Urban Decay's Naked Palette Review

Hi there everyone! I have another review for you here today and it's on a product which some of you requested. The Naked palette is an extremely popular make-up product among the beauty community and the general female population (unless there are guys out there who like to wear it?).

Well I'm just going to get straight into the review, I hope you find this review useful.

The Naked palette (€40.50) contains 12 eye shadows, 10 shimmers and 2 mattes. It also includes a mini Urban Decay Primer Potion and an eye shadow brush. The palette itself is slim, velvet chocolate brown with gold writing. It closes with a magnet so is convenient to open and close.

If you are trying to decide between The Naked Palette and The Naked 2 Palette then it all depends on your colour preferences. If you prefer warm, brown, bronze colours then go for The Naked Palette. If you prefer cool, grey, silver colours then go for The Naked Palette.

✓The packaging is really sleek and it fits nicely into a handbag.  ✓The eye shadows are really pigmented and last really well.  ✓The colours are very versatile and you can make a look for any occasion.  ✓It comes with a brush which is very useful and good quality.  ✓The Primer Potion works wonders to keep your eye shadows on all day/night and prevent creasing or oiliness.  ✓It comes with a little mirror built in which is handy for on the go applications.

✗ It is quite expensive.  ✗ Each shade comes in small quantities so they run out pretty fast.  ✗ If you're someone who hates shimmery eye shadows then stay clear of this palette as they make up for most of it.  ✗ Although the packaging is slim, it is quite long and doesn't fit into most make up bags.

Overall my opinion is that although it is an expensive purchase, it is well worth it if you are into using eye shadow on a regular basis, and enjoy experimenting with different shades.

 Let me know what you thought of this product and if you have any questions or reviews please leave them in the comments!

Thank-you for reading!

♥

Origins Balanced Diet Lightweight Moisturise Lotion Review

Hello Everyone!

So I have another review for you today, its the Origins Balanced Diet Lightweight Moisture Lotion. I picked up this moisturiser in Arnotts for €33.

This is what Origins say about this product:

"When skin is not the same all over, it's hard to feed your needs. Nature's nutritionists provide precise portion control to be sure that skin "eats" smart.Wheat Protein and Soy Protein deliver lightweight liquid nourishment where needed to soften and soothe dry zones without weighing down T-zones. Konjac Powder soaks up sebum, and only sebum, and leaves no leftovers to shine a face up. Skin that's oily here, dry there feels fresher, smoother everywhere.
Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested."

"Suitable for combination-normal skin"

I was looking for a product which ingredients were of mainly natural origin (excuse the pun!), when I came across this brand. They have a huge selection of products and I was impressed with the range.

I have very dry skin so moisturising is very important to me to keep my skin in a good condition. 

I was told by the assistant that since I have younger and dryer skin that this product would suit me. Also because I didn't want to spend too much money that this was one of the cheaper moisturisers.

It does last a long time. I have been using this product for about seven months now and it isn't even half-way finished yet.

This is an oil-free product which has very little "nasty" ingredients and would be great for those of you who are big into their natural products!

It blends easily and sinks into my skin quickly - no heavy residue left on my skin.

There were three things I found that didn't work for me with this product. 

Firstly, the consistency is very runny, which can be a hassle when pouring it onto your hand out of the bottle (no pump applicator). 

I have the wrong skin type for this product as it was not moisturising enough for me and found that I had to apply it twice before my skin was hydrated enough.

It is on the pricier side but I think it is worth it.

Overall I would really recommend this product to anyone who has combination-normal skin, I think it would be perfect for them. Although it is on the pricey side, I think it is great value for money as it lasts a very long time. I am very excited to try out more Origins products.

Thank-you for reading. If you have tried out this product please let me know what you think of it!

♥

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick

Hello Everyone!

This is my first review and I am excited to inform you and share with you all my thoughts on this product. 

The colour I picked up was sheer so there basically was no colour to it! I didn't swatch it for you guys as it would be pointless because there is nothing to see, its clear! But I hope you can make out from the pictures what it would look like. You can also get this product in tinted colours such as reds and pinks etc.. 

