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

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

Instagram Catch Up!

Hi guys! I have so much lined up to blog about but life has been so so hectic recently, so I thought I'd share with you all what I've been up to! 

Tattoo Number 7! A bit difficult to make out but its a Buzz Lightyear reference, To Infinity and Beyond <3 

Highly enjoying seeing this every time I'm working at the moment! 

One of the best nights ever with my two favourite girls <3 

Standard conversations with my best friend 

I usually end up laying on my bedroom floor if i pre-drink by myself. 

The only picture I managed to take of the messiest night of my life. 

Looking feminine for the first and only time ever. 

Constantly struggling to decide what to wear 

I'm way too obsessed with The Midnight Beast

Introducing tattoo #6

... and #5

This will one day be mine... 

Had my little pony hair and noone realised 

This is how I get through long shifts at work 

Currently have the other half of this rattling round in my tummy somewhere 

Breaking in the sexiest pair of shoes I own! 

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

Hello 2013

How is it even possible that we have less than 24 hours left of 2012? It seems insane and this year has flown by, and it's definitely been an interesting one! I'm planning a seperate post on what 2012 means to me but for now I'd like to focus on all the things I would like to achieve in 2013

I never fail to amaze myself with how I can be completely OCD about some things and so chaotic with others! In 2013 I'd like to become more organised, especially on my blog and with all my University work. Hopefully this will mean more frequent posts and make things a lot easier and less stressful for me!

2013 needs to be the year I learn to drive and pass my test! I always say I'm going to get round to starting lessons but I never do, but it's becoming desperate times now! I'm promising myself to start saving up for a car and making time to get some driving lessons! 

When it comes to skin care I am so lazy it's actually shocking. This year I need to be more strict with my skincare regime, which definitely means no more sleeping in my make up after a night out! I'm also going to remove my make up wipes from beside my bed, which will force me to take my make up off properly instead of just wiping my face while I'm in bed watching TV! 

This year my mum and dad very generously decorated my bedroom for me, and they put so much time and energy into making it exactly what I wanted but in the past few months I've been abusing it a bit and it's been so messy! I've given it a quick post-christmas present tidy up but I really need to sort through all my things and get rid of the things I never use and KEEP IT TIDY! 

The past month or so I've been really down at University and I'm really not enjoying it much, which is ridiculous seeing as how hard I worked to get to where I am now. So in 2013 I'm going to try and focus on it a lot more and keep going with it! 

Have you got any New Years resolutions? Let me know! X 

*all images taken from weheartit.com