URBAN DECAY // SMOKY EYESHADOW PALETTE

After a good few years of finding dupes for the famous Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palettes I thought it was about time I finally bought myself one of the originals and stop being a cheapskate. If you haven't seen my previous posts, MUA and Make-up Revolution do amazing dupes for these palettes but nothing compares to the real thing. 

This Smoky Palette by Urban Decay has the most beautiful colour range which varies from subtle nudes to extreme smokey colours. I had been eyeing up this palette ever since it was first released as it seemed like such a versatile palette and I knew it would be perfect for both day and night make up looks, meaning I wouldn't have to attempt to fit at least three different eyeshadow palettes in my make up bag.

This palette contains 8 shimmer eyeshadows and 4 matte colours which is perfect to create a gorgeous smokey eye. When I first swatched this palette I was amazed by the pigmentation of the colours especially the shade 'Dirty Sweet' and how buttery the textures were. On my everyday eye make up basis I tend to stick to similar looks using mainly brown subtle shades but I am trying to mix things up especially it being Autumn/Winter and this palette has allowed me to do just that! 

I do however feel that some of the shades aren't as pigmented as others which would made me love this palette even more, however that does seem to be the only fault I have. My favourite shades from this palette is 'Dirty Sweet', 'Radar', 'Smolder' and 'Whisky'. I feel that these colours are amazing to create an everyday eyeshadow look and with the dark purple edge 'Smolder' gives it's perfect for winter time. I will definitely be purchasing future palettes released by Urban Decay as I feel all of the colours really compliment each other.

What is your go to eyeshadow palette?

AUTUMNAL MAKE UP

MINI HAUL // PRIMARK

One of the main reasons I was so excited to be back in Cardiff was that I could finally go to Primark after 3 months of being without it and go to their store to see their new Autumn collection. If some of you don't know, autumn and winter are my absolute two favourite seasons and as much as I do enjoy the summer I change my wardrobe ready for the autumnal weather as soon as September hits. So I thought what better way to start this wardrobe change than head on over to Primark.

Primark have so many gorgeous new items in store and I would've no doubt bought much more if I didn't have to wait until my student loan comes through. Yeah paying rent and bills really does suck. I noticed that throughout the store were a lot of above the knee sheer shirts that can be used as a tunic or a light throw over which is perfect for Autumn. I bought two of these type of style shirts, one which was burgundy with white and black stripes, which is shown above, and another that was just plain burgundy (I bought this a few days after taking these photos). 

The striped shirt was priced at £13 and the burgundy shirt was priced at £10. The next two clothing items I bought were long sleeved tops, the first being this gorgeous rust colour with a ribbed detail and a slightly longer back of the top to the front. The second long sleeve top I bought was just a simple black striped white top with a ribbed effect also which was priced at £5! 

I picked up this huge wool scarf that has chunks of colours of rust, navy, burgundy and dark green, sounds a bit crazy but trust me it works! I absolutely love this scarf because it's so cosy and the colours are so autumnal. This scarf was priced at £8 which may be on the pricier side for a primark scarf but it is really worth it. The second accessory I picked up was this simple gold bangle with a triangle detail which was only £1.50 and can dress up any outfit.

Lastly in the homeware section I picked up one of my favourite candles that has three wicks which gives the candle a really good durability and I absolutely love this scent of sweet coconut and vanilla. I find that this scent is really good for every season but I will be definitely buying some more autumnal scents soon. This candle was priced at £2.50 which is amazing for a really heavily scented candle. 

I hope you have enjoyed this mini haul! What are your new favourite autumn items?

Much love, Iss x

TOP FIVE // UNDER £5

LIEBSTER AWARD

KIKO // SMART LIP PENCIL

REVOLUTION // ULTRA BLUSH PALETTE SUGAR & SPICE

SWEET SUMMER // FACE OF THE DAY

For today's post I thought I'd try a new series that I'll be uploading when I'm feeling spontaneous and changing up my make up looks, hopefully at least once every week! I feel that this way I'll be able to try a bunch of products, some old favorites and some new, and give you everything you need to know about them!

For today's face I decided to go pretty simple and easy as it's been such a beautiful day and I didn't want to waste time while the sun was out, as lets be honest, it doesn't last very long in the UK!

For the base I used this 'Happy light primer' from Bourjois to help avoid the disco ball look while I was out and about in the sun, I've used this product for a while now and love using it for a light make up look as it doesn't feel cakey on the skin. I have recently discovered the Revlon 'Colorstay' foundation and I have been loving this for the summer as it gives a slight glow but also a good amount of coverage to the skin. The 'Lasting Perfection' concealer by Collection is honestly a fool proof product. I no doubt swear by this concealer and use it every day I wear make up, throughout all seasons. As I wanted a summer inspired make up I reached out for probably the most terrifying blush I own, another Bourjois product, in the colour 34 rose d'or. When you apply this blush it leaves the most gorgeous colour with a beautiful and light shimmer, perfect for when you're feeling lazy as there's no need to apply a highlighter!

For eyebrows I left these very simple and easy too so I just brushed them through and lightly applied the Collection eyebrow pencil in Blonde 3, and then brushed through them again to get a more natural look. I recently purchase the 'False lash telescopic' mascara by L'oreal and today was the first time I'd experimented with it and first impressions were that it was clump free and glided through the lashes nicely however I don't feel that it gives enough volume to the lashes, saying this it is the first time trying so I will carry on to try it out! Lastly to add to my summer make up I applied the Revlon 'Lib butter' in the colour sweet tart as the colour screams summer. I bought this lip butter a while back and I found it at the bottom of my make up collection and today it reminded me how much I used to love this product. It has such a lovely creamy consistency with a beautiful pigmentation and the slightest shimmer you can't really go wrong!

I hope you've enjoyed this different type of post, let me know if you would like to see more!

What products are your summer go to's? 

Iss x

YOU BEAUTY DISCOVERY BOX // AUGUST

KIKO // LONG LASTING STICK EYESHADOW

JULY FAVOURITES

YOU BEAUTY DISCOVERY BOX // JULY

RIMMEL LONDON // KATE MATTE LIPSTICKS

    

REVOLUTION // REDEMPTION PALETTE ICONIC THREE

A FRESH NEW START

My blog has been neglected for too long now and as it's Summer and I have just finished my first year of University I thought there wasn't a better time to give it some love. I enjoy every aspect to blogging, such as talking about the things I love, trying out new products and of course meeting new people. But as my life had a change of direction I found it difficult to put in a good amount of time and effort into doing so as I had too many exams to come and I was about to begin my new life in University. But as I am finally settled I think it's now time to get back into the swing of things! I have decided to start posting new posts every Wednesday and Saturday to get into a routine where I can then go onto posting more and more. I'm excited to see what's to come and excited to meet many more of you. Please feel free to give me any recommendations of any posts you would like to see.

Much love,

Iss.