Urban Decay X Gwen Stefani | The Lipsticks

January 18, 2016January 17, 20162 Comments

Last week I posted about Urban Decay’s collaboration with Gwen Stefani to release her go-to eyeshadow palette. They will soon be expanding the line to include eight lipsticks, lipliners, a blush palette and a brow box. When you purchase the eyeshadow palette you will receive a sample card with four of the lipsticks to try so I though I would share the swatches today. I think Gwen is more known for her signature bold lip than her eye looks so this is the part of the collection I think that most people will be excited about.

Included in the sample is a range of finishes and a couple which are sure to be the bestsellers. Also, the design of the packaging of the actual lipstick is glorious. I’ve not seen it in person yet so I don’t know what the quality will be like but I love the black and gold design. Definitely display-worthy.

From left to right we have: ‘Firebird’ a pink with a strong blue undertone which makes it appear purple in the bullet but not on the lips; ‘Ex-Girlfriend’, a sheer nude wash; ‘714’, a true red matte and lastly, ‘Rock Steady’ looks like a dark red but swatches up pretty pink, definitely one that will be very versatile depending on how you apply it.

It’s lucky that UD will be releasing the matching lip liners with these as they are all (with the exception of ‘Ex-Girlfriend’) very pigmented and will need the precise application a liner can help with. The cream formula of ‘Firebird’ and ‘Rock Steady’ is lovely, very comfortable to wear but definitely presents a risk of bleeding so I would say a lip liner will be a must with at least the cream formulas in this range.

I don’t usually wear mattes as I have horrendously dry lips so I was a bit scared of the mega matte ‘714’. However, I must have been having a good lip day as actually I really liked it. It did feel very dry and is tricky to apply (especially if like me you don’t wear a lot of mattes) but it is super opaque and somehow doesn’t accentuate flaws.

‘Ex-Girlfriend’ is probably my favourite of these four and one that I would wear often. You can also see from the above that one light coat of ‘Rock Steady’ gives a very pink-toned red.

Also in the collection will be three more cream formulas: ‘Spiderweb’ (a mid-toned red); ‘Wonderland’ (a dark reddish pink) and ‘Phone Call’ (mid-toned bubblegum pink). There will also be one more sheer formula – ‘Plaid’ is a deep berry which I’m assuming will also pull quite pink.

The UK release date is this Thursday 21st Jan on the Urban Decay website (they’re already out/sold out in the States) and you can sign up to be notified of the release here. I’ve not seen any prices yet but I’m assuming that both the lipstick and the pencil will be in the £15-£20 each mark.

I’ve got my eye on ‘Ex-Girlfriend’ and I think either ‘Plaid’ or ‘Spiderweb’. Do any take your fancy?

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani | The Eyeshadow Palette

January 11, 2016January 10, 20166 Comments

In my early teenage years (and actually still a bit now) third-wave ska was my thing. While the majority of my pals were more into the indie-rock scene, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and of course, No Doubt’s The Tragic Kingdom were my tracks of choice. So I have a huge space in my heart for Gwen Stefani. When Urban Decay announced their collaboration with Gwen, I kinda knew that I was going to buy it regardless. Luckily the first product to be launched, the 15-shade eyeshadow palette, is beautiful. It retails at £40, I purchased it from Feel Unique during the sale so received 10% off – not a huge discount, but when you’re meant to be saving for a house every little counts.

The packaging is super luxe. I love the graphic print on the outer box and the black, white and gold colour scheme. It’s a heavy plastic with a really strong magnetic closure. It has a full size mirror on the inside with a nice nod to the No Doubt song. It is a pretty thick and heavy palette so although it is sturdy it’s not a great option for travelling due to it’s bulk (in my opinion).

Unlike palettes like the Naked series there’s no brush included in this one and so no space in the palette to store it. I actually like this. Although the brushes included in other UD sets are really good quality I always think they’re a bit of a waste of space in the palette in general.

As you can see the majority of the Gwen palette is neutral with a good range from light to dark and a couple of statement shades. 12 of the shades are new and named by Gwen and 3 are repeats. Skimp and Stark are both in the Naked 2 Basics palette (which I have) and Blackout is in Naked2 (which I don’t have) as well as being available individually.

If I’m being really nit-picky, it’s weird that the names are printed above the shadow when normally they’re below.

Sorry, for the crappy swatches but hopefully you get the idea. Blonde is a pale beige with a subtle pink iridescent shift. Bathwater is a pearly pale gold shimmer. Skimp is an almost matte pale beige with the slighest hint of a satiny shine. Steady is a gorgeous rosy-gold shimmer. Punk is a matte reddish-brown that would be a great shade for lining or creating an interesting smoky look.

