Urban Decay NAKED3 Palette.

Urban Decay NAKED3 Palette (£37, Debenhams).

I know the world and his wife have reviewed this palette already so I'm not going to go into too much detail but I still wanna share my love for this palette. I already have the original NAKED palette which is a beautiful mix of warm golden browns; the NAKED3 has stunning Rose gold shades within the nude spectrum. It contains two matte shades and some glitter, the rest are metallic. My fave shades have to be Limit and Blackheart. As always with Urban Decay, the eyeshadows are super pigmented and a little goes a long way. I'm totally in love with this palette and I've been using it loads since I bought it, creating both daytime and nighttime looks. Which is your favourite NAKED? Thanks for stopping by x

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation.

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation in Porcelain (£5, from Superdrug). 

The world of natural/naked skin opened up to me when I first tried the Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation. I saw that the new MUA face products were on 3for2 in Superdrug so I thought I'd give some of their new launches a go. Their Undress Your Skin range claims to give a natural, glowing finish to your skin. I love the packaging of this foundation with the purple-stone coloured tube which is super easy for dispensing product in a controlled way. 

The foundation itself is quite a runny fluid and glides onto the skin, providing a light-medium coverage with a natural finish. It's one of those foundations that isn't matte but isn't super wet-looking either, it just gives that natural dewy glow. Now usually a bargain brand make their lighter shades too orangey for my skin but Porcelain is the most beautiful buttery ivory which suits my skin perfectly. I actually can't believe how good this foundation is considering it's only £5! It covers my redness, pores and blemishes and sets evenly without looking cakey. It lasts all through the day which I wasn't expecting for a bargain foundation- I literally couldn't believe it! This foundation feels super light on the skin and my pores don't feel clogged up with product. I'd definitely recommend this foundation for makeup beginners and beauty lovers alike!

In a nutshell: Beautiful, natural looking finish light-medium coverage foundation that lasts all day long and only costs £5!!

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in 120 Vanilla (£8.99; currently £6.99 on offer in Superdrug). 

There are two products in the Nearly Naked guise, including the Nearly Naked Foundation which is available in an extensive 10 shades; and the Nearly Naked Pressed Powder available in 5 shades. I went for shade 120 Vanilla which is the second lightest shade in the range, which surprised me as I'm normally the pastiest of them all. 

Aesthetically, I like the packaging- the glass bottle makes the foundation look and feel much more expensive than it actually is. I also like the sleek silver text and the simple white lid. However, I hate that there is no pump; there's no control over how much product you're dispensing and I hate wasting foundation!! The foundation itself it quite runny and melts into the skin like a dream. I'd say it was light/medium coverage but I've found that it covers redness and blurs my pores really well. Now many a blogger has said that this gives a natural dewy finish, which initially put me off, but I don't think it does at all! I think its a natural matte without being chalky, cakey or powdery looking. I know it's a massive cliché but it literally is like your skin, only better. Not in a BB cream kind of way, but in a way that you always dream every foundation will be, but it never quite is. 

The colour match is spot-on for me and I reckon their shade range will cater for most skin tones. This foundation has staying power my friends. I've been wearing this from day through to night and it's needed only one powder touch-up on my nose, which is a massive feat as most foundations require continuous touch ups after about 6 hours. There's not much more that I can say about this foundation other than that I love it and I really enjoy wearing it. It really doesn't feel like you're wearing anything as it isn't at all heavy on your skin and doesn't clog up your pores. My skin actually feels soft, clean and clear when I remove the foundation even before cleansing. I actually fancy trying out the powder now I know how good the liquid is- watch this space!

In a nutshell: Beautifully smooth, blendable, natural-looking with light/medium coverage and a great shade range. Go get it, you're sure to fall in love!

January Favourites.

Ed Hardy Born Wild EdP; Bepanthen Nappy Rash Cream; Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream; Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter; Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette; Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstains in Sweetheart/Valentine.

It's a very pink January Favourites here isn't it! Ed Hardy Born Wild has been my everyday perfume for about a year now- I've never actually bought a bottle myself because my family have bought it me for my birthday and Christmas, I've got a few bottles tucked away for when I finish my current bottle. Bepanthen might seem like a funny choice but it has been a wonder product for my dry lips! I typically purchase Bepanthen for when I get a new tattoo to help with the healing process but the soothing balm leaves my lips feeling soft, smooth and flake free!

