August Favourites 2011

Another month where i don't know where it's gone! 

This year is swinging by so fast! 

I've  had a few exciting new things in August, despite being on a shopping ban. In all fairness a lot of the stuff i have aquired this month has been the result of a credit card balance transfer which actually left my previous card in CREDIT!! Red rag to a bull or WHAT!! There were other things i received that i had ordered in July (and so they dont count towards an August shopping ban. HA!).

So here are my favourites for this month. It is not necessarily all NEW stuff, but stuff that I have really been reaching for lately.

August was the month that i FINALLY got the chance to own the Urban decay Naked Palette. Like so many I had been lusting after it for such a long time and when the lovely Ms. Red mentioned that she was planning to sell hers, i handed over my paypal details fast as lightning! And it hasn't let me down. I've really enjoyed using it and there are firm favourites emerging. Naked and Buck are perfect for everyday and Half Baked is just BEAUTIFUL as are Smog and Sidecar. Who am i kidding... the whole thing is FABULOUS! 

There are TWO lip products in this month's favourites. Mainly because i just couldn't choose between the two of them. I have been reaching for one of these two products EVERY day without fail. 

Elf Matte Lip Colour in Natural - I got this as part of a little haul i did from Elf and i love it! Its kind of like a lip pencil and lip colour in one and really does allow for a precise application. The shade is just a lovely natural pinky nude and I bet it would suit almost ANYONE! For a matte product it's not TOO drying, unlike some. I do sometimes pop a little Carmex over it but I don't find it to be an issue. I recommend that EVERYONE pick one of these up next time you order from Elf. At £3.50 it really is a little GEM and comes in a range of colours. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in (700) Nude Delight - This has been a feature in my make up bag for several months now, but it wasn't until it went MISSING earlier this month that i realised just how much it meant to me! Off i trotted to Boots to buy a replacement. It's just such a perfect Nude and feels GORGEOUS on the lips. I find it very peachy in tone, which is always a winner for me as i looooove my peachy things. I used this lipstick in my previous FOTD post as well as in my Halo post so if you would like to see what it looks like in all lights do check them out. LOVE LOVE LOVE. 

Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara - This was a bit of an impulse purchase on my part back in July. I'd popped into Boots with the sole intention of purchasing cotton buds (woooo exciting) but, as usual i entered through the make-up end and was greeted with a £2 off promotion on this mascara. I'd heard good things so i sneakily snapped it up. Great purchase! I'm particularly impressed with the lengthening wand (the slimmer of the 2) because it doesn't pick up as much product and is perfect for bottom lashes as well as a subtle lengthening effect on the top. The fatter volumising wand is nice as well but does tend to pick up a LOT of product. i suspect this will be a mascara that works better as it dries up a little. I really like it. Winner!

I can't do my favourites for this month without mentioning my new Elf Studio Brushes. I picked up the Stipple brush, the Blush brush and the Contour/Crease brush. These have really made my life easier. I'm especially in love with the Stipple brush and it's been BRILLIANT for applying my foundation. The Taklon bristles are VERY soft and because its got different length bristles is distributes and holds on to the product brilliantly and i find i actually need LESS product when i use this brush. 

Last but not least is the new Garnier BB Cream (Medium). I'm not gonna lie, i heard the hype about this product and after playing with it in Boots and putting it back, the next time i went in i just HAD to get it just to see what all the fuss was about. And i do REALLY like it! It makes my skin feel GORGEOUS all day and does actually cover rather well! I find i do need to powder my nose with it as i gives a dewy finish and certainly isn't mattifying but if. like me, you're within spitting distance of 30 and want a product that will take care of your skin as well as giving you the colour and coverage, I'd definitely encourage you to at least TRY it. It doesn't break the bank at £9.99 either. Full review Here 

So those are my little gems from the last month. Hope everyone had a great August and those who went on holiday had a FAB time (JEALOUS!!)

