Urban Decay Naked Palette

I finally gave into my craving... I've been wanting this for soooooo long and this weekend decided to make it mine! I brought the Urban Decay Naked Palette! This post will be a review of the product in general and my experience buying it, and you can look forward to more reviews of individual colours in the future. 

The product as a whole costs £36 which might seem expensive but when you consider the quality of the packaging, the mini eyeshadow primer, the fabulous brush and the twelve colours, thats only £3 per colour - not that expensive if you ask me. This was my first experience buying a product from a high-end counter where you get such great service. She used make-up remover to get rid of the swatches on my hands before I left the store, gave ideas on colour combinations and was just generally helpful. Definitely makes the price you pay for the palette feel more worth it when you get great service like that.

The fabric of the packaging is beautiful with the gold embossed lettering but it gets dirty so easily - a little frustrating for something so expensive. The inside of the palette itself is a lot cheaper looking than I had expected - as you can see from the picture below, you can easily see the folds in the paper underneath the mirror.

The first thing I noticed about the colours themselves is how many of them feature shimmer. Being called the naked palette, I would have expected the colours to be a lot less glittery and more matt but the colours are lovely all the same. They're all very pigmented and of a high quality with a tiny amount needed on your brush to create a bold look. The colours are easily blendable with each other so you can create real depth with your eyeshadow too and I'm sure that you'll  never be able to create the same look twice depending on how much of each colour you put on your brush. The colours are such wide ranging from a creamy white, through shades of nude, brown and pink, up to the blues on the far right - each of them are fabulous.

I can't wait to start creating fun looks with the products, using the new brush which is weighted so beautifully and trying eyeshadow primer for the first time!

Glamour Magazine July 2012 Issue

This month, Glamour Magazine has some fabulous free gifts with the July Issue from top make-up brand Benefit. 

'The Pore-fessional' Pro Balm came with the Kylie Minogue cover, the 'Bad Gal Lash' Mascara comes with the Fearne Cotton cover and the 'That Gal Face Primer' comes with the Eva Longoria cover. I picked up the Pro Balm and Mascara issues as they are the two Benefit products which I've been wanting to try for so long - I have two copies of the magazine now but at only £2 for each copy, it seems like a bargain to try out Benefit for the first time. The samples are approximately half the size of the full size & full price product and they come in slightly different packaging but the product and in particular, the mascara brush are the same as the full size product so you can get a fair trial at the product before deciding if you want to go all out and purchase full size.

Check back soon as I'll be doing full reviews of each of the products once I've had some time to test them! However, if you're at a newsagents or supermarket, its definately worth picking up a copy of Glamour this month - there are also interviews with Jessie J, Holly Willoughby, Lea Michele and all the cover girls, a £16,000 worth of products giveaway, High Street Steals and all of their usual fabulous features.

What's In My Make-Up Bag?

I live life pretty constantly on the run - going from uni to work, work experience at school to Rainbows and the more fun aspects with my friends and family so I have to have a make-up look that I know I can do quickly and will look great! Also something that I can glam up for a night out or tone down for work or school. This is what I go for! 

Below, I've listed and done mini reviews for all of the products in my day-to-day make-up bag - obviously I have a lot more make-up than this but this is my go-to look and only takes a few minutes to do.

1. Champneys Bag - I was given this for free when I attended a Champneys Evening earlier this year (check out my review of the event HERE). The bag contained vouchers and mini sample products but I have now decided to use it as a make-up bag as its a great colour, see through so I can see all the products and small enough that I can chuck it in my bag - perfect.

2. Jack Wills Cromer Mirror in White - I'm not entirely sure when I brought this (I believe early 2011) but I spied this at Jack Wills and thought I'd buy it. Its a mirror on both sides of the compact on the inside, wipe clean as its metal with the fun eye logo on the front and of a really good quality. I've been using it for sometime now and love it.

3. Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer in Soft Honey - My go-to concealer on hot days or when I just don't want to bother with foundation, this hides those blemishes I wish to conceal. The product itself is light weight, very blendable and suits my skin colour perfectly - don't really like the packaging that much as it gets dirty pretty quickly but recently brought a new one and love it!

4. Collection Color Intense Trio in Cookie Dough - I love this eyeshadow collection. The colours are pigmented, super-blendable and are easy to glam up or tone down. You can add the lighter colour to the corners of your eyes to lighten or the darker colour for a brown smokey eye. I love it so much, I've hit pan and will definately be buying another one.

