Shopping the Stash.

This is a totally unintentional "Shopping the Stash" but since starting my new job and uni, I've fallen back in love with makeup! I've been able to wear eyeshadow and try different looks with all kinds of lipsticks from my collection- it's been so lovely! I've found that there's a few things I've been reaching for recently and they're all old favourites.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in 120 Vanilla- I can't believe I forgot about this foundation, it's amazing! It gives great coverage without being heavy on the skin and it gives a natural but flawless finish. I still hate that it hasn't got a pump applicator though!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel- I've found my skin has felt a bit saturated recently and my L'oreal Skin Perfection Moisturiser has felt a little heavy since the warm September weather crept in. This Clinique moisturiser is nice and light but still hydrating. Win.

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette- this has been my go-to everyday palette as I love the matte neutral shades. I'm super excited about the October launch of the NAKED Basics 2 which I will deffo be buying!

Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in 145 Rayonnante- this is quite simply the most luxurious, moisturising lipstick with the best colour payoff I own. The raspberry shade is stunning and compliments my skin tone really well. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 59 Dedicace- this lives in my 'handbag essentials' bag as it's the perfect 'go with everything' pink shade. Again, it's got the quality and luxury of any Chanel lipstick but this is the perfect light pink for me- not too blue tone or too chalky, just right for me! 

Thanks for reading- I hope you're all OK, thanks for stopping by x

April Favourites.

There's been some clear favourites for me this April, I've been reaching for a few things over and over again. So here they are guys and girls...

Urban Decay NAKED3 Palette- I'm not gonna harp on about this one, because there's millions of reviews of this but my gosh it's stunning. It's all pink and rose gold tones that are super flattering and are great for Spring/Summer.

MAC Blotting Powder- this has instantly replaced MSFN in my everyday routine. It keeps my skin matte and shine free all day long and it doesn't effect the colour of my foundations.

Tart Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush- this has been on my cheeks everyday since I bought it. You can wear it super subtly or build it up to a Barbie pink. I'm so in love with this, thank you Tarte and QVCUK!

Nails Inc Nail Varnish in Kensington Square- I have worn this so many times this month it's not even funny! I've worn it alone, with a glitter ombré effect, with Nails Inc Floral polishes over it- I just love it! It's the perfect baby pink and it's so opaque and glossy it's stunning.

Vaseline Spray and Go- this is a wonder product, I don't know how I'd live without it now! I've never been good at applying body butters or moisturising my skin so this is the perfect solution! It's super quick and easy to use and it dries almost instantly so you can get dressed right away.

Real Techniques Blush and Powder Brushes- I bought these and they became instantly makeup bag staples, they're so lovely! The powder brush is amazing for all over the face and it's sooooooo soft. The blush brush goes perfectly with the Tarte blusher and is great for blending out contouring.

Wowsers, so many favourites this month! Please leave me links to your April Favourites! Thanks for stopping by x

Amazing Base.

I thought I'd do a post about my favourite makeup bases- from BB and CC Creams to full coverage foundations. I have oily skin with large pores; my skin becomes shiny as the day progresses but I do have some dryness on my forehead. I like bases with good coverage and a matte finish to combat my oiliness. I'm also fairly pale so I like foundations without orange or tan tones to them, usually opting for the lightest shade in most high street products. So which products do I love...

Rimmel Stay Matte BB Cream- this is great for 'no makeup' days when I just want a light coverage base, my eyebrows and mascara on and I'm good to go. It's got the kind of coverage you'd expect from a BB Cream so if my skins not the best I try and avoid this. It's great for oily skin because a lot of BB Creams are dewy but this one is deffo matte. I wear this in shade Very Light and I'd give it a 3/10 for coverage.

MaxFactor CC Cream- I'd say I prefer this to the Rimmel BB Cream to be honest! It's got a nice light coverage with a creamy matte finish. This feels more like a light foundation that a CC/BB Cream if that makes sense? I wear this in shade Fair and I'd give this a 5/10 for coverage.

No7 Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation- for me, this is the ideal in-between product of BB/CC creams and a full coverage foundation. As the name suggests, it's super light weight on the skin but as it's a foundation, it's got better coverage and lasts longer than a BB/CC Cream. This hasn't got a particularly matte finish, which for me is a downside, but this can be easily remedied by using pressed powder over it. I wear this in shade Callico and I'd give this a 6/10 for coverage. 

Urban Decay NAKED Skin Foundation- oh my love, I think this is my Holy Grail foundation. It looks so natural but it's got amazing coverage and a flawless finish! This isn't a matte foundation but it looks like a natural NAKED skin finish, hence the name of it. I hardly have to use any concealer with this and it's great for building up in specific places like under the eyes without feeling heavy. It lasts all day long and I don't have to touch it up. I wear this in shade 1.0 and I'd give this a 9/10 for coverage. LOVE! 

No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation- this is a foundation I keep coming back to time and time again. This gives a perfectly flawless matte finish that doesn't let shine through at all, even after hours of wear. It's the kind of foundation that never let's you down- dyou know what I meant? Again, this has great coverage, I wear it in shade Callico and I'd give it 9/10. 

