Review: The Naked 3 Palette!

I've been wanting to do a review of this palette for a while now, I got it just over 2 months ago for my birthday and have seriously been in love with it ever since. It was at the very top of my birthday list so I was so excited to receive it. I anticipated it was going to be good because I have the Naked 1 and Naked Basics and the quality of the shadows are amazing, plus I've heard good reviews about it. I didn't anticipate however just how much I'd fall in love with it. It's been my go-to palette for the past 2 months. There's not one colour in this palette which I haven't or won't wear  regularly they're all so beautiful.

 Ok, I will start off with the packaging, I think with each Naked Palette the packaging has got better both practically and aesthetically. I loved the faux suede and gold lettering of the Naked 1 palette however it hasn't stood the test of time very well, the gold has all rubbed away, the suede looks worn and the mirror inside broke when it was in a make up bag because the structure isn't very solid. The Naked 2 was better (I don't own this one unfortunately) and I loved the colour of the tin to match the taupe-y scheme inside.
This one is also in a tin so the insides are protected much better, it has a much bigger mirror than the first palette which is also so handy for travelling and I love the texture and lettering on the top, it's a perfect representation of what's inside.

The palette also comes with this double ended brush, one side is a flat shadow brush (right) and the other end is a tapered blending brush (left). The flat shader brush has tight bristles and I've found it's absolutely perfect for applying shadow as liner, the two darkest colours in this palette are also the best complimentary eye-liner colours for any of the shadows and I've found myself ditching eye liner all together most of the time. The tip of the brush is thicker than the typical eyeliner brush which gives a much smokier look that's not so precise, therefore harder to get wrong! The blending side of the brush is good for application into the crease however I do find because the shadows are so pigmented a fluffier brush is needed for extra blending to get rid of some of the harsh lines, this brush isn't soft enough to do that. But you can't complain with a free brush and super-pigmented shadows!

 If you have never tried the Urban Decay eye shadows then you are seriously missing out. UD was one of the first brands that really took my fancy when I first got into make up all those years ago and having the Naked 1 palette for my 17th birthday (3 whole years ago!) made me crave more. I've hit pan and completely used up several of the shadows in that palette. The quality of this palette is true to UD standards and they are the most beautifully pigmented eyeshadows. They rival, if not are better than, MAC eyeshadows and if you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know I'm a huge fan of MAC shadows. This is my favourite palette that I haven't created myself. I prefer it to the Naked 1 by far, the colours are right up my street!

 So the colours in this palette are all warm rosy tones with a few taupes at the end. As a young teen I loved wearing sparkly pink shadows and I never really grew out of it, I have at least 5 in my MAC palette so I knew right away I was going to love this. This palette has 3 matte shades, 4, what I'd call, 'Frost' shades and 5 shimmery ones. I wouldn't recommend this if you aren't big on shimmer/glitter shades. UD are also known for coming up with such good names for their shadows.

 From Left to right (same order as in the palette)

STRANGE - A matte highlight shade in a soft baby pink, compliments all of the colours in this palette. DUST - Looks like fairy dust, it's one of the hyper-pigmented frost shades with big flecks of glitter running right through it, so brightening and pretty! I always wear this one if I need a pick-me-up.

BURNOUT - A slightly more wearable 'Dust', less glitter and a warmer pink tone, this is my most used base colour I wear this ALL the time it's so beautiful and the sun catches the shimmer as you move, what's not to love?

LIMIT- A very versatile matte colour, perfect as a smoky crease for a subtle day time look or as a base paired with one of the darker shimmery colours. One of those colours that doesn't really stand out but the palette would be incomplete without it.

BUZZ - Basically a shimmery, frost version of 'Limit', it's one of the more purpley shades, this is a beautiful base for a more bolder look or perfect in the crease for a bright-eyed shimmery look. Looks lovely with Strange blended in to the brow bone.

