Showing posts with label Urban Decay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Decay. Show all posts

Spring Beauty


BASE
Spring is time for lighter bases and this one definitely fits the bill. It has a light to medium coverage, in fact in that respect it's very similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, however, the finish is more satin-matte than dewy which will appeal to those whose skin gets a bit shiny during the day. This is my ultimate product for when I'm in a hurry as it takes seconds to apply and blend in with fingers.

Out of all my foundations, BBs and CC creams this has the best finish ever. Again it's similar to Healthy Mix Serum in terms of coverage, but with a more satin finish. This literally looks like skin. It just melts in invisibly and it doesn't settle into lines or pores. To me this is the perfect base, but the lightest shade is too dark for a Snow White like me, so I really wish Bourjois made another lighter shade of this.

This has been my favourite foundation since its release. It looks incredibly natural and fresh on the skin due to the dewy finish and it's particularly nice for dehydrated skin with dry patches because it's one of the rare foundations that doesn't look odd on such skins. This is a staple in my collection.


 EYES
I love a neutral, defined look in any season, but I think that such a look fits into spring especially well. This is the palette that started my matte neutral-taupe eye look obsession and it made me fall in love with eyeshadows. The shades in it are perfect for an everyday defined eye, but the colours can also be worn in a smokier combination. The quality is fantastic and these are some of the best matte eyeshadows around. 

Basics 2 offers a bit more variety when it comes to medium toned shades and it also contains more cool toned shades. If you find the first version too light for your skin tone, this should work at lot better. The quality is again superb as at the original, so another pack of nicely pigmented and smooth eyeshadows.

 I've raved a lot about this budget friendly palette and I still love it. It's like someone put both Naked Basics palettes together and took only the good shades in it. The quality is really good for the price and all the colours are actually matte.


CHEEKS
BENEFIT Coralista
Coral is the obvious choice for spring cheeks and Coralista is my favourite because it's gorgeous coral shade with an illuminating shimmer/glow. This is the type of shade that makes you look so fresh.

The most classic warm pink shade that brightens the face by giving a cute flush to the cheeks, but without any shimmer. The quality of these blushes in amazing, especially considering the price. 


This is one of those great super perky peaches for pale skins. I prefer this to pink blushes when I want to look healthily flushed, plus the velvet cream texture looks very natural on the skin.

Pop of Pink is a bright warm pink-coral and can be used quite sheer or build up for intensity. The liquid-mousse texture gives the cheeks that lovely natural "of course I'm not faking that flush" finish, especially when paired with a light base. 


LIPS




Nude-ist is a beautiful muted rose shade on me with a nice matte finish and it's one of those fantastic natural shades that give me a bit of colour and definition to lips. 

These are such a fancy replacement for a lip balm due to their comfortable, creamy formula and the divine peachy scent. Rose Melody is a natural-pink my-lip-but-better-shade with a nice glossy finish that is great for any easy everyday look.



This is one of my never-fails default lip colours for most occasions because it manages to brighten up my pale skin tone, but isn't too flashy or too in your face. It's a medium pink-coral or peachy-pink and I really appreciate that there is more pink in it because corals mostly look unflattering orange on me.

The brightest choice in my selection, Sweet Tart is a bright, warm Barbie pink that is very pigmented, which is a pleasant surprise for such a balmy product. 


 Cotton Candy is a warm pink that is similar to MAC's Please Me, so it's a great everyday colour, when you want something neutral, but not completely nude (on condition you have a pale skin tone). The formula is really creamy and yet it manages to cling on longer that for example Essence's pencils, so it's a nice replacement for a lipstick.

This is currently my favourite lip colour as it's one of the nicest light peachy-pinks ever. It's a good pencil that is somewhere between being creamy and hard, so it defines well, but the formula is a drier one, however, the colour makes it all worth it.

NAILS

The rather dully named nail colour, 01 is a a nude with a rose-violet-taupe tone, which is close to my skin tone, but those cool hues keep it from looking like mannequin fingers. The formula is so smooth and surprising easy to apply for an opaque nude nail polish, but what impressed me more is how shiny is the finish.

This is that one fantastic transition shade that can easily be worn from autumn though winter into spring because it's such a nice mix of styles. It's a mix of autumn-winter taupe and spring pastel lilac shades, so it looks very modern on the nails. 

ESSIE Nail Lacquer
Mint Candy Apple
The quintessential mint green nail polish that is closer to pastel blue than green. The formula makes you work for it, but there are plenty of better performing dupes anyway and you can't really have a spring without such a shade at least once on the nails.


