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

Brit Rocks False Eyelashes

Hi guys! Before I start I just want to super apologise for being so rubbish lately! I won't bore you all with the details but basically uni assignments have taken over my life, add on to that lectures, work at h&m and generally being super busy equals one very neglected blog :(!

I have a confession to make. I am a bit of a falsies addict. I love them. Usually I tend to stick to my Eylure lashes as I always know what I'm going to get and I'm never disappointed! However after stopping to consider how much I spend on cosmetics I decided to venture into other brands. Brit Rocks isn't a brand I'm familiar with but I decided to chuck a few pairs in my basket when I was in my local Savers recently.

One thing I am always wary with them applying lashes is the lash adhesive. I always use my Eylure glue as I know it works for me and I don't want to end up with lashes halfway down my face, or irritated eyes from a horrible formula! However for the sake of giving an honest review I hesitantly tried the glue that came with the lashes. I was instantly taken back by how thin the consistency is in comparison to Eylure's. Despite this I cracked on and the lashes just would not stick at all! So the glue is heading straight for the bin!

However once I switched back to my trusty Eylure glue I was more than happy with these lashes. When first applied they look very natural, but I used Benefit's Bad Gal mascara just to give a bit more definition and blend them into my natural lashes. They sit comfortably on my lash line, where as I found with other 'cheaper' brands tend to feel uncomfortable.

Overall I would definitely think about re-purchasing these lashes. They're ideal for nights out as I don't feel quite so bad about ripping them off at the end of the night, or in my case ending up waking up with them in a horrible mess on my pillow!

Are you a fan of false lashes? And is these any brands you use as your go to lashes? Let me know! X

Kobo Touch eReader in Lilac

Hi guys! I have a bit of a different type of review for you all today, I started back at University on Monday and I've really not paid much attention to my usual beauty habits because I've been so tired! So I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite gadgets! 

Since I have started commuting to University everyday I've been using public transport far too often, and it's safe to say it can become quite tedious and boring! So to make my daily commute a little less boring I've been spending some quality time with my eReader. 

The Kobo Touch eReader comes in 4 colours (Black, Silver, Baby Blue and Lilac) but I was drawn to the matte lilac colour. The quilted back gives it an extra edge of class to it and makes it look a lot more expensive than it really is. The design of it is quite strong going as well. I have chucked this in my bag everyday this week and it's remained scratch free!

I chose this eReader over the more popular brands such as Kindle as I never really liked the idea of Kindle only being able to display books brought from Amazon. I like a bit more freedom and Kobo definitely provides me with this! The Kobo store has over 2 million books to choose from, including over 1 million free ones, yet you are able to upload books from other websites as well, and you can also read pdf files which is really useful as well! 

The only downside to my little old eReader is that there is no back-light, which Kobo describe as "like reading actually paper and ink" which is a bit of a pain at times as I used to love curling up under my duvet with my old eReader which was lit! The purpose of this is that the battery life lasts for ages with it, I've had mine since like May and I've only charged it once. 

As well as being a standard eReader, it can also connect to the internet through wireless so you download new eBooks without going through your computer which is really handy! You can unlock achievements for reading different things which provides light entertainment, as well as having a Sudoku and Whiteboard app which makes it a bit more versatile as well! 

Overall I cannot recommend a Kobo eReader enough! They are available at WHSmith stores for £79.99. Do you have a eReader? What do you mostly read? X 

Maybelline Mascara XXL Extreme Black

Two step mascaras are becoming increasingly popular recently, yet the concept is pretty simple. Step one usually involves a primer type product, which increases the lengths of your eyelashes, whilst step two products more volume. 

I never really set out to buy this product. I tried a two step mascara years ago and was never really blown away by it so I didn't really bother with anymore. Yet I picked up a Maybelline foundation in Boots earlier this week and they currently have an offer of 2 Maybelline Products for £10 so picked up this mascara just to get a bit more for my money. 

