Tuesday 25 March 2014

B E A U T Y | Urban Decay Naked Two Palette.



For a long time I was umming and aahing about whether or not I wanted to actually buy the Naked Two. I am generally really pale and the colours in the palette are really cool toned, so I thought that it would just wash me out. Oh I was so very wrong, I absolutely love it and I tend to turn to it an awful lot more than I ever thought I would. 

When I went to buy it the woman at the counter was so lovely, I was chatting away to her about how I wasn't too sure about whether it was for me or not, so she offered to do my make up for me. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and I really loved the way she did it. I think she mainly used Bootycall, Chopper, YDK and Busted. She went for more of an everyday neutral look and it really did look great.

As I mentioned in my blog post about the Naked One Palette the packaging in the Second and Third ones definitely isn't my favourite. I really don't like the fact that it feels like it could snap every time I open it, or the fact that it is literally just a tin can. For the price I would hope that it would be a little more luxurious, but hey ho.

However, the brush in the Second and Third is much better than that of the one in the First, the fluffy end is such a great addition. The flat end allows you to compact the colour that you want onto your eye, then the fluffy end helps you to blend it all together and even smoke it out if you wanted.

The colour range is again absolutely fantastic yet again in this palette, there are so many combinations and it's just so versatile. It can take you from an everyday neutral look to a dramatic smokey look for a night out. 

My most used colours are:
- Bootycall
- Chopper
- Pistol
- Verve
- YDK
- Busted
- Blackout
(Pretty much all of them...)


From left to right:
Foxy (perfect base colour)
Half-Baked
Bootycall (perfect tear-duct colour)
Chopper


Tease (also a great base colour)
Snakebite
Suspect
Pistol (great for a subtle smokey eye)


 Verve (also great for the tear-duct)
YDK
Busted
Blackout (my ultimate favourite eye shadow for a dramatic smokey eye)

Take a look at one here for yourself
Would you invest in one? Which is your favourite colour?
x


B E A U T Y | Real Techniques Brushes.


I'm not sure what it is, but there is something about make up brushes that seem to draw me in. Real Techniques brushes have been so hyped up on the blogger/YouTube world, and so they should be. When I got my hands on my first one, that was it I decided I need them all. Although I'm not there just yet .. I'm working on it.

The Real Techniques brushes have been created by the Pixiwoo sisters, Samantha and Nicola Chapman. They claim to "use high-tech materials with innovative design" to create the best looks that are easy but in a way that is accessible to all. They also colour code their brushes into the key steps, base, finish and eyes to ensure your make up always looks on point. 

BASE


POWDER BRUSH
This one is pretty self explanatory, I use it to set my whole face after finishing the rest of my make up, as this allows the foundation to sink into the skin better. Its great for both pressed powder and loose. I tend to use translucent powder just so that I don't lose any of the colour in my face and risk look all ghostly. 

BUFFING BRUSH
This is my favourite foundation brush. It's great to put foundation on and buff into the skin to create a flawless base. It also reduces the risk of me walking out the house with that annoying line around the jaw that really doesn't look all that great.

STIPPLING BRUSH
The stippling brush I haven't used much yet, but that's because it is better for a lighter coverage using things such as tinted moisturiser or a BB cream. So this will be great in the summery weather. It creates a perfect finish and allows the product to sink into the skin. It has to be used in a stippling motion so sort of bouncing it on the skin.

POINTED FOUNDATION BRUSH
Although this is supposed to be used for foundation to create the base of your make-up, I have found that it works far better for me to use it for concealer. It is perfect for under the eyes, blemishes and any red areas, purely because it is such a great size yet it allows you to blend it in well. I also like to use it for highlighting the brow bone using a highlighter such as the YSL Touche Eclat. It just seems to get into all the nooks and crannys.

FINISH


BLUSH BRUSH
The blush brush I have found is far too big to use for blusher on my face, I tend to end up looking way too pink. So for me it works better for bronzer, it's just the right size to put the bronzer where I want it to go without me looking like an umpa-lumpa. It also works for me blending it in well. 

