Naked Smoky Palette | Review

Naked Smoky Palette | Review

Comment   

Urban Decay, I must say, have the most stunning eye shadow palettes and shades - more than any other brand I know of. One of their new releases is the new Smoky palette from the infamously -loved Naked range. I've tried the second and third Naked palettes as well as the Basics 2; Urban Decay never failing to impress me. 

It came as much a surprise to me when my best friend Megan invested in this beauty for my birthday; I couldn't thank her enough! Getting my hands on some more of their highly pigmented, cool-toned and fun named shadows made my birthday extra special.

 Let's take a look at the product in closer detail - shall we?

Encased in a golden, gunmetal embossed palette with a marble and brown smoke effect on top, there are 12 sultry, cool-toned shades (9 of which are new and exclusive to this palette!) to create the perfect smoky eye, as well as the cooler undertones being ideal for the Winter months. Throughout my makeup hoarding time, I've never really had the right colours to even attempt an in-depth smoky eye so now I have this, I can't wait to get stuck in and spend my days working on new looks that I could potentially upload as tutorials later on.

With a mix of both glittery and matte, light and dark, options, I believe this palette to be one of the most versatile, universal products I've owned in a while. The contrast in finishes and tone envelope a uniqueness too - further making it a NEED for every single beauty blogger in the planet! Also, another difference spotted from the other NAKED palettes, is the new brush style. The two-sided eye crease brush is darker in colour with fluffier bristles; one end a blending brush and the other a more pointed for precision. In my opinion, I prefer this than the ones in the previous NAKED palettes.

HIGH -  A champagne, pink-toned highlight shades with a slightly pearlescent coating. One of the few warm tones in the palette; holds a frosted, metallic sheen on the eye.

DIRTYSWEET - Yellow under-toned metallic gold shade; one perfect for all-over-the-lid.

RADAR - A chestnut, warm brown with small glitters running throughout; idyllic transition shade.

ARMOR - A cool, taupe/grey glitter shade that would add sparkle to your smoky eye.

SLANTED - A pale blue,grey shimmer with a muted metallic essence.

DAGGER - Very dark grey with intense blue tones; a deep matte that would work great creating a dramatic eye.

BLACK MARKET - A navy, jet blue satin shade with a thin, easy-to-blend formula.

SMOLDER - A mix between a plum purple and taupe with an iridescent shine.

PASSWORD - A light matte grey.

WHISKEY - A rich matte brown (I cannot wait to use this in my crease; fab eye contour shade)

COMBUST - A soft, blush pink that will look gorgeous on the inner lid.

THIRTEEN - A pure, beige satin shade; matte but good for brightening, nonetheless!

Overall, I'm phenomenally impressed with each and every aspect of this palette. I couldn't fault any of the colour choices; each shade is wearable and 100% will use! Everything from the gorgeous packaging to the densely bristled brush is an absolute bonus. I just can't wait to try out some new looks!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE : I'm about 40 followers away from 1000 on Bloglovin!!! When I reach 1000, I hope to hold a giveaway and would love to know what you would like to see in it?! Make sure to comment below what you would like to win!

Lots of love

Charlotte Xx

What I Got For My Birthday 2015

What I Got For My Birthday 2015

Comment   

On Friday the 4th of September, it was my birthday and indeed was spoilt again by my wonderful family, friends and boyfriend. I'm very appreciative of all my gifts and this post is not in any way boasting about my fortune; I just wanted to share with you all my gorgeous new makeup bits and bobs, some fashion items and other things I received over the course of my birthday weekend. Some of the presents below, I bought with birthday money as I preferred going to London and chosing some things I wanted myself. Let's get started...

Makeup

My bestfriend is an honest God for buying me Urban Decay's latest Naked Smoky Palette release. I was so happy and overwhelmed that she got this for me, as they are pretty darn pricey. I'm in love with the colours and names, as always! Cannot wait to review this in the near future; URBAN DECAY are an honest blessing to the makeup world.

The left purchase was one I made my own in London; I've been wanting to try the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils for too long now and I'm so glad to finally have my hands on one. The pigmentation is insane and I'm a sucker for crayon-styled lip products - they really aid appliance, I think. My boyfriend was so sweet and bought me this Nars Eyeshadow that was out of stock a couple weeks back when I wanted to buy it in London. Nars Callisto is a gorgeous icy silver/pink shade that will perfect in the winter months.