Step one: Primer 

As noticeable above the primer is white, which can be a little strange to apply at first. On first application I definitely noticed that my lashes look slightly longer, but it did tend to clump quite a bit. Although this is easily solved with a lash brush I feel slightly let down by the primer as I expected my eyelashes to be ready to put the second step straight on! 

Step Two: Volume 

I felt with this step you really had to work hard to ensure all the primer was covered - nobody wants white lashes! Again I felt this was quite clumpy so had to go through my lashes with a brush, which again isn't really a huge deal but is something I rather wouldn't do! 

Overall I like this mascara but it isn't something I'd use regularly! I think the two step process is quite long winded and not practical for everyday! This is also a complete nightmare to get off, and once it is removed my eyes are always really tiny and hurty! 

Have you tried this mascara? What do you think of it? X 

MUA Brow Pencils VS Pro Brow Palette

When MUA recently announced the release of their Pro-Brow Palette there was such a buzz of excitement from the Beauty World. Having already made a name for themselves with providing brilliant quality products at an extremely affordable price, MUA had set themselves some high expectations with their Brow Palette! I usually use MUA's Brow Pencils so I decided to put the two to the test to see which product wins a place in my make up bag! 

Brow Pencils 

Personally I was really impressed when I first tried my first Brow Pencil. The formula is quite creamy and stays in place without smudging which is vital for me! (Nobody wants an eyebrow halfway down their face!) Despite only coming in two shades - Blonde and Brunette - I find using both gives me a good colour to work with, and the two blend together nicely. 

Pros

- The pencil gives good control and I can use the product exactly how I want it to 

- The two colours give me a nice colour which suits my complexion 

- I really like the brush, it allows me to soften my look so I don't have the dreaded scouse brow!

Cons

- The two available colours may not suit everyone 

- I would have liked a sharpener similar to MUA's eyeliner pencils 

Initially when I opened my Brow Palette this evening for the first time I was slightly disappointed, it was completely sealed yet when I opened it, there was finger marks in the product which slightly grossed me out and almost ruined the new product experience for me! After my initial doubts I tried the product and instantly fell in love! The three powder colours provide really versatile shades which can be blended easily and the wax isn't too greasy and really holds my brows in place. 

Pros

- 3 shades provide shades suitable to define and highlight brows

- Fixing wax is lightweight and doesn't clog up 

- Mirror allows for one less product in my makeup bag 

Cons

- The tiny tweezers and brush are quite difficult to handle, but I would usually use my own full sized tools

Overall I think I personally prefer the Brow Palette. I feel the three shades allow me to create a more neutral look where as I have to blend and work hard to create a natural look with the pencils. However I do really like the brushes of the pencils so I think when I have the time I will be using both products to take extra time and care on my brows! 

Have you tried either of the MUA brow products? What did you think of them? X 

MUA Heaven and Earth VS Undressed

I've recently become interested in the MUA palettes after seeing such positive reviews, so I thought I'd pick two of the most popular ones up, which are Heaven and Earth and Undressed. Both are neutral toned shadows which I usually tend to use for a day look. I have put them to the test to see which one wins the battle of the palettes! 

 Heaven and Earth is the original Neutral Palette from MUA and features a range of warm toned browns and cool beige and cream tones. These are perfect for a day time friendly eye look and create a lovely, less dramatic smokey eye in comparison to a traditional black smokey eye. 

However I feel that a lot of the shades in Heaven and Earth are very similar when applied, for example shade 4 and 9, which lets this palette down slightly for me. However I still feel this will earn a permanent place in my make up bag!

Since MUA's Undressed Palette has been released it has created a well earned reputation as a Urban Decay Naked Dupe and for good reason. All you have to do is google 'Undressed vs Naked Palette' and you will see the vast similarities between the two palettes. This is perfect for people who are interested in the Naked Palette but cannot afford the price tag! 

Undressed also offers a more varied colour range, with more neutral and metallic ranges which allows it to be more versatile, allowing you to create a daytime look or something more dramatic.

Overall I think my favourite palette is definitely Undressed! It provides an almost identical dupe to the Naked palette which is definitely a godsend for me and my purse! I also like that it provides a wide range of shades so I can mix up my look a bit more without having to carry around a million different single shades! 

