MUA Undress Me Too Palette: Swatches and Review

As part of my 100 Day Spending Reductions I'm trying to save as many pennies as possible. I've been debating over purchasing the Urban Decay Naked Palettes for some time now but I decided against it as I think my money could be better spent elsewhere!

I used to be a huge fan of MUA but recently I haven't really been wowed by their new releases, and having had a few PR slip ups recently I haven't really rushed into Superdrug to stalk their MUA section. However I was in my local Superdrug this morning and saw that their newest line of Undressed products were on special offer so I decided to pick up this palette. Many people have claimed that it's a dupe to Urban Decay's much loved Naked 2 Palette so I was looking forward to trying this out.

MUA have opted to switch their new palette's to white, which i think looks beautiful then it's brand new, but imagine can get quite dirty fairly quickly! In the pan all of the shades look really pretty and shades I think are really wearable. I really like the fact that the shades now have names. I think this gives the palette a lot more of a personal touch and it's a lot easier to identify individual shades instead of the previous numbering system. However I am quite let down that the shades are a blatant copy of Urban Decay.I have to question the integrity of a company that essentially copies a much more established brand. If I remember correctly MUA actually commented on their Facebook page that this palette was a dupe of UD (However I cannot find the exact comment after searching!) I understand many people (myself included) lust after the UD palettes but can't always afford them so it is nice to have a more purse friendly option, but for a company to actually advertise this in such a way didn't sit well with me! However onto the actual product!

In the pan my favourite shade of the top row would probably be Shy, which is a cool toned champagne shade, however I'm quite disappointed that it is barely noticeable on my skin tone so that's one shade I definitely won't be opting for! 

None of the shades on the top row give particularly amazing colour, and the only two shades I'm likely to wear would be Naked, for a highlight, and Firey. 

The bottom row looks a lot more appealing to me in the pan and I really looked forward to using these. However after swatching I am again slightly disappointed with the lack of pigment! Exposed and Reveal really stood out to me in the pan as they are something a little more unusual compared to what we've had in the previous neutral palettes! However I think I'll really have to build these colours up in order to actually do much with them! I expected Corrupt to be a really pigmented black yet I really had to fight with it in order to really get anything from it!


I understand that MUA often recommend using their Eye Primer with their eyeshadow products in order to get the best colour from it. However after using the product once it really irritated my eyes so it got thrown straight in the bin. I have no problems with the pigmentation of any of the older MUA palettes so I feel really let down by this palette. At the moment I'm seeing this as £3 wasted I could have put towards the actual Naked Palette!



Have any of you guys used this palette? What were your thoughts? X

100 Day Spending 'Reductions'

I've seen many Bloggers take part in the 100 day spending ban and I really envy their ability to save! I'm quite an impulse shopper and I'm always just picking up little bits and pieces without really realising how much I'm spending! However sometimes I think I can justify my spending so I don't think it's right to completely ban myself from it!  However I am desperate to save up for a car, and I have my heart set on a pink Fiat 500 so it's time to keep an eye on the pennies!

In order to try and keep myself from spending all my money I've made myself some guidelines to try to stick to as much as possible! 

1. Leave my staff discount card at home when I'm working! - I always up picking up clothes when I'm working and I have a wardrobe full of things that still have the tags on! I've decided I'm going to stop taking my staff card to work with me, and if there is anything I do want to buy I'll have to go home and at least think it over before buying it! 

2. Stop getting taxis everywhere! - On the topic of work I usually end up getting a taxi there and back every shift I have, which comes to about £10 a shift! Now the weather is getting slightly warmer it makes so much more sense to get a bus! 

3. Save my student loan - I'm luckily enough to finish university on May 3rd this year, so I won't need to use too much of my student loan for the summer term. I'm intending on spending a chunk of that on driving lessons, but my last loan installments have gone on impulse purchases (an iPad, Ted Baker handbag, tattoos, etc etc!) so I'm hoping to save that to put it towards my car fund! 

4. Less takeaways! - I practically live on Pizza Hut, kebabs and chinese takeaways, so it will be so beneficial for both my bank account and my health to cut this bad habit out! 

After getting out my calender i've figured out that my '100 days' finishes on June 22nd! I'm hoping by that time I would have had enough time to get started with my driving lessons, and as I'll have finished university I should be able to have more overtime at work too, which will be great! 

Wish me luck guys! X

Urban Decay Naked Basics

As soon as Urban Decay announced their 'Naked Basics' palette it instantly had my attention. Urban Decay is one of my favourite brands but I was always reluctant so spend £36 on the full sized naked palettes. However I didn't even stop to think before ordering this as soon as it was released on the Debenhams website.

I really like the packaging of Urban Decay products and Naked Basics definitely lives up to my high expectations. It's quite sturdy and durable but without being too heavy. The in-built mirror means I have less to carry around in my bag and it's generally a good size. I'm really quite heavy handed when it comes to my handbag so I half expected this to get crushed and ruined in my bag on my daily travels but it's held up really well!

I've been turning to my Naked Basics palette due to it's versatility. With the shades being matte they are a lot more wearable for everyday use. I've found myself particularly drawn to the shades Venus, Naked 2 and Faint, with a hint of Crave at night times. When I'm on the go and haven't got time to really be fussing Faint is also perfect for filling in my brows, and it stays in place all day. The colour pay off of the shades is really long lasting and stays in place all day, however I find using a primer is always the best bet on a night out!

Admittedly it did take a while for me to warm to using these shades as the all matte shades do look quite strange as I am used to a good bit of shimmer! However I do see this as an investment piece so I removed all other eye palettes from my make up bag which gave me more of a chance to play around with this palette and get used to the shades and now it is definitely a firm favourite! It has also persuaded me to invest in the full sized naked palettes!



Have you tried the Naked Basics Palette? Let me know? X