The Urban Decay Naked3 Palette | Review, Swatches & Photographs

First off, a big Merry Christmas Eve to you all! I hope you've all had a fabulous day and are now enjoying some good ol' festive telly and the first pickings of the Quality Street tin.  I've had a little walk around a local garden centre today (sounds rubbish but I'll have you know it's one of the best garden centres I've ever been to and it always looks amazingly Christmassy!) I ended up slipping a couple of decorations into my basket and realised when I got home that they were all bird themed in some way shape or form. Woops! Anway, I did have a jolly good festive post planned for today but it didn't quite work out how I'd imagined - so, instead, I thought I'd post about my newest addition to my palette collection - the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette.  If you were thinking of treating yourself to it after Christmas, then hopefully this post might be of some use.  I could just end the post here because it doesn't really need any words, does it? Just look at it! In all its rose gold, sparkly, glittery glory...

I told myself I really didn't need the third palette. Although, when they started selling out everywhere online and in-store (released just before Christmas - brilliant timing ;)), I couldn't resist any longer and snapped one up at House of Fraser with student discount as quick as humanly possible.  I use my Naked Palettes to death - I don't think there's a single day I've done my makeup and not used at least one shade from them.  I even take them on holiday with me.  Yep. It's love! If you've never tried Urban Decay eyeshadows then I really recommend them. They're hands down my most favourite shadows ever - in my opinion - they're hard to beat! I preferred the Naked2 ever so slightly over the first Naked palette, and so when I saw the third version with its rose gold tones and similar taupes - I had to snap it up.  Rose gold tones can be difficult to wear, but these ones aren't overly pink and are much easier to wear than what I first thought they would be... So what are the shades I hear you say? Here goes:

 

I won't provide a run-through of every single shade - as you can easily see for yourself in the photographs above (and there's been plenty of posts about this palette all over the bloggosphere already), but I thought I'd mention a few of my instant favourites! I adore the shade 'Half Baked' from the first 2 Naked Palettes, and am a massive fan of 'Chopper' from the second (a lovely antique gold) so I was instantly taken by 'Trick' - a stunning true rose gold colour.  'Buzz', 'Burnout' and 'Dust' all stand out to me as perfect everyday shades and are perfect to wear for uni with either 'Limit' or 'Nooner' - the two matte brown shades - blended into the crease.  The 2 matte brown shades in this palette seem to have a plummy undertone to them, compared to the taupe and warmer brown tones included in the first 2 palettes - so bare this in mind if you struggle to get on with plum colours and tones on your eyes! It's not always the most flattering! The other star of the show for me, has to be 'Blackheart' - it's unlike any colour I've seen in the palettes before. It's a beautiful deep brown/almost black colour with purpley-red flecks of glitter running through it (you can see it more clearly in the photographs below).  This will definitely be a main component in any smokey eye I decide to create over the festive season! I love it!

I have to apologise that my swatches are hard to decipher - but it's incredibly hard to photograph an arm full of swatches (although I think I deserve a gold star for managing not to twist my arm in the process...) I thought I'd pop them up there anyway so you can see how all the shades work together and compliment each other. The lightest shade in the palette (a matte creamy white called 'Strange' which can't really be seen on the swatches) doesn't show up too well on my arm anyway and isn't too noticeable on my eyelids - but it would make a lovely subtle highlight.  All the shadows are incredibly pigmented and creamy - and only require a quick dab of a brush in order to achieve a good colour pay off. I didn't expect anything less from Urban Decay - they always get it spot on!

As well as the palette (which comes packaged in a lovely box - always important!), you also get 4 weeks worth of different eyeshadow primers to try (not pictured) - I love their primer potions so this was a welcome addition into the box for me!  The brush is also the best one I've received in a palette so far.  It's double-ended and very similar to the Naked2 brush, but less dense and easier to use for blending.  It also seems slightly softer to me.  I also have to mention the tin the palette comes in - I much preferred the sturdy packaging of the Naked2 over the Original so I was really happy to see they'd continued this through the the Naked3.  It contains the same big mirror and is still fairly lightweight if you tend to travel with palettes. The interesting wavy shaped indentations over the lid make it even more unique and help set it aside from the Naked2.

