Urban Decay Naked2: the smoky-eye lover's holy grail

It's official.  

If I could only pick one product to use every day for the rest of my life, if would be Urban Decay's Naked2 palette.  For all of the self proclaimed smoky-eyeaholics out there, Naked2 has been sent to us to answer all of our eye-shadow dilemmas. 

Black eye-liner and dark eye-shadows found themselves being the most used products in my make-up bag ever since I started experimenting with cosmetics during my high school years.  I wouldn't leave the house without popping a jet black Kohl into my jacket pocket.    Applied, and re-applied haphazardly throughout the course of drunken teenage nights, my youthful flirtation with these products eventually blossomed into a long-term romance.  If there's one thing that defines my look, it's my love for smoky eyes (that, and stripy shirts).

The day-time look smoky eye I created with Urban Decay's Naked2 palette

It's my passion for the smoky-eyed look (and the quest to perfect it and experiment with it) which lead me into discovering Urban Decay's Naked2 eye-shadow palette.  The phenomenal success of the original Naked palette, released in the summer of 2010, spurred on Urban Decay into revamping the best-seller - thus Naked2 was launched at the end of 2011. 

Whereas the original Naked palette contained 12 neutral bronze and cocoa shades, Naked2 is made up of 12 neutral taupe and greige (greyish beige, hellooooo!) shades.  Ranging from dreamy creams (perfect used as base colours and highlighting the brow bone) to sultry coppers, gunmetal greys and the blackest of blacks - Naked2 is versatile enough to be worn during the day, as well as evenings, when a little more sex appeal and sultriness is called for.  

Before I go any further with this review, it's best to say now, that Naked2 (or the original Naked) doesn't come at a cheap price - £36 (ouch) to be exact.  Luckily, I managed to get hold of Naked2 for £19.99 from a seller on Ebay who distributes factory seconds.  This meant the cardboard box the palette came in was superficially damaged, but the actual product was untouched and in perfect condition.  

Still, £19.99 is a huge amount to blow on eye-shadow - but let me reassure you, the price is absolutely justified.  

I am blown away with the quality of the pigment-rich shades, the sturdy metal tin the product comes in (complete with mirror) as well as the double-ended eye-shadow brush included inside.  Still not convinced?  After a whole day of wearing, the shadows do not crease on my eyelids!  Crease free eye-shadow at last!  Hallelujah!

The 12 shades included are...

Foxy: a semi-matte creamy white

  Half Baked (also in the original Naked palette): a deep shimmering copper

Bootycall: a semi-matte cream

Chopper: a shimmering light bronze

 Tease: a semi-matte taupe

Snakebite: a shimmering grey/taupe

 Suspect: a lightly shimmering grey taupe

 Pistol: a shimmering gun metal grey

 Verve: a lightly shimmering creamy silver

YDK: a shimmery greyish bronze

Busted: a shimmering deep purply bronze

 Blackout: a matte blackest black

I fell in love with the colours included - they're not too orangey and harsh, minimal fall-out and most importantly, perfectly suit my light olive skin tone. I checked out the shades in the original Naked and I think Naked2 is less harsh and more wearable.  The possibilities of colour combinations/effects you can create with Naked2 are endless - there's colours subtle and natural enough to wear day to day, and most importantly, there's colours you can use to create the perfect sultry and seriously sexy smoky eye.

Below is step-by-step how I created the day-time smoky eye look with Naked2.  For a night-time smoky eye, I would simply add more of "Blackout" on my upper and lower lash line and more of "Busted" on my whole eyelid.

1.  Cover the whole lid and brow bone with "Bootycall"

2. Highlight the brow bone with "Foxy"

3.  Follow the crease of the lid with "Pistol" and blend upwards towards the brow bone 

4.  Cover the outer 3rd of eyelid with "Snakebite" and blend outwards

5. Apply "Bootycall" as you would with liquid eye-liner and blend well

6. Use "YDK" underneath the eye and blend well in a downwards sweep

7.  Finish with lashings of black mascara and black eye-liner on the waterline to make the eyes pop!

I really can't find any negatives with this product, apart from the obvious fact that it is quite expensive.  But I've had this product for around 3 months, and have used it almost every day and the shadows look barely touched.  The pigments are so rich you don't need to use a lot on your brush to get an effective result.  All of my other eye-shadows are now redundant because of this

The only criticism I have is that the two lightest shades, "Foxy" and "Bootycall" are really quite similar.  Other than that - girls, what are you waiting for?  I can guarantee you'll love  Naked2!  