Despite this I am also a big fan of Heaven and Earth and will not be neglecting it at all!

Have you tried either the Heaven and Earth or the Undressed Palette? What do you think, and which is your favourite? Let me know! X 

MUA Going For Gold Review

To celebrate Team GB's AMAZING victories this weekend I popped into my local Superdrug to pick up the MUA Going For Gold Palette. This limited edition palette has 10 shimmery eye shadows in various shades of Gold, Silver and Bronze which is perfect for getting into the Olympic spirit! 

Despite being fairly new to MUA's eye shadows I can say I am so impressed with every aspect of this product. The packaging is a relatively minimalist black plastic which is aesthetically pleasing but keeps the product safe from bumps. I threw this in my bag after purchasing and it stayed as good as new! 

This palette is fairly different to other MUA offerings as the pans are square in comparison to the standard circular ones. I feel this is much better as it feels like you get more product, as well as having more space to swirl your brush around! 

I am so amazed by the high quality of the eye shadows! The pigmentation is astounding and it is such good value for money. The shimmery shades will can create a modern twist on the smokey eye, and they are ideal for highlighting too. Too be honest I was a bit taken back by the brightness of the colours to begin with, especially Shade 5 (top far right) as in the pan it's very 'in your face' but in hindsight it can be really wearable when blended with other shades. 

Despite being Olympic Inspired palette I think these will be lovely 'holiday' shades and would look gorgeous with a tan! I have definitely been converted to MUA palettes, having recently picked up Undressed and Heaven and Earth as well, and I will definitely be going back for more palettes! 

Have you tried any of the MUA palettes? What do you think of the quality of money in comparison to other brands? Let me know! X 

MUA Going For Gold is available in selected Superdrug stores and online here for £4, but it's currently on offer for £1 off! 

Front Cover Rainbow Eyes Reborn

Eye shadow palettes have always been quite popular as they provide complimentary shades and are usually good value for money in comparison to buying each shadow individually. Recently we have seen the much hyped Naked Palettes and their more affordable counterparts, MUA's Heaven and Earth and Undressed Palettes, but I felt it was about time I introduce you to my favourite palette of all time...

Front Cover Rainbow Eyes Reborn offers 25 eye shadows in a huge array of colours, and is my number one go to palette time after time. I find there is plenty to choose from and it is so incredibly versatile. I've had mine for about 18 months now and I haven't hit pan on any of them, which must be a good thing! I was originally under the impression that this product was exclusively released in Boots over the Christmas period, but after some research I have found that it is actually available on the Boots website all year round which is brilliant news for me! 

Below I have swatched each of the colours to demonstrate how piigmented the shadows are, as well as show off the gorgeous shades!

Nudes: (L-R) Blanc de Blanc, Mother of Pearl, Biscuit, Hazel, Clove

Cools (L-R) Moonstruck, Eucalyptus, Cerulean, Wisteria, Black Iris

Warm (L-R) Blossom, Pink Lemonade, Blush, Viola, Chocolate Truffle

Jewels (L-R) Fern, Bluebird, Riviera, Clematis, True Blue

Wow (L-R) Wild Lime, Buttercup, French Blue, Carrot, Super Pink

As well as 25 amazing eye shadows Rainbow Eyes also provides 'Shadowline' a transparent liquid eyeliner which you can use on any of the shades to create a eyeliner colour of your choice. I think this is a brilliantly innovative product, and I haven't brought a liquid liner since buying this! Below I have demonstrated the difference between using a shadow by itself and with the Shadowline. As you can see it makes a more defined look. 

