Urban Decay Ammo Palette | Review and Swatches

I've had this palette for ages and it was actually one of my first high-end makeup items. I love it, and as you can see I've hit pan on 2 of the shades (Maui Wowie and Polyester Bride). I'd probably have hit pan on Sin if I didn't already had it in the Naked Palette (where I have hit pan on it). I use this palette most days and love the fact that it's got great neutrals for an everyday look, and then slightly more unusual shades too.

Pigmentation:
As you can probably see above, these eyeshadows have great pigmentation. In my own experience, Urban Decay eyeshadows have some of the best pigmentation available. In particular, Smog, Midlew, Last Call and Shattered have great pigmentation. It's a little hard to see Polyester Bride and Sin in the swatches, but this is simply because I am very fair and it's hard to get them to show up on my skintone as they are similar in colour.

Application
I find Urban Decay eyeshadows a pleasure to apply and these are no different. Although the shades are all shimmery, I don't think I suffer fall out with any of them. The only one I'd be more careful with is Oil Slick as the shimmer is more noticeable and the shimmer particles are bigger. However this can be solved by doing eye makeup before foundation, which I'd suggest using when working with black eyeshadow anyway. The eyeshadows are all easy to apply and go on the eye smoothly. They are also easy to blend with other eyeshadows.

Lasting Power

New Ammo 2 Palette Packaging

I always wear my eyeshadow over Urban Decay Primer Potion as I find it makes my eyeshadow stay put all day. This palette comes with a travel-sized Urban Decay Primer Potion, which is a great addition to your makeup collection if you haven't already used this. I find that these eyeshadows last all day on me and there is no creasing in sight.

Packaging:
This is technically the first version of the Ammo palette, with the current edition sometimes being referred to as 'Ammo 2'. However, aside from the packaging and the addition of a small brush and travel-size UDPP, the palette remains the same. The eyeshadows are all exactly the same as in the older version shown here.

Availability and Pricing:
The Urban Decay Ammo Palette is available for £23 from Debenhams.

I really recommend the Ammo Palette, especially to someone who may just be starting to use higher-end makeup. This palette is one of the cheapest higher-end one on the market and contains 10 great shadows that will enable you to create a variety of looks. I love the fact you can use this for neutral day time looks, night time looks and then slightly more creative looks.

Makeup for a Night Out | Tips

Before I begin I'd like to say that this isn't a tutorial for how to achieve a night out look, but it is a set of tips to help make sure your makeup stays looking good all night. Having just completed my first year of university, I've been on my fair share of nights out, and it really tests your makeup. I'm sharing the things I've found useful for keeping my makeup on all night. Your makeup needs to withstand hot temperatures (from clubs), possibly liquid (possible crying/spilt drinks) and it needs to stay on the whole time which can range from 2 hours to 8+.

Primer
If you want your makeup to stay on for as long as possible, it's best to use a primer underneath your makeup. It will also help with makeup application as you have a smoother base to apply your makeup to. You may not know how long you are planning to stay out, so by using a primer you can ensure it will stay on for as long as you need it to. I don't tend to wear primer everyday as I find it's not needed, but when going out I always use it as I tend to wear more makeup and won't be able to touch it up throughout the day.

Powder
This is helpful for two reasons. Firstly it's great to increase the longevity of your makeup, and works well with primer in order to keep your makeup lasting all night. Secondly, it's important as it helps get rid of any shine you don't want (t-zone, chin, nose etc.). This is great for a night out as chances are you will get hot if you are inside a club and are more likely to be shiny. Setting your makeup with powder will make sure you avoid this.

Setting Spray
My number one tip is to use a setting spray. I love setting sprays and they are a staple in my everyday makeup bag, but they are doubly important when it comes to going out. They help your makeup stay intact, which helps it stay on longer. However, I find it also avoids eye makeup from smearing or blush fading which is great if you're wearing a very dramatic eye look that they want to stay intense and bold, and not fade. I've heard of quite a few people using hairspray to do the same thing, but I'm not sure if that's necessarily the best idea...

