Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Review

Probably the most wildly hyped release of the year, the Naked 3 palette had some big shoes to fill following the success of the Naked and Naked 2 palettes. Known for their buttery, pigmented shadows, the Naked 3 platte has been released to much fanfare, and is decidedly different enough to warrant adding another palette to the ever expanding collection! 

The third release is considerably different to the first two, providing the first warm toned, rose hued palette which admittedly I wasn't originally sold on. I never wear pink toned eyeshadows and thought it might come across a little too "bubblegum princess" to be wearable, but after reading just about every review out there I have to say I needed to try it out for myself. It turns out the rosy toned shadows really compliment blue eyes and are a nice alternative to the usual brown/ taupe hues I normally wear. Long lasting and incredibly easy to blend, the shadows- like all the palettes before it are incredibly pigmented and the 12 different shades offer loads of different alternatives whether you are looking for a simple day look or a vampy evening look. I was concerned that the Naked 3 would be too similar to the first and second one, but luckily this one is completely different and I dare say I like it more than the Naked 2! 

The Naked palettes are designed so that the colours next to each other work the best together, which makes it easy to build up different looks. The left side works better for the daytime, and are definitely the more rose toned section of the palette. The right side is the darker, brown/ taupe side which would work really well for a smokey eye. The majority of the shades are shimmery/ satin shades with three matte shades to work with. The palette also comes with samples of Urban Decay primers, which I am loving as they work well to blank out the colour of your eyelid and make the shadows even more vibrant then they were to begin with. 

Against all odds, this pink toned palette has shot straight to my number one spot and is the one I reach for the most! What do you think of the Naked palettes?

Love K xxx

Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eye Palette Review

In my infinite wisdom of being makeup obsessed, I am signed up to just about every makeup related email, whether it be individual brands, stores like Space NK or online beauty retailers. So when this little beauty popped into my inbox a couple of months before Christmas from the Bobbi Brown site I knew it would be a festive winner. A couple of matte shades, a gold shimmery shade and four glitters? I was hooked....

The Bobbi Brown palette is THE perfect festive palette, when else can you pile on the glitter and not represent an 80's disco ball? The four glitter shades in the palette are not overpowering, encompassing a silver, pale gold, deep gold and brown and if anything, have a very low pigment so its difficult to go overboard. You definitely need a good primer to use these shades, and I found the best way to use them was with my finger, to add a "pop" in the centre of the eye. The other four matte shades, like all Bobbi's products, are super pigmented. Two light shades for the inner corner and crease and two dark shades- grey and black- for the outer crease. The one shimmery gold colour I used all over the lid as a base, added the grey or black in the outer crease and added one of the glitter shades over the top. It really does create an elegant festive eye look, without going too overboard. As we all know, Bobbi is never one to go OTT! I think this palette would work really well with the Old Hollywood Lip colour, a Marilyn inspired red which comes in a fabulous gold case. Now where did I leave that credit card... 


The Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eye Palette is available from http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk for £59.
Love K xxx

NARS Radient Creamy Concealer

It took me ages to get my hands on this baby. Apparently the colour I was going for appears to be the most popular colour! After darting into just about every Space NK, Selfridges, Liberty, House of Fraser or John Lewis, I finally managed to get my hands on one when after weeks of searching I dejectedly asked the NARS rep at the Liberty counter and they had it! Hallelujah! 

So I was expecting big things from this (namely because it took to long to get my hands on it... why does that make things seem so special?) and I wasn't disappointed. Creamy, illuminating and full coverage, this concealer doesn't cake or settle into any fines lines. I went for Vanilla, which is a couple of shades lighter than my foundation, as I use it for an under eye concealer rather than a blemish concealer. I do find however, that it tends to highlight my pores if I place it too far under my eyes, although I suspect that is down to the colour rather than the product itself. I would also recommend setting this with a translucent powder, the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder (holy grail product!) works brilliantly for this, as I find it can sometimes make my mascara smudge if not set. 