What were your favourites for August? Link me to your posts/videos cos i love reading them

FOTD Ft BeneFit Dallas and Eye Bright

Boy, am i glad to see you girlies!!

I've had to work this afternoon, even though it's a much needed rest day for me. 7pm couldn't come quick enough, let me tell ya! And the pub was DEAD which made it all the more excruciating to wait for hometime! On the plus side, I was working on the bar and not the kitchen so I made a little more effort with my make-up than i normally do for work. Plus i wanted to put my new BeneFit goodies Dallas and Eye Bright under scrutiny for you ladies to see! 

Dallas was the FIRST thing I jumped on when choosing the BeneFit items i wanted on Saturday (read the previous haul post for all the ins and outs of Saturday and the AMAZING time I had working with BeneFit). 

Dallas just seemed to me like a great cross between a blush and a bronzer. It is VERY plummy in the pan and, frankly, can look a bit mucky in some lights, but it swatches to a very nice, natural-looking burnt peach kinda colour with purple undertones (not that you can see these in my swatch.... Bleh).

The other product i experimented with today was the Eye Bright. I was very curious about brightening pencils and snapped this up while i could as it's being discontinued!! 

So I'll pop up the pics and then tell you what i used and how. Please note that i did these in a hurry this morning and did NOT notice the epic eye-gunk FAIL until i got home from work and the light had died on me. Not good when you're trying to demonstrate a product which draws attention to the corners of the eyes haha. I also ask that you ignore my eyebrows (thats another post for another day).

Face: Max Factor Xperience Fdn - 75 Brown hessian

BeneFit Boi-ing Concealer - Shade 2 (under the eyes)

Cheeks: BeneFit Dallas

Eyes: 2 Neutral shades from the Sleek 'Oh So Special' palette

BeneFit Eye Bright

Maybelline One-By-One Mascara in Black

Lips: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - Nude Delight

I'm very pleased with the look of Dallas on me It's a very natural shade and very flattering. The colour payoff is subtle but I'd say this could work for most skintones as it's definitely buildable. I've heard that it can be used as a contour but I think its a teeny bit on the pale side to be used as a contour on me, but then i use my Sleek Contour Kit in Medium mostly for that purpose so it doesn't bother me. 

To apply it i initially tried with the brush that was provided. This does not work as well as it does with my BeneFit Coralista blush which came with an identical brush. The brush is nothing to rave about ANYWAY but is useful for on the go and I find it perfectly acceptable when used with Coralista. For this post i applied Dallas with my Elf Blush Brush (LOVE). 

Onto the Eye Bright.... These photos really aren't the best to demonstrate the product to be honest. Aside from the leaky eye I appear to have smudged my bottom mascara (numpty). But i definitely think it has opened my eyes up and i actually look AWAKE for once!! Even though i just wanted to go back to bed haha .I applied the product in both corners of my eye and along the lower water-line. I think it makes my eyes look a teensy bit bigger too. Bonus!

What are your thoughts on these products?? Do they get the thumbs up?? And don't judge me on my gunky eyes haha ;)

BeneFit, Primark and Sleek HAUL!!!

Evening ladies! 

Wow, what a MAD weekend I've had!! It was mad but VERY fruitful indeed!! 

Yesterday, the very lovely Ms. Natalie of PixieLashes and myself got the opportunity to be BeneBabes for the day with the girls from Chesterfield Boots' BeneFit counter, promoting and demonstrating the NEW 'They're Real' Mascara on it's official launch day. 

We had an AMAZING time and we even managed to sell some mascaras ourselves! In fact, we sold OUT of them!! Got rid of the lot! A job well done. And the best part..... We got our wages for the day in BENEFIT!! We got to pick a goodie bag of 5 tester products as our payment! (NB. Tester products are exactly the same as the regular product except you do not get the applicators with them and they have a sticker on that says TESTER). Best days wage i EVER had!! 

So here's what i got....

