Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Everyday Smokey Eyes

I have been getting a TON of requests to do Urban Decay Naked palette tutorials on YouTube. Not specifying which palette to use, I decided to go in with the Basics palette since it's still fairly new to me. I will be doing more looks using the original Naked palette and the Naked 2 palette since I had to take some of the videos off of YouTube due to copyright issues. Ugh! Anyway, here is a really simple everyday smokey eye using the Basics Palette. This looks is really fresh and I love how Venus eyeshadow makes my inner corners pop! Can't wait to do more tutorials with this palette. I need to go harder with more dramatic smokey eyes so that's coming up soon! Stay tuned! For the meantime I hope you all enjoy this look. Thanks for looking!

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot

Revlon Colorstay liquid eyeliner

Maybelline The Rocket mascara

 Benefit Hoola bronzer

Milani Luminoso blush

L'Oreal Fairest Nude lipstick

MAC Summer Sweetheart lipglass

London Soho New York Beauty Sponge Review

The London Soho New York Beauty Sponge is another great alternative to the Beauty Blender. (Click here to read my review on the LeCosmetique blending sponges, a great alternative to the Beauty Blender). For just around $7, I purchased my beauty sponge at my local Walgreens. I've actually been using this blending sponge for quite some time now, since last year I believe. Then I suddenly ran into an unopened box in my makeup drawer so I figured I would give it a review.

This beauty sponge is great for blending foundation onto the skin for a nice airbrushed finish. The point on both ends makes it easy to get into the hard to reach areas like under the eyes and on the sides of the nose. Unlike the blending sponge from LeCosmetique, this sponge is much pointier and it doesn't have a flat bottom. This sponge does expand when it is damp and it reminds of the tempurpedic memory foam mattress because it holds its shape for a few seconds when you squeeze it. I like to use the "press and roll" method when I use this sponge because I find I get the right amount of coverage without the cake! This is also great for applying loose powders under the eye when you're setting your concealer.

Some of the downfalls about this beauty sponge is that it doesn't have a flat side where you can "bounce" it on your face to distribute your foundation. Unless you use the side of it but I find that I'm not getting the same results as I would with the Lecosmetique blending sponge. Also, any products that gets onto it will stain the sponge and you're most likely not going to get the stain out. Trust me I've tried! Some products stain more than others so I would recommend using your finger or a brush to distribute the product and using the beauty spong to blend it all out. I find that this technique has the least amount of damage as far as staining goes.

I also noticed that this doesn't last nearly as long as the Lecosmetique blending sponge. After several uses of this sponge, it began to deteriorate. Unlike my Lecosmetique sponges, I've used them countless times and it still held its shape. Nonetheless, it's a really great product and a great alternative to the Beauty Blender for a much better price. As soon as this one gives out I'm definitely considering buying another one!

DISCLAIMER: THE PRODUCTS REVIEWED ON THIS BLOG ARE BASED ON THE OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE AUTHOR. THIS PRODUCT WAS PURCHASED BY THE AUTHOR AND IN NO WAY WAS THIS REVIEW INFLUENCED BY THE COMPANY OF THE PRODUCT.

Romantic Valentine's Day Makeup Tutorial

I am on a roll with these new looks and tutorials! Here is another look for you guys. It's a bit more sultry and smokey, and somewhat more romantic if you choose to use a look like this for Valentine's Day. I like this look because it's smokey but it doesn't scream dramatic, and it has a touch of innocence to it with the soft lips and cheek color. This look doesn't have to be just for Valentine's Day. This is a perfect look for any special occasion or just a night out of town. Always remember that Valentine's Day isn't just about showing your significant other how much you love them. Make sure to spend it with others that you love like your family and yourself! I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day!

EYES:

Sedona Lace Stick It To Em primer

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe

MAC Soft Brown eyeshadow

MAC Tempting eyeshadow

Inglot #15 AMC Shine eyeshadow

MAC Carbon eyeshadow

MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow

MAC Brule eyeshadow

Wet N Wild Creme Liner

Maybeline The Rocket Mascara

Wispie eyelashes (no brand)

CHEEKS:

MAC Blunt blush

MAC Coppertone blush

MAC Peaches blush

LIPS:

NYX Lipliner Pencil in Natural

MAC Honey Love lipstick

Maybelline The Rocket Volum'Express Mascara Waterproof Review

Maybelline The Rocket mascara is said to provide eight times the volume for your lashes. You can find this at your local drugstore for around $6-$7. When I first saw this mascara I was intrigued by the packaging and the commercial. I'm sucker for these things, okay? I first noticed how the mascara wand reminded me of the Covergirl LashBlast mascara wand, which I love! Since my natural lashes are short, the oversized wand grabs onto my lashes better. So I bought this mascara thinking it would give my lashes the same outcome if not better. I did notice a slight difference between the two though. The Rocket mascara is more pointy and slightly a bit wider in my opinion.

I've been using this mascara for more than a week now so I think it's safe to give my honest review on it. Do you ever use a mascara for the first time and it's just not that great? I find that I have to use my mascara a few times in order for the mascara to form just the right consistency for me. That's how I felt about this mascara. I first used this mascara and thought, mehhh. Nothing too great. But the more I kept using it, the better the consistency became and the better it applied to my lashes.

As you can see in the photos below, this mascara is not meant for lengthening, at least not for me. I look for more volumizing mascaras so if your'e looking for a lengthening mascara then this might not be the one for you. I thought that this mascara held the curl quite nicely throughout the day. I didn't notice any flaking which I do experience with other mascaras such as Maybelline Plush Lash mascara.

