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

All That Jazz Beauty: Blogger Beauty Swap

One of the first beauty blog posts I had ever read was about a beauty swap. Ever since that memorable day I've been obsessed with the idea of swapping beauty products with another bblogger! However, there was always a nagging doubt in my mind. Sometimes beauty swaps sound too good to be true and I can't even remember the countless amount of times I've stumbled upon a horror story in which some poor soul has spend 30 odd pound on makeup and in turn received a used lipstick alongside a pair of nail clippers. It's always a risk you take. 

But recently, I stumbled upon a beauty blogger who goes by the name of All That Jazz Beauty! (If you haven't read her brilliant blog or watched her YT videos, I'll put a link below). I was already familiar with Jazz after watching the two documentaries she made for the BBC back last year so was interested in finding out what she had to say about all things beauty. She's not only got a great blog where she posts some super interesting reviews but her Youtube channel (which goes by the same username may I add) just had the best content, including some amazing tutorials and addictive hauls. As Jazz was pretty new to this whole beauty blogger just like myself, I decided to contact her in the hopes of potentially doing some blog calibrations in the future or a beauty swap if she was interesting (which must have been pretty daunting as I wasn't a known blogger). But Jazz got in contact and said she'd love to give it a go!

So we decided that the following week we would send each other a box of goodies. We had a maximum 15 pound spend but did not specific beauty products as we wanted to try a range of new products. So below are the items that Jazz sent me a two weeks back (yes, I am VERY late on this post aha) and I LOVE THEM. A few of the products Jazz sent me were items that I had wanted to buy myself but had either been sold out or had not been available to me so I was SO excited to try out the products.

Boot's 17 Blusher in 'Nude'

I absolutely love this blush Jazz sent me. It's a rich, rose pink toned blush in the shade 'Nude'. I've always been a massive fan of 17 products from Boots and have heard great things about their blushes. When I tried this blush out I was amazed at the pigmentation. I have been using a basic blush by Rimmel for years and was never really in to trying new blushes. However, this blush has completely changed my mind about trying new products! A change is always good and I've been loving using this blush for that everyday glow.

MUA Fur-Effect Nails in 'Fluff & Cuddles'

This is literally the coolest stuff ever! Although not completely practical for everyday use, Fur Effect nails looks so cute and is super fun to apply. You literally just have to put a base coat on and dip your nails in this baby and you'll have fluffy nails!? Yes, I did say fluffy!! Like a teddy bear!? Who thought nails could be so cute. I will say that this stuff is REALLY messy if you don't apply it correctly but it's so worth it to see the novelty of furry nails. The one Jazz sent me is in the shade 'Fluff and Cuddles', a oh so cute bubblegum pink. 

MUA Lipstick in 'Juicy'

I have tried MUA lipsticks before but I must say this has to be my favourite shade. The one Jazz sent me is in 'Juicy', a light coral pink shade which is in for the spring. I really like this lipstick alongside a brown smokey eye. It's subtle yet adds a pop of colour to any simple makeup look. Previously I have found MUA lipsticks aren't always true to their shade but when applied the shade is truly justified. This will more then likely be my staple lipstick for the warmer months.

Rimmel Soft Kohl in 'Jet Black'

I wonder if Jazz can read minds. I had written out my beauty shopping list for the week previous stating I needed a black eyeliner and Rimmel is one of my favourite drugstore brands. Their eyeliners are super soft and pigmented. A black eyeliner is a staple piece and is great for most makeup looks including the smokey eye. I love the fact this eyeliner is so easy to blend and isn't harsh. I've been turning to pencil eyeliners more recently as I often don't have the time nor the patience for liquid/gel liner so this Soft Kohl will be great for those lazy mornings were my eyes need a bit of definition.   

