Naked Smoky Palette | Review

Naked Smoky Palette | Review

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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

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

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Are you ever in a rush to do your makeup? Are you ever stuck trying to create that perfect smoky eye in 2 minutes flat? I know I certainly can relate. That's why today's post is here to give you the lowdown on what to do when stuck in these dilemmas - use cream eyeshadows!

On school days or mornings where I have to wake up early, I just NEVER have time to apply my makeup the way I want it to look. Being only semi-okay at eyeshadow, I always find it best to stay clear of dramatic/smoky looks on these types of mornings. The product I will forever turn to are cream shadows; they sit comfortably on the lid, create a wonderful sheen/colour on the lids and are super easy! Majority of the time, I blend in the shadows with my fingers, as I believe it to be the simplest way to apply but using a brush would work just the same.

Below are a few of my favourite brands that have wonderful ranges of cream formulated and pretty eyeshadows :

Starting on the drugstore end of the spectrum, I'd like to give a hand over to possibly the most talked about eyeshadows from the lower side of the market - Maybelline Colour Tattoos. From the moment I started wearing ON AND ON BRONZE two years ago, I fell in love and have always labelled it as a holy grail makeup product. This particular shade is perfect for day and night occasions and make a perfect base for a warm, brown autumn eye look.

Moving on to a recent favourite of mine - the Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks. I can't get enough of the pigmentation, even the most gentlest swipe on the hand and you're left with a beam of colour. The shade I got is a mix between champagne/taupe; a great addition to any smoky eye look. Can't wait to be wearing more of this throughout the cooler months.

Another cult favourite of both mine and other makeup fanatics are the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. I have 3 shades; milk (white), Yoghurt (pink) and French Fries (bronze). Milk is absolutely incredible for a base or to brighten the eye. If you want to read an in depth review about these just click HERE. Personally, I'm a big fan of the stick-shaped cream shadows as they are less messy and simple to apply.

Sliding smoothly onto the more expensive cream shadows, we have the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows. I've been wearing RSVP for a year now and it is the ONE to wear on a 'no-makeup, makeup day'. It gives a glowing, awakened look to the eye as well as creating a pretty pink/champagne sheen on the lid. Oh, and the packaging is to die for!!!

Finally, here come my favourite of all - MAC PAINT POTS. I'm sure you've heard a lot about these are it is constantly talked about all over the blogger community. The easy-to-blend formula makes these cream shadows a dream to apply, not to mention the extensive colour range Mac has to offer. The shades I have are bare study - a classic champagne/cream colour which works fabulous as a base or primer, and rubenesque - an orange, metallic shade that is very autumn appropriate (the various colours it shares when it reflects is beyond gorgeous!)

ARE YOU A FAN OF CREAM EYESHADOWS? WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE EYESHADOW CLASSICS?

Love

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

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First off, I'd like to let you all know that today's post is part of a collab with Molly Smith from mollyisabelsmith.blogspot.co.uk. Alternatively, she has created a daytime and more natural look - the complete opposite of my intense eye makeup and bold lips. You can also find Molly on @mollyisabels on both twitter and instagram. It has been lovely working with her and I would be so grateful, as would she, if you went over to her blog and checked out her post.

Creating a bolder, intense makeup look is one of my ultimate past times; I love indulging in deeper lip colours and throwing dark shades onto my eyes. I just so happen to enter my own little bubble of serenity when I alter my makeup to something more dramatic than the regular day time face. Starting with the face, something I don't drastically transform, I opt for a full-coverage foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC15). This works well when faking a flawless complexion as well as lasting the entire evening, whether you be going out to a fancy restaurant or partying all night long, this foundation will stay put. The only other change in my face makeup is contouring. Personally, I like to contour my face A LOT when I'm wearing evening makeup. I apply my Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in the hollows of my cheeks, my temples, under my jaw and sometimes on the tip of my nose; contouring is a great way to dramatise your makeup from day to night. In the look above, I also used Mac's Soft&Gentle to highlight, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer to eliminate appearance of under eye cirles/highlight my T-Zone and Mac's Fleur Power for a subtle hint of blush. 