Firstly this is what the company says about the product: 

"Beautiful lips get attention. They also get a lot of sun. Protect yours with this all-weather, SPF 15 treatment stick. It helps moisturise, soften and smooth your lips''

They also claim that it:
Treats your lips to Eight Hour Care.
Helps moisturise, soften and smooth lips.
Relieves chapping and cracking.
Helps guard against the damaging effects of UV exposure with SPF 15.
Is available in a range of beautiful sheer shades.

I suffer from really dry skin and lips which is what drew me to the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour collection - I had heard many great things about it and wanted to give this a try. 

I apply this product at night time before I hop into bed. I exfoliate my lips and when they're dry I apply the lip protectant. It goes on very smooth - similar to the Nivea Essential Care stick but a bit thicker. If feels almost waxy and is not oily at all. It has no real smell although I wouldn't say it's fragrance free, it just smells like a regular lip balm 

I guess!

A huge benefit would be that it has an SPF of 15 in it, which isn't extremely high but it is better to have some kind of sun protectant on your lips than nothing.

I have woken up in the morning to find that my lips feel really moisturise and are not dry or flaky at all. My lipstick and lip gloss go on much more smooth and softer.

I have found just two disadvantages with this product.

 The price. It retails in Ireland for a whopping €22.50. If you're spending this sort of money, you would want to be getting your money's worth. I love this product but I wouldn't be spending that sort of money on a lip balm again.

The amount of product. In the pictures shown I have used the product a few time, but only a few. So you really do not get a lot of product in the tube, which was a big disappointment for me. You would think if you paid so much money for it then you should be getting a bit more.

Overall I think this is a really great product, and I would recommend it if you have the money to spend on expensive lip treatments. I probably won't be re-purchasing this in the near future as it's way out of my budget but I will definitely use it all up! Let me know if you have tried this product and what you thought of it.

I have tried a lot of the 8 Hour collection so if there are any of those products you would like a review on please comment below and let me know!

Thank-you to all the people who have followed my blog and have left such lovely comments

♥

Belfast Beauty Haul!

So recently I went shopping in Belfast and I got some really great things. I absolutely love Belfast - the shops, the Titanic exhibition, the architecture, and especially the accents. Northern Irish accents is probably my favourite accent! 

I enjoy going up there a few times a year and this is the first time I'm blogging about some of the things I picked up. I hope you enjoy and I may do a review or two on some of the items I picked up.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I have been meaning to pick up this foundation for a loooong time so as it was on sale for £5.99 I was definitely picking it up! I have heard many good things about this product and I am eager to try it out. I bought it in the shade 100Ivory which I think is the palest shade it comes in.

Real Techniques Brushes

Let me firstly say - I absolutely LOVE these brushes! I went to a few Boots in Belfast trying to find these brushes and eventually I found them! I picked up the blush brush (pink) and the face brush set (bronze) - which includes a contour brush, small pointed foundation brush, concealer brush and a buffing brush. As you can probably see from the photo I have already used them and they really are great value for money. I am considering doing a review on them as they are such a great investment which wont break the bank! The blush brush was on its own and was £9.99. The face brush set was £21.99.

Sleek Blush - Lace

Sleek is a make-up brand which is raved about by many beauty gurus but unfortunately it isn't sold in stores in Ireland. So this was one of the things I had on my list to buy before I went to Belfast. I had my mind set on picking up the Sleek Contour Kit but I wanted the light shade and sadly they were out of stock. I managed to find a blush set which was around £9.99 for three different shades. I was originally planning on buying one of Benefit's blushes but since they are twice the price for one I decided it was a better deal to get three for half as much!

 Urban Decay's Naked Palette

I know I am VERY late jumping on the band wagon with this buy but I had hesitated to buy it for a long time due to it's price, but I gave in and splurged on this famous little palette. I decided to get the Naked1 instead of the Naked2 because warmer toned colours like browns and golds suit me better than cooler shades. I actually didn't buy this up north, I found it on sale a few weeks ago for €36.99 when it was on sale in Debenhams (which it isn't anymore). I know I will get so much use out of this.