CONTOUR BRUSH
The contour brush, again i never use for contouring haha. I tend to use it for blusher because it allows me to get the blush just where I want it. It also works well for highlighting your cheekbones with a powder highlighter such as the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish.

RETRACTABLE KABUKI BRUSH
This is a new release from the collection and it's great, it's so different to anything they've brought out before. The added feature of it being retractable is great because it stops bacteria from getting into the bristles and protects the shape of the bristles. Although I haven't had this one long, so far I've found this my go to powder highlighting brush and it's also good for a powder blush it tends to fit the apples of the cheeks well.

EYES


ACCENT BRUSH
The accent brush I find great for smudging eyeliner or eye shadow on my waterline for whenever I'm doing a smokey eye. This is because it allows me to place the eye shadow exactly where i want it and then smudge it out without making too much mess.

DETAILER BRUSH
Although the detailer brush is meant to be for the base of your face I find it perfect for highlighting the tear-ducts of my eyes with an eye shadow. Its the perfect size so I don't end up looking like a shimmery nightmare. 

PIXEL-POINT EYELINER BRUSH
This brush I don't tend to use very often but when I do I just use it to finish off my eye shadow look to pick out any colour that has got lost under darker shades, just to help emphasise it and blend it in.

BROW BRUSH
The brow brush has now become my go-to one, it is absolutely brilliant. It is sturdy and allows you to get the colour just where you want it, without it smudging anywhere. It is precise and creates defined lines to give you that perfect brow shape. 

BASE SHADOW BRUSH
Out of all of the eye shadow brushes this is probably my favourite, I use it for not only the base but it is also great for blending in all the colours. It's great for this because it's so fluffy and it doesn't lose any of the colour when smudging.

DELUXE CREASE BRUSH
This brush is great for the crease of the eye and just creating the perfect smokey eye. I tend to only use it for the outer corner of the eye just to add the darkest colours and smudge it where I want it. It also works well for buffing in concealer on blemishes because it keeps the concealer just where you want it, but allows it to sink in perfectly. 

Check out their collection yourself here, and their YouTube channel here.

Have you tried them? Which is your favourite? 
x


Monday 24 March 2014

B E A U T Y | Sleek Lace Blush Palette.




For a while now, whenever passing the Sleek counter I have been eyeing up the 'Lace' pallet. I have heard so many great things about it from various YouTube videos and blog posts, and wanted to see what all the hype was about. As soon as I swatched it in the shop, I soon realised. 

Finally today I bit the bullet and spent pretty much the last of my student loan on it, it was most definitely worth it. The pigmentation and colour range is just incredible, considering it's a drugstore product the quality is at such a high standard it could pass as being a high-end product. 


CROCHET
Crochet is the orange based shade on the left, as you can tell from the photo above it very vibrant and perhaps for some it may be a little too orangey. However, I think that if a little is used it will go a long way and would look lovely in the spring time. If preferred it can definitely be built up so that it is as bright as shown in the photograph. When blended out it looks more like a bronze colour and would be really nice alongside a bronzer for the perfect tanned tone. 

GUIPURE
The middle blush Guipure is probably my favourite out of the three, when choosing blushers I tend to lean towards the shimmery ones, purely because they just look so pretty I can't say no. This shade is so similar to NARS' Orgasm, which is my favourite blusher and is so popular within the YouTube/Blogger community. But when the NARS' comes at a steep £21.50 when the Sleek pallet comes at £9.99 for the three. It is such a gorgeous pink tone with gold shimmer and just looks so beautiful when blended. It will be great for the summer weather (if we ever get any) along with a matte bronzer to give a nice summery glow. 

CHANTILLY
Chantilly on the right, is a matte peachy pink tone. I think that this is a nice everyday blush that would just brighten up the face. It gives off that look when you walk in from the cold and your cheeks go all pinky. I think this is such a wearable colour, it would go with any eye or lip choices because it is quite subtle. Again, the pigmentation is incredible and can be worn lightly or built up. 

Have a look here yourself.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect high-street blush

x





Monday 3 March 2014

B E A U T Y | My MAC Lipstick Collection.



