Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Hey All

Whilst in duty free I couldn't resist a few cheeky purchases (who can!!) I'd been eyeing up the Urban Decay All Nighter foundation for weeks and had planned to purchase it. In my excitement at the airport of seeing the Urban decay Shop and Foundations there I just grab Naked Skin not paying any attention to the packaging thinking it was the All Nighter foundation. Initially I was a bit disappointed but it's actually really impressed me.

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

FOTD: Workwear

Hi there! 

I've been really enjoying shopping my own stash recently, its great finding products you'd forgotten about and can use again without spending any additional cash.

I had a bit of time before starting work the other day and decided to photograph my face of the day to share with you.

These are the products that I've used for this. Naked Skin is a great foundation for lightly covering blemishes but without masking skin as if it needs to be coated. The Make Believe bronzer is one I use rarely but its such a lovely natural glow.

The Perversion liner is the best I've ever tried and the blush is another that i forgot is quite similar to Coralista. The Naked palette needs no introduction really!

I do like how my skin looks quite natural after using Naked Skin especially on my forehead. The concealer is great for covering dark circles for its price and I've set it all using Stay Matte powder from Rimmel.

Having not used a brow kit for a while it took a few attempts to get them right as Gimme Brow is so easy to use but the Sleek brow kit allows you to have so much more control over the shape and definition.

The blush and bronzer gives a gorgeous colour that also looks really natural:

The Naked palette is a staple most people have in their make up wardrobes; I love how you can apply a wash of a colour or intensify it quite easily as they're so pigmented. As they're nudes the colours are perfect for day time and evening and so are very versatile.

After this I applied UD's 24/7 liquid liner in Perversion to my upper eye lid and 24/7 eye liner pencil on the inside rim of my lower eye lid.

After that it was a slick of the Rimmel Wonderfull mascara to my lashes with argan oil in and I was almost done.

I completely forgot to include the lip products in the first two images so apologies for that, to complete my Face for the day i just applied a quick coat of Naked Lipgloss to finish it off.

It's amazing how many products you can use on a face with a natural ish look.

Do you go product light or product heavy for work? Are you adventurous with colours on your eyes or lips?

I'm never brave enough for work as nobody else seems to wear much!

L xxx

If I had £100...

Hello there!

I've mentioned many times that I'm a huge fan of lists, I've got so many notebooks full of them, mostly to do lists. Wishlists are always fun to imagine what you would buy or have if you could and so I've come up with a new series 'If I had £100'. It's pretty simple, every time I'll list whatever I'm lusting over at the time but ONLY to a total of £100, I mean it's a reasonable amount and a possible pay day splurge if I was very lucky!

Having picked up a few Nip and Fab bargains recently when all of their products went on sale I've found myself wanting more!

The Glycolic Fix Cleanser priced at £7.95 sounds like a winner to me.I'd like to start double cleansing but never seem to have the right products. I do love using a foaming cleanser with a muslin cloth so that my face feels like the day's grime has been removed and this gel cleanser sounds like a lovely affordable foaming cleanser with glycolic acid present at 2% to help resurface your skin. I NEED it and might even use my Boots points to nab it quick.

The Deep Cleansing Fix claims to be a 6 in 1 product and is priced at £7.95 for 300ml. This is a large pot of product with multiple uses; cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, deep cleansing when used as a mask and specific application to spots. This sounds like a wonderful product especially for the price and I'll be hunting this one down too no doubt.

The Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation comes in at £27 which is pretty average nowadays. I have to admit i really liked this product as soon as I tried it though you do generally need to have good skin for it to look good! It's more of a blurring foundation as opposed to one that covers your skin with an opaque finish. Over the summer though I've found it has been essential as it doesn't clog my pores at all and doesn't appear to melt off my face too badly. I'd definitely like to purchase it again!

I first tried the Origins Ginzing moisturiser (£23)  from a Christmas gift set that I bought myself, as you do. I loved it and loved the smell so much. It's a really light moisturiser that sinks in so easily and is perfect for my ever changing skin, not overloading it in the oily areas and but hydrating it in the dry. Perfect! I hear its on offer too where you can get a sample of the eye cream and a mini mascara to try too!

Image from Liparazzi

UD Naked Flushed palette in Streak is something I've had my eye on for months now. Streak is the perfect colour for me as coral really suits my skin tone. The image above is from the lovely Laura who's blog is Liparazzi which you should definitely check out, her beauty posts are a particular favourite!
I'd love to get my hands on this and for £22 for three key products it really is value for money too.

Una Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C Cleansing Oil (normally £10.99) currently on offer at Boots for £7.33.

As I mentioned previously I want to add double cleansing to my routine, and not just by using a micellar water to remove my eye make up. This cleansing oil has really been raved about and I desperately want to try it! For £7.33 I think I might have to run to Boots and pick it up as soon as possible!

So that bring me to my total this time of £95.23.

I'd love a splurge but having quit my job I need to keep all my pennies for the meantime....but maybe spending some of my Boots points wouldn't be such a bad thing right?!

What do you think of my wishlist? 

This one is beauty related but I'm sure there will be more clothes involved in the future too!

L xxx

FOTD

Hey there!

I'm not big on FOTD, mainly as my photos never turn out quite right or generally something goes wrong. But I enjoy reading/seeing other peoples FOTD's so I've persevered to show one of my favourite looks for the upcoming spring and summer months.......if they arrive!

I've started off with my new fave face base....Urban Decay's Naked skin. It's a gorgeous, light foundation which feels weightless on my skin allowing you to still see my actual skin underneath. I'm a big fan of it especially for the warmer months.

The concealer I've applied in this FOTD is the UD 24/7 concealer pencil. I find this creamy and blends really well, though my colour, although its perfect for me, is very light and lightens my undereyes like a charm!