This concealer is available from any of the above locations for around £21. 

Love K xxx

Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter Review

This was one of those things where as soon as the email popped into my inbox, I.just.had.to.have.it. I have a secret penchant for highlighters and just need to own anything sparkly... Must have been a bower bird in a past life.... 
This is a gold based, glitter flecked highlighter, and the only highlighter I own like it. It is intensely pigmented, and the glitter in it is very finely milled and thus creates a shimmery look to the cheek. You can create different looks depending on how heavy handed you are with the brush, although as it has a considerable amount of glitter in it I tend to use it more for nighttime looks, or if I don't have much colour on my face- it looks fab with jet black eyeliner. I also think it looks nice as a wash over your eyelid for a pretty day-time look. 

I have to say I am pretty disappointed with the packaging, online it looks like a gold bar but in reality it is a bronze cardboard box. It does use a magnet to keep the box shut but Im not convinced this would last if you were to take it travelling very often. It is quite different from the packaging of her other products so I'm not sure why they have gone down such a cheap route for the highlighter- particularly given the name! 

You can get this online for £30 from www.charlottetilbury.com

Love K xxx

NARS One Night Stand Palette Review

I confess. I have never owned a NARS blush. Given how much they are raved about and Orgasm being one of the most popular blushes out there, I have just never gotten around to getting my hands on one. Namley because they have so many blush colours I never knew where to start! Enter, Guy Bourdin's One Night Stand platte, four different blush shades, the coveted Laguna bronzer and a highlighter all rolled into one nifty palette. 

The four blush shades are Mistinguette, Orgasm, Deep Throat and Goulue, all vastly different colours therefore there is a blush for any makeup look you are trying to rock! They are incredibly pigmented, glide easily onto the cheek and go really well with the bronzer for a contoured look. The bronzer is again a really pretty colour and works well for a contoured daytime look, which is complemented by the highlighter which is a pale white champagne colour, which would also work well for highlighting under the brow bone. This is definitely more of a daytime highlighter and is far less shimmery than other highlighters (Kevin Aucoin/ Mac Soft and Gentle)

Overall this is a fabulous palette and has not left my daily makeup routine since I got it! 

xxx

Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder

I put off buying this product for ages. Despite the rave reviews, and the constant chat in the blososphere, I had been quite happy with the bronzing powders I have.... but we all know the old adage- one can never have too many clothes... or makeup in this case!

I finally took the plunge and I can see what all the fuss is about, the colour is a grey toned brown so does appear to be the exact same colour as shadow under high cheekbones, and really does seem to sculpt your face into Victorias Secret-esque brilliance. It is intensely pigmented, and you literally need to barely touch your brush into the powder to create the sculpted look. 
I would say however, that for £35.00 it is the smallest bronzer I have ever owned, and had I realised it was only 3.10 grams of product I probably wouldn't have purchased it. Its about the same size as a Clinique eyeshadow, and whilst you don't need much product, I was pretty disappointed given the price point. Will I use it? Without a doubt, its my favourite sculpting product. Would I buy it again? Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year...

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Like I really need another foundation... but I couldn't resist when I saw the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation beckoning to me in Selfridges. Secretly though, I blame the blogging world, particularly Amelia Liana and Vivianna Does Makeup whose constant raving about this product made me think that I had to try it for myself.... FOMO and all that...
I was colour matched by the lovely lady in Selfridges who matched me to colour 5.5, which is my perfect shade match, not too yellow or pink as I tend to sit somewhere in the middle. The foundation is silky on the skin and is so pigmented you really don't need to use too much. It is a medium coverage foundation, buildable and leaves you looking like you glow from within! It made my skin look fabulous in the store and after checking outside in natural light I did the deed and handed over my hard earned cash. It lasted the full eight hours and worked fabulously with my combination skin, I didn't need powder in my tzone which I would normally need with other foundations. It definitely leaves your skin looking red carpet worthy and I would tend to save this for nights out, particularly if there is photography involved as it works well in pictures. Roll on the festive season! 

