Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

After owning the Urban Decay Naked palette and lusting for the Naked 2 for some time, I decided to take the plunge and buy the Naked 2 palette. While the original Naked palette featured plenty of warm-toned neutral shades, the Naked 2 is much more on the cooler side, featuring some really pretty taupe, silver and purple shades. I haven't had this that long but already I can tell I am going to get so much wear out of these shades. The mix of light and dark, shimmer and matte make it such a versatile palette, add to that the sturdy, sleek packaging makes it perfect for travel. I definitely prefer the packaging of this palette over the original palette. It looks far sleeker, doesn't get as dirty and I feel like its more sturdy. You also get a nice big mirror and a double-ended eyeshadow brush, again both handy additions for travel. 

I'm drawn to the shade selection of the Naked 2 more than the original. They are good quality shadows and if you are careful, fallout is minimal. Vivanna does makeup provides a good run through of the individual shades if you want to find out more (post here). My personal favourites include YDK, Suspect and Chopper, though all of them will see their fair share of wear. Swatches of all the shades are provided below. 

The Naked 2 palette costs around €42, which considered you get 12 full-sized eyeshadow and a brush is pretty good value. I bought mine from House of Fraser (link here) and it is available at any Urban Decay counter. If you are just getting into makeup or a complete fanatic, I think this palette appeals to everyone and definitely recommend it. 

If you like to see any looks with this palette or a similar review of the original Naked palette, let me know in the comments below. Have you tried the Naked 2 palette? I would love to know your thoughts below.

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MAC Well Dressed Blush

 MAC blushes are some of the best in the beauty world and today I thought I would share my most worn shade, Well Dressed. Well Dressed is described my MAC as an "immaculate pink". It is light blue-based pink that is quite sheer when applied, though it is buildable. It comes in a satin finish and while it looks like there is some slight shimmer in pan, it is pretty much matte on the cheeks. I think this a lovely colour if you have a light skintone and don't like a dramatic blush. A medium skintone might be able to wear this shade, however, it would need to worked with a bit more.

Swatched heavily

Well Dressed comes in the typical MAC blush packaging. While it is pretty simple, I happen to really like the packaging as it is quite compact and doesn't have any unnecessary bulk, making the blushes a good pick for travel. MAC blushes retail for €21.50 and are available from MAC counters or online (link here).

Have you tried Well Dressed or do you any other favourite MAC blush favourites?

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MAC Painterly Paintpot

I have already posted about my favourite eye primer (here) and today I thought I would talk about the MAC Paintpot in Painterly. I typically pair a cream eyeshadow with an eye primer before appling eyeshadow to enhance staying power and make the colours more vibrant. I wear an eye base most days I wear makeup, whether to under eyeshadows or on it's own, to even out the eyelid. I bought Painterly Paintpot mainly because of the huge hype behind it in the beauty community. 

Swatched heavily and not blended 

Painterly is a nude, pinky-beige colour with no shimmer in it. While it looks far darker than my skin tone in the photo, once blended out the colour isn't that noticeable on my skin. Because it does match my skin colour, it means I can pair any colour eyeshadow with it and I can wear it on its own without any worries. In terms of staying power, paired with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it will last most of the day and prevent my eyeshadow from creasing. On especially long days, I do have some issues with creasing, though I have particular trouble with creasing. 

MAC Paintpots retail for €19 and are available from MAC counters. If you live in Ireland, you can also buy Paintpots online from House of Fraser (link here) 

Have you tried any Paintpots?

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MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

After my post about MAC's Angel lipstick (post here) seemed to go down well, I thought I would share some of my other MAC lipsticks, starting with the shade Creme Cup. MAC describe Creme Cup as a light blue pink, which I think is pretty accurate. I think it's a pretty choice for everyday or evening if you are going for dramatic eyes and want to tone the lips down. Creme Cup is understated and neutral, making it a nice alternative to nude shades if you prefer pinks. Compared to Angel, it is a little bit lighter and more blue-based. 

In terms of formulation, Creme Cup is part of MAC's Cremesheen line. As the name would suggest, they quite creamy in texture, provides a decent amount of colour pay off, without drying out the lips. They have quite a glossy finish as well, which I like as I don't tend to wear lipgloss. Because they are so creamy and glossy, they don't have the best staying power. I also heard that they have a tendency to melt quite easily in heat, which might be worth bearing in mind. 

Creme Cup is available from MAC counters or from House of Fraser online (link here). MAC lipsticks cost €17.50 and Creme Cup is part of the permanent line. 

Have you tried Creme Cup? 

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MAC Cork Eyeshadow

After talking about my favourite champagne, all over the lid shade last week (post here), today I thought I would talk about my most used crease colour, MAC's Cork eyeshadow.



























Cork is described on the MAC website as being a muted golden brown. I would personally describe it as a medium warm matte brown shade. As I said I tend to primarily use cork in the crease. I typically use shimmery shades all over the lid and think a matte colour in the crease creates a nice contrast. Cork was one of the first MAC shadows I bought (along with Woodwinked, Shroom and All That Glitters) and as remained one of my most-used crease colours. While I have a cool-toned complexion, I have blue eyes so I like wearing warm-tones on my eyes.

MAC eyeshadows are available in individual pots (€15) or in pan form (€11.50). I personally buy most of mine in pan form and keep them in MAC palettes, which are available for purchase separately. MAC eyeshadows are available in Ireland from Brown Thomas or BT2, or from House of Fraser online (link here).

Do you have any favourite MAC eyeshadows?

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