my hands on the Naked Smoky palette, so this packaging is a major step up from my Naked 1 and even the tin casing of the others from the original line. Felt actually really 'goes through' me, so I hate actually holding my palettes made out of that material (even with my beloved ABH Soft Glam palette; I set it down on the table and use it like that as far as possible!) - this firm plastic packaging feels secure, is going to stay cleaner and just looks so much better! I love the design and even the outer packaging is gorgeous. You get a decent mirror and, although I never use them -the brush in here isn't bad - if you're not super into makeup, I'm sure it'll do the job for you. 

This is definitely more of a purple vibe than a red vibe when it comes to the cherry theme but, staying true to the Naked line, it makes these sorts of tones very wearable. I have to say that the second half of the palette inspires me a lot for than the first six shades, though I guess they're providing the essentials to you like a couple of transition shades. However I think there could have been a bit more variation, as a lot of these very light mattes will look similar once applied and they aren't going to be much good on deeper skin tones, however we'll do a deep-dive into the shades later!

Formula

Overall I do tend to prefer the mattes from Urban Decay to their shimmers, which is a real anomaly in my eyeshadow experience, because shimmers are usually far easier to get right! I feel like Urban Decay is kind of aware of that, though, because they do tend to include more mattes in their palettes. There are definitely some really gorgeous shimmers in here but the formula is a little inconsistent, which I'll talk about in the shade breakdown. The good shimmers are smooth with a gorgeous sheeny finish but the less-good shimmers (of which there are one or two) are just a little bit powdery. The mattes, on the other hand, are soooo creamy and incredibly pigmented. They blend so beautifully, too. That maybe isn't something super mind-blowing for a neutrals palette but for these sorts of colours; it's pretty impressive. If you like the shades, you'll be able to work with the formula regardless of whether you're a pro or a total newbie. I find the longevity of these eyeshadows to be really good too. 

Shades

Overall I think there's a good gradient and some nice variation in here. I feel like I can create distinct looks with this palette, which is pretty good considering it has a really strong colour story. 

The first two shades are pretty redundant for me and - even if you do use those very light cream matte colours - I don't think we needed both of them! Hot Spot is a stark white whereas Caution is more neutral and nude. Bang Bang is one of the weaker shimmers to me - it's a sort of mid-toned pink lid colour but where's the smoothness? To me; it just doesn't pack enough of a punch, though it is a little better if you use it wet. Feelz and Juicy are both mid-toned matte transition shades for me and I really like the formula. The former is more of a berry colour whereas the latter has a brighter, more peachy tone. Turn On is a more neutral taupe shimmer that I use as a lid colour. Whilst better than Bang Bang, it isn't the best shimmer formula-wise when compared to some of the darker colours we'll get into!

Ok, this is where we move from the more functional shades to the ones that really get me excited when I reach for this palette! Ambitious is a gorgeous coppery red with a soft metallic sheen. Bing is an incredible wine-toned matte. Devlish is a deeper, more neutral purple matte. Both of these shades are great crease colours. Young Love is a sort of sangria-coloured shimmer that can be used all over the lid. Drunk Dial is a deeper, plummier shimmer that I use to smoke out the lid colour towards the edge of the eye. Privacy is a very deep plum matte that you can use as a liner or to add more depth to the crease.

How I wear it

For me; this is definitely a 'weekend palette', but it's still worth owning because I'm always excited to use it! I've never really tried something like this before but it turns out I love these warm purples on my skin tone and I can create some gorgeous evening looks with these colours. My go-to shades are definitely Feelz and Juicy as transition colours, Bing in the crease, Ambitious as a lid colour and Drunk Dial on the outer corner and lower lash line. The only thing I think this palette is missing is a shimmery inner-corner highlight (though on deeper skin tones Bang Bang will work) - it's not a deal-breaker, as I can use my face highlighter or (if I'm at home) another palette or single, but it would have been nice to have.

The verdict

I wasn't expecting to love this palette like I do! I wasn't sure this colour scheme would be for me and there are a couple of filler shades that I personally would have left out, however the really amazing shades in here more than make up for that in my opinion. I have to declare this a surprise hit!

Have you tried the Naked Cherry? If not, do you think you'll pick it up?

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Disclosure - products marked * were gifted to me as unpaid advertisement for the brands / websites mentioned. All opinions expressed are my own. Please read my disclosure page for more information.

Read more posts from this series here!