The day the folks at Urban Decay sat down with 12 shades of brown, beige, charcoal and black eyeshadows, tossed them into a palette and decided to give it a really risque name… like… “Oh I don’t know, lets call it Naked!” is a day that has gone down in the annals of makeup history. The demand for the Naked palette was so high after it was released, they had to shut things down so they could make more. Palettes were FLYING off the shelves.
And when that wasn’t enough, to speed up turnaround and manufacturing time even more quickly, they had to remove the very serviceable dual ended 24/7 eyeliners included in the original Naked palette, and replace it with a brush that I’ve heard is quite craptactular.
The era of the neutral/nude palette was born.
And now, every one and their mother and sister compares every single neutral or nude looking eyeshadow palette to Naked. “How does this compare to Naked?” is easily the most asked question the minute a brown/beige palette is shown to the masses. I seriously dislike that. Naked is a good palette on its own and every other one stands on its own merits.
But how do the other brands react? Oh by coming out with their own version of the Naked palette of course. Ho hum.
Most recently, I came across these two.
Nude Tude eye shadow palette from TheBalm (thanks to Marina) and more facepalmingly BUTT NAKED Eyes Makeup Palette by NYX Cosmetics (thanks to Little Miss Megsy for the heads up)
I don’t know why NYX felt the need to come up with a Butt Naked eye makeup palette when they had very serviceable neutral eyeshadow palettes in Bohemian Rhapsody (which I happen to like) and Caviar and Bubbles. Both are pretty names for pretty neutral palettes. They also previously had a palette called Nude on Nude if I recall correctly.
Sleek Makeup has a neutral palette which they call Au Naturel i-Divine which I think is a pretty name, despite it being just another permutation of the whole Nude or Naked trend.
In the recent past, Bobbi Brown had a whole Nude collection but that didn’t invoke a large copycat following. I don’t even remember much from it or if anyone actually had anything good to say about it.
Rumours are, Urban Decay is coming out with Naked 2. I wonder if that’s its name – Naked 2 – or if they were bummed (hur hur!) that NYX pipped them to Butt Naked.
But really, does this whole “Naked” trend bug you as much as it bugs me? A neutral palette is fine by me, its the name that I wish would be more original. Its like the whole crackle polish trend. Start one and everyone goes mad making a version of crackle, crack, shatter, etc etc polish. Did I miss any other Naked or Nude or In the Buff or perhaps BUTT NAKED eyeshadow palette out there? I’m sure I did, so ready, go! Share if you have come across one I haven’t! At least I know which to avoid.
Paris B
dom says
November 9, 2011 at 8:44 amit makes me want to get all the nude/neutral palettes now. but i think you’re right, most brands are trying to emulate the success of Naked and tbh sometimes i wonder how much more ‘naked’ or ‘nude’ or ‘neutral’ you can get. btw Nyx also has a ‘nude-on-nude’ palette and they’ve got 2 sizes – one’s heaps bigger than the UD + has lipglosses, and they’ve got a travel-friendly size one with only 9 colors. nonpareil stocks them and i was very tempted to get those when naked was unavailable here.
maybe we should do a battle of the nudes. temptalia rated theBalm’s nude ‘tude at an A.
rinnah says
November 9, 2011 at 9:08 amI like how catchy that sounds… ‘battle of the nudes’. 😛
I’ve found that lately I’m steering away from neutral eyes to smokey eyes when I actually do my makeup, so maybe I’m over the whole ‘naked’ trend. 🙂
dom says
November 9, 2011 at 9:11 amhehe morning Rinnah. i’m still quite into the trend especially after i got some advice from Connie on how to use Naked. however i dunno why i lust after all these nude/neutral palettes. maybe i’m too easily swayed. smokey eyes are great though 🙂
Connie De Alwis says
November 9, 2011 at 12:02 pmI hardly use the Naked palette for a “Naked” eye. Still smoke them! Neutral colors are always handy to have and it’s a great palette for work looks.