Gel Liner
I love to use eyeliner on my waterline, I love the effect it gives. However, I find kohl pencil often smudges and doesn't last long at all. If you do want to wear eyeliner in your waterline I suggest using a gel eyeliner. These will stay on for a long longer and are far less likely to smudge. They are also often darker and more intense so look better for nights out. You also won't need to bring your eyeliner out with you to touch up, which is better as you don't risk losing it.

Lipstick
Most people are going to wear lipstick, but my suggestion is the type you wear. I highly recommend the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstains for two reasons. Firstly, a stain is going to last far longer. If you are out chances are you going to be out for a long time and will probably have something (alcoholic or not) to drink. Most lipsticks will be gone within the first hour, a stain will not. As they are stains you also want get lipstick marks around glasses. Secondly, when you want to touch up these are far easier as it's a lot harder to get lipstick on your teeth or go outside your lips. They are also very light and easy to carry. If you do lose them (which can happen) they aren't too expensive, but if you lose your beloved YSL lipstick, that's a different story...

My final word of advice is not to carry makeup out with you for touch ups (except lipstick/lipgloss) which is why most of these products aim to prolong your makeup. It's very easy to loose makeup or drop it and when using expensive makeup, this is not at all ideal.

I hope this post was helpful, let me know if you use any of these things when going for a night out or have any tips of your own.

My Top 5 | Brushes You Need to Own

Hey everyone,

I've already done a few posts of my Top 3/Top 5  favourite products (Blushes - here, Highlighters - here, Mascaras - here). I thought today I'd show you my favourite brushes which I use daily. I'm not so much concerned with the brand (for reference all of those pictured are Sigma apart from the blurring brush which is from Urban Decay) but the type of brush and why I think they can make a big difference to your makeup routine. I've also given a few options of where to buy these types of brushes, but there are tons of brands that stock all of these types of brushes.I haven't tried all of these by any means, I simply chose a range of brushes available on the market.

1. Tapered Blending
There's many different names for this, but this is your basic eyeshadow blending brush. If you don't have one of these in your eyeshadow routine, this single handedly can make a huge difference to your eyeshadow application. You will be able to blend the eyeshadows together so it looks more natural, blending the crease shadow into the lid eyeshadow. You can also use it to blend out any harsh lines you may have created by the edge of your eyes so the makeup seems more seamless.You can also use it for other things, because of it's small size you can use it to powder smaller areas, or to highlight things such as the bridge of your nose. I've also heard it being used for blending out your concealer too.

Options:

1. MAC 217 Blending Brush - £18 //  2. Sigma E40 Tapered Blending - £10.95 //3.  ELF Blending Eye Brush - £1.50 // 4. Lily LoLo Eye Blending Brush - £5.99  //  5. Yves Saint Laurent Eye Blending Brush - £31 

2. Angled Contour
I love this brush. The angle on it means that its perfect for contouring the cheeks. It makes it easy to get into the cheek bones and around the edges of the face. It is also perfect for precise blush application as you can easily apply it onto the cheeks and sweep it up to the cheek bones. I find this brush much easier to use than normal blush/bronzer brushes as I find them far more precise and better at distributing product. You can also use these to apply highlight to the top of the cheekbones too.

Options:

1. MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush - £27  // 2. Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour Brush - £13.95 // 3. ELF Blushing, Bronzing and Blending Brush - £1.50 // 4. Bare Minerals Angled Blush Brush - £13.50  // 5. Bdellium Pink Bambu Angled Face Brush - £14.50

 

 3. Duo-Fibre/Stippling
 I remember when I first saw these brushes in actions I was amazed. I was so used to only using a flat foundation brush to apply my makeup and this blew everything I thought I knew out of the water. The idea of these brushe are that the bottom part is made from natural hair while the top is made from synthetic hair. You use these brushes in a stippling motion. You can use these brushes to stipple your foundation onto your face providing a different application. I also find this works very well for stippling blush onto your face. It's great for use with very pigmented blushes as it gives a lighter handed application. As the top of the brush is synthetic, these can be used with cream products too.

