Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette

A couple of weeks ago I attended the launch of the latest addition to the Urban Decay Naked family, the Naked Honey palette. There have been so many new makeup products launching recently that it's difficult to keep up with them. I was just watching a video from RawBeautyKristi where she addressed this topic and basically said the same thing that I'm feeling, all of the new releases just make me not want to buy anything because people aren't getting time to actually try each one out properly before the next one is released so you don't know if it's worth buying. Anyone who is into makeup feels like they can't keep up and the average consumer is overwhelmed with options. There are certain brands that seem to be releasing new palettes every week and I find it so off-putting.

When I saw the first images of the Naked Honey palette I wasn't dying to get my hands on it but I think that's because most of what we've been seeing lately in the beauty world is colour, neon and glitter. For the past few years we've seen warm palette after warm palette and it does get tiring after a while because there's only so many warm toned palettes you actually need.

Of course like most makeup it's all well and good sitting in the comfort of your own home scrolling past the photos on Instagram and saying I don't need that. Seeing it in person is another story (my Glossier Showroom experience is a prime example). When I saw the Naked Honey palette it really reminded me of the excitement of getting my first Naked palette. I didn't have a lot of expendable income at the time but I had to have it and I used it constantly. I wasn't too pushed on the Naked Reloaded palette even after seeing it in person but the Naked Honey, despite being quite neutral at first glance, has something different for me. I'm a huge fan of the seventies trend that's been seen in fashion and beauty over the past few years. I absolutely love the glitter is so big at the moment, it's brought the fun back into makeup for me. As soon as I saw this palette I didn't see neutrals and nude lipsticks, I saw Jerry Hall in Bryan Ferry's video for Let's Stick Together with sculpted cheekbones, winged out gold eyes and vinyl red lips. I was so excited to play with it.

Would I have bought it myself had I not received it as a press sample? Probably not, but that's mostly because I have so many palettes from over the years and I find it very hard to justify buying more now unless it's something completely different to what I have. The only palette I've actually been tempted by recently (apart from the Diego dalla Palma one I bought recently on sale) is the bPerfect Cosmetics Stacey Marie Carnival XL Palette but even at that I already have the original one so I haven't rushed to buy this new one (although I probably will eventually because it has almost every bright shade you could want and the formula is so good).

I want to try this palette some more before I give any kind of definitive opinion about it, as it stands I've used all of the shades except Honey and Queen. I've had no issues with the formula so far, to me it performs just as well as the other UD palettes I own. I haven't had any of the previous three Naked palettes, Reloaded, Cherry or Heat so I'm not sure how the quality compares but each shadow I've used has blended with ease and lasted well on my lids (I always use the Primer Potion underneath).

I decided to post quite an old school, wearable look first as I'm sure that's how most people will wear these shadows. I added some brown and bronze liner and some of the Bodyography Glitter Pigment in the shade Bubbly just in the centre of my lid to add dimension. There's no denying it looks gorgeous on, I've really been enjoying using it since I got it. I think at first glance it doesn't look all that inspiring but there's actually a lot you can do with it. I'll definitely be trying more of a seventies party look with it next, I'm especially looking forward to trying the shade Honey.

As much as colourful palettes are inspiring and beautiful, they aren't for everyone and that's where a palette like this comes in. I'll play around with it and report back for anyone interested. I'd love to know what Naked palettes you've tried and what your favourite one is. Are you fed up with all the new releases or do you still get excited by them?

*Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation (10NN)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer (10NN)
Soapbrows 
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
*Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette (Flyby, Sweet, Hive, Drip, HBIC and Sting)
KIKO Milano Glamorous Eye Pencil (401 Golden Hazelnut, Discontinued, similar here)
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Mighty Mocha)
Bodyography Glitter Pigment (Bubbly)
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk and Beam)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Loose Powder (Translucent)
MAC Lipstick (Velvet Teddy)

*Press Sample
** Beam is a press sample, I bought Dusk myself

Emma x

Into The Wild

If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen this look that I posted during the week. I bought the Into the Wild palette from Diego dalla Palma earlier this week. I had been eyeing it up for a while as I thought it was such an unusual combination of quite unique shades. I found it in the M&S Beauty Hall on sale and I couldn't resist picking it up despite the fact that I have more palettes than I could probably get through in a lifetime. What can I say, I'm an addict. 