Boots 17 Eyeshadow in 'Funfair'

I have honestly fallen head over hills in love with this eyeshadow. This 17 shadow in the shade 'Funfair' is just the most gorgeous shade I have ever seen. It's almost a rose gold with this gorgeous shimmer which changes shade in different lighting. I've been wearing this with my Maybelline 24 Hour Tattoo creme shadow in On & On Bronze. It look's like such a statement with it's metallic hues but is so simple and quick. I really love this shadows pigmentation and would love to try some more from 17.

I have had so much fun doing this beauty swap. Not only have I received some amazing products and had great fun picking out products for Jazz, I have also made a new Beauty Blogger friend who I hope to do swaps with again in the future. If you have not yet done a beauty swap, I'd defiantly recommend it. The excitement when you receive your parcel, wondering what new products you'll get to try is so much fun. I'd love to try this again in the future and once again a MASSIVE thanks to Jazz from All That Jazz Beauty for sending such wonderful products. 

Check her blog out here: http://www.allthatjazzbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

If any of you beautiful followers are interested in doing a beauty swap, you can contact me on Twitter: @thatgeorgiacoan. Leave me your blog and I'll be sure to check it out!!

Georgia

oxo

benefit 'It's Potent!' Brightening Eye Cream

Now, I don't know if you guys have noticed this yet, but I'm literally the BIGGEST benefit fan girl ever! The first time I tried a benefit product was 2 years ago when I nabbed my Mum's first buy and I've been addicted ever since. It wasn't until I really got interested in makeup and different products that I really saw what it was that I loved about benefit. 

As you all know, benefit are not the cheapest of makeup producers but they are one of the best. Their products always seems to receive raving reviews and I honestly feel benefit is a product I can trust, hence my decision to put my skin care into their hands. Although I have tried a great deal of benefit's makeup range, I had yet to try their skin care collection. For the last year I had suffered from extremely tried eyes which has in turn gift wrapped me the present of dark under eye circles!! Stubborn little blighters aren't they? I've been trying to rid myself of these ageing features for the last few months with an array of products including under eye caffeine rollers and home made spells to rid me of them. But these sadly left me with nothing but disappointment. So, after reading up about benefit's skin care range, I decided to invest in their 'It's Potent' brighting cream in the hope that it may work a treat. 

I purchased my eye cream from Debenhams for £23.50 but can be purchased online through benefit's own website if you live internationally. 

I've been using 'It's Potent' for about three days now and I can already see a difference. Although my dark circles are still quite visible, my under eyes feel and look a lot smother and more hydrated. My eyes don't feel as tried which is an extra bonus. I use the cream in the mornings, after moisturising and in the evening after removing my makeup. I'm in love with everything this product has to offer. I love the smell of it as well as the way it's packaged. The smell is really fresh and unique and the vintage, faux cord lid really adds this alternative, shabby chic look, looking great in my vintage themed room! 

I personally believe this product is definitely worth the money but many may find the price tag to hefty for something they may not find works for them. Debenhams do sell a benefit six piece skin care set with samples from all of benefit's radiant skincare if you'd like to try their products without investing in one! And it's only 10 pound! 

Overall I really do love this product. It's light yet creamy consistency means it doesn't feel heavy on your delicate under eyes and I just feel like the quality of my skin has improved drastically within only a few days of usage! If your willing to get past the price tag, I'd say it's worth the investment. A good quality eye cream can last you for a good few months! So ban those dark circles and bar those under eye wrinkles with this miracle cream. I promise, you won't be disappointed! I want the moisturiser next! ;) 

Lot's of Love,

G 

oxoxox

Mac: Pro-Longwear SPF 10 Foundation Review and Online Experience

For months and months I've been wanting a Mac Foundation. If you know anything about the beauty based world, you'll know that the Mac brand is the holy grail of the makeup industry. You'll also know that a Mac product comes with a hefty price tag, ranging from 14 to 40 pound for a single product. But believe me when I say, a great deal of them are worth every penny. 

