Urban Decay Diamond Dog : Swatch and Review

I have had this little guy for a while now, but I wanted to give it a good go before writing a review.

This Urban Decay single is from the Moondust line which are a range of eye shadows that are pressed glitter pigments. They feel almost wet when you touch them, but they go on as a powder.

Diamond Dog contains a super sparkly white gold glitter which is suspended in a deep brown base.

This is so beautiful and incredibly eye catching, but it can be quite tricky to apply, so after trying different methods I think I have somewhat got it down.

I primed my lids with Urban Decays Primer Potion and then dabbed my Mac 239 into the shadow and patted onto my lids. I was already thinking attempting this with a dry brush would be a disaster, and low and behold it was. Fall Out City.
The shadow did cling to the brush well, but the moment I patted it onto my lids,  my cheeks were FULL of glitter particles and due to the pressed nature of this shadow, the glitter is very sticky so no amount of brushing off with a clean powder brush helps. This.Stuff.Sticks.
If I was getting ready for a night out I would have been pretty irritated as I had to actually wipe off the glitter with a cotton pad soaked with micellar water so I ended up removing my make up underneath. Yes you could apply your foundation after, but still, this stuff falls out like mad if you use a dry brush.
I then attempted to apply it with a brush that I had sprayed with water and then dipped into the shadow and then I pressed gently onto the lid- the colour is so beautiful, but I did experience some fall out- not as much, but some. 

I have also applied with a finger tip which I think limits most of the fall out, but I just couldn't get the pigment to be as intense on the lids as I did with a damp brush. 

Bottom Line : This is a beautiful eye shadow but it is not without its problems.
When applied with a damp brush, I get maximum pigment, but some fall out is inevitable. There isn't a lot, but it is there and due to how incredibly sparkly it is, if I were to go out in the day with this on, it would be pretty damn noticeable. A finger limits the fall out further, but the colour doesn't show up as intensely.
I will one hundred percent use this, the sparkle is so damn pretty and I love layering it over bronze cream eye shadows, but I reckon I will use it for nights out as it doesn't last as long as other eye shadows I have- when I wore this all day, I did notice fall out on my cheeks by the end of wear.

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Urban Decay Naked Concealer

I actually featured this in a post a while ago that I have since removed as the pictures were blurry so I thought it was about time I did a proper designated review!

In a nutshell I would say this has Holy Grail status. 

Just a note on shades though as I feel they are very limited, I had quite a tough time picking one out. I have the shade Light Neutral which suits me fine, but when I am a tanned it is a bit too fair but the shade up doesn't really work. If you are interested in this concealer, it is probably best to try in person.
I use this under my eyes and I have tried a hell of a lot of concealers in my time-  more than any other product because my under eye darkness is the bane of my life.
The shadows aren't awful, but for some reason I find them so hard to cover up.
Out of the mass that I have tried, this is definitely the best. 

I love the applicator on this, you can see it is quite a long doe foot that picks up quite a lot of product so one dip in the tube provides enough product, I apply this in a upside down triangle under my eyes and what is left on the tube I use down the centre of my face to highlight.
There is a good amount of coverage and it does do a great job of concealing my shadows without making me look cakey (providing that my eye area is prepped properly with eye cream).
I tried the Nars Creamy Concealer a while ago and I found is so incredibly drying I honestly don't understand why it is so hyped up.

I blend this in with my Real Techniques setting brush, I find when I do so I seem to achieve a higher coverage.
This works best in the upside down triangle as it brightens the whole area and I can dot a bit extra under the eyes if there are any shadows lurking,
This is one of my favourite finds of 2015, in a perfect world this would have a touch more coverage as sometimes I can see some faint shadows under my eyes, but I guess that is the price you pay for having something that is not drying.
When this runs out I will pick up another without question, but I still want to try others in case there is something out there that adds just little bit more coverage.
So please tell me Dear readers, what is your Holy Grail?

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Lip Liner : The Essentials

I love a good lip liner, I can be pretty cack handed when applying bold lipsticks so I find lip liners make the whole process a lot easier whilst also acting as a good base for the lipstick which helps with longevity.
I have narrowed my favorites down to this bunch here- I feel like I have all the bases down so whatever lip shade I am wearing, I have a liner that works with it.