This palette was part of their limited edition 2019 Cruise Collection which had beautiful tropical/safari inspired products. It's still available on their website if you fancy a look. Diego dalla Palma is an Italian brand and I've only tried one product from them before now, their Ciglione Mascara which I really liked. Italy is known for manufacturing a lot of beauty products, so many brands have products that are made there. I definitely want to try out more from this brand as they seem to have a great reputation. 

I went to the launch of the Urban Decay Naked Honey palette during the week and as it's inspired by the seventies, it got me researching the makeup of that era. This look was obviously subconsciously inspired by the seventies looks I saved during the week (Jerry Hall in particular). I was incredibly impressed by how these eyeshadows performed, they're so pigmented and blend with ease. I didn't think I'd be able to do a look with all four of the shades and make it work but I love how it turned out.  I also went a bit more heavy handed on the blush and bronzer than I usually would to keep with the seventies feel. I used a lip combination I hadn't tried before, the Primark PS Lip Liner in Foxy Nude which is a great warm toned nude for fair skin all over my lips and some of the Alex Steinherr X Primark Plump & Glow Lip Gloss in the centre for some dimension. I'm excited to try more looks with this palette, each shade is beautiful in its own right. 

I had a few breakouts this week including a huge painful one on my chin so I brought out the bareMinerals BAREPRO Foundation and it worked a treat at covering what I wanted it to without looking too heavy. It's my go-to foundation for when I need more full coverage. I think pairing it with earthy toned colour makeup helped a lot as I avoided bringing out the redness in my skin and drawing attention to the blemishes. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Gel (Medium Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Diego dalla Palma Into the Wild Eyeshadow Palette
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara
KIKO Milano Glamorous Eye Pencil (401 Golden Hazelnut) (Discontinued, similar here)
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat (1)
Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk)
Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter (Moonstone)
Fenty Beauty Killawat Freestyle Highlighter (Hu$tla Baby)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Travel Size (Dim Light)
Primark Beauty PS Lip Liner Pencil (Foxy Nude)
Alex Steinherr X Primark Plump & Glow Plumping Lip Gloss

*Press Sample

Have you tried Diego dalla Palma? What do you think of seventies makeup?

Emma x

Voluptuous Nude

The Emmy Awards were on last weekend and as usual I was more interested in the style and makeup than who won what (although I was very happy that both Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Bill Hader won awards). I follow a lot of celebrity and editorial makeup artists on Instagram including Jenn Streicher who often does makeup for Mandy Moore, including on Sunday night. She looked stunning in a red and pink dress but I was especially enamoured by her hair and makeup which was classic, glamorous and understated, the perfect accompaniment to such a colourful dress. From a distance it seemed like a typical brown smokey eye and nude lipstick, but the glitter was an unexpected addition that gave the look some extra dimension.

I immediately wanted to recreate the look as it was so beautiful on Mandy Moore and it's been a while since I've done something smoky like this. Jenn used Lorac products for the look so I decided to break out my Lorac Pro Palette that's been sadly underused over the past couple of years. I used the shades Cream, Taupe, Mauve, Sable and Pewter to create a rounded but slightly winged out shape with a deepened crease, lighter lid, some bronze liner along my waterline and topped it off with some bronze glitter from the Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad.

I used Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk on my cheeks as the overall look is quite warm and tonal so I wanted my blush to be a neutral shade. The lipstick Jenn used is quite a light nude so I brought out the palest nude I own, Voluptuous Nude by Givenchy which is now sadly discontinued but it's a gorgeous shade and paired with the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat from Charlotte Tilbury it turned out a bit darker and warmer than usual. Obviously you could recreate this look with any colour palette or tones to suit your skin. It's quite a simple look overall but it's so effective and the perfect red carpet look with a slight sparkly twist. I love seeing red carpet makeup that has something different to it.