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:08 pmOnly if you’re warm toned! I tend to use only the cooler shades and even then always with a dark colour to smoke. If I just wear a straight nude eye, my eyes look tiny and puffy 😛
Connie De Alwis says
November 9, 2011 at 12:12 pmThe colors are all pretty warm with some neutrals. I hardly touch that Gunmetal color and use the highlight shades sparingly (too frosty!). But the other colors I do like a lot especially the “blendy” colors ie. Naked and Buck
Oh! And I didn’t reliaze that the original Naked had the pencils! I still have them from other palettes so it’s fine. I’ve never touched the brush!
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:38 pmPutting in the brush was a stroke of genius actually… if it actually worked well and not as badly as I hear 🙂
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 11:58 amI LOVE smokey eyes! 😀 Do it all the time in varying degrees simply because they make my eyes look so much bigger 😛
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 11:58 amI’m not surprised that theBalm palette is a good one. Their Shady Lady palettes are pretty decent. I’m not anti-neutral palettes, I like them in fact. But the names and play on nude and naked turn me right off. So it isn’t going to be likely I’ll pick up the theBalm palette any time soon unless i see it going for a good discount.
Gapil's mom says
November 9, 2011 at 9:23 amI think that’s a very good marketing strategy giving the palette a *quite* shocking name. Look at NARS with their orgasm blush, or deep throat or super orgasm. People are easily intrigued with those kind of risque names. But neutrals are my first love so i’m always itching to get my paws on any good neutral palettes out there. Oh and also because i’m crap at setting up a nice, neutral customizeable palette for myself hehe 🙂
Renee says
November 9, 2011 at 11:20 amI agree! Like with everything in business, “shocking”, “controversial” “daring” always gets more media attention (good or bad), and therefore sells! I am sure a large part of what makes NARS Orgasm blush so popular is the name – who wouldn’t be curious to check it out?!
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:01 pmI like me a good neutral palette too and I think UD was clever to pick up on Naked. Heaven knows NARS is already the undisputed king of sexual names what with the new G-Spot Multiple. But what puts me off is every other brand putting a play on the Naked theme. I think a pretty neutral palette can stand on its own without copying the name 🙂
LeGeeque says
November 9, 2011 at 9:38 amYea, think they’re just trying to jump on the bandwagon of UD’s success. Nude palettes have been around for yonks but no one’s managed to sexify it as well as UD did and now everyone wants a piece of the success pie. Wish they’d patent it and no one can touch it! (yes, I know, something like that is hard to patent but I’m in cranky grumpy mood today :P)
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:02 pmAnd to be honest, UD’s Naked palette isn’t even the best one out there. I personally find it too warm for those with neutral-cool tones and am having a slight regret having it. I actually much prefer the UD 15th Anniversary palette. That one is a much better palette IMO and it didn’t come with some twee name
xin says
November 9, 2011 at 9:44 ameeeep! i havent caught any of the naked trend but i believe one single nude palatte is enough to serve me for 2-3 years 😛 (who am i fooling now)
p/s: naked shadow definitely beats people who are skin…naked, or half.
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:03 pmEspecially when they plaster their semi nakedness all over the top of their webpage yes?
AnT says
November 9, 2011 at 10:03 amButt Naked? LOL 😀
Seriously, I hope they won’t come out with Bewb Naked or something like that. Just don’t really understand why they must relate eyeshadow palettes with “Butt”? Product branding ‘fengshui’? 😛
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:03 pmHAHA! Butt Naked Eyes. Erm… no thank you 😛
Renee | Beauty Fool says
November 9, 2011 at 11:27 amWhat about Sleek’s Nude collection? Hahaha everyone wants to get their clothes off (or a piece of UD’s Naked $$$!)