I've been using Heel Genius to sooth my tired feets and I love how cooling and softening it is on my toots. Whipped Clean is without doubt my favourite body product of all times. Its a shower gel and body butter all in one, which is perfect for me cause I'm super lazy when it comes to moisturising my body so this wonder product saves me so much time. It also has the most amazing smell in the world which I want to bottle up and make into a perfume. 

I imagine this is in a lot of bloggers' favourites this month- it's the Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette. Believe the hype ladies, it's matte neutrals at their absolute best. It's perfect for everyday glamour and super smoky evening eyes. I also love how compact it is, especially compared with the original NAKED palette. Finally, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstain in Sweetheart/Valentine- I still love it, I still wear it and it's still the best formula, colour pay-off and long lasting lip product I've ever used. Unfortunately, this shade isn't available in the UK but I bought mine off ebay from a lovely American seller. So there you have it, my January faves. Please link me to your favourites posts or let me know what your favourites are in a comment below!

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette.

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette (£20 from Debenhams). 

Can you tell what it is yet? Why, it's the release of Urban Decay's latest palette of course! To go along with the ever successful NAKED (see my review here) and NAKED2 palettes, Urban Decay have released the baby of the family in the shape of a six shadow matte palette called NAKED Basics. I chose this palette as one of my Christmas presents off my boyfriend when it was released and was on offer at Debenhams for £18. This palette comes beautifully boxed with images of the powders on the back- but note that the box is actually a bit bigger than the palette it contains. I've photographed the NAKED Basics and original NAKED palettes next to each other for size comparison. As you can also see, the case of the new palette is made of a rubbery plastic (think of Nars packaging) which is much less prone to attracting dirt than the velvety exterior of the original palette. The logo on the front is prominent and slightly raised (for anyone whose interested!).

Inside the palette there is a large mirror (effectively the size of the lid) which is great for travel and on-the-go application or touch-ups. There are six matte shades inside (well, five matte shades and a super subtle shimmer shade), four of which are exclusive to this palette. Venus is a really subtle shimmer highlight (exclusive); Foxy is a buttery matte beige; W.O.S (Walk of Shame) is more of a flesh-toned peachy beige; NAKED 2 is a milky light brown (exclusive); Faint is a dark coco colour (exclusive) and finally, Crave is the deepest, mattest black you ever did see (exclusive). As with all Urban Decay eyeshadows, the formula is super light whilst remaining heavily pigmented. The powders blend like a dream and last all day long (although this is improved by wearing a primer, I find). I will say that you can get quite a lot of fall-out when applying the powder to brushes, so my top tip would be to try and use up any excess fall-out before pressing into the powder (if that makes sense?).

So, why do you need this in your life if you've already got either of the original NAKED palettes (or not)? Well my friends, because these are the best quality, least chalky and truest coloured matte eyeshadows that I've ever used. The colours are prefect for creating both daytime and dramatic looks and all compliment each other beautifully.The palette is compact and light- perfect for travelling. And, as if you weren't already sold on it, the shades work beautifully well with the original NAKED shades (I haven't got the NAKED2 so I can't comment unfortunately). I love the original NAKED but sometimes, for a daytime look, it can be too much shimmer shimmer, but when paired with some of the shades out of this palette, you're good to go! I truly love this palette and I think every makeup-loving girl needs to have this in her collection! Have you tried the NAKED Basics palette? Let me know what you think!

Avon True Colour Palette in Chic Glamour.

Avon True Colour 6 in 1 Eyeshadow Palette in Chic Glamour (£11 from Avon). 

I don't need another eyeshadow palette and I wasn't particularly after getting one; but I saw this palette in the Avon brochure and it was on offer for £6 so I thought I'd give it a go. The True Colour 6 in 1 palette is available in two shades: Blue Moods which contains steely blue and silver shades, and Chic Glamour which has warmer nude shades. I love the sleek, simple black packaging of this palette- the glossy black finish with the silver Avon logo is right up my street, no mess, no fuss. I also love that the palette comes with a huge mirror on the inside of the lid- I've been using this for on-the-go makeup application loads! 

