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

Christmas 2014 / Urban Decay Ideas

I always ask something from Urban Decay for Christmas. Last year, I got the Naked 3 and I still get pretty excited everytime I used it.

My picks from the Festive Collection 2014 are 3 gorgeous palettes that are guaranteed to please anyone: Full Frontal Lipstick Stash, Naked On The Run and Shadow Box.

The  Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash includes 6 Revolution Lipstick – with 3 new shades  - and 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil - a clear lipliner that will work with every colour; this is most certainly going on my Santa’s list this year! I’ve been meaning to try these lipsticks for a while but I can never make up my mind on which colour to pick… problem solved! And the mini sizes are super cute too!

The Urban Decay Naked On The Run – appropriately called so – because it contains everything you may need when out of the house; you’ll find a  Perversion Mascara, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, Naked Lipgloss, a blush, a bronzer, an highlighter and 5 eyeshadows.

Finally for the eyeshadows obsessed - Urban Decay Shadow Box* is a collection of 12 shadows encased in a compact box.

The packaging is made of glossy cardboard and a magnetic UD to keep the lid closed.

I've to admit that I read mixed reviews about this palette and some unfair criticism, in my opinion.

I find the quality of these powders to be pretty good and the colour selection is very clever too; I have few Urban Decay palettes myself and the only double I have is Freelove. 

Luckly enough, I have one here and some swatches to share with you today - as you can see there's a good mix of neutrals and colours; the brighter shades are still wearable and can easily be teamed with  the nudes, if you feel a bit shy.

Sin is a peachy champagne - perfect as an highlighter, Indo is a gorgeous emerald, Bordello - a best seller - is a mauve with gold  sparkle and Tornado is a deep purple with warm undertones.

l-r: sin, indo, bordello, tornado

Smog is a stunning bronze with reddish/copper tones, Blackout is a matte black that can be used as eyeliner but it's not deep enough and my least favourite from the palette; Flash is a vibrant lavender with an iridescent cool finish - very pretty - and Mushroom is a warm grey with a touch of taupe.

l-r: smog, blackout, flash, mushroom

Lost is a metallic warm brown, an everyday shade that will work with every eye colour; Freelove - an all time favourite of mine - is a warm coral with gold shimmer, Moonshadow is a bright navy blue and a new shade and Baked Cowboy - another new shade and a true bright gold.

So, what do you think of these palettes? Which one caught your eye?

Introducing / Stila

I got my eyes on the Stila palettes for a while. There are a few different ones on the market, all based around pretty neutral shades but with few variations.

Stila In The Garden Eye Shadow Palette* also includes a couple of brighter colours and, if you're not too sure how to incorporate them, the set includes a booklet with ideas and tips.

All eyeshadows are extremely pigmented and smooth to blend together.

My personal favourite combination is with Moss & Jupiter. I use the neutral colour all over the lid and then the teal as an accent in the crease.

Rosette - the purple shade - is also fantastic with Breeze and Freesia, used as a liner.

l-r: chinois, breeze, bark, freesia, rosette

l-r: nectar, honey, sage, moss, juniper

You also get a full size of Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Moray with this set; I have used this liner before and actually managed to finish it! It's a beautiful khaki green with silver shimmer and impressive staying power.

To summarise, I'd definitely recommend this beauty if you are not looking for your typical (and maybe a bit boring) neutral palette and you're not afraid to experiment with colour shadows.

Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss are lacquer lipstick with an impressive punch of colour. I love the super shiny finish - great to add volume to fine lips, like mine - but still with the creamy texture that I prefer in lipsticks. 

They are extremely comfortable on the lips, non-sticky or drying; they are also enriched with seaweed extract and organic green coffee oil to keep the lips moisturised throughout the day.

Nude Vinyl* is a beautiful dusty rose that compliments beautifully the eyeshadows from the In The Garden palette, actually. It's still into the neutral spectrum I think, and it's the ideal finish touch to complete any look.

It's such a pretty shade and I've fallen in love with it that I can see myself rocking it well into Spring too!

So, what do you think of Stila make up? Any recommendation/must have items? :)

Xmas Ideas / Urban Decay Shattered Face Case

I think the Urban Decay Shattered Face Case* tops the chart for the coolest Christmas present of 2013. 

First - it's Urban Decay, second - it's the ultimate complete palette with 5 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, highlighter, eyeliner and lip gloss! And third - the double-decker design is pretty cool too.