Revlon Colorstay for Oily/Combination Skin- I regularly switch up between this and the No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation. I really like this one, I'd say this has the fullest coverage and it gives a really nice matte finish. However, if you've got any dryness STAY AWAY because it is unforgiving. I imagine a lot of people won't like this because it is mega full coverage but I personally don't find it heavy or cakey. I wear shade 150 Buff and I'd give it. 10/10 for full coverage. 

So there you have my favourite bases. I'm currently lusting after the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet atm which I've read is amazing so watch this space.... Let me know what your fave bases are girlies. Thanks for stopping by x

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

Urban Decay B6 Prep Spray.

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray (£21.50, Debenhams).

I didn't needs this, I fact I didn't even know that this existed or that I would ever need it. That's the power of a good salesperson I guess! When I went to the Urban Decay event the makeup artists used this in their demonstration and it just looked ace. I love the packaging of this product- the bottle has got that rubbery matte texture that some high end products have. 

The premise is that this spray acts in the place of a serum to prepare your skin for applying makeup. Compared with some makeup setting sprays I've used, this is very much a fine mist- I can hardly feel it going onto my skin it's so gentle! I spritz 3-4 times over my face before applying my moisturiser and makeup on clean skin. It doesn't make my skin feel damp or greasy at all; it just leaves it feeling soft and matte. The packaging makes some pretty impressive claims but I can't really say I've been noticing long-term skin benefits from using this. I find that it makes my makeup last a little longer and better though. You get 118ml in this bottle which, although it's mega expensive, is a really decent amount considering you only use a few spritzes each time. Have you tried any products like this? Thanks for stopping by x

Urban Decay Haul and Event.

Anarchy Face Case (£21); Supersaturated Lip Crayon in Big Bang (£14); NAKED3 Palette (£37); De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray travel size (£9); B6 Vitamin Infused Prep Spray (£21.50) all from Urban Decay via Debenhams.

Myself and my chum Dany were invited to a VIP makeup event at Urban Decay which we attended this Thursday. I've been to a couple of beauty events before but I was really looking forward to this one after loving all the products I bought after having my makeup done at UD a few weeks ago. There was a demonstration from Clarisonic which was a bit random! Then the UD makeup artists did a demonstration of some products including their new Electric palette which I found quite scary with it's neon eyeshadows! 

Before going I knew I wanted to treat myself to the NAKED3 palette but everything else I chose on the night! I love my NAKED1 palette and never intended to get another NAKED palette but I used Dany's NAKED3 on our night out last week and fell in love with it's rose gold tones. I also fell for the B6 Prep Spray which can be used as a serum- it felt so nice when we sampled it so I couldn't resist! I finally took the plunge and bought the De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray which sounds like a dream for my oily skin! I'd bought the Anarchy Face Case after loving my Shattered Face Case, this one is more  silvery and metallic but I love it! I also bought a new Supersaturated Lip Crayon after loving shade Lovechild. Big Bang is a super glittery metallic pink that I cannot wait to wear! The rest are all freebie samples I got given for attending. Thanks for stopping by x

Blooper, photography skills!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick and Lip Pencil Duo.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil and Revolution Lipstick both in Native (£13 & £15, both Debenhams).

When I had my makeup done at Urban Decay tother week, I asked to try their lipstick in Native. I've tried on loads of the well loved nude/pink lippies at MAC (Creme Cup, Pink Nouveau etc) but none of them have suited me; they've either made me look dead or like I've got concealer on my lips! When I tried Native on, I fell in love- it's my perfect nude pink lipstick and I've finally found it!

I've never been one for using Lip Pencils before applying lipstick but using this has made me realise that it deffo makes a difference. It makes my lipstick last longer and stops it from bleeding out. You could actually wear the 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil on its own as a matte version of the lipstick. It's super creamy and soft and lasts really well on the lips. The Revolution Lipstick comes in the most beautiful packaging- it's got a beautiful gunmetal casing with an uneven hammered effect. The lipstick itself is so creamy and soft, it is super hydrating! It reminds me of the MAC Creamsheen formula to be honest. It's super pigmented and lasts really well on the lips. Native is a beautiful peachy pink that suits me perfectly, I usually wear it with bold eye makeup so it makes the look quite 60s with the nude lips. Apologies for my dry lips, I've not been looking after them very well recently! I'm super impressed with this duo and I'll be trying more shades in the future! Thanks for stopping by x

Urban Decay Shattered Face Case.

Urban Decay Shattered Face Case (£30, Debenhams).

Oh.My.Lord. This is a thing of true beauty AND it's super space saving and practical- win! The Shattered Face Case was intended to be a limited edition release for Christmas in the U S of A. However, a few have made it over to the UK and I got my cheeky lil mitts on one! So basically this palette contains five eyeshadows, two blushers, a (not so) mini eyeliner, a highlighter and a chubby stick style lip crayon all encased in a two layered case with two large mirrors inside. 