On the middle row, Baby is a metallic rose. Anaheim is a matte, cool, light brown. Stark is a matte beige. Zone is a mid-toned brown, also matte. Serious is a really unusual grey with a very subtle pink pearl that just lifts it.

On to the last row and Pop is a sheer sparkly champagne, Harajuku is a cool toned pink metallic. Danger is a really intense navy metallic. 1987 is a yellow gold metallic with much better pay-off than my picture shows. Blackout is a black matte.

The biggest disappointment of the palette is Pop. This is a really grainy glitter that has a tonne of fallout, much like Midnight Cowboy Rides Again and one that I probably won’t use even though it looks lovely in the pan. Harajuku also feels quite stiff in the pan and has a much more sheer pay off than one might expect. However, for a bright pink this is probably a good thing! The rest are all buttery soft, high quality shadows. The overall feel is a very wearable, neutral look with a couple of pops of colour and good smoky options. I also think that the navy Danger and the gold 1987 are still quite wearable shades, even if they seem a bit bold at first.

I know that a lot of people were surprised at how neutral the palette was, but this actually suits Gwen’s make up look perfectly – girl is all about the lipsticks! Overall, I think this is a beautiful, collectable palette and I am super happy to have it in my collection.

This palette is limited edition so snap it up quickly if you fancy it. Urban Decay will be adding to the Gwen Stefani collection with lipsticks and lip pencils, a blush palette (amazing) and a brow kit (strictly for blondies I think). The eyeshadow palette came with a set of 4 samples from the upcoming lipstick range so I’m excited to try those out. I will report back with my thoughts very soon.

What do you think of the UDxGwen offering? Were you a noughties ska kid too? I’m off to download No Doubt’s greatest hits now…

Benefit Real Cheeky Party Gift Set | Review

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

Obviously, buying Christmas presents is super duper fun. I love online shopping, reading gift guides and searching the shops for that special gift that will make someone’s day. Buuuut, inevitably in all that selfless hunting you will stumble across a gift for yourself. Sure, you can drop hints, you can write to Santa, you can outright demand that your boyfriend buy you it, but sometimes it’s easier just to buy yourself a little present.

The Benefit Sweet Cheeks set that came out last year was this for me. Last year I resisted buying it and missed out. So when the Real Cheeky Party palette was released this year I just had to get it.The RRP is £29.50 (apparently it’s worth £110.23) and is currently available at John Lewis for £26.55.

The packaging itself is gorgeous, the inside is tin in the same design as the outer box. The pink and green might not be to everyone’s taste but I personally love it. The leaflet inside includes mini face maps to show you where to use each of the different powders to their best effect.

The kit includes four blushers, a bronzer, a highlighter, an eyeliner and a mascara. Last years was the same, except instead of the eyeliner and mascara you got a fifth blusher (Bellabamba) and a small brush.

The bronzer is their famous Hoola bronzer which seems to be widely loved. I actually find it a bit orange toned for me so probably won’t get much use out of this one.

In terms of the blushers, I have had Dandelion and Coralista before and loved them both. Along with Rockateur and Sugarbomb, they are soft with a light pigment so are buildable and wearable. They have varying levels of shimmer with Dandelion being almost matte and Rockateur having the boldest shimmer.

The ‘extras’ are a nice sample of the Watt’s Up highlighter and a mini of the They’re Real mascara and eyeliner. I really don’t like either of the They’re Real products – the eyeliner is flaky and the mascara is just not for me (I’ve found that people are either They’re Real fans or Roller Lash fans, I’m definitely the latter), but I love the Watt’s Up sample. It’s great that it is removable from the palette and has a cover to prevent dreaded powder fallout getting in it.

In a totally ideal world I would swap out the eyeliner and mascara for another blush – I really would have loved Hervana to be included as it’s so unique – and maybe even a sample of the Majorette cream blush in a similar style to the highlighter. Wishful thinking perhaps but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the 2016 edition!

Overall, I love this palette and I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of use out of it. It would of course make a fabulous Christmas gift for any make up fan, or like me, why not treat yourself? You deserve it!

For more gift ideas, check out my gift guide for the Beauty Queens here.