You do not need to have an identical liner to every lipstick you have.

Mac Lip Liner in Soar : Soar is a pinky brown shade that is very easy to apply and due to its natural colour and matte finish it can you help you achieve a slightly fuller pout if desired.

I do find this drying though so I don't often wear it alone, but it looks beautiful under a lot of lipsticks. My two favorites to pair with this are Macs Mehr and Bobbi Brows Rose Brown.
Soar is also very long lasting. 

For a full review click here 

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Venom : This is the only lip liner I have tried from UD but I am keen to pick up more. This is very long lasting and comfortable to wear.
 I don't find it works that well as all over lip colour - I can get it to spread, I find it very easy to draw a neat line which is super helpful for a bold lip but i find if I wear this solo all over the lip it can cling to some dryness I might have.But I love using it to outline my lips when I use any dark shade.

I find this works with Charlotte Tilburys Night Crimson and Love Liberty - anything that is rich/deep/dark/burgundy/purple, this has me covered.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lip Liner in Coral : I bought this purely on Sali Hughes recommendation. I love her, she is unbelievably intelligent, chic, beautiful and she knows a hell of a lot about beauty.

If she likes something, I'm going to try it.

I saw a picture of her on her Instagram wearing this with the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Lana (for a review click here) and I became obsessed.

I am pleased to report that I love both and this works fantastically with any orange based lip colour- it suits Lana, The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper, If you are looking for a long wearing coral that also works all over the lip, this is great. 

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Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk : This is hands down my favorite of the lot and if I were to only keep one liner, it would be this. 

This is my second and when this runs out, I will without question order a third.

If you are only going to get one thing from CT - get this, or if you can't be bothered with endless lip liners, this one has you covered as it works with everything.

That's the thing, you don't actually have to have a matching colour, a nude lip colour works just as well. I mean yes you can't go in after and add red liner to were there wasn't before, but this liner still adds definition and a base.

The colour is a beautiful natural pink mauve and it is long lasting whilst being creamy. It is comfortable whilst lasting- not like Soar which can end up being quite drying after some time. 

I get a lot of wear out of this and I often wear it alone. It's always in my make up bag. I totally love it and have yet to find someone that doesn't.
I use this will a whole multitude of lipsticks- it's my safety liner so I would never go without it. I use it with Charlotte Tilburys Penelope Pink and Bitch Perfect, Nars Barbara and Anita, YSL Fuchsia in Rage- as a base, Mac Mehr and Plumful, Urban Decay Fiend and Rapture. To be honest- anything. 

Mac Lip Liner in Cherry : This was one of my first ever lip liners and I bought specifically so I could use it with Macs Ruby Woo. 

This lip liner lasts for days on the lips and although can be drying is still a lovely red to add to your collection.

I don't feel the need to buy any other red liners as this has be covered. I use it with CT Red Carpet Red, Ruby Woo, Night Crimson if I want to redden it up, Bourjois Hot Pepper- it's a suit all classic red.

If you need one red liner- this is your guy. 

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in East End Snob : I love this almost as much as Pillow Talk and this is also my second. 

Again I will keep repurchasing it. 

This is another mauvy pink but with a touch more purple to it.

I love using this on its own- the angled cut of the nib makes it ridiculously easy to use and hard to mess up.

It is so creamy and comfortable, I cannot believe this thing sells for under a fiver. This is by far my favorite Rimmel Product.
 This does a very similar job to Pillow Talk but it is a lot cheaper.

The colour is very similar to Nars Anita. 

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pink Venus : This is noticeably more pink than Pillow Talk and East End Snob. 

This is a lovely warm pink shade that also possess the long lasting rich creaminess of CTs other offerings.

I like to use this when I want to warm up or lighten my nudes. It adds just an extra touch of pink to Bitch Perfect making it look so effortless and summer ready.
This is a lovely pink accompaniment for UD Streak Lipstick as well. 

L-R : Venom, Cherry, Coral, Soar, Pillow Talk, East End Snob and Pink Venus

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Quick, Prettyfying Make Up

Is prettyfying a word? For the sake of this blog post, we'll just say it is.

If you're reading this, I'm guessing you're also a lover of all things beauty.