Out of all of my make up items that I have been collecting over the years, my MAC lipsticks are definitely up there with my most treasured. I am aware that to some my collection is so small it's slightly pointless dedicating a whole blogpost to them, but I just love them too much not to share. Lipsticks are always one of my favourite things to buy when it comes to make up, I think its because they just come in so many colours to choose from and they can change any outfit you wear. Not like buying foundations of concealers, they're pretty much always going to be similar? Or am I just going crazy?

The thing about MAC lipsticks is they are just so beautifully packaged that I seem to struggle to say no when visiting my local store. Moving to university was the best thing I did, purely because I can now say I have a 'local MAC store'. I know that they are overpriced at £15 each, when you can pretty much get the same thing from drugstores, but there just seems to be something about them. I am most definitely not an anti-drugstore girl, I love going into my local Boots or Superdrug just as much as the next girl, but sometimes it's nice to treat yourself. Well, that's how I keep reassuring myself anyway.


1. REBEL
Rebel is (as you can probably tell) a deep plummy red in a Satin finish. I think I'd have to say this is my favourite in my collection. It just seems so wearable, purely because I spend my life in black. The finish is also one of my favourite consistency's, its moisturising without being too creamy which is something I tend to look for in lipsticks.


2. RUBY WOO
Ruby Woo is the newest addition to my collection. Its a bright red in a Matte finish. Now while I absolutely adore the colour of this lipstick, the finish... not so much. I mean, I'm all for a matte finish, I usually love the way they look. However, this just seems to be far too dry it's almost difficult to even put on without tearing layers of skin from my lips first. I also think that with the matte lipsticks, lip liners are sort of essential because as you can tell from the photo it looks a little rough around the edges. I think that possibly next I may have to invest in another bright red one just in a different finish.


3. HOT GOSSIP
So, Hot Gossip I decided to invest in for an everyday 'my lips but better' kinda lipstick, it also has a hint of silver shimmer in. It is in the finish Cremesheen, which is lovely, its really moisturising and quite glossy at the same time. It seems to go really well with my skin tone which I found surprising because usually muted pinks tend to wash me out.


4. PINK NOUVEAU
This was the first lipstick I bought, and I think the excitement of actually owning one sent me a little crazy, and I sort of regretted getting this one. The colour does not compliment my skin tone in any way, shape or form. It washes me out and makes me look all yellow. It hasn't shown up as well in the photo its a lot more blue toned and brighter in reality. I'm sure it would suit someone with a little darker skin than mine (not difficult).

Any recommendations on what my next MAC lipstick purchase should be?
What are your favourites? 
x



Sunday 2 March 2014

B E A U T Y | Urban Decay Naked Palette One.



As you can tell my Naked palette has definitely seen better days. I'd just call it well loved. When I say this is most definitely the best thing in my make up collection, I am not exaggerating. It is my go to product on almost a daily basis. 

The thing about the Naked palettes is that everyone will have a particular one that is their favourite, and although I do love the other two, this is by far my number one. I would say that the reason for this is that the colour variations are brilliant and leave you spoiled for choice. The pigmentation of all of the colours is also amazing while it allows you to build it up for a more dramatic look. Not only is the pigmentation great, but they are also so easily blended, which for me was essential as this was when I first started experimenting with eyeshadow, and to be honest had no idea what I was doing. 

Another reason for it being my favourite out of the three is the packaging. I love the feel of the felt casing, while feeling luxurious it also feels so much more sturdy and secure. For the price you would want to be ensured that you're getting your moneys worth and it is going to last. Whereas the second and the third palette are in a tin casing, where I have heard that the colours can fall out and the lid can snap just after a short amount of time. 

The only thing I will say about the first palette is that the brush is not as good as the others. While it is great for the crease, there is no way for you to blend the eyeshadows purely with that brush. Yet in the other two palettes there is another end to the brush which allows you to blend as well.


From top to bottom:
Virgin
Sin
Naked
Sidecar
(They look so pale because of my pastey white skin)


Buck
Half-Baked
Smog
Darkhorse 


Toasted
Hustle
Creep
Gunmetal

Take a look for yourself here

I believe that every girl NEEDS this palette in their lives.
x