The size of the wand is not too big and it's not too small that it's difficult to apply mascara. The size of the wand distributes mascara evenly throughout my lashes without clumping. I can get away with just doing one to two coats of this mascara without any clumping. I would definitely repurchase this mascara again as it's a close second to my favorite Covergirl LashBlast!

DISCLAIMER: THE PRODUCTS REVIEWED ON THIS BLOG ARE BASED ON THE OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE AUTHOR. THIS PRODUCT WAS PURCHASED BY THE AUTHOR AND IN NO WAY WAS THIS REVIEW INFLUENCED BY THE COMPANY OF THE PRODUCT.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Look & Tutorial

Hey guys! Here's a really simple and natural look with bold lips featuring my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. This is most likely going to be my Valentine's Day look this year since I'm looking forward to wearing bold lips. Being festive for Valentine's Day isn't all about dressing up the eyes and that's what I felt like going for in this look. If you're curious to know what I'm wearing on the lips, I'm wearing Maybelline Vivids lipstick in Shocking Coral in the first picture and Vivid Rose (my favorite!) in the other. This look will go perfectly with red lips too, or even soft pink lips if you're too afraid to go bold. Either way I hope you all enjoy the look and the tutorial! :)

Valentine's Day Makeup Look & Tutorial

Hi everyone! Being that it is February and the month of LOVE, I decided to dedicate this post to Valentine's Day since it is about a week away from now. I'm not sure what my plans are for Valentine's Day yet but I told my boyfriend that I will making dinner plans for us since he is usually the one to make reservations. Around late January I was thinking of making reservations to this Italian restaurant which had really great reviews but I was thinking it was too soon to make reservations. Boy was I wrong! I tried to make a reservation today and there were no more available seats for reservations. I was kind of disappointed because now I have to look for another restaurant. Any suggestions for a romantic dinner in San Diego?!

Anyway, here's a look I did today that I thought was Valentine's Day-esque. I think the colors are fun and flirty! I had no idea how this look was going to come out. I literally just grabbed the colors as the camera was rolling. I decided to go for a nude lip but even a soft pink lip would look great. Next tutorial I'm going to do will be a simple eye with a bold lip using one of my Maybelline Vivids lipstick. Hope you all enjoy the look and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

EYES:
Sedona Lace Stick It To 'Em Eye Shadow Primer
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot
MAC Soft Brown eyeshadow
MAC Saddle eyeshadow
MAC Expensive Pink eyeshadow
MAC Sketch eyeshadow
Sugarpill Poison Plum eyeshadow
L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner
ELF cream eyeliner
Maybelline The Rocket mascara
Wispie lashes

CHEEKS:
Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder
MAC Peaches blush

LIPS:
MAC Honey Love lipstick
Kryolan Toffee lip gloss

Maybelline Colorsensational Vivids Lipstick Photos & Swatches

During my excursion to Ulta I stumbled upon the new Maybelline Vivids lipstick line that just came out recently. All I can say is holy amaze balls these lipsticks are to die for!!! Vivid is definitely the perfect word to describe them. I only purchased a few for the meantime just to test these babies out before I make a decision to buy more, but judging by the pigmentation of these lipsticks, I'll definitely be going back! These lipsticks are not only extremely pigmented, but they go on like a dream. The consistency is creamy much like all the other Maybelline lipsticks that I have. It feels moisturizing when on and it doesn't dry out my lips. You can find these lipsticks at your local drugstore for around $7 each.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Photos & Swatches

I picked up the Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette at my nearest Ulta. For $27, you get six full-sized eyeshadows that are perfect for creating everyday natural eyes to smokey eyes. This palette comes with five matte shades and one shimmer. All the eyeshadows are silky smooth and pigmented, and true to color! I love that majority of the colors are matte which is my favorite finish to work with. I'm definitely going to consider using this palette as my new everyday eyes palette.

This palette is extremely tiny! I imagined it being a bit larger than what it actually is but it fits perfectly in the palm of my hand and is great for travel. The packaging is quite sturdy with a satin finish. If you have both the Naked palettes already, I'm not saying this palette is an absolute must-have. However, if you're fan of neutrals you'll definitely love this palette!

Venus is an off-white shimmer eyeshadow which is the only shimmer eyeshadow in this palette. This will work great as an all-over lid color or to place in the inner eye corner to highlight the eyes. A close enough shade to this color if you have the Naked palette is Bootycall eyeshadow.

Foxy is a yellow beige eyeshadow. This is more around my skin tone so I would imagine using this as a brow bone highlight on myself. Foxy is also a shade in the Naked 2 palette.

Walk of Shame is a cooler beige eyeshadow. It's another great brow bone color or a lid color if you want to go for something matte. 

Naked 2 is a soft brown color. I would use this color as a transition color from the lid to the brow bone.  Compared to Naked eyeshadow in the Naked palette, this shade is much lighter.

Faint is a medium brown eyeshadow. If I'm going for a really natural look I would use this eyeshadow on the outer corner and crease or as a transition color for smokey eyes. This is similar to Naked and Buck eyeshadow.

Crave is a matte black eyeshadow with a bit of a brown undertone. It has a bit of a drier consistency but nonetheless very smooth and pigmented. If you have the Naked 2 palette, it is similar to Blackout eyeshadow.

 Left to Right:

Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave