Got a spare £240? No, me neither.

Posted by Lipglossiping On May - 2 - 2013

Yesterday, I talked about recession-proofing your makeup with a bargainous £6 eyeshadow and today, well… you’ll see…

We’re living through some seriously tough financial times… upon this, I think we can all agree.  Yet, out of this seemingly never-ending recession, beauty brands really haven’t done too badly.

You see, in times of “austerity” (oh, how I loathe that word and all it stands for), life’s luxuries have to take a back seat… there are bills to pay, food to buy, and children to clothe.  And of course, all of these things are far more important than the need to satisfy any aspirations for a more extravagant lifestyle.  Except that, quite understandably, it’s precisely now more than ever that we genuinely need those fluffy distractions and escape from reality that life’s superficial offerings can deliver.

And so, instead of spending our pennies on designer clothes, handbags and expensive holidays… we’ve turned our attentions to slightly less flahoolick things such as shiny lipsticks, nail polishes, and Groupon-funded spa treatments.

In the midst of all this… it’s quite clear that some brands didn’t get the memo.

247_eyelinervaultThe Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Vault exclusively at Debenhams.com

Launching today, exclusively at Debenhams.com is this rather spectacular and horribly-priced coffret, The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Vault… yours for just £240.  Now I could go on about what a ridiculous waste of money it is… but the truth is, if I could afford one… I’d be at least somewhat tempted.  After-all – and as much as I genuinely hate to call this a “bargain” – I can’t argue with the fact that this 40-shade set represents a saving of £320 compared to buying each eyeliner individually.

I could argue the toss that unless you’re a regularly-employed makeup artist, you have no bloody need for or business owning that many eyeliners.  But then, I’d be a bit of a spoil-sport wouldn’t I?  I’d also have to hide my ridiculous eyeliner stash under the bed and try very, very hard to keep a serious face whilst doing so.  And let’s not even talk about how much eyeliner you’d have to apply daily to use them up before the recommended eyeliner “use by” allocation of one year.

To put it plainly, that’s some serious investment right there.

However, I know that in all honesty, you care not one jot.  Because look at it.  It’s fucking amazing.  Lend us a tenner?

Will you be buying it?  Would you, if you had the spare change?  There are only 40 “vaults” available and the U.S stores sold out in 9 hours… you’d better be quick if you’re going to nab one!

The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Vault is available online now, from debenhams.com, priced at £240


Gettin’ Flirty with Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

Posted by Lipglossiping On December - 13 - 2012

Well known for their bold colours, high pigmentation and shimmering shadows, Urban Decay have gone for a softer look this time around with the limited edition Feminine Palette*. If you’ve already read my review on The Fun Palette, you’ll be familliar with the zipped-up case that doubles up as a little clutch bag should you wish to mix makeup and fashion in this way. The packaging is cute as hell, with a metallic purple outer featuring a delicate lace design.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

Just as with the other palettes in this limited edition range, the housing is sturdy enough to cope with general wear and tear from daily use. It’s a great portable option for a pared-down selection of eyeshadows. The palette contains six shades that lean towards the softer tones in the spectrum, they’re slightly greyed in comparison to some of Urban Decay’s bolder colours making them a great choice for this style of palette.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

All six shades are shimmery and smooth-textured, I could do with a matte in there (as a personal preference) but have been enjoying using these as soft lid shades, more as a wash than building them up to any kind of intensity. Though, as you can appreciate (being from UD), these will build up to full pigmentation very easily if required. Both AC/DC and Hijack in particular employ some extra depth with some pretty irridescence that adds some real sparkle without adding any glitter. I imagine that these two shades in particular would look amazing over a sticky black base for a high-voltage look.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

Those of us who have been around a while will remember Urban Decay’s previous Feminine Palette which was released a couple of years ago. While this (re)incarnation contains different actual shades, the feel is very similar with the inclusion of a teal and a purple among the staple neutrals. If you missed out last time, this is definitely worth a look. The palette also comes complete with a lipgloss in Wallflower – a creamy neutral that keeps everything looking pared down and soft.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

For a quick demonstration, I recreated a simple look that I’ve been wearing with this palette. I played up to its name and went for a really sheer, see-through interpretation… for which, I needed no primer. I used the shades more as a wash of colour, and find that they blend easily together without muddying. In the image below, I’m wearing Bordello on the lid, AC/DC on the lower lashline, and Hijack along the crease. I skipped lining my upper lashline but took the mascara right into the roots instead to ensure that I gave my lashes as much depth as possible.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette is priced at £25 and avaialble for a limited time from BeautyBay.com, Debenhams (£22.50 at the time of writing), and House of Fraser.