*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Mighty Mocha)
KIKO Glamorous Eye Pencil (401 Golden Hazelnut) (Discontinued, similar here)
LORAC PRO Palette
Pixi Beauty Glitter-y Eye Quad (RoseBronze)
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat (1)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
**Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Beam)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk)
Givenchy Rouge Interdit Lipstick (Voluptuous Nude) (Discontinued, similar here)

*Press Sample
**I bought Dusk, Beam is a press sample

What do you think of this look?

Emma x

Face Of The Day- Lady Danger

The other day I went into Arnotts to get another MAC Prep + Prime Lip because I haven't had one for a while and I was really missing it. I had been saving up some empties for Back to MAC so I got Lady Danger lipstick which I've never owned before but have wanted to try for years. 

I tried it the next day with very minimal makeup and loved it immediately. It's the perfect yellow based red that I've been wanting for Summer. I had more time today to play around with my makeup so I went a bit crazy and paired it with some gold eyeshadow from the Lorac Pro palette. I thought it was a bit much at first, but I kept the skin and brows quite simple so it wasn't too overpowering. There's something completely clashing about the gold and red combination but because they both have warm tones it somehow works (hopefully!)

I went to an event for the brand Artistry last week, I had heard of them but didn't know much about their products and had never tried any myself. I got chatting to one of the Artistry ladies and she very kindly ended up giving my their Ideal Radiance Illuminating CC Cream to take home with me. I was so excited to try it out as I always love to discover new brands. I used this for the first time yesterday and I was hugely impressed with how my skin looked. It blended out easily and gave my skin a subtle luminosity. It has broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and SPF 50 so it's perfect for trying at this time of year. I want to write a full review of this and compare it to the IT Cosmetics CC Cream which I'm also trying out at the moment so keep an eye out for that.

I curled my lashes with the Eyeko Lash Curler before starting my eye makeup. I used Glossier Boy Brow on my brows (you can read my full review here). Then I applied some Urban Decay Primer Potion and the Gold shade from the Lorac Pro palette. I blended it out and added some of the matte brown shade Taupe under my eyes with a little bit of Gold blended in too. I love this palette a lot, it's got a great selection of shades and the pigmentation, especially in the satin shades is amazing. I applied a thin line of Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and my current favourite lash combination Lancôme Cils Booster XL and L'Oréal Miss Baby Roll mascara (which you can read about in more detail here). 

I blended some Glossier Stretch Concealer under my eyes with a Real Techniques Mini Eraser Sponge. This was only me second time using it so I want to give it more time before I write a more in-depth review. To finish my face makeup I used the Collection Precision Contouring stick in Light which I've been loving recently. It's a great shade for fair skin and it's hard to overdo it because it's not too pigmented but is creamy and easy to blend so it looks quite natural. I added a small amount of the Bourjois Aqua Blush in CocoriCorail which is one of my all time favourite liquid blushes and if you don't have one do yourself a favour and get one, they're so amazing, especially during the Summer (see them in action here). 

I finished my skin with the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter which I love for adding a quick glow to the tops of my cheeks, down the centre of my nose and on my cupids bow. It's subtle and blends easily so it's a great one for the Summer when you want a quick glow to your skin.

To finish I used my new MAC Prep + Prime lip and let it sink in for a minute before applying Lady Danger. I didn't use a lip liner because I didn't want the lips to look too overdone. This lipstick totally lives up to my expectations. It's matte so it lasts really well and doesn't feather but it definitely benefits from using the lip primer first otherwise it could feel quite drying. I think I'm going to be wearing it a lot in the Summer with just CC Cream and lots of mascara. 

To completely finish off the look I lined my lower waterline with my KIKO Glamorous Eye Pencil in 401 which is a gorgeous bronze shade (and now seems to be discontinued) but I love how it looks against my green eyes. This is a lot more makeup than I would usually wear on a daily basis but I love playing around with different colour combinations at the weekend when I have a bit more time.

What do you think of this look? Have you tried any of these products?

Emma x

KIKO Sun Show Nail Lacquer

During our visit to France, we took a day trip to the beautiful city of Le Mans. We went to a shopping centre there which had a KIKO store so I took the opportunity to pick up some products to try out. One of the current Limited Edition collections KIKO has on offer is Life in Rio, a Summer collection consisting of products with beautiful vibrant packaging and many of the products are water/sun proof and contain SPF.

