Urban Decay Smoked Palette

So as palettes go....I think most would agree that Urban Decay take the crown with them.

Having bought my fair share (is it 8 now? eek!) I can't believe that I didn't own this one; the Smoked palette.

These colours are the colours I have been using for years all from random brands and not in a cohesive palette like this; it's amazing. There's the greys, the blue, the green, the purple, the browns and the super matte black. Not to mention the awesome primer potion and Perversion eye pencil that I might be a bit of a fan of.

The blurb on the back of the box pretty much says it all, and it comes with a booklet to help you get the most out of the palette including tips for blending and looks to try.

The packaging for this is different to other palettes, it has a zip all around it to contain the products inside and the material packaging looks really good. The only downside is that it may not be as robust as plastic palettes as it is only material over a cardboard exterior.

This where you can tell it was produced in 2012, they seem to have come a long way in their designs and packaging in the last few years.

So how about the inside of the palette? The ten eyeshadows are arranged in square shapes with the eye pencil in between the rows. It also comes with a mirror which is very handy for on the go or just generally really! I've been using it loads when doing my make up in my room even though I have multiple mirrors to use.

I have previously written a post on the Perversion 24/7 Eye Pencil which you can read here, so I won't ramble on about it too much but it is the PERFECT pencil for this palette and if you ever buy any eye liner pencil you most definitely need this one.

So what do the colours come out like? The photos show swatches of the eye shadows in the same order as the rows in the palette, without and then with flash.

How beautiful are the colours?! I couldn't resist but have a play around with them!

Both of the nudes barely show up on my skin but they are both good bases for a make up application. In fact I think I like them more for blending in so perfectly as they're so easy to use.

Below I've applied Mushroom to the outer corners of my eyes and blended it through. I really like this look and have worn it to work. I've also worn the same look with Backdoor also blended in to darken and mattify the outer corner shown in the second picture:






One of the main reasons I wanted this palette so badly was the ability to produce a variety of smoky eye looks which didn't revolve around the obvious black and grey. Green is one of my favourite colours for eyeshadow so Loaded was a colour I was keen to use:

I absolutely LOVE it and have been having so much fun with different looks.

Evidence is also a gorgeous blue colour with so much pigmentation, I applied it under my eyes for a colour contrast using silvery greys Mushroom and Asphalt on my eye lid for a separate look:

Do you love creating smoky eyes? Have you used the Smoked palette before? What's your favourite colour to smoke out?

I'm looking forward to using this over the party season!

L xxx

My Thoughts on Naked 3

Hey lovelies!

I'm sure we've all seen plenty on Naked 3 since it was released around Christmas time. I was lucky enough to be bought it for my birthday a few weeks ago and I couldn't resist but photograph it (it's SO pretty) and I thought I'd give my views on it too.

You can see M's post here so I will try not to repeat everything that she has already said!

So the outer packaging; a rosy gold theme is probably onto a winner without even trying. Rose gold really has been the metallic of choice over the last few years particularly thanks to Michael Kors watches and Zara handbags. The main reason for this? It suits almost everyone. Some people can't wear golder tones or silvery tones and rose gold seems to cover all bases whilst still being versatile enough to create a soft look or a darker smokey look for night.

The box contains the palette and also a booklet with testers of all four primers on offer from UD.

I'd bought the original primer a few years ago in a Buyapowa deal but in all honesty never really used it. I have seriously been missing out and from now on that primer is surgically attached to my eyelids on day trips and nights out (work doesn't deserve that kind of commitment!). I'm super excited to try the others particularly after being shown them at the UD showcase event we went to; Eden looks like it will be a superstar for nights out.

The packages look like they will contain a tiny amount of product but actually there's a generous sample size inside them so I will look forward to testing them out.

So the palette itself....is it worth the hype?

Here are some close ups of the shades:

Pink has always been an eyeshadow I've avoided if I'm honest. so this end of the palette is a little scary and if I'm honest, offputting. Strange is a colour I love already as I love using a matte light colour for over my lid to give it a good base and lighten the inner corners. Dust and Burnout are shimmery pink and apricot kind of shades which i can see me using to add shimmer in the centre of my eye lids to make them pop. Limit and Nooner which you can just see at the end are matte shades that will be good for day to day base colours. Buzz is one that scares me the most....dusky pink shimmer!
Trick is a lovely coppery glitter shade that I'm looking forward to using on nights out; it will be great with a bit of a tan in the summer months.

Again you can see Trick and Nooner in this photo and the colours here are MUCH more my thing. I'm a bit of a magpie and shimmery colours are what I love. Liar, Factory, Mugshot and Darkside are very welcome additions to my collection and I can see me slowly becoming obsessed with them
Blackheart is one of my absolute faves; a dark black with red glitter in and its perfect for a Saturday night; I needed this colour more than the others and I love how easily it blends for a smokey eye with a difference.

Another bonus with these palettes is the brush that comes with it. This brush is a double ended one specific for Naked 3. It has a larger fluffier brush on one side and then a thinner flat brush for more detailed applications. I really like it, a brush is always a welcome addition to my collection and this one slots in nicely. Lots of use will be had from this!

So....is it worth the £37 price tag?

The shadows work out at around £3.08 each which I'm sure we'll agree is a pretty good price for super pigmentation, a wide variety of shades that compliment most skin tones and long lasting crease free finishes.

The brushes from UD normally cost at least £10 so you're getting a bargain, plus the addition of the primer samples which are probably worth an additional £10 and overall you've got yourself a bargain.

The shades are complimentary for many skin tones and although I've said some aren't my cup of tea and 'scare' me I do think i'll use them as glitter will always be a good look!

I'd say this was a welcome addition to a make up wardrobe; what do you think?

Are you fan of rose gold shades and super pigmentation? What do you think of UD's brushes?

L xxx

Review: Avon Eyelid Primer

Eyelid primer is something I use most days. I find eye shadows crease on my lid if I don't use one. I was using Urban Decay Primer Potion but wanted a cheaper alternative to it.

When I saw Avon had bought out an eyelid primer I knew I had to try it. The Avon eyelid primer currently comes in the shade light beige. It comes in a glass pot with a black lid. It's a similar size to a gel liner. I like the simplicity of the pot but wish it was in something other than a pot. At the moment I use a brush to scoop it out when I'm wearing false nails. 

As you can see it's well loved. I've been using it everyday since I got it. I can't remember exactly when it was but I think it was around March time and I've still got over half left. The eyelid primer is a light texture that softly blends onto the eye. 

The neutral colour works really well on my eye and just evens out my eyelid and really prolongs my eye shadow wear and prevents creasing.

As you can see when it's blended out it just looks perfect on the skin and provides a perfect base.

This photo shows the eye shadow after 14 hours wear. Colour is still on most of my eye and there is only a small amount of creasing. This is using the MUA palette. With my Naked 2 palette it lasts even better.

I'm so impressed with this eyelid primer and it'll definitely be a repurchase for me. My make up lasts so much better and looks brighter with it. It also applies easier.

The primer can be bought for £7 here. As with most Avon products it'll probably be on offer soon.

What's your favourite eyelid primer? I'm glad I found a cheaper alternative.

Love M

xxx