Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay – blush, lipstick and lip liners

Having brought you news of the Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay eyeshadow palette back in November (you can read about that here), I am pleased to say that the collection has been expanded and now includes a blush palette and a selection of lipsticks and lip liners.

The blush palette contains six shades of blush/bronzer/highlighter; Cherry, Easy, Angel, Lo-Fi, Hush and OC. Much like the eyeshadow palette the packaging is beautiful and although I haven't tried it, I have been informed that the colours are very versatile and will work well on a variety of skin tones.

Blush palette, £35

The lipsticks come in a fantastic range of colours, although they might not be for everybody as they mostly bold (with the exception of one nude) and mostly in varying shades of red. But hey, this is Gwen – what did you expect?! The lipsticks are in a variety of finishes too; I believe the nude is a sheer shimmer while several of the reds are matte. There are six lip pencils to complement the collection.

Lipstick, £16
Lip pencils, £14

www.urbandecay.co.uk

Have you tried any of these products yet? If so we would love to know what you think!

New Year's Eve Looks

Happy New Year to everyone! For New Year's Eve and general Christmas party looks I have been using the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette that was launched last month. It is ideal for a bright-eyed look and the colours are extremely blendable with very little fall out. I used the hot pink (Harajuku) and dark navy blue (Danger) shade in the crease, which resuulted in a very wearable look – not at all like a six-year-old playing with blue eyeshadow thank goodness!

This palette contains a really good mix of colours and a variety of neutrals – even those with cool skin tones will find that the colours work for them. It's an everyday palette but the brighter colours make it ideal for when you want to create a look that's a little different.

£40, www.urbandecay.co.uk 

For the look below, I used Verve from the Naked 2 Palette on the lid. Then, with a thick angled brush by Real Techniques Brush Starter Set, I used Danger from the Gwen Stefani palette from the outer corner, along the crease of the eye. I used Harajuku and a fluffy brush to blend the colours, focusing on the outer crease. The angled brush was used again to put Danger underneath the eye, before eyeliner and mascara was applied. It wore well throughout the day and although colours were noticeable, they didn't stand out too much. 

This is after 11 hours of wear and without setting spray. Despite some fading, the colours lasted well and didn't overpower. 

Whilst I was banging out the pinks and blues, Jen looked super swish in a LBD with red nails, champers in hand! 

We hope that you all had a fantastic New Year's Eve too and that 2016 brings more champagne, fun and festivities....with some excellent beauty products thrown in for good measure! Happy New Year! 

Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay

You can tell the holiday season is upon us by the plethora of palettes that are hitting the shops, but none have excited me more than this little collaboration... Gwen Stefani and Urban Decay! That truly is a match made in makeup heaven. There is a beautiful mixture of neutral tones, a couple of brights and that all important true black. The colour slection, along with the balance of mattes and shimmers, means that this would be a fantastic option for travel.

From Harajuku and Danger to Anaheim and Baby, the shades have suitably Gwen-like names and, whether you are a Gwen fan or not, Urban Decay eyeshadows are tough to beat. I think this would make a fantastic gift for a fellow make-up lover. Of all the new palettes I have seen this season, this is definitely the one I want to get my hands on the most.

Available from Sunday 22nd November, £40
www.urbandecay.co.uk/gwen-stefani-eyeshadow

Urban Decay Vice 4 palette on its way!

Great news for all fans of Urban Decay eye shadows... the Vice 4 palette is being released as part of their holiday collection! It contains 20 shadows in a fantastic range of bright and neutral colours, and it is perfect if you are a little bored of the many neutral palettes currently on the market. It immediately caught my eye because when I do opt for colour it tends to be turquoise or purple, and this palette has some beautiful options for both. I'm also a big fan of the packaging.

Urban Decay founder Wende Zomnir recently shared a sneak peak of the palette on Instagram and it has since been shared with selected 'YouTubers' for review, such as Tati Westbrook who gave her opinion in the video below. Well worth checking out if you want a detailed look at each shade and how well they wear.


Available 12th September, www.urbandecay.co.uk
Images © Wende Zomnir

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

Urban Decay has announced the latest addition to its best-selling Naked range.... the smoky palette. The Naked 1, 2 and 3 palettes have proven so popular – frequently selling out and gaining cult status along the way – that the hype accompanying this latest announcement isn't surprising. There aren't many products that have memes generated in their honour before they've even hit the shelves!

Like its predecessors, the smoky palette contains 12 universally flattering, blendable shadows. There are nine completely new shades and three exclusive ones, ranging from pastels and neutral browns to metallic greys and plums. Based purely on the picture below, this is one product that I'm very keen to get my hands on. I love a good smoky eye and this palette appears to have everything you need to create loads of different looks, making it ideal for travel. Let the count down begin!

