Naked2 Basics Review & Swatches

They got me again - Urban Decay and their Naked line always has a way of creeping into my Sephora shopping cart. Here it is, the sequel to the Naked Basics, a palette I've pretty well permanently kept in my everyday makeup bag for a year and a half now. I think it's a combination of the size (so lovely and compact), the all matte colors (which I've been completely obsessed with lately), and the whole taupe/brown shade family housed in this lovely little palette that made me fall for it just as hard as I fell for the first. 

Although the shades are from different families - the original being on the warmer end of things, and the second being cooler - the palette in general is set up in the same way. You get five matte shades, and one demi-matte shade (Skimp) which is perfect for highlighting - similar to the original which includes Venus as a highlighting shade. 

I really enjoy how they both include a deeper, darker matte shade as well - perfect for using as a liner, or for deepening up the outer corner of the eye when doing your smokey eye of choice. 

Top - Naked Basics

Bottom - Naked2 Basics 

I think the main reason I love these palettes both so much is the versatility you are able to have with them - using them solo you can get some lovely matte looks, or you can utilize the matte shades along with shimmers from another palette you love to create a really amazing combination. It's certainly no secret that none of the Naked Palettes have all that many matte shades, which are always super useful for blending and adding extra definition to any eye look. With these in combination with any or all of the Naked Palettes 1-3 you have no end to the amount of looks and shimmer/matte combinations. 

A Little Sephora Haul | March 2015

It had been so long since I grabbed anything from Sephora - quite proud of myself for actually showing restraint and giving my pocket book a break - but when I noticed my St. Tropez tanner was running low I knew it was time to place an order.

I ended up keeping it straight forward and only made two major purchases - I got a replacement St. Tropez Self Tanning Mouse, this time I went for the dark, I've been interested in trying it out and seeing how it compares to the original (post will be coming soon on that!).

I also ended up caving and picking up the Naked2 Basics. I've had the original for quite some time now and I use it pretty well every day so I thought I would add this one to my collection as well since matte shadows have been my jam lately - of course going to do a review/comparison post on this as well!

I typically like to save my points for a big point perk, but I had 400 just sitting there calling my name so I went ahead and used them since I was interested in trying out some skin care samples. I ended up choosing the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar, Clinique Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum and a Kat Von D Immortal Lash mascara. I also used a code at check out and got the Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel. I've been pretty basic with my skin routine lately and haven't tried anything new in quite a while so hopefully I'll enjoy some of these samples enough to buy the full size. 

Super Soft Smokey Eye Using Naked 2

Hey guys! So this is just a super quick post to give you a run down of one of my favorite eye looks I've been doing lately. It's super quick and simple and I've been loving how these colors make my eyes seem to pop. 

I've been using my Mac paint pot in Painterly as a base. I then take my Naked 2 palette and apply Foxy on my brow bone and inner third of my eyelid as well. Next I take Tease (my favorite shade from this palette), and apply it all over the lid and just to the crease. I take a fluffy blending brush with more Foxy on it and blend it into the crease so both colors transition nicely into one another. To deepen up the outer portion of the lid and into the crease I apply Busted.

To finish off the look I apply a mixture of Busted and Tease to the bottom lash line. I then apply my favorite liquid liner - Loreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense, and Loreal Miss Manga mascara - full review of this mascara here. I always highlight my inner corner very last, and for that I take Bootycall on a small precision brush and apply it to my inner corner as well as a very light touch under the brow.

Naked 2 Palette Review and Swatches

Its been about a year and a half since I bit the bullet and got even more Naked in my life (Urban Decay Naked that is), and somehow I've yet to do my own personal post on my thoughts and swatches of the palette. I really have no clue how its taken me this long, but finally I am here with a post which I hope you will enjoy!

Compared to the Naked 1 there are many differences between the two, first and foremost being the exterior of the palette. The first Naked palette was velvety in texture with printed lettering on the front (as you can see in the picture below mine is extremely dirty and the letters have faded a ton since I bought it). Naked 2 has a hard exterior and snaps shut vs the N1 which had a magnetic closure.