Overall - I'm so glad I bought the Naked3 palette.  I wear their shadows on a daily basis so for me, it really is a fabulous purchase and one I know I'll get plenty of use out of!  I can see myself using the left-hand side more than the right (but i guess this is true for all 3 of the palettes) but I must admit I do love the darker shades included in the Naked 3.  On first impressions before I bought it, I did wonder whether I'd be wasting my money - in photographs - it does seem very similar to the Naked2.  But when viewing it in the flesh - it's very easy to see obvious differences and it actually has to be the most unique of the collection! The shades are undoubtedly more pink and plummy than the other two palettes - but definitely not so much so that they're hard to wear and I can see this palette suiting a lot of skin tones and eye colours. If you're a fan of Urban Decay shadows like myself, it's worth having a look into. I still don't know whether it has the potential to knock my current favourite, the Naked 2, off the top spot - but we shall see!

If you quite fancy rose-gold hues, pretty neutrals and plummy browns - I'd definitely recommend this palette.  They still have them in stock on House of Fraser for £37.00 here - so head on over if you fancy snapping one up! ( you can also grab discount with UniDays if you're a student) Or - keep your eyes peeled for some boxing day discount - you never know!

Have you given in to the lure of the Naked3 Palette yet? Which has been your favourite palette so far?

Merry Christmas to Me... | Ted Baker 'Lips Made For Kissing' Set

I've done it. I've caved into Boots' 3 for 2 offer on Christmas Gifts and bought one for myself. *slap wrist Bethers!*.  It wasn't intentional, I promise.  But I was lured in by the pretty little tin and the fabulous selection of lip crayons and just had to pop it into my basket.  I like to think of it as my little present to myself for being such a good Christmas shopper and getting everything sorted early this year.  It's fine to treat yourself now and again, right?  I love Boots' Christmas section - they have so many amazing gifts and I'm always tempted every year.  This is the first year in a good 5 years that I won't be working in the shopping centre where I live - I always used to pop through Boots on my way to work and grab a bargain the day that they reduced their Christmas Gifts (I used to nab myself a Soap & Glory box set at 8:15 in the morning before everyone else piled in and fought their way to the tills...I used to get the best bargains without any need for pushing or shoving) But this year, I doubt I'll be up at the crack of dawn to nab myself some 50% off treats - so I figured I'd just treat myself now to avoid disappointment.  Fully justified purchase.

Ted Baker always do lovely gift sets.  Their packaging is always spot on and I'm a sucker for anything in a tin. It was meant to be really, wasn't it? As soon as I saw the 4 different lip shades I knew I had to have it.  There isn't a single shade I wouldn't wear.  I wasn't expecting much in the pigmentation stakes but after swatching, I have to say I'm so impressed.  They're so soft and creamy and don't require building up at all. What you see is more or less what you get!  They're also really moisturising - they feel lightweight and soft on the lips - being ever so slightly glossy in appearance without feeling heavy or slippy. The perfect consistency for a lip crayon.  Sadly, they don't have names - but I'm sure that's just a beauty blogger preference! The middle 2 shades have to be my faves - the deep berry colour is just a beauty (as you may know I'm obsessed with anything slightly dark and berry-ish right now!) and the mid-pink shade is perfect for everyday wear.  They're easy to apply, easy to twist up and they glide across the lips like a dream!

Honestly - I couldn't recommend this little set enough.  For £15.00 (that's less that £4 per crayon!) it's such a good bargain - considering that similar products on the market retail for around the £8-9 mark for a singular product and often aren't as pigmented. You even get a pretty little tin too! I'm fully aware I will probably see this tin reduced by more than half price as soon as January rolls around but I just wasn't prepared to take that risk - it's definitely going to be one that flys off the shelves pretty sharpishly in my opinion! You can find the 'Lips Made for Kissing' set online here, or take a look at the other 3 for 2 gift options from Boots here. I can't wait until everything's reduced so I can grab a few more gift sets! I have my eyes on a few Champneys goodies and a few No.7 sets but I shall try my luck and wait until they're all on sale now. Fingers crossed I manage to find some more beauty gems...

