Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

I was super excited when I heard that Urban Decay was coming out with a new palette for Fall 2010! I knew it would be a great product because Urban Decay is one of my favorite brands... I know I can always rely on them for good quality makeup! This palette includes 12 shades, a double-sided eye pencil, and a mini Primer Potion. 5 of the shades are new, 7 are permanent, and 1 is a comeback.

As you can see, the packaging on the palette is absolutely GORGEOUS! It's a dark brown velvet texture, with gold lettering etched into the velvet. I feel like it's not as funky as the other palettes from Urban Decay that I own - it's very sophisticated, and really embodies the neutral eyeshadow shades found within it.

This photo was taken with the flash off. You can see that 10 of the shades are primarily neutrals and browns, with two grey/black shades in there as well. You can also see the double-sided 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - the colors are Zero and Whiskey. Zero is a black pencil, while Whiskey is a reddish brown pencil, which is a new addition to Urban Decay's collection.

The two photos of the palette were taken with the flash on. You can clearly see which shades are shimmery and which are matte. For more information about the shades, refer to the pictures below! (Note: I feel that all of the colors are great as an all-over lid color with the exception of Virgin, which would be a great highlight)

These are the first four shades with the flash off (top) and on (bottom). The names and descriptions are as follows:

Virgin: (New) A frosty, creamy, very light beige. Great as a highlight color on your brow bone or on your inner tear duct.

Sin: (Permanent) A shimmery nude.

Naked: (Permanent) A tan matte.

Sidecar: (Comeback shade) A shimmery dark beige It was in the first Book of Shadows, but not sold separately.

These are the next four shadows with the flash off (top) and on (bottom). The shades are:

Buck: (New) A matte dark tan.

Half Baked: (Permanent) A shimmery light yellow-bronze. One of my favorite shades of all time :)

Smog: (Permanent) A shimmery tan-bronze.

Darkhorse: (New) A bronze chocolate brown with a subtle shimmer.

These are the last four shades. The shadows are:

Toasted: (Permanent) A shimmery light brown. It reminds me of a darker version of Sin.

Hustle: (New) A frosty, shimmery, dark brown. It reminds me of a darker version of Darkhorse. It's named after an Urban Decay Ultraglide Lip Gloss, Hustle.

Creep: (New) A black shadow with blue-silver shimmer.

Gunmetal: (Permanent) A dark grey shimmer.

One of the best things about this product besides, well, everything else I've mentioned so far is the fact that all of the shadows are full size. Normally, an individual Urban Decay eyeshadow is $17, so 12 of them would be $204! This means that you're saving $160!!! Technically, with the cost of the double-sided eye pencil and the mini Primer Potion, you're saving more than $160... how great is that?!

Ultimately, I believe that Urban Decay's Naked Palette is one of the greatest makeup purchases I have EVER made! It's great quality, the shadows are all highly pigmented, and the cost can't be beat! In all seriousness, everyone should have this product! Good job, Urban Decay! :) A++++++++

Note: The Naked palette keeps getting sold out on both urbandecay.com and sephora.com. I will definitely let you know when it's back in stock so you can get your hands on this awesome item! :)

makeup trend alert: green eye shadow and liner

lately, i have been wanting to wear green eyeshadow and liner as much as possible. This is partially because green is on the opposite end of the color spectrum from brown, which makes brown eyes "pop".

When searching through some other makeup sites, i noticed that green eye makeup is all over the fashion forecast for the spring, not only just for brown eyes, but also for all different eye colors. the reason why this color is so flattering is because it makes the whites of the eyes look whiter.

I usually wear green eye makeup in the form of eyeliner under my eyes, but here are some other ways that green makeup can be applied:

- a light green shadow applied in the inner corner of the eye

- shadow or liner smudged along the lower lash line

here are some of my favorite green liners to use:

1. urban decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in mildew - a deep, dark metallic green

2. urban decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in covet - a bright green

3. urban decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in stash - a brown-green

4. sephora nano eyeliner in silver green

you can find the 24/7 liners at sephora and at ulta. they are the same price at each store.

hope this post inspired you to try green eye makeup! :)

review: urban decay primer potion

i have been using the original urban decay primer potion for well over a year now and can honestly say i will never stop purchasing it. this primer really holds eyeshadow and eyeliner in place for hours and hours and allows for the shadow to not crease.