5. 17 Solo Eyeshadow in Mardi Gras - Again for a smokey eye- very pigmented and blendable and great when I want a darker sultry look for when I'm out!

6. The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - Not my favourite mascara, but its done me well these past few months. I will be buying a different one soon as I've nearly run out but wasn't too keen on the formula. It has great staying power but is pretty heavy and can be clumpy - wouldn't say it volumises all that much either. 

7. Revlon Colorburst Lipbutters in Berry Smoothie and Macaroon - I've raved about these lipbutters so many times because I love them. I use Berry Smoothie (read my review HERE) when I want a natural day-to-day look suitable for school and such like. I use Macaroon (read my review HERE) when I'm out or want a more done-up look for the day. I couldn't recommend them more - definately worth picking up.

8. Miscellaneous Brushes - I have a small collection of brushes (I do have to say these two aren't it) but these are the two which stay in this bag - a pair of nice brushes for eyeshadow. Both were cheaply brought at supermarkets years ago and have done me well so they stay in this bag!

And... now, a no holes barred look at my make-up bag crammed with all my make-up! What a mess!

Craving: Topshop Eye Palette in Secret Liasions

After my success with Topshop's Nail Varnish Remover (read my review HERE), I've now turned my attention to other cosmetics from the brand - especially the Topshop Eye Palette in Secret Liasions.

The colours seem like they are the perfect natural day-to-day look - something you could vamp up in the evening with the purple colour and relax in the day with the nude hue. I haven't had the chance to swatch these yet (as I only spied the product online today) but I really think they would be a great addition to my steadily building make-up collection. Topshop's products (especially their cosmetics) always seem to be of a high quality and well-worth their price so I hope that this one will be the same.

I'm not too sure about the packaging - seems a bit old fashioned... I don't know... but its shape and layout is nice with the mirror and brush in the centre. Seems like a perfect compact for your bag or car when your eyes need a boost after a long day.

What do you think of Topshop cosmetics? Do you have any favourites? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Topshop Nail Varnish Remover [Review]

I picked the Topshop Nail Varnish Remover up in town last week when I was browsing the make-up - they were only £2 and I'd never tried "pads" to remove nail varnish before, so I thought I'd give it a go! With work looming tomorrow, I knew it was time to get rid of my nail varnish this afternoon and it gave me a great opportunity to give these a whirl.

You simply rub the pads over your finger nails and it removes the polish quickly and easily. Its interesting as in the packet, the pads are soft and dry but as you start to rub, it lets the liquid out slowly onto your nails meaning it doesn't go anywhere and you don't have to worry about spilling chemicals over any nice surfaces. Literally takes a few seconds - no vigorous nail scrubbing to get rid of the colour - and it left my nails feeling smooth and clear. The product also contains Vitamin B5 which gives strength to your nails which can get damaged so easily. My hands were a bit greasy afterwards - handwashing solved that - but the horrible chemical smell of normal nail polish remover wasn't in the air which was fabulous.

There are 20 in the packet and I managed to remove all my nail polish with one (I had to use both sides and every millimetre of space and liquid to get rid of the polish but I did it!), so for 10p a pop, seems really worthwhile giving them a go! Next time you're in Topshop, be sure to pick up a pack and give them a whirl - I'll definately be picking them up again.

Mini Spring Haul

I've never done a haul post before but I brought a few bits and bobs in the pouring rain in town this morning so thought I'd share them. I visited Boots, Superdrug, H&M, New Look, Topshop and more but not too many clothes caught my eye (at least none that were within my price range). I did pick up 6 pieces though and was excited to see that there is now an Essie stand in my local Boots - YAY -  I love Essie Nail Polishes! 

Anyway... here's what I brought! Let me know what products you've picked up recently in the comments below!

H&M Smokey Eye Eyeshadow Brush (Top Brush in Above Pic)

The brush itself is very soft and the handle is quite nice too with the thinner end for the crease brush and the thicker end for the blending brush. At only £1.99 I thought it was a steal!

H&M Eyeshadow Brush (Bottom Brush in Above Pic)

Its quite a big brush for your eyeshadow - but again, its very soft and I hope will give a nice smooth finish when applying eyeshadow! Again, it was £1.99 so pretty cheap if you ask me.