Mac's Mehr seems to be a new craze recently?! Well, from what I've seen over instagram and youtube, a lot of people are hyping of this MAC number. I thought this would be great for sixth form as it is a neutral, classy pink/mauve shade. This is also another purchase of my own from Selfridges, I just couldn't leave it, could I?!

Another friend, Karis, was absolutely fabulous and gifted me these two Urban Decay products. Urban Decay are possibly my favourite high end brand, along with Mac and Nars, and I was so happy to receive these beauties for my birthday. On the left is a recent want of mine - Daisy from Wild Flower Makeup uploaded a review on this and I couldn't help but swoon over this popping purple colour (BITTERSWEET). Additionally, I've become an avid lover of these eyeshadow (see my recent purchase here. A pretty space grey silver with glitters running throughout (MUSHROOM).

Jess, another close friend of mine, obviously listened well too when I mentioned my lust for Mac's Nightmoth Liner. I didn't have any dark lip liners so I struggled to pull off dark lips all night long. Thanks to Jess, I don't have to worry about my dark lippies smearing/cracking over my lip liner throughout the night. 

When in Superdrug, I noticed many a deal so what other can one do but to take advantage?! I decided to nab this very wanted foundation when it had been reduced to £10 this week. The finish of this is amazing and very good for people like me who love a full coverage.

Jess very kindly bought me this second gift too. She was very thoughtful and matched Revlon's Miami Fever Lip Lacquer to my very bright Mac Lady Danger. These would look incredible together; a hot glossy lip would look insane in the evening. 

Other Beauty

Aidan also bought me this Body Shop product from one of their new ranges. A woman wiped a bit 
on my hand outside the store and I was woo'ed at the scent and softness. This is a fabulous moisturizer for both the face and body; I can't wait to be using this throughout Winter when everything seems to dry up.

Garnier Micellar Water and Eye Makeup Remover minis were extra additions to my superdrug basket. Everyone always talks about the micellar water so I thought I would give it a go - makeup wipes really irriate and redden my face. Time for a change, eh? I will be sure to let you all know how I get on!

A long-term friend came round on my birthday and gave me a present which I thought was super sweet. She gave me the loveliest set of Jack Wills fragrances..looking forward to trying them out!

Fashion

GREY JUMPER - H&M 

PINK SATIN BLOUSE - H&M

BLUE AND WHITE PINSTRIPED PINAFORE - URBAN OUTFITTERS

LONG TUNIC WHITE TEE - URBAN OUTFITTERS

BURGUNDY TURTLE NECK DRESS - URBAN OUTFITTERS

As seen in the first image of this post, I also bought a new school bag from Wallis in BHS. I loved the basic colours, making it universal, so it is very easy to match to every outfit. Ironically, I adored the grey snake print, considering I'm absolutely terrified of snakes - I HAVE A PHOBIA!!!

Miscellaneous

Another thoughtful idea from my very-loved boyfriend were these two books. I love how qwerky and different the books are in Urban Outfitters and these two were the best picks. The one on the left sounds so interesting and I can't wait to read all the different feelings and hopefully relate to the author. 'THE GOLDEN RULES OF BLOGGING' will be a great late night read to keep my blog posts in ship shape. Thank you Aidan <3

Megan thought up this great idea to buy me a brownie baking mix in a jar. If you didn't already know, brownies are my absolute favourite and the jar just makes it so much better; who knows what I'll store in it once I've made the delicious treats?!

Finally, my boyfriend's mum was so so kind to buy me a new pandora charm for my bracelet. This has my birthstone - Sapphire - in it and I can't love it anymore that I already do!

My final thing I couldn't quite photograph was the main present from Aidan. He bought me a MUJI aroma diffuser with wonderful scents to fill my room with and help me relax. The beautiful smells could easily send me off to sleep and most definitely will help me with the stress of A levels over the next two years! Oh, I'll also start my driving lessons soon as I've just turned 17..aaarrghhh!

Thank you for reading, sorry it was a long one today :-)

Lots of love

I Couldn't Help Myself... | Feel Unique

I Couldn't Help Myself... | Feel Unique

Comment   

Don't we all just feel the need to treat ourselves every once in a while?! Well, this month let's say I've treated myself maybe a little more than planned - resulting in my card sulking in the corner, pleading for me not to touch it for the next few months...