The primary focal point of the look comes down to the eyes. Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Eternal Gold was perfect for creating a base on the eyelid. This helps to avoid creasing and maintain the eyeshadow applied on top. Next, I turned to my trusty Naked 2 palette and applied SNAKEBITE through the crease until fully blended. If you aren't comfortable using black eyeshadow, then skip the next step - I decided to increase the intensity by defining my outer corner. This was easily done by adding the darkest, opaque shade in the Naked 2 palette - blackout. Little by little, I tapped this onto my outer corner and blended thoroughly to ensure no harsh lines were present. To finish the eye look, I added some golden liquid glitter from Essence and painted on some winged liner. My lashes were lengthened and volumized using Smashbox's mascara; I also went under my eye with snakebite to define my eye shape.

Deciding on a lip colour was the final challenge. Owning many a dark lip, it was a difficult decision but in the end I chose Maybelline's Colour Drama Lip Pencil in Berry Much. Rich purples look undeniably fabulous with dramatic eyes and definitely a go-to of mine. Also, I think a ruby red lip would look equally as gorgeous with this eye makeup - gold and red are a great combo!

Thank you for reading and don't forget to check out Molly's post!

Lots of love

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils // Review

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils // Review

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Hey there everybody!

I hope you are all well this Saturday evening. Tonight I have a review on one of my favourite eye products ever...the phenomenal and infamous NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. Seeing as they were so popular, I decided to buy a few colours to try over the past few months in my local Next and when I went on holiday to Ireland, as they fortunately had a stand there.
Carry on reading if you wish to find out more about these little gems, even if you've seen 343243 beauty bloggers already post and rave about them.

I decided to buy three contrasting colours so that I was able to incorporate each of them into various looks. The three colours are:

Milk - A pure white. You have probably seen every beauty guru, youtuber and blogger talk about  using this eye pencil as a blank canvas before the use of eye shadow. This helps to ensure the colours you use on top 'pop' and increases the vibrancy and pigmentation of the shadow - it honestly does! This is a staple for your makeup collection; milk is suuuper long-lasting, works well on the waterline as well as the lid and a great eye opener in the inner corner. My favourite out of the three by far!

Yogurt - A subtle, yet flattering pink. Although it looks very metallic in the swatch and when first applied, you can really blend it out to great a beautiful champagne sheen, perfect for the lid. I would totally recommend this shade to those who love natural makeup/don't like to wear a lot. I tend to wear this during the day with lighter makeup; it looks amazing on its own with a thin sweep of eyeliner.

French Fries - A brown with gold/olive undertones. Despite having used this the least of the three, I really love the colour pay off and turn out. The olive/gold/brown tones really reflect off the eyelid and create the prettiest dark smokey eye - the colour when intensely applied really reminds me of Mac's melon pigment. I am sure to be wearing this a lot more now we have entered the cooler months, as I opt more for warmer, darker colours on the eye.

Packaging wise, I think they are pretty simplistic - a white pencil shaped product with a transparent plastic lid, handy when you want to find the colour you want fast. The only issue is that the writing comes off fairly easily, but this isn't much of a problem as the colours can be easily seen.

When looking at pigmentation, these babies have got it all. The swatches above say it all really - one swipe and BAM - an intense, bold colour, exactly the same as it looks in the pencil. The creamy formula is always a plus for me too because they are incredibly easy to blend, whether you want it all over the lid or in the crease. I also love how these don't tug on your eye lids, as some products similar to this tend to do.
Overall, 10/10 for these amazing little pencils, and for such an affordable value. I bought each of these for just £5.00 each in the UK and Ireland - soooo worth the money. I intend to purchase lots of these in the future and might even sneak a few onto my Christmas list..hehe! I recommend this to all those who love a good ol' cream shadow, an amazing bargain and all those that are eye shadow fans in general.