H&M Sunglasses

I can't find these sunglasses online but I love the shape of this style of sunnies and haven't got this tortoise style colour so thought I'd give them a go. These were £5.99 which was reasonable too - I try to make my sunglasses last for a season and then I'll just buy another pair next year!

Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire (Left)

I've heard and read a lot about this nail varnish and when I saw they had one bottle left at Superdrug, I knew it was a sign! Swatched it briefly on a nail when I got home and the consistency is very thin - took four coats to get to opaque but I will do a full review soon!

Accessorize Metalized Nail Polish in Copper (Middle)

I can't find this colour online anywhere but I like the metallic look and have had good past experiences with Accessorize cosmetic products, so thought I'd give their nail polishes a try!

Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in Silver (Right)

It was three for two on cosmetics in Superdrug and I'd already found two nail varnishes I really liked and this bottle looked really nice! Did a quick swatch on a nail when I got home and this is a very glitter heavy nail polish with not that much colour so I think this'll end up being a glittery topcoat to a base colour.

Revlon Colourburst Lipbutter in Macaroon

The Revlon Colourburst Lipbutter in Macaroon is a medium dusty red shade with hints of gold shimmer. Its a natural colour that is perfect for your classic day-to-day neutral make-up look, and its become a firm favourite in my make-up bag.

As with my previous experience with this range of products, the colour is a lot brighter and more vibrant on your lips than you would normally expect from what is essentially a tinted lipbalm. It stays bright for a few hours before fading to be a subtle hint on your lips. The "butter" itself is great when you apply it, as it gives your lips some shine and makes them soft, but the "butteryness" disappears quite quickly so its more like you're just wearing a lipstick. I would say though that the can sometimes apply in a pretty patchy way which can spoil your look especially if you want a subtle lip shade - as these are lip butters you would kind of expect a one swipe and you're ready type product but that's not always true.

Macaroon is a shade that is exclusive to the UK, so for any international visitors I'm afraid that its currently unavailable - to any Brits like me, its totally worth picking up. I don't know if they're quite worth the £7.99 which they retail at but I've got myself two shades now and have been utterly impressed by both.

You can read my review of the Revlon Colourburst Lipbutter in Berry Smoothie which has a bit more detail about the packaging etc HERE!

Collection Spring Nail Varnish

I'm a big fan of British cosmetic brand Collection and this week they have announced five new colours in their Hot Looks Nail Varnish range.

The five hot new colours are: Look at Me (green), Neon Art (pink), Bright Lights (rich coral), Electric Dreams (turquoise) and Go Retro! (deep purple).

I can't wait to try some of these colours out especially 'Bright Lights' as coral colours always seem to be in and Neon Art as neon colours are perfect for the spring! I also think layering 'Go Retro' with a glitter nail polish would be fun too as its great to experiment with mixing colours and these polishes seem perfect for that!

I've previously tried out the Hot Looks Nail Varnishes and you can read the reviews for the shades Lemon Soda and Fruit Loop in my 'Today's Nails' feature! In my previous experience, I've found this line to be of a great polish quality with a fun finished look plus its reasonably priced at £1.79- what could be better!

Craving: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I've always used the Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer (which I reviewed HERE) but I have heard so much about the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer from the top bloggers and vloggers and I would love to try it now that my old favourite is coming to the end.

The shade range doesn't look fantastic with only 4 tones named "deep", "medium", "light" and "fair" but hopefully my skin will fit into one of these ranges. The packaging isn't all that exciting either and I presume that you apply the product with a wand which will leave a lot of wastage but the quality of the coverage and the product itself have been raved about so hopefully it will be worthwhile.

The product is currently on sale at Boots for £4.19 and its in the 3 for 2 deal, so  I may well pop into town after the Easter weekend to pick one up! At the price this product is sold at, I think it seems like a fabulous product that will hopefully outperform the other concealers I've used. I will of course review it once its been used a few times and hopefully, I'll be able to join in with the raving about this product!

Easter Gift Ideas

Lush's The Immaculate Eggception Bath Bomb

"The Immaculate Eggception is our newest Easter invention- and how innovative it is! Inside each giant fizzy egg is a secret surprise. What is it? You’ll just have to crack the Bath Bomb shell to find out!"

