I've been a fan of Bourjois mascaras for a while now and each one I try seems to be better than the previous one. I received the Volume Glamour Push Up Mascara last year at a press event in both the waterproof and regular formulas and it's safe to say this is my favourite mascara of the past year.
Bourjois claims that this mascara will hold a curl for up to 16 hours and give volume and length. These are hefty claims and also happen to be the things that I look for in a mascara. Five days a week I'm up at dawn and mascara is the only eye make up I use so I need it to make me look more awake and give my eyes some kind of definition. If a mascara can't give me curl, volume and length I just won't use it.
I brought the waterproof formula with me on holiday to Nice in September and most days it was the only make up I wore because it was so hot. It was perfect in the heat and for when I was in the water. It didn't smudge or run at all.
The brush is a medium size, which I personally prefer because with big mascara brushes I tend to get the formula all over my lids and I find it harder to get into the inner corner. The tip of this brush is tapered which means to you can coat all of those tiny lashes in the inner corner with ease.
It's the perfect consistency formula that allows for a second coat without dreaded clumping. This is one of those mascaras that makes me happy to go without any other eye make up because it makes my lashes look amazing.
At €12.49 I'll definitely be repurchasing this, I highly recommend checking it out the next time you're looking for an affordable mascara.
I was sent the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette before Christmas and I have used it a lot since then. I wrote about a look I created using the palette back at the end of December but I wanted to review the palette in more depth and try out each of the shades properly before giving you my thoughts.
Let's begin with the packaging, which Gwen herself had a major hand in designing. I love that it's true to Gwen's aesthetic, it's stylish yet practical. It feels sturdy and durable which to me is a huge thing when it comes to palettes as you want it to last and not to have to worry about a little wear and tear. I also like that the round shadows straight away set it apart from the other UD palettes.
You are getting 15 eyeshadows for the price tag of €46. Three shades (Skimp, Stark and Blackout) are existing UD shades that are Gwen favourites. The other twelve are brand new and are named after all things relating to Gwen and her music career. I mentioned before that I wasn't blown away by the range of shades when I first saw preview images of the palette. However when I saw it in person I was taken aback by how much I loved it.
The only two shades I was unsure of were Harajuku and Danger, but when I was being shown the palette, it was pointed out to me that Harajuku makes a pretty blush shade if you wouldn't wear it as an eyeshadow. Danger is another one that surprised me, it was actually the first shade I tried from the palette and I found it gave the most stunning eye look, several people commented on how they liked it when I wore it out shopping that day.
This look was created using Blonde under my brows, Serious on the lid, with Punk in the crease blended out with Anaheim and a little Pop for some sparkle. I blended Punk lightly on my lower lash line and added Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion and lots of mascara with the Lancôme Hypnôse Star Mascara Gold Topcoat. I then applied Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick in 03 which is a great long lasting neutral shade, the perfect accompaniment to this kind of eye look.
I took photos with and without the flash as I wore this make up in the evening and wanted to show what it looked like both ways.
This next look is using three of the same eyeshadows as above with with a completely different result. Here I used Blonde under my brow again, Punk all over the lid blended out with Anaheim. I didn't apply any liner, just plenty of mascara, I'm using this Bourjois one at the moment. I then applied the Urban Decay Limited Edition Gwen Stefani Lipstick in Rocksteady which came as a sample with the palette. It's a beautiful rich, deep blood red shade that beings to mind that early nineties Winona Ryder gothic glamorous look.
Like with any other Urban Decay eyeshadows I have tried, these shadows are soft and easily blended with high pigmentation especially when used over UD Primer Potion. Pop is the only one with any glitter fallout, but once you take your time and blend carefully it's so eye-catching on the lids.
I've tried so many powder eyeshadows over the years and still none have come close to the quality and longevity of Urban Decay. If you haven't already seen this in person, I highly recommend taking a look, but be prepared to want to buy it on the spot!
I have only tried a sample of the four shades below but so far I'm very impressed with the shade range, formula and finish of these lipsticks. I haven't seen them in person yet but the packaging looks beautiful, I adore the black and gold. I think if I was to create my own lipstick collection, it would be very similar to this one. The price point is €21, only €1 more than MAC and for that you're getting beautiful packaging, a gorgeous range of shades and amazing quality product.
Ex-Girlfriend
Firebird
714
Rocksteady
The rest of the collection is available in-store and online now and consists of lip pencils, lipsticks, a brow box and a blush palette all of which look amazing. You can find them in Debenhams and House of Fraser.
Have you tried anything from the UDxGwen collection yet? Is there anything on your wishlist? You can see more about the collection below:
