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

Weekly Wants #7

1. Ted Baker Kassady Purse - £75 - I've been lusting after a Ted Baker purse for what seems like forever, but after spending that sort of money on a purse I'd have none left to have a use for it haha! But this one matches my TB bag I managed to grab in the post-Christmas sales so once my Student Loan goes in for the Summer term I may have to treat myself!
2. Black and White Striped Dip Hem Dress - £19.99 - New Look - I haven't really been that interested in New Look recently but a new stored has opened a few shops down from where I work so I thought I'd have a nose on their website and I've fallen in love with this dress
3. Urban Decay Beauty Balm - £23 - I've been having a massive crush on Urban Decay recently, and I'm wanting to try something a bit lighter in the hope that summer will eventually appear so this seems like the ideal choice, right?
4. Benefit Sun Beam - £18 - I am a massive fan of Sun Beam, and my mini is slowly getting more and more over-loved, so it's about time I replace it! However I've recently purchased Urban Decay's Naked Flushed palette (Review coming soon!) and I've found myself reaching for that over my Sun Beam so I'm wondering is it worth buying a full sized or repurchasing another mini?
5. Blazer - £24.99 - H&M - Got this Blazer from work a few weeks ago in the baby pink and I love it, so I'm really considering getting it in the grey as well.
6. Spike Platform Wedges - £14.99 - Daisy Street - Any of my wishlists wouldn't be complete without a pair of my much lusted after 'BangBang Shoes!' I am in desperate need of a new pair of black wedges after my last pair sadly saw their end after an evening of Sambuca shots on Valentine's day evening :(
7. Lip Crayon in Secret Party - £7 - Topshop - I'm a massive fan of Topshop make up and I have loads of their lip products, but since spontaneously dying my hair pink a few weeks ago I've ditched my trademark red lippy in favour of something more complimentary of my hair colour! I love this shade and haven't tried any of Topshop's Lip Crayons yet so this seems like a pretty good choice to start!
8. Dragonfly Necklace - £6 - Accessorize - Dragonfly's are really symbolic to me and I always wear a dragonfly pendant on a chain around my neck but saw this in Accessorize recently and I'm kicking myself for not picking it up!



What have you been lusting after recently? Let me know! X

Christmas Gifts 2012

Hi guys! First of all I'd like to wish everyone a very belated Merry Christmas! How quickly has this week flown by? This time seven days ago I was laying in my bed too hungover to move feeling sorry for myself and dreaming of turkey and presents! The past few weeks have been a complete whirlwind of working (damn you retail!) getting my last minute Christmas presents, eating, lazing around and sleeping! 

I thought I'd share with you some of the presents I received over the Christmas period, I've been so incredibly spoilt this year and I'm so lucky to have such amazing loved ones! 

For Christmas my mum and dad gave me the money to finally be able to buy the Ted Baker bag I've been lusting after for pretty much forever! It took me forever to decide on which colour to pick, I was quite taken by the baby pink but I thought that might be a bit too in your face, and black was too boring so I settled for half way with purple! This bag is one of the best gifts I've ever received and it hasn't left my side since I've got it! 

My phone was due for an upgrade from the 1st of January but after some top class bargaining from my mum (the woman is a genius when it comes to getting things from companies!) I was able to get it a few days early (and half price!) so I decided to treat myself and class it as a delayed Christmas present! I wasn't too excited about the iPhone 5 as I've had a 4 for the past two years and I didn't think there will be much difference but I was so wrong and basically I'm in love all over again!

My eldest brother gifted me the Nails Inc Runway Collection gift set and if I didn't know better I'd think he was reading my blog! My nails have been in appalling condition recently so this has given me the kick up the bum needed to sort them out! I'm currently wearing Porchester Square with Technic's Carnival over the top for a New Years inspired nails! 

My brother also gifted me the Benefit 'Passport to Posh' gift set. Bad Gal mascara is one of my favourites but I cant bring myself to spend money on the full sized so this was very eagerly received! I'm looking forward to playing with this set! 

I'm a massive sucker for Yankee Candles and this Christmas gift set has a lot of my favourites in it! Despite Christmas quickly becoming a fond memory I will be using these for months to come just because I adore the scents. 

I also treated myself to the Naked Basics palette just before Christmas, but I'm still not 100% sold on it, and have been using my MUA palettes over this recently. Admittedly I'm a little put off by the vast array of matte shades as I'm usually a shimmer girl but I'm determined to try to make friends with this palette! 

How were your Christmases? And have you got any plans for New Years Eve? I'm going out to dinner with my mum and dad (and my TB bag!) and then I'm gonna crack on with the million assignments that are due in soon that I've been neglecting! X 

Weekly Wants #5

1. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation - £27 - I've been lusting after this foundation for quite a while now but I didn't want to spend £27 without being sure it'll be perfect for me but I've read a few reviews now and I think I'm pretty much sold on this but I'm still a tiny bit worried about matching a perfect colour! 

2. MUA Brow Palette - £3.50 - It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of MUA and I was so pleased when I first heard they have released a Brow Palette, I was originally going to try the Fashionista offering but I'm sure this is going to brilliant quality, and I will definitely be picking this up next time I'm in Superdrug.

3. Shell Pink Dip Hem Dress - £29.99 - I saw this dress in my local New Look last week and instantly fell in love with it, but I feel like buying it will be a bit pointless as I have nothing nice to wear it to :(!

4. Navy Blue Vans - £40 - I need a new pair of Vans as my grey ones are getting a little bit worse for wear but I don't want another pair of greys so I might go for Navy Blue instead 

5. Striped Jumper - £10 - I'm looking for things I can just chuck on and be comfy at uni, because I'm commuting this year and I'm going to be spending lots of time on buses and trains so I want to make sure I'm going to be comfortable!

6. L'Oreal Perfect Blonde Creme Maximum - £6.29 - I'm thinking of dying my hair completely blonde and this is what I used for my Ombré hair so I will probably use this again, although I'm also thinking of dying my hair red for the autumn so can't really decide! 

7. Watt's Up! Highlighter - £24.50 - I've been umming and ahhing over this Highlighter for most of 2012 and I love the look of it but it's a bit costly for my tiny student budget :(! However it is my birthday next month so this will definitely be on my wishlist! 

What are you lusting for at the moment? Let me know! X