Naked Basics Review

Naked Basics is the little sister of our beloved Naked and Naked 2 palettes. It’s pretty much true to its name, basic. That isn’t to say that these neutral shades are boring because they aren’t, they are practical colours that can be used singularly or dually to create a look, or alongside other alternative colours to heighten or tone down. I wasn’t sure if I would get much use out of this seeing as it does only feature five matte shades and one shimmer; some are rather similar, but I’ve used them all frequently. My favourites have got to be Faint and Venus. Faint makes for the perfect crease shade and Venus is such a pretty highlighter, eyes, cheekbones, cupids bow, it works for them all! This palette is perfect for just chucking in your makeup bag when you’re on the go; it can create a quick simple eye as well as being versatile enough for use on your eyebrows. I haven’t personally used it for this as my brows/hair are very dark, but for lighter haired girls it, Faint and Naked 2, or a mixture of them both would be perf! I would recommend this for girls who are after something compact that can be used every day, if you’re looking for something all singing and dancing, then this isn’t the one. Overall I think Urban Decay have delivered yet again!

 

Naked Basics Palette - £20 @ houseoffraser.co.uk 

Have you tried any of the Naked palettes?

Han X 

Charlotte Tilbury Feline Flick Shodo Pen Review

 

Ahhh Charlotte Tilbury. The woman every female wishes they had in their life of a morning. She is an artistic genius to say the least. She can literally transform any woman, no matter how hard the challenge. I love watching videos of her at her craft on YouTube, (although I hate that she makes things look so bloody easy) she does amazing talk throughs of the looks she creates and they always look incredible. Aaaanyway, as most of us know she brought out her very own collection in September and as she is very much the queen of the ‘feline flick’ I thought it’d only be right that I got my hands on the Shodo Pen first and foremost! I have only ever really dabbled with gel eyeliner to be honest and although I feel comfortable creating the aforementioned cat eye, I thought having this in my life would make things both easier and quicker and so far, it has.

 

The Shodo Pen is in essence a felt eyeliner and as this is the first one I have ever used, I cannot really compare it to cheaper alternatives. The pen tip is very fine and pointed, perfect for its primary use of being able to create flicks with ease. I have found it to be so much easier than applying gel, and if you’re a first timer at the whole liquid eyeliner thing, I’d recommend one of these. However I have found some issues with this product. It applies perfectly and with ease over the eyelid, but when trying to use the pen with precision to recreate the feline flick, the very tip of the pen is just a little bit dryer than the rest of the pen which can be annoying when I’m trying to achieve precision. I have also found that it never truly sets. I can be a bugger for forgetting I’m wearing it and it does tend to smudge if your hands go astray. I was disappointed with this aspect of it as I expected it to be hard wearing. The product also claims to be waterproof, which I can’t say I’ve trialled and tested, but despite this, the formula is incredibly easy to remove. I’d also like to mention that this eyeliner does manage to maintain its jet black shade throughout pro-longed wear, often eyeliners can turn an off black or even a grey but this manages to obtain its colour.

I don’t regret buying this product as I really wanted to try the Charlotte Tilbury collection out for size as it does apply seamlessly when it wants too. I think however that there are probably many cheaper alternatives out there that can do a similar job and for half the price as at £22 it’s not exactly cheap!

The Feline Flick Quick Fine Line Shodo Pen - £22 @ selfridges.com

Are there any alternatives you would recommend?

Han X

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo Review

So Maybelline Colour Tattoos have been out for some time now, but they’ve always been pushed to the bottom of my makeup bag…until now. I had previously bought the shades Permanent Taupe and On and On Bronze but it wasn’t until I went into Boot’s a few weeks ago and purchased Metallic Pomegranate that I really began to show affection for these tiny pots of peeper goodness. First off I can’t tell you how much I’m loving the pomegranate shade. I’m baffled as to why I didn’t get this earlier?! It’s a purple shade infused with reds and pinks, creating the perfect base for an eye on a night out. I thought perhaps it’d make my eyelids look bruised or tired but instead it helped me achieve the most flattering cranberry toned smokey eye and I was so impressed! It’s a bit more daring than your bog standard neutral tones, which we all love but I do like something a little different. I find these pots by Maybelline amazing because you can so easily where them alone (I wear Pomegranate alone frequently!) and you can vamp them up with lighter or darker toned shadows. They are so versatile and quick to apply. Quick dab with your finger and you’re done. It’s that easy.

The other shades I have I haven’t worn quite as much. I think On and On Bronze is going to become a favourite in the run up to Christmas however as it is definitely a party season shade! Permanent Taupe I’ve worn a handful of times as a good base for a subtle smokey eye. It is a matte grey shade and like the rest of the shadow pots from the collection, the pigment is hhhheavy, just what we want! Overall I’m mega impressed with these and they have been likened to MAC’s paint pots, which I personally have never tried. I don’t suppose I’ll ever need too with dupes as good as these available on the high street! They do have a fair few colours out now, some fairly questionable orange and blue shades but let’s just go with it ey.

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo - £4.99 @ Boots

What shade do you prefer? Have you tried these before?

Han X