How could I not purchase something from FeelUnique at the minute though? They always have so many offers, deals and sales dropping into my emails I just couldn't resist. I also had a voucher from my last purchase that allowed me to reduce the final cost by £5 - a very happy bunny I was :-) 

Straight in my online basket was the most beautiful eyeshadow I've ever laid my eyes on - SERIOUSLY! The Moondust collection from Urban Decay is stunning and being an addict to all things glistening I just had to get it. The 'iridescent sparkle' and '3-D metallic' tones bounce off the eyeshadow in sunlight, making it super pretty to gaze at. The foundation colour of the shadow is a salmon pink but the layering glitters range from silvers, purples, blues and greens. Solstice really matches the intergalactic theme of the range and reminds me of everything space related. GET ON MY LIDS - that sounded weird?!

My second main purchase was the Mary-Lou Manizer from the Balm. I'm in love with the gorgeous champagne colour the pigmented formula creates with a swipe of a brush. There is so much product in this compact so it is totally worth the money and also holds a large mirror for handy travel purposes. I cannot wait to wear this throughout the colder months to keep me glowing. Highlighting the inner corner and brow bone with this would further be an option for me; champagne toned highlights look beautiful on the eye. 

Finally, I decided to add a couple cheaper items to my basket so I could nab myself a couple of samples. I was in need of a new red liner so a Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner (Red Diva) was added followed closely by some flutter-y T-Burr lashes. I've wanted Bambi Eyes for a while now; they are so natural looking and perfect for wearing on a day-to-day basis when my eye lashes are looking sparse and feeble. My two free samples included the Emma Hardie Protect and Prime and a 50ml sample of the the St. Moriz Self Tanning lotion. 

Have you purchased from FeelUnique before?! What beauty products have you bought this month? 

Love

Drugstore Dupes for those Highend Holy Grails

Drugstore Dupes for those Highend Holy Grails

Comment   

What could a beauty blog viewer love more than being introduced to a bargainous version of their fave product(s)/one they've been longing for for about 13 and a half years?! Take a wild guess at what I've got in store for you all today? I'm thrilled to announce that I'm back to beauty (finally!!!) - I've missed this too much. So...what other way can I make up my insane lack of makeup based content than a cheeky deal for you all to get your hands on - it's a good 'un! It get's better...I thought I really owed it to you so I've made sure to find a few dupes for some all time favourite highend beauty products.

Mac Studio Fix NC15 VS Bourjois 123 Perfect 51

In terms of colour, both in the bottle and on the face, these foundations are identical. They are both cool-toned, which is fabulous to counteract my blotchy red areas and are the closest matches to my skin colour I've ever found. When it comes to coverage, these are the ones I go to for that medium-full, flawless finish. Each dry to give a satin/matte finish, which you may think is strange considering I have dry skin. However, neither cling to dry matches or focus on any rough areas I may so have. The only problem is, the MAC one can become very cakey looking on the face so to avoid that, apply thin even coats on top of each other making sure to buff lightly into the skin. Onto lasting power now, I must say that if you like your makeup to last all night, I advise to pay that little bit extra and purchase the MAC option. This is because it last roughly 4 hours more than the drugstore one.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer VS NYX HD Photogenic Concealer

For those looking to eliminate dark circles, imperfections and redness, don't hesistate to carry on reading! Not only do these both give an insane full coverage (a fundamental feature in my case - when choosing a concealer to hide those dark, zombie undereyes) but they both glide effortlessly onto the skin without dragging or irritating my skin. I've found in the past that some concealer wants can be quite rough and make my eyes red/sore. The only difference I can state about these two is that the NARS one feels much more luxurious and fulfilling on the skin, the formula is heavenly and sinks perfectly in places you wish to be rid of and correct. Finally, both concealers have a great tendency to last the entire day without creasing - HUGE BONUS! Grab your hands on either of these if anything above ticked your concealer hunting list.

