Urban Decay NAKED Palette Review + Swatches

Hello everyone! Today I have an overdue palette review for you:

Urban Decay's NAKED palette

I've had this for a while now (since last May), so I've gotten quite a bit of use out of it already! I do not lie when I say that I use this everyday. I work full time in an office setting during the summer, so looking polished everyday is highly important. These could be my future employers so everyday counts. Especially if you're still a student, you want your coworkers to see you not as a young and irresponsible girl, but a refined and respectable young woman.

With this, I fully believe a good neutral palette is a must!

UD's NAKED definitely fits the bill, with 15 shades (13 I'd deem office appropriate) that boast high quality pigments and long wear when paired with the included Urban Decay Primer Potion. This palette also has a (small but great) built-in mirror and a cruelty free eyeshadow brush.

While the NAKED 2 palette has cooler shades, this one clearly features some warm shades. If you have blue eyes like me, you'll love the palette as every colour here will make your eyes pop day or night! The variety is wide - from highlights to shimmers to sparkles, light or dark. Another plus is that each shadow is UD's full size, so you're not getting chinced just because it's a palette! If you do the math, you're saving quite a bit of money as well on shades that will last you a really long time and are suitable for everyday!

Left to right: VIRGIN, SIN, NAKED, SIDECAR, BUCK

Left to Right: HALF BAKED, SMOG, DARKHORSE, TOASTED

Left to Right: CREEP, GUNMETAL

 I'm afraid the case gets very messy, but I've had no troubles travelling with it so far as there are magnets that keep the lid in place. The mirror could be larger, however it's a good quality mirror. If you want to take a different brush with you, just swap the one that comes with the kit! The brush that UD has supplied is pretty meh in my opinion.

Swatches left to right match the order of the palette. Over Urban Decay's Primer Potion

 The shadows themselves are really soft, blendable and semi long-wearing when paired with their primer potion. I find that without the potion though, sometimes there are shades that slide in the crease.. but nothing too bad.

The potion bottle is cute! The wand that comes with it is nice and easy to get the product on your lids. If you apply too much though, I find the eyelids may start to get oily? It's a weird feeling. Definitely makes a difference in the eyeshadows though, I find the colours are bolder when you use this underneath!

Overall I adore this palette and I'm so happy I splurged on this! It will last me a really long time and is perfect for even my cosplays that require bolder makeup. If you're looking for a tried and true palette I would recommend this one!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review

More reviews I have been meaning to do for a while!

A while back I came across these on sale in Shoppers Drug Mart so I decided to pick them up. I've heard sooooooo much about them. How they're similar to MAC paint pots and that their value is great etc. When I was looking at the available shades in the store, I noticed that many of them had sold out. I even had to grab the ones on the display (not the testers obviously) since they were the last ones.

I got Tough as Taupe and Pomegranate Punk. 

Tough as Taupe

Pomegranate Punk

One thing that bothered me was the sticker on the top. I hate the little bubbles and I can't get rid of them! Otherwise the packaging is pretty nice - a hard plastic pot. It just makes this drugstore product appear a little more refined.

 They're cream shadows.. and yet they don't slide. Tough as Taupe is a matte... taupe that actually suits me well! I like using it as a base for other shadows as it adds a little more depth. I really love the colour of Pomegranate Punk, as it has a subtle shimmer and I've been lacking in plum shades.

Once you put these on your eyelids it'll likely last you the whole day. I have to really wash it off fingers after application, but I guess that's more of a plus since that just reaffirms it's longevity.

Sana Under eye Concealer

I've been looking for a concealer for my dark circles recently. I find it hard to find a concealer that I like that isn't too heavy, or doesn't settle into fine lines.

I bought this Sana concealer, not only because the packaging was cute, but also because it was well priced.

Who could resist this packaging?! (*´艸`*)

When I first swatched it on my hand, I was surprised as how YELLOW it was! Luckily it blends well enough. For those of you unaware, yellow helps to cancel dark under eye circles because they're on opposite sides of the colour wheel.

I found this concealer to have more of a brightening effect, rather than a masking, or concealing effect. This can either make or break this product depending on what you're going for. I think using this, plus a teeny bit of bb cream or foundation could would be ok to cover up any minor under eye circles or discolouration. For this reason I think this is mostly suitable for daily use.

