As a newly-confessed eyeshadow obsessive, my collection of palettes is increasing by the day and it’s only fitting that I review the iconic Urban Decay Naked2 eyeshadow palette with its copycat competitor W7 In The Buff. Formerly too scared to embellish my eyes with shadow, I’ve recently discovered the wonders of this makeup product – to say I’m now addicted to applying eyeshadow is an understatement; I genuinely can’t believe I used to leave the house without even a touch of a matte brown shadow over my lids.
Urban Decay Naked2 palette (top) versus W7 In The Buff (bottom)
These two palettes have come into contention many times as the W7 In The Buff palette is so strikingly similar to the legendary Naked2 palette. Below, you can see the undeniable similarities of the two…
When the palettes are sat next to each other, you can really see how similar they are – each of the shades are almost identical. Considering the Urban Decay Naked2 palette is £38, and the W7 In The Buff palette is only £5.29 currently on Amazon, it must be absurd to even consider the more expensive option, surely?
Well, not necessarily. On first glance, I can definitely notice the quality of the shadows just isn’t the same – in terms of their true colour, that is! The Urban Decay shadows boast a gorgeous, deep, silky metallic pigmentation in their shimmery shadows that the W7 alternatives just can’t compete with. As we all know with eyeshadows, though, the finish of the product isn’t always as it seems in it’s pan, so I’ve swatched both palettes below for further insight…
Urban Decay Naked2 eyeshadow palette – swatches
(from l-r: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout)
W7 In The Buff eyeshadow palette – swatches
(from l-r: Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust, Chocolate, Topaz, Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder, Onyx)
In terms of naming their eyeshadows, the Naked2 palette stays true to Urban Decay’s roots and features unique names. Whilst I assumed the W7 palette would try to imitate UD’s, it actually names them more aptly, i.e. ‘onyx’ refers to the deep grey/black shadow.
Whilst the palettes have named their shadows differently, they’re really very similar and W7 have definitely done a great job in duping the iconic Naked2 palette. If you’re after an eyeshadow palette that offers great pigmentation, a range of beautiful taupe-y colours and at an affordable price, this £5 palette really is an absolute steal. However, if you’re into eyeshadow quality, there is one thing that really sets the Urban Decay original apart from its copycat… the metallic shimmer and gorgeous, silky texture of the Naked2 palette’s shadows just cannot be replicated by the W7 palette, no matter how hard it tries – there’s just something so luxurious about the Urban Decay eyeshadows!
I’m actually quite torn between which of these palettes is the best. I can tell you that the Urban Decay shadows are more long-lasting and won’t crease as quickly, whilst their superior texture and silkiness is also simply unbeatable. However, for £5, the In The Buff palette offers almost identical colours with excellent pigmentation and at an absolute fraction of the price, and for that reason, I cannot recommend the W7 palettes enough. I’m a true champion of original ideas and products, but W7 have created a product that is affordable and also of great quality – it’s just a lovely, lovely alternative.
I’d love to hear your opinion on this – do you have either of these palettes? Or have you tried either of these brands’ eyeshadows before? Which is your favourite out of the two, based on either your experience with the palettes, or on my review? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
The Style Intervention 