Have you treated yourself to anything this Christmas? Do you have you eye on any Boots bargains?!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | Full Review & Swatches

Swatches / L - 'Fiji' | R - 'Punjab'

Nars Sheer Glow foundation has fast become one of the most talked about 'high end' foundations amongst bloggers and beauty fans of late.  I think I'll just take this moment to commend myself at how long I managed to refrain from purchasing (pat on the back, Beth) - I certainly didn't take the decision to part with £30.50 lightly! I spent hours scouring the interwebs for reviews, shade descriptions and good and bad opinions until I eventually decided to just bite the bullet and go and get myself matched.  I shall apologise now - this post isn't going to be the snappiest review in the world but I wanted to provide a more in depth product overview and list all the vital information I personally wanted to know before I purchased.  However, I shall waste no time in telling you that it is without a doubt one of the best foundations I have ever bought - I genuinely do love Sheer Glow - but I did have to give it a second chance.  Let me explain...

I actually had a sample pot of this a good few months back.  I had amazingly sky-high hopes for it after reading many a rave review but was left feeling a little bit 'befuzzled' (is that even a word? It is now...) It looked awful on me - I immediately took it off with a face wipe and reapplied my trusty YSL Touche Eclat - I forgot about it and that was that. Skip forward a few months and I'd read an influx of amazing blog reviews that had left me wondering 'what am I missing out on?' - maybe I'd just applied it on a bad day? I had my graduation coming up, was obviously going to be having professional photographs taken and I wanted a long lasting, flawless effect foundation with no SPF (Nars Sheer Glow doesn't contain any at all).  I spent about 3 or 4 weeks thoroughly researching everything (detective Beth) and decided it was time to give it another go. First impressions aren't always right, after all.  I tottled into Space NK, was matched up to 'Light 5 - Fiji' (which I'd already picked out from online swatches, how's that for research?!) and left feeling completely content with my purchase.  I applied it as soon as I got home and was amazed at the results.  It looked flawless! Far better than it did previously when I'd tried it - almost like a completely different foundation! It didn't look cakey or dry or orange in any way - it appeared just like my skin - but better! I have no idea why it didn't mesh well with my skin from the sample pot - my only explanation was that it has dried up slightly as there wasn't much in there and I didn't get a true representation of what Nars Sheer Glow had to offer.

I used it more or less every day up until my graduation, so that I could get used to applying it the best way and learn which moisturiser worked more effectively underneath it.  One of the things I really have to highlight about Sheer Glow is that it is by no means a dewy foundation as the name would suggest.  It's actually got more of a satin, almost matte finish which provides a slight hint of a 'glow' to the skin so it still appears natural and maintains a bit of dimension.  It definitely has that 'lit from within; look.  However, it will cling to the slighest dry patch you have without fail. I have combination skin so have to make sure I really do exfoliate regularly and use a rich moisturiser on my forehead and outer cheeks (my dry areas) before application to ensure this doesn't happen.  Application is a dream - I actually find it best to use my Real Techniques Buffing brush to buff and smooth it onto the skin, and it instantly smooths out any uneven pigmentation, red areas or blemishes.  It provides the effect of a medium-full coverage but without the whole 'heavy sticky' sort of feel.  Wear time is amazing - I can get a full day at uni out of this with little need to touch-up with powder or concealer throughout the day and sometimes I can get away without powdering at all.  It also photographs beautifully - not a hint of flashback or 'oilyness' and for the first time ever I had no hint of 'ghost face' in my photos whatsoever.  Thumbs up for not looking like Caspar!