* press sample

Beauty Zipped Up: Urban Decay The Fun Palette

Posted by Lipglossiping On November - 12 - 2012

Urban Decay have released three palettes, in the clutch-style format you might remember from The Midnight Emergency Kit.  The three palettes each contain six eyeshadows and a complementing mini Lip Junkie lip gloss.

The palettes are well-constructed and tote-worthy enough to be able to throw them in your handbag in advance of a night out.  Don’t tend to reapply your eyeshadow halfway through an evening, me neither… so did you know that you can remove the platform on which the eyeshadows sit and transform the packaging into a proper evening clutch?  Yeah!

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

The Fun palette is my favourite from the new trio on looks alone (I’ll be showing you the others soon)… I mean, turquoise glitter encrusted packaging?  It’s flippin’ gorgeous.

Enough about the clutch, it’s clear I’m smitten… how about the actual contents?

Urban Decay’s The Fun Palette claims to offer shades that are perfect for those who like to experiment with colour.  I like colour, and I like experimenting with it… but I don’t tend to actually leave the house in huge amounts of colour, mostly because I’m a big wimp.  Let’s take a look at them…

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Of the six shades included, only one of them is a brand new shade… meaning that if you’re Urban Decay’s #1 fan, you may already have these shades at your disposal from within other palettes.  The shades included are:

Maui Wowie – Metallic golden beige with silver glitter
Deep End* – Bright teal shimmer
Sellout – Pinky champagne
Fishnet – Bright pink with purple shift
Stray Dog – Cool metallic ash brown
Freakshow – Deep royal purple pearl

* new shade (not new shade, Bicky recognised it from the 15th Anniversary palette)

The fact is that there’s enough neutrality going on here to suit scaredy cats like me (sellout, maui wowie and stray dog make a beautiful natural eye on their own) whilst injecting enough colour to tempt me into showing a little bravery on occasion.

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Swatched with no primer.

And a quick FOTD using Fishnet on the lids, Freakshow dragged outward from the corners, Deep End as an accent under the eye, and Sellout as a highlighter.  I’m also wearing the Lip Junkie lipgloss included, which is Midnight Cowboy, a sheer nude sparkle.  It’s very sticky and not my cup of tea at all.

Urban Decay The Fun Palette Review, Swatches and FOTD

Urban Decay’s The Fun Palette is a sweet offering from the brand that is sure to tempt many new UD-ites into occasionally swapping out their beloved Naked Palettes for something a little brighter.  For old-skool UD junkies, there may not be enough here to warrant another purchase, but it’s a good reminder of the brand’s founding ethos towards colour and expermentation.

The Fun Palette is priced at £25 (€ 34) and available from Debenhams and House of Fraser stores or online at debenhams.com, houseoffraser.com and beautybay.com.

* press sample

I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to comment on the latest news from Urban Decay which indicates their intention to expand operations into China.  Afterall, I’m not a “cruelty-free blogger” (writing only about cruelty-free products) and I’m not entirely sure that it’s my place to come out of the woodwork and comment on issues that I don’t normally involve myself with.  Having said that, it’s something that for whatever reason, I can’t stop thinking about.  I’ve been mulling it over in my head and it’s left a heavy-hearted feeling bumping around in my chest.  When all is said and done (and the Urban Decay press machine have spun a number of well-written statements defending their decision), it’s still (to me) an act of ultimate betrayal for the millions of fans that have been acquired, precisely because of the brand’s staunch stand against animal-testing.

In some ways, it’s due to my non pro-active status on the issue that I’m so surprised by the move.  MAC, Avon, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay and the other brands who have recently taken the decision to enter the Chinese market (therefore accepting the potential animal-testing regulations that surround the move) haven’t encouraged the slightest eyebrow-raise from my corner of the blogosphere, but then again, these aren’t brands that have built and staked their reputations on their responsibilities to providing cruelty-free cosmetics in the same way that Urban Decay have done.

Many of you will know that the EU have already banned the animal-testing of cosmetics within their own laboratories and despite postponements and potential delays, there’s still a significant push to ban the sale and marketing of any products within the EU that contain an ingredient that has been tested using animals by March 2013.  This would be the end result of a massive campaign that has been ongoing for over a decade and something that campaigners such as the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) would be immensely proud of achieving.  Above all else, it shows that there is huge demand in the world for new legislation and an appetite to develop alternative means of testing that cause harm to neither man nor beast.

So just why are these multi-national brands taking such giant steps backward by entering a foreign market which has a record of resistance when it comes to acknowledging or financing efforts into finding alternatives to animal-testing?  Well, there can really only be one reason.  China is a huge market, with the scope for almost immeasurable growth and in these economically uncertain times, it seems that everyone wants a piece of that particular pie.

