The packaging is stunning….rose gold metal packaging, with Naked 3 embossed in gold on the cover. Considering this palette came out quite a while ago, I think the packaging is great…in that it doesn’t seem outdated yet in 2019. It was packaging forward, if that makes sense. I love that it has a really secure closure system and I think this is a good palette for travelling.
Nude
This palette is standard, cardboard packaging. For R99 I think one cannot expect metal and fanciness. It’s nice and slim and compact, less bulky than the Naked 3. I have had this palette for so long and the packaging has never gotten damaged or out of shape, so I think they did well with the packaging for such an affordable pricepoint.
Where and how much?
The Urban Decay Naked 3 retails for R860 and the LA Girl Nude palette retails for R99,95. LA Girl is only available at Dischem, whereas Urban Decay has their and stores and is also available online at Foschini.
Swatches
From the bottom, we start with Nudes, Naked 3, Nudes, Naked 3 and so forth. From bottom up, I swatched: Strange, Limit, Nooner and Burnout. The LA girl shades do not have names, but I tried to match similar shades.
You can see the Naked 3 swatches are more seamless…they swatch so well! I was shocked. Arm swatches though, mean very little….it’s always about how it performs on the eye with a brush.
The Formula and my Experience
On Saturday I did a look with the two palettes. I used the LA Girl palette on the right side did my face, and the Urban Decay palette on the left side. I felt the the Urban decay matte shades blended amazingly, whereas I did have to build the shades a bit on the LA Girl side.
I had to use some MAC Fix+ with the shimmers in both palettes. The LA girl shimmer was a bit chunkier, bit looked amazing in person and in photos. I felt the Urban Decay palette’s shimmers appear very muted on the lid. I expected more shimmer, especially with the Fix+, but I felt overall the Naked 3 eye looked more seamless.
Addison voted for the Naked 3 eye, hubby said it was very very close, but he chose the LA girl eye. Both had no idea which palette was on which eye. It was super close though and I felt I created identical looks.
Wear time….I wore the eye look for about 6-8hrs and gals….the looks were pretty identical at the end of it. The shimmer was starting to fade on both lids, but the whole look was totally still intact.
Which would I recommend?
There’s no question that the matte shades of the Naked 3 are soft, buttery and blend like a dream. They are superior in every sense. It took a bit more work with LA Girl, as the mattes are drier, but I felt the look was as beautiful. The LA girl palette though, the shimmers gave me more payoff than the Urban Decay palette. I honestly can’t tell you which I prefer…. If you’re a makeup collector, you want to own the cult Urban Decay favourite…but if you’re on a budget, you will be getting the most amazing quality from the Nudes palette at such a low price point. It’s actually insane!
Do you own any of these palettes?
My friend, Yolanda, over at Slay Uniqueness is also doing a Budget vs Splurge sort of post today, featuring an Anastasia Beverly Hills palette, so be sure to head over and check that out!
PS I could not photograph the LA Girl nudes palette open, because this was a casualty of war….if you recall I did a post on Adam’s destruction with my makeup and skincare? This palette featured in that post.
I picked up the Nudes L.A. Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Collection recently at Harmons. This is a $7 buck eyeshadow palette that includes 12 shades of nude eyeshadow [or colored since the palette is offered in neons, smoky, and purple shade selection].
Like everyone else, I thought this was an appealing palette because it reminded me so much of the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette. After reading so many raving reviews on this palette, many of which recommended it as a cheaper, Naked dupe, I decided I really needed to check it out for myself.
It’s not a Naked dupe.
I’m possibly one of the very few people that thinks this palette sucks. I’m sorry in advance for that but this is horrible.
The presentation is quite lovely for a six dollar palette. The palette comes in a thin cardboard casing with a clear window and a magnetic closure. It’s simple yet pretty and not at all cheap looking. Inside is a gorgeous selection of nude, natural shades that have a good deal of rose gold shades so it might remind you more of Urban Decay Naked 3. At first sight I fell instantly in love with the shade selection and thought it was a gorgeous assortment of colors. Also included with the palette is a double-ended applicator with an eyeshadow sponge on one end and smaller brush on the other.
As I said the assortment of shades is quite gorgeous. It does have that Urban Decay look but the formula is nothing like Urban Decay.
The eyeshadows are an assortment of matte and shimmer finishes neither of which was terribly impressive. The shimmers are chunky, flakier, and have considerably fall out. These apply quite patchy on my lids. They aren’t dry but they are difficult to get smooth and blended out easily. The mattes aren’t dense but they are drier which also results in patchier application. The shades all just look rather old and worn on my eyelids. Although intense and pigmented when swatched I find the colors are faded and not as vibrant on my lids. Fall out is an issue with the shimmer shades as they tend to leave little chunky flakes on my upper cheeks during application. The palette does have an odd chemical smell.
I don’t think the L.A. Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Collection really offers much in the way of a good formula. If you’re really strapped for cash and you want a budget pick this isn’t one I’d recommend. You’re better off spending that money on the new Covergirl TruNaked Eyeshadow Palettes which don’t have as many colors but do have a considerably better formula. I just can’t get on board with all the ravings this palette receives, it’s a bust for me.