Do you own the original Naked palette?

Which palette do you prefer - Naked or Naked2?

Love, kisses + smoky eyes

xo

Batiste welcome gorgeous new scents for summer

Earlier this week, I was thrilled when Batiste sent me some of their latest products to try out.  

I'm sure you girls are well aware of who Batiste are - but if you're not, they are THE dry shampoo company.  I say this because before Batiste, dry shampoo was relatively unheard of, despite being invented back in the 1970s.  

However, Batiste have helped to revive and popularise (dare I say it? single-handedly) this miraculous, bad hair day saving product.  Apart from rescuing thousands of us from attacks of teenage greasy hair syndrome over the years, it's fair to say almost every haircare company have taken Batiste's lead and have released their own dry shampoo.

The three latest additions to Batiste's ever-expanding wardrobe of scents are fruity and cheeky "Cherry", seductive and elegant "Lace", and sassy and daring "Wild".  I really love how Batiste are evolving, as they seem to be focusing on the design of the tins and choosing fragrances which appeal to girls as individuals, based on their personal style and interests.  

After all, we know the product does exactly what it says on the tin, so the only thing Batiste can do now is experiment with scent and packaging. 

But, which one will you be throwing in your suitcase this summer?  Cherry, Lace or Wild?  Read on to find out.

Cherry

"fruity & cheeky"

Style icons: Katy Perry, Dita Von Teese and Paloma Faith

What "Cherry" smells like...

Despite the name, Cherry doesn't have a particularly cherryish fragrance, which disappointed me a bit. The scent however is not unpleasant, it's light and fruity and is bound to appeal to younger fans of Batiste and those of you who prefer subtle fragrance.  And with a kitsch cherry-print design inspired by vintage glamour and bygone eras, Cherry is bound to be a hit amongst burlesque-y babes and retro lovers.

A few of your favourite things...

Polka dots, red lipstick, pearls, ribbons, pretty dresses, ice-cream sundaes, vintage cars, John Travolta in Grease, half-moon manicures,  lusting after Christian Louboutin heels

Where to buy?

Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Wilkinsons, Savers and Lloyds chemists for £2.99 (200ml)

Lace

"seductive & elegant"

Style icons: Florence Welch, Alexa Chung and Fearne Cotton

What "Lace" smells like...

With a hearty base of white musk, cedarwood and sandalwood, flirty top notes of citrus, nutmeg and pink pepper and a generous dose of floral tones including rose, orchid, iris, jasmine and ylang-ylang, Lace is Batiste's most grown-up and sophisticated scent to date.  Fans of classic scents such as Chanel No.5 and Miss Dior Cherie will fall in love with this; if not for the dreamy fragrance, the design inspired by vintage embroidery and lace is guaranteed to make you swoon.  The scent of Lace is not unpleasant by any means, but may be too heavy and cloying for some.

A few of your favourite things...

Lace dresses, collecting vintage jewellery, leather handbags, drinking tea, romance, visiting museums and art galleries, old-school starlets like Audrey Hepburn and Anna Karina 

Where to buy?

Available in Boots and Superdrug for £2.99 (200ml)

Wild

"sassy & daring"

Style icons: Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Jessie J

What "Wild" smells like...

A seriously sexy blend of cocoa, oriental florals, delicious vanilla, heady musk and wood - Wild is by far my favourite of Batiste's new releases.  Bold and edgy, Wild instantly reminded me of Thierry Mugler's special edition of Angel, magnified with bitter cocoa powder, from his "Le Gout Du Parfum" range.  And with a design inspired by sassy animal print, which has experienced a huge revival in the fashion world, your dresser can look as chic as your wardrobe.

A few of your favourite things...

Your leather jacket, eyeliner, house parties, false eyelashes, sequins, festivals, dancing, animal print, experimenting with new hairstyles, sky-scraper heels

Where to buy?

A Boots exclusive, grab yours now for £2.99 (200ml)

_____

Which new Batiste fragrance will you be buying?

Which Batiste dry-shampoo is your favourite?

What fragrance would you like to see released by Batiste?

