120 Shade Eyeshadow Palette

Hey guys! :)

I was recently sent an eyeshadow palette by BeautyStore4U - I know, kind of random, I don't usually go for more obscure brands. However, since I changed to cruelty free I'm always on the look out for new animal friendly makeup. This brand promises to be cruelty free and the site stocks Coastal Scents which I've never tried but have heard good things about.

Also, I'm a bit dull when it comes to eye make up. I LOVE eye make up, but I swear by my Naked palettes. The only colour I ever use is when I feel like being a bit different and use my Stila Beach Palette (reviewed here). So when I saw the look of this palette, I thought maybe I should be a bit daring and try some colours!

Yup, there's 120 colours! Amazing! They fold into the flat packed box but you need to take one side out and sit it on top of the other to fit. BeautyStore4U have told me that although the box is plain black right now, it will have the logo on it shortly.

Some of the colours are veeeery similar to each other, but there are just so many to choose from. There are pinks/purples, blues/greens, yellow/oranges and neutrals.

The eyeshadows are made of natural mineral oils and there are a mix of both shimmery and matte shades.The quality of shades varies - some are well pigmented, whereas others hardly produced any colour at all. Here are a few quick looks I created:

(sorry for the blur in this one - I was tired by this point haha!)

Lamely enough, I actually like the neutral colour look the best haha! You can kind of see in some of the non-flash photos where there isn't as good pigmentation. I'd say in real life, the colours are somewhere between the flash and non-flash results.

In all, I'd say if you're looking for a cruelty free palette with a large variety of bright colours, this is great value. 120 colours!! Not always great pigmentation but sleek and light and nice to have if you ever feel like a more daring look! :)

This palette is available from their website here for £12.95 with free postage within the UK. You can also use the discount code THECOSMETICSKITTEN to get 10% off - yay! Alternatively, you can get it from Amazon here (currently out of stock).

 

Do you ever experiment with brighter eye colours? Do you like palettes with a huge number of shades?

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

 

This product was sent to me free of charge for review consideration. My views are not affected by this in any way and are still 100% honest.

I'M BACK! Naked2 Giveaway. :)

I'M BAAAAAAAACK!!

Ohmigosh, I know I haven't posted regularly in MONTHS and again I'm sorry, but finally I'm back! I have been mega mega busy but the awesome news is I finally have a full time permanent teaching job starting in August and I'm off on my summer holidays now so life is GOOD!

My cheesorama face to show you my joy.

Thank you so much if you are reading this, I know I lost a few followers through my absence and I totally understand that, but if you're checking this out now it might mean you're giving me a second chance so THANK YOU.

I will have a proper post up in a few days giving you a quick catch up of some things I've been up to, and then I'll be back to OOTDs, nail art and reviews like normal! I have lots of posts to write, eeEeeeEE! I'm excited. :)

Buuuut giveaway time! In order to celebrate my return (and to encourage people to visit my blog again haha) I'm giving away an Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. I know loads of people already have this, but it's awesome and everyone needs a back up. =p

You can read my review of Naked 2 here (don't worry, this one is brand new obv).

Enter below, UK only please. Comment below if you have entered. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, since it's been so long, I have tons of blogs to catch up on - please leave me a link if you'd like me to catch up on yours! Have you posted something I have to read??

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

My Current Face Favourites :)

Today I'm going to show you my current daily face! I love to know what make up people use regularly, because although a lot of us buy the new or highly rated products, sometimes we just have our favourites we go back to again and again.

All pictures are taken of the products in their current, loved, state! =p

Currently, for my base I'm using either Kiko BB Cream (which I purchased in the Kiko store in Westfields, London) or Jemma Kidd Light as Air. I use the BB when I have fake tan on as it blends better.

I have reviewed JK Light as Air here.

I'm not 100% sold on either base, still looking for my favourite!

My current concealer is Collection (previously Collection 2000)'s Lasting Perfection. It is SUCH a bargain and does match coverage to high end concealers I've tried. I'm still looking for my HG under-eye concealer though!

I use Nars Orgasm for my blush for day to day wear, blusher is the make up product I like the least - I never seem to apply it perfectly and it annoys me cause I know Orgasm is so good!

I swatched Orgasm here.

On my eyes, I am currently using ELF Prime & Seal Primer, which I love, and then a combination of colours from my Urban Decay Naked and Naked2 Palettes.

I reviewed the ELF Primer here and have compared Naked and Naked2 here.

I'm enjoying ELF's primer, it's super cheap and is like a crayon so it's so easy to use. You can buy it here, but it's quite often out of stock! I also love love LOVE my Naked Palettes, I never use anything else (I know, how exciting).

I also use Urban Decay 24/7 liquid eyeliner - although I am desperately looking for alternative (animal friendly obv)!! And my new AMAZING mascara is 17 Cosmetics Peep Show. Seriously, I usually use high end mascara but was sent this and now it's my daily go-to!