I got this hoping it be the perfect nude nail polish, but it turned out to be so much more. It's a pastel light pink-peach shade, so it's somewhat nude but with a cute twist.  

The name completely fits this brightened coral-pink shade as it really is cute.The formula of this shade is unbeatable because the application is so smooth and even.

The greener and a bit more muted sibling of Mint Candy Apple, but with a much better performing formula.


FRAGRANCE
Katy Perry Royal Revolution
A sweet, yet fresh scent which still has that depth that also makes it a nice choice for a night out. It reminds me of a very nice smelling shampoo and I love such scents in the spring.

LA RIVE Moon
This is one of those clean, but classy scents that work no matter the occasion or season. It's basically a cheap knock-off of Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme and works just as well. It starts with a nice peachy burst, but it quickly settles into a nice expensive fabric softener scent.

The heaviest fragrance out of the three, but still lighter than all those vanilla-cupcake based scents like Fantasy. Fame is a lovely blend of apricot, honey and flower notes, while the depth is created by the smokiness of the incense note.


Have a great day!
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December Inspired Beauty

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Neutral Matte Palettes: Urban Decay Naked2 Basics & Catrice Absolute Matt


I am a huge fan of matte neutral palettes, especially of those with prevailing taupe shades. The original Naked Basics palette (review here) was what I used for my every day makeup since I got it last year and now I have two more such palettes - an Urban Decay's spin-off named Naked2 Basics and a very budget option by Catrice called Absolute Matt. Both have fast become my favourites and I use all three palettes in combination, depending on what kind of look I'm going for.

URBAN DECAY Naked2 Basics Palette


Naked2 Basics is quite different from the original one, it's definitely different enough to justify having both. I look at it almost as a complimentary palette, so what I thought was missing from the first one, is in this one. Perhaps this one might be more appealing to those with a medium skin tone who found the shades in original Basics too similar and mostly too light, since Naked2 excludes the light skin toned shades and replaces them with medium browns. 


The shades in the palette are:

Skimp - the only shimmery shade in the palette, just as Venus in the original Naked Basics. 

Stark - a matte warm medium skin tone shade. On me it's already a shade that is darker than my skin tone, so I have to limit the use to only the lid. This should be a great base for medium skin tones. W.O.S. from the original and the second shade from the Catrice's Absolute Matte are the shades I use all over the lid as a base since they are lighter. 

Frisk - a matte light taupe shade. It's cooler than Naked 2 from the original, but doesn't look too different when blended out on the skin. I adore such shades.

Cover - a matte medium warm-ish brown. Again a shade I love.

Primal - a matte cool-toned brown. It's like a cooler version of Cover, but a bit darker. Great colour that I use a lot.

Undone - a deep grey. I would prefer a charcoal black here, but it's a nice shade to deepen the crease if you're not as fair as me. I prefer Faint from the original or that dark browh shade in Catrice's Absoloute Matte for that job.


The quality of the eyeshadows is again superb. It's a collection of fantastic quality matte eyeshadows, all are very pigmented (since I'm pale, with most shades I only need to barely touch the surface of the eyeshadow to get enough pay-off), they are so smooth, blend well and last decently on the lids without creasing even without primer (I have normal eyelids). The packaging is small and compact with a big mirror and a rubbery surface. To me this is just the perfect palette.



CATRICE Absolute Matt Eyeshadow Palette 010 Eyes Wide Matt


I love Catrice's single eyeshadows because they are of great quality and they certainly have some of the best matte eyeshadows, but I never tried any of their palettes because I heard somewhere than the quality is far worse and that it lacks pigmentation. Whoever said that is wrong. At least when it comes to this palette. The quality is amazing, I would even call it high-end-ish, though I admit that the eyeshadows are not quite as smooth as Urban Decay's, but on the lids they behave exactly the same. They are certainly better than, for example, Mac's Wedge, which I find quite hard. 


The palette contains:

A matte white - on my skin it's actually no different to the second shade in the palette, so I can use it all over as a base, but I don't often. It's the best performing white eyeshadow I ever tried, since most were so chalky.

A matte pink-toned skin tone shade - I use this shade so much, I use it interchangeably with W.O.S. from the original Basics as a base all over the lids.

A matte cool-toned medium taupe - this is a similar shade to Frisk from the Naked2 Basics. I use it either on the lid or in the crease as the initial "base" shade that ensures a softer transition.

A matte warm-ish medium taupe - a slightly darker shade than Cover from Naked2 Basics. It's a shade I use a lot in the crease.