Like most people mention, the only slight downside is the fact that it doesn't come with a pump. The glass bottle and sleek Nars packaging are undeniably beautiful but it can get a little messy quite quickly if you're the clumsy type and it's easy to pour out too much - which is why I went on Space NK's waiting list for a Nars Foundation Pump (yep, that's right, waiting list!!) It cost £4 and came packaged in its own little Nars box (which actually made me quite happy - how cute does the little box look?!) and does the job perfectly well. The only problem is, once you apply the pump to the bottle, it makes popping the lid on impossible so if you're the type to carry your foundation around with you, I'd suggest just doing without it unless you fancy seeing the contents of your bag swimming in foundation.  Slight negative aside, I really do love this foundation.  Fiji is just the perfect shade for me and it's yellow undertones match my skin amazingly well (worth mentioning that Nars foundations are predominently yellow based) - in fact, I have to admit it's probably the best match I've ever found in a foundation.  You may be wondering then, why I have two bottles? Simple answer - Punjab suits me better if I have a little bit of fake tan on.  There's actually not a lot of difference between the two but it's a tad darker and ever so slightly peachier - worth baring in mind if you have the same skintone as me but wear fake tan on a regular basis.  I personally don't wear much on my face through winter unless I'm going out so for now, Fiji is my 'everyday' shade and 'Punjab' is purely a 'night on the tiles' shade,  To say I've swiftly gone out and bought another shade speaks volumes for my love for Sheer Glow!  Whatever your skintone, you're bound to find the right one for you - there's 20 shades (I believe?) ranging from pale to dark and everything inbetween. Maybe one of the best colour ranges I've seen. It's also worth mentioning that I usually HATE medium/fuller coverage foundations, but this one has changed my opinion and swayed me.  It has that flawless effect without feeling like it's clogging up your pores and it looks lovely and natural - no cake face in sight. It's actually one of the only foundations I've tried that seems to mimic the texture of skin.

I thought I'd sum it up for you if you're considering buying the infamous Sheer Glow but didn't fancy reading all of my dribble...

The Stats:

My Shade: Light 5 'Fiji' (every day) / Medium 1 'Punjab' (with a touch of fake tan)
Fiji = Light with yellow undertone | Punjab = Medium with golden, peachy undertones

Cost: £30.50
Coverage: Medium to full (in my opinion)
Finish: Satin - naturally radiant
I apply with: Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Pros: 

- Even, flawless coverage

- No SPF was a 'pro' for me as it's great for flash photography - a great 'going out' foundation - no flashback.

- Provides a slight glow/sheen to the skin without looking oily or greasy

- Works well with my combination skin

- Covers up my blemishes with ease

- Only 2 pumps needed for the entire face - it will last a good while!

- Fabulous shade range
- Lasts all day.

- The glass bottle and Nars packaging pleases me. 
- Doesn't seem to oxidise on me
- Predominently yellow toned range suits my skin  (personal 'pro point' - if I was any more yellow I'd be a Simpson!)

Cons:

-Can cling to dry patches. If you have dry skin or any dry patches whatsoever - take heed! If you've forgotten to moisturise it will look awful! Prepare for a love/hate relationship at first until you find your 'routine' with it.

- No pump 

- Some would say price - but I think it's worth the money.  

- If you live in sunnier climes (lucky you) bare in mind that the lack of SPF might not be the best choice for daytime wear.

Overall - I love it.  I'm so glad I gave it a second chance and didn't settle for my opinion on the tester pot.  It gives a naturally radiant finish that looks like skin and feels lightweight, at the same time as giving a brightening effect - perfect if I'm feeling a little tired and worse for wear!  I've had so many comments on my skin since wearing this - and it gives me a little boost of a morning.  I just look forward to applying it and for me, that's what makes a great foundation. Nars Sheer Glow? I COULD KISS YOU! You can find the range on their website here complete with shade descriptions, and it is also available at Space NK, ASOS and John Lewis - to name a few!

Have you tried Sheer Glow? What were your thoughts?