TRICK - If there's one shadow out of place in the palette it's this one. It doesn't really fit, because it's a true rose-gold it doesn't really blend nicely with any of the rosy pinks or purply shades. Still a beautiful colour but to use this you have to have other shadows on hand, I usually wear this on the lid with a smoky brown crease. This is another really frosty shadow that really glistens. 

NOONER - The last matte shade in the palette, another of my most worn, I wear this in my crease on the daily. It's perfect for having a bit of shimmer on the lid but when you don't want to overload it in the crease too. I have a very similar colour to this in my MAC palette but I think this one is more pigmented. 

LIAR - I love this one, I don't think the picture below does it much justice, this in the crease gives so much depth and a beautiful shimmery smoky look. 

FACTORY - Factory is a darker version of Liar, very shimmery, perfect for a night out, not something I'd wear during the day, still so beautiful, usually one I reach for in an evening.

MUGSHOT - This is where the palette starts moving towards the taupe shades, at first glance this is a cooler shade, I feel you couldn't pair this with Dust or Burnout, but once on it's SO pretty, it's perfect paired with one of the matte shades, all attention needs to be on this, with another shimmery colour it would be too much.

DARKSIDE - One of my most used colours but in an unconventional way, this is the PERFECT eyeshadow colour, as I said earlier about the brush being perfect, this is the colour I use. It's just so handy going to stay at someones house and only having to take this instead of numerous eyeshadows and eyeliners. This shadow is only slightly shimmery and would look nice in the crease but only on a night out, it's a bit dark for my usual look.

BLACKHEART - the 4th shadow with huge flecks of glitter, it's a midnight purple with pink and silver glitter. I am NOT brave enough to wear this on my eyes but it's good for when I need a darker eyeshadow, it's so pigmented, I am in love with it but too scared to actually wear it!

So there we have it, a very long review of my absolute favourite eyeshadow palette, and it takes a lot for me to say that because we all know how much eyeshadow I own - too much!

If you like the sound of this palette then I highly recommend you just go grab one, it's perfect in so many ways and at £37 an absolute snippet of the price of say a MAC or Nars palette. 

Bethan :)

My Skincare Routine

A few months ago I decided it was time to start properly taking care of my skin as I had been majorly slacking up until then. I have been using these products for a few months now and thought it was time I finally did a skincare routine post. I love all of the products I'm about to list and would recommend them to anyone but only if you have the same skin type as me, just because I love them doesn't mean you will too! Also note that I don't use ALL of these products on my face every day some are pamper treatments and I switch between others :)

Make Up Removers

I use three different products to remove my make up:

1. I use the Bioderma make up remover on a daily basis to remove my base make up, I've reviewed this before on my blog so won't go into too much detail but I love this product, it's so worth the money and does an amazing job at removing make up without making the skin feel oily. It leaves the skin feeling really fresh, it's like you've washed it using only water.

2. I swear by the No.7 eye make up remover and I also use this every day, the tiniest bit removes even heavy night-out make up and I have noticed my eyelashes have become a lot longer and thicker since switching from face wipes to this. It doesn't leave an oily residue on your eyes which is one thing I really can't stand with eye make up removers, this is the perfect product and it's so cheap and lasts forever!

3. Johnsons face wipes used to always be a staple in my routine but I rarely use them anymore, I thought I would add them however because when I do use them they do do a really good job. it's usually after a night out when I'm being lazy before bed that I use them, they get make up off really well however like any wipes I wouldn't recommend using them every day because they really dry out the skin and tugging at your eyelashes will weaken them. Since I've stopped using these my skin hasn't been anywhere near as dry as it used to be. 

Face Scrubs

I use two different face scrubs because my skin rarely does the same thing and I think switching them up is good.

1. The first is the Olay radiance enhancing cream wash, it is really creamy and has tiny little beads in. I use this for when my skin isn't particularly oily but needs a good clean. On average I use a face scrub 2-3 times a week depending how dirty/oily my skin is, which is usually dependent on what make up I've been wearing and I use whichever scrub is suitable.