Benefit Rockateur VS Bourjois Jasper Rose

In the photos, we can see that there colours look slightly 'off' - Rockateur has minor peachy tones whereas Jasper Rose is just plain pink. Despite this colour mishap at first glance, when applied to the cheeks, I kid you not, they give off the same healthy, rosy glow. A little goes a long way; each product being so high on the pigmentation scale means only a sweep on the brush can give you your desired look. Anyone who is still unsure of splashing out £24 on a single blush, I suggest you go down to boots and get your hands on this before purchasing. 

Benefit They're Real VS Collection Lenthening Mascara

The couple claiming to both lengthen and define are neck and neck. Using Collection's mascara sincerely surprised me - I was not expecting it to match that of Benefit's infamous They're Real. With alike wands, the formula is applied in the exact same way. Bottom lash application is also simple as the wand ends are very slim so are able to get in there without being too messy. Honestly, I cannot fault the Collection mascara in any way; the final look on the eyes are very very V E R Y similar so similar I may do an in depth review on these two just to prove how much. The only things I could mention, if I was to be really picky, is that the Benefit one is easier to remove and overall slightly lengthens the lashes by 1mm more. THE BEST DUPE OF THE POST!

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss Liar VS Barry M Toffee Ligloss

Urban Decay's Naked collection is an evergrowing love of every beauty fanatic nowadays. More recently, I have seen people purchasing the beautiful rose gold lipgloss tubes, which I have to say I'm in love with deeply. In my collection, I realised I have a lipgloss that can be compared quite closely. Regardless of the differentation in colours (seen in swatches above) the Barry M lipglosses have a dupe-like formula to that of the Urban Decay lip products. Both with a smooth glossy finish, you would not be able to tell the difference on the lips aesthetically and personally - a great bargain if I do say so myself. The only downfall is that the UD ones have better pigmentation and the Barry M ones can become rather sticky after several layers of applicance. 

Chanel Coco Rouge Lipshine Satisfaction VS L'Oreal Collection Privee Cheryl's Nude 

My all time favourite nude is Chanel's Satisfaction - not too pale, not too dark. Personally, I believe this to be a very sophisticated and flattering colour regardless of skin tone/preference. L'Oreal's nude collection could mirror that of this gorgeous Chanel shade; with 6 colours in the range, you can find your perfect nude for a cheaper price. In my opinion, Cheryl's Nude strikes drugstore Satisfaction to a T - I'm really into a nude lip this Summer. If you want that more luxurious feel and richness on the lips, you can go all the way and pay £25 for Satisfaction! Equally, each have a very subtle finish and pigmentation on the lips which makes it evermore the classier - I'm just in love with this lippie!

Mac Lady Danger VS E.L.F Velvet Rope

Hot, orange goodness to brighten up your Summer, Mac's Lady Danger and E.L.F's Velvet Rope can help you make a statement this season. Despite the different finishes, you can save £12 to get an exact colour match. As Lady Danger is has a matte finish, it is therefore longer lasting and can honestly stay on your lips for an entire day/night. On the other hand, E.L.F's moisturizing formula has a slightly glossier finish so can end up rubbing off in a couple of hours. It's down to you to decide - moisturzing, cheap but not long-lasting or matte, long-lasting but expensive?

Nars Audacious Charlotte VS Rimmel Kate Moss 107

Colour - With Rimmel's Kate Moss 107 shade being the Autumn craze over the last few years, I would like to inform all you owners of this berry beast that it mimicks that of the Nars Audacious Lipstick collection. Deep berries are my go-to every Autumn/Winter, like most beauty bloggers, so I thought I'd share this good lil dupe. The shades are very alike in the swatches above, as well as looking identical on the lip. Lasting power is 10/10 for both but the formula can become very drying and flake with the Rimmel option. To avoid this from happening, all you need is a little bit of lip balm to apply beforehand and your flaking nightmare will be over. 

Mac Rebel Lipstick VS Maybelline Colour Drama Berry Much

Colour - I won't declare this as the classic 'save the best till last' but this dupe comes close to one of my faves. Being a huge fan of the Maybelline Colour Drama pencils has become no surprise to me, the easy application, the rich colour, the variety in colour range and longevity of the product has been a massive YES from me! I would totally compare the darkest shade, Berry Much, to one of my Mac holy grails - REBEL! Similar in both satin finish, formula and intense berry colour you cannot go wrong with this dupe. For a third of the price, I would totally recommend all of my viewers to get your hands on this, especially before Autumn approaches.

What are your favourite dupes? 

Lots of love