xx Renee
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:06 pmOh yes I forgot Sleek’s Nude collection. *facepalm* everyone just wants a piece of the “naked” pie
Isabel says
November 9, 2011 at 11:43 amI resisted the temptation to get Naked. Yeah it looks like a nice palette but from afar, and especially if they aren’t makeup crazy, brown is brown. I think I have enough neutral shades
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:07 pm“I resisted the temptation to get Naked.” You made me smile Isabel! 😀
I have to agree with you. Naked isn’t the be all end all neutral coloured palette out there. They just got lucky with the name, pricing and being from Urban Decay 😛
Connie De Alwis says
November 9, 2011 at 12:08 pmAhh… unoriginality… no stranger to the beauty world! Yeah, it would be great if the brands could be more original but at the same time, they’re in such a competitive industry where it’s difficult to differentiate. So, rather than do that, they just capitalize on other brands/products’ success. Sadly, buyers do get excited over “dupes”. Perhaps back then I was like that too but now I buy what I like and that’s that. Whether or not there’s a cheaper dupe, I’m tired of hunting and trying! If I want it, I buy it. If I like it, I stick with it. I’m not gonna buy something similar just to see if it’s better unless I have issues with the current one and seek for a good substitute.
I think Too Faced has a similar neutral palette
ParisB says
November 9, 2011 at 12:12 pmDid Too Faced call theirs a permutation of Naked/Nude too? I know Smashbox have one but theirs is at least called In Bloom and Softbox. That said, I swear beauty “trends” are dictated by manufacturers. It is not possible that every year, every brand releases the same sort of product/colour/ingredient without there being some serious industry espionage going on. But since no one is screaming espionage, they are either sharing info or manufacturers are calling the shots and we consumers are suckers. Boo! 🙁
Connie De Alwis says
November 9, 2011 at 12:19 pmDon’t think so. I think it’s called “Natural Eye Palette” or something like that. Haha! Me thinks many makeup companies share the same manufacturer, end product comes in different grades and quality control, good ones with better QC marketed by high end brands, the lower grade ones taken by lower end brands… just a theory!
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:40 pmI have to agree with you re: manufacturers. I do think its the case which is why many new cheaper brands all tend to look very similar in terms of colour/packaging – it probably is.
Juan says
November 9, 2011 at 12:09 pmcheap tactics that makes millions. Bah! 😛
Juan says
November 9, 2011 at 12:11 pmMake not makes. *double bah*!
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:36 pmLOL! Case of “Why didn’t I think of that?” 🙂
Foong Jin says
November 9, 2011 at 12:11 pm“Rumours are, Urban Decay is coming out with Naked 2. I wonder if that’s its name – Naked 2 – or if they were bummed (hur hur!) that NYX pipped them to Butt Naked.”
Got me LOL-ing there 😛
UD’s Naked is definitely revolutionary in terms of branding/marketing…now if I hear the word “naked”, the palette will automatically pop into my mind (amongst other things). That’s how strong the association of the word to the brand is for me. Can’t blame the other companies of jumping onto the bandwagon to make some quick and easy money out of UD’s success. 😛 It doesn’t bug me, honestly, and I’m glad to see some other options as the Naked palette is quite pricey.
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:36 pmWell I guess we have them to thank for the proliferation of neutral palettes now from every price spectrum. At least we now have more options 😀
Cas says
November 9, 2011 at 12:11 pmJust a week ago I was soo tempted to get it but after seeing some reviews, it looks like the majority of the colors are quite shimmery, which when you come to think of it, isn’t so ‘naked’ afterall. I’ve purchased the sleek au-natural palette, fingers crossed it will be decent.
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:37 pmYes, the Naked palette like many UD palettes thrive on shimmer! Not very “naked” at all 😉 I hope you like the Au Naturel palette – its not bad but maybe a bit powdery if not careful.
Hanny Daforcena says
November 9, 2011 at 12:18 pmWell, this is called the market trying to regulate itself. UD comes out with Naked, to avoid monopoly, other companies come out with similar palettes in order to compete. Heh heh heh. Am looking at the bright side of things. Nevertheless, still am lemming for UD’s version.
*Am devout believer of Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand*
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:39 pmActually I think its a case of copycats riding on UD’s success which suits me fine – spread the wealth a little LOL! But its just the name that bugs me not the palettes per se.
Amex says
November 9, 2011 at 12:23 pmI do agree with you. It’s one thing jumping the bandwagon on a concept but they have to give them similar sounding names as well. They’ve gone synonym mad. 🙂
Also what’s with the i-Divine? What’s the ‘i’ meant to represent anyways?
