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 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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Nail of the Day: Essie Mint Candy Apple and Fiji

Today's Nail of the Day post features two recent Essie purchases, Mint Candy Apple and Fiji. Both polishes are beautiful pastel shades, probably considered more 'spring-appropriate' but I often tend to sport colours on my nails that don't correspond with the time of year. What can I say I live life on the edge!

Mint Candy Apple is a gorgeous minty-green colour as the name would suggest. I only needed two coats to achieve a nice opaque finish. It dries to a nice glossy finish. Not the glossiest finish I own but a coat of a good topcoat would change that.

Fiji isn't a colour I would normally go for. I tend to like colour on my nails and shy away from neutral colours. Fiji is a very pale, milky pink. I don't think it will become one of my most worn shades, however, I do think it is a nice addition to my collection. I think it looks quite understated and polished on the nails and will definitely be making appearances when a certain look is required. I needed to apply 3 coats to get a good opaque colour. It dries to the same finish as Mint Candy Apple.

Both polishes are from the Essie diffusion line found in Boots. They come with a wider brush, which I definitely prefer as it makes application so much quicker and easier.

 Have you tried either of these polishes? What are your favourite Essie polishes?

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Nars Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

My everyday eye normally consists of a champagne coloured eyeshadow across the lid, a light matte brown in the crease and some eye liner on the lash line if I have the time. While it may be fairly simple, I think it is quite subtle and perfect for when you're in a hurry and still want to look put together. I own plenty of shimmery champagne shades, but today I am sharing my favourite, the Nars Alhambra eyeshadow duo (available here).

The Alhambra duo comes in the typical Nars packaging. The eyeshadow duos have identical packaging to the Nars blushes, which can be a little confusing so it is best to store them separately. In terms of the pros and cons of the packaging, it is the same as all of the Nars packaging. Ascetically pleasing, not overly bulky, decent sized mirror. The major issue is always that the rubberised finish has a tendency to attract any dirt that may be lurking in your makeup bag. Given that, I am still rather found of the Nars packaging.

The Alhambra eyeshadow duo comes with a pinky champagne shade (left) and a golden shade (right). As I am quite pale, a lot of champagne shades had a tendency to appear quite orange on my skin, All That Glitters by MAC is one such shade. However, the pinker shade in this duo produces a lovely champagne shade on my skin. It is a colour I find myself reaching for most mornings when applying my makeup. The golden shade is also stunning, swatching as a true gold. While the gold does not get worn as much as the pinker colour, it is still a beautiful colour that I enjoy wearing.

In terms of the eyeshadow itself, I find the texture to be beautiful. I am a massive fan of Nars eyeshadows in general, with this duo being no exception. The shadows are wonderfully smooth and buttery, blending with ease on the lid.

Nars eyeshadow duos are not the cheapest eyeshadows on the market, retailing for around the €30 mark. However, I think this eyeshadow duo is definitely worth it. It is easily my most worn eyeshadows and the quality is supreme. I think if you are a fan of neutral and champagne shades, it is definitely worth a look.

Have you tried any Nars eyeshadows before? Do you have any other neutral eyeshadow recommendations?

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