MUA Undress Me Too Eye Palette (UD Naked Dupe?)

Like the majority of the Beauty Blogger world, I have been lusting after the Urban Naked Naked Palette since the moment my eyes meet it's beauty whilst blog browsing last year. The only thing that has prevented me adding it to my collection is it's hefty price tag. At 30 pound it's not the cheapest of eye shadow palettes and not everyone has the money to fork out on such a product. 

But hold your horses! Before you run off into a corner to cry about the lack of Naked Palette in your life, why not try a budget alternative? 

Meet MUA's Undress Me Too Palette. Now MUA has never been one of my favourite makeup brands. I can hear you all screaming 'WHAT KIND OF BEAUTY BLOGGER IS THIS WOMAN!?'. MUA has been a much raved about budget makeup brand since the beauty bloggin' world was created, but I've never personally seen the hype. Do not get me wrong, I've never been a snob when it comes to makeup and I love a bargain just as much as the next folk but my love for MUA has never been ignited (possibly because of my CRAZY dislike of their lip products). 

That is until I acquired this gorgeous palette. The only products I've really liked from MUA were their shadows and this set is no exception. When I was given this palette in a recent beauty swap I couldn't wait to give it a try. I'd heard some rave reviews about it and had sadly not been able to get hold of it in my local Superdrug (*sobs*) so was more then ecstatic about it's arrival through the post. The first thing I really noticed about this palette was just how versatile it was. As I'm either at college or work most days of the week, I like to keep my day look's simple and demure. The neutral shades in the Undress Me Too are just so wearable for everyday and allow you to create the most simple of looks. 

The shades within the palette include Naked (a light nude/yellow toned colour which is great for highlighting), Devotion (cooper golden brown), Shy (pearlescent nude/creme), Fiery (shimmery dark bronze), Lavish (light toned brown), Dreamy (dark, shimmery brown), Tranquil (shimmery, light brown), Exposed (grey hued shimmer), Reveal (pearlescent taupe), Wink (shimmery Mocha), Obsessed (dark expresso shade) and Corrupt (black matte). As I have quite dark brown eyes, brown shades are a massive love for me. I love the way that these shades can be used to create a more smoky, shaded look or even a matte shadow with a defined crease (was it just me that laughed at that last part?). 

The fall out for this product isn't the worst I've ever experience was it not great. I use my FCUK shadow brush and a blender brush, pressing the shadow into the lid rather then swiping. I still, however, feel that I am left with slight fall out from the darker colours within the palette, which is one of the most annoying things about a shadow due to the fact it often leaves you having to re-do your concealer/foundation. The staying power of this shadows are acceptable. I find that the lighter shades literally have the staying power of a buttered fly especially Shy which creases within the first few minutes of application. The darker shades however, particularly Obsessed, Dreamy and Wink have long wear. I find they do not crease throughout the day and would probably have even more staying power when applied after eye shadow primer. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the pigmentation of the matte shades within this palette. Lavish and Naked have little pigmentation and are not as true to their shade as I would have liked. However, the more shimmery shades such as Devotion, Fiery and Tranquil apply really nicely and are great for creating a more defined brown eye.  

I did swatch the shades for you below but it isn't the best lighting in the world. As you can see, these shades are really simple and understated which really help to create that 'barely there' makeup look. Overall, I really enjoy this palette. It helps me to create an everyday look perfect for spring. I have yet to try the Naked Palette so I can not say exactly if this is a great dupe for Naked, however, for 4 pound, this set of shadows are a great price for such a good product. Their shades are VERY similar to those found in the UD Naked Palette, Shy being a great dupe for Virgin and Tranquil a dupe for Dark Horse. The palette itself is also a lot more versatile and functional. It's small and secure enough to pop into your handbag on the go and fit's into my dressing table snug as a bug alongside larger palette neighbours. I still would LOVE to get my hands on Urban Decay's Naked but feel that MUA's Undress Me Too is a great substitute for those who want a bargain and can't defend spending 30 pound. It's a great price for a great product that I feel a great deal of you will LOVE. You won't be disappointed with this perfectly neutral palette. 

Let me know if you have tried this MUA product yet and how you compared it to the UD Naked if you have tried both! I'd love to hear your views. 

Georgia 

oxo

My BAD Bio-Oil Experience.

Bio-Oil is one of those beauty products that seems to be continuously present as time goes by. It's been called 'the magic oil' by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Rochelle Humes for it's ability to banish wrinkles and stretch marks. I was looking for an inexpensive skin oil I should use to replenish my skin and keep it hydrated during the night, as I felt my skin was started to really hydrate during my sleeping hours, meaning I woke up with dull and drab skin. Bio-Oil promises to hydrate skin and ACTUALLY says it can be used on the face. So, for 6 pound, I thought Bio-Oil would do the trick. I started using it about 3/4 days ago. I would use it after moisturising in the evenings and would massage it into my skin for full impact before settling my head down for the night. 