Sometimes, at Easter, with so many chocolate gifts being given, its fun to give alternative gifts to those who perhaps have been given enough chocolatey goodness and need something a little different. So, I've put together a little group of Easter-related gift ideas below which I hope you love! Instead of doing the standard chocolate egg, why not try something a little different? I'd love to hear what items you think are great gifts for Easter in the comments below!

Lush's Carrot Top Bath Bubble Bar

"This bubbly carrot may not improve your eyesight, but it will fill your bath with piles of frothy lemon and buchu scented foam. Simply grab the carrot by it’s top (get it? Carrot Top?) and swish, swish, swish around your tub".

Marks and Spencer's Easter Zip Along Chick

"An adorable, yellow fluffy Easter chick, perfect as a gift this Easter! Pull the cord and watch the chick zip along the floor!"

The Body Shop's Chocomania Body Butter

This decadently chocolatey Body Butter gives extra long-lasting hydration. It contains 13 Community Fair Trade ingredients – the most we’ve ever put into one product. It leaves skin sweetly scented, and feeling softer and smoother. Wear it, love it, but don’t eat it.

VO5 'Nourish Me Truly' Shampoo [Review]

After my experience with the 'V05 Give Me Moisture Shampoo' (a review of which you can read HERE), I thought I'd try 'V05's Nourish Me Truly Shampoo'.

As I've said in previous shampoo reviews, I don't think that my hair really fits into any of the categories that V05 have created but went for the 'Nourish Me Truly' as it seemed like a great product to make my hair feel more alive and full of volume and the Give Me Moisture seemed to work brilliantly.

I presume that making the great smells of this range of products was one of the top priorities when they were produced because this shampoo smells fabulous. I have found with this shampoo that the smell isn't as strong as the "Give Me Moisture" and it doesn't linger as long on your hair but it does make the shower smell fab!

This shampoo hasn't made quite as much impact on my hair as the Give Me Moisture shampoo did. I don't know if thats because my hair had already been introduced to V05 Products or because its not as damaged as I thought but it hasn't really transformed my hair in anyway. I've tried alternating between this shampoo and the Give Me Moisture but that didn't seem to do anything either so perhaps I'll try another one of their collection once this one runs out.

Next time you're in town or in need of a new bottle of shampoo, trying one of the new V05 shampoos and conditioners would definitely be worth your while!

17 Solo Eye Shadow in Mardi Gras

Today, I'm reviewing 17's Solo Eye Shadow in Mardi Gras. I've actually had this product for a really long time as I think it was one of my first makeup purchases but recently rediscovered at at the bottom of a drawer. This eyeshadow has become one of my go-to cosmetics - when I want a simple look that is bold and with a little sparkle I pick this to create my look.

The pigmentation is great - it doesn't take much product at all to create a great uniform look across the lid - and   the colour is strong and actually quite unique for a neutral brown shade. The product itself does have a slight creamy smell to it but its not overpowering at all and once the product has settled on your skin, you can't smell it at all. Its super easy to apply and not to powdery which is always a bonus when you're applying eyeshadow!

This eyeshadow in Mardi Gras is available to purchase at Boots online and in stores now!

Have you ever tried any 17 products? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Barbara Daly Mineral Eye Shimmer [Review]

I thought I would do a mini review of the Barbara Daly Mineral Eye Shimmer today as I purchased them late last week and have just got the chance to try them.

The two colours I brought were the Angel and Twig. Angel in the tube looks like a shimmery bronze colour but on skin it is orange with shimmer - not a look that I actively try and create. Twig is a shimmery brown but the product itself just blots out of the side of the rollers so it is very difficult to create an even look with it.  The brown in an eyeshadow palette without the glitter would be very wearable day-to-day but I don't think I could say the same for Angel.

What I really wanted to use this product for is as a base colour to add other colours too as its nice to mix up, layer and blend eyeshadows to create unique looks but I don't think its possible with this product. It wont stay on your skin it just wipes off so brushing another colour over it seems impossible - and I've now decided that I don't like applying eyeshadow with a roller like on this product! Brushes are best!

These were both on sale at Tesco for £1.12 each so I don't feel all that miffed that they aren't all that great but I am glad I didn't buy the product at full price - whatever that full price was! The Eye Shimmers aren't available to purchase online anymore and they are in the sale in stores, so if you do want to buy one, doing it very soon would be a good idea.

Collection 2000's New Look!