Mother of Pearl, Left swatched, Right Shadowlined

Overall I cannot recommend Rainbow Eyes Reborn enough, and I don't feel I really need to buy anymore eye shadows so this is definitely an investment buy. Front Cover Rainbow Eyes is available online at Boots here for £31.50

Have you used any of Front Cover's eyeshadows? What do you think of them? X 

Lush Angels On Bare Skin Review

Angels On Bare Skin is arguably one of Lush's most well known and talked about product of their Cleanser range, and for good reason too! It contains the likes of Ground Almond and and Lavender Oil as well as other natural products to gently cleanse your face without using any synthetic or harsh ingredients. Lush claims on their website that AOBS "evens out skin tone, reduces redness and improves the health and appearance of your skin - giving a natural healthy glow" and I personally could not agree more! 

I originally decided to turn to Lush Cleansers after being a huge fan of their bath products but I was admittedly a little daunted when I first opened their trademark black pot and saw this! AOBS is a solid cleanser, removing water from their product in order to not need to use any preservatives. The formula has a great refreshing scent to it but admittedly I was apprehensive over how exactly to use this as I was so used to traditional cleansers.

To use you take a small sized amount of cleaner and mix with water to create a paste-type consistency. I originally thought that the pot was really small at only 100g of product but a little really does go a long way, and I would advise not using too much as all, as it can become quite thick! The above picture demonstrates how much I would typically use when using the product. 

When I massage this onto my face I can instantly feel the effects of it, so it's nice to know that it is working. The ground Almonds in the product allow for a gentle scrub without being too harsh on the skin, and after use my skin is incredibly clean and refreshed. With continuous use I have noticed a more healthier glow to my skin. Overall I think this is the perfect summer cleanser, it isn't too heavy and instantly leaves my skin looking bright and refreshed without being invasive or damaging in any way. I am also relieved with knowing that all of the products are 100% natural so I know I'm treating my skin well! 

Angels On Bare Skin is available online and in Lush stores for £6.25 for 100g

My Skin No Shine Mattifying Moisture Lotion

My Skin are a skincare brand with products aimed for teenagers, and aims to provide cheap, affordable skincare which will leave you with clean, refreshed skin. 

The Mattifying Moisture Lotion claims it "is a light oil-free daily moisturiser that softens and hydrates the skin. Kiwi extract helps moisturise while raspberry extract helps stimulate and condition, leaving the skin soft and smooth. Cimicfuga extract helps to control excess oil and shine" 

The combination of the kiwi and raspberry extract provides a pleasant but not overbearing smell to the moisturiser, which is something which always effects how I feel about a product, if I'm putting something on my skin, especially on my face, I want it to smell nice, and this certainly does! 

Unfortunately for this this is where the positives end. Above is a picture of the cap of the product, which is faulty. This is as far as it will close so it allows the product to dry up and in my opinion leaving it completely worthless. To begin with I thought this was just a faulty one-off to I skipped down to my local tesco's to buy another and the same thing happened! I personally cannot see the point in having a moisturiser packaged in a way that prevents it from being closed properly... sure this will lead to it drying up? More on this later! 

Applied

The application of this product is awful! I found the tube opening, hole mechanism way too big, (I have no idea if there's a technical term for it? The squeezy hole :D! ) so this resulted in me having too much (again wasting the product) 

'Blended'

I found with this moisturiser it was IMPOSSIBLE TO BLEND INTO THE SKIN. It just seemed to settle on my skin which felt really uncomfortable, and for lack of a better word, gross. Despite this I soldiered on and tried my best, and it just resulted in a gooey, sticky mess. The moisturiser was filled with solid clumps of the formula where it had hardened from the silly packaging and it just left an awful mess on my face. Add to this clumps of dried moisturiser (circled above) from where the product cannot be closed effectively, and I am definitely not impressed! 

Once I had blended it in the best I could I left it overnight, and I awoke in the morning to a slimey, spotty mess on my face. It had broken me out good and proper! It is safe to say that this is going nowhere near my face again, which is a real shame as it had such good potential! 

My Skin No Shine Mattifying Moisture Lotion is available for £3.50 from Tesco Supermarkets. I would like to take the opportunity to point out that this particular moisturiser did not work for my skin type, but is just that, mine. After researching this product I have found that it generally has good reviews, but this is just my personal experience with this product. 

