Review: Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Palette

Everyone that’s a makeup addict already knows about the infamous “Naked” line of products from Urban Decay. After becoming a cult hit, Urban Decay decided to put out a second edition of the Naked palette, calling it the Naked 2 Palette. The first edition of the naked palette had 12 eye shadows that were bronze based and warmer in tone. The Naked 2 palette also offers 12 eye shadows that are taupe and grey-beige based neutrals and are a bit cooler in tone. This palette comes with a double ended “Good Karma” shadow and crease brush as well as sample packets of Eye Shadow Primer Potions. All of the colours in this palette can be used either for a day time look or a night time look, the possibilities are endless. These shadows range from matte, satin to shimmery. After swatching the palette at Sephora, I was so impressed that I had to give it a whirl!

My Verdict?

I am a die-hard Naked Palette user, so this particular palette for me came with high expectations. Urban Decay did not disappoint me at all. Although, initially I was unsure if I would love this palette as much as the original Naked palette but I have fallen in love with this palette as well. In fact, I sometimes have a hard time deciding which palette to use because I love them both equally and there have been times when both the original Naked palette and the Naked 2 palette have travelled with me wherever I went. Everything about the Naked 2 palette is great. Firstly, the pigmentation and opacity of the shadows are incredible. With one swipe, you get a lot of colour. They’re buttery, soft and smooth. They glide on your eyelids. Secondly, the formula of the shadows is amazing! There’s absolutely no fall-out from any of the shadows (including the shimmery ones). There’s no creasing either. Thirdly, the longevity of this product on your lids is incredibly awesome! Nothing moved or smudged throughout the duration of the product on my lids. In fact, I had to use makeup remover to remove it. Another thing I love about this product is the versatility of the eye shadows. It’s perfect to wear during the day or night and all the shadows can work harmoniously together with one another or they can be used alone. Lastly, the packaging of this product is better than the original Naked Palette’s casing. It’s a metal shut case, which is perfect for when you are travelling. Also, the brush is fantastic. I use the dual ended brush not only with this palette but also with all my other eye shadows. All in all, this is one phenomenal eye shadow palette. It really is different from the original Naked palette. This is perfect for anyone who wants to own both palettes. At $64(CDN), this is worth every little bit of your money. Also, the price is exactly the same as the original Naked Palette. So if you are going to invest in any taupey/beige based neutral palette, then this has to be it! You can purchase this at Sephora (that’s where I got mine) or any other Urban Decay retailers. I highly recommend this products to anyone who is in the market for a great neutral palette!

 

The Colours

1. Foxy: This matte cream colour is perfect as a highlight colour.
2. Half Baked: This colour is also featured in the Naked Palette and is a shimmery golden-bronze colour, perfect as a base for a smoky eye.
3. Booty Call: This shimmery pale pink colour is perfect as a highlight as well.
4. Chopper: This shimmery shadow with silver microglitter is a beautiful shadow!
5. Tease: A matte pale brown, which I use mainly to define my crease.
6. Snakebite: This dark shimmery metallic bronze is a gorgeous colour!
7. Suspect: This is a pale golden shimmery beige colour, perfect for a base shadow colour!
8. Pistol: This shimmery light gray/brown shadow is perfect for a smoldering eye look.
9. Verve: This is a shimmery white shadow perfect on its own or in the inner corners of your eyes.
10. YDK: This shimmery/metallic bronze colour is beautiful on its own.
11. Busted: A shimmery deep brown, perfect for your outer corner!
12. Blackout: This has to be one of the blackest matte shadows I have seen in a palette!

My favourite shades are YDK, Foxy, Chopper, Tease and Snakebite

Rating: 10/10 (This is an amazing sequel to a great original. If you love Urban Decay’s shadows, then this palette is a must have!)

 

 

 

Fashion Diaries: My Holiday Lunch Party Ensemble

Recently, I had to attend a Holiday lunch party and decided to do a little blog post on my ensemble. I had a blast putting this whole look together and had a lovely Holiday lunch party with my coworkers.

Outfit

I wanted to channel my inner Audrey Hepburn (she is one of my style idols), so I decided to go for an all black outfit. This way my accessories, hair, and makeup would be the focal point of the ensemble. I wore a black long-sleeved elastic waist dress from Forever 21 (this is one of my favourite dresses to wear because you can dress it up or dress it down depending on your accessories and makeup). I paired the dress with black leggings since I wanted to go for a neutral classy look.

Accessories

I wanted to incorporate the colour green into my ensemble and figured the best way to do that would be through my accessories. Since gold was my main accent colour, I decided to go with a gold and emerald statement necklace (which I got from Ardene). I went with two rings, a dainty rose gold bow ring from Kate Spade (well because everyone knows my obsession with bows) and an emerald cocktail ring, which matched perfectly with my necklace. I added a woven brown belt to match my shoes and to accentuate the waistline.

Shoes/Purse

Since I wore leggings, I opted for mid-calf brown slouchy boots, which I got years ago from Costa Blanca. They were comfy and perfect for my ensemble! Since it was a Holiday party, I wanted to also incorporate the colour red somehow (which I did through my lips as well). So I decided to go with a red Michael Kors quilted/studded crossbody purse (which my mom was generous enough to let me borrow for the day). As I mentioned that gold was one of my main accent colours, so the gold detailing on this purse was a perfect match for my other accessories.