If you're going for a complete concealing effect though, you're either going to have to really layer on this product (which is never good), or look elsewhere. For this reason, I would have to say cosplayers should look elsewhere for an under eye concealer.

RIMMEL Eye Makeup Remover Review

 Alright! So here's the latest review I have for you.
I got the urge to take pictures last night when I cracked open another product I received recently. So I hope you enjoy it!


RIMMEL London's eye makeup remover

The Promise:

• Gently removes all eye makeup, including long lasting & waterproof makeup with no oily residue.
• Will not sting or irritate eyes.
• Suitable for sensitive eyes & contact lens wearer
• Dermatologically & Opthalmologically tested.
• Oil free.

Directions: 
Apply cleanser to cotton wool/balls, gently sweep over eyes until all traces of makeup are removed.

As far as the design of the bottle goes, it isn't anything flashy. I prefer this because my first impression is of a clean experience (like their aim is truly cleanliness rather than putting all the budget into the packaging). The top is a flip cap and it's easy to dispense the liquid onto your cotton ball/whatever. The bottle itself is a nice size so I feel I get a good amount for the price.

The liquid is clear and doesn't smell.

 You can find this product in your drugstore (for me in Canada, it's Shoppers Drug Mart).

 It's very important to take off your eye makeup before you go to sleep because of a few things:

1. Your makeup will smudge during the night and it'll be hard to get rid of the raccoon eyes the next morning
2. Bacteria can build up while you sleep
3. Your eyelashes will be more prone to falling out. Since eyelashes are a different type of hair, they grow slower and leave you with sparse eyelashes if you don't wash them regularly. (However there are good bugs on your eyelashes, so it's important not to over wash)

I like to use one cotton pad for each eye. Just like when you wear contacts, it isn't good to mix bacteria and what else from one eye to the other. In case any of the solution gets in your eyes, using an extra cotton pad can help prevent any infections.

A shot of my eye before taking the makeup off....

.... And as you can see, all traces of eye liner and mascara are gone. My eyeliner was a very good waterproof kind. Also, the whites of my eyes aren't irritated (I actually got a little bit of solution in my eye by mistake lol. When this happens, keep your eyes closed and flush thoroughly with water. The uncomfortable sensation should go away).

In all:

• I like the clean look of the bottle
• It's comfortable on my sensitive eyes and skin
• My eyelids felt a little moisturized after!
• It does what it says (removes eye makeup)
• Affordable and accessable

I hope you enjoyed this!
Until next time!

L'Oréal vs Maybeline eyeliner review

Hi everyone! I love eyeliner so much, and for the past couple of years I've kept to Maybeline's waterproof eyeliner. (you can find it in most drugstores) But recently I've been using L'Oréal's eyeliner, so here it goes:

Maybeline

• Waterproof
• Comes in extra black, black and brown (Those might not be the names, I'm just doing the basic colours here)
• felt tip applicator
• liquid

L'Oréal

• comes in waterproof or... not waterproof (in this case, I'm comparing the non-waterproof one)
• black and brown
• felt tip applicator
• liquid

Comparing the two here is what I have to say:
The look of both eyeliners is very plain. I think L'Oréal's looks a little more elegant and mature, but you wouldn't have to be embarrassed carrying either with you to school or work. L'Oréal's is a little longer though, which I like because then I can have a better grip when applying the eyeliner. (In effect it is easier to apply consistent lines!)

In comparing the tips:

Maybeline is the far left, L'Oréal black is in the middle and L'Oréal brown is on the far right.
While the tip for Maybeline is pointier, it becomes thick way too quickly for my tastes. If I angle my hand only slightly while applying my makeup, I suddenly have a glob of liquid eyeliner on my eyelid. On the other hand, I find the L'Oréal tip much more flexible and easier to use. I can angle my hand with no worries and come out with a great look almost everytime.

 Please excuse lack of concealer and brightness haha;; I wanted to demonstrate how thin I could go with L'Oréal's eyeliner!

You can also see that that the consistency is much thicker on both middle and right examples (but this could be because one they're newer than the one on the left).

In short:
I prefer L'Oréal's eyeliner to Maybeline's because even though the Maybeline is waterproof, the overall joy of putting on L'Oréal's eyeliner outweighs that.
Both last for majority of the day, but Maybeline has a habit of rubbing off.
If you want blue eyes to pop, then use a brown liner! They compliment each other.

Both are fine eyeliners. I just prefer one over the other.

Until next time!