The justifications released by Urban Decay focus on a rather romanticized notion of infiltrating the nation’s psyche from within through the use of education, and promoting a dialogue on the issue but as one Temptalia reader, BlackFuji succinctly wrote: This is like saying “I don’t punch my kids in the face… the babysitter does. I hope the babysitter learns from my example.”  Urban Decay’s infamous (and trademarked) tagline: “We don’t do animal testing. How could anyone?” ultimately sounds rather hollow under this new direction.

Whilst the brand have been busily reminding their followers on Twitter that they’re listening to feedback following the announcement and that they remain committed to not testing their products on animals, the BUAV have today released a statement confirming that Urban Decay will no longer be certified ‘cruelty free’ under the Humane Cosmetics or Humane Household Products Standards and that the U.S. cosmetic brand will no longer be licensed to carry the internationally-recognised Leaping Bunny trademark on their products.

.

How do you feel about Urban Decay’s recent announcement?  Do you have faith in their motivations to enact change in this new market?

PSA: Urban Decay Fans – Free worldwide delivery on the Naked2 Palette

Posted by Lipglossiping On February - 10 - 2012

I know that not every makeup-lover across the globe is fortunate enough to have access to Urban Decay in their home country, so I feel it my duty to inform you that BeautyBay.com not only have stock of the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette but that they’re also — for a limited time — offering FREE worldwide delivery.

Have you bought yours yet?

New Year Honours List 2012

Posted by Lipglossiping On January - 26 - 2012

In a list devoid of MPs, philanthropists, and celebrities – I bring you 12 products that have impressed me beyond my expectations over the past 12 months. This wasn’t easy to compile. Infact, it was so hard that it’s now nearly February and I’ve only just published it.

Some were a given from the moment I used them (Avon Mega Impact Eye Liner), some were growers (Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil), but all of them have left a real impression for achieving what their claims suggest and let’s face it, that’s what out beauty-loving hearts desire most.

Optrex Itchy/Allergy Eye Drops  |  Lanolips 101 Ointment  |  St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray  |  Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors

Optrex make eye drops for seemingly every occassion and their Optrex Itchy Eye Drops have saved my poor peepers numerous times throughout the year.  I actually prefer their Optrex Allergy Eyes formula for the Summer months when my eyes are really suffering but I find them quite hard to get hold of (it’s over the counter stuff) and so pharmacists always offer me the Optrex Itchy Eye Drops instead.  To be fair, they both work but nothing soothes the feeling of wanting to wash your eyeballs under a running tap (and swill your eye sockets out while you’re at it) faster or more effectively than the Optrex Allergy Eyes formula.

Another product that goes beyond the pretty to simply make my life more comfortable is Lanolips 101 Ointment.  This nourishing, thick balm is as much a part of my nightly routine as washing my face or repeatedly checking Twitter on my phone after turning off my computer.  It’s simple existence means that my lips never peel or crack, as used to be the case throughout the winter months and if I like a new lipstick, I buy it based on how much I like the shade without caring about how drying the formula may prove to be.

My milk-bottle legs are anticipating the return of the warmer weather with a renewed vigour thanks to St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray.  I’m surprising myself by including a tanning product in my honours list – I really don’t care much about being tanned… but, this product surpassed all expectations of turning my blue-tinged pins into something that I wouldn’t mind showing off when the sun finally peeks out from behind the UK’s perpetual blanket of cloud cover.

As much as the U.S. brand have released some stonking palettes this year, it’s these Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors that have been ticking all the right boxes for me this year.  They pack a supreme punch of colour, offer maximum convenience and last well throughout the day.  The shades I own are all searingly bright and obnoxious, just the way I’ve been liking my lip shades this year.  These are real beauties and I can’t wait to see if Urban Decay add to the lineup in 2012.

Benefit They’re Real Mascara  |  Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil  |  Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair Oil  |  Avon Mega Impact Eye Liner

An everyday staple achieves its status by being dependable, consistent, and easy to use.  Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara has been my go-to mascara since its release last August.  It extends and volumises my lashes with an inky formula and doesn’t let me down by smudging or flaking throughout the day.  Once it’s time for bed – it doesn’t give my cleansing oil any arguments and I’m still enjoying the same, usable formula from the original tube that I was given all those months ago.  It’s a solid but impressive addition to my makeup bag.