I love the creativity, the new products or rocking a kinda weird kooky look and making it wearable, but there are times when I just want to use products that are more 'prettyfying'.

You know, just adds to your natural beauty- I find these products make me look healthy and natural, in a quick and easy way.

Lets start in order of application:

Dior Glow Maximizer : Like name like nature. I don't use this all the time, but when I do, I use it all over my face like a primer and it adds such luminosity.

When you see it swatched it literally looks like a liquid highlighter- which it can be used as, but under make up it just brightens up my face. 

Lovely.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua : I have already talked about this product so I wont bang on, but it is one of my favorite bases- light, natural, glowy but not overly so and it feels very comfortable on the skin.

No caking, no sitting in pores, its beaut.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer : This is probably the best concealer I have, read a full review here.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder : I'm so glad I managed to take a picture of this as I've just hit pan. 

I was never into powders up until trying this.

I have dry skin so the idea of setting my make up with powder just feels kinda gross to me...but I thought I would invest in a high end powder and I really like it! I use this every day to set my concealer under my eyes and to be honest ever since I started doing that I cant fathom that I didn't before.

It mattifies the slight sheen from my concealer so hence makes it look like I have added a hint more coverage. I use it down the side of my nose and it does mattify were shine isn't wanted, but it is never cakey. 

It is very important to add this step here as I am using a lot of glowy products, so this is needed to take any of the shine away from unflattering areas, for example the nose/forehead etc.

Benefit Brow-Zing : As you can see- I have hit pan here! As I have used it daily for over a year, I think I am doing pretty well. The little brushes are very useful, I use the angled brush for the wax and then with the flat brush add the powder- you end up with lovely, natural looking brows.

I need quite a bit of brow help so I never go without this.

I cannot stand blocky/harsh eyebrows- this does not produce them.

Benefit Gimme Brown : I use this everyday to set my brows, read a full review here

Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers : Because I have the worlds straightest lashes.

Nars Eyeliner in Via Veneto : I use black eyeliner EVERYDAY- it is a non negotiable.

However, I only use it to tightline- if you don't know what that means, I just line my upper water line.

After I've curled my lashes so the curlers don't rub it off, I just add this and it helps to thicken up my super fine lashes. If you haven't tried before- it may feel weird, but give it a go. I guarantee you will be amazed by how much more defined your eyes look, in the most subtle way.

Also- if you want to wear make up at school and you aren't allowed/your male  and you want to wear a bit of make up but not have it look obvious- try this as well.

This Nars one is quite new to me, a full review is on its way.

Benefit They're Real : You can see I'm having a bit of a Benefit moment!

Read the full review here. 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon : When I'm trying to do pretty in a hurry I use this after my mascara. Why you ask?

Because I'm messy.

Pretty much everytime I use mascara I end up with a little bit of smudging just behind my lashes- not like eye liner, no just a smudge and it really annoys me.

I often can't be bothered to wipe it off as that can make the matter worse, so I swipe the tiniest, lightest line behind my eyelashes and then blend with a finger.

It hides the smudge and leaves me with subtle, shimmery bronze lids.

For a swatch, click here. 

L-R: Mary Lou-Manizer, Pink Coral, Dior Glow Maximiser, Clarins Lip Perfector 

Bobbi Brown Pink Coral Blush : Read a full review here

The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer : Use this with caution! This is very easy to over do, but I like to use a fan brush and sweep this beautiful champagne highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, round of sides of my eyebrows in a C-shape and the cupids bow.

If you use a light hand you will look gorgeous and glowy- and you have already helped yourself out by using a matte blush so things don't get OTT.

This product is so damn smooth and buttery I just kept touching it when I first got it.

It is a stunner, but be careful otherwise it will look incredibly obvious.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfector in Rose: I'm sorry you can barely see the swatch on my arm- it is a very transparent colour that just adds the slightest hint of pink.

I love lipsticks- but can take time to apply/can be high maintenance. I LOVE lip liners as well but when I just don't have time or patience I put a bit of this on and it makes my lips look moisturized and just healthy.

I think I might prefer the lip gloss version but I am yet to make up my mind on that...

It's just a nice hint of pink that you can apply as you're leaving the house.

This may seem like a lot of steps but trust me- I can do this pretty quickly!