I ranted about my UD eyeliner here and raved about my 17 mascara here.

I apply all my make up with Sigma brushes:

I have reviewed them here, here and here.

They need a wash hahaha.

And that's my face!

You can see that the products I use I have genuinely reviewed positively and keep using over and over.

Do you use any of these products? Do you have any base or eyeliner recommendations for me? What do you think of my daily favourites?

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

I Need a New Eyeliner (aka Rant at Urban Decay)

Warning: this is a moany post.

Let me introduce you to my BEF - Best Eyeliner Friend. This little eyeliner has been with me through thick and thin for about five years. It's been the only liquid eyeliner I have ever used, and I have never needed to look elsewhere. This little beauty did it all. It glided on like a dream, stayed put until I wanted to remove it, was so easy to control and the colour was devine, a silky black. Behold, Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion.

The reason it is a stock photo is because Urban Decay, for some reason, have decided to be annoying and repackaged this eyeliner. I understand they were restyling a lot of their collection, making these eyeliners waterproof and more easily storable, but STILL. This is what they sell it as now:

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a HUGE fan of Urban Decay and their products. I own two Naked and one Naked2 Palettes, use their primers, their lipsticks and their mascaras, and even attended their Naked2 Launch Night last week.

The reason I am so annoyed with Urban Decay is the sneaky, and frankly unethical (in my opinion), way they have went about their repackaging. The old packaging retailed for, I believe, £13. For this you receieved 7.5ml of product. One of these babies could last me a good few months!

The new packaging is £14. For this, you receieve a MEASLY  1.7ml. How are they getting away with that?? Even if I remember the price of the old packaging slightly incorrectly, you are still losing out on nearly 6ml of product!

Size shown in comparison to nail polish
 

The formula, as far as I can tell, is still the same, other than the added benefit of being waterproof. It's still a fantastic eyeliner if you were to pick it up for the first time. But for loyal customers, this is a bit of a slap in the face. And so, even though I have used this eyeliner religiously for years, it's time for me to move on. :(

I've been trying some felt tip pen style eyeliners, and I'm actually quite enjoying them. Does anyone have any recommendations of a great eyeliner for me to try??

Anyways.

On a brighter note, my boyfriend Scott and I celeberated our 7th Anniversary on Valentine's Day (cheesy I know). We're away to York just now as a treat (hello, scheduled post!!), so for actual Valentine's we decided just to have a wee night in. We made our favourite meal - tuna pasta (NOM!) - and got some wine.

What I didn't know was that Scott had carried a little table and chairs up to his loft bedroom and lit candles everywhere to make it into a wee candlelit dinner! So sweet. I'm a lucky girl. Hope you all had a great Valentine's, if you celebrate it. :)

So any recommendations for my eyeliner issue? Do any of you use the Urban Decay one?

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

p.s. Sorry for the rant. =p

Debenhams Naked2 Launch Party + NOTD

I got a text message (random) a few weeks ago inviting me to Glasgow Debenhams Urban Decay Naked2 Launch Party - catchy!! Of course I already have Naked2 as I bought it online as soon as it was released, but I thought this might be fun. So I contacted another Scottish blogger, Gill from MakeUpTheNight to see if she'd go with me (big scardy cat haha)!

I knew it wasn't anything big, and I was helping my boyfriend in his uni for grad ball stuff during the day, so I just wore a blouse and leather mini with a lemon cardi. I didn't get an outfit shot because I was running around like crazy in the morning so I wouldn't be late meeting my boyfriend, so here's an obligatory bathroom shot:

Wonderful lighting. Love the way it emphasises my lack of sleep. =p

So the actual 'event' was a total non-event. We got a glass of champers and then were taken to a classroom, where an Urban Decay MUA demonstrated some looks using the Naked2 Palette. She was good, but wow she liked the dark colours. Her idea of a day look and my idea of a day look were nooot the same. Afterward, some people won little UD samples, not me unfortunately. :(

Gill and I both ended up purchasing a Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour (available online here for £14) in Adrenalin.

I love this style of lipstick, I have a Barry M one but their shades are all quite shimmery/glittery and definitely more glossy, whereas this felt like a lipliner and lipstick in one. It has a slight shimmer but isn't sticky or glossy, it goes on smoothly and doesn't seem to transfer half as much as my Barry M version. Here's a swatch:

And on my lips:

(colour can be built up)

So the event wasn't a total waste of time although it only lasted about forty minutes!! Just wanna show you my glitter overdose NOTD too that I 'wore':

(managed to squeeze my new ring in there too haha)

They are Models Own Pink Fizz with Models Own Magenta for the tips, sealed with Seche Vite top coat.

Hope you're all having a lovely week, haven't blogged much this week cause things have been hectic. What do you think of the 'crayon' style of lipsticks? And what do you think of my nails? Too much haha??

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

Naked2 EOTD Ideas!!

