Urban Decay Collaboration with Gwen Stefani

I am so excited about this news!

 

Urban Decay have announced their first ever celebrity designer collaboration and the person they’ve chosen couldn’t fit the brand better.

This limited-edition collection which will be available later this year is with none other than THE Gwen Stefani!

Gwen has apparently worked closely with the brand, guiding every detail of the collection, from the shades to the packaging. Chief creative officer and founding partner Wende Zomnir spent countless hours at Gwen’s house, talking makeup and working with her on every detail of this launch-from the packaging to the formulation to the shades. She carefully crafted each product with Gwen, creating the exact shades she always wished she had in her collection.

Gwen says;

“When Urban Decay came to me to collaborate, I immediately thought it was a perfect match. The way they’ve built their company is very similar to my aesthetic and approach. It’s all about creative self-expression, being strong and not being afraid to go outside of the box. Everyone in my life knows I absolutely love makeup. From a very young age, it was an artistic passion of mine. I actually used to be a makeup artist. I love wearing makeup and having so many ways to express myself through it. It’s my war paint. To be able to do a collaboration with people who get that concept and who are just as passionate about it is a dream come true. We’ve made and created products that I actually wear every single day. It’s the real thing. I’m obsessed with everything we’ve done, and I can’t wait to share it.”

 

I can’t wait either!

 Stay tuned for further details nearer the launch!

Yes To Cucumbers Shampoo & Conditioner

I’ve gotta say, when it comes to my beauty regime the one area that often gets neglected is my hair.

I never have time to style it to perfection on a daily basis and when it comes to choosing a shampoo and conditioner I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I generally just buy whatever is on offer at Boots. 

I recently came across a brand on Twitter called Yes To and was intrigued by their range of products named Yes To Carrots, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Grapefruit and Blueberries.

The brand create products that are 95% natural and that are free from parabens, phthalates, SLS and are also made with recyclable materials.

That’s not all, they are also committed to giving back a portion of their profits to the YES TO Seed Fund, whose goal is to inspire kids to lead healthier, more positive lives which is a rather nice sentiment I feel.

Now, I’ve never had a great relationship with other paraben and SLS free shampoo’s and conditioners in the past but I figured I owed it to my hair and conscience to try this brand out.

I opted for their Yes to Cucumbers Volumising Shampoo (around £8.99) and Conditioner (around £5) for normal to fine hair in the hope it could inject a bit of va-va-voom into my locks.

Firstly, they smell gorgeous! Naturally there is a delicate hint of cucumber but the overall scent is deliciously fresh and light and dare I say, natural smelling as opposed to many other shampoos that smell synthetic and strong. 

The shampoo is a thick gel and as recommended I used quite a bit on my hair (but then my hair is super long).

I was VERY impressed at how it lathered into soft bubbles and when I rinsed it out my hair literally squeaked it was so clean!

I followed the shampoo with the conditioner from the same range which was relatively light in texture, so as not to weigh down your hair and contained the same delicate scent.

As soon as I rinsed the product out I could tell that my hair felt soft already and indeed I didn’t struggle too much to get my Tangle Teezer through it all!

On a whole I’m really impressed with these products. They smell beautiful and do a great job of cleansing my hair but I would say that I didn’t notice any difference in its volume. I’m neither surprised nor fussed about this though as I’ve yet to come across a shampoo that can actually boost my hair!

I’m definitely hooked and trying to decide what products I want to try from their range next, I’m thinking Yes to Tomatoes which are formulated to reduce the appearance of blemishes and help keep skin clear without over-drying.

I’ve good a feeling they will be equally great!

You can get your hands on the Yes To range of products from Boots, Waitrose, Holland and Barrett, ASOS, Feel Unique and Beauty Bay among loads other which you can check on their website.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight

Last week saw the highly anticipated launch of American beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hill’s Illuminators on Cult Beauty.

Beloved by a whole host of celebs and make up artists alike, these Illuminators are things beauty dreams are made of!

It’s not often that I drop everything to get my hands on a beauty item, but when I got the notification email through from Cult Beauty I literally did just that. I NEEDED one of these!

Available in four shades to suit all skin types (you can read about and see these HERE) I opted for the palest called Starlight.

I did go back and forth between this one and Hollywood, JUST because I knew Kim Kardashian used that shade and I’m a huge KUWTK’s fan but sense won over and I realised that my white skin would probably be too pale for the ‘true gold’ darker shade.

Starlight is actually not as white as it appears both in my photos and on the photos online (It was a nightmare to photograph this bad boy!).

This really pretty iridescent colour is captured within the softest powder, embossed into a cool, art deco design.

The super soft powder glides over your cheek bones and creates a truly stunning ethereal glow!

There’s no hint of graininess or glitter, just a really beautiful, powerful illumination without a hint of shimmer, which I hate by the way!

All four Illuminators are strictly limited edition so won’t be around for long so If you’re still debating over whether to invest don’t waste too much time!

You can get your hands on the beautiful Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminators over at Cult Beauty where they cost £28 each.