Do you have any tips on hour to be pretty in a hurry?

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Urban Decay : Rapture : Lipstick and New Afterglow Blush

Here we have one new release from Urban Decay; the Afterglow Blush in Rapture, and the not so new Revolution Lipstick, also in the shade Rapture. I have had the lipstick for quite a while now and I love it, so when I saw they had released a blush in the same shade, it was a no brainer. 

Lets talk blush first.

It is a plummy/mauvey colour with a slight pearl to it which doesn't translate as shimmery on the skin.

If you are familiar with the Urban Decay eye shadows, then you will aware of their smooth. buttery consistency- which is really what I have come to expect from Urban Decay.

The moment I swatched this blush I immediately knew UD had managed to translate that beautiful, silky buttery formula into a blush.

Also this works well as the formula is of a more creamy nature so you don't end up with excess powder flying about when you swirl your brush about, which I also appreciate. 

Even though UD claims this formula to be quite sheer, I found when I went in with my Charlotte Tilbury blush brush that it was quite easy to pick up a bit too much product and hence it took some time to blend out, so I would recommend using a duo fibre brush, at least until you can work out how much product you actually need.

I don't know what it is though...the formula is lovely and I like the colour...but I'm still trying to work out how much I like it. At the moment I am still on the fence so I am going to keep trying it and then I will report back.

It's a good blusher, but so far I am not overwhelmed, but I can imagine soon enough that when I get to grips with it, it could be a fave...but right now I think I need more play time. 

I will keep you updated.

Onto  the Revolution Lipstick.

This is a fave of mine. I have a couple of UD lipsticks and I really rate their formula- check it out if you can. They are £15 which is obviously more than high street prices, but they perform just as well as lipsticks that are ten to fifteen pounds more.

I find all shades to be pretty consistent- easy to apply, waxy in consistency- but in the best way which means it manages to hit the middle ground of being moisturizing, long lasting and towards the end of wear it is never drying. 

It doesn't feel like it should last as well as it does. 

I just love this shade so much, purple based lipsticks have been my vice for some time now.

L-R: Blush and Lipstick

I think these blushes are worth looking into, I need to try some other shades. I am glad I bought the Afterglow blush, but I am determined to love it. Give me time and I will try to do a follow up if things change!

I reckon it could be a lovely eye shadow shade, which I would also wear on cheeks and lips because purples give me life.

Have any of you tried these new blushes? Any other shades I should look in to?

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Disappointing Products : Mascara Edition

Mascara. I love it, and I think most people would agree, if they were told they were only allowed to use one product for the rest of their lives, it would be mascara.
I would cheat slightly and also use it in my eyebrows...btw I have actually done that before...desperate times.
Eyelashes and eyebrows are the two things I cannot forgo and it's often all I use day to day.

The issue with calling a mascara 'disappointing' is because mascara is such a subjective thing. What is holy grail for some, can be an utter crashing fail for others.
You can say a lipstick is matte or drying, or an eyeshadow is pigmented or powdery...there is less room for debate on that. A matte red lipstick, is a matte red lipstick.
It's harder to be that black and white on mascara, but I will try my utmost to get my points across!
If you are in the market for a new mascara, I hope I can shed some light on these.

Grab a cup of coffee - this is going to be a long one!

Urban Decay Perversion

Urban Decay Perversion : It makes me so sad that this didn't work for me! I feel like a lot of the mascaras I am mentioning are quite well loved by the blogging community, but they all did pretty much diddly squat for me.
This mascara is meant to give thick, full dramatic lashes- and I am all about that life.
My lashes are alright, they are fairly long so I don't mind too much about lengthening formulas, I just want heaps of volume. This just didn't deliver.
I thought the brush was clumsy and could be a bit messy...but I was just so underwhelmed...I tried building up and then that made my lashes clump and hence made them look thinner...like I had 5 super long lashes and that was it.
I just didn't receive any of the benefits promised and there was some smudging.
For me, not worth £17.50.