First up.... Dallas!!

I've had my eye on this blush/bronzer/powder for quite a while now. It just looks like the most perfect burnt plum/peach shade and is PERFECT for Autumn as it just has that 'look' to it!! Will post with swatches soon so watch this space. I'm so chuffed that i got it!! 

Next up.... Cha Cha Tint!!

I went nuts for this when they first brought it out but never had the opportunity to own it until now. Kind of missed the summery boat with this i suppose but, again, i think the kind of glow that this product gives could make for a lovely Autumnal look.

Up next is BrowZings....

I've been trying to improve the look of my wayward eyebrows lately and have been curious about eyebrow products for a while as i have never really used them in the past. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to take them in hand! BrowZings is a combo of a wax and a powder which you mix together and apply to fill in your brows. These would usually come with 2 mini brushes and a set of teeny tiny tweezers (so cute) but as my product is a tester these were not included. I have an angled brush almost identical anyway so never fear!! The product i have is in the shade Medium.

Onto The PoreFessional...

My lovely friend Liv gave me a sample of this primer/pore minimiser the last time i visited the counter as i had read some good things and really wanted to try it. I liked the feel of it on my skin and the effect it gave so i snapped up the full size product for my goodie bag!!

Last in my bag of loveliness is Eye Bright...

I've been intrigued by the idea of these brightening pencils so when i was told that the BeneFit one was being discontinued i thought I'd be foolish not to pick one up while i still could. It looks like it will last FOREVER anyway and i can't wait to try it out! Anything to make the peepers look bigger and brighter is a win in my book. 

As a little bonus they also included a sample pot of the new Eye Cream which is called It's Potent!

Once we had finished out GRUELLING shift playing with mascara (really it was such a tough day.... HA) PixieLashes and I decided to hit PRIMARK!! I didn't really have much to spend in Primark but I was DETERMINED to pick up some accessories i'd seen floating around in the blog-o-sphere recently....

First to catch my eye was this VERY season-appropriate Leaf double ring. This was £1.50!! Such a bargain and so gorgeous! Its big enough to be noticed but not too big that its annoying or restrictive to wear. LOVE. IT!! 

I'm so pleased with this GORGEOUS ring!! I'd wanted a couple of rings as i don't actually own that many at the moment and I've seen so many lovely ones around just lately. I'm totally smitten with this one! It was £2.50 and i REALLY hope it doesn't fall apart on me any time soon because i ADORE it!!

I saw this on Natalie's blog not so long ago and i had to get it!!! It's just so DIFFERENT!! It's a leopard print watch with a FABRIC strap that fastens in a bow!! It was only £4 and i'm not surprised the battery is ALREADY dead in it but it's easily replaced! I just love anything quirky and different like this! 

This necklace is another one that Natalie enabled me to buy after seeing it on her blog. It's a lovely, long, rosary-style beaded necklace with the different lengthed hanging crosses coming from it. And it was £2. And it's lush. That is all. 

Couldn't spend another second in town without running to Superdrug to rape the Sleek counter!! I can't stop buying iDivine palettes lately and yesterday's purchase was the Sunset Palette....

That will be all on the palette for now because i can't WAIT to experiment with it for a post! Again, it seems I'm a bit late to the party with these summery-themed items but a lot of the bronzes and golds and oranges of summer are SO appropriate for Autumn. I'm sure i can create something very seasonal with this palette!! 

Really hope you girls enjoyed looking through my haul! I thoroughly enjoyed EARNING it!! This could be the future of pay-packets.... SERIOUSLY!!! 

What are your BeneFit FAVES?? Did you buy the new Mascara??

One Halo that DOESN'T Slip!

I am one HAPPY girlie!!

Since i have been poorly, I have struggled occasionally to find the energy to deal with my very thick, wayward hair. For this reason I made the heartbreaking decision to cut my waist-length hair into a shoulder length bob as it really was a little much for me to tackle when i was first diagnosed with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. 