2. The No.7 Purifying Exfoliator is for when my skin needs a good scrub. After using this it feels really clean and fresh. This scrub has quite large beads in comparison to the Olay scrub but they're not so big that they're painful. I really like this product, it's quite cheap and a little goes a long way.

Cleansers

This is one step in particular that I really regret not starting earlier. I don't know how I lived without a cleanser in my life for so long. I have two, both are different but essentially do the same job.

1. I have the caudalie foaming cleanser which I really love, some people say foaming cleansers aren't actually good for your skin as they leave a residue but I haven't noticed this from this one and I really like it. One pump is enough to cover your whole face. It's such a luxury product, it makes my skin feel so refreshed and soft and it smells amazing which is a bonus! I love Caudalie as a brand and would love to try more of their products. 

2. I bought this cleanser to go with my cleansing brush. It's a melting cleanser and feels so amazing on the skin. It's a gel-like consistency and when you rub it into the skin it really feels like it's melting into the skin especially mixed with a dash of warm water. Although it feels nice on the skin it doesn't feel like it's very good at cleaning which is why I only use it with my cleansing brush. It smells really nice too. 

Toner

This Olay 'Refreshing Toner' is the only one I have ever used and I love it! It's so cheap and does such a good job. There are days where no matter what I do my skin just doesn't have that really fresh feeling and I cringe putting make up on without that feeling. If I use this it instantly goes away, especially if this is applied when it's cold. A small bit goes a long way with this product, it just makes the skin feel so clean and removes the last remnants of make up that the cleanser or make up remover may have missed. Highly recommend for all skin types!

Moisturisers

This is one product that I have difficulty finding one to suit my skin type. I have a few here that I have been using for a long time now and they seem to be ok with my skin luckily!

1. My most used and daily moisturiser is the Olay Instand Hydration Anti-Wrinkle moisturiser, I believe this is for people aged 20-30 but it's never too early to start using anti-wrinkle. This moisturiser is light on the skin but you can feel it's working and it really sinks into the skin it doesn't just sit on top! 

2. My eye mosturiser is this teeny one from No.7 I love applying this cold it feels so nice around the eyes. I am so happy I found a moisturiser that doesn't irritate my skin especially the sensitive area around the eyes. Despite this tube being so small it has actually lasted a long time and there's still loads left, you need the tiniest amount per eye which is great in a product especially one that only costs £15.

3. This moisturiser is labeled as a 'Day Fluid', I can imagine this will be my moisturiser of choice come summer beacause it has a really thin consistency that's not heavy on the skin at all but leaves it feeling quenched and soft. I use this one when my skin is being particularly oily but I do have the one for normal-dry skin because my skin is the definition of combination and I need that extra moisture boost around my cheek area.

4. The last one is my Night Moisturiser; I am awful at remembering to use this so it is quite full still, I only really use it if I've been outside during the day and my skin is feeling a bit weathered. It's for dry-very dry skin and so it's very thick and can make my skin feel a bit clogged up if it's not having a particularly dry day. I need to buy this product again but for normal skin and see if that works better. I love the smell of the No.7 moisturisers and products in general, you can tell they're not ridden with heavy perfume scents as they smell very clean and subtle. 

Treatments

These are just a few of the treatments that I use regularly and coincidentally they're all from No.7. I have face masks and things that I use as a one-off but these are in my regular collection.

1. My cleansing brush was sent from Heaven not Boots. I don't know how I ever lived without it! I use it twice a week and when I do my skin feels incredible, it really cleans every inch of my face and makes my skin feel so refreshed and awake afterwards. I wouldn't recommend using this more than 2-3 times a week especially for those with dry skin as it can irritate the skin. I managed to get this for £10 as it was £10 off and I had a £5 voucher but if I'd known how well it was going to work I probably would've paid full price a long time before. 