Love, peace + dry-shampooed ponytails

xo

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own.  I have not been paid to advertise products- it is something I do for fun in my spare time, however endeavour to deliver honest reviews.  If you would like to use any of my original photography featured on the blog, feel free, but please link back to me and give credit where due.

review: "cupcake" facemask by lush

When I'm PMSing, I may as well be hooked up to a drip of liquid chocolate.  Apart from stuffing my face full of all of the beige food I can find (custard cream biscuits, mashed potato, crisps, fudge, peanuts, cheese, bread - or if I'm feeling extra fat, a mashed potato sandwich), chocolate is without a doubt my go-to food when my monthly friend pays a visit.  I say friend, it's anything but my friend.  It leaves me fat, spotty and miserable.

So you can only imagine my delight, when my sister brought me home a pot of Lush's chocolate "Cupcake" face mask.  Why just eat chocolate, when you can smother it all over your face too?!  This is brilliant.  Why didn't I think of this before?  

For £5.75 for a 75g pot of FRESH face mask (free of preservatives and chemical nasties), Cupcake is by far one of my favourite items from the skin care range Lush has to offer.  


I first bought it a few years ago when suffering quite badly from troublesome teenage skin, and was amazed by how much it soothed the angry red lumps and bumps.  I always liked to think that my "teenage" acne would piss off, ideally the day I turned 20.  I dreamt of the day I'd wake up with flawless dewy skin, but it's yet to happen.  In fact, it's only the other day my sister described my face as looking like a "greasy potato".  Aren't sisters great?  But no, at nearly 21 and a half years old, I am STILL suffering and work very hard to keep my skin under control.

Crammed full of ingredients which work to purify (rhassoul mud), soothe (linseed infusion), cleanse and tone  (fresh mint, spearmint oil) and moisturise (cocoa butter) all at once, Cupcake is a must have for oily skin types prone to breakouts.  


It left my skin feeling smoother and my pores looked visibly smaller, all whilst delivering a much needed moisture kick to patches on my skin which have been dried out by acne treatments.  And for a product which looks and smells like chocolate, you can indulge in it as much as you like without worrying about calorie counting!

Pros

:)  Easy to apply

:)  Soothes inflamed skin and reduces painful swelling 

:)  Great value for money!  A little goes a very long way

:)  Purifies, soothes, cleanses, tones and moisturises in one easy step

:)  IT'S MADE FROM CHOCOLATE

:)  IT SMELLS OF CHOCOLATE

:)  I LOVE CHOCOLATE

Cons

:(  Can be very messy!  Needs to be washed off as soon as it starts drying, otherwise you end up with crumbly brown bits EVERYWHERE

:(  The moisturising cocoa butter should be blended into the mixture more, instead of appearing like little chunks!  As the fresh face masks should be kept in the fridge, the lumps of cocoa butter don't melt when the mask is so cold

Who would I recommend this product to?

Girls (and boys!) with oily skin who suffer from breakouts of underlying painful boils and spots.  This product is amazing at soothing acne prone skin, especially when applied straight from the fridge, and removed by gently wiping away with a cold flannel.

Rating

5/5 (no, really, I love it that much)

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own.  I have not been paid to advertise products- it is something I do for fun in my spare time, however endeavour to deliver honest reviews.  If you would like to use any of my original photography featured on the blog, feel free, but please link back to me and give credit where due.

review: john frieda 'go blonder' range

Like a little sucker, the day after I got my hair blonde, I was straight down the shops looking for new hair care products to adorn *cough* clutter *cough* my dresser.  I really could open my own branch of Boots from my bedroom as the amount of cosmetics/beauty + hair products I own is insane.  

On a not so glamorous trip to ASDA with Mother Bear, I made a beeline for my favourite isle!    Oh yes, I have a favourite isle.

No not the cake isle!  

THE SMELLIES ISLE!  For all of you who are confused by the word "smellies" I'm not surprised.  It's one of those words either your family uses or doesn't.  Anyway, one offer caught my attention - ASDA currently have a 3 for £10 promotion on luxury haircare.  I normally buy all my cosmetics from Boots; when I compared the prices they also have a 3 for £10 on the same lines.  

The 3 items I chose were the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder shampoo, and the conditioner from the same range (normal price £5.89 each for a 250ml bottle), and the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder lightening spray (normal price £6.99 for a 100ml bottle). 