The first few mornings, my skin actually looked great! My blemishes were a lot less noticeable and my skin seemed a lot brighter. Then, on the Friday night, I started to feel a burning sensation about my lips and on my chin. It felt like my skin was on fire and really tight, which really worried me as I'd never had this problem before. The next day, which thankfully I had off college otherwise I would have cried, I found my skin was a dark brown/red colour up both sides of my face, primarily around my t-zone and my skin resembled that of a reptile. I have never in my life experienced such dry and damaged skin on my face. My face burnt for the rest of the day and no matter how much moisturiser I applied to the area, it still felt dry and sore. The only product I could really connect to my skin change was Bio-Oil. I had been using some new Simple products BUT I have used this products in previous years with no trouble, so I can definitely write these out!

I decided I would research a little bit more into Bio-Oil and any side effects that could be present with it's use. I found out that Bio-Oil actually contains a great deal of chemicals.

Botanicals

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Calendula Oil)
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender Oil)
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Oil)
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Chamomile Oil)

Vitamins

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)

Oil base

Paraffinum Liquidum
Triisononanoin
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Isopropyl Myristate
Glycine Soja Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
BHT
Bisabolol

Fragrance (Rose)

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Amyl Cinnamal
Benzyl Salicylate
Citronellol
Coumarin
Eugenol
Farnesol
Geraniol
Hydroxycitronellal
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Limonene
Linalool

Colour

Orange: CI 26100 (Red 17)
Pink: CI 26100 (Red 17) and CI 60725 (Violet 2)

An ingredient that really stuck out for me was Benzyl Salicylate, which is a fragrance additive and UV light absorber, primarily used in perfumes and hair dye. This ingredient is scientifically proven to cause dermal irritation. I found this bit of information when researching into the product:

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has restricted its use in fragrances because of the potential sensitization and allergic reactions. In Europe, it is listed as an “allergenic” substance and the European Cosmetics Directive requires OTC leave-on products to indicate its presence, even at concentrations of .001%.

I also started to think, how can an oil get rid of scars and stretch marks. When you think about it logically, a scar and stretch marks appears when the dermis (which is the deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged. This is why scars are usually so hard to get rid off as they are when the body forms new collagen fibres to mend the damage. These new fibres create the scar tissue which appears on the skin. Now, if this damage and the scar tissue's source is within the dermis, a product has to be very penetrating to get to to this layer of skin. It also must have some kind of drying and abrasive effect which allows the scar tissue to be broken down (which can usually only be accomplished when the first few layers of skin peel off which allows new skin cells to renew). Our faces are made up of natural fatty acids and oils which when lost can expose our face's to skin damage and dryness. My theory here is that Bio-Oil is not as natural or demagogically safe as it would like to make out it is. I CERTAINLY don't believe it should be put on your face is it's primary use is to rid you of scar tissue. 

I'm actually really upset with the damage this product has done. Thankfully for me, I found an amazing face cream by Superdrug called Vitamin E moisture cream which I have been using morning and night over the weekend in order to help my skin heal and I've got to say it's really working. However, my skin is still very dry and damaged. It's still sore and feels almost burnt. I also found out from a friend and a few other bloggers that the same damage has happened to them after using Bio-Oil on their face. I don't know if this is an allergic reaction to something in the product OR one of the ingredients of this product has reacted badly to my sensitive face but I know this oil is to blame. 

Please let me know if you have EVER experienced a similar problem with Bio-Oil as I really want to know if I'm one of the only ones to have a bad experience with this oil?

I will be keeping you updated on the healing of my skin!

Thanks 

G

x

P.S. Sorry for the grim pictures! I wanted you to see the real extent of the damage! 

25 Random Facts about Me.

I haven't been able to post as much as I would like these last few weeks as I have had a LOT of trouble with our internet provider, BT! Thankfully our internet is now fully working so be sure to check back on the blog weekly for new blog posts! 

Since it may take me a few days to write up all the posts I was meant to write about my new beauty products, I decided I'd do a fun, personal post today!

My good beauty blogger friend, Amiiee from the Blog, Amiieeism posted this '25 Random Facts' tag earlier on and I just knew I wanted to have ago myself! I have not been tagged for this post, but I thought it would be a great way to share some personal information with you guys, so here it goes! I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about me! 

1. I'm currently a Creative Media student at a local college.

2. I'm hoping to study Media Production at Salford University in September.

3. I'm a self-confessed shopaholic who finds it hard to go a week without spending money! (I'm literally the worst saver ever, which I'm hoping Uni will help me with!)