Options:

1. MAC 187 Duo-Fibe Brush - £33.50 // 2. Sigma F50 Duo-Fibre Stippling Brush - £16.95 // 3. ELF Studio Stipple Brush - £3.75 // 4. Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £11.99 // 5. Coastal Scents Duo Fibre Stippling Brush - £7.95

4. Optical Blurring / Buffing Brush

Now this is my favourite brush. There's lots of names for it, the most famous probably being the buffing brush. It's basically a very dense round brush which is great for both applying foundation and for blending it into the skin. I love this brush, I love it for when I want to do fuller coverage foundation as it's great for blending. I also love it for blending my bronzer and blush into my foundation so that it looks more subtle and less harsh. It's a very versatile brush that is a must-have in any collection.

Options:

1. Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush - £19.50 // 2. New CID Cosmetics Foundation Buffing Brush - £23.49 // 3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - £9.99 (or the Buffing Brush in the Core Collection) // 4. Bdellium Tools Bambu Face Blending Brush - £7.95 // 5. Laura Mercier Blending Brush - £31

5. Pencil Brush

Okay so this last brush is possible the least 'makeup life changing' brush out of the ones mentioned, but I love this brush for all of its different uses. My main use of this brush is to apply eyeshadow to either the inner corner of the eyes or just under the eyes for a smudgy effect. The precise tip allows you to have precise application of the eyeshadow to smaller areas. However, this brush can also be used for highlighting, I like it for highlighting the browbone and cupid's bow as it allows for more precise application than most highlighter brushes. It's also great for concealing too as it is much more precise than most concealer brushes.

Options:

1. MAC 219 Pencil Brush - £20 // 2. Sigma E30 Pencil Brush - £8.99 // 3. Bdellium Tools Bambu Pencil Brush - £7.50 // 4. Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil Blending Brush - £10 // 5. Dolce & Gabbana The Brush Pencil Brush - £24.28

So that's it for my must have brushes! I hope this post was helpful to you, let me know what your must have brushes are in the comments down below!

Favourites | July

1. Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray
I have fallen in love with this product. If I had to pick one product out of all of these that was my favourite, it would be this. I have been using this almost everyday on my hair. It gives it volume and texture, and that sort of beach-swept look. I love the fact that this means I don't need to use any heat on me hair. 1. It's way too hot in this heat without adding more heat, and 2. I use too much heat on my hair as it is. I also love how this makes my hair smell like the sea, some will hate this smell but I love it.

2. Sleek Blush by 3 Palette in Pumpkin 
I love this palette and already did a review of it here.  I love Sleek, they're my favourite highstreet brand and find the quality of their products is always incredible for the price. I love blushes, and in the summer I like to be a bit more daring with my blush as the rest of my makeup is kept more simple for summer. I like to go for the bright pinks and oranges that I steer clear of in the winter time. This palette has a bright pink and a bright orange, perfect for summer. These have been my go-to blushes this month for those bright summer cheeks. I recently bought the new Sleek Blush by 3 in Sweet Cheeks but haven't had chance to use all of the colours yet.

3. Illamasqua Matt Primer
I don't tend to really use primer but since my Urban Decay Setting Spray ran out I've been looking for other ways to make my makeup last longer. I've had this product for a while but never used it as I always reached for my setting spray which made my makeup last all day anyway. I've been using this recently and love it, it helps keep my makeup on and gives me a matte look which is great for the summer. It gives a really nice finish to the skin and it is easy to apply makeup over it.

4. Stila Lovely in London Palette
I got this a year ago but have been rediscovering it again. It has five eyeshadows in it and a covertible colour. I love Stila Covertible Colours and this colour is a lovely peachy shade which looks lovely in summer. I also love the eyeshadows, four of them are matte so great for creating softer summer looks. The packaging is gorgeous too and so easy to carry around with me.

5. Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix
I did a post comparing this eyeliner to two others that I own here. I really love this gel eyeliner, in my opinion it is just as good as the MAC Fluidline. I'm not going to lie, the Bobbi Brown offering still wins as the best gel eyeliner I've ever used, but considering there is about a £14 price difference, this gel eyeliner is a great cheaper alternative. It's a very true black colour and easy to apply and I've been using this all month.