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:41 pmHaha! Amex, you’re the only one who has agreed with me thus far on the madness of the names 😀 As for i-Divine I think Sleek just went a bit Apple mad 😀 Or maybe its a play on i = eye? Who knows eh? 😀
shusheshe says
November 9, 2011 at 1:59 pmI love neutrals, so these ‘naked’ palettes are completely up my alley!
As for Bobbi Brown not making much of a hit with their nude stuff is because most of stuff is very neutral and understated anyway? (Not that I don’t love it, because I do!)
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:42 pmHaha true true for Bobbi Brown. A “naked” palette is just another day at the office for them!
Wynnce says
November 9, 2011 at 2:51 pmTheBalm Nude’tude will be released in local Sasa stores on 1st Dec. But I’m really worried about their e/s fall out problems…
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 4:44 pmI don’t experience a real problem with TheBalm shadows 🙂 but that said, I will not get this palette unless I see it going for a huge sale, because something about the way the pans are arranged puts me off 😛 Thanks for the heads up!
peach_ says
November 9, 2011 at 4:43 pmDon’t these companies know that naming their palettes similar to the Naked palette will only remind the customer to think of Urban Decay and go for the original Naked instead? At least, that’s how I see it. Copy-cats are a definite turn-off for me. Butt Naked is pretty funny, though… 😀
I LOVE neutrals, so I am liking the trend, but I agree it’s pointless and irritating to compare all other neutrals to Naked. Naked has beautiful colors, but doesn’t cover the entire neutral spectrum, and I find them too shimmery for a truly naked look. 😛
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 5:01 pmI like shadows with shimmer but I have to agree with you. Naked is too shimmery a palette to be truly “naked”. Its the whole comparison and similar naming systems that bug me and turn me right off. I’d happily purchase a neutral palette… if they’d call it something else 😛
Marina (Makeup4all) says
November 9, 2011 at 5:19 pmI know what you mean but I like the Nude Tude palette anyway 🙂
My personal nude palette is the one by Too Faced which I’ve bought about 1.5 years before Naked even launched and it is still my favourite one. Beautiful matte and satin eye shadows and great texture.
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 5:02 pmI like the Nude Tude too to be honest. The combination of colours look very promising. The arrangement of the pans bug me a little too. Maybe I’m just too nitpicky 😛
lyn says
November 10, 2011 at 12:28 amI’d say, let them go nuts! It’s entertaining for consumers 🙂 I’ll bet UD will name their new palette STARK NAKED! At least it’s not a number like most Japanese makeup naming convention.
I’ll probably get Nude ‘Tude simply because I like theBalm e/shadows. I’m not bothered by their stupid names anymore.
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 5:11 pmOh yes, numbers confuse me and when the Japanese brands do that, I get a bit nuts because I can never remember what I already have! 😛 The latest offerings from theBalm have been awash with stupid names. I went to check out Frat Boy – love the colour, hate the packaging & name so I passed. I could probably find a similar shade in my collection 😉
Eli says
November 10, 2011 at 10:33 amThe first Bobbi Brown nude palette (before Shimmering Nudes) was really pretty and much more usable than the UD Naked palette. I had the SN dupe and loved it until the set went smash and spilled all over my makeup bag 2 years ago.
Nudes are pretty and I love earth tones but you are right: There are only so many nude palettes we can tolerate before throwing our hands up and screaming enough!
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 5:27 pmI actually heard very good reviews on Shimmering Nude. At that time, I was in my colourful phase so nude palettes to me were yawn! boooooring! I think once we have ourselves a good neutral palette, there’s no real need getting another. Unless of course, we are fans of such types of colours – takes all kinds! 😉
Kahani says
November 10, 2011 at 5:13 pmOh there are so many other names they can do besides Naked 2… Lyn’s already spotted Stark Naked. Then there’s Buck Naked, Skinny Dipping, Streaking, Stripping, Nude Beach, Birthday Suit, Nekked…
ParisB says
November 11, 2011 at 5:36 pmI think Naked 2 is just the working name on the interweb. It would be sorely unimaginative for them to just call it Naked Vol. 2 LOL