Hair

I went with one of my favourite go-to hairstyles at the moment, curls! Here’s a tutorial I did earlier on how you can get the perfect curls using a wand.

Makeup

I went with a bold red lip so that meant keeping all other parts of my face neutral so that everything was balanced out. Below you will find a list of products I used to achieve the look I wanted and I’ve also shown you how to get the subtle smoky eye look I did!

• Face:
  • Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Colour Correcting Primer
  • Foundation: Make Up Forever’s HD Foundation
  • Finishing powder: MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish natural
  • Setting Powder/Spray: Make Up Forever’s HD setting powder & Urban Decay’s All nighter Makeup Setting spray
• Blush: Nars Blush in Dolce Vita
• Lips: Chanel’s Rouge Allure Velvet in La Fascinante

• Brows: Anastasia BrowWiz and Maybelline’s Clear Lash Mascara

The Subtle Smokey Eye look using Urban Decay’s Naked Palette

1) Apply an eyeshadow primer all over your lids (I went with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion).

2) Apply a base colour all over the lids (I went with Tarte’s Smoldereyes in Champagne).

3) Take the shade Buck and with a crease brush apply to the outer corners and blend it into your crease.

4) Take the shade Toasted with a flat shadow brush and apply all over the lids.

5) Take the same crease brush you used earlier and dip into Hustle and Darckhorse; and apply only to the outer corners of your eyes, smoking it in circular motions into your crease.

6) Take the shade Darkhorse with a liner brush and line your lower lash line as well as your upper lash line.

7) Take your favourite black eyeliner (I used Urban Decay’s Zero) and apply to your waterline as well as line your upper lash line (from mid-lid to the outer corner).

8) Take a liner brush and soften the line by tracing the line you just created.

9) Take the shade Virgin and Naked and apply to the brow bone.

10) With a clean crease brush, soften any harsh lines.

11) I wanted to define my eyes a little bit more so I took a gel liner (Marc Jacobs Liner in Blacquer) and decided to do a mini winged line.

12) I finished the look with two coats of Maybelline’s Big Eyes Mascara!

And this was my whole ensemble at a recent Holiday lunch! Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday season and find some inspiration from my look for any of your upcoming parties! Make sure to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr for all the latest updates on this blog!

Happy Weekend Dolls! x

Life Diaries: November Favourites

1. Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly Eau De Parfum (This is light, airy and perfect for any workplace)
2. Skinny Red Satin Hairband (The best way to dress up a bad hair day and I’ve had a lot this past month)
3. Statement Necklaces (This is just so pretty)
4. Clinique’s Moisture Surge Gel-Cream (Now that winter is fully here, this has been a lifesaver for my skin)
5. Urban Decay’s Naked Palette (You can really create any eye look with this palette!)
6. Nars’ Blush in Dolce Vita (This is the perfect blush for nights out)
7. Compact Wallet/Phone case (I’ve been carrying smaller purses lately & this is a compact way to carry essentials)
8. YSL Glossy Lip Stain in Rose Vinyl (I cannot get enough of this glossy stain)
9. Taylor Swift’s 1989 Album (This CD has been replayed so many times that I had to include it here)
10. Candy Canes (The Holidays are here and for me that means endless candy canes on a daily basis!)
11. Johnson & Johnson’s Bedtime Baby Lotion (This is the perfect night time moisturizer for your skin. It’s soothing & smells great)

Top 5 most played songs on my iPod

1. L.A. Love- Fergie
2. Super Bass- Nicki Minaj
3. Backseat Freestyle- Kendrick Lamar
4. 0 to 100- Drake
5. Are You That Somebody- Aaliyah ft. Timbaland

Review: Urban Decay’s Naked Palette

The infamous “Naked” line from Urban Decay has been raved about immensely. This particular product was the first product to be launched in the “Naked” line. It’s been around the makeup circuit for a while now as everyone keeps raving about this particular palette. Urban Decay’s “Naked” line of products are created to universally flatter every skin tone. This particular palette consists of 12 universally flattering neutral eye shadows. This was probably the first product of its kind to be in the makeup market. The 12 shadows’ finishes range from shimmery, matte to satin. These colours are perfect to wear during the day (at work or while running errands) and the night. Urban Decay’s most versatile palette includes a mirror, dual ended shadow brush & 4 sample size eyeshadow primers (one of the best out there). When I purchased this, it only came with the one-sided shadow brush and a deluxe size eyeshadow potion primer (as you can see I’ve had it for a while now!)

My Verdict?

