Xmas 2015 / Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

Technically not part of the Urban Decay Holiday 2015 selection, BUT the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette* is certainly taking the spotlight concerning Must-Haves this Christmas. 

As the name suggests, the palette comes from the collaboration between Wende Zomnir (cofounder of UD) and Gwen Stefani, which apparently overlooked every detail - from the shades selection to the packaging; she also picked up the eyeshadow names, inspired by her songs.

The cool black & white graphic case is encased in a gold frame with a magnetic fastening.

The palette is considerably neutral orientated making it perfect for everyone; but with some jewel tones added to recreate Gwen iconic looks, if you wish.

Out of the 15 eyeshadows, 12 are BRAND NEW... so No Doubt you need this in your collection!!! ;P

No complaints about the quality either, it's there! True Urban Decay formulation: smooth and buttery with good pigmentation pay-off.

l-r: Blonde, Bathwater, Skimp, Steady, Punk

Top Row: Blonde is a pale ivory with pink sparkle; Bathwater is a light cream with warm undertone with a frosty sheen; Skimp is a peachy nude with a satin finish; Steady is a rose gold with metallic finish - Beautiful shade, one of my favourites! Punk is a matte brown with a warm, plum undertone.

l-r: Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Zone, Serious

Middle Row: Baby is another rose gold, pinkier then Steady, also with a metallic sheen; Anaheim is medium brown with cool undertones and with matte finish; Stark is also a matte brown, pale with warm undertones; Zone is another matte brown but with a strong yellow tone; Serious is a grayish taupe with very small shimmer. 

l-r: Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987, Blackout

Bottom Row: Pop is a coral/pink, very shimmery; Harajuku is a cool pink with a frosted finish; Danger is intense royal blue with a pearly finish; beautiful and another fave of mine! 1987 is a true yellow gold with metallic sheen; Blackout is a matte true black shade.

In the box you will also find a sneak peek at the continuing of the partnership, in the shape of a range of lipsticks (coming out in Spring 2016, apparently) - Can't wait!!!

Are you a Gwen Stefani fan? Have you swatched this palette yet?

New In / The Body Shop Spring Trend 2014

I’ve been wanting to try The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes palettes for a while; I was first mesmerised by swatches that I saw online and they certainly don’t disappoint in person either.

I read comments of people thinking that they looked messy and too delicate but they are actually very compact powders and – let’s put it this way – they won’t crumble if you stick your finger in them.

I love that each square comes individually cased in his own wee container, giving you the flexibility to mix and match shades and create a customize quad.

They are also extremely creamy on application, dreamy to blend and they deliver an intense colour pay-off.
As the name suggests, they are all shimmery shadows with a luminous, metallic finish; there are no chunky glittery bits and the quality is consistent (and high) on all colours!

The Body Shop has just released 2 new palettes for Spring 2014: no. 30 Spring Bronze and no. 26 Hot Pink.

I thought Spring Bronze would get all my love, but Hot Pink is surprisingly wearable and, paired with a natural lipgloss, is ideal for a fresh faced look. 

 The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Palette in Hot Pink* contains the shades: Garden Rose, Deep Fuchsia, Light Coral, Champagne Pink.

My favourites are Champagne Pink - the lighter shade - also to be used as an iridescent highlighter on the cheekbones and Light Coral - as the perfect pastel accent for the approaching Spring season!

The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Palette in Spring Bronze* has a safe array of hues that will suit every eye colour and to create a stunning bronzed smoky eye. 

The shades are: Rich Espresso, Burnished Gold, Dusty Fawn and Warm Copper; from Burnished Gold that will add light to the inner corner, to Dusty Fawn that will look amazing smouldered around the eyes and it has already stolen my heart – Beautiful, beautiful shade! Warm Copper also looks gorgeous on its own and paired with a coat of purple mascara, if you feel brave.

What do you think of The Body Shop Spring 2014 Collection? Head over to www.TheBodyShop.co.uk to check the hair chalks and lipglosses too! :)

New In / Kiko Make Up Milano Bad Girl? Collection

Kiko Bad Girl? - the new Limited Edition Collection - takes inspiration from iconic personalities from contemporary rap music scene, where the artists express their strong statements with fashion and make up too.

Center of attention are the eyes with piercing, magnetic looks and graphic lines, yet with a feminine element.

There are 4 Colour Fever Eyeshadow Palettes in the collection, all aiming at enhancing every eye colour. 

The shades in 101 Coral Burgundy* range from a luminous peachy champagne to a deep vibrant purple and they complement each other perfectly. They are extremely versatile and let you create a soft romantic eye, or a more edgy and intense look.
They have the texture of smooth baked shadows and the colour pay-off is excellent, even when applied dry; they come in a compact and sturdy case with a very good size mirror, too.
The quality of these eyeshadows is truly outstanding… but I'll let the swatches speak for themselves :)

Kiko Daring Look Eye Marker* also doesn't disappoint... and it actually left me very impressed!

I don't normally wear eyeliner on a daily basis since I'm always pretty tight for time in the morning; however, with this pen is so incredibly quick to create a fluid, precise line (even with my not-so-steady hand) that it's a skipped step no more.
The tip doesn't drag, it's easy to control and the delivery of the ink is even so no need to go over and over the line to intensify the colour; the finish is kinda of matte and very dark once dry and smudge-proof, too. 

