Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette

 Urban Decay have launched their very first all vegan Naked palette in the form of the Wild West Eyeshadow Palette.

Inspired by California deserts and endless skies, the Urban Decay Naked Wild West eyeshadow palette contains cool nudes, warm glittering golds, burnt oranges, deep browns and elegant jade’s to enable you to create endless looks with soft shimmers, mattes and cool metallic finishes. 

The chunky palette features a mirror and double ended brush for on-the-go touch ups and is presented to resemble some kind of animal skin, snake or perhaps gator.

The warm, natural shades of the packaging hint at the jewels to be found within.

              Pop the lid to reveal a curated selection of 12 super-pigmented, blendable shades in an array of different formulas.

 

There’s creamy mattes, bold metallics and iridescent shimmer shades to take your breath away.

My first impression was that I instantly liked about 9 of the shades but questioned the inclusion of the jade/turquoise hues.

Somehow I just couldn’t imagine them working alongside their neighbours. 

Turns out I was wrong.

 

From left to right you’ve got Stand Off (a neutral matte porcelain) Spur (a richer, matte sand), Nudie (a matte warm neutral) and Hold ‘Em (a rich, metallic gold).

 

 Cowboy Rick offers an iridescent pearl, Laredo is a super cool, grey-brown, Bud is a cool, radiant jade and Rustler is a true metallic bronze.

Ghost Town is a matte, burnt orange hue, Whiskey is a warm matte deep brown, Tex, a deep soft teal and Pony Up is a silvery, cool charcoal.

 

The first six shades feature 4 matte, 1 metallic, 1 shimmer shade and are the ideal neutral base colours perfect for understated every day wear, whereas the latter 6 darker shades allow you to create depth and dimension to your eyes.

The shimmery, metallic shades are perfect for creating a highlight effect to make your eyes pop, while the silky soft matte’s create a long lasting effortless look.

I was surprised to find that I actually loved the jade/teal shades.

 

 Richly pigmented, velvety and silk smooth, together they create a truly show stopping look that’s guaranteed to get you noticed.

Prefer life in the background? The plethora of warm, neutral tones have got you covered here too.

I personally love the combination of Rustler, Laredo and Whiskey for creating a gorgeously sumptuous smokey brown look.

While the shadows are gloriously soft, creamy and super easy to apply and build, I did find I needed to put a little more work into the shimmers of Hold E’m and Cowboy Rick to get a really great pop of colour.

That said even these shades were far more easy to manage and manipulate than many other brands of shimmery shadows which can flake, crumble and disappear shortly after application.

While its not my favourite Urban Decay Naked palette it is undeniably beautiful and the inclusion of slightly quirky, more ‘out-there’ shades set it aside from its predecessors.

Plus, this is of course Urban Decay’s first completely vegan formula, meaning that it does not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by products.

Urban Decay’s new Naked Wild West Palette is available now and costs £45.

Bobbi Brown February Picks

 This month we are looking at all things eyes with Bobbi Brown.

The best way to prep your peepers is with the Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream 15ml (£49).

This rich, decadent cream is designed to help depuff the eye area while treating the appearance of dark circles.

Suitable for all skin types and a brand best seller, this luxurious cream has been formulated with peptides, natural plant oils and humectants to targetfine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, and dryness.

Amazing right.

The treatment sits within the  Extra Repair family and features a combination of clary sage ferment and argireline to target skin aging on two separate levels.

Ot helps to boost your skin's natural collagen production while fortifying your skin's natural protective moisture barrier.

The skin around your eyes is that much more delicate than on the rest of your face so requires a little extra tlc such as this cream.

Designed to be used both morning and night, warm a small amount of the product between your fingers, then pat gently around your eye area. 

Rich yet non greasy, it is quickly absorbed and revives and perks up the eye area ready for the day ahead abd works as a great smoothing, soothing primer for your eyes. 

Once prepped you're ready for the Smokey Eye Mascara in black (£25.50).

This voluminous, Uultra-black formula created the perfect Smokey eye look. 

Formulated with kohl-pigment, this  mascara delivers high drama by creating hyper-black, long, fluttering lashes in the slick of a wand. 

This award winning mascara hugs your lashes and its long lasting complex prevents flaking and smudging, meaning your lashes will be looking their volumised best all day long. 

Unlike traditional formulas, this mascara builds volume lash by lash as opposed to traditional volumising formulas that create the appearance of volume by clumping lashes together, resulting in that nasty "spider legs" look.

Not good!

The thick, fluffy brush allows you to dispense the product evenly as it combs through your lashes, coating your eyelashes from roots to ends while it's tapered tip grabs even the tiny, hard to reach lashes for maximum effect. 

Finally, set your look off to perfection with the stunning Sparkle Eyeshadow in Ballet (£26).

This silky, featherlight shadow offers a gorgeous Pearl, glitter flecked shadow that captures the light and brightens your eyes.

A unique combination of flat pearls create a multi-dimensional, prismatic effect while the super fine sparkle adds a dazzling effect to your look.

Creamy, rich, highly blendable and buildable, the range features an incredible array of wearable shades from soft to bright, taking you from day to night. 

