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. 

Brand Boast | Maybelline New York

Hey guys! So I'm back with a second installment of my series called 'Brand Boast', and this one is going to be focusing on Maybelline New York. 

Maybelline began with a Chicago chemist named Thomas Williams who was trying to help his sister Maybel enhance her beauty in an attempt to win over the man she was in love with. She would use petroleum jelly to enhance her brows and lashes, but Thomas took it one step further by adding carbon dust into the petroleum jelly to further enhance her features. The creation was a success, and in 1915 Thomas Williams founded the company that is now a global giant.

Now that I've given you a run down of what the brand is about, let me break down why I absolutely love this company and its products so much!

Eyes
I'm starting off with eye makeup because well.. that's apparently where this company started, and that's where they are still rocking it 100 years later. Maybelline totally knows how to do eyeshadows well, and I feel like they just keep getting better and better. I think their best launch in recent years has to be the color tattoo cream eyeshadows however, they are amazing!
They also really know how to make a mascara - really - I can't even tell you how many I've bought since my mom first allowed me to buy makeup, but  I do know my first kind was the 'Great Lash' mascara, which I still buy to this day. Maybelline is the one brand that sends me into excitement mode with each and every new mascara - new formula, gotta try it!

Lips
I find I never used to gravitate towards Maybelline lip products, but in the past couple years I feel like I've been seeing more and more amazing things come from them. They've always have good lipsticks, but I feel like they took it to the next level with their releases of the vivid line, nude line and now they have a matte line. All amazing quality lipsticks for the price of about 6-8$ CAD. As far as lip gloss goes I was never completely over the moon about anything until the Color Elixir glosses were released, now they are my absolute favorite drugstore lip gloss - they seriously rock!

Face
With a wide range of products that do everything from prime, to cover lightly using a BBcream, to a full coverage foundation I feel like they offer something for everyone. Their powders are also some of my favorites from the drugstore - so finely milled and provide the perfect finish without looking over done. They also offer a variety of cream and powder blushes and bronzers to complete your look. The bouncy blushes have long been one of my favorite cream blushes from the drugstore, and who doesn't love a good cream blush product!



I hope you enjoyed this run down of Maybelline New York and my thoughts on some of my favorites from the brand. If you would like to see more of these 'brand boast' posts comment below and request my next brand to feature! 

Beating Winter Blues With Champagne Shades

I love a good glow in my makeup all year round, but I seem to be craving that lit from within look even more during this gloomy time of year. We're right into the thick of the winter right now, and it's not our skins best friend. The dry weather and short days tend to make skin dull and lack luster - my solution is to pull out the champagne tones. 

(Top to bottom) CG Champagne, MAC Naked Lunch, Hard Candy Tiki Bronzer

(Top to bottom) Benefit Watts Up, Smashbox light luminizer, NYX cottage cheese, 

Rimmel bullet proof beige 

My first and most obvious choice - note the name - is the Covergirl Eye Enhancers eyeshadow in Champagne. So soft and buttery, it makes for the most amazing inner corner highlight that will truly make your eyes pop. Naked Lunch from MAC is also one of my favorite powder eyeshadows for bringing extra brightness to my eyes - the bonus is it isn't a heavy glitter shade so it never looks over the top. As for cheeks my go to powder product is the Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Tiki. It's labeled as a bronzer but for that purpose I think it would be impossible to pull off. It is however one of the best drugstore highlighting products I've ever found. 

If you're more of a cream product type of person, especially in terms of face highlighters, then Benefit Watts Up is the perfect product. In a stick form it makes for super easy application and adds the most wonderfully natural glow to the skin without looking like you actually applied a highlighting product. Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Powder - what a mouth full - is yes, technically, a "powder", however I kind of find it to be an in between kind of product. The applicator dispenses small amounts of this creamy powder that adds such a beautiful glow to the cheeks or eyes. Just a tip, I dispense it onto the back of my hand and then use a brush to apply it to where I want it - applying it straight from the container can get a little tedious. 

My final two picks are both eyeshadow sticks, and seriously, who doesn't love a good eyeshadow stick - so easy to use and convenient. The NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in cottage cheese - the name leaves little to be desired - is a stunner. It's shimmery white with undertones of gold. Finally the Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeshadow stick in bulletproof beige, which I must add is waterproof, adds a gorgeous light golden glow to the lids. I love wearing this both alone and as a base to make other shadows really pop. 

Ready In A Rush | My Five Minute Face

Being rushed in the morning to get all the things done that you need to before you have to get out the door and on with what your day entails can be a struggle for everyone. Some days I just find myself wondering where the time has gone, and realize I need to get myself publicly presentable in only a matter of minutes. 

The look may change slightly (specifically my lip color of choice), but in general these are the products I use to get my face and hair looking fresh and awake without taking up any extra time. 

When time is of the essence I love to reach for a BB Cream. I've really enjoyed this Loreal Skin Beautifier BB - it primes, perfects, hydrates and corrects. It leaves my skin looking good and natural, but much improved on my bare face. Once I've applied my base I have to reach for a good concealer. The one I love to reach for is the Maybelline Age Rewind because it conceals my under eye circles, and also does a nice light cover up of any blemishes I may have going on. 