If you would like to see a broader look into my thoughts of the N1, you can check out the post I did on it here. 

Just like with the first, there are 12 eyeshadows, but unlike the first they are much more taupe themed and on the cooler end of the spectrum. 

Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper

Chopper is probably my least favorite shade out of the entire palette as it has a lot of chunky glitter and I tend to always have a problem with fallout when I wear this shade.

Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol

Tease and Suspect are absolutely my top two favorites from the entire palette. Tease reminds me a lot of one of my favorite Mac shades 'Quarry' which I love. Suspect is just the perfect shimmery taupe beige and I adore wearing it all over the lid and on the lower lash line for a quick and simple eye look.

Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Two of my other absolute favorites from the palette are YDK and Busted - combined together for an eye look you are totally ready for a night out. Also Verve is probably one of the best silver shades I've ever come across - it can be used subtly or built up for a huge impact. Blackout is also one of the best matte blacks I've ever had, and of course you can never have too many good blacks in your collection because they are just so versatile. 

Now if you were to ask which of the two comes out on top for me.. well the answer is still going to be the original Naked, but this is a really close second, especially for the fall and winter months.

Hope you enjoyed this review/overview and I'll see you in my next post!

Beauty Tip Thursday - How I Wash My Makeup Brushes!

While looking back at my many posts I came to the realization I have somehow never blogged about how I go about washing my makeup brushes. This is a pretty important chore any makeup lover should have in their weekly regime so today is the day I tell you all how I get my brushes fresh and clean!

I try to do this process about once a week/week and a half (depending on how much I used my brushes), usually on the weekend I find the time to do this. 

Here you have the dreaded before shot, pretty gross. These are the brushes I use all the time which I keep in my bathroom where I do my makeup. They're a mix of Real Techniques, Urban Decay, Elf, Ecotools, Coastal Scents and Quo. 

I use olive oil and baby shampoo for my two step cleaning process. The only other thing you need is a small bowl to put the oil in and some luke warm water from your tap! 

I begin by dipping my brushes lightly into the oil and swishing them around slightly - you'll instantly see the color beginning to come out of the dirty brush. I then give it a light rinse under some running water, and gently squeeze the bristles to get the majority of the oil out. The oil is amazing in particular for brushes with white tips, and eyeliner brushes, especially those you use with a gel liner. 

Next, I take the baby shampoo (you can use any brand you like, this is just what I use on my daughters), place some in the palm of my hand and swish the brush around to remove any oil residue and left over makeup. If it's an especially dirt brush or I feel it still has oil remaining in it I will do a second round of shampoo before squeezing out the excess water. 

Finally I take the freshly washed brushes and place them on a folded hand towel, allowing the bristles to hang off the end so they can properly air dry. 

And there you have it, fresh and clean makeup brushes!

I hope this post was helpful to some of you!

UD Naked Basics Palette Review & Swatches

If you're new to my blog, or just somehow missed this fact about me, there is nothing I like (love) more than a good neutral palette. Maybe the only thing better than a neutral palette is a neutral palette that is also compact and easy to travel with.

I purchased the UD Naked Basics finally after many months of wondering the all mighty MUA question, 'do I really need more neutral shadows?'. After becoming the owner of both Naked 1 and 2 palettes I finally decided to cave one day while browsing around Sephora as we all love to do. Fast forward six months later I am so satisfied with the decision. I can honestly say I have used this in some way shape or form at least five days a week since purchasing it.

The palette is extremely compact and convenient - as you can see it's slightly smaller than my iPhone 4s, which makes it very easy to pop in any bag or makeup pouch. 

(venus, foxy, w.o.s, naked 2, faint, crave)

The palette is composed of six shades, five are matte and one is shimmery (venus). There is only one color that doubles up with either Naked 1 or 2, and that is foxy which is in the Naked 2. I really love that they came out with a "naked 2" shade for this palette, as I thought that would be something they would include in the actual N2 palette. 

