Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette Review February 20, 2020
When I first saw promotional images for the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette on Instagram I roasted the brand. Compared to other yellow-toned palettes on the market, this one seemed so dull.
For avid fans, the Naked Honey palette seemed to epitomize just how far Urban Decay has fallen off. But is the Naked Honey Palette super sweet or a boring repeat?
Please keep reading for an honest, in-depth review of the Naked Honey Palette. The swatches and a demo of the Naked Honey Palette are included.
What is Urban Decay all about?
Founded in 1996, Urban Decay aimed to bring grungy color to a beauty space flooded with delicate pinks and basic neutrals. The brand quickly caught consumers’ attention with shades inspired by the urban landscape. Hero products included a line of lipsticks and nail polishes.
However, the brand wasn’t catapulted into worldwide success until the launch of the brand’s iconic Naked Eyeshadow Palette Collection. These neutral palettes were powerhouse releases throughout the 2010s.
The Naked Collection, which launched in 2010, made Urban Decay the top-selling eyeshadow brand in the US for several years. In fact, the original Naked Palette remains a culturally iconic product for many American beauty fanatics. The Naked Palette was the first high-end eyeshadow palette for many beauty consumers.

Is the Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette worth the buzz?
Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette Claims
The Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette is one of the newest members of the Naked Collection. This 12-pan palette comes with 12 matte and shimmer shadows that are inspired by 70s retro glam.
According to Urban Decay, the Naked Honey Palette can be used to create everything from bright and easy daytime looks to seductive, glamorous looks.
Also, the Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette is the first and only Naked Palette that I can recall being heavily advertised using celebrities. The brand featured Joey King and Lizzo in the ads for this palette.
Packaging & Price
The Naked Honey Palette comes in a sturdy, yellow gold-hued plastic tin. I wish the packaging were cardboard, but I cannot deny the sheer beauty of the design. The outer tin the Naked Honey Palette looks like dripping gold or honey.
Also, the inside of the Naked Honey Palette comes with a large, wide mirror. Each shade within the palette appears clearly labeled with easy-to-read typography. As with all Urban Decay Naked Palettes, a double-ended brush comes inside.
The Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette retails for $49.00. The palette comes with 11.4 grams of the product. From a price per gram perspective, each gram of shadow is approximately $4.30.
Love the vibe of the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette, but looking for a less expensive alternative? Check out my review of the Juvia’s Place Warrior II Palette



Stunning, honey dripped golden packaging
Is the Urban Decay Cruelty-Free?
Yes! The Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette is Cruelty-Free. Not only is Urban Decay Cruelty-Free, but the brand is Leaping Bunny Certified.
Is the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette Vegan?
The Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette is NOT Vegan. The shades Amber, Drip, Flyby, Golden, BHIC, Hive, Honey, Keeper, Sting, Swarm, and Sweet contain Carmine. The ingredient, Carmine, is an animal derivative that is often used in eyeshadow.
The double-ended brush included within the Naked Honey Palette IS Cruelty-Free and Vegan. This brush was not tested on animals nor does it include any animal products.
Naked Honey Palette Swatches
As always, swatches are not a perfect indicator of eyeshadow quality. However, swatches provide clues as to how an eyeshadow will perform on the eye in terms of pigmentation and ability to blend.



Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette Swatches
In general, the Naked Honey Palette swatched like a complete dream. These shadows felt soft and creamy. Moreover, each shade looked pigmented. The undertones in each shadow shone.
- Matte Shadows: Flyby, Sweet, Swarm, Keeper, Hive, Drip, Sting
- Shimmer Shadows: Amber, Golden, Honey, Queen, HBIC
Application & Wear-Time
The matte shadows blended easily on the eyes. To deepen any eye look, I stamped the darkest shades with an angled crease brush.
Meanwhile, the metallics in the Naked Honey Palette provided an impactful, golden and amber shine. Using a finger provided the best color payoff. However, a flat packing brush worked, too. From my experience, using a brush created a grungier, diffused look.
Also, beginners will be happy to know that that brush included in the palette can create a wide variety of looks. Is it the best brush I own? No. But I used the brush that came with this palette my entire first weekend with this honey stunner.
As someone with oily lids, I always set my eyelids with a primer. When using a primer, I experienced creasing, fading, or transfer. Also, I no fallout crumbled on my face even when applying the shadows. Finally, I wore these shadows for over 12 hours on multiple occasions without experiencing any major issues.
Where is the Naked Honey Palette Sold?
All Urban Decay products are sold on the Urban Decay website. Moreover, the brand offers free US shipping for the continental United States for orders $50.00 or more. Also, international shipping is available. Read about Urban Decay’s partnership with My US Shipping here.
- US: Sephora, Dillards, Macy’s, Nordstrom, QVC, and Ulta.
- UK: Boots, FeelUnique, Look Fantastic (global).



A neutral palette with a pop of yellow
Final Thoughts on the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette
Despite my initial criticism of this palette, the beauty community unfairly roasted the Naked Honey Palette.* Overall, Urban Decay knocked it out of the park with this effortlessly beautiful golden-hued eyeshadow palette. Moreover, the range of honey-inspired golden and neutral tones easily create a wide variety of looks golden looks.
Unlike many of the yellow palettes on the market, the Naked Honey Palette has a true range of shades, from yellow-toned golds to deep browns. Although this palette isn’t a true yellow palette, it has an obvious yellow inspiration.
From an application standpoint, the easy to blend formula impressed me. Also, the wear-time longevity impressed me! In conclusion, the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette* is a beautiful neutral palette with a pop of yellow. Fans of grungy neutrals or even colorful shadows are sure to like this palette..
Did you enjoy this review of the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette? Check out my review of the Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette
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What do you think about the Naked Honey Palette? Please let me know in the comments below.
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Very nice mix of ambers , and honey golds .
I agree – this palette was so much prettier in person than it looked in the original promo shots!
It’s beautiful! I Loved your review, LP! It sounds like it’s a worthwhile palette for sure.
It really was a delight and I’m so happy to see UD succeeding this this one!!
I actually love the colors on this palette! They’re such warm beautiful colors!
https://sundaydahlias.com
I agree – really is a beautiful mix of warm brown, gold, and amber shadows!
When I saw this palette, I was immediately excited because I love the honey/bee theme lol. I’m glad to hear that the colors apply well. They do look really pretty!
Me too!! I think if UD donated some proceeds towards bee conservation I’d be over the moon, but I’m happy that this one performed so well!!
I love this but don’t have it! I was actually told that my green/ Hazel eye shouldn’t use so much gold/ tan color just the other day by a girl at Ulta. I always thought that it was a good color for Hazel eyes… now I am like GREAT!
whattttt???? I’m totally against anyone telling someone what color of makeup they can or cannot wear! I totally think you could rock these tones if you wanted to!!! But if you’re unsure, Juvia’s Place makes a palette with a similar color story that is less than half the price!!
Thanks!!! Lol I’m actually not a guru of any sort when it comes to makeup so people can tell me anything and I’d believe it! Still I love it! It’s like therapy to me.
I love the honey eyeshadow palette! The colors look perfect for so many occasions and most times of the year. Love that there are different finishes to support whatever mood you’re in. Glad you enjoyed the palette overall! It’s great that there is enough shades to help with the blend!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I am always rooting for UD to succeed, so I was so so happy that this palette exceeded my expectations!
Such a great, thorough review on this UD palette! I’m still very happy I’ve bought this one, it’s a beauty!
10/10 one of the most underrated releases of 2019! I’m glad I tried this and I hope UD releases more palettes with this particular formulation!
I also agree with you. When this palette was first revealed, I remember thinking it was dull, uninspired and not as nice as the other yellow palettes being released. However, when I saw the different looks being created in the beauty community, I changed my mind quickly. The colours looked GORGEOUS on the eyes. If I didn’t own so many similar colours, I’d 1000% get this palette. I really like the Urban Decay eyeshadow formulas and I know I’d love this one
I 100000% agree with you – I judged this one HARD when it was first released, but my opinion changed when I started seeing people using this to create looks. Seriously one of the most underrated releases of last year and 10/10 worth it if it goes on sale (and you like the color story).
Oh wow, the packaging is definitely gorgeous. Love how you described it as looking like “dripping gold/honey,” I totally see that.
The swatches really did turn out beautifully & I’m just so, so happy to read that you ended up loving this palette. I just *knew* it was being unfairly roasted! I’ll say it time & time again, their eyeshadow formula is one of my (if not my #1) favorites. I’ve never had any fallout or creasing, either, even without primer & it always lasts throughout an entire night for me. Fluffy brushes have worked pretty well for me even but you’re right that a flat packing brush is probably the best. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, LP! ♡