Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipstick and 24/7 Lip Liner in Rock Steady

Hello all!

I'm sure you've all seen the adverts and the hype, I was 100% not exempt from this and of course I had to buy more items from the Gwen Stefani range.
Me and M have both bought the palette, so you can read that review by clicking here.

This post is alllllllllll about the new lipstick and lip liner, I picked up the Rock Steady colour and it has not disappointed!

First of all let's just look at the packaging - not only is it both monochrome and metallics which are my absolute favourites but the geometric patterns are also beautiful!

I am not ashamed to say that I still have all of the boxes, although I will have to get rid of them soon!

Rock Steady is described as a 'deep wine red cream' which is pretty accurate. I turned up at the shop and had no idea which colour I was going to get, it was a busy Saturday and I had 10 minutes.....

I wouldn't say that this was a bad choice by any means, but going by my previous purchases I probably should have picked up a different colour! This basically means I already have my eye on Spiderweb and Wonderland, fingers crossed they will still have some when pay day comes around....and I can justify it.... ;)

Not only am I impressed with the packaging I also love the little details that go into making the products from Urban Decay, like the UD stamp on the lipstick bullet below, it's a nice touch!

The Rock Steady liner was just like all the other liners I have ever bought from UD - amazing pigmentation, super creamy and very easy to apply.

The photos below show my rushed application as soon as I had bought it, I couldn't wait any longer as I was too excited! The first photo shows just the liner:

The photos below show the lipstick, a deep wine red is certainly the correct description and I really like the finish on this lipstick. I think matte lipsticks have their place but the cream type are my favourite!

So what do you think?

Have you picked up anything from the Gwen Stefani range? Do you love UD as much as we do??

Fingers crossed I can pick up the others before they sell out!

L xxx

Eyeliners as Eyeshadows

Hello there!

Since I had my tablet for Christmas I've been next level obsessed with Pinterest - I always loved it for browsing when on the bus and lunch breaks but now I've got a bigger screen to scroll through it's a beautiful thing.

One thing that keeps popping up is the use of eyeliners as eyeshadows, see what I mean by the image below, taken from Pinterest:

I don't know about you but I've got PLENTY of eyeliners kicking around that I just don't use enough. For example, I've purchased both of these sets recently:





Eeek!
Beautiful colours with the best, most blendable and pigmented formula in the business - Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. I was trying to workout how on earth this could work, can you really use eyeliners as eyeshadow?

Sure, colouring in your eyelid is easy but does it stay? Does it blend? Does it actually look good?

I had to find out:

I started off with my usual base make up and coloured in my eyelid with Mugshot. This is a 'light metallic taupe with a slight pink shift'. It's a great base colour and was easy to cover and blend.

I then applied Moonspoon to the outer corners to give some more definition. Moonspoon is a metallic grey with a silver sparkle:

I then applied my absolute fave liner after that - Perversion. It's the most amazing blackest of black pencil liners that no other can compare to. I thought it was a hype thing but I really cannot get over how good it is.

I've worn this to work and it looked no different to using my Naked palettes and also took the same amount of time to put on and blend.

With regards to how long it lasted, without any primer it stayed the same length as eyeshadow normally stays. I haven't tried it with primer but I imagine that the primer will work its usual magic and make the look stronger and last considerably longer too.


I also couldn't resist but have some fun with the colours that I have too, I feel like work needs a neutral palette but after work there are no rules!



I used Faint all over my eyelid - this is described as a matte warm taupe. It's definitely a great neutral colour as the eyeshadow version from the Naked Basics palette is a favourite of mine.

I then applied Vacancy - a bright metallic teal - on my lower waterline and lashline and blended it in.






I really love this colour! You cannot go wrong with a shock of bright teal on the lower eyelid and its such an easy way to go from day to night with minimal effort.

What do you think about using the eyeliners as eyeshadows? What about bright colours on the lower lashline to go from day to night?

L xxx

FOTD

Good morning loves!

Now i have dark hair again I've been experimenting with my make up. I had no idea it would make such a difference to have my highlights dyed over and my hair is now back to my natural colour but has seemed to have made my 'normal' make up look like I've got nothing on!

I've had to change everything up so I've taken a few photos to show what I've swapped my products for, you can see how dark my hair is in the photo below:

I've always been a fan of Vichy Dermablend but recently it has really been a favourite of mine for its great coverage but natural finish. However in my usual Opal colour it has looked a little pale so I've been mixing in Rimmel's Wake Me Up to give it a bot more colour.

I've stuck with my favourite concealer though, now I've tried Nars I just don't want to use any other concealer as nothing works the same way as that does!

After setting my base with Rimmel's Stay Matte powder I've been using my Bourjois bronzer - never fails to make me look more contoured and also never seems to go down either! For blush I've been trying to finish off my old Coralista - I hit pan and panic bought another but that seems silly now that months later I've still got it!
It's still one of my favourite blushes though so I'll still be using it for years.

For brows I've been using Naked Basics' Faint eyeshadow for a little while now - its the perfect dark brown for my black brows. Doesn't look like I've sharpied them on and also isn't a weird red toned brown that some brands have suggested I use.