It was a decision i INSTANTLY regretted. My brunette hair had been long for a LONG time and, although i experimented a little with colour to compensate for the change in length, I just didn't feel like ME! 

Fast forward to LAST Friday and I got a little message on Twitter to tell me that i had WON a set of Halo Hair clip-in extensions!! I was over the MOON! I seriously did NOT stop smiling all day!! 

My prize arrived early Tuesday morning.... 5mins before my dad was due to pick me up to take me to my hospital appointment. No WAY was I waiting until i got home to crack that baby open!! And, luckily, I had them out of the box and in my hair faster than you can say ANGEL. They really are THAT easy to apply!!

100% Remy Human Hair!

So what's in the Box???

2 x 3-clip wefts

2 x 2-clip wefts

4 x Single clip wefts

Full instructions on how to wear the extensions

Miniature sizes of the NEW Halo shampoo and conditioner to help you care for your new extensions.

My beauties are the 20" Clip-In set in the shade Dark Brown (no2)

So here's my hair BEFORE these came into my life....

My hair is relatively short, therefore i had worried a little that there would be a definite GAP (only word i can think of to describe what i mean) between my hair and the extensions, and that the result would be a little..... disconnected. Worries unfounded. The way the wefts are applied blends in perfectly. The single clip wefts can be positioned anywhere to hide any bits that 'stick out'. The only thing i will say if you have shorter hair is that you will not get the thickness in the lengths that you would with longer hair, and you may not be able to do some of the hair-ups that you see in the YouTube tutorials. I personally have always had long hair with shorter layers so the finished result for ME is almost as my hair was BEFORE i had the chop!!

So... Colour Match???

Pretty damn PERFECT!!!! I can't tell the difference at all! I guess it's easier to match dark hair as it's only in the bright sunlight that you can see any tonal differences, but even then i haven't found any! Blondes and red-tones might need more careful consideration when colour matching extensions, and if your hair is bright PINK??? Then you will definitely have to face the fact that you will have to DYE your extensions, so make sure you choose a pale shade!

The End Result!!!

I ADORE THESE EXTENSIONS!!! 

And i also ADORE the people at Halo for holding the competition. Make sure you follow them on TWITTER as they hold the competition EVERY Friday!! Tweet them soon because they are also SUPER nice and happy to chit chat away on Twitter. For me this also gives me more confidence in their brand (as if the product didn't speak for itself). They also have a page on FACEBOOK where you can keep up to date on the latest news and read the latest reviews and tutorials. 

The set of Clip-Ins that I have retail for between £44.99 and £59.99 and are available in a great range of colours with a choice of 16" and 20" in length. Also make sure you check out the Halo which is a hairpiece which is attached around the head with a special wire.

Visit halohairextensions.com

For an EXTRA 10% OFF your own Halo I even have my very own discount code especially for readers of this blog which is....

HALOLOVESLISA

Thank you so much to the lovely people at Halo. I've been beaming from ear to ear all WEEK!!!

Stay tuned for more EXCITING Halo news, reviews and tutorials to come on this blog. I also have a special treat for one lucky follower once i get to 200 followers so GET FOLLOWING!!

My New TOY!! Ft Diva Pro Styling

Good evening ladies!! 

I swore this week that i would up my game but yet AGAIN I have gone a couple of days without a post. I'm not gonna beat myself up about it (I've had work and hospital appointments to attend which has left me KNACKERED) but I still look at the number of posts for this month and feel a little disappointed. Not least because I have a few VERY exciting things still to show you this month.

And one of those things is this little beauty....

Diva Pro Styling: Ultima 5000 Pro Hairdryer

Imagine my excitement when the postman asked for my signature for THIS!! I was sent this by the company as i had mentioned that, as a hairdresser, i would be VERY interested in trying out some better equipment. I see clients at home and had been making do with a relatively standard, drugstore hairdryer. It's great to finally have a good quality tool like this! 