Available July 8th
www.urbandecay.co.uk

Spring colour inspired makeup looks: Green

Don't be afraid of using colour. If it all goes wrong and you end up looking a bit like a great aunt, either own it and pretend that was the look you were going for or blend it with more workable colours. However, I don't think that you can go far wrong with greens. They suit all different eye colours and depending upon the shade you pick, green suits the majority of skin tones too. I will let you know some of the brands that I used but quite frankly, this is more about experimenting with what you already have and trying out new combinations.

Using a flat brush, I patted a yellow/gold shade from the inner corner of my eye to the middle of my eye. From the middle to the opposite end, I applied a bright, light shimmery green.

Using a round shadow brush, I applied an emerald green colour to the crease and using the same light shimmery green, blended it out. Then, in the crease, I applied more of the emerald green colour for definition. I then applied eye liner (by Dr Hauschka, which is natural and all but quite frankly goes everywhere and the application brush is difficult to control) and then a coat of mascara. 

For green colours, Inglot are superb. The picture below gives you an idea of the wide range of shades they have that you can combine to create your own palette using their Freedom System. I also have a gorgeous quad from Givenchy, and MAC and Urban Decay do some great shades. For a cheaper option, Sleek's Garden of Eden Palette is pretty flinking flanking good. However, I'm not a big fan of makeup suggestions where you are encouraged to buy this palette or that specific brand. I would rather suggest colour tones and ideas that can be applied to any make up brand.

Inglot eye shadows - left to right, shades: 58, 477, 17, 24, 16

Sleek – Garden of Eden palette

www.sleekmakeup.com
www.inglotcosmetics.com
www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Urban Decay to release Vice 3 Palette!

Urban Decay has confirmed that it's releasing the Vice 3 palette! The Vice 1 and 2 have already been a big hit, with the first selling out, prompting the second to be released and now, thankfully, a third.

According to rumour-ville, it is likely to be launched near Christmas and in light of UD's current palettes, such as Electric, I'm excited to see some crazy, out-there pigments. The Vice 1 and 2 were around £42, so I would hazard a guess that the Vice 3 will be a similar price. I'm genuinely excited to see the packaging...and the colours....and to buy it! Excited in general. 

www.urbandecay.co.uk

Urban Decay's Electric Palette

Urban Decay Build Your Own Palette – Melt

TYPE OF PRODUCT

A six-pan customised palette.

THOUGHTS

This is my go-to palette that I use every day for work and for a bright eye look. It is an excellent selection of useful, highly pigmented shades. I find the Real Techniques Essential Crease Brush to be the best applicator for this palette or sometimes I use a MAC 217 brush. 

The colours that I have in my palette are:
Walk of Shame (matte beige pink)
Vanilla (buttery, shimmery light gold)
Zephyr (metallic white)
Midnight Cowgirl (metallic, glittery dusky pink with a hint of bronze)
Polyester Bride (metallic, glittery silver)
SWF (glittery baby pink)

I find that cool colours suit me more than warm ones (I prefer Urban Decay's Naked 2 to the original). The only shade that I am not so keen on in this palette is SWF, which is a dark baby pink and is glitter central. The colour just doesn't suit me but the pigmentation is super duper. 

They are all light shades as I wanted a palette that I could use on early mornings to bring some brightness to my eyes. Although it is glittery formula, Midnight Cowgirl is a subtle crease colour. All the colours are incredibly pigmented, in true Urban Decay style. Actually, since buying it, I haven't used any other highlight or cream colour – my poor MAC palette might be getting a tad jealous!

From left to right: SWF, Polyester Bride, Midnight Cowgirl, Zephyr, Vanilla, Walk of Shame.

PACKAGING

All you need to do is take the individual shadows out of their silver packaging and pop them into the palette. I remember not being able to do it too easily at first – I am seriously uncoordinated – and had to use a knife (blunt of course!) to pop them out. However, now that I have it worked out, it's very easy.

STAYING POWER

Lasts all day. I do use setting powder and a setting spray but even without they are very long lasting. I don't have oily lids however, so they might not last quite last as long on a different skin type. For me, Zephyr, Polyester Bride and Vanilla are the best for longevity and appearance.

REPURCHASE?

Yes, I love the Urban Decay shadows. They are the most pigmented shadows around and are easily applied and blended.

£8 for palette and £14 per eyeshadow

 

 www.urbandecay.com

Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray

THOUGHTS

I have used Urban Decay's De-Slick and All Nighter setting sprays before, but after having super dry skin all winter, I did a bit of research and decided to purchase Chill. It is very moisturising. The skin can be left feeling a little drenched, even if you follow the application method advised, but for someone with dry or tight feeling skin it's a lovely feeling. However, let your mascara dry before applying it – I've ended up with mascara all over the place!

APPLICATION

Spray in a X shape and T shape but don't spray too close to the face. Otherwise it's more of a case of soaked rather than set.

STAYING POWER

All day. My make up lasts better than using setting powder.

REPURCHASE?

Yes.

£19.50

www.urbandecay.com