6. Illamasqua Nail Polish in Radium
I love this colour. It's the kind that some people love and others will find is ugly. It's a light green with a very subtle shimmer going through it. I love how bright it is and is the perfect summer colour for me. I love Illamasqua nail polishes, they are the best quality I've tried, they just stay on and on.

7. Revlon 24hours ColourStay Foundation
I used to have this in it's old formulation, but I really love it's new formulation. Firstly the colour is really good for pale skin, (see here) and I love the high coverage. I always prefer a full coverage base, even when my skin is good. I'm really happy I decided to give this another try and it has become my new favourite foundation, since I got it I haven't used any other foundation. I'd say it's better than quite a few high-end foundations I've tried.

So that's it for my July favourites, let me know in the comments what you've been loving this month!

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Empties | July

I don't usually have many empties, but this month I seem to have come to the end of a lot of my products. I seem to have finished up a lot of foundations and concealers this month, which is good because I change my foundation far too often and need to learn to finish one before buying another. I'm really sad that I've finally finished my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner and Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray, two of my must have products. Both have lasted me over a year though, so I'm impressed with that.

1. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 
I always have a couple of these concealers on the go, they are one of my favourite concealers for everyday. They have high coverage, last all day and are easily blended into my foundation. For £4.19 these are a real bargain as their quality is comparable to high-end more expensive concealers. I finally ran out of the two concealers I had been using. As you can see, I pretty much tried to get all of the product out of the tubes and all of the brand lettering has worn off. I've currently decided to try a new concealer as I have been using these for so long I got curious as to what else was out there, but I probably will repurchase them.

2. Urban Decay Moisturising Makeup Setting Spray in 'Dew Me'
I was so upset when I finally ran out of this makeup setting spray. I use this everyday without fail in order to set my makeup and it makes sure that it last all day without fail. I also like to use this when I know I am going out on the night, and I find it keeps my makeup on all night without it smudging. I have this in the moisturising formula (there is a formula for normal skin and one for oily skin) as I have very dry skin. I find that this helps to keep my makeup on and also get rid of some of the dryness on my skin and give me a 'dewy' effect to my makeup. I will be repurchasing this as soon as I can as its a staple for my makeup bag.

3. Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
This foundation is pretty much finished with now. I really liked this foundation, I found that it looked natural on the skin and didn't look heavy, but you could also achieve good coverage with it. I used this everyday and the bottle probably lasted me about 4 months. I also liked the shade selection, I am a very pale person and often find I am the lightest shade in all foundation ranges (or that there simply isn't a match) but I am actually the second lightest shade in this range, and with different undertones to match your skin, it is likely everybody will be able to find a suitable match in this range. I won't be repurchasing at the moment as I am currently trying out another foundation, but I might repurchase in the future.

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum
I have had this bottle for a while and tend to go back to it when I'm in between other foundations. I really like it as a foundation, it applies nicely and has good coverage and leaves a beautiful finish. The main problem with this foundation is that its too dark for my skin (even though I have it in the lightest shade). It therefore requires quite a bit of blending for me to wear this shade and on most days I don't have the extra time to spend blending my foundation. I do really like this foundation and if I do get a tan (unlikely though) this would be one of my top foundations. I probably won't be repurchasing due to the shade selection.

5. Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation
Cover FX is a less well known brand that some of the others, but I am glad I stumbled across this foundation. First off, this foundation is very high coverage. This literally covers any imperfection you may have which is great for when I've got blemishes. The shade selection is also good, this shade is perfect for my skintone and they have a wide range of shades available. It is also really easy to carry around with you as you don't need to apply it with a brush. I currently have a few unfinished foundations so won't be repurchasing this as of yet, but might repurchase it in the future.