Next up is the brows. My latest venture has been using Gimme Brow from Benefit. After having an awful eyebrow wax from them they kindly sent us out a few products as an apology so I've been testing this out. There will be a full review but for now I'm quite impressed with how easy it is to use and the effects of it.

I think it looks really natural and i like having my brows brushed through.

One of my favourite eyeshadow palettes is the Theodora one from UD. I'm a bit of a UD fan really aren't I?? What a saddo haha.
I wear this palette most days and am a bit gutted that it was limited edition, I'd be distraught if it ran out which it inevitably will. I will be searching high and low for alternatives in the future!

After this I used the infamous UD 24/7 pencil in Perversion which is just unbelievable. I've tried many black liners before but this pencil is out of this world!
I've also applied Benefit's They're Real mascara to complete my eye look, lashes always look better with a few coats!

On my cheeks I've used a MAC beauty powder from the Emanuel Ungaro collection a few years ago and I've also applied MAC's MSF in Soft and Gentle to my cheek bones.

The lipstick I've used is MAC's Viva Glam Nicki Minaj which I absolutely LOVE. It can be drying but as long as you've moisturised your lips enough beforehand you will be fine. It's such a gorgeous colour it's hard to resist it!


What do you think of my FOTD? Do you prefer the eyes or the lips?

I think I need to wear pinks more often, I've been obsessed with coral for ages but I should get back into pinks too, don't you think?

L xxx

Urban Decay Start Getting Naked kit

Morning lovelies!

It seems to be Urban Decay madness on here lately, not only do they seem to have some fabulous new products that I NEED they seem to be bringing out some great offers too.

When I picked up the Naked Skin foundation they had an offer on where you could buy this set for £5 after buying the Naked Skin foundation (review here)

I couldn't wait to snap this up but unfortunately for me...the only one available was the battered box hidden at the back of the drawer! As you can imaging, blogger priorities meant that I was horrified I would have to take photos of a battered box.
Nevertheless the deal was far too good for me to miss so I just had to get it, for £5 I picked up the travel sized All Nighter Setting Spray and a mini Optical Blurring brush.

Let's talk about the brush first; I've been lusting after this for a while and cannot stop touching it every time I walk past the counter. I know eventually  I will buy it but my funds at the moment are very restrictive.....a car service and a plethora of weddings, hen nights etc means that my bank balance for treats is non existent. Ah well, such is life!

Having blended the Naked Skin foundation onto the back of my hand (always a good place to start i think....) the finish was amazing. The brush is so densely packed with bristles that the foundation is buffed in all directions into your skin resulting in one of the most even finishes I've ever seen.

My only issue that I've had with the miniature version is that because it is so small and the bristles so densely packed that it can be hard to buff it in evenly without brushing it off. The brush is so short it can be difficult and during my 6am morning rush i don't have time for the time and effort it takes when my Real Techniques buffing brush does a similar job with less time. I still want the full size optical blurring brush though, the finish is unbelievable!

The next product included to help give you the best finish is the All Nighter Setting Spray. M bought me this for my birthday last year and you can read my review here.

I'm a fan of the setting spray and have been using it sparingly for nights out and weddings but I will certainly be using it more now that i have another!
I apply it in the T and X formation that they suggest and it does help your make up last longer.

The full size Optical blurring brush is priced at £20 and I believe the travel size Setting Spray is priced at £9 for the 30ml. 

So for £5 this was an absolute bargain yes? And I couldn't leave it behind right?

Good, that was the conclusion I came to as well.

L xxx

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Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Hi there!

After a bit of a spend in Debenhams the other day (products shown below) I've been playing around with all of my new goodies and have been absolutely loving all of them. Today's review is of the Naked Skin foundation from Urban Decay.

In keeping with the Naked product collection, the packaging is rose gold coloured and aside from that very simple. The foundation itself is pretty true to its name; it is weightless, peptide infused, and light diffusing as well as being free of parabens.





The foundation claims it will create a flawless demi-matte finish with light diffusing spheres ensuring you look professionally retouched. Not only that it is infused something crazy sounding called Matrixyl 3000 which is a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide, Lichtiderm which is protecting and brightening, as well as vitamins and antioxidant green tea.





There have been many studies into the effects from using this product and you can see how successful they were in the image above.

There are quite a few shades available in the range, and as a person who tends to live in the upper ranges of the spectrum (thank you rainy Wales..) I was pleased that not only are there a lot of pale shades but I wasn't the palest, which is always nice to know there are shades available for those who are paler than me.





The bottle itself is beautiful, its sleek and simple which is my favourite and most of all it's glass. I love glass bottles for foundation as it feels a lot more expensive and luxurious. However I can see this getting extremely grubby in my morning rush getting make up and fingerprints all over it!

Even the dispenser is similar and is very sturdy, it doesn't feel like cheap plastic that will stop working after a few pumps, nice to know it's not going to give up on me after a few uses.

So how is it on the face? It is exactly as it's described; weightless and light diffusing.

It manages to cover all of my flaws without caking, and although it covers it doesn't mask my face if you understand what I mean. It covers most imperfections and whilst it doesn't cover everything I feel that at least my skin does still look real. Some of my spots require an additional cover up with concealer but generally I find this is enough for me.

See for yourself, here's my face with just Naked Skin and then with the rest of my make up on:

In my opinion this foundation gives me enough coverage without caking my face. In the photo below I have the rest of my face on and I really like the glow it gives.

What do you think of Naked Skin? Do you prefer a lightweight foundation or something heavier?

Would you consider trying it?

If you go to the counter and ask the lovely girls they might even give you a sample size to try which should last you at least a week. I've kept my bottle so that I can refill it for weekends away!

The Naked Skin foundation retails at £27 for 30ml.

L xxx