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Review

When I first heard that Charlotte Tilbury was releasing a makeup line, my excitement was palpable. I have watched a whole load of You-Tube videos from when she was the Victoria's Secret makeup artist, and lets face it, she made those girls look stunning so I had high hopes for the makeup line! Of course, that was not down to thier incredible genes or anything....

I ordered my haul from charlottetilbury.com, which after obsessively stalking twitter, Instagram and the Selfridges website I decided to go with the Dolce Vita look. Charlotte has split her makeup into ten different looks, and the idea is that you pick the look that you like (or that would suit your colouring) and you can purchase the whole look- which means that the eyeshadow will go perfectly with the blush, and complement the lipstick, and so on. I think that is a fabulous idea for those of us who are not makeup/ colour trained as it is difficult to perfectly co-ordinate colours without looking too "done".

I was relatively restrained with my initial purchases, choosing the Cheek to Chic blush in Ecstasy, the Dolce Vita eyeshadow quad and the eye smudger brush. The blush is incredibly pigmented, you barely need any on the brush and you use the centre of the palette to add a "pop" of colour in the apple of your cheek. The eyeshadow quad stood out the most in my opinion, the colours are absolutely perfect for my blue eyes, hugely pigmented and blendable. This is my favourite palette in my collection and has really made me think outside the box when it comes to makeup colours. I also picked up the eye smudger brush which is soft and perfect for adding shadow to the crease and under the eyes. Charlotte's father was a painter and her brush collection was inspired by him, interestingly they all have flat edges so they don't roll off the table! genius! 

I definitely think there's another Tilbury haul on the horizon, I have my eye on the Colour Chameleon eyeshadow pencils and the new Bar of Gold Highlighter... credit card watch your step!

Love K xxx

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II

There are very few skin products that make me sit up and take notice. Its rare that I will actually see a change in my skin after using a new product, but the first time I used this baby the difference was incredible. It looked like I had just slept for a week, practised meditation daily and ate raw vegetables for the last 28 years. Its that good. 

Estee lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II (and..... breathe) promises to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, make your skin feel stronger, hydrated and smoother, and look younger and more radiant. I can definitely attest to most of those claims, although I don't really have any wrinkles to depose off *wards off ageing gods* 
I add a large drop to my skin in the evenings straight after toning and before Hydraluron/ Moisturiser. Its £48 for the 30ml or £65 for the 50ml which is expensive, but worth it in my opinion. 

Love K xxx

Liberty GWP- any excuse for shopping!

I love Autumn. Leaves fall off trees, theres a slight chill in the air, and best of all- its gift with purchase time! So when that little email from Liberty popped into my inbox, it took me literally seconds to mentally convince myself to spend the £150 to get it!

Luckily, there were a few things I wanted to pick up, so the £150 haulage comprised of Aesop Parsley Seed cleansing mask, Shu Uemura  eyelash curlers, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Hourglass Powder brush, Bobbi Brown luminous foundation and Bobbi Brown corrector.... reviews to follow! 

So after that credit card bashing, thankfully the GWP was just as fab as I had envisaged, with a whole load of products that I had want to try. 

The product list incudes Aesop, Aromatherapy Associates, Byredo, Chantecaille, Cowshed, Dermalogica, Diptyque, Decléor, ESPA, Ellis Faas, Eve Lom, Hourglass, Kiehl’s, Laura Mercier, Malin+Goetz, Margaret Dabbs, QMS Medicosmetics, REN and Trish McEvoy. My faves were the Eve Lom cleanser, Aesop Shampoo, Hourglass lipgloss and Diptyque candle.... although I would honestly use every product! It also comes in a large makeup bag which is fab for all of us beauty lovers... you can never have enough makeup, right?