My First MAC Purchases

November 9, 2015November 8, 20152 Comments

Yes really, these are the first MAC products that I’ve bought. I’ve had a couple as gifts before, but these are the very first that I’ve gone into a shop, chosen and paid for with my own cash money. How have I managed it? I’m 28, I’m very easily influenced by hype and I love buying makeup. I guess it’s because in the beauty blogger world there are so many dupes bandied around that sometimes I hear about the best dupe before even hearing about the actual product. I do see the limited collections and make a mental wishlist (that Marge Simpson blush anyone?), but am never quick enough of the mark to actually buy anything; when MAC say limited, they mean limited. And finally, the MAC stores and counters and just a bit… intimidating.

So when I recently had 2 hours to kill in Edinburgh Airport I decided it was time to bit the bullet and make my very first MAC purchase. Plus it meant I got to take advantage of the duty free discount. Win!

I decided that the first thing I would get would be a lipstick. I was drawn to the lustre finish ones as I think they’re the easiest for people like me who have super dry, cracked lips all the time to wear. They are quite moisturising and very forgiving. They don’t last the longest, but for me they look the best. I was torn between Syrup and Plumful, but in the end I chose Plumful (£15.50). It’s a rosy-plum that can be applied lightly for a sheer sweep of colour or built up for a stronger look.

I didn’t actually intend on buying anything else but as I was waiting for the assistant to finish up with another customer I had a little swatch of the Paint Pots. I’ve always liked the look of these, but the first I heard of them was people saying that the Maybelline Colour Tattoos were exactly the same, just as good etc etc. “Fine,” I thought, “I don’t need to pay four times as much in MAC then, great”. Er, yeah, they are not the same. Don’t get me wrong, the Colour Tattoos are amazing but they don’t have the same staying power as the MAC Paint Pots. To be honest, the Paint Pots probably last a little too long, I had to scrub at my hands for ages to get the swatches off (no makeup remover to hand!).

I was really torn in trying to decide which to buy, the bronze Constructivist, copper Let Me Pop and the dark multi-tonal Blackground were all very tempting but in the end I plumped for Perky (£16). It’s an unusual shade – and orangey pink coral with a shimmer to it, but orange tones look good with blue eyes (colour wheel science eh) and I don’t already have anything like it.

So I’m pretty happy with my purchases. I think I made some good choice and I now have a MAC wishlist as long as my arm. Just like everyone else!

What do you recommend I try from MAC next? What are your must-haves?

Pumpkin Pie Makeup Look

October 26, 2015October 11, 20151 Comment

I did this makeup look recently and initially I thought it was a but summery for this time of year. Normally all the looks you’ll see in the autumn are based around a dark or matte lip or smoky eyes. However, I’m naming this orange toned look ‘pumpkin pie’ and forcing season appropriateness onto, and that’s that. I really like it, so whatever!

My base was super simple, a dab of Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, a pump of Rimmel Match Perfection foundation and a healthy dose of the Bourjois Cream Blush in ‘Nude Velvet’.

On my lids I used the matte shade ‘New-tral’ from the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro palette all over, followed by the shimmery ‘Awaken’ over the top in the centre and inner corners. A quick slick of Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl and L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes followed.

Finally, I used the Barry M Cor Balmy! lip balm in the shade ‘Trouble & Strife’ for a dose of moisture and a pop of colour.

And, er, I forgot to do my eyebrows. Amazing beauty blogger right here!

I really like the finished look, even with the ungroomed eyebrows! The Iconic Pro palette is known as a dupe for the Lorac Pro palette, and while I haven’t tried anything from Lorac, I can say that the quality of the Makeup Revolution is excellent. The ‘Awaken’ shade is super shimmery but has no fallout while ‘New-tral’ is very well pigmented for a budget matte. I really must do a full review of this palette as it’s my current favourite.

Another budget bargain is the lip balm. It looks really cheap and crap, but actually applies really nicely and gives a good colour pay off for a balm. Plus, it’s punny and that is always a bonus.

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it at this time of year or do prefer a more classic autumn look?

Sample Samplin’ | Sept & Oct

October 16, 2015October 11, 20151 Comment

It’s been months since I last did a post like this and I still haven’t used up that much! What can I say, stuff lasts me a long time… Lots of Benefit this time so that’ll be interesting at least. Let’s get right into it:

Starting with these sachets I got from Bumble & Bumble (do sachets even count as samples?), their famous Surf shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo and conditioner doesn’t have the same dramatic effect as the Surf Spray, but they are a lovely pair. They lather easily, the conditioner is light so won’t weigh your hair down, and they’ll enhance your natural texture. Sadly, my hair has no natural texture (unless flat is a texture) so I won’t be investing in these, sticking to the more heavy duty spray instead.