6. MAC Bronzing Powder in 'Sun Dipped'
This isn't completely finished, but I thought I would include it anyway. I got this last year and it is my go to bronzer most days. I really like the lasting power on this, I find it lasts me all day and it doesn't look powdery on the skin. I also like the texture of it. It has a bit of shimmer in it but it is not noticeable on the skin. I think the colour is a bit too dark for me however, and needs a bit of blending to look right on my pale skin. This was a limited edition item so I can't repurchase it, so I think I am going to try a lighter bronzer for my skin next time.

7. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in 'Black Ink'
I recently did a post on how much I love this gel eyeliner, and compared it to other eyeliners here. I love this gel eyeliner and have worn it everyday since the day I got it. This pot has actually lasted me for over a year despite my constant use of it. It lasts for a long time, looks great in the waterline and is a true jet black colour. I am currently using the Sleek gel eyeliner at the moment, but will repurchase this eyeliner soon as it really is one of my must have products.

Those are my empties for the month of July. Let me know what you've been used up this month in the comments below!

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Beauty Wish List | July

1. Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fiber Set - £23.99
I've never tried Real Techniques brushes but I've heard so much good stuff about their brushes. I love duo fiber brushes and when I saw this kit I knew I wanted it.

2. Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 Palette in Sweet Cheeks - £9.99
I already blogged about how much I love the Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 palettes here, and this is their newest offering. I really love the colours in this palette and think that they would look great for the summer.

3. Pixi Early Bird Kit - £16
Every since I saw this I knew I wanted it, its a huge makeup kit with so many products. It has eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, a highlighter and powder shades. I think this would be really great for travelling, which I do quite a bit, as it contains most the makeup that I use on an everyday. I also haven't tried any stuff from Pixi before, so this would be a great introduction to the brand

4. Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang - £5.99
I've been lusting after these for ages as I love the idea of a cross between a lipstick and a lipgloss. I'm particularly interested in the red shade having seen swatches of it on other people.

5. MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Light - £22
I've been after this for a while. I want a new powder to set my makeup and would like to try a non-translucent powder (what I currently use) to see if that makes a difference. I have heard really good things about how this product leaves your skin looking so really want to try it out.

6. Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple £7.99
I only have one Essie nail polish and really want to expand my collection. Mint Candy Apple seems to be a colour that everyone has and I think its a great colour for the summer.

7. Bobbi Brown Navy and Nude Palette - £48
I really like the look of this. I love nude colours and think the pop of Navy adds a nice twist to the palette. It also looks really compact and easy to carry around - something which I always look for in a eyeshadow palette. As much as I love Urban Decay Naked, it is a pain to carry places due to its size, you can't just put it in a handbag.

8. Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in 02 Blondes - £34
I've never tried anything from Guerlain but I really want to. I'm on the look out for a new bronzer and have heard good things about this. Not only does it look pretty, I've heard its quite a light bronzer. As I'm pale a lot of bronzers require a of blending on my skin to look natural, so this looks like it would suit my skin better.

9. Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour in Naked - £14
I love lip products in pencil form, I just find them so much easier to apply. I really like the look of this colour from Urban Decay as it seems to be a good natural lip colour. I also like the concept of the pencils too.

10. L'oreal Superliner Black Lacquer - £6.49
I've always heard good things about the L'oreal liquid eyeliners and this one seems to be one of the most popular. My current liquid eyeliner is nearly finished, so I'd love to try this one out. It's a great price too.

11. Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick - Pink - £40
This is described as being similar to the shimmer bricks, but a bit more subtle, offering a 'glow from within'. I've always wanted a shimmer brick but have worried about how shimmery they seem to be, this seems to be a great alternative to highlight the cheeks without going overboard.

12. Illamasqua Precision Gel Eyeliner - £18
In this post I spoke about how much I loved gel eyeliner, and how Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner was one my favourite products ever. I love Illamasqua and would say it is one of my favourite makeup brands, I have never been dissapointed by a product I've bought from them. When I found out they had brought out a gel eyeliner, I knew I had to try it.

That's my current most wanted beauty items. Do you want any of these items as bad as I do? Let me also know the current beauty items you are lusting for in the comments.

