Naked 2 Palette vs. Lorac Pro Palette 1

Before I start things off, let me just put this disclaimer her for all to see: This post, as well as any and all future posts, are strictly my opinion, and I am not going to state one being better than the other. I love BOTH brands so much. This is merely for those who don't really know what they're getting into when it comes to these palettes.
And with that, LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE (no? okay.)

IN THIS CORNER: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Naked 2 Palette casing

Shades (from left-right): Foxy, Half Baked, Booty Call, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite,
Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

WHAT I LOVE: To start off with the visuals, I love Naked's packaging for their second palette. The hard metal case with the snap-shut lid wins me over every time I need to throw it into an overnight bag and head out the door. I like knowing that there's hardly any chance it can come open and spill inside my Kate Spade, thus causing me to have a meltdown. Bonus points for their shadow names, too. There's a small smile that always shows up on my face every time I tell people I'm wearing "Bootycall" and "YDK" (two of my favorites in this palette). The colors themselves are very well-pigmented for shimmery colors. It was a pleasant surprise to not need a bunch of layers of each hue. Pretty sure that this palette will last me about two years at least, which is awesome– especially for the price! The black eye shadow in this palette, named very accurately "Blackout", is the best black shadow I've had in a long time. It's faintly shimmery, but not too much; I use it as a liner sometimes and always love the results. I also adore the "Good Karma" Shadow/Crease Brush that it came with, and I will admit that it's my go-to brush at the moment for any shadows, not just the Naked 2 Palette exclusively. It's super soft, which is so important for my tender skin and pickiness.

WHAT I NOT-SO-LOVE: I do wish there were more than just two matte colors, because Urban Decay does a great job at having well-pigmented shades that work any skin tone, so it'd be great to have more options. To add onto that, "Tease" which is a mauve brown and one of their two matte shades, can be a bit tricky to work with, which is a shame because it's a great color that I like to wear on my down days. It's worth it, in my opinion, to try and work with "Tease" and blend it a lot to get my desired look, but it had to be said.

AND IN THIS CORNER: Lorac Pro Palette 1

Lorac Pro Palette 1 casing

Shades (from left-right) Top- Matte Colors: White, Cream Taupe, Lt, Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black
Bottom- Shimmer Colors: Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

WHAT I LOVE: Again, I'll begin with how this palette looks. It's more than half the width of the Naked palette, which is a double-edged sword in my opinion. I'll stick to the positives on this portion and move to the not-so-positives in the next. I like that it's lightweight and the case is soft to touch– not that it really matters, but now it's out there so you can't un-know that. Shadow-wise, I love that there are so many options. Half matte, half shimmer is definitely something that I adored with this palette. I can do anything I want, achieve any sort of look, whether it be getting all dolled up for a night out or just a calm look for a relaxing day. The combinations are endless with the eighteen shadows, and there are even a few pops of color, which is a nice surprise. And, speaking of colors, I am head over heels for Champagne and Light Pink, both of which are exactly what you'd expect with their names. The Light Pink is actually what made me decide to get this one over a different palette while at the store. I don't have any other shade in that color that's as good a quality.

WHAT I NOT-SO-LOVE: Back to the casing of the Lorac Pro Palette. While on the one hand it's width makes it lighter and easier to pack, it also implies less of the shadows– although I totally understand that part of the reason why Naked 2 is so thick is due to it's metal casing. But still, it at least gives you the illusion that there's more for you; an illusion I am perfectly content with. Another thing that I don't love is how soft the magnetic flap (is that the right word? Is there a better term I could use? Whoops) is. This could be because I'm so used to the secure Naked palette case, and it's not that I've ever had any trouble with it staying shut. I'm just saying that there is no way that thing will be entering my Kate Spade unless in a ziplock baggy or a sturdy makeup pouch. It's a risk I am not willing to take.


So, there you have it! My personal pros & cons for two very good palettes. Like I said in the beginning, this is not about which one I favor more, but more of a review on two very popular products in one post. Hopefully, if you read all of my rambling, you now have a better idea on the two products for future reference, should you ever decide to splurge for them. Both were great purchases that I do not regret at all (hopefully I'll be getting Naked 3 palette and Lorac Pro Palette 2 soon!).

Stay Resplendent!