Any further questions on the product that you didn't think I covered, please comment below at the end of this post.

Love you all lots x

Lash Fibres // Review

Lash Fibres // Review

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Hey guys, 

I've got a mini review for you today on the Essence Volumizing Lash Powder kit I purchased in Wilko for just £1.50. I was completely amazed by the outcome, considering how inexpensive the product was. I can't wait to show you what this cheap little kit has to offer to your lashes. Keep reading if you want to know how to achieve the same results as I do in the photos below.

Here goes...

Picture 1 - No Mascara
Picture 2 - With Macara
Picture 3 - Mascara and Lash Fibres

To achieve the best from this wonderful set, I firstly apply one coat of mascara, I used Benefit's They're Real, then the desired amount of fibres using the little brush provided. This can get messy but the more you use it, the quicker the process becomes. After applying the fibres, I apply a final coat of mascara to blacken the white fibres.

Honestly, I can see a distinct difference in my eyelashes, even from just the mascara to the fibres. I am so surprised with how much difference it has made to my lashes - not only lengthening but thickening too! Overall, they aren't horrifically messy or difficult to apply, the final piece is beyond fantastic AND you get a great deal for only a smidgen of your money. A definite repurchase!

I'm excited to try out more lash fibres in the future and would love it if you could leave a message letting me know if you have ever tried them before and your experiences. Maybe you could recommend a brand to me? 

Thank you for all your help and for reading. I am so close to 200 followers on Bloglovin now and I am so grateful. I love you all millions.

HUGE Beauty Haul

HUGE Beauty Haul

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I have a very exciting post for you all today; hauls are my personal favourite type of posts to read! Last week, I went away to Hemsby, a little town about ten minutes from Great Yarmouth, with my family and my best friend Megan. We took quite a bit of money with us because we knew we wanted to have a massive make up splurge considering we are both incredibly obsessed. After searching for hours in different drugstores and having a colourful hands full of swatches, we ended up spending almost all of our money on beauty items...oops! Prepare for a long post....

Face

Rimmel BB Cream (RRP £6.99)

I have wanted a BB Cream for absolutely ages now and when I saw that this beauty balm claimed to have 9 in 1, I was obviously intrigued. This Rimmel BB Cream claims it: primes, moisturises, minimises pores,conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens and helps protect. It also has SPF 25 and is in the shade 'MEDIUM'. I have only tried this a few times since I've purchased it and I'm loving it so far - I really wanted something light to wear on my face for the summer because foundation can sometimes feel to heavy and cakey. So far, I totally agree with 6 of the 9 things the cream supposedly obtains but I still have yet to get into this little beauty so I will let you all know how I get on with it if you are interested.

MUA Blush in Bon Bon (RRP £1)

 There is no specific reason for buying this MUA blush, except for my love of the brand and that it is really inexpensive at a bargain price of £1. I chose the shade 'Bon Bon' because pink blushers are my favourite and I didn't own any subtle candy pink blushes. The packaging is obviously quite basic, but I wasn't really expecting anything amazing from a £1 priced product. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Mono Blush in Santa Rose (RRP £3.99)

Even since I bought this blush, I have been using it as a highlighter. It is an EXTREMELY subtle matte peachy colour and looks so pretty on the cheekbone. Rimmel had a clearance stand, which held this product, as I believe this is the old packaging for the mono blushes. I ended up picking another bargain blush for £1.98! I had to take advantage of this and I'm sure I will be getting great use out of this product, especially in the Summer period.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (RRP for full product £30)

I haven't got much to say about this product because I haven't actually tried this out yet. I received this in a GLAMOUR magazine; they are also giving away mini Clinique chubby sticks and mascaras. I intended to get a chubby stick but they had all been taken so I went for this. I have heard amazing things about Clinique skincare so I'm hoping to fall in love with this product.