So here's the vital statistics from Diva....

New ultra slim ergonomic handle

Noise reduction system

High pressure motor system

77km/h

Ionic conditioning for faster drying, reduced static and frizz, for healthy looking shiny

hair

4 heat & 2 speed settings

Ceramic and tourmaline grill

True cold shot

Removable easy clean rear grill

Housing in super-tough nylon

3 metre soft flexible power cord

Available in rubberised black, gloss black, metallic hot pink

I think you'll agree that those are some IMPRESSIVE statistics!! I couldn't wait to put it to the test!! I've been using this hairdryer for around 2 weeks now. 

First thing that stikes you about this hairdryer is that it's PINK!! I am not ashamed to admit that i am one of those girls that likes something even MORE, just because it's pink. It comes in black as well, but give me the pink version ANY day of the week!  

Here's what i LOVE about it....

The airflow is AMAZING and this makes drying time so QUICK!! I also feel like it helps me to control my hair better during drying. From a hairdressers' point of view this is also a bonus as it means less time in the chair for your client. 

It has FOUR heat settings (including the cold shot), which is one of the biggest bonuses for me. I have MASSIVELY thick hair and the cooler setting does NOTHING for me. Whereas I worry that the HOT setting is too hot and will eventually FRAZZLE my hair (especially as i have coloured my hair a few times recently). Its great to have something in the middle. 

It gives my naturally wavy (in a bad way) hair the smoothest finish of ANY dryer i've every used (professional or otherwise). The photos for tonight's post were taken after JUST blowdrying. No straighteners. Nothing else. 

Here's what I DON'T love so much....

I got quite excited when i saw that it had a curling wand attachment. I don't actually have a conical waver at the moment as mine has been loved to DEATH and finally given up on me. I loved the idea that i could dry AND curl my hair in a single step. 

Well i didn't get along with this from the first moment i TOUCHED it. It's almost impossible to attach and remove from the hairdryer (even though the 2 concentrator nozzles provided are no problem to change). So much so that, the first time i attempted it, a portion of the skin on one of my fingers became TRAPPED between the wand and the dryer and I could NOT free it or get the wand off. I now have a lovely scar on my finger after i had to do a-la 'SAW' and rip my finger away from it myself. 

It doesn't do ANYTHING on dry hair.

Using it on WET hair is near impossible as it burns both your fingers and your head after a couple of seconds (I tried it on all heat settings). You'd definitely need to wear gloves. And even on the hot setting the payoff isn't great. This could just be my hair though. It is VERY heavy and thick. 

The Results???

As i said before, these photos were taken after using JUST the hairdryer WITHOUT straightening. My hair is thick and wavy and I would usually NEED straighteners to get a result this smooth. For this I blowdried my hair with the Ultima on the medium heat setting and the highest airflow setting. I used a medium sized barrel brush. The only product on my hair is Moroccan Oil (put on whilst wet). 

The Verdict??

All things considered.... this styling tool is a WINNER for me. From a personal and professional perspective I would recommend it. Its a great tool for stylists and it offers high performance and reduced service times. On a personal note, this would suit anyone with thick or difficult to manage hair who wants more control while styling and a smoother finish. Just make sure you use your regular conical waver/barrel tong/straighteners for curling. I wouldn't want you all hurting yourselves haha. 

The Diva Pro Styling range is available from www.sallyexpress.com and also includes conical wavers, straightening irons and waving irons amongst others. I'm actually intrigued by the waving irons. I've never tried them before. And I'm seriously considering purchasing their conical waver to replace my old ones. The Ultima retails for £79.99

Have you tried any of the Diva styling tools?? What are your biggest issues when styling your hair?? If you have any questions about blow-drying or styling, feel free to comment!!

Cracklin' it Up - La Femme Crackle Polishes

Good evening ladies!