Benefit's Sunbeam

This is something I have been meaning to buy for a while since it came out. It was around £18, and I can't wait to try it out. It is similar to Benefit's Highbeam, but I find that Highbeam is more suited to people with cool undertones and since I have a warm undertone,  Sunbeam is a good match as it has a yellow undertone. 

thank-you to all the new people who followed my blog

♥

New Year - Resolutions?

Hello there! So there are only a few days left now of 2012 and I'm sure that a lot of you are trying to decide on what your New Year's Resolutions will be - or not? 

Personally I think they're a great idea, as it is an excuse to better yourself and change some things in your life which you wish were different. But they can be very difficult to keep and trust me, I know! There have been many, many resolutions which I had made at the start of the year, and by the time Easter rolls around, they are long forgotten about. 

Usually every year I only make one resolution, and this is because if I make more than one, my effort will be divided between them which means I am more likely to give them up. So if I have any advice, it would be to stick to one resolution, and you will find it easier not to stray from your goal.

Another tip I have is don't set yourself unrealistic and vague goals like 'lose weight' or 'eat healthy'. Try to narrow it down to simpler things like 'go for a jog every second day' or 'give up fizzy drinks', I promise this will make it easier and you will keep your resolutions for longer. 

Also, you don't have to give up things as a resolution, most people give up things like chocolate or alcohol, which is such a dramatic commitment that they're not mentally ready for. Instead, take something up, like swimming or blogging - something you're interested in. Resolutions don't always have to be about giving things up.

This year, I've decided to go for a pretty unusual resolution that is pretty different to the typical ones you hear of such as 'lose a stone' or 'stop eating sweets'. I'm going to become a vegetarian.

Even just as I write that, it seems so strange that I would stop eating meats. I am a massive meat eater. All my life I have been in love with all types of meat (except pork!) and I ate a lot of it too. It runs in my family and we always had meat included in every single dinner. So people are going to be surprised when I explain what my resolution is for this year. 

Although I am calling it a New Year's Resolution, I plan on keeping it for the rest of my life (if I can). I'm sure you're wondering 'If you're such a huge fan of meat, why are you becoming a vegetarian?'. Well the simplest answer is for health reasons. I have researched into the benefits of becoming a vegetarian and personally I believe that for me it is a good choice. 

I didn't necessarily decide to adopt this eating plan for animal rights reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love animals and being a vegetarian will have benefits beyond myself, but it was mainly the health reasons that made my mind up. 

I know it is going to be VERY difficult, but I hope it will be worth it, I like to set myself challenges so this will be an interesting task I'm setting myself. I may be writing some blog posts every now and then to show you how I will be dealing with my meat cravings (ha ha!) and what meals I discover on my journeys.

♥

Christmas Is Here!

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Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year!

 I find the atmosphere unique to any other time which makes it special and fun.

 I love looking at people's decorations in their houses so I thought I would show you some of the little Christmas details around my house this year.

We haven't had any snow yet in Ireland (where I live anyway) and since Christmas Eve is tomorrow, it isn't looking too likely (boo!). 

It is freezing here though so at least I can pretend it's snowing by wrapping up warm!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

♥

Clothing and Shoes Haul!

Hi Everyone! So this is my first clothing/shoes haul and it really isn't that big of a haul but I thought I would share with you what I picked up :)

• The first thing I got was a cute dress from Pennys. It is navy with a cream lace collar around the neck and is perfect for winter. It also comes in a wine color that has a black collar. I picked it up for my work Christmas party where I had to look quite respectable! It definitely was a bargain for €13!
• The next thing I picked up was a pair of black leather shorts from H&M. They're actually really comfy and flattering and the studs on either side above the pockets add a different touch. I love both leather and studs so this is a 2-in-1 fashion trend right here! They are not too expensive at €25.95 and are so worth it!
• Next I got a pair of green tartan trousers from Pennys which people will either love or hate. I personally love them I think they're different and incorporate this winter's 90's fashion trend. I was skeptical about buying them, but once I tried them on I loved them as they're very flattering and eye catching. These trousers were only €17.
• The final thing I got were these aaamazing pair of heels! They were from Korkys for only €49.99! I know they are pretty boring knock-offs to the Jeffrey Campbell Lita's but I'm not ready to go all out with the crazy designs just yet. They're so easy to walk in and you can wear socks with them which is ideal for Irish weather!