2. Another product sent from Heaven is this No.7 Rapid Spot Rescue gel. I sometimes get an oily T-zone which results in breakouts but a tiny bit of this gel clears it up in literally hours. It reduced the size of any spot in half easily and if used regularly the spot will be gone in around 2 days (depending on the size) and that's without prodding it and irritating it, that way the spot goes and there's no scar to show there ever was one. Brilliant product that I will repurchase.

3. Again another fantastic product, the No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is my favourite skin treatment by far. I love this product, the first time I used it I was so amazed just how soft it left my skin afterwards. It's a typical pamper product and is a great pick-me-up especially for bad days. For anyone who doesn't understand the concept basically you put the hot cloth cleanser all over your skin and lay a muslin cloth that has been soaked in hot water over your face for around 5 minutes, the steam from the cloth opens up your pores and the cleanser gets in them and gives them a good clean, removing any trapped dirt and/or oils. After you've relaxed for 5 minutes with the lovely soapy smell and warm cloth surrounding your face you use the cloth to rub in the cleanser then clean it off. When your face is clean but still wet run the muslin cloth under ice cool water and reapply to your face for a further few minutes. This quickly shuts your pores so that no dirt can get in them. Your face is left feeling SUPER soft and your face feels so clean and lovely. This product was £10 including one muslin cloth which I don't think is too bad for a product of this high quality!

4. Lastly is a face mask for when my skin is feeling very dry and dull. Depending on how dry it is I apply the product accordingly and let it sit. This product is half cream half gel so it feels really soft on the skin, I have suffered from eczema in the past on my face and this doesn't irritate it further but gently helps improve it. After a few minutes you wash the cream off with a warm cloth and pat dry with a towel and your face is left feeling so soft and refreshed.  

Let me know if you've tried any of these products and what you thought of them, I hope you enjoyed reading this! Despite my abundance of No.7 I don't actually work for them I just really LOVE their products. I think they're great starter products and they're kind on the skin especially sensitive skin like mine. I'd really encourage anyone trying to build up their skincare products to go and look at No.7 in boots as they have a wide range of products for all skin types at very reasonable prices :)

Bethan x

Lush Review: Rub Rub Rub

Another mini Lush review for you, this time it's a body scrub called Rub Rub Rub! Before this I'd never tried any of the body scrubs in the pots, only the body polishers.

This body scrub is a sea salt scrub and smells strongly of lemons which is very nice! I used it by getting a bit in my hands, running it under the shower a little then rubbing into my skin before rinsing off. It lathers up really well which is surprising for a scrub but I love it when they do that because then you feel like it's cleaning you as well as treating your skin. The smell is heightened when it gets wet and it also lingers on your skin once it's all rinsed off and your skins dry and, as I've said before, I love this in a product. It's one of those products that is just a nice treat for you and your skin and it actually works and makes a difference which is a bonus!

The product itself is bright blue but when I looked at the ingredients I wasn't surprised to see, in true Lush style, that they're all natural, it's made up of salt, lemon juice, natural oils and various different flowers! 

If that doesn't make you want to use a product I don't know what will, there's nothing better than having something work really well on your skin that has been made using only natural ingredients.

My skin after the shower feels really soft and smells really nice, I'm sure with more regular uses a couple of times a week it'll improve it. I only needed a small amount as well so this tub should last me a long time!

I really like this product, especially in these horrible winter months where my skin is particularly dry and in need of some TLC :)

Lush Review: Candy Mountain

Thought I'd do another mini Lush review for you, this time it's the Candy Mountain bubble bar. I'm not sure if this is limited edition or just a new product but I bought one anyway and it's a contender for my favourite bubble bar ever! 

It smells like the snow fairy shower gel which is my favourite lush scent anyway but this makes the whole room smell of it when used which is a bonus.

It's huge as well, I like a lot of bubbles in my bath so usually use a big chunk and I've got enough for one more bath and have already had 3 out of this! I reckon if you're sparing you could stretch this to 5 maybe even 6 baths. 

I love the colours of it too, it's so bright and girly and shimmery. There's no hidden surprises with this one but it makes the yummiest smelling bubbles and the bath water pink so I like it! 