As for eyes I've been using some of my eyeliners recently and blending them in together for a different look. I've got a post coming up about it and how using eyeliners is a great easy way to change up looks!
These are a selection from Urban Decay, their 24/7 eye liner pencils are the best I've ever tried and I really recommend them if you're looking for a smooth pencil with great pigmentation.
This look includes Mugshot, Moonspoon and Glitter Rock.

And of course the wonderful Perversion - the ultimate black liner - along the lower waterline.

For mascara I've been using Benefit's They're Real recently, I've been saving it up as it's my last full size mascara but it is one of the best that I've tried for my lashes both length and volume.

This is a look that I wear on weekends, for me applying eye make up is something done in a haphazard way during the weekdays as my time is limited. But on weekends I definitely make more of an effort to wear different products and try different things.

Do you do the same and try to use different products? What do you think of changing your hair colour, has it had an effect on your regular products used?

L xxx

2014: Favourite Products of the Year

Well it isn't long until the big day now is it?! 

I've been having an enjoyable time looking over some of my posts from the last year and trying to decide which products have been my favourite. Some months it was easy to pick one out, others it was difficult to choose between some and I did end up listing a few!

So without waffling on any longer here are my favourite products from the last year, if you click on the product name it will take you straight to the original review.

January

The Tangle Teezer was a present that i told my brother to buy me when I had no pennies left and my hairdresser recommended it to me. It was a winner and I need more of them, one for my gym bag, a mini for my handbag...the list is endless! You really do need one.

February

The Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask has been raved about for a while and it took me a few months to get my hands on it but it has solved so many skin problems varying from dehydration to breakouts that it's a necessary product in my cabinet now.

March

As an avid Origins fan I love it at Christmas time when they bring out their sets. Last year's Origins Morning to Midnight Set was my first chance to try the popular Night A Mins and Ginzing moisturiser. All I need to tell you is that I've already picked up this year's version, they're so great for value and it comes with a make up bag this year too!

April

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Naked Basics was something I bought at the Electric Palette product showcase. The 24/7 pencils are awesome and I wanted more variety of every day colours to add to my make up bag; this one matches my Basics palette and has been used quite a lot throughout the year for a subtly lined eye for work.

May

I'll start by telling you now that Urban Decay have taken a large amount of cash from me this year so expect to be bombarded with pictures. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation is a gorgeous lightweight foundation that really does look like a second skin; though I find it doesn't cover enough on those bad skin days that crop up.

After my successful purchase of the Naked Basics eye pencil when I saw the Triple Threat set with 3 of the most used colours I knew I had to have it. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil Triple Threat set contains Perversion which I now find I have 3 of in my make up bag; it really is as good as everyone says and I wouldn't use anything else.

June

I bought a palette last year to put all of my MAC pan eye shadows into but am yet to complete a side of it. It was my plan to buy more but clearly I've been side tracked throughout the year... I did pick up MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe after many recommendations and can say it's another worthy of the reviews. It blends out super easily for day and can be applied heavier for night for a smoky eye.

July

With all of my new 24/7 pencils it was only time before I picked up the Urban Decay 24/7 Blending Brush It's a must for those who like a blended and smoky line on the eyes and like the blend multiple colours too. I haven't seen many brushes like this either and the quality is great. I use it daily.

August

Good Things Manuka Honey Cream Cleanser was a random purchase but one I loved; I've since been back to try more from the range and am yet to be disappointed. No nasty chemicals, products that work and all for an affordable price! No brainer.

September 

Urban Decay have killed it this year with their new products; the Pulp Fiction collection was no different. The eyeshadow palette and the lipstick and liner were very welcome additions to my life - note the happy face wearing it all below!

Not to mention also their Perversion and Subversion mascara and lash primer. The mascara is fab on its own but the lash primer really makes your lashes thicker and longer; I save this for my nights out for a false lash effect.

Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm was kindly given to me to review after a NYR Organic Beauty party. It was a lovely and fun event and I've been using this multi functional wonder product ever since. The 10th Year anniversary design is gorgeous and gives you an inkling of how loved the product is; 10 years is a brilliant achievement!

October

Not much needs to be said about this one if you've seen it. Benefit's Cheeky Sweet Spot is their first ever palette containing a variety of blushes from the Box O Powder product extraordinaires. Get it before it sells out!

Nars entered my life at this point for the very first time. Cue lots of rave reviews from myself including Orgasm Blush and the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

November

Another of my first Nars purchases, the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park has become a firm favourite in my handbag as the satin finish allows it to be worn for a variety of occasions and the colour is a beautiful berry colour perfect for the Autumn Winter season.

December

It was a tough call for the December favourite but luckily for me there weren't a lot of products to choose from as the reviews were replaced with yearly round ups and lifestyle posts. The infamous UD have brought out another corker of a Christmas gift set in the form of the Urban Decay Black Magic 24/7 Double Ended Pencils. You need this if you love eyeliners, if you love the 24/7 pencils, if you love darker liners or if you travel and like to carry a variety of colours with you at one time.

Special mention also goes to Nip and Fab generally seeing as I've purchased pretty much their entire range this year, and also to the Nars Virtual Domination palette which I haven't yet reviewed and am totally in love with, plus the UD TEN 24/7 eyeliner set which is another staple for a coloured liner fan like myself. Cue lots of party looks coming my way!

What have been your favourite products of the year?

L xxx