Nails Inc Edinburgh Gate Swatches

Edinburgh Gate by Nails Inc is a glitter polish, with tones of red, blue, silver, gold and green. Since I rather stupidly removed my false nails by myself (broken nails and chipped tooth, booo :(! ) my nails are currently in an appalling condition and I wanted something sparkly and fun to mask how dreadful they look. 

I purchased Edinburgh Gate as part of a Nails Inc gift set, as mentioned in this post. I'm not sure that it is available to buy individually but I believe it is part of the 'All That Glitters' set* if anyone is it! I was pleasantly surprised by how this polish is applied, two coats provides a satisfactory coverage but I applied three to even it out and give it a little bit more ooomph!

One Coat

Two Coats

Three Coats 

I did find this formula quite sticky and difficult to apply. The polish is clear and I can only describe it as 'gloopy' and it took quite a while to dry fully, and the glitter did get a bit everywhere but overall I really like the look of this polish. It's very eye catching and really makes a statement. The above pictures show quite a silver shine to the glitter but I failed to capture the multi coloured hues in my pictures, so it looks different every time I catch a glimpse of it. 

Here is a close up of the polish and here you can see better the different colours of the glitters. I think this looks quite Christmasy so I think I might save this polish for winter, but I love the sparkle it brings to my nails. Overall I think this isn't a really wearable polish the glitter does come away from the polish somewhat, leaving me with everything I touch turning glittery. I think I would keep this a special Christmas polish, and perhaps use it as accent shade instead of using it on every nail, as it does look a little over the top, but the magpie in me loves the sparkle!  

*After doing a little research I can't find this polish available anywhere, so the best bet would be to pop into your local TK Maxx and see if you can pick it up like I did. This polish was part of a set for £14.99 

GOSH X-Ceptional Wear Foundation in Porcelain

I personally really struggle to find a good quality foundation to match my naturally pale skin tone. I often find many brands don't cater for pale tones, and the lightest shades many offer still leave  me looking darker or 'orange-er' than desired. 

When browsing the GOSH stand in my local Superdrug I am instantly drawn to the brightly coloured nail polishes and eye-shadows and I often overlook their other products, but on my quest to find a more appropriate foundation I decided to take another look and picked up 'GOSH X-ceptional Wear' in 'Porcelain.' The swatch on the packaging shows a very pale yellow toned shade which is the sort of colour I was after. 

The sleek matte packaging of the product is appealing but I was mildly irritated by the security tag being placed over the back of the product, which meant A) I couldn't clearly read the details, so I wasn't 100% sure on what benefits I'd be getting from the product and B) It made the packaging really sticky and messy once I had peeled it off, and it was generally all gooey and ick. 

Another thing I noticed on the packaging was the term 'long lasting' but it didn't specify, in comparison to many high-street brands which claim x amount of hours wear. This didn't particularly bother me but I felt it was smart as many other foundations don't live up to their claim of wear time. 

I found the actual product to be fairly runny, which took me some time to get used to, in comparison to other foundations I have used in the past. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the nozzle which really irritates me, it's a triangular shaped nozzle, which doesn't provide much control over how much you apply so again it took me a while to adjust to using it. 

I manage to get between 7-9 hours wear from X-Ceptional Wear depending on if I'm using a primer or powder, and since using this foundation my skin has improved greatly and I'm finding I'm having less breakouts so this formula definitely agrees with my skin type. However the tone of the foundation is still slightly too dark and it takes a lot of blending to work into my hairline and neck to avoid any embarrassing foundation lines! Despite this, this is still the most colour matched foundation I have tried so far.

Overall this is one of my favourite foundations I have used to date but I feel the packaging does slightly let it down, I feel a pump application would be much better suited in comparison to the nozzle as it is very easy to apply too much. However the actual product is very light, yet gives a medium coverage which is enough for me most of the time. I would re-purchase this again, but I would be interested in trying alternative brands to see if I can find another foundation which will match my tone better yet gives similar results. 

GOSH X-Ceptional Wear Foundation is available here and in Superdrug stores for £7.99