Brows are a must for me, I just don't feel like I look right if I don't give my brows a quick fill in. This Revlon Brow Fantasy is the quickest and best for the job, and there has been a reason I've been raving about it constantly lately. It's both a pencil and brow gel, so it seriously doesn't get any easier than this two in one product. 

To wake myself up a little more I like to add just a touch of color to my eyelids, and the easiest way for me to do that is with a cream product. You all know I love my Mac Paint Pots, but I adore the Maybelline Color Tattoos as well - today I used the shade 'Bad to the Bronze', simply applied with my finger tips. 

We're almost there, next is mascara. Obviously any mascara will work the exact same, I've just been really love this Miss Manga mascara from Loreal. When it comes down to it I can really skip the cream shadow step, but there is absolutely no skipping mascara for me, I truly don't feel human without it. 

Finally I like to add a touch of color and moisture to my lips, and my favorite product for being able to accomplish both is the Revlon Lip Butters - today I went with the shade 'sweet tart'. Once I've gotten all that done I spray some dry shampoo through my hair to freshen it up and then do my go to quick hair style of a couple bobby pins to pin my hair half up. 

There you have it! The products I use and steps involved in me getting ready in a rush! 

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!

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!

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

June Favorites 2012

 My June Favorites! 

Favorite eye look of the month involved using Naked from the UD Naked 1 Palette plus.... 

...using Toasted from the same palette 

(Toasted all over the lid and Naked in the crease!)

(Left to Right) 

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in 030 Natural 

Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in 235 Nude

Mac Lipglass in Orange Tempera 

Mac Blush in Fleet Fast (satin finish) 

Click the video to see a full explanation of my June loves! 

Until next time! 

xo, Hannah

FOTD Thursday June 28th

(For my base I used Bare Study Paint Pot by Mac - silly me I forgot to include it in the picture!)

Eyes;

Mac Quarry e/s

Mac Mineralize e/s Twilight Falls (this shadow was limited edition, but essentially any dark purply-plum would do for this look)

Covergirl Champagne e/s 

Maybelline Eyestudio Blackest Black Gel Liner

Covergirl Lashblast 24hr

Lips;

Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner in 030 Natural 

Loreal Color Riche l/s in 235 Nude

Hope you enjoyed this look - I personally loved it and got several compliments throughout the day on it as well. Also, the lip combo I used is my go-to combo at the moment, I absolutely love that Loreal lipstick! 

Until next time! 

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

Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit

Products Mentioned;

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer 

Covergirl Natureluxe Foundation 

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder - Sunny

Hard Candy Tiki Bronzer (Used for highlighting!) 

Wet n Wild Powder Blush - Mellow Wine

NYX Rouge Cream Blush - Rose Petal

Loreal e/s Quad - Canyon Stone

Elf Single e/s - Saddle 

NYC Waterproof Eye Pencil

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

NYX l/s - Orange Soda

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss - Fashion Icon

Elf Lip Stain - Birthday Suit 

Any questions on specific products or review requests? Let me know down below! 

xo, Hannah

Wet n Wild Greed Palette; Review & Swatches

I'm sure you will all be shocked to know this, but yes it is true, this is my very first Wet n Wild eye shadow palette. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to try one of these bad boys out, especially considering the constant hype they seem to get for being such good quality for such an affordable price.  

As you can see, this specific palette is called 'Greed', I think I chose this one specifically just to try and shy away from the typical brown/bronzed drug store palettes I always seem to end up with (especially when trying out a new product... can you say BORING!). It's not like this one has that much flash to it either, but you can't expect me to change completely. 

It has a balance of 3 matte shades (on the left of the palette), and 3 shimmery shades (on the right). I enjoy that they included both so that you could be versatile with the looks you create. 

The matte shades include a creamy neutral pale highlight shade, a peachy shade, and a basic run of the mill matte black. 

The shimmery shades include a light blue/violet toned shade, a pink champagne like shade, and a shimmery black. 

To me I would have liked to see a shimmery highlight shade, as that is what I tend to prefer when it comes to almost every eye look I find myself doing, and I think they could have sacrificed one of the black shades (do you really need 2 in a 6 color palette?). For a mere $5 CAD or so though, you really can't become overly critical. 

As you can see (or not see) from the swatches, the lightest shade is pretty much an exact match to my skin tone. Also the lightest shimmery shade of blue/purple is not overly pigmented (when doing a look with this palette I have enjoyed using that shimmery shade along my bottom lash line for a little pop however!). 

Over all the colors have a good color pay off. They are slightly powdery so you must be sure to tap off the excess on your brush before going right in for application, but overall I really can't complain (again the price makes it worth the while). With a primer - I always use Urban Decay Primer Potion (original or eden) - the colors wear really well throughout the day. 

I am thinking I will have to check out more of these palettes in the near future, I know they have trios as well, so that might have to be my next purchase! I am also thinking of doing a tutorial on my Youtube channel using this palette, let me know if you would be interested in seeing that! 

Until next time,

xo, Hannah