the original formula (left) is a sheer nude which is extremely light, dries invisibly, and will work on every skin tone. it also leaves behind no residue or greasiness. it also now comes in two colors other than original - sin and eden. sin (middle) is a champagne/bronze shimmer which can act as a color by itself, or adds something extra to your eyeshadow. eden (right) is a matte nude color which acts as as a no-makeup looking primer. it also serves as a base to match your skin tone. all of the wands are now bent, so application is easier and more precise. personally, i prefer the original since it is sheer and works with everything, but feel free to give the others a try! the original formula is fantastic, so i'm sure the other two are as well! A

review: urban decay skyscraper multi-benefit mascara

i've been using urban decay's skyscraper multi-benefit mascara for about 6 months now and have not been able to put it down. this is definitely a product i can't live without!

this is what urban decay says:

Reach new heights with our drastically improved, six-in-one Skyscraper Mascara. Our innovative formula will lengthen, strengthen, separate, curl, brighten and thicken your lashes without even a hint of clumping or flaking. The state-of-the-art, new generation brush features a flexible shaft and multiple rows of tapered bristles to comb through lashes from root to tip. Skyscraper gives you that “come hither” look that gets ‘em every time.
And don’t even think about sacrificing the well being of your delicate lashes to a harsh product. Not a chance! The multi-benefit formula actually nourishes lashes. Luxe ingredients like Panthenol and vegetal ceramids condition and strengthen. Silk protein protects, and Vitamins C and E serve as powerful antioxidants. Filming agents even encourage a gentle curling. Lashes are long, strong, and feather-soft.

i can honestly say that this product is definitely 100% what the blurb says it is... it doesn't clump at all, never flakes, and i do believe that my lashes look healthier, longer, and thicker. i also really like the fact that it isn't harsh on my lashes and contains all kinds of nutrients to help keep my lashes looking great! you'll see no breakage and notice that your lashes are very soft, making them look very natural.
if you're in the market for a new mascara, try this one out! it's incredible!!! (trust me - i've gone through every mascara that claims to lengthen your lashes and i was never satisfied with the results)
A+!!!!!

xoxo

i'm currently obsessed with: the alice in wonderland eye shadow palette by urban decay

so i am coveting the alice in wonderland eye shadow palette from urban decay! this adorable little palette has 16 very sparkly shadows, 2 travel-size eyeliners (zero and flipside), and a travel-size primer potion. there is also a very cute pop-up style scene that opens when you open the mirror, making you feel like you're in wonderland itself. the best part of the whole set: all of the best-selling eyeshadows are renamed with alice-in-wonderland names (the white rabbit, alice, queen, drink me eat me).

you've seriously gotta be a mad hatter not to want one.

here's a list of all of the actual names of the shadows:

-Underland (Flash)
-Alice (Painkiller)
-Oraculum (Baked)
-Queen (Last Call)
-Chessur (Chopper)
-White Rabbit (Polyester Bride)
-Wonderland (Maui Wowie)
-Curiouser (Grifter)
-Muchness (X)
-Mushroom (Mushroom)
-Midnight Tea Party (Midnight Cowboy Rides Again)
-Vorpal (S&M)
-Absolem (Homegrown)
-Drink Me Eat Me (Sin)
-Mad Hatter (Twice Baked)
-Jabberwocky (Oil Slick)

here's a close up of all of the colors:



note: the palettes are not available on the actual urban decay site, but sephora and ulta still have them. be sure to get them fast because they're limited edition!!!

daytime eye look: college classroom

since i attend college, i like to keep my look fairly natural in the classroom. i also like to be able to do my eye makeup in less than 2 minutes because i am often late for class (hahaha). this look complements almost every outfit i wear, and it can be easily transitioned to a nighttime look when more shadow is placed on top of it. here it is! <3

1. urban decay primer potion (best primer i've found) all over the lid and all the way up to the brow bone. i like to add a little near my tear duct as well so that the shadow stays put there too (just try not to get it in your eye... trust me it hurts).

2. mac eyeshadow in naked lunch (a medium beige shimmer color) all over the lid. era by mac (a tan beige shimmer color) also works nice too if you want your eyes to be a little darker. both colors are gorgeous!

note: the colors of the pictures may vary depending on your computer screen brightness/resolution

3. super important!!! Add a highlight color such as rice paper (a gold/yellow light shimmer-frost color) by mac to your tear duct and under your brow area to make your eyes look more wide/awake. this is especially important for me because i have all early classes this semester :-/

4. (Optional) You can definitely stop there and your shadow will look awesome!!! I tend to add mac eyeshadow in handwritten (a rich matte chocolate brown color) to my crease area to add more depth to my eyes and blend it. I sometimes also (it depends if i have time or not) add brown eyeliner (also by mac) to my waterline and right below it. i then smudge the area right below my waterline with a pencil brush to smoke it out.

don't forget!!! mascara! you can also curl your lashes to make you look more awake as well!

hope you enjoyed this! xoxo