PACKAGING:
Not the prettiest - I absolutely adore ultra-girly packaging by brand such as Soap & Glory, and packaging is obviously the first thing that attracts someone to a product. But it's not the outside what counts, it's what the product does.  The bright white and yellow bottles can be spotted for a mile off, so I suppose that's a good thing.  However, the packaging is nothing special and if the product hadn't been on offer it wouldn't have jumped out at me.

SMELL/CONSISTENCY/VALUE:

I love fragrant products, and this is where the range really disappointed me.  I expected a pretty-smelling shampoo and conditioner, and is the minimum you'd expect from a high end product like this.  It's clean and simple smelling with a hint of menthol, but nothing special.  


The consistency of the shampoo was good, and it lathered well- it's really thick so you don't need a lot (a 50p sized piece is more than enough for long hair), and the conditioner was rich and creamy.  A little really does go a long way; use this product sparingly and it would last you 2 months or more.  Personally, I'm going to use this product a few times a week as a way of brightening up my hair if I'm going on a night out/somewhere special - so hopefully it will last me longer than that!  


The lightening spray is just a liquid you apply to your hair after you've washed it and whilst it's still damp.  I sprayed liberally around my crown and blow dried my hair on a low heat (this product is heat activated so it's probably best to avoid straightening/high heat because you could really dry out your hair).

EFFECTIVENESS:
After one use of the shampoo and conditioner, I really did notice a change in the colour of my newly blonde hair.  No, it wasn't drastic, and if you're looking for a miracle product, this isn't it.  Ultimately, to get bright blonde tresses, highlights are the way to go.  The shampoo and conditioner will simply enhance your blonde and will make it really dazzle. However, my hair certainly did look brighter and a more "clear" blonde, and it really helped to tone down the coppery tones.  The spray on the other hand...WOW.  I read reems of negative, terrifying reviews on the net so was apprehensive.  I have used the spray twice now, and it's helped to lift the darker parts of my hair that will be lightened even further when I go for my second round of highlights.  The darker bits now blend in much better with the blonder parts of my hair.

PROS:

:) Such a bargain when it's on an offer 3 for £10, you'll save around £7 if you take advatange of this!


:) The conditioner left my hair feeling extremely soft and manageable, despite it being processed quite heavily over the past week.


:) The lightening spray (when used CORRECTLY!) is amazing in brightening up existing highlights and blending roots and darker patches.

CONS:

X The price of this stuff when not on promotion is a bit steep, and I can't imagine a lot of students could afford to replenish their supplies on a regular basis.  However, I would be prepared to pay the £6.99 non-promotional price of the lightening spray, as it works absolute wonders.


X After I rinsed the shampoo off, my hair did feel quite dry- however the conditioner worked amazingly well in restoring moisture levels which the shampoo had stripped my hair of.

X There's no denying the huge numbers of mainly negative reviews on the lightening spray.  My hair is slightly damaged from taking it from black to blonde, but that's to be expected, and it's nothing a deep conditioning treatment and a good trim can't sort.  But if your hair is naturally dry, or really damaged/brittle from colouring, I honestly wouldn't recommend you use this.  Personally, the lightening spray made my hair feel a tad dry after use, but after a good old dousing with Argan oil treatment, it's back to being its silky-soft self.  If in doubt, do a patch test before spraying it all over.  DO NOT USE THE LIGHTENING SPRAY DAILY.  Once a week will suffice!

OVERALL VERDICT:

Shampoo 3/5

Conditioner 4/5

Lightening spray 4/5 (if used correctly and sparingly)

*BEWARE*

! Do not use the Lightening Spray on intensely lightened/bleached hair, there's a big risk you'll damage your already over-processed locks (this product comes with a warning on the packaging).  The spray contains hydrogen peroxide AKA bleach!  This stuff can be nasty and extremely damaging.  You have been warned. ! 


Love, hugs + blonde ponytails
xo

i heard that you like the bad girls, honey is that true?

There's no surprise really, that on Monday, the one thing on my list of priorities (apart from prolonging my lie-in for as long as possible) was going onto itunes to download a copy of Lana Del Rey's eagerly anticipated debut album "Born To Die".  