The Shattered Face Case has five beautiful eyeshadows inside: Shadedown (gunmetal metallic); Remix (royal purple with silver glitter); Nameless (purple taupe metallic); Minor Sin (peach metallic); Bleach (matte pastel yellow). Together they create the perfect purple smokey eye which I've been loving wearing both day and night, because I'm just that wild! I particularly love wearing Nameless on its own in the day time. As we all know from dabbling in the NAKED palettes, Urban Decay eyeshadows are super pigmented and long lasting, a little tap of product goes a really long way. You also get a travel sized 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero (true black) but it's almost the same size as a full eyeliner pencil from the brand. It's a super soft pencil which is great for smudging out for a smokey eye look. 

The Shattered Face Case also contains two blushers in Overexposed (dusky peach) and Temper (true Barbie pink) and a stunning highlighter in Glint (subtle golden flesh toned shimmer). They're all super flattering and blend out really well to create both soft and bold looks depending on your mood. Finally, there's the Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour in Lovechild which is a beautiful mid toned pink with peachy undertones. All the colours in this kit are super wearable and long lasting on the skin. All I need when using this kit is my foundation, concealer, powder, mascara and brow products and I'm good to go! Thanks for stopping by x

Urban Decay NAKED Skin Beauty Balm & Foundation.

Urban Decay NAKED Skin Beauty Balm (travel size, £9) and Foundation in 1.0 (£27) both from Debenhams. 

I initially thought I'd review these seperately but because they're so amazing when used together I thought I'd review them together. The NAKED Skin Beauty Balm is the most beautiful primer that evens out my skin tone and blurs my pores and imperfections. The directions say that you can wear it alone but I wouldn't personally because it's got minimal coverage. Its tan/flesh toned but it doesn't really transfer to the skin. It's got a really nice soft silky texture, it doesn't feel greasy or heavy on the skin at all. It gives my skin that flawless texture that provides the perfect base for applying foundation over the top of. 

Let's just take a second to admire the packaging of the NAKED Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation. I love it! I think it looks really high end and I like how you can see the shade of the product through the bottle. It's available in an extensive 15 shades so there will be a shade for everyone! I was matched to shade 1.0 which is the second lightest shade, which is a beautiful buttery Ivory shade with no orange in sight! It's a really fluid runny formula which blends onto the skin like a dream! I use my fail safe Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to really buff it into the skin. It's really buildable so you can get a coverage between medium-full coverage. It covers my pores, redness and blemishes but feels super light and natural on the skin. 

But the most impressive thing about this duo is how long it lasts and remains flawless. I've been wearing it from 7hrs to 14hrs or so and I don't even need to touch up, I'm not even lying. I'm officially in love with this duo and I might even go so far to say that these are my Holy Grail face products. Have you tried either of these products? Let me know what you think, thanks for stopping by x

Makeup Haul featuring Urban Decay, Revlon, Rimmel & more!

Topshop Powder Blusher in Good Girl; Maybelline the Matte Maker in Classic Ivory; Rimmel Matte BB Cream in Very Light; Urban Decay Shattered Face Case; Revlon Colorbursts in Flirtatious and Showy; Rita Ora for Rimmel Colour Rush in Viva Violette; Barry M Brow Pen in Dark Brown.

Urban Decay Shattered Face Case (same one as above); 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Native; Revolution Lipstick in Native; NAKED Skin Foundation in 01; NAKED Skin Beauty Balm.

This is my makeup haul from last week. I spent wayyyyy too much money and it's left me a bit on my arse money-wise but at least I'll look good right? It's a bit of a mix between bargain high street and everything else is Urban Decay after having my makeup done. My love for the Revlon Colorbursts is still going strong so I picked up another two- one Lacquer and one Matte both in stunning bright pink shades. I also bought one of the Rita Ora for Rimmel Colour Rush lip crayons in a nice plum shade. I love how easy these products are to apply and think they last a lot better than some lipsticks I own! 

I finally got my hands on the Rimmel Matte BB Cream in Very Light after loving it in Light but it being a bit dark for my skin tone. I also picked up the Maybelline Matte Maker for a bargain £3.99- it's a product I've not even heard of but seems right up my street. I thought this Barry M Brow Pen was a great time saving idea as it creates instant definition. I've seen loads of bloggers talk about the Topshop Powder blushers and I fell for the baby pink Good Girl, it's perfect for Spring!

I've gone Urban Decay obsessed! I found the Shattered Face Case by chance when my chum Dany was buying the NAKED3 palette. According to the lovely makeup artist, it was limited edition for Christmas in America and they've sent all the unsold products over to the UK. I fell in love- it contains five eyeshadows, two blushers, a highlighter, eyeliner and lip product all in one nifty case! When I had my makeup done, she used the NAKED Skin Beauty Balm and Foundation and my skin looked f-l-a-w-l-e-s-s! I'm so impressed with the products I cannot tell you! I also bought a beauty baby pink lipstick and lip liner in shade Native. Wowsers, so there you have it! My mega self indulgent haul. I hope you're all OK, thanks for stopping by x

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!