That's all for now,

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Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation Swatch and Comparison

Hey guys, this is just a quick post about the new Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation. There has been huge hype created by this foundation all over internet and I've seen many bloggers rave about it. I recently purchased it as I wanted to see if it lived up to its claims. I've only worn this once so far so I'm not ready to publish my thoughts on it yet, but so far I am really enjoying it.

I thought I'd publish this post for people like myself who often struggle with finding foundations. I'm pretty pale and often struggle when finding foundation to match my skin, which I did a post about here. Before buying the Urban Decay foundation I checked swatches to check if it would match my skin before getting matched in store. Hopefully this comparison will help some of those who were wondering if this foundation caters to pale skin tones.

L-R: Urban Decay Foundation in 0.5 |L'oreal Infallible in Porcelain | Illamasqua Skin Base in 2 | Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in Alabaster

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation Review | Shade 0.5

I've had this foundation for a while now and it is a product I am currently loving. I've been using this for a couple weeks now to make sure I gave it a proper try before reviewing it.

Shade:
The Shade I have is the palest in 0.5 which is for pink undertones. I don't actually have pink undertones but I found that although this was pink it wasn't so pink that it looked unnatural on my skin tone. To be honest, this shade is too dark for me and I do have to blend it down onto my neck, however once blended I think it does look natural on my skin and it isn't too dark that I can't get away with it. I am pretty pale, but if you are even paler than me (paler than #115 in Illamasqua type of pale) this will not be a good match for you.

Coverage:
The coverage of this is definitely buildable. Depending on the brush and the method used I've found this can be quite a light coverage to a medium/full coverage. I have found that I always need concealer on any blemishes after using this, but it definitely covers up any redness I may have. This isn't going to be super high coverage so if you do have very problematic skin, this may not be suitable. One of my favourite things about this foundation has to be the finish it leaves on your skin. Once on, I find that this actually does look like skin (like the name suggests) and does leave a natural looking finish. According to Urban Decay it leaves a 'demi-matte' finish. On me however, I find it leaves a more dewy finish. However, I have had a more matte finish with it before, but the combination of products I use to hydrate my dry skin (and the fact I don't powder) means that this looks more dewy.


Consistency:
As you can see in the photos this has a runny finish and is quite thin. From this you would think that the coverage would be very sheer but it's not. I really like the texture as it means that it blends into the skin really well and that a little can go a long way.


Packaging: 
I really like the packaging on this. It isn't the most luxurious of packaging (the bottle is plastic, not glass) so if you like your foundation bottles to look expensive this isn't going to float your boat. The reason I like the packaging so much is partly because its lightweight and easy to travel with, but also because of the pump. Most foundations come with a pump and this makes the product easier to dispense, however some have better pumps than others. This has a really good pump which gives you a lot of control, meaning you can dispense very small amounts and much larger amounts depending on the pressure you apply. This helps minimise the amount of wasted product.

The Pump Applicator

Lasting Power:
I have very very dry skin and don't tend to produce much oil. However, I've found that the lasting power of this foundation completely depends on what I use with it. A lot of reviews have said that the lasting power on this foundation isn't great, and UD don't make any claims that it should. Without using a primer or powder I found that after 5 hours this has begun to start fading on my nose. With a primer and powder I did find that it lasted longer but after about 8+ hours the dry patches around my nose and mouth had become more accentuated. My favourite way to wear this is with no primer/powder (as they are drying on my skin) and to use Urban Decay Dew Me Makeup Setting Spray. This is great for my skin type as it hydrates the skin, but it also helps keep the foundation on for much longer. If you do have problems with the lasting power on this I would definitely recommend this product, they also sell versions for oily skin and normal skin.

Scent:
This does have a noticeable scent to it, but I find you can't detect the scent when the product is on your face.

Pricing and Avaliability:
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation is price £27.00 and is avaliable from Debenhams.

Overall, I really like this foundation and how it looks on my skin. If it was a tad paler it would be perfect. I also have the brush which Urban Decay marketed with this foundation which I also love and will be reviewing soon.

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