Urban Decay has created one of the best neutral makeup palettes of all time (as Kanye West would say if he was into makeup). This is my most trusted and most used palette. This has travelled with me everywhere and has become my go to palette. Everything about this is phenomenal. First of all, I love how versatile this palette is. The colour range is incredible. There isn’t a single colour here I don’t love. You can also create numerous looks just from this one palette. It can be a simple look or a dramatic smoky eye, this palette has all the shades you need! Secondly, the pigmentation of these eye shadows are fantastic. There’s no fallout, no creasing and the longevity is great on my oily eye lids (although I always make sure to use a primer). The opacity of these colours are great. The shadows are buttery smooth in texture and glide/blend perfectly on your lids. Thirdly, the casing and the brush that is included is awesome! This particular brush has become my daily use brush for any eyeshadow now. Lastly, there isn’t a single horrible thing about this palette. I tried really hard to find something wrong, but to this day I haven’t and I’m glad I have this in my makeup drawer. At $64 (CDN), this palette is worth every single penny. If you are going to invest in any neutral makeup palette, this has to be it! You can purchase this at Sephora (that’s where I got mine) or any other Urban Decay retailers. I highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a great makeup palette! Seriously, BEST. PRODUCT. EVER.

The Colours

1. Virgin: I use this nude satin colour as a highlight for my brow bone.
2. Sin: I use this champagne shimmer as a base for a shimmery smoky eye.
3. Naked: This buff matte milk chocolate-brown is perfect as a crease colour.
4. Sidecar: This beige sparkle is perfect as a base colour or on its own.
5. Buck: I use this brown matte to define my crease line.
6. Half Baked: This bronzey gold colour is perfect for a night out!
7. Smog: I use this golden brown shimmer colour for a smoky eye look.
8. Darkhorse: This dark brown shimmer is perfect for a shimmery smoky look.
9. Toasted: This taupey-bronze colour is beautiful!
10. Hustle: I use this mocha shimmer colour for mainly my outer eye corners.
11. Creep: This near-black metallic colour is perfect for a smoky eye or to line your lids!
12. Gunmetal: I use this dark grey metallic colour on its own to create a smouldering eye look!

Buck, Half Baked, Toasted & Hustle are my most used colours!

Happy Shopping Dolls! x 

Pros:

• Buttery, soft texture, blendable, amazing pigmentation
• Immense longevity, no creasing, no fall out
• 12 versatile shades (matte, shimmer, glitter, sheen, satin)
• Comes with a great quality brush, 4 eye shadow primers
• Cute case, includes a mirror

Cons:

• Price (but think of it as an investment!)

Rating: 10/10 (If I could rate it higher, I would. This is one of the best eyeshadow palettes I have ever used!)

 

(Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck)

 

(Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal)

 

Weekend Getaway Trip: What’s in my make up bag?

Recently, I went on a short trip to New York and this is what I packed in my make up bag. I tried to pack versatile products that can be used for multiple things. Even though I overpack most times, this time around I tried to stick to basics. I’m a minimalist, so I don’t always wear heavy makeup everyday and tend to stick to a bb cream+lip balm+ eye liner combo.

1. Forever 21 Classic Quilted Cosmetic Case: This is one of my favourite makeup bags because it’s adorable, classic and perfect size for a weekend trip!
2. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser in Honey: One of my holy grail items that goes every where with me (here’s my review).
3. MAC Penultimate liquid eye liner in Rapid Black: This is something I can wear during the day and night which can be combined with a variety of eye looks (here’s my review).
4. Smith’s Rosebud Salve: This lip balm is a sacred item in my life. Can’t leave my house without it (here’s my review)!
5. Tarte Lip Surgence in Perky (Limited Edition): I got this in a Christmas set and decided to use this colour as it is a perfect pop of colour for spring!
6. Tarte Amazonian Clay smooth operator finishing powder (travel size): This is an amazing setting powder. I love pairing this with my BB cream because it keeps oil on my face at bay, keeps my makeup looking fresh and it doesn’t dry my skin out!
7. Maybelline Great Lash in Clear: This is perfect for taming eye brows and lashes.
8. Makeup forever aqua eyes waterproof eyeliner in matte black (travel size): I love this for my waterline and often you will see me just wearing this with my BB cream!
9. Maybelline dream bouncy blush in Peach Satin: This is the perfect blush that isn’t overpowering on my skin tone. Also, I use it on my eyes or lips if I want a pop of colour!
10. Benefit They’re Real Mascara (travel size): UHM if you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend you do so. This makes my lashes look like I have false lashes on.
11. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Medium: Another holy grail item. This does everything for me and I have used this more than any foundation in my life!
12. MAC Paint pot in Groundwork: I love wearing this on it’s own (paired with a liquid liner) on days I really don’t feel like doing anything! Plus, you can use this as a primer for eyes (when trying to convert a day-to-night look…here’s my review).
13. Urban Decay Primer Potion in original (travel size): This product goes with me everywhere. This is my most used and trusted eye primer.
14. Clinique 3 step: This is my current skin care routine!
15. The Urban Decay Naked Palette: I’m sure everyone knows how awesome this palette is and that’s why this goes with me everywhere because you can create endless eye looks!
16. Misc: Hair ties, make up brushes and cotton balls always make their way into my bag because you never know when you will need them!

Tips/suggestions: Pack only the stuff you need; try to plan your looks for the nights out in advance so you know exactly what you will use and take those items with you. If you’re a mood dependent make up wearer (like me), try to take versatile products that can create numerous simple and fancy looks. 

Happy make up packing dolls! x