I had read some great reviews about the Mac Pro-Longwear Foundation with SPF 10 and after a fair bit of research into which Mac Foundation would best suit my skin type, I finally decided to give the Pro-Longwear ago. At 24 pound it's not a product you could buy in bulk, but it's certainly worth the money in my eyes. I was looking for a foundation that stays all day, especially on my T-Zone as I feel that due to my slightly oily skin, many foundations begin to rub off or even melt off my face by late afternoon. The first day my Mac foundation arrived in the post, I was eager to give it a try and applied it during mid morning. By the time my family got back from work around 6 in the evening, they complimented me on the radiance and flawlessness of my skin! The foundation looked just as fresh and new as it had done the morning in which I had applied it!

I will say this foundation is very matte, which I love but many may not have the same feelings towards foundations of this kind. I find a matte foundation such as Pro-Longwear gives the appearance of flawless skin, which is particularly helpful when trying to cover breakout scars or particularly annoying breakout zones such as the forehead and chin area. I brought my Mac Foundation in the shade NC15 which is perfect for my skin tone as I have yellow undertones and often find it hard to match foundations to my skin. I didn't want the foundation to be too dark as this would make it obvious but pale foundations often gives me the complexion of an anaemic vampire. The shade is just perfect for me though and I feel like it blends effortlessly into my skin tone, creating a natural yet flawless finish. The application of the foundation is really lovely. It's texture is smooth and surprisingly light, which means it doesn't feel like it's being caked on or is blocking your pores. I must add though that my mum also tired this foundation but found it very drying on her skin, so I'd recommend that people with less oily skin or more mature skin (in the politest way possible) try one of Mac's other foundations such as StudioFix or Match master as these are not long wear foundations and will be lighter on dryer skin. 

Now, although I do have a Debenhams that supplies Mac products just an half hour drive away from me, I didn't have the time during the Christmas period to take a visit, yet was still desperate to get my hands on a Mac foundation. Much to my mother's warning that I should not, I decided to buy online, however, as I had not used Mac products beforehand, I did not have a shade to go by. I thought I might guess, but 24 pounds is a lot to pay for a product if it turns up and is WAY to dark or light a shade for your skin, so I decided to search around Mac's sight a little more. To my surprise, I found out that Mac have their own online makeup artists who can advise you on what shade will best suit your complexion. You can drop the artists an email if you are not in a rush, or even chat online (which I highly recommend as the reply is instant and you can talk to your artist for along as you please). My artist was Sarah and she gave me a great tip in order to find out what shade would best suit me. If you clench your fist and look at the veins on the back of your hand you will see they are either blue or green. If your veins are green, it means you are an NC shade, which is for people of a more yellow undertone. If they are blue, you are NW, for those with a pink undertone. This tip as well as the knuckle test (clench your knuckles and white knuckles mean NC, pink mean NW) can really help you when choosing a MAC product as MAC skin products are all built upon this system of undertones, allowing you to buy a foundation that really fits your complexion. However, I was still unsure of which  shade of NC to buy. Most people will be able to guess their shade based upon previous foundation colours and comparing them to the colour samples shown online. But as I said before, my skin can often be unpredictable and I didn't want to buy a foundation too light or even too dark. Sarah gave me an email address in which to send a picture of myself without foundation, so she could recommend a shade she believed would suit my tone. Within a few minutes I had sent a webcam picture through to the email address and had a reply from Sarah telling me that NC15 would be the shade to suit my complexion. 

Overall, I am ecstatic with the customer service I received from Mac. They are SO very helpful and I honestly felt like I was given all the information I needed in order to make the right choice. The shade matches my skin perfectly and the online service provided is fast and simple, allowing you to talk to knowledgable and friendly artists just a click away. The product is literally the best foundation I think I've ever brought. I've never had a foundation which matches my skin so perfectly and allows my skin to look flawless whilst still looking effortlessly natural. I will defiantly be purchasing more products from MAC in the near future and feel like my money has been spent well. I would recommend this foundation to anyone and everyone! 

Picture of me with Mac's Pro-Longwear Foundation.