From the second I discovered her, flicking through the music channels one rainy day, I became instantly transfixed by the haunting beauty of "Video Games" (below) as well as developing a penchant for the crazy Miss Paz De La Huerta after her cameo in the video.  For those who don't know who Paz De La Huerta is, youtube her.  She's a drunken hot mess and I love her. 

And so, like a junkie I've been fiending to get another fix of LDR.  Much safer than a fix of LSD, I'm sure you'll all agree. I am officially a Lana Del Rey enthusiast.  Read enthusiast as stalker.  And with 15 meaty tracks, "Born To Die" certainly does not disappoint.   

Lana Del Rey, real name Elizabeth Grant, is a 25 year old New Yorker who doesn't hide the fact she had an extremely privileged upbringing - she wouldn't be out of place amongst the Blair and Serena's of the world.  


She has been described as a "self-style gangster Nancy Sinatra" (and aside from the fact she's drop dead gorgeous and wouldn't look out of place on the cover of a 1960s Vogue, all dough-eyed and pouting in her sex-kitten fashion) Lana brings a well needed touch of old-school class and theatrics to an industry drowning in a sea of auto-tuned, carbon copy mannequins.  Imagine the best parts of Nancy Sinatra, Kate Bush, Paloma Faith and Lykke Li crammed into one perfectly presented package, and you have Lana Del Rey.

Opening the album is the title track, which does a pretty good job of showing how the album means to go on.  Bold orchestral soundtracks with melancholy harmonies strung over hip-hop influenced beats, peppered with bitter-sweet lyrics of love lost, ill-fated romances and times gone by, all whilst being sung alternating between a voice with the ability of being seductive husky in one breath and bone-chillingly sad in the next.  Not to mention the fact the whole album is so well produced, reminiscent of Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", almost too well produced; it's rich in emotion, jam-packed with stringed instruments and brimming full of killer lyrics.  


LDR is guaranteed to strike a chord with the melodramatic and the souls amongst us who have experienced heartache and break.  I'm not ashamed to say I'm one of them.    Listen to  "Summertime Sadness", "Dark Paradise" and "Lucky Ones" at your own risk, you could end up in tears.  Especially you ladies...you know, when it's your time of the month and a clip of a hamster getting put down on Animal Hospital can leave you emotionally bereft.  Slow indie-pop ballads with a retro feel seems to be what Lana does best.  

"Off To The Races" is a slightly macabre number with obvious sexual undertones, which could well be the musical interpretation of Vladimir Nabokov's infamous Lolita, with the opening lines of the book being recycled as lyrics- "light of my fire, light of my loins".  LDR's own nymphoesque contribution of "I'm your little scarlet, starlet, singing in the garden" paints a rather seedy picture in your mind of a very young girl desperately lusting over an older (perhaps creepy) man.  Perhaps what is more disturbing is that LDR sings in a way which is unsettlingly child-like, something which is prominent throughout the album, most notably on "Lolita" (surprise, surprise) and the beloved "Video Games".  


The glamorous lifestyle Lana has always known has been a blatant inspiration.  In between the melancholy and despair, we're given lovely delicious little slices of the opulent and hedonistic lifestyles lead by the privileged upper-class, even if it does feel slightly arrogant.  The best examples of this are in "Radio" ("my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in") and "National Anthem" ("money is the reason we exist, everybody knows it, it's a fact").  All this is done whilst injecting a satisfying dose of wholesome Americana in the form Western style guitar and banjo, putting LDR in very good stead if there ever was another Bond Film; I can imagine her penning the soundtrack, or even starring as a Bond girl.  Imagine Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger" with even more attitude, an added hip-hop beat and a little brashness.  


For £9.99, the deluxe edition was well worth the money.  So, if you've read this and think you'd enjoy, get yourself on itunes.  If you don't want the whole album, the tracks are available for 99p each.  I've put together a mini-listing which I think best encapsulates "Born To Die."

Video Games

Born To Die

National Anthem

Blue Jeans

Off To The Races

Lucky Ones

Overall, the album will no doubt allow Lana to make significant impact on the mainstream music industry.  One criticism of the album is that there doesn't seem to be any tracks which feel genuinely positive or uplifting - however, all tracks are moving in a sad, brooding kind of way.  I would have loved to have heard more hip-hop rhythms and synths, but otherwise, a cracking debut which has already earnt it's place amongst my most played on itunes.

Rating: 4/5