Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Review (and some other stuff)

I can't really believe I'm reviewing this because I feel like everyone has reviewed it, though mostly on YouTube. (Am I the only one who can't sit through a YouTube makeup review? I get booooored.) Anyway, I finally got grossed out by my ancient collection of eye shadow and ordered the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. (With a code! And Ebates! It's the only way.)

Naked 2 palette

First of all, this thing is substantial. They were not fucking around when they made this palette. It has a pleasing weight and a very satisfying *click* when you close it. It's made of metal! Very fancy. I like packaging, can you tell? It comes with a double sided brush which, eh. I'm picky about brushes. I like the crease-end but the other end seems kind of stiff and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be using it for.

Now, the colors. You GUYS. If you have brown eyes especially, you need this. ALL of the colors in this palette please me and that never, ever happens.

There is a nice mix of matte and sparkly and the colors are all neutral without being boring or muddy. I am especially fond of Pistol and YDK. I love that this palette can give you a neutral work-appropriate look or a pile-it-on-like-a-sparkly-whore night on the town look. It's everything! I haven't used anything else since I bought it.

Now, the first Naked palette (which I don't own) came with a little tube of Primer Potion, which is great stuff. The Naked 2 palette came with a little tube of...lip gloss. This makes no sense to me, but I like the gloss okay. It doesn't offend me but I'd much rather have a tiny tube of Primer Potion.

We don't do gift guides around here but if we did I'd put this on it for the BFF in your life because it is really pretty fantastic.

The other thing I recently bought was the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring foundation brush.

Good Karma Optical BlurriZzzz

(Man, Urban Decay, that is a lot of words for a foundation brush.) It got over-the-top CRAZY rave reviews so I was convinced it was going to change my life. It has not, as yet, done so. It's a nice brush and all but I don't think it optically blurs me as promised. Also, it's a lie that you can use it with any foundation - I tried it with my Bobbi Brown Extra whatever whatever foundation and WOW that did not work, it kind of...ground the foundation into my pores individually. But, it works fine with my LM tinted moisturizer and I should probably try the Urban Decay Naked foundation it was meant to be used with and see if that is magical or what. Otherwise, if you're not generally using a foundation brush but are super tempted by this one, I'd pass.

Laura Mercier Creme Compact

Finally, I got a deluxe sample of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Creme compact and I really like it a surprising amount - decent coverage and feels like nothing on my face. I worry it won't be moisturizing enough in the dead of winter, but nothing is.

Have you tried any of this crap? What did you think?