Really quick post because i HAVE to get an early night tonight. Off to see a specialist is Sheffield in the morning and have to be up EARLY to beat the rush hour, FIND the place and get there for 10am. Usually i struggle to be up and about by 10, let alone 7.30!! I've been playing around with Crackle nail polishes over the last week or so. More specifically, the La Femme crackle nail polishes which i found on Bakewell Market for a BARGAIN price!! The colours are so funky!! 

The colours i picked up were Pink, Gold and Orange. I didn't own any coloured crackle polishes before i got them. Just the Black and White BarryM ones. I'm aware that various brands make coloured crackles and I've spotted a few different pinks and golds on various blogs. The La Femme Pink crackle is, however, unlike any other pink one I've seen. Its a NEON pink!! So funky!! The orange interested me because I've never seen an orange crackle swatched and it's not a colour I can easily find a good colour for it to go over. And you all know by now how much i LOVE gold!!

So I will go for the Gold FIRST!!

God my application is SHOCKING haha. I blame shakey arms. Here I used the La Femme Gold Crackle on top of 2 coats of my OPI Stranger Tides and it has pulled so many compliments (not on my application, evidently). The gold is a teeny bit more yellowy than i would usually like but it gives a lovely sparkle to a polish colour which already SCREAMS summer. Definitely a good Pirate look. It actually reminds me a little of the sea! 

Next up is Orange!!

Wasn't really sure which colour to use this crackle with. Its not an ordinary crackle shade, thats for sure!! The first time i tried it i had BarryM Yellow on my nails and it looked VERY tropical and kinda reminded me of the Sleek Curacao palette kinda look. Next time i use it i will definitely snap a photo for you girls! Was unsure of which colour to team it with for tonight's post but I'd seen an eye tutorial which featured orange and purple recently so i went for BarryM Bright Purple. Unfortunately my application technique doesn't improve with different colours. 

Last up is the Pink...

Last photo is one i already featured on this blog when i did my OPI Skull & Glossbones NOTD. I'd used it as an accent on my ring finger. I think the muted grey shade compliments the RAWR of the pink crackle brilliantly!!

Formulation wise, these are actually faring BETTER than my BarryM Nail Effects polishes which started to dry up and go lumpy VERY quickly. These don't feel as thick to apply either and seem to spread better on the nail. The effect is, obviously, exactly the same as any other crackle nail polish, but these were just such a BARGAIN!! Thumbs up from me!! 

Which Crackle Polishes do you rate and which do you HATE?? I'm going for OPI Shatter next :)

Elf HAUL!!!

Evening girlies!! 

Been gone a couple of days. Mainly due to my health this time. Just been feeling too poorly to blog. A few things have come into my possession over the weekend that I'd like to share with you. This is because on Friday i did an ELF order!! I haven't had anything from Elf in a LONG time and felt it had been way too long. So i thought, "to hell with it", I deserve a treat for getting my place at University confirmed this week so i dug out the credit card and ordered some STUFF!!! 

It arrived the VERY next morning, even though i'd opted for the free standard shipping (order was over £30 - Just). They really are super-quick!!

 I wasn't able to take the photos straight away for this post but i couldn't RESIST swatching and playing around with my purchases so they have been slightly 'disturbed' in the photos haha. Don't judge me, I'm just impatient!! 

The bits i was MOST excited about were the brushes I ordered. I've been DESPERATE for a Stipple brush for a long time now and, at the moment, my budget doesn't stretch to MAC, Sigma or Real Techniques (although I am determined i will own some of Sam's brushes one day). The Elf studio brushes look and feel like decent quality for the price of £3.50. The Taklon bristles are super soft and I can't wait to try them out!! I also opted for a blush brush and the contour/crease brush. 

I also couldn't resist picking up a brush case to keep them in. I'm sick and tired of digging around in my bottomless make-up bag for my brushes. Being organised makes me happy (Virgo, nuff said). I can't wait to let you know what i think of my new brushes!!