Eyes

L'Oreal Colour Infaillible Eyeshadow Pigments (RRP £6.99)

Swatches from left to right: Endless Chocolat, Purple Obsession, Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turquoise, Burning Black

I have absolutely fallen in love with L'Oreal products recently.Their eye products have impressed me the most though; their eyeshadows, pigments and mascaras are incredible and I would highly recommend them to you all. I bought 5 different colours: 012 Endless Chocolat, 005 Purple Obsession, 036 Naughty Strawberry, 031 Innocent Turquoise and 013 Burning Black. My favourite has to be Innocent Turquoise because of how unique it is to anything in my collection - it reminds me of a shade I want from Mac (Steamy). I haven't used these a great deal but am very excited to try them all out - they are incredibly pigmented, as seen in the swatches above.

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadows (RRP £5.49)

601 Levant Soleil

502 Quartz Fumé

These are so beautiful!!! The photos don't even capture the beauty of these, which is really sad. I believe these are part of the new L'Oreal eyeshadow range and I love how gorgeous they look in their packaging. I just NEEDED to buy them.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze (RRP £4.49)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Golden Bronze (RRP £4.99)

Rimmel's Scandaleyes range is incredible and after trying out their Retro Glam mascara I had to pick up some other Scandaleyes goodies! The swatches prove how amazing these are going to look on the eyes, I can't wait to try and recreate some looks with these products!

Calvin Klein Tempting Glimmer Cream Eyeshadow (RRP £15.50)

Recently, I have been loving cream eyeshadows because they are so simple to use whilst till looking so pretty. I chose a deep purple called 'GOLD VELVET' and a brown copper colour in 'RETRO BRONZE'. I have three other of CK's tempting glimmers and they are equally as pretty as these colours.

Bodyshop Baked Eyeshadow in Copper (RRP £7)

To begin with, I picked up an absolute bargain because I bought this for only £2 - it was in the reduced section. Neutral eyeshadows are my favourite so I tend to get drawn to browns, coppers, bronze and gold colours. I chose this eyeshadow clearly for that reason, but another plus is that I luuuurve baked eyeshadows; they last FOREVER! 

Rimmel GlamEyesMono Eyeshadow (RRP £4.49)

Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base (RRP £2.29)

Finally, to end the eyes section of this VERY LONG haul post, is this Essence I Love Stage eyeshadow base. I have used this quite a few times since I bought it. The application is easy; I just pat it into my eyelid with my finger which creates an even, smooth base,and primer, for my eyeshadow to be applied onto.

Lips

Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Aurora (RRP £6.99)

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya (£7.99)

Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Vivacious (RRP £5.99)

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Funk (RRP £3)

Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in Silky Red (RRP £2.29)

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers in Big Bang and Apocalyptic (RRP £6.49)

Bodyshop Born Lippys (RRP £2 each)

Bomb Cosmetics Lipology Balm in Chocolate Jaffa Orange (RRP £1.99)

I've decided not to write anything about my lip products for three reasons. 1. This blogpost is already way too long. 2. If any of you have any questions about the products then you can just comment below asking me and I will respond very quickly. 3. I tend to do Lipstick reviews fairly often so I don't want to write too much about these products in case I write a review in the near future.

Nails

Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck (RRP £5.99)

MINT GREEN! I have been wanting this for ages and am so glad I finally have it. I've already painted my finger nails in this, it is the most gorgeous mint green colour and also has the cutest name. Can't wait to hear the new cosmetics Tanya Burr is releasing this year!!!

If you aren't asleep yet, well done and thank you for reading. Sorry for my lack of commitment recently, I've just been very busy, my internet has cut out and I've been on holiday and I'm going on holiday again on Sunday. Write to me in the comments and I will respond to you all :-) Love you all x

Char Xx