4. I sometimes have anxiety attacks and worry about the silliest things!

5. I aspire to be a TV/Radio presenter as well as a Director.

6. I want my first media production to be an independent British Film. 

7. I sometimes believe I was born in the wrong era and I'm 100 per cent sure I should have been born in the 80's! 

8. I adore 80's music and fashion (my favourite bands being The Smiths, The Cure and U2)

9. I have an undying passion for fashion due to it's ability to act as an extension of a person's personality (it allows people to express themselves and their interests)

10. I have a brother called Elliot, who can often be found messing around on my Youtube channel. 

11. I am a Youtuber. Check out my channel, GezzieeTbh for vlogs and comedy sketches. 

12. I get bored really easily and I often wish I could change this element of my personality. (This includes getting bored of

 routines, hobbies and even people! :/)

13. I tend to suffer from low self-esteem which in turn makes me a bit depressed. (I often find I can't leave the house without makeup and feel shit when I'm not wearing it)

14. I LOVE independent films due to the dynamic stories and emotions that can be conveyed through them! (I also love the creativity of them and how relatable they are!) 

15. I can talk for England, literally! 

16. I'm very opinionated and stand up for what I believe is right! (Which often gets me in a bit of trouble!!)

17. I have MAJOR girl crushes on Lana Del Rey, Mila Kunis and Penelope Cruz. 

18. My perfect man would be a guy with a great sense of humour, a nice smile and a kind heart. (Think a dark haired Russell Howard!) 

19. I want to adopt a child from South Korea. 

20. I am literally in love with French Bulldogs and want to have one when I leave home! 

21. I am the 19 year old Virgin! (Because no man will have me ;D AHA ) 

22. I'm terrified of heights to the point where I break down and can't breath if I have to go up an escalator more then 3 floors heigh. 

23. I often fancy/fall for guys I can't have. 

24. All I really want from life is to be happy and love the job I do.

25. I was a very interesting child and loved to record my own radio shows on old cassette recorders!

Love G

x

Origin's Super Spot Remover Review

From bothersome blemishes to full apocalyptic break outs, I've had my fair share of spotty skin! It's a phase all teenagers have to put up with (think of it as an initiation test). But whether it's part and parcel of adolescence, it's still a pain in the royal derriere. I heard about Origin Products through various Youtube videos. I'd always seen their products displayed in my local Debenhams but I'd always thought their products too pricey and for a brand I had heard little about, I wasn't willing to invest a great sum for something I wasn't sure would work with my skin. However, a few months back, I heard a few beauty bloggers raving about how excellent Origin's Super Spot Remover was and I could not resist giving it a try myself. 

For £13.00, the product is not cheap, but I'd be willing to pay a lot more for this product for what it does. Not the product itself is actually extremely small, measuring around 4 1/2 cm and containing 10ml of gel. But as I found after  two weeks of using it, a little goes a long way. I've been using the product for around 4 weeks and still have over half of it left, which for someone who tends to use products very quickly, is really good. On the day the product arrived I got straight to using it on a few pesky blemishes that seemed to be stubborn as hell! You squeeze the tiniest bit of the gel onto your finger and dab it gently on the blemish.   

The gel's Salicylic Acid contents get to work at drying out the spot while it's Caffeine and Red Algae ingredients calm and soothe skin redness. Because the product is quite drying, you should only apply it to the spot itself rather then a larger skin surface. I made the mistake of applying a greater amount upon one spot the other night and it stings REAL bad. This shouldn't be a problem though if you aren't an idiot like moi and apply the product how it should be applied. 

After 4 weeks of using this product I can honestly say it works miracles on the occasional stubborn blemish and is really quick as well as being fuss free. I apply it usually before bed (sometimes in the mornings but it often works better over night) and the spot is a lot less red in the morning! It's one of those life saving products that can really fix that problem of waking up before a big event and finding you have a second head! 

I actually really loved this product and overall found it really works! I will defiantly be re-purchasing and it's also hope to try out some other Origin products in the future!

Have you tried this product? What did you think? What Origin product should I try next?

Much love,

Georgia 

oxoxoxox

Benestar Competition!

I recently entered a Benefit Competition in which you had to record a makeup review or tutorial with Benefit products! I am a massive fan of Benefit so this was a great experience for me and I'm quite proud of the look I created. If you'd like to check out the video, here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/BenefitCosmeticsUK/app_360624010630236


 Let me know what you think of it by dropping me a comment or tweeting me @thatgeorgiacoan 

Thanks Guys!

Calling all Beauty Bloggers Everywhere!

Hello you beautiful people!

Are you a avid beauty blogger? Would you be interested in swapping reviews and products with other beauty junkies?

Follow my blog and get in touch with me via Twitter or Email if you'd like to get involved! 

@thatgeorgiacoan 

gezzieecoan@gmail.com

I'd love to network with you guys and possibly arrange some swaps of products with international beauty bloggers as well as just chatting to you guys to swap tips and tricks for beauty blogging and makeup/fashion!

Thanks

Georgia 

oxoxo

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have not written any blog entries over the festive season! I have been very busy but will start posting some very soon as I have some new products to tell you guys about!

I hope to speak to you all soon!

Happy New Year! 

oxoxoxoxo