On my recent OOTD post (click here) some people asked about my eye makeup. I used the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette to create the look, and right now it's pretty much all I use. I thought I'd post up a few quick, easy looks I came up with, all using Naked2.

Top without flash, bottom with flash for all photos.
Look1: Silvery

Shades used: Foxy (highlight), Verve (all over), Pistol (outer V and crease).

Look2: Goldy

Shades used: Foxy (highlight), Bootycall (inner corner), Half Baked (centre of lid), Snakebite (outer V and crease).

Look4: Mixed Metals

Shades used: Foxy (highlight), YDK (all over top lid), Verve (bottom lid), Half Baked (outer corner).


I know I'm no MUA, but the Naked and Naked2 Palettes make it so easy to come up with wearable looks that these only took me about five minutes each of experimentation. The lighting in my room is soooo poor when I come home from work a lot of the photos I took didn't turn out well, I'll try show more when I have better lighting!

What do you think? What is your favourite? Have you tried another combo that you love?

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

OOTD - Anime Dress and more!

Thanks to your voting guys, I have changed the name of my blog! I've also changed the layout, I hope you like it! I have a blog button I'd love you to add to your blog if you want to. ^_^

(Link is to the left)

You can also find me now direct at cosmeticskitten.com or thecosmeticskitten.com! <3

I've not done an OOTD in a while!
I bought some things from Sarah at FashionismyH2O in her blog sale. I'm a sucker for anything anime/ manga print, so I got this lovely dress:

It was freeeezing outside and so windy! Also my hair is a bit like a lion's, I washed it last night and then fell in front of the fire, so it dried naturally. Oops.

This is my FOTD:

Face:
No7 Primer
Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation
Nars Orgasm

Lips:
Sleek Lip Paint

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer
Urban Decay Naked2 Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner
Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

I also meant to post about this aaaages ago! I won two blog competitions recently, and I just wanna show you what I won. I won a voucher for Ivi Scents from Christine at Makeup, Beauty and Fashion by Christine which is awesome, I've never shopped at Ivi Scents before but it's kinda like Lush so looking forward to ordering some goodies!

I also won a giveaway from Tiffeny at Just Tiffeny. She sent it out just before Christmas so it was all beautifully wrapped like a Christmas present.

So much stuff!! Thank you to both girls!!

What do you think of my anime dress? Do you like cute, quirky clothes or more traditional outfits? And do you like my blog make over?? 

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

Naked2 and Naked Comparison Review

I think I have a problem.

Oops.

So yes, I bought Urban Decay Naked2 after I already had two of the original Urban Decay Naked palettes. However, my kind sister is going to buy one of them off me so thank you Alie!! =p

As you can see, I caved. I bought the Naked2 online pretty much as soon as I could. I loved Naked so much, and I'd seen swatches on American blogs, that I knew I HAD to have it. And, don't get me wrong, I love it. I looove the shimmery eyeshadows (I know people wanted more mattes but I'm a sucker for shimmer) and the way they feel, blend and last. But I couldn't help feeling like a LOT of the colours are super similar to Naked.

I know you guys have probably read a hundred of these reviews already, so I'm not going to go into depth. You know it comes with a decent eye brush (shading and blending) and the most pathetic size of lipgloss ever.

The colours are as follows:

And yes, I did cut out the last shade (a matte black called Blackout). Don't ask me why.

And here's the customary swatches:

click to enlarge

In natural light (i.e. outside)

Inside, no flash

Inside with flash

So it's all very beautiful, especially Verve (a lilacy shimmer) and YDK (a delicious bronze). As you can see, Foxy barely shows up on my skin at all, no matter how hard I tried. However, I was glancing at my orginial Naked Palette and noticed some distinct similaries.

Naked top, Naked2 bottom.

Here is my opinion of which colours are similiar. Now bare in mind the only duplicated shade is Half Baked, but I do feel the following shades are very close in colour.

The top row is the swatches of Naked2 I had already done, underneath are the shades from the original palette which I feel are closest in colour to them (some have no comparison).

Here's more specific pictures:

No flash

Flash

Again, the top row is Naked2 and bottom row is original Naked.

a) Bootycall (N2) and Virgin (N)
b) Tease (N2) and Naked (N)
c) Snakebite (N2) and Smog (N)
d) YDK (N2) and Toasted (N)
e) Busted (N2) and Hustle (N)
f) Blackout (N2) and Creep (N)

As mentioned, none of the shades are identical, but as six of the shades are quite comprable, and one is a duplicate, it means only 5 of the 12 shades are completely unique to Naked2.

My conclusion is that if you didn't buy the original Naked and want to try out the gorgeous (and they ARE gorgeous) shades in Naked2, go for it! If you already have Naked and like it but wouldn't repurchase it, don't bother with Naked2. However if, like me, you LOVED Naked and more of the same is not a bad thing, then invest!!

What do you think guys? Are the shades too similar? Will you be buying it? Are you fed up of Naked2 posts already?!

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