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/158/10180/Products/Face/Foundation/Pro-Longwear-SPF-10-Foundation/index.tmpl

Batiste Dry Shampoo Review

I first tried Batiste Dry Shampoo back five months ago. I was looking for a solution to the second day flat fringe syndrome I seem to suffer with so when I heard there was such a thing as dry shampoo, it felt like all my dreams had come at once. Now, it's not like I was a complete stranger to the idea of dry shampoo as I'd known for many years that talc powder through the hair dried up unwanted grease, but if you've ever tried this method out, you'll know how horribly wrong it can go! 

So to see that I could get the same result with a product that was so much easier to apply and didn't leave me looking like a ghost was just fabulous! The first Batiste I tried out was Proud and True Brit which has a really strong and patriotic smell. For me, Bastiste has really become a lifesaver. As you may have also been told, it is said that washing your hair everyday is never a good thing. It can wash away natural oils and nutrients that your hair needs to stay strong. But on the second day, my hair always seems to lose that shine and volume it has after a wash. My fringe especially as I often touch my fringe during the day which leads to grease! UGH.

Thankfully though, I'm still quite lucky to get away grease-less regarding the rest of my hair. So on the second day, when my fringe has lost it's bounce and it tries to part ways with me, I give it a spray of Batiste just before brushing it through a few times, allowing all the product to really spread throughout the hair and dry up any grease. The product really gives my hair a refresh which is perfect for those days where you may not have time to shower or may have lost the volume of your hair. I find Batiste really brings my hair back to life. I also love the scents and how different they are! 

I'm always excited to purchase another bottle and when I got my hands on the new 'Fruity and Cheeky Cherry' I was not disappointed. As a lover of fruity scents I'm just in love with the smell of this dry shampoo. It's so fresh and juicy and honestly makes me wish I could get a perfume which smelt like it!!

Batiste is just perfect for those bad hair days and I won't lie to you when I say that I have become an absolute fan girl of these dry shampoos! Try them out, you won't be disappointed!

http://www.batistehair.co.uk/products/cherry

£2.99

Rimmel- Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick

Now I'll be the first to admit that lipstick has never been my favourite 'can't live without' makeup product over the years. Being of a rather pale complexion I have always felt lipsticks tend to look wrong against my skin and often don't suit me. But over the last two years my love affair with lipsticks has really ignited. 

However, I am not very experimental with my lip colour and have only ever brought the classic red. Then, whilst searching through my local Boots a few weeks back, I found Kate Moss's new lipstick collection. 

For those who might not know who Kate Moss is (You never know!), she is the UK's biggest international super model and once dated Johnny Depp! I know right!?!

So, when Kate Moss signs her name over to a product, it's usually a massive success (take her Topshop range for instance). That wasn't the only thing that instantly drew me to the product though. The lipstick has a lasting finish giving it a matte application. I don't know about you but I love lipsticks that are matte as they really allow the product to stay true to it's colour. It's important that a makeup product transfers the exact colour it is showing me. 

I recently purchased two MUA lipsticks (I'll write up a review about those ones) and found that the colour's transfer to my lips was nothing like the original colour so it was great for me that the Kate Moss lipsticks really were the exact same colour as the were show. 

The lipstick also does not need re-applying as much as a lot of the lipsticks I have tried as the colour almost stains the lips (in a good way!).

I also love the feel of these lipsticks. They aren't too heavy and glide on for a smooth application. I brought two of the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish lipsticks in Shade 01 and 03. Shade 01 is a dark, vampy red colour and 03 is a nude. I felt the two colours really complimented my skin and didn't wash me out like most lip products do. Overall I just really liked the application and look of these lipsticks. I am a really big fan of Rimmel products and feel that they are possibly the best high street makeup brand with strong products at a reasonable price. I would, however, like some more shades in this specific lipstick- especially some vampy winter colours like Mac often produce!

I would definitely recommend you give these beauties a try though! You won't be disappointed and at £5.49 who can resist?

http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Kate-Lasting-Finish-Lipstick_1230439/