The palette includes six eyeshadows, five of which have a subtle metallic shimmer and one being matte, and two double ended sponge applicators (which I personally don't use). All the shadows have really good colour pay-off and are true to the shade in the pan. I love how blendable and buildable these shadows are- they're really lightweight on the lids and have next to no fall out (NAKED palette I'm looking at you fall out queen). All of the shades work really well together despite the two middle shades seeming quite bright. I've been loving wearing the matte mink shade all over the lid, layering the metallic bronze shade over the outer corner, then using the beautiful plum shade in the crease; this has become my perfect everyday eye. The white highlighter is beautifully subtle and not at all chalky. I've been alternating wearing the copper and the golden shadows under my lower lash line to add some detail. 

This palette is a perfect 'essential shades' palette and is great for creating both day and night looks all in one! I'd definitely recommend you check this palette out and I think it's still on offer atm so get in there quick! Have to tried the Avon True Colour palette?

Top 10 Makeup BLOW-OUTS.

Following on from yesterday's 'Top 10 makeup bargains' post, today's top 10 features makeup blow-outs- high-end, luxury products with a hefty price tag. These are the items I've dreamed about and either saved up for or been lucky enough to have been bought as gifts. As with my bargain post, these aren't just any old expensive makeup items, they're the ones that I think are worth the money and are worth lusting after as they're great quality and generally deliver on all fronts. Most of these products are available in department stores like Debenhams, some are also available in Boots- apart from the Kat Von D palette which is only available in Sephora in the US (or sneaky ebay). 

Urban Decay NAKED palette (£36). 

Kat Von D Beethoven palette ($34). 

Chanel Jous Contraste Blusher (£31); MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (£21).

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre (£23). 

MAC Lipstick (£14); Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick (£24). 

Benefit Porefessional Primer (£23.50). 

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Pearl (£21); Clinique Chubby Stick (£16).

What are your favourite high-end makeup products?

In Your Face: Urban Decay NAKED palette.

Virgin, Sin, Naked (matte), Sidecar

 Buck (matte), Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Urban Decay NAKED palette (£36- received for my birthday). 

After seeing all the blogging hype and getting back into using eyeshadow, I lusted for so long after the NAKED palettes. My parents bought me this for my birthday and I chose the original NAKED over NAKED2 because the lady in the shop said that the latter was more day-time and the former perfect for a dark smoky look. You get a palette with 12 eyeshadows, a mini Primer Potion and a professional eyeshadow brush in the set. I love the velvety exterior of the palette and think it looks really smart and special in my makeup collection. There are four exlcusive shades in this palette being Sidecar, Darkhorse, Hustle and Creep; Naked and Buck are the two matte shades in this palette but tbh, it's all about the smoky shimmer shades here. I've used all of the shades already and my favourites have to be Darkhorse, which is a super dark brown with golden micro glitter and Sidecar which is the shimmeriest, most stunning mocha brown ever. All the shadows blend really well both onto the eyelid and with each other; they're all super pigmented and I can't say any of them are disappointing on application compared with in the pan. The Primer Poition (not shown) definitely makes the powders last longer and keeps them looking fresh throughout the day. The NAKED palette is notorious for excessive fall-out so I've been tapping my brush a lot then using the fallout up before getting more product (hope that makes sense). I love how the shades are all so different yet they all work together- there isn't a wrong combination here ladies. I also love the highlighter shades of Virgin (champagne shimmer) and Sin (super soft rose gold shimmer) for under my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes.

The palette comes with a pretty substantial mirror on the inside, although I would have liked it to have been more magnified for precision application but it's definitely good for travel. My main criticism of this glorious palette is the brush provided. In a way, I wish it wasn't included and maybe the price would be a bit lower because, I'm sorry but that is the worst eyeshadow brush I've ever used. It's really nice to look at and I love the colour and shape of the metally handle and the brush seems soft when you run your finger through it, but on the eyes it's so scratchy and stabby that it makes the whole experience a little unpleasent! I think Urban Decay have taken 'synthetic' to mean 'nylon chord' or something because that's sure what it feels like to me. Thankfully, my Real Techniques brushes have saved the day (post to come on those bad boys). Having said all that, I love this palette soso much and I'm so happy I've finally got it. I've literally used it everyday since I got it and I don't see that changing for a while! Have you ever tried either of the NAKED palettes, what d'you think? Are you with me on the brush?