I picked up two lip products in my haul. Both of which i had spied over on Natalie's blog BLUSHBLENDBEAUTY 

The first was the Conditioning Lip Balm (spf15) in the shade Mellow Melon

This is a pretty coral/pink colour which i suppose is like a Watermelon shade (hence the name). I tastes yummy too!! Love that it has the sunblock in it too!! Lips feel lovely and soft with this on!

Next was the Matte Lip Colour pencil in Natural...

Not as dark as it looks in this pic, this is a lovely nude pink. I do find it a little drying on my lips (although not as drying as some matte formulas) but its nothing that a little Carmex can't fix. Mmmmmm.... Caaaaarmex :)

The pencil, like application makes it very precise and great for on the go as its hard to go wrong when you apply it. Its like a lip pencil/lipstick in one. It survived my bar shift yesterday as well so that proves its staying power! I've worn this to work every day since i got it so its a WINNER!!

Next up is the BLUSH...

One word.... Disappointed. 

I got the Studio blush in the Shade 'Peachy Keen' as I wanted another peach to compare to my Sleek one. This looked lovely in it's picture but, as is the drawback of online shopping, you can't swatch it. And if i HAD been able to swatch it i would have seen the distinct LACK of pigmentation and put it right back. You can't even see the swatch on my hand, although it does have a lovely shimmer to it (the Sleek one is matte) so could maybe be used as a highlighter. Will have to experiment. 

NEXT!!

Elf Studio Pressed Powder in Caramel...

Again I'm nervous that i can't swatch things when i buy online so i tried to go for the shade that was slap-bang in the middle of the range.  I had worried that Caramel would be a tiny bit too dark, but Buff (one shade lighter) didn't look dark ENOUGH so i went for it. It was a good choice though. It matched up lovely when i swatched it. Haven't put it on my face yet but I'm not worried :) 

Last up I picked up some new eyelash curlers. My old ones got lost in transit when i moved back from Tenerife the last time and I'd just NEVER got around to buying some more. They were a total bargain. If they do the job then i don't care that they're cheapo haha. 

So that's my haul. Picture heavy i know, but i hope you enjoyed looking through my finds! Please let me know if you have any requests for reviews of products from this haul. I have a feeling the brushes will definitely be getting a mention.

Did you order from ELF lately?? What did you snap up??

UD Naked Palette: Black & Gold

Evening girlies!!

Since I coloured my hair back to my usual dark brown/black shade (that blonde thing was never gonna last long with me), I've been looking forward to wearing dark, smokey eye looks again. I just didn't feel it went with my fairer hair and had gone for more subtle shades as a result. 

So when i was having a little play around with my Urban Decay Naked Palette today i decided to try and create a darker, more vampy look with it compared to the everyday looks i usually go for when using it (i usually use the neutrals and gold shades). And here's what i came up with!! 

I stuck with my love of gold... but i wanted to create a dark, smokey eye so i went for Creep, which is the darkest shade in the palette. I just love the little flecks of light that run through it. I kept the base of the look gold and went for (one of my favourites) Half Baked, which i put all over the lid. I then applied Creep over the top. I did it that way because i still wanted the Half Baked to show a little through the dark shade. I took Creep out into a subtle flick and finished it with a sweep of liquid eyeliner and Rimmel Day-to-Night mascara.

I did not line my lower lids. However i did apply the same two shades along the very lashline, meeting in the middle. In the inner corners and on the browbone i used the lightest shade in the palette which is Virgin. 

I think this is about as dark as i dare to go so far.... I might get braver over the winter, you never know. I really like this for a summery evening look. It has the dark drama AS WELL as the gorgeous golden shimmer. 

I'm no pro at applying make up so some of you will probably think i've made a complete hash-up of it. I'm still learning. But i like it and it was relatively easy for me to create so maybe others without all the tricks and know-how of an MUA might be able to as well. 

How daring have you gone with the Naked Palette??