Collection 2000 has had a makeover. The brand is now known as Collection Cosmetics with a whole new logo and a new look! Collection says:

"We've dropped the 2000, shortened our name to the strong and sassy 'Collection' and committed to really working colour and shades to give each and every one of you a signature look that says "this is me and I love it!"

The re-branding of the company ties in with their 25th Birthday and they are offering visitors a chance to win tickets to their birthday party in central London later this Spring - check out all the info HERE. When I popped into town yesterday, the Superdrug stand had been completely re-designed with the new logo and it looks fab. Their website also has a new look and they've made it so easy to find the product you need by having bold links to eye products, lip products, face products and nail products in their sidebar, as well as bold colours and an awesome interactive layout.

Collection has "New Attitude, New Ambition, New Look and New Edge" and I am so excited. Its great to see that a cosmetics company is modernising and keeping up with the trends and I can't wait to try out some of their new products!

Accessorize Baked Eyeshadow Trio in "The Good & The Bad"

I thought I would put together a bit of a review for one of my go-to make-up products - Accessorize's Baked Eyeshadow Trio in "The Good & The Bad".  

This was my first use of a baked eyeshadow and I was really impressed. I had thought that it would be really difficult to get the product itself onto the eyeshadow brush as it is really hard in the packaging but they are quite powdery and it applies perfectly with no creases. The colours themselves are wearable and consist of a dark brown, a light pink with browny hints and a medium brown with blue hints - all three feature quite a bit of sparkle. Also all three colours are easily blendable with each other which is great as you can change your look just by using more or less of one particular shade. It doesn't take to much product to get a good layer of colour on your eyelid and creates a floorless fun look!

I actually brought this last summer so this particular range of colours is no longer available however the Baked Eye Shadow Trio's are available in other colours in Accessorize Stores, Superdrug and online!

I have swatched the colours below in order as they are in the trio, so you can see what the colour payoff is!

Beauty Favourites: Urban Decay

I recently discovered Urban Decay cosmetics and have been searching online to learn all about them! Urban Decay's ethos is to create make-up for alternative tastes something that isnt really catered for in the mainstream cosmetic industry and they have grown to become the largest independent cosmetic retailer in the USA. Their products are unique, packaged beautifully and seem to be of a fabulous quality - even though they are in a higher price bracket, sometimes you just have to have a splurge!

My favourite pieces from the range are the Eyeshadow Primer Potion, the Cowboy Junkie Set and of course the Naked Palette which I REALLY want to try. Urban Decay believe that more neutral eyeshadow shades are tired, and have created their own range of 12 "intriguing and sexy" neutral shades in a fun palette. The packaging of the original Naked Palette looks fun too and the brush looks fabulous. It seems like the perfect palette to travel with as the colours are blendable and workable enough to suit any situation!

I went into my local House of Fraser store today as I'd seen that the Urban Decay range was available at their stores and wanted to see if the quality matched what I'd seen online and read. Sadly there was no counter for it in my town or in any of the towns within driving distance of me. I like to try beauty products before I buy them - just a swatch of the colours on my skin to see if it works with me skintone or not - and you can't buy them online in the UK so I guess this will have to remain on my wishlist!

You can view the full collection at UrbanDecay.com!

Craving: Soap and Glory 'Lid Stuff' Palettes

I'm really into playing around with eyeshadow combinations and looks at the moment so when I saw the Soap & Glory Lid Stuff Palette in Smokey Dokey I was really excited.

The four colours included in the palette are an off white matt, light pink with shimmer, matt slate grey with purple hint and black with shimmer. The slate grey in particular has really drawn my attention and I would love to have a go creating a look with this palette. The colours seem highly blendable and look soft yet pigmented. I haven't yet attempted a proper smoky eye look but I think this product would probably entice me to have a go.

Soap & Glory have also produced two other colour palettes in this range 'What's Nude' (a mixture of brown tones) and 'Off The Wallflowers' (a random selection of bright colours). I'm not one for wearing brightly coloured eyeshadow but the 'What's Nude' palette also looks hard to resist, especially as I have heard so many positive things from fellow bloggers!

I know the quality of Soap & Glory products is very high and that for the number of products alone this price is not ridiculously expensive, but being a student spending so much money on make-up is not the easiest thing to convince myself into doing. I'm desperate to try this look but it will perhaps have to remain a craving (or wait until the next student loan arrives in my bank account...hmmmm!).