Urban Decay Naked 'Flushed' Palette: The review

Admittedly, there's something that makes me a little sceptical about the fact that Urban Decay have used the success of the Naked Palette to introduce a whole range of 'naked-related' products. Is it really possible for the Naked 2 palette, Naked Basics Palette, Naked BB cream, Naked foundation and now the Naked 'Flushed' Palette to live up to the original? 

I was at the Urban Decay counter the other day, with the intention of purchasing an original Naked palette for my Mum (and this ALONE). But then I got chatting to the LOVELY lady on the stand about my blog and any upcoming blogger events, (she is a make-up artist, take a look at her facebook page here) and let it slip that I had had my eye on the Flushed palette for a little while. Silly me...as soon as I had said that, I knew how easy it was going to be to be talked into buying it...So 10 minutes later out I waltz, £56 poorer but rich in Urban decay naked-ness. 

But what about the palette itself? I have to say I am pretty impressed. The first thing that grabbed me was that the palette is a mere £20. In my eyes, this is a hugely affordable way to get a bronzer, blush and highlighter all in one. I had largely made a bee-line for the flushed palette because I had been looking for a new highlighter. I had set my heart on the new Chanel compact, but after finding out it was an outrageous FORTY SIX pounds, this one became all the more appealing to me. A Bronzer and a blush chucked in as well? How could I say no...?! The highlighter has impressed me, and I find it subtle enough to use in the day-time as well as in the evening. It is fairly shimmery however, which is something I'm getting used to. I also think the bronzer and blush are great products on their own too. The pigmentation is good and the blush is an especially pretty colour, plus you only need a little to go a long long way. I think it is a really good travel palette too; the hard casing means it won't get damaged and you don't have to take three separate products (a blush, bronzer and highlighter) on holiday if you opt for this which has all three. 

Would I recommend this palette? Yes I would. At an impressive £20 (for THREE pretty great products) it has the potential to be a big seller. And perhaps now I will think twice before judging the naked collection; next on my wishlist is the BB cream. 

Shop the collection here. 

B. 

A Beauty and the B day out...

Hi guys,

 so yesterday my lovely best friend (also named Becki) and I went on a cute little day out to Oxford, and I thought I would share a few snaps from our day. We had a wander around, did some museum visits, sight-seeing, a cheeky nandos trip and a little shopping (I picked up two new brushes; a Mac 217 and real Techniques Kabuki, a Loreal primer, face wipes and Maybelline Falsies mascara). 

I don't get to see Becki too much as she is a medical student studying in London (I am up in Notts most of the time) so spending time with her is really lovely especially as we are two peas in a pod! We are also looking forward to a night out on Saturday :) So enjoy my random snaps...

B. 

Zara combination zip jacket: The (ACCIDENTAL) purchase

So two days ago this beauty may have accidentally slipped into my possession. I accidentally tried it on, accidentally threw it across the counter, and let my fingers accidentally slip into giving the cashier a frightening £89.99 (I’m officially broke). I accidentally appreciated its understated chanel-esque charm and the fact it had the power to transform any outfit and bring a touch of class to anything in my wardrobe.

It will do nicely with a bright statement necklace and my Whistles lime green leather pouch.

But it was an accident, of course. (Buy it here)

The Lipstick Edit

I love lipsticks. I think it's fair to say most beauty bloggers do. In fact most GIRLS do. And I have this really annoying, money-wasting habit where I buy about 20 different lipsticks all in practically the same shade. AND so, I decided it was time to clear my collection out...BIG time. 

These pictures show which ones made the final cut!

I thought I would also do a little count-down of my top 5 (again, I couldn't just do 5, so there are 6!) all time favourite lipsticks, so here they are:

6. Mac 'Lady Danger'- Perfect bright red token lipstick (4th row from back, 4th lipstick in)

5. Barry M peachy pink- pretty nudey coral shade (3rd row from back, 2nd in)

4. Rimmel Kate Moss 101- subtle baby pink moisturising number (5th row from back, 2nd in)

3. Mac 'Rebel'- the ultimate cult lipstick which transforms from gothy dark lips to an exquisite rich pinky/purpley colour (7th row from back, 3rd in)

2. Topshop 'Bombshell'- hot pink and eye-catching (5th row from back, 1st in)

1. Mac 'Creme de Nude'- I am such a nude girl when it comes to lipsticks, and this one is the ultimate. (2nd row from back, 4th in)

B.

OOTD #5: A pop of colour

Yes I know what you're thinking...I NEED TO FAKE TAN MY LEGS. Fear not, a bottle of xen tan is on its way as we speak. And yes, I did pop on a pair of tights to wear this outside!

Hat: Topshop

Necklace: Zara

Jumper: Topshop

Shorts (similar here): Topshop

Bag: Whistles 

Shoes: Topshop

On my lips: Topshop 'Bombshell'

On my nails: Barry M 'Satsuma' gelly shine

On my toenails: Barry M 'Greenberry' gelly shine 

B. 

On my (mid-month) wishlist...

It's that painful time of the year again when the student loan has long ago been drained, the gap year savings have plummeted to an all time low, and you can’t skip lunch anymore in order to fund the new bag you’ve been lusting after. Low funds, massive wishlist…why does that always happen.

Chances are I won’t be able to purchase many (or ANY) of these bits before they fly off the rails but HEY, a girl can dream. 

B.

Skincare: The Beauty and the B edit

Now, let me just start by saying the reason I am doing this post now is because these items are all recent purchases and collectively have sorted out my skin and made me a VERY happy girl. I have also been drinking LOTS of water recently and making an effort not to touch my face, so that might have something to do with it too. But I just had to blog about these wonder products. I should also point out that I have combination skin, with dry cheeks and an oily T-zone prone to the occasional break-out, so I cannot vouch for whether these products would suit other skin types. Also note that I do not use every product every day, I only use the tea tree oil and mask when I feel my skin really needs a boost or if I've got a pesky blemish that won't back down.

1. Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel: I bought this a couple of weeks ago and so far it has been great for my skin. It leaves me with a super soft face feeling really really clean. It's a different style of cleanser than I am used to; before this I was using the old Clinque foam cleanser. To use, you rub this gel-oil in the palm of your hands then massage into your skin to create an oil which you then rub off. I would really recommend this to anyone with a similar skin type to me, but it does say it is for 'all skin types'. 

2. Bioderma Crealine H2o: Every blogger and their mum uses this, I know. So this is me being a little predictable. I actually don't like this for use on eye makeup, I'm going to go as far as saying it is pretty poor in removing mascara or eyeliner (especially waterproof) and always leaves me with the dreaded panda eyes. But I do like to sweep it over my face before I use the Clarins as it does a beautiful job in removing makeup and making skin feel nice and fresh. Looking forward to this being sold in the UK, but might have to stock up when I go to Paris next month! 

3. Sanctuary 5 minute Thermal Detox Mask: I like to pop a mask on weekly to have a deep cleanse and remove any grime a cleanser just won't get to. My mum actually recommended this one to me (thanks mummy) after reading about how brilliant it was. I have only used it a couple of times but in conjunction with my other products it fits into my regime nicely. It is a clay formula which warms up, so it feels really great on the skin and leaves you with a super clean de-toxified face. 

4. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo: I completely bought in to this cult product, and I am SO happy I listened to all the great reviews and went for it. It is AMAZING. Literally, AMAZING. I am lucky enough not to suffer with severe breakouts, but I do get the occasional time when I get a nasty little area of spots especially when I am tired and have been eating crap. I use it as a moisturiser and it clears any breakouts up and prevents any more. It might not work for everybody but if you suffer from acne or bad skin in any way, please please give it a try because it has the potential to do a lot of good!! 

5. Lush Tea Tree water: I use this as a toner after my Clarins cleanser and before the Effaclar Duo. It is a nice effective toner that won't break the bank and is great for breakouts as tea tree always is. It also smells lovely and refreshing and feels all tingly on the skin. 

6. Tea Tree Oil: I bought this on holiday in Barbados, but of course you can buy straight tea tree oil pretty much everywhere. I just pop this on any particularly nasty blemishes as an extra treatment after my moisturiser if I feel I really need to. I do try to leave spots alone though and just use my usual products. My Mum always told me the most important thing about skin is to keep it clean and avoid using too many products, so this is only for emergencies. 

Have you guys got any other great skincare products to recommend? 

B. 

Whistles Leather Pouch: The purchase

I had seen this Whistles leather pouch in a magazine a couple of months ago. And then yesterday when I was shopping with my Mum who had come to visit, I saw it in this insanely beautiful lemony-lime colour and thought 'I HAVE TO HAVE YOU'.

It is actually sold as a makeup bag, but I plan to use it as a mini-clutch on evenings out and in Barcelona. It is such a vibrant colour and will work brilliantly with a monochrome outfit to give it that extra kick or as in my photos, with another clashing bright colour. 

At £35, it isn't too cheap for such a miniature bag, but as it's leather I'll let whistles off. The pouch comes in a few other colours and finishes, including a croc-finish, (black or white) which I seriously contemplated buying too. They also have a great little range of leather Ipad and iphone cases; click here to have a little browse. 

What do you guys think about Whistles accessories? 

B. 

The Beauty and the B Haul #1

 

From left: Sleek blushes in 'life's a peach' and 'suede', topshop 'bombshell' lipstick, Barry M 147, Lush 'the kiss' and Lush 'Mint Julips. 

Swatches from left: Topshop bombshell, barry M 147, Lush the kiss, Sleek life's a peach and suede

1. Estee Lauder 'magnascopic' mascara- I'm hoping this will fill the void left by my beloved 'Projectionist,' which crazily has been discontinued (WHY estee lauder WHY?) 

2. Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel- Have heard so many wonderful things about this so will let you guys know how I feel about it. 

3. Lush 'the kiss' lipgloss- an impulse buy....it looked pretty, what else can I say

4. Lush 'Mint Julips' lip scrub- this stuff SMELLS AMAZING...seriously amazing. like after eights and heaven. 

5. Lush tea tree toner water- I haven't used a toner in a while, and I was looking for something natural which had tea tree or witch hazel in to help my skin...BINGO. 

6. Models Own 'Utopia' nail polish- just such a beautiful colour. The only way I can think to describe it is like clay. That sounds horrible...it isn't it's lovely.

7. Katy Perry for Eyelure 'cool kitty' lashes- got these as a part of my Topshop haul, they are VERY full, and as a bit of a fake lash (half) virgin, I'm a little scared. We will see. 

8. Sleek blushes in 'life's a peach' and 'suede': A very bright coral and muted dusty rose. I have heard so many positive things about Sleek blushes. They are super pigmented and so affordable. Also love their packaging. 

9. Topshop lipstick in Bombshell- Just such a 'wow' colour. I had been looking for a good dupe for Mac's limited edition 'Show orchid', and I think I've found it. 

10. Barry M lip paint in 147 'peachy pink'- can be seen in my OOTD#4 post; just a really pretty pinky nude colour. 

I'm thinking LOTS of these bits will be in my March favourites, so look out for full reviews then :) 

B.