Next up, I had a sample of the Urban Decay Naked foundation. Getting colour matched was pretty funny – “I’ll be the palest shade” “oh no, I don’t think so, I’ll try this one” “Er, that looks a bit dark” “OK, maybe the next one” “Is that the palest one? I’m usually the palest shade” “Hmm, I’ll try one more” …. “So when you come back just ask for the palest shade” Anyway, I got the palest shade (eventually) which is the perfect colour for me. It’s light and quite sheer, which I like in a foundation so I would buy this again. My one complaint is that it does cling to dry patches so I can’t wear it is my skin is dehydrated – which is almost always sadly. But I find this with most foundations so I do like this.

Another product that I love is Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray eye primer. I really like this as it’s a good multi-tasker for both neutralising your eyelid area, and helping your eyeshadow to last. It’s not silicone based so it’s not slipperly. I want to try and get a more budget friendly one, but I think in the meantime I’ll be buying this (the full size will probably last me forever anyway!).

This Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish was a bit disappointing. As I’ve said before I’m not a bit fan of purely rose-scented products as this is, but I can overlook the smell if the product is good. Sadly, this is not. There’s just not enough of the exfoliating element to make it a decent scrub. I do love that it’s natural ingredients with ground walnut shell instead of the evil microbeads, it just needs more of them in there! I’ll be sticking to sugar scrubs for a good buff.

I got these dinky Benefit skincare products as part of a set a wee while ago and this is the last of it. I really liked the Total Moisture Facial cream. It has a medium consistency so you can apply a light layer for during the day or layer it up for night time. It sunk in quickly and didn’t clog up my skin so I got on with it well. I don’t think I’d buy it but that’s only because there are more affordable alternatives. The packaging is lovely though.

Similarly, I also really liked the toner. It had a lovely fragrance too.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like the facial emulsion AT ALL. An emulsion is supposed to be lighter than a moisturiser, but I found this to be so sticky! To be frank, it was really unpleasant to apply so I didn’t even get through this little bottle (which is also a terrible design for a cream tbh).

And that’s my recent samples. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and what you thought of them.

Tanya Burr Hollywood Palette Review

October 5, 2015October 3, 20152 Comments

When I bought the Tanya Burr nail polish that I reviewed earlier today, I also decided to pick up one of her eyeshadow palettes. I saw Tanya doing a video using the Hollywood palette, and obviously it looked great. For some reason it reminded me of the KathleenLights x ColourPop Quad (which it definitely is not like, so don’t ask me why I thought this, I just did) so I decided to go for it.

The packaging isn’t to my taste, it’s a bit young and cutesy with the hearts and the pink, but that’s fine as I’m clearly a lot older than the target market. However, I was hoping that the product inside would be as good as Tanya made it look.

The Hollywood palette is a one-stop quad for a day-time neutral or a bronze smoky eye look. ‘Nude Delight’ is matte and provides a decent base and highlight colour. ‘Gold Coin’ is a shimmery champagne which is a good all-over colour. ‘Enchantment’ is a warm gold and unfortunately the worst of the palette – it has chunky glitter, is very hard and barely pigmented. ‘Book Worm’ fares a better as a warm, mid-tone brown which is good for the crease and for adding definition.

I took the palette away when I was staying in a hotel for a week for work, thinking it’d be a good test for it. For a daytime look I used ‘Nude Delight’ as a base, ‘Gold Coin’ all over and ‘Book Worm’ in the crease and along my bottom lash line. This combination worked well, but good lord, the fallout is crazy! Especially with ‘Book Worm’. I had to use a make up wipe to remove it all, so it’s definitely an eyes-first, base-second number.

For the evening, I attempted to add some of the Enchantment’ shade to darken it all up and add some sparkle. Unfortunately this didn’t pan out and it ended up looking very patchy with more eyeshadow on my cheeks than on my eyes. In short, it was rubbish.

I also realised that the colours were actually pretty similar to what I already had in my MUA Undress Me Too palette, which will, by extension also be in the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette for which the MUA is a dupe.

The Hollywood palette was £6, which is reasonable enough. Three out of the four shades are OK, but I still don’t think it’s a great buy. The MUA palette is £4, the shadows are all better quality and you get eight other colours. Given the stiff competition the Tanya Burr Cosmetics range faces from the high street, I don’t think this particular palette is worth it.

Have you tried any of the Tanya Burr make up? How did you get on with it?

AlleyHope

UK Beauty, Books & Lifestyle Blog

Tag: Makeup