 The case is compact and sturdy enough that you can throw it into your luggage for your next city break or carry it around in your handbag for a day-to-night transformation. For both occasions, you have everything you need - It holds an excellent array of products and 2 full size mirrors, too.

The eyeshadows selection is very clever and simply perfection: a mix of browns and neutrals with a gorgeous purple, for good measure.

Bleach and Minor Sin are the all over lid pale, base colours; bleach is a matte yellowy beige and Minor Sin is a light pink with gold shimmer.

Shakedown and Nameless are the 2 brown toned shadows, yet very different; Shakedown has a warm, gold undertone and metallic finish, whilst Nameless is a satin taupe with prevalent grey undertone. 

Finally, Remix is a shimmery deep purple colour and metallic finish.

l-r: bleach, minor sin, shakedown

l-r: remix, nameless

The blushes and highlighter have the same superior quality of the eyeshadows; the new powder formula applies smoothly and blends seamlessly into the skin.

Overexposed is a matte muted rose colour - Temper is also a matte, cool toned medium pink; Glint - the highlighter and my favourite - is a finely milled peachy gold, not chalky at all and very flattering on the cheekbones.

 

l-r: overexposed, temper, glint

The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero is your perfect  basic liner to add depth to the eyes and the quality of these pencils is well-known. 

The Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Lovechild is the prettiest shade of pink that will flatter most skintones; it has blue undertone, an incredible glossy finish and great pigmentation. It's love!

 I can't get over how compact it is and still full of goodies inside... and even better, it's a true bargain for £30, I think.
It was instant love for this palette! There is not one single colour that I'm not gonna use and it has already become an essential for my everyday looks!

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

I've totally been in awe of the Limited Edition Urban Decay Vice 2* since it popped through the letterbox last week.

If you're already a fan of the Urban Decay Naked palettes - for your neutral looks - Vice 2 is your chance to add a 'colourful' selection of shades to your collection.

Having said that, they are still very wearable colours. You get 20 brand new greens, pinks, blues - some brights and many with a touch of smokiness, making them work for winter too; there are also a couple of extraordinary neutrals. At a first look, you may think that you will just end up with a bunch of dupes but, once swatched, this palette shows its true (stunning) colours.

The case is also very pretty with overlay of purple petals and jeweled UD logo; it has a huge mirror, opens at the push of a button and it's still reasonably flat that there's space for a double-ended Good Karma brush, too.

Dope is a pinky champagne with warm undertone and satin finish, ideal to highlight the inner corner and browbone; Radar is a warm brown with a metallic bronze finish, it also has a predominant yellow undertone and gold micro-glitter; Prank is a dark navy blue with turquoise shimmer, it just transforms into a stunning deep blue with incredible staying power; Smokeout is a satin black with a brownish warm undertone and just an hint of shimmer.

Toxic is a beautiful pinkish copper with micro-glitter and metallic finish, it's a shade that works in every season, on its own or as a base for a smokey look; Damaged is a gorgeous deep green with emerald shimmer, it has a metallic finish and it's incredibly smooth; Madness is a lighter blue than Prank with blue glitter and metallic finish; Lovesick is a true black with silver micro-glitter, probably my least favourite as it's a bit powdery and I don't really use black eyeshadows often.

Habit is a matte nude, perfect as a base colour and beautifully buttery; Voodoo is a deep purple with iridescent purple micro-glitter and metallic finish, I love purple eyeshadows and can't wait to wear this one; Strike is a metallic true gold with silver shimmer, perfect to add a touch of light to the centre of the lid; Shellshock is a very bright metallic silver, I still have to figure out how to use it, 'cause I want to use it!!!

Ambush is a dark brown with warm, reddish undertone and metallic finish; Betrayal is a lighter purple than Voodoo, with lilac micro-glitter and blue undertone; Stash is an olive green with khaki and green micro-sparkle, frosted finish; Coax is a metallic pink with gold micro-sparkle and cool undertone.

Rewind is a matte medium brown, neutral with grey undertone; Derailed is a beautiful taupe with warm undertone and metallic finish; Poison was a bit of a pleasant revelation, a dark charcoal with silver and blue micro-sparkle; X-Rated is a true baby pink with cool tones and satin finish.

My favourites are the bright Prank and Toxic, the safe Derailed and Ambush and the new found love Poison!

So, what do you think... Pretty special, uh?! ;)