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 / Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

The Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette* needs no presentation. Just look at it - it's stunning.

Every time there is a new naked palette coming out is hard to believe that they can come up with a better one... and sure enough they do.

All the palettes are beautiful in their own right but smoky is a different class, in my opinion, and a must have!

It's the most versatile and - although intended for smokey looks - you can also easily create a nude look and the shades work well with any eye colour: purple is great for green eyes, browns for brown eyes and silver for blue eyes.

It comes in a beautiful and sturdy case with smoke twirls on a transparent background and magnet fastenings - the print gives it a certain mysterious je ne said quoi that recalls the sexy looks that you can create wit these shadows. The quality is great, exactly what you would expect from Urban Decay eyeshadows.

l-r: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor

Personally, I have divided the 12 eyeshadows in 3 sections: the highlighters, the greys and the neutrals - there are 9 new colours and 3 exclusive ones.

Most of the shades are shimmery - the first 4 are:

High is a light champagne with a metallic finish; Dirtysweet is a golden bronze with yellow undertones; Radar is a medium brown with warm undertones; Armor is taupe grey with frosted finish.

l-r: Slanter, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder

In the mid-section we have a selection of greys that are perfect to create shadows and smoke the eye look: 

Slanter is a light silvery grey with cool undertones and a pearl finish; Dagger is a medium grey with a blue tint; Black Market is the darkest shade of them all - a near black with a satin finish; Smolder is a blackened purple with silver finish.

l-r: Password, Wiskey, Combust, Thirteen

Finally, the right part contains the only matte shades of the palette and they are the neutral colours: 

Password is a true cool taupe with a matte finish; Whiskey is a warm, reddish brown also with matte finish; Combust is a pinkish nude and I can't detect any glitter here either; Thirteen is a white beige, perfect as a base or to neutralise any eyelid discolouration.

The palette also includes a guide to recreate 4 popular looks and a double-ended brush.

Both sides of the brush have a rounded head - the shorter has a denser consistency whilst the other side is fluffier, perfect for some blending work.

This beauty is a guaranteed success and one to add to your collection! You can get yours here

Haul / Debenhams

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on the Clinique Cheek Pop since they came out; although the colour range is not wide (only 4), I simply couldn’t decide on one.

I finally decided to go with 02 Peach Pop since it’s supposed to be a dupe for Benefit's Coralista (another blush on my wishlist).

Without doubts, it looks beautiful! The packaging is pretty sturdy, but it’s so tiny that I find it a bit difficult to get it open - and infact I have already stuck my nail in it :(

I’m also happy with the colour – very flattering – and the quality gets the thumbs up too. The formula is impressive – comfortable to wear and lasts all day!

I just wish they would release new colours because I would definitely buy more.

I also got another Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow. They are so quick to apply and you can achieve a striking look with only one shadow - it's so multidimensional. Diamond Dog is a warm brown – great for autumn – with silver particles.

You can read more about the Moondust shades here.

Finally, I stocked up on a couple of essentials. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is my favourite serum of all time! I was a bit apprehensive since they have reformulated  it but it seems to perform just as well as before. It is incredible the difference that it makes to my skin (nearly) overnight.

Elemis Absolute Eye Serum is one of the best eye products that I have ever used; it dramatically improves my dark circles. I got to say that I’m not a fan of the new white packaging – It looks cheap.

Brasil 2014 / Neve Cosmetics Quetzalcoatl Collection

Many brands are jumping on the bandwagon of Brasil 2014 with their Summer collections.

Neve Cosmetics took inspiration widely from Ancient South American civilisations in general and Pre-Columbian Mexico in particular. The actual name of the collection - Quetzalcoatl - is a Mesoamerican deity which means feathered serpent.

This influence transpires in the names of the products, as well as in the vivid and powerful hues that recall the colourful feathers of this mysterious and supernatural creature.  

The collection includes 2 mineral blushes, 4 mineral eyeshadows and 2 eye pencils; all Neve Cosmetics products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Neve Cosmetics Blush in Maya* is a pale pink with pink shimmer; thanks to the subtle shimmer, it also doubles as an highlighter and gives a true healthy glow to the cheeks. It's really beautiful and perfect for me, since cool toned blushes suit me best.  

If you prefer a bit more warm on the cheeks, the other blush of the collection - Flame Tree - is a pinky coral with fuchsia particles (sounds pretty awesome too!)

Neve Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Quetzal* is the personification of this mythological bird with its duo-chorme turquoise and green pigments; Desert*, instead, is a more wearable warm brown with golden glitter, that reminds me of the sun-kissed, dry soil of this rich continent.

You can play it safe or be more daring and they work particularly well when applied wet; these two together are made for each other and complement beautifully!

Finally, Neve Cosmetics offers 2 eye pencils to define the look: the luminous Cielo/Turquoise* and warm Terra/Brown - the names are pretty self-explanatory really!

The quality of these pencils is very high, as always - they are soft to work with, long lasting and have high pigmentation.

I have to say that this is my favourite collection from Neve Cosmetics so far. The histrionic reflections make these hues tridimensional... and have I forgotten about the packaging?! I think the turquoise & bronze combo is simply beautiful.

What do you think of this collection? :)

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! :)