Mac Bombshell Lipstick | (& a little FOTD)

Products used | Mac 'Bombshell' lipstick | Mac 'Harmony' blush | YSL Touche Eclat foundation in 'B40' | Bourjois Bronzing Primer | Art Deco Eye Kohl in Black | Urban Decay Naked2 Palette - shades 'Tease' (lid and lower lash line) and 'SnakeBite' (crease) | Nars Multiple in 'Copacobana | Ardell Demi Wispies | HD Brows in 'Bombshell' |

For ages now, I've been lusting after Mac's 'Bombshell' lipstick - a mid-toned pink shade with subtle flecks of shimmer. But since my collection seems to have bred somewhat the past few months, I thought I'd be sensible and walk on by. After all, I didn't need another pink lipstick, did I? Well, it turns out that I did...  Sensibility goes out the window when you're a lipstick-aholic! My intentions were good, honestly, they were - but I reach for lipsticks of the pink variety one heck of a lot, and this one really is a lovely everyday shade that I know I will get tonnes of wear out of.

Bombshell is a frost finish lipstick from Mac - not the most popular of formulas, I know, but I must admit I quite like the finish they give and certain shades don't appear as 'frosty' as others.  Think 'Costa Chic' (one of my all time favourites) - it only has a little hint of shimmer and is incredibly pigmented - exactly like Bombshell. If you get put off with the frost finishes from Mac and don't usually give them the time of day - I really recommend you swatch a couple of them - they all differ slightly. Bombshell is fairly neutral in undertone, but leans slightly cooler on me.  I think it's one of those shades that looks different on people depending on their skin and hair colour - I've seen this on someone with a darker skintone than me and it looked almost coral. It's a shade that would suit a majority of skin tones, and would look stunning with a deep, golden tan.  I would liken the shade to a cross between Mac's 'Angel' and 'Speed Dial' - it's definitely a bit of a hybrid of the two (with a pinch of added shimmer) and if you're usually slightly scared off by bright, barbie pinks, then 'Bombshell' might just be the one for you.  It's noticeable enough to be a step up from a 'pinky nude', but without looking false or too bright.   

Here, I've worn 'Bombshell' with a taupe smokey eye and understated blush, (I've listed the key products I used for this look at the top of the post) - it's the type of colour that will look lovely both in the day or for a night out and I will definitely be throwing it in my handbag for uni next month. It is such a gorgeous shade and it looks stunning applied with simple, neutral makeup for a pop of colour without being too 'OTT'.  As for wear time, it lasts for a fair few hours on me, but I always top up reguarly anyway so it looks 'fresh' (I do this with all my lipsticks...creature of habit!).  The only thing with frosts is that they have a tendancy to settle into lines on your lips - so it's worth applying a lip balm beforehand if you want to give this a whirl.  Saying that, the formula isn't at all drying and glides on so smoothly and evenly - it feels very light with a hint of moisture, and keeps it's sheen for a good while before wearing off to a subtle wash of colour.  Overall, I love this new addition to my Mac-stash and I'm glad I gave in to temptation on this occasion.  I love it to bits - and it's definitely an underrated shade in the blogging world! 

Have you tried Mac 'Bombshell'?

My First E.l.f. Haul | First Impressions & Swatches

And so it finally happened. I placed my first ever e.l.f order. Cue lots of gasps from the bargain-hunter beauty bloggers amongst you all. I'd spent a few weeks twiddling my thumbs and waiting patiently for a certain item to come back into stock, and when it did - I pressed the order button rather swiftly and felt jolly well pleased with myself.  I've sat and read countless blog posts about e.l.f products and had built up quite a lengthy wish list over time - so much so that some of the products I'd written down aren't even stocked anymore! I managed to compose myself, refrain from adding the whole website to my virtual basket and ordered just 4 things (I deserve a pat on the back for that big fat dose of willpower, surely?) - i figured I'd try them out, see if I liked them and then make an even larger order next time I fancied treating myself.  This post is quite photo heavy - I do apologise for those of you who prefer my shorter, snappier variety of post, but you have to understand I was incredibly excited when Mr Postman came a knockin' with this little parcel of bargainous, beautiful goods... Fat kid in a sweet shop doesn't even begin to describe...