The Sun Show Nail Lacquers caught my eye straight away and I struggled to choose just one of the nine shimmery shades. I eventually went with shade 471 Juicy Pitaya (a Pitaya is a Dragon Fruit, FYI), a beautiful iridescent hot pink. 

I have two other shades of KIKO Nail Lacquers and to be perfectly honest I didn't find them to be the most long wearing formula, however I'm more than willing to overlook that when the shade is as gorgeous as this one. Despite that, they are very easy to apply and have my favourite thing in a nail polish- a big brush. They are also easy to remove which isn't always the case with these shimmery polishes. 

This particular range is more expensive than the normal Nail Lacquers at €5.90,  unfortunately they are only available to Ireland from the European website but I am hoping KIKO will be available here in the future as I'm really impressed with the brand and would love to try out more of their products. 

I have a few more things from KIKO which I have yet had the chance to use but once I do I will hopefully share them with you.

 Are there any brands we don't have here in Ireland (or in your country) that you would love to get your hands on?

Emma x

'Cause When You're Standing Oh So Near, I Kinda Lose My Mind

I was in France at the end of May staying just outside the lovely little town of Écommoy in the Loire Valley. We stayed in a Gite on the grounds of a Chateau for 11 days and then in the Chateau itself on our last night. It was the longest I've been off work since I started working there seven years ago and it was exactly what I needed after the rollercoaster that's been the past six months or so. 

Here is the first of four sets of outfit photos we took while we were there. 

Photos by Simon and I

Kimono, Skirt and T-Shirt- H&M

Bag- Next

Sandals- Clarks

Sunglasses- Primark

Nails- KIKO Sun Show Nail Lacquer in 471 Juicy Pitaya

Lips- KIKO Velvet Mat Lipstick in 605 Orange Red

I got this kimono in H&M a few months ago and I've worn it so much since, it's so light and comfortable and perfect for those Summer days when there's a bit of a chill in the air. I got this bag at a Next press day and I absolutely love it, the longer strap is detachable and there is a smaller wrist strap so it can be used two ways. It's the perfect bag for when you only need your phone and wallet (and a lipstick). 

I've also been wearing these Clarks sandals a lot as they're so comfortable when I'm on my feet all day in work. I bought the lipstick in KIKO while we were in Le Mans as well as some other things that I will be reviewing soon. I loved it after wearing it only once, such a beautiful vibrant shade and so inexpensive. I really hope KIKO come to Ireland soon.

A big thank you to Simon for taking the photos for me, I think he did an amazing job for his first time!

Emma x

Kiko Smart Lipstick in 914

When we were in Paris, the shopping centre beside out apartment had a Kiko store in it. Having heard a lot about Kiko recently on blogs and youtube, I couldn't resist having a look around and I was incredibly impressed with what I found.




The thing I noticed first was that the prices were so reasonable. This lipstick was €3.90, an unbelievable price for any lipstick. I wanted to try a few things since we don't have Kiko here in Ireland yet and I never like buying make up online unless I've had the chance to look at it in person first. I knew I wanted a lipstick and I had my eye on a red one at first but it was sold out and I'm so glad it was because I then spotted this  beauty (914- Amaranth) which immediately reminded me of Rebel by MAC, a lipstick I've wanted the past couple of years.

On the Kiko site, these are described as a rich nourishing lipstick with full colour and total comfort and I fully agree with that. The texture reminds of the Estée Lauder Crystal lipsticks, the formula is thinner than that of the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks. They come in boxed outer packaging which I thought was an unusual addition to such an inexpensive lipstick. The packaging itself is simple, classic, practical black packaging and the scent is a lovely vanilla scent similar to MAC lipsticks.

I can't fault this lipstick. I got a couple of other things from Kiko that I will review soon. I'm really impressed with Kiko as a brand so far and I hope they make their way over to Ireland soon as I think they could do really well here.

Have you tried anything from Kiko yet?

Emma x