Then teamed with the purplish eyeshadows of the palette - Well, they are just made for each other and you can achieve a very striking combo with just few simple steps!

Once again, Kiko hit it out of th park with this collection which definitely deserves your love and attention!
Bad Girl? is out now and you can check out the products on www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

Recent Loves / Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Urban Decay is bringing pink back… and this is making me sooo happy!

I've been wanting to get a Naked Palette for a while but I just couldn't decide between the 1&2… when the 3rd came along just at the right time.

Pinks, purples have always been my favourite eyeshadow colours and only in recent years, I've been exploring more the neutral side of the spectrum (I guess partially because bloggers seems to be really keen on neutrals - am I right?!) ;)

The pinks for the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette are the PERFECT compromise!

They are still muted and suitable if, like me, you're over 30s and you fear pink hues don't suit you anymore.

My favourites are Buzz, Nooner, Burnout and Darkside. They are the same high quality that we are accustomed to, with Urban Decay eyeshadows: soft like butter, smooth like silk and nicely pigmented.

Trick is an interesting cooper shade with orangy undertones that would look great with blue eyes; Blackheart is a deep purple/nearly black that doubles as eyeliner with gorgeous red/pink shimmer.

Factory, Mugshot and Liar are bound to be very popular since they are the shades with the most amount of brown/taupe; Strange and Limit are matte base colours, one cooler and the other warmer.

I guess Dust is the only shade that I was disappointed with: It's beautiful but I found it to be a bit chunky, therefore I experienced the most fall out; it's easily manageable, using the colour wet.

l-r: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit

l-r: Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar

l-r: Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

As a bonus, you also get 4 samples of the legendary Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion  and of course, a double-ended Karma brush. The original primer is a staple in my daily routine and I'm particularly interested in trying the anti-aging version. 

If naked shades are not your thing, I just saw today a spoiler for a new Urban Decay Electric Palette (check my Twitter for a photo) - no release date just as yet - and yes, you guessed it, it's BOLD and cheerful! ;)

In the meantime, you can paint your eyes rainbow with the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette!

Christmas Presents

A bit late with a Christmas presents haul but I'm always in two minds when sharing gifts 'cos there's always the risk of people thinking you're bragging; personally, I love reading these posts - I'm noisy like that - and it's a great way to get ideas and find undiscovered gems. :)

Gorgeous DKNY bag - the colour is in between brown/grey - smart looking and I will definitely save it for special occasions.

People know me well and they have been certainly feeding my pugs & owls obsession! :)

Check out these pugs salt&pepper shakers - Awesome or what?!!!

I love watching American Pickers and my husband got me a t-shirt from the States - love the rooster logo!

The frame with the wire is an handmade jewellery holder; the shabby-chic feel is right up my alley and it will look perfect against the purple wall in the bedroom.

Basilur Tea is a tea brand that I discovered few years ago and my mum sent me a new selection book over the holidays; I don't normally like fruity teas but their selection are delicious/yet not too sweet. I'd definitely recommend to check their website http://basilurtea.co.uk if you're a tea junkie - prices are average and their packagings are beautiful too.

Beauty related goodies: Especially Escada Eau de Parfum is a fragrance that I've been liking since it came out few years ago; it's described as joyful and light-hearted and I couldn't agree more - definitely not overpowering.

My sister also got me this Laura Ashley Fig Tree & Cassis Hand Wash & Hand Lotion Gift Set because she knows I love fig scents; this smells like proper fig leaves with a sweet twist and the hand lotion is also very good quality and light. I don't shop in Laura Ashley often enough, they are currently having a massive sale and I will make sure to pop in and check it out.

Finally… Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette! Yes, I couldn't resist and asked Santa for it. I will do a dedicated post with swatches soon. 

Review / Pür Minerals Beautiful Creatures Palette

I'm utterly utterly in love with this limited edition Pur Minerals Beatiful Creatures palette*!

I haven't stopped using it since It popped through my letterbox few weeks ago; I'm a fan of Pur Minerals in general, everything I tried so far didn't disappoint so I'm happy to see that also the eyeshadows are of outstanding quality.

The palette has a magnetic fastening and it's pretty slim; it comes with a protective plastic cover, that you can remove, but I decided to leave it on to prevent smudges on the mirror.

You also get a shadow brush encased in the box; I adore the Chisel MakeUp Brush (NOT exaggeration here!) and I can tell that it's made from the the same soft bristles. I experienced some shedding at first, but unnoticeable and stopped after the first wash.

l-r: supernatural, siren, spellbound, forbidden

l-r: fate, fantasy, secret, cursed

The colours are beautiful and everything I go for, these days: you get a couple of fair neutrals, bronze, khaki, browns and purples. They are all buttery soft, blend beautifully and none is powdery; the colour payoff is excellent too and I honestly love every single shade!

To complete the set, you also get a black eyeliner and a lipgloss. Black Magic - the eyeliner - is on the hard side but works well to add thickness to the lashline and it doesn't smudge; Lust/Desire - the lipgloss - is very sheer in colour with an hint of pink but  the ideal complement for a strong eye look... and you can really go to town with these stunning eyeshadow colours!

The bad news? Apparently, it's not available in Uk - you can try on http://www.purminerals.com/ or I found this similar and lovely palette on the Marks & Spencer website.

A pretty great travel set indeed and now It makes me want to see the film Beautiful Creatures, too... hehe - Have you seen it? :)