Mineral Lipstick | Runway Pink | £5.00

I believe I ordered one of these when there was an offer on - as I definitely didn't pay a fiver (I think I paid £2.50!) Nonetheless, for a lipstick these days it's not a bad price at all and by the looks of this lipstick I shall be ordering another one pretty swiftly regardless of whether or not it's on offer. Runway Pink is a gorgeous salmon pink with yellow undertones.  It's one of those really natural, rose petal pinks that looks very 'vintage' and effortless on the lips.  It's noticeable without being overly pink.  I'd liken it to a lighter, slightly 'watered down' version of Mac's Fanfare if you're familiar with Mac's shade range. I'm so glad I picked this colour out - it's just my cup of tea and the creamy formula glides on smoothly.

 Powder Blush | Peachy Keen | £3.75

I've always wanted to try E.l.f's blushes - and it was extremely hard to pick a shade to try. In the end it was a toss up between this one and 'Candid Coral' - both my kind of shades.  I always lean towards warmer, peach tones when it comes to blushes.  Peachy Keen is a lovely light peachy/orange shade with flecks of gold shimmer running through it.  I'm not entirely sure if it will be too glittery for me just yet - but now summer is coming around I seem to be preferring a subtle glow compared with a matte finish.  I will definitely do a review of this once I've had it on my cheeks. When swatched, it seems really decent quality for the price - the pigmentation is particularly good.

Contouring Blush & Bronzer Cream | St Lucia | £3.75

This is the product that I was waiting for. I finally thought it was time to place an order when their popular 'St Lucia' cream contour palette came back into stock. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you might know that I am a massive fan of contouring - I'm always scouting out new products to use on my cheeks/cheekbones and I'm the first in line to try anything new if it has the word 'contour' in it anywhere.  This palette is a cheap and cheerful little duo containing a blush and bronzer cream. The colours are said to run similar to Nars infamous Orgasm/Laguna duo - I own both of these so it will be interesting to see whether or not they lean towards the high-end favourites. Whether or not they do - I still love the shades and cannot wait to start using them. When I swatched both colours I have to admit a little 'wow' escaped my lips (and that hardly ever happens so I'm hoping they live up to the first impression!) they're incredibly pigmented and smooth in consistency and sweep onto the skin with ease.  They seem creamy and soft - just what I look for in my cream products (I'm not a fan of cream to powder formulations) and I cannot wait to give this a whirl.  The palette is also of good size - much bigger than I envisaged (it's a good bit larger than Nars Laguna - if you're looking for a comparison!)

All Over Colour Stick | Spotlight | £1.50

Of course, I just had to complete the contouring cream palette I'd bought with one of e.l.f's All Over Colour Sticks. I opted for the highlighting shade 'Spotlight' which is the lightest of the bunch.  When it first arrived, I wondered if they'd sent me the wrong shade as it looks rather non-descript in the tube. However, it's a deceiving little devil - as when swatched it shows up incredibly bright - a great deal lighter and more noticeable as a highlight than how it looks in the tube.  I've been wondering if these little sticks are cheap versions of the Nars Multiples (I've recently got my hands on Nars 'Copacabana' so we shall see whether of not they're alike in any way!). I've really got into my cream products at the moment so I had to throw one of these in my basket. For £1.50 you really can't complain and I can't wait to start using it.

Swatches | Runway Pink / Peachy Keen / St Lucia / Spotlight

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a little swatch or two! I will definitely do a few reviews on these products once I've been using them a while and let you know how I'm getting on. So far though, I'm so impressed with e.l.f. Their prices are really fabulous and competitive with similar brands on the high street - and for the quality I've seen at first glance I will definitely be ordering again. The packaging is right up my street - sleek, black and simple and all boxed neatly. My favourite so far has to be the contouring cream duo - it's had my name written all over it ever since I first laid my beady eyes on it...

Have you tried any of these products?

What are your thoughts on E.l.f? What would you recommend?