Too Faced Better Than Sex

Too Faced Better Than Sex : I feel like I am the only person in the world who didn't like this! If you share my views, please let me know!
This is the biggest disappointment of the all of them as it is so hyped up online, and even when I have seen people apply it, you see this mascara transform their lashes into thick, black, dense and volumised mega lashes...so I just had to get it.
Wow seriously...I don't get it. At all.
The brush gets everywhere, but I can get past that easily if the formula is good.
Nope. I get the same results using a bog standard drugstore mascara.
My lashes just looked average. This didn't hold a curl, it got clumpy and I just didn't see any of the volume that was promised. There was no thickness, no illusion of more lashes...nothing.
It smudged onto my brow bone, and it got quite flaky by the end of the day and as a contact lense wearer...we will never be friends.
So disappointed, not worth £19.

Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes : This product is quite a sore one for me. I was so excited to try it, and when I first applied it- I fell in love. I thought I had found my holy grail- I had long, thick, volumised lashes. It seemed to have double the amount of lashes I had, they were seperated but still thick.
However, it doesn't last. Its epic in the morning, but after a couple of hours, the curl has gone, the volume has gone and it's like it crumbles off so your lashes look shorter.
If CT were to come out with a waterproof version, I think it would be bloody brilliant and I would definitely pick one up, but to have beautiful lashes upon application, and watch them slowly crumble away, its a no and I want more for £23.

Benefit Roller Lash

Benefit Roller Lash : I was lucky enough to pick up this mini mascara in Elle Magazine a while ago, I'm so glad I did as I would have been pretty upset if I had paid full price!
This mascara seems to be dividing people in the blogging community.
I have very straight lashes and I would never dream of not using my lash curlers, but when I heard that this was a specific curling mascara and it was so effective that you could forgo curlers- I was interested.
But for me? Hell no is that possible.
I felt like it made my lashes straighter and droopier. So it fails on its first promise there.
It made my lashes long and defined, but it didn't hold the curl well and there was no drama...it's just average.
I have to say I gave it another go, and if I layer it properly it's not horrendous and I like it ever so slightly more now compared to how much I hated it in the beginning...but I'd never buy full price.
Also I felt like the brush was a bit uncomfortable.
The trend that I am seeing is that you're either a 'Roller Lash' person or a 'They're Real' and as I'm not team RL, expect a TR review shortly...

L'oreal Miss Manga Waterproof

L'oreal Miss Manga Waterproof : I'm going to cut to the chase here, this is the worst one out of all of these.
Also the most confusing. Some people LOVE this mascara, and I have seen it applied beautifully....but on me, I don't even understand how we can be talking about the same one.
As you may know, this mascara has a bendy wand. I don't see how they thought that was a good idea.
When I am trying to wiggle it at the base of the lash, the wand then pings up and smacks into my eyebrow....it's just annoying. And messy.
I feel like it desposits such little product that it takes me ages to actually get stuff on my lashes.
Even when it is on my lashes, I feel like it adds minor length and that's it.
Don't like it, don't get it.
NEXT.

L'oreal False Lash Superstar

L'oreal False Lash Superstar : I only bought this recently, but I have given it a good, good go. I never write anything off immediately and even though the first time I wasn't impressed, I persisted.
But nope. Don't get this one either.
This is a two step mascara.
Step 1 is a 'Volumsing Primer' and I do actually like this part of it. It's white, so you obviously look a bit weird, but I layered this on and yes even though my lashes were white, they did look thick and very long. I was impressed. However...
Step 2 is a 'Lengthening Topcoat'. I don't like this at all. I felt like I had created all this volume with the primer, I then proceed to put this onto and before my eyes my lashes deflated like a popped balloon.
Just nothing. They literally flattened down, thinned out....it took all of the mojo out of my primed lashes and made me feel like I had totally wasted my time.
I don't like the topcoat alone either, but I have tried using the primer with my Max Factor 'Masterpiece Transform High Impact Volumsing Mascara' (a long name, but a good one- when in doubt, it's Max Factor all the way) but it didn't really work either...I feel like the primer alone is great, but it doesn't work with things on top of it, which defeats the whole point of it being called a primer...primers are meant to be built upon.
If this primer was jet black, I'd be all over it.


Sorry for a bit of a negative one here guys, but I hope it may have been in some way helpful to you!
I never really realized how much mascara I get through...I'm still searching for the one. My list seems to grow ever longer, but I am testing out Benefits They're Real and if that isn't the one for me....I might move over to Lancome.

What are your mascara disappointments?

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