xx

Sunday Funday

I am one of those people that prefer Sundays to be my day of relaxation.... sleep in, coffee in bed, Pilates class, brunch and whiling the afternoon away watching you-tube beauty videos (I am OBSESSED) 

Of course this day of relaxation means some in depth beauty time, not only do my nails get their weekly paint job but I always set aside some time for a face mask. Depending on how my skin is feeling, these are a few face masks that are currently doing the cha cha in my bathroom:

*From left to right clockwise, Origins Drink Up Intensive, Dead Sea Spa Magik Mud Mask, Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial, Oskia Renaissance Mask*

The Origins mask is a new addition to my stash, and is currently in the running to be my firm favourite. Its fantastic for my combination-dry skin and is far easier to use- just rub in and leave on overnight and  in the morning my skin feels hydrated, smooth & refreshed. It includes Hyaluronic Acid as one of its key ingredients which I love, and is why my skin feels so smooth the next morning. 

The Mud Mask I tend to use sparingly, and only when I have broken out. My chin is a known blemish hub and I would normally pop this on around that area, and use the Oskia one over the rest of my face. The mud draws out all the impurities and gets rid of all the excess oil to give clearer skin. I personally find it too dry for my whole face but if you do have oily skin then this would be great for you.
The Oskia mark I use very regularly, it gives a welcome boost of hydration and I find it plumps my skin and seems to give it a boost that the week of city working and tube travel have sapped out of it.
Finally the Clinique one I was given free with a purchase of some other Clinique goodies, this one is an manual exfoliating mask and has a gritty texture, so is great to get rid of any dry bits of skin or leftover fake tan! I tend to use this one if my skin is looking a bit dull and needs some clearing up.

Let me know what face masks you would recommend!

Sshhh... Its a secret....

So my lovely boyfriend got back from a work trip to Copenhagen and bought me back a present! I love pressies :)

Inside the Victoria's Secret bag housed a embossed black box that when opened, encased a large perfume bottle, a mini perfume, body wash and body lotion which are both enhanced with the same scent... *squeal*

The perfume is a white floral scent, perfect for summer (despite the dreary, wet, autumn-is-on-its-way weather outside!) and the perfume lasts quite a long time on your skin-  I normally struggle to find perfumes that last longer than a few hours. Its quite a sweet smell, quite like honeysuckle with a light woody smell in the afternotes. The body lotion is thick and creamy and really does enhance the smell of the perfume when used together. The body wash is really nice too but lets face it, no body wash smell will last on your skin! Makes the bathroom smell nice though :)

Snaps for the boyfriend xxx

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Deluxe Dior

So on a recent trip to Turkey, I happened to fall into duty free and of course emerged significantly poorer with two Dior purchases.... Dior 5 Couleurs in Mystic Metallics & Dior blush in cocktail peach. 

The eyeshadow palette has to be the most beautiful palette on earth- I haven't even used it yet as i don't want to upset the pattern! The palette comes with five colours- perfect for a dramatic smokey eye. There are two purple- one muted matte and a bright shimmery purple, which is complemented by a grey/purple slightly shimmery colour for the lid, a super shimmery green/ gold colour and a pinky/ cream inner corner highlight colour in the centre. The colours are super pigmented and would look fabulous with any eye colour. I also bought the blush which is a more muted peachy colour, which would complement a dramatic eye.  

Dior have to be my favourite makeup brand, so luxurious and and almost too pretty to use! Both are available at http://www.escentual.com which is where I normally purchase my Dior faves! 

K xxx

Change of Address....

Here's the thing. Ive been lazy. Having started my blog on another site around four months ago, I did two posts and gave up due to the fact I have zero patience for old slow laptops, and even less patience for lack of syncing between iPhone & laptop! However, I am now the proud new owner of:

Isn't it ppprrreeeettttyyyyy..... SO I am declaring myself back in the game. *insert roll of boyfriend's eyes here* Next up.... Dior makeup.... sigh