A matte deep cool-toned brown - one of my favourite shades and one I use pretty much every day. It's a shade that adds a lot of depth and definition to the crease just like Faint from the original Naked Basics, but this one is darker and cooler.

A matte deep grey/black - again another shade that is not quite dark enough just as Undone in Naked2 Basics. I don't mean that they are bad shades at all, but I would prefer black because I use it as a liner and I have no use of such deep grey's. But it's a nicely pigmented shade that blends well.


Another great set of eyeshadows that to me is like a mix between both Basics in terms of variety of shades, They can be used for a subtle every day look or a more smoky effect, but in general they are really good, they perform so well, are very pigmented (again I need only to touch the deeper shades to get enough pay-off for me) and they blend well. The packaging does feel cheap even with an added brush/sponge applicator, but it suffices. It's an amazing palette and I highly recommend it to every one, whether you're on a budget or not. 


As you may have established, I love both of these palette. Well, all three actually. If you're into matte neutrals, I highly recommend all three, but if you're on a budget or you just want a nice cheap thrill, I highly recommend that you at least get the Catrice one. Naked Basic and Naked2 Basics cost about 28 € (I waited for a discount when buying both), while the Catrice Absolute Matte costs 5.29 €.

Have a great day!
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New In #24


RIMMEL Lasting Finish Nude Foundation 
010 Light Porcelain
You wouldn't believe how much I'm struggling with this foundation. I bought it because I ran out of Match Perfection in the same shade, which is one of the lightest colours I ever found, but I disliked the formula, so I mostly used it for mixing with other foundations to make them lighter. I hoped the new Lasting Finish Nude foundation has a more tolerable formula, so I could just use it on its own, but I just can't get this to work for me 90% of the time. Figuring out a method of application that would make this look decent on the skin is more difficult than defusing a bomb. On the first day I applied it with a Real Techniques Expert Brush and then went out - I actually had my cousins say that my foundation looks so weird, like I have a band-aid on my nose. Literally my nose looked all patchy with redness shining through and it looks normal without foundation. I find that out of my brushes only E.l.f. Powder Brush works with this and I can use just a small amount of foundation, which means I can only get a light-medium coverage, instead of medium-full, which it's fully capable to do. God forbid you put powder on this, it will look intolerably cakey and it will ruin your day. I had to take the entire makeup off one time in the middle of the day, good thing I carry makeup wipes with me. I'm currently on the-mixing-it-with-different-foundations stage of testing. 
I just don't get along with Rimmel foundations. They feel a bit gross on the skin and look so obvious, but I just adore the their 010 Light Porcelain shade because it's such a great match for me. I will try working with this foundation further and do a review.
Feel Unique, €10.39

URBAN DECAY Naked2 Basics Palette
It had to happen. I'm a huge fan of the original Basics palette and I use it almost every day as it's just the perfect palette for me. I squealed like a little girl on helium when I first saw the press release for the Naked2 Basics and it instantly went on my wishlist. I patiently waited for a discount and then placed an order for this pretty palette. I love it. Simple as that. I love all the colours, they combine so well, the quality is again amazing. So happy I got this. I was thinking of doing a little comparison with the Catrice Absolute Matt palette.
Feel Unique, €28.60


CATRICE Longlasting Lip Liner 
040 ...And the Cherry on the Top and 150 Vintage Rose
I had a sudden urge a few weeks ago that I "desperately" need lip liners, since I had only a few and even those I disliked apart from the Bourjois one. I asked on Instagram which lip liners you recommend and Catrice was by far the most recommended brand, so I grabbed four in the shop literally three hours after posting that picture. I took two classic liners that need to be sharpened - a dark red one and a nude one. They are harder than Essence's, something I like, but not as hard as Bourjois', which means staying power isn't impressive, especially of the lighter shade. Swatches and pictures have already been taken, so expect a post about these shortly.
Müller, 2.29 €

CATRICE Ultimate Stay Lip Liner 
040 Love the Way you Plum and 080 Mauve Me, Tender
I grabbed Love the Way you Plum based on Taya's recommendation as I needed a better match for my Rimmel's 107 lipstick and Apocalips in Eclipse than Rimmel's Black Tulip. It's perfect. It matches both beautifully, so I'm very happy I got it. I got the other one Mauve Me, Tender because I wanted to try a bit of a darker version of the 90's trend, but without going brown (which is so not my colour), but this is just too purple on me. You'll see in the review how it looks on me, but I'm not a fan. These are twist up pencils, however, the quality of the packaging is shoddy at best and these break off ridiculous easy.  
Müller, 2.49 €