Whenever Lush release a new product in this scent I HAVE to get it they just smell so good!

Bethan x

My Empties - Products I've Used Up

I've noticed recently I'm running out of a lot of things all at once! Luckily being a beauty addict means I have back ups for almost everything but I kept a few of the products I had that were almost empty to do a review for you and tell you what I thought of them :)

1. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy perfume 

This is my ultimate favourite perfume ever and I am so gutted that it's empty. I probably have a couple more spritzes left in there so I'm saving them for a special occasion. This product is on my christmas list as it's quite pricey and I really hope I get more because it's the nicest smell, it's really fruity which I love. I would say it's quite a young scent, really girly. The scent lasts for hours as well which is something I look for in a perfume, I can't stand ones where the scent wears off after an hour or so.

2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

This is the 'Luscious Long Deep Treatment' one and I can't say enough good things about it, I am going to do a full review on this and the other Aussie products I use but I had to include this here, it's so good at giving dry hair a moisture boost especially at this time of year when my hair is particularly dry. I love that Aussie do products specifically for long hair. I've already bought another and started using it again. I use it 1-2 times a week and it just keeps my hair so healthy!

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo in the scent 'Cherry'

I love Batiste dry shampoos, I fortunately don't get greasy hair very often but I use this on days where my hairs a bit flat and dull and needs a moisture boost. It also smells really good which is a huge bonus. This is my favourite scent that batiste do and I've already repurchased this! I love how cheap these are too, a bottle this size is £2.99 and lasts me a couple of months!

4. Tresemme Heat Defence spray

I am really bad at remembering to use this before styling my hair but when I do I notice a huge difference, it adds and locks in moisture at the same time as shielding hair from the harsh heat of curlers and straighteners. My hair always feels nicer when I've used this. I bought this particular one because it was nice and cheap and I think I will buy another and continue to use this until I hear of another one that claims to be the best!

5. Bioderma Make Up Remover

A very popular and hyped-up product now. I bought this bottle of Bioderma back in February when I was in paris, I used it for a couple of weeks then forgot about it, I started using it again around august/september time and I've still got about a weeks worth left but wanted to include it here. It was around £10 and the fact it's lasted me 3 months is pretty great in my opinion. There's a reason it's talked about so much, it is really really good. It's advertised as a make up remover for skin and eyes however I would disagree with that as it's very poor at removing eye-make up. When I use it on my skin though it works so well, it's mainly water based not oil based so it leaves the skin feeling really refreshed and VERY clean which is what I want in a make up remover! I bought two of these at once so luckily I have a backup but I am going to have to go on a search for more online when I really run out. I've tried other make up removers but nothing felt as nice as this one hence why I went back to it after so long.

6. Last but not least is my No.7 Eye Make Up Remover

As I said before Bioderma isn't great at removing eye make up so I paired it with this and I've come up with the perfect combination for my skin. This remover is really oily like other eye make up removers I've tried but the oil doesn't sit on your face after you've taken the make up off. I've tried more expensive ones but still prefer this. It removes things like waterproof mascara and MAC pro long wear paint pots with ease and this bottle lasted me 2 months which is fantastic for an £8 product. I've stocked up more of these already and can see myself using this product for a long time. I can't stand products leaving residue on my face after I've used them and this doesn't so it's winner in my eyes! (No pun intended ;))

I love all these products which isn't surprising as I've finished them and will be using them all again!

Bethan x

Lush Review: Star Light Star Bright

I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I am a huge Lush addict and I keep thinking I need to do a collective Lush review but then I always think I have more things I haven't tried but will want to review so the only option I've come up with is to do mini reviews as I go!

My first product to review is this bath melt called 'Star Light Star Bright' that was released as part of the Christmas 2013 limited edition range. I was instantly drawn to this because it is covered in silver glitter and it just looks SO pretty! I picked it up in the store which was a huge mistake because it starts to melt straight away and I was left a glittery mess! 

