Urban Decay Naked vs theBalm Nude'tude: Do You Really Need Both?

Firstly, let me apologize for the delay for this post.  I promised it would be out yesterday, but my internet was going in out all day and I couldn't get it done.  But now I've finally finished my comprehensive comparison of the Urban Decay Naked palette and theBalm Nude'tude palette!  This post is NOT to say which one is better or worse, as I personally love them both and don't think there's a problem, for me anyway, in owning them both.  But I realize some of you may already have one or the other and are weighing whether or not you want or need to shell out the cash for the second.  So hopefully this can help you in your decision.  Just a warning, this post is pretty pic heavy.

theBalm Sassy vs. UD Virgin

The 2 lightest shades here, as you can tell, are really not comparable.  Sassy is white-based, while Virgin is a beige, but the finish is very similar, with Sassy being only slightly frostier.

theBalm Sassy vs UD Sin

Sin and Sassy ended up being a lot more closer than I though it would be, and I think that's due to Sin's frosty finish making it appear lighter than it really is.  In color though, Sin is a champagne.

theBalm Stubborn vs UD Sin

This was yet another surprise in terms of similarity.  Obviously Stubborn is more of a pink, but when Sin is placed beside it Stubborn really brought out some of the pink in Sin.

theBalm Stubborn vs UD Virgin

The similarity between Virgin and Stubborn lies in their finishes which are almost identical.

theBalm Standoffish vs UD Sin

Once again, the finishes here are very close.  The frostiness of both Sin and Standoffish puts such a glare on the shades that they look a lot more similar swatched than in the pan.

theBalm Standoffish vs UD Sidecar

Same story here as well with the frostiness but the taupe of Sidecar is more apparent.

theBalm Schitzo vs UD Smog

Schitzo and Smog would almost be dupes for one another if it weren't for Smog's metallic finish.  Schitzo is much softer, but not as pigmented.

theBalm Snobby vs UD Half Baked

The solitary golds of both the palettes are very different.  Half Baked is much more of a true, metallic gold with Snobby being more of a buttery, soft gold.

theBalm Sophisticated vs UD Hustle

Hustle and Sophisticated are one of the most similar combo in this bunch.  The color and finish are almost identical.  The only difference here is Hustle's a bit less pigmented and more plum.

theBalm Silly vs UD Hustle

These two are very similar as well, with Silly having a bit more of a cooler brown base.

theBalm Selfish vs UD Gunmetal

While these both swatch as a silver, Gunmetal is much more cool and pigmented.

theBalm Sophisticated vs UD Darkhorse

Darkhorse is a bit more similar to Sophisticated than Hustle since it's missing that hint of plum that Hustle has.  It's just a little darker than Sophisticated.

theBalm Silly vs Creep

Silly and Creep are hardly comparable at all despite there similar formulations and finishes.  Silly has more of a brown-plum base while Creep has a black one.

theBalm Serious vs Creep

If comparing the blackness of Serious and Creep, Creep doesn't hold a candle to Serious.  It's much more dark and pigmented.  Creep however has shimmers whereas Serious is completely matte so they really are different colors entirely.

theBalm Sultry vs UD Naked & UD Buck

L-R:  Naked, Sultry, Buck

Finally, the matte browns of the 2 palettes (forgive me for forgetting the photos of the shades in their pans).  Naked is much lighter and really doesn't compare to either of the others.  In terms of Sultry and Buck though, I think the intensity and darkness is on the same level but Sultry is just warmer while Buck is more of a neutral.


PHEW!!  That was a lot of pictures lol.  But I tried to compare as many of the possibly similar shades between the 2 palettes so you'd get a clear picture of what's going on here.  I don't know about you, but I really feel like although the themes of both are similar (nude, natural, naked, whatever you want to call it), you really are getting 2 distinctly different products here.  Other than, I'd say, Hustle, Sophisticated, and Silly, there really aren't any near-identical shades here.  The lighter shades could be considered kind of close but once you get into the really dark shades in Nude'tude it's hard to compare.  


Another thing of note I think is that Nude'tude contains a lot more softer shades while Naked contains a few more metallics like Gunmetal and Half Baked.  But while Naked represents it's intensity in metallics, Nude'tude focuses its intensity in bold colors, like Sexy and Sleek, which didn't have anything from Naked to compare to them.


So in conclusion, if you really like these kinds of palettes and you looking to add another one to your collection, I don't think you'll be disappointed in having both Naked and Nude'tude in your collection together.  I've bought products before where it wasn't until I brought them home that I realized I already had something similar enough in my collection that I wasted money.  So when I first got Nude'tude, I was afraid this would be the case.  I'm very happy to say it wasn't though.


Even though I'm fine with having both palettes, I hope this post can help you decide the best decision for yourself. :)