CATRICE Absolute Eye Colour Mono 
790 I Wear My Plum Glasses At Night
One of the new shades for autumn I believe. I'm a fan of Catrice's matte eyeshadows and I fell in love with the shade, so I had to get it. It's a taupe with strong purple tones - basically a plum toned Starlight Expresso (also by Catrice).
Müller, 2.89 €

CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm
 I was send a very generous sample of the famous Beauty Flash Balm (remember when Lisa Eldridge started the hype? I've been itching to try it since) along with some other samples, which I'll discuss latter. It's a primer and you have to be very careful to really apply the smallest amount as a tiny dot can be distributed on a large area. It's not particularly silicone-y and it reminds me a bit of the Max Factor Stay All Day primer, but it's more moisturising and more spreadable, so essentially you get to use a lot less product. I'll do a review. 
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique

CLARINS Gloss Prodige 
03 Rose 
Why is this shade named Rose? I don't get it. Anyway, I was sent this as well, you might surmise that, since it's not the colour I'd pick from the counter, at least not any more. It's not as nude as it looks and the coverage is more on the sheer side, however, the formula is excellent. In fact, it reminds me a lot of their Instant Lip Perfector in a sense, that it's again that buttery, very comfortable formula to wear, but it is a thick gloss. It smells fantastic, like candy (Kiki soft candy). 
Na voljo v Mueller, Nama, Maximarket, Kompas Shop in Mercator Beautique.


THE BODY SHOP Vineyard Peach Body Mist
Finally! *angels singing* I have been lemming this body mist for ages. I even went to Celovec/Klagenfurt primarily to track this down and received a shock when I was told it was out of stock due to popularity. I finally found a seller on eBay that was willing to send this overseas, but I did pay a lot for shipping, though still it's less than for petrol to Celovec or Gradec again. I'm a massive fan of the Vineyard Peach collection and I utterly, utterly adore the scent. I have the corresponding body butter and scrub as well, so I am one happy bunny right now.
eBay, 8 € (without shipping).


KÉRASTASE Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Anti-Dandruff Moisturising Shampoo
If you don't know yet, I've been suffering from dry itchy scalp and dandruff since I was 11 and nothing ever helped, while my dermatologist refuses to prescribe me anything. Anyway, this is the latest shampoo I'm trying out. Kérastase in my favourite brand, so even if this doesn't help with my dandruff, at least I have a great shampoo. This is one of those exfoliating shampoos that has beads in it and it should help removing that coat of dead skin on the scalp (sounds delightful right? Welcome to my life). I've only used it a few times, but I think that the applicator is simply genius because I can get the shampoo directly to the scalp and the exfoliating beads actually reach my scalp. It smells nice as well.
Feel Unique, €17.68

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Nectar Thermique
My HG heat protection for my dry hair. I reviewed this a few days ago, click here for review with a giveaway  - the prize is another heat protectant Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme.
About 20 € (depends where you buy it), available in some salons and online shops.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
Too many people raved about this and I can't resist a new hair product, especially an all-in-one heat protection. Based on the name, I expected something like Orofluido Sahara, but this is closer to a very light lotion. Honestly, I'm a bit underwhelmed. It may be that I'm too spoiled by Kérastase, but for the Bumble and Bumble price, I pretty much expect the same type of miracle product. It's a nice heat protection that much is certain. It's easy to apply because of the spray and can be used on damp or dry hair (I advise moderation on dry hair), however, it doesn't control frizz well (I tested it on me and on someone else), it doesn't hydrate the hair as well as Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in or Kérastase Nectar Thermique, though it is moisturising and it smells very blah, like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki) and cream. I have been using it a lot though because it's a fast way to apply heat protection, but it does make the hair feel wet, unlike the Tigi S Factor one. I need more time before I say my final verdict, but it should pop up in a post one day. By the way, I used it here.
Look Fantastic, €24.70

PALMER'S Coconut Oil Formula Strong Roots Spray
Sunday Girl recommends this for soothing an itchy scalp and though I have my Alpencin Forte to help me with that, I wanted to try something else, since Alpencin smells like herbal schnapps and is hard to get now. Palmer's also hydrates the scalp, which is something I need, since my scalp is very dry. However, when it comes to alleviating itchiness, it's not nearly as effective as Alpencin. It smells a lot nicer, like coconut with mint and the application method is a lot better, still it's not as effective and it can make my hair greasy, which if you know how dry may hair is, is not something I'm used to at all. However, I haven't used it on damp hair yet, just on dry. I'll keep using it and report in time if I have more to say. 
Feel Unique, €4.93