Ballet offers a light pink sparkle which is perfect for day wear or can be built upon for a more high impact evening look.

It's sparkle is ideal for widening and brightening your eyes by applying it at the inner corner of the eye to add brightness, or you can even layer it all over the lid for a more intense sparkle.

All three of these beautiful products are available now online and I store at Bobbi Brown counters.

M.A.C Frosted Firework Collection

 Ladies and Gents, the M.A.C Frosted Firework Collection is here and ready to explode into your life in a captivating, sparkly array of festive hues and dazzling shades.

Comprising of breath-taking, limited-edition colours for the eyes, lips and skin the collection shines brightly and boldly like a firework, ready to enchant you with their luminous visage.

 

 

Each splendid gem has been wrapped in specially designed, elegant and chic frosted pink complete with a glittering flare-embossing that catches both the light and your imagination. 

I am completely enchanted by this ravishing collection thanks to its dazzling tones which make it perfect for the forthcoming festive season.

 

 

Once Bitten, Icy Shy is one of the exquisite  Lipsticks (£17.50) from the new range.

Housed within the beautiful pearly pink bullet you’ll find a brilliant sheer white, pearlescent shade.

 

 

Offering a nourishing, soft finish it creates a sparkly, shimmer look and is perfect for adding those special touches to your lip look.

It can be worn alone though thanks to its hydrating qualities I like to use it as almost a balm over lip colour for that added shimmer and light-reflecting sparkle.

Speaking of light-reflecting sparkle, have you seen the new Lipglasses (£16.50)?

 

 

Available in 5 stunning Christmas-shades, these sleek glosses offer ultra-high shine with a glass like finish.

Silky soft and non gloppy or tacky, they glide across your lips conditioning and smoothing while they go creating the appearance of a fuller pout.

 

Enriched with jojoba oil, they hug and comfort your lips imparting moisture and nourishment while their array of beautiful semi-sheer hue’s allow them to be worn alone or over lipstick.

Apply a delicate slick for a subtle sheen or layer for a more pigmented, dramatic colour depending on your mood or occasion.

I tested out three of the shades, each of which is beautiful in its own way.

 

 

Spark Joy offers a beautiful, bright translucent pearl while Break The Ice creates a warm, peachy-pink complete with flecks of festive gold.

Set Me Off is the most vibrant of the collection with its rich, warm purple-berry tones.

It’s not just lips that get the star treatment though, let’s not forget the windows to your soul!

 

 

Cooler Than Being Cool is one of 5 Extra Dimensional Foil Eye Shadows (£17.50).

This luminous, iridescent eye colour features a brilliant white with multi-coloured pearl pigment for eyes that dazzle.

 

 

Lightweight in texture, exceptionally soft and finely milled it contains a highly pigmented colour pay off with a stunning metallic-shimmer finish.

Ideal for using at the corners of your eyes to widen, brighten and reflect the light the silky powder boasts long-lasting wear of up to 8 hours without creasing or fading.

 

 

Simply Spectacular!

The M.A.C Frosted Firework Collection is available now nationwide and online.

Urban Decay Naked Cherry

It’s gone all fruity at Urban Decay with the highly anticipated launch of their gorgeous new Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette (£42).

The latest in their hugely popular ‘Naked’ collection of palettes, Naked Cherry features 12 stunning, brand new shades ranging from a creamy ivory and shimmery rose gold to an intense, black cherry.

You’ll find a beautiful combination of soft mattes, sizzling metallics and shimmery shades to dazzle and delight.

This newest incarnation mirrors its predecessors in terms of its iconic and immediately recognisable packaging.

The palette itself is adorned with a row of juicy metallic cherries and the crimson compact features a full-size mirror plus a double-sided brush, ideal for precision application on one end and seamless blending on the other.

As you look along the palette, the shades within gradually deepen in tone, offering a gorgeous and aesthetically appeasing ombre effect.

Just like the other Naked palettes, Cherry is wonderful as its full and varied variety of shades and textures allow you to create dozens of different looks yet each shade features the same staying power that we’ve come to expect and love from the brand.

The powders don’t flake or fade throughout the day and their luxurious lightweight, velvety formulas offer rich colours and un-paralleled blendability.

It’s hard to decide which shades are my favourite because to be honest, they are all stunning. 

That said, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Feelz, a soft dusty rose matte, Bing, a deep mauve matte and I was BLOWN away by the impressive pigment of Ambitious, a metallic rose copper.

From left to right, the shades are;

Hot Spot (ivory matte)

Caution (soft neutral beige matte)

Bang Bang (shimmering pink with gold shift and iridescent micro-sparkle)

Feelz (soft dusty rose matte)

Juicy (soft warm peach)

Turn On (pale metallic rose shimmer)

Ambitious (metallic rose copper)

Bing (deep mauve matte)

Devilish (reddish plum matte)

Young Love (metallic cranberry)

Drunk Dial (deep metallic burgundy)

Privacy (deep brownish-plum matte)

I think it’s impossible to not fall in love with such a gorgeous palette and I love that Urban Decay have created such a fresh, vibrant and sexy palette to sit proudly along-side the rest of their Naked Collection.

Urban Decay Naked Cherry is available now and costs £42.