I've tried Lush bath melts before but this was my favourite by a long mile, it's one of the best Lush products I've ever used and I've already bought a second. 

So after you run your bath you just pop it in the water and all the glitter comes away as it starts to melt and forms a shimmery layer over the water which I personally love, if you don't like having to wash your bath out when you're finished then I wouldn't recommend this.

When it starts to melt the water becomes almost oily which is perfect for this time of year when the horrible weather is drying out my skin. When I got in the bath it felt like my skin was being moisturised without me actually doing anything. I did rub it up and down my arms and legs as a kind of moisturiser and it made my skin RIDICULOUSLY soft, I was so amazed at just how well it was working.

As it continued to melt I discovered it had a hidden centre, something I love from Lush. The centre is a deep blue which dyes the water and you are left with a sparkly blue bath that's meant to look like a night sky, very imaginative!

So I love the look and the feel of the bath melt and another thing I loved was the smell, it's not super sweet and over powering like some Lush products but it's a really relaxing smell that, along with being in the bath obviously, made me feel so relaxed. 

The bath melt itself is really big in comparison to others I've tried and so it takes ages to melt which is nice especially when you're like me and like to also use it as a moisturising bar! And it also means you get more for your money as it's a similar price to the other bath melts.

When I got out of the bath the scent lingered on my skin which is another thing I love about lush products, I smelt amazing and my skin was more soft than it's been in a very long time. 

One thing I didn't realise until I looked at my skin in the light when it was dry was that not only had the smell lingered but so had the glitter! As I moved my arm under the light I literally sparkled like one of the Cullens. Not everyone will like this but I did, I don't understand who wouldn't want to sparkle!

The shimmer on my skin was very subtle, if I was to go outside with my skin like it I don't think anyone would've noticed but I noticed and I had that lovely relaxed feeling you get after you've really pampered yourself. 

This bath melt is only £3.30 which I think is great considering the such high quality of the product. I can't say enough good things about it I just can't wait to have another bath with one! The only thing I didn't like is that the shimmer washed off in my shower the next day and I wish it would've stayed longer! 

This would be a great little present or stocking filler for Christmas, it's just so festive and a luxurious product perfect for this time of year.

Bethan x

The Autumn Tag

I took this picture today which officially means it is the Autumn! Summer has gone which I am sad about but there's lots about the autumn and winter to look forward to and thought now would be a good time to do the Autumn tag! 

1. What is your favourite thing about Autumn?

My favourite thing about autumn is probably the turn of the weather when we get to start wearing coats and boots and scarves! And I love the colours of the trees and the falling leaves they just make everywhere so pretty. Oh and I love baths, especially Lush baths! But I only like them when it's cold out so I guess that is one of my favourite things about winter.

2. Staple clothing piece for Autumn?

LEATHER BOOTS AND LEATHER JACKETS

3. Staple Make Up item for Autumn?

Plum coloured blush and rosey lip colours

4. Favourite Nail Polish for Autumn?

110% Navy Blue it's my favourite and I look forward to autumn/winter when I can wear it again!

5. Favourite Autumn Scent?

Everything and Anything that has cinnamon in it, its my favourite smell!

6. Favourite Autumn Beauty Trend?

I don't know if this counts but I love the backwards ombre look I am just nowhere near brave enough to dye my hair! I love smoky brown eyes and warm cheek colours too.

7. Favourite way to Accessorise in Autumn?

Cannot live without my scarves! The majority of mine come from Fat Face they do the best scarves.

8. Staple Skincare product for Autumn?

My Skin gets really dry at this time of year so I'm going to say any face mask, I love the No.7 Hydration Mask and the Lush ones.

9. Favourite Autumn Treat?

Chai Tea Latte they're heavenly and taste like Christmas which makes me so excited for winter!

10. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Nothing! I'm not going to a party which I'm very sad about and I think I'm a little too old to go trick or treating unfortunately :(

Thank you for tagging me Beki and Bethan, I tag anyone who wants to do this!

Bethan :)

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