REFAN N.135 imitation of Lancôme Pôeme
Oh, the smell of the 90's. This was my mother's fragrance for a certain period. It's a difficult fragrance to describe, since like all the "before 2000's fragrances", it has a ton of notes, so it's not like now when you can clearly smell a certain note due to there being so few. It's a strong and warm scent, but it's nothing like cookie vanilla celebrity scents, though it does have vanilla in it, rather it's more of a balsamic, floral and even a bit green scent. Basically, it smells very expensive and classy. In fact, it's similar to Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli, but the latter smells more modern and better in my opinion.     
15 ml  5.80 €

NIVEA Powder Touch Anti-Perspirant 
I screwed up. I planned to repurchase the pink version called Pearl & Beauty, which is wonderful - it smells lovely, actually works for a spray deodorant (I layer it over my trusted Rexona) and leaves little white marks despite having powder in it. However, they didn't have it in the supermarket, so I picked up Powder Touch instead, thinking surely it's just as good. It's just horrible when it comes to white marks! This actually sprays white powder and my armpits are like covered with flour. Holy smokes! It also doesn't smell the best. I mean it's ok, but Pearl & Beauty smells a lot better. Oh, what am I going to do with it…
Interspar, 2.99 €


ECOTOOLS Bamboo Tapered Blush Brush
Since my Bobbi Brown Blush Brush and Art Deco Blush brush are both ancient, I thought it was high time to get something new, but still on the budget. I have several Ecotools brushes and I think they are excellent, plus their blush brush has an excellent rating on Makeup Alley, so this is the one I've chosen. I am very happy with this brush. It's super soft, softer even that Real Techniques brushes, which I thought was impossible. It is tapered and flatter on one side, but most importantly it's not too big for me, which I'm frequently concerned about when buying brushes. It picks up the blush well and applies it nicely on the cheeks. I really like it.

iHerb, $6.99


TWEEZERMAN Mini Slanted Tweezers
Green Tea
I have been searching for a pair of super precise tweezers that would grip even the tinniest hair and pluck it out. Tweezerman's are a cult favourite and the minis are very small, so I expected great precision. The are quite precise, though not amazingly so, however because they are very, very sharp, they cut through about half of the hair instead of pulling them out. I'm not terribly pleased, but as far as precision goes they are the best I've tried so far and way superior to the clumsy Ebeline version. These come with a plastic holding tube.

Look Fantastic, €16.25



JESSUP 5 pc Eye Makeup Brushes
I was really curious what these will be like. I'm not going to say that I didn't expect much for the price as I have very cheap brushes that are so good and I've been using them for years. These feel very well made. There are many sets to choose from, but I chose a set of 5 eye brushes for start. I'd say four are excellent as they are super soft, but one, the pointed one, is simply too dense and I don't know how to use it yet.


One is a classic dome brush, though to big to fit in my "crease", so I use it for blending. The other three have a flat surface, but are cut differently - straight and slanted. These are excellent for blending concealer. They kind of changed my world a bit as they make it so easy and flawless. They are also great for applying a base colour on the lids, or applying powder under the eyes so the concealer won't crease. In general, I'm very, very happy with these.

eBay, 4.75 € 


ECOTOOLS Six Piece Essential Eye Set
I got this as a birthday gift for my cousin, but I'm posting a quick picture here nonetheless. The handles are short and based on a quick unpacking we did in the restaurant, they looked really nice, dense and soft - basically classic great quality Ecotools brushes. There is a
large eye brush for applying a base shadow over the lid, an angled crease brush for definition to the outer corner, a blending brush, a highlighting brush and a smudge brush.
iHerb, $7.99

CLARINS Samples
As I said before I got several generous samples of Clarins skincare and I'll planning on doing an empties type of post soon where I'll talk about the products. So far I am in love with the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover - brilliant stuff.

Fragrance Samples
I received a slew of fragrance samples, which I so chuffed about because I adore fragrances. I'm planning a sort of a Christmas guide on fragrances maybe later in the month or in December, though I can post it sooner if you wish. I'm loving several scents - Reveal, Sheer Beauty and Forbidden Euphoria all by Calvin Klein as well as Just Cavalli.

I also ordered NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Copenhagen over a month ago and the package hasn't arrived. There is quite a bit of angry emotions brewing under my, in general, cool exterior. I hate dealing with all the back and forth messaging on eBay, but it happens way too often. Too many parcels just get lost. I really wanted that lip cream. At least I got a refund.

Have a great day!
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