(venus, foxy, w.o.s, naked 2, faint, crave)

As with any Urban Decay palette, the shadows are so soft and buttery. They're also so highly pigmented and blend like a dream. The shades are great for mixing with colors from other palettes, or to use alone for a lovely matte eye look that can be softer, or easily deepened up with the darker shades for more depth. 

Let me know if you've tried/want to try this palette, and your thoughts on it!

Loving lately

Hello once again everyone.

I feel I have to give a slight explanation as to where in the heck I went just over a year ago. I really didn't go anywhere to be honest, I just began to let life with my daughters and family take over, which subsequently put blogging at youtube on the back burner. 

Quite some time has passed now obviously but around Christmas I began to seriously miss my once beloved hobbies, and now I am finally biting the bullet and returning to my blog with a renewed energy and excitement!

Now that those formalities have been taken care of I will jump into my first post after being MIA, and what better way to begin than to talk about what I have been loving as of late. 

1. Urban Decay Naked Basics - I've had this since May (birthday gift to myself) and can say with all honesty I use this at least 4 days a week. I love every shade, especially because they mainly matte - big thumbs up for matte eyeshadows in my books. 

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - I don't have much to say aside from this being such an old and timeless favorite of mine - I always seem to come crawling back to it, it's just too lovely (and affordable) not to.

3. Benefit Hoola Bronzer - Matte and lovely, what more can I say?

4. Mac Melba Blush - An oldie but goodie in my books! I find I always reach for this when I have any doubts about which blush to choose. I find it to be perfect for every day use, and is subtle enough to be used with a darker eye look.

5. Benefit Watts Up Highlighter - Received this from Sephora in my birthday gift but did not touch it for months, then all of a sudden recently I tried it out and haven't looked back since!

6. Bare Study Paint Pot - I've always come back to this, because you can never go wrong with a shimmery champagne shade on the lid.

7. Benefit Erase Paste - My under eye circles worst enemy!

8. Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12hr Primer - I believe this deserves a whole post of it's own, but for now I will say my skin has never loved me so much and I cannot live with out it!

9. Benefit They're Real Mascara - I swear this has been the most hyped mascara pretty well ever in history, and fortunately it is totally worth the hype. This stuff never leaves my everyday makeup bag.

10. Maybelline Line Stiletto - This is not only my favorite drug store liner, but one of my favorite liners when compared to high end options as well. So black, so easy to apply, so amazing.

11. Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer - I am so happy I decided to try this, my oily eyelids tend to crease easily and I've found other brands of lid primer to not work as well as I'd hoped but this has become my daily eye base (both alone and under shadows).



If you are interested in any of the products I listed above and would like an entire post devoted to reviewing any of these items I would love to do so, just let me know in a comment! 

Warm & Cozy Makeup Look

It's that time of year again, the weather is getting colder and everyone is beginning to bundle up. Along with the change in seasons, there is a change in what makeup I have a tendency to reach for. I have really been into deeper makeup looks, and have been using a lot more shimmery champagne shades along with deeper browns and purples. This look includes the later - deep and warm purples, which I use to make a smoldering eye. This look could easily be turned up another notch, by lining the waterline in black, doing a heavier liner and adding false lashes. 

Products Used

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Revlon Cream Shadow Quad

Coastal Scents Blush and Eyeshadow Palette

Naked 1 Palette 

Loreal Liner 

Loreal Voluminous 24 Mascara & Maybelline Cat Eye Voluminous Mascara

MAC High Tea on my lips

Hope you guys enjoyed seeing this look I've been loving lately! 

xo, Hannah

Update Your Makeup Bag for Fall!

Here are just a few tips on how to update your makeup bag for fall. Watch the video for full details! 

(Rimmel - 01, Revlon - Rosy Nude, Loreal - Nude)

(Essie 'Bahama Mama' and 'Good as Gold')

(Urban Decay 'Mildew' and 'Side Car')

Hope you guys enjoyed this little post/video! 

Until next time,

xo, Hannah

Favorite Fall Eye Look of the Moment

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share this little 'get ready with me' video I made which shows you how I've been doing my eye makeup this past while. I have been absolutely loving this eyeshadow combo for this fall - warm and slightly smokey, but also very appropriate for everyday wear! 

Products Used;

Maybelline 24hr cream shadow - Tough as Taupe

Mac e/s - Mylar

Mac e/s - Soft Brown

Maybelline Shadow - Shimmery Taupe shade from the Natural Smokes Quad

Maybelline Shadow - Redish Brown shade from the Natural Smokes Quad

Urban Decay e/s - Hustle from Naked 1 

Rimmel Liner - Black

Loreal Mascara - Power Collagen in Black

xo, Hannah

Loving Lately: Golden Eyes & My Top Eyeshadow Picks to Get the Look!

My makeup routine lately has been pretty simple and basic, after having twins you really can't expect much else after all! One thing I have been really enjoying however is a simple wash of a gold shadow over the lid, plus some black liner and a mascara. If I'm feeling extra daring, or have the time to spare, I will go in with darker brown shadows in the outer V to create a more 'complex' look, but for every day wear simple is best! 

Urban Decay e/s - Half Baked (Naked 1 palette) 

One of my all time favorite golds, and I'm certain others can agree, is Half Baked by UD. It is literally the perfect gold and applies so easily to the lid - you can do a light wash, or use a dense brush to pack on the color for a more intense look. If you don't want to put your money into the Naked Palette, you can always pick up this shadow in a single pot form. 

Loreal e/s Quad in Kerri's Bronzes

This is a fantastic palette for the price, I am a real lover of all Loreal palettes in fact. This one in particular has been meeting my needs nicely lately - it has the perfect four shades for a lovely fall eye look. Of course you can use these shadows separately or all together, both options are fantastic! 

Elf mineral e/s in Natural

Out of all the shadows I am showing you, this one is by far the furthest from your standard 'gold' shadow. This is much more of a cross between a champagne and gold - although it appears to have peachy tones in the pot it does not come out that way when applied to the eye. These mineral shadows are fabulous actually, and for a mere $3 you really can't go wrong - much more affordable than Mac pigments that's for sure! 

Mac e/s in Honey Lust

This comes off as more of a peachy gold, at least on my skin tone, but because of that it makes it a great shadow for every day wear, being not as intense a golden look as Half Baked would be. I do find there is some fall out with this shadow, but it's nothing a light sweep of a fluffy brush over your cheeks wont fix! 

I hope you all enjoyed this look into my favorite golden shadows! Let me know if you have a favorite golden shadow as I'm always looking for new products to try! 

xo, Hannah

FOTD - July 1st 2012

(photo taken on my iPhone) 

Toasted - all over the lid 

(this is probably my favorite color out of the whole Naked 1 palette!) 

Naked - used to blend into the crease 

I've done this eyeshadow look so many times over the past month or so especially. I love it because it's really flattering to my blue eyes, and also super easy to pull off, even on an every day basis. 

For the rest of my face I went very light, I decided to not use foundation at all. 

Face;

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Foundation Primer

Maybelline Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer 

Mac MSF Natural 

Mac Blush in Fleet Fast

Eyes;

UD Primer Potion Original

UD Naked 1 e/s in Toasted & Naked

Loreal Carbon Black Liner

Maybelline Falsies Mascara 

xo, Hannah

Burnt Orange FOTD: Tuesday June 26th

Products Used;

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Eden

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Dark Brown

Orange e/s from Coastal Scents 76 Combo Palette 

Mac e/s Soft Brown

Mac e/s Mulch

Urban Decay e/s Dark Horse (Naked 1)

Mac e/s Honey Lust

Urban Decay e/s Virgin (Naked 1)

Loreal Liquid Liner - Brown Topaz

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara

I don't ever do many face of the day posts as I feel I do many of the same looks, can you tell I love neutrals? I am going to make an effort to do better at this though and in doing so, use it as motivation to switch up my mundane routine of simple brown shadows!

xo, Hannah

Get Ready With Me: Taupe Smokes

Products I Used

Eyes
- Urban Decay Primer Potion (eden)
- Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow (tough as taupe)
- MAC e/s (copperplate)
- MAC e/s (quarry)
- MAC e/s (naked lunch)
- MAC e/s (mylar)
- Naked Palette 1 e/s (sidecar)
- Loreal Carbon Black Liner
- Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Face
- Nars Laguna Bronzer
- Rimmel Blush (peach sorbet)

Lips
- Revlon l/s Soft Nude

Hope you guys like this look,

xo, Hannah

Get Ready With Me: My Baby Shower Makeup

Products Used;

[Face]

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

Garnier Anti Dark Circle Roller

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

Rimmel Brow Pencil

Nars Laguna Bronzer

MAC Blush in Melba

Hard Candy Bronzer (use as a highlight) 

[Eyes]

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

MAC e/s Soft Brown

UD Naked 1 e/s Sin

UD Naked 1 e/s Smog

UD Naked 1 e/s Virgin

UD Naked 1 e/s Sidecar 

Loreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black Liner

Covergirl 24hr Mascara

xo, Hannah

I'm Finally NAKED

That's right, after well over a year has passed since its release, I've finally managed to get my hands on my very own Naked palette (I know I'm probably the last youtube/blogging guru to do so). I'm certain nearly everyone reading this blog will have heard about this item more than a hundred times, and you may even be tired of all the hype and talk. For me however this is a brand new product that I feel I should give my two cents on - my apologies to anyone who feels it to be repetitive.

I adore the packaging - so sleek and stylish with the brown velvety case and the gold lettering. 

Colors

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

I was already the owner of the UD Ammo Palette so that means I now have doubles of Sin and Smog, but this is something I really can't complain about as they have been two of my favorites for a long while now - too much of a good thing? I think not! 

Although it's been said many times, and many ways, the pigmentation and vibrant results you get from these colors is nothing short of amazing. I also find it astounding that after swatching, and then proceeding to use these colors in makeup looks, the palette still looks brand new and untouched. To me this is a sign of a great eyeshadow - I expect to get an extremely long lifespan out of this product.

I must admit that one thing that kept me away from this palette was the price - 60CAD plus tax for an eyeshadow palette (and lets face it, I've had wallets bigger than this). However, now that I have this little baby in my collection I do not feel the least bit guilty for spending that much. Truly when you break it down it ends up being a mere 5 dollars per shadow - you would be hard pressed to find something of equal quality at your local drug store for that price, in fact, if you can, please prove me wrong on this point. 

I am extremely excited to continue experimenting with the numerous looks I will be able to create using this bad boy - I don't see myself running out of ideas any time soon!

xo, Hannah

Urban Decay Ammo Palette Overview

The sleek and compact packaging of this palette was the first thing that caught my eye. It was made small and slim enough to be of perfect use even with limited space - a travelers necessity. It also fits flawlessly into my everyday makeup bag.

I am a sucker for great packaging, and the purple velvet design on the front completely did it for me. It allows the palette to step away from typical black packaging, and creates an elegant, bold appearance. The packaging ends up being just as much of a statement as the shadows themselves.

 The Ammo palette boasts ten beautiful colors which range from simple everyday eye looks to bold, extravagant night out looks. I have found this selection of colors especially amazing when I'm looking for an opportunity to add a pop of color to a simple everyday eye. My personal favorite trick has been to smudge Grifter along the lower lash line when wearing a simple light brown everyday eye. I have also really been enjoying applying Oil Slick directly over my eyeliner to give my eyes a little extra sparkle. 

I believe this palette would be an amazing choice for anyone who is lover of Urban Decay like me, or anyone who has yet to discover them. This palette would be an ideal one for anyone who has yet to experiment with Urban Decay shadows, and is maybe struggling over which colors to choose. This selection of ten colors will allow anyone the opportunity to have fun with their makeup. Prices may vary depending on where you live and where you purchase the palette from, but I bought mine for $38 CAD, which is amazing for the number and amount of shadows you receive.