2011 has been a year of weight loss (and gain, and loss again) for me.  I knew from the start that I’d be putting my skin through the mill on my quest for a less flabby existence and I’ve been using various body oils with my cellulite massager in an attempt to keep my skin elastic, supple and unblemished.  While they all did a good job at moisturising, I wasn’t sure that they were achieving much more than this until I began to use Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil toward the end of last year.  Aside from it smelling as delicious as you’d expect from the British brand, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in skin-tone, texture and dare I say it… cellulite.

Another major concern over the past year has been the constant flare-ups that have turned my scalp into an itching, flaking mess.  I would start a new shampoo, only to be forced into discontinuing its use a month later.  I tried SLS-free which seemed to improve things for a while, though still didn’t eradicate the problem completely.  I’ve been using Dr. Hauschka’s Neem Hair Oil (non-stinky) for a few months now and have so far, touch wood, not had a flare-up that’s been severe enough to cause any real misery.  I also find the oil effective at soothing any persistent itches alongside a welcome side-effect of improving the condition of my dry hair.

If I could only choose one, my product of the year would go to Avon’s Mega Impact Eye Liner for being outrageously awesome at such a reasonable price.  The blacker-than-black formula applies as smoothly as a gel with no tugging along the delicate waterline.  Give it a few moments to set and you’ll be treated to a full day of hard-wearing, sultry lashlines that resist smudging and transfer like real troopers.  They have a new metallic shade coming out for Spring, look out for it!

Suti Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil  |  Lumos High Speed Top Coat (try eBay if you’re not a pro)  |  Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream  |  NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

I’ve always loved facial oils but have only recently discovered the true extent of their capabilities.  Suti’s Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil is a wondrous concoction that seamlessly melts into my skin to give an instant glow on those days when my complexion is feeling particularly dull and drained by the cold weather.  Perhaps even more enlightening is the oil’s ability to turn a dud foundation into a keeper.  I’ve been adding a few drops (during application) to foundations that I consider dry-skin unfriendly and have been amazed at Suti’s ability to make the formula more compatible to my winter skin.  Lots of money saved thanks to this one!

So good do I consider the Lumos High Speed Top Coat, that I’ve bought the entire family!  From salon-sized down to purse-friendly bottles, they speed-dry my nail polish without causing shrinkage or becoming a thick, unusable mess in the bottle before I’ve reached the halfway mark.  The Lumos System also encourages you to use the High Impact Bottom Coat to achieve maximum results and longevity from your manicures but as someone who doesn’t generally suffer from polish chips, I’m happy to report that for me, it works as well with or without.

2011 was the year that B.B Creams hit the Western world with a vengeance and some bandwagon-jumping efforts from the major cosmetic players have left consumers wondering if there’s any difference between B.B Creams and Tinted Moisturisers with added SPF.  If you want to try a true B.B. Cream without the big-budget advertising hype – I can’t recommend the Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream highly enough.  It evens my skin-tone, gives serious sun protection, and calms my redness-prone skin in an instant.

I get annoyed with the NYX Cosmetics incarnation in the UK but if there’s one thing worth picking up, it’s the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams that come in a variety of shades and offer easy application, good coverage, and long-lasting colour without causing unbearable dryness or discomfort.  Remembering that these are (to be fair) matte formulas, it’s a great option for those who wince at the thought of dragging a hard-textured matte lipstick across their lips.  There are some awesome lip-popping shades to choose from too!

.

So there we have my New Year Honours List – a little late, but what’s half a month between friends?  Do you agree with any of my choices?  What would you have included in yours?

* the selection includes a mixture of press samples, repurchases from what were originally press samples and my own discoveries/purchases.

I’ve still been wearing my beloved red lip shades throughout December, though not blogging them as well as I would have liked.  I have so many beautiful new acquisitions I’d really love to show you before the weather gets warm again, someone please give me a kick up the butt to get the reds (both yours and mine) setting the blog on fire again!

I sneaked 5 minutes for a quick photo-take in the back garden yesterday afternoon (the light is so poor indoors), this is my latest red purchase, and with it must go mega-credit (and a big thank you) to Frooti Beauty for swatching the Urban Decay Supersaturated High Gloss Lip Colour range for me!  I already own Big Bang and Crush, so knew in advance that I would be a fan of the formula but wasn’t sure on whether F-Bomb was the kind of true, clean red that I tend to favour.

I’d say that it leans ever so slightly warm but not enough to go all fire-engine on my face… the formula is long-wearing and lasts happily through a few drinks.  I really hope that Urban Decay consider bringing out some more shades in this lineup – I love a chunky lip pencil, especially one that gives as much shine as this!

Urban Decay Supersaturated High Gloss Lip Colour in F-Bomb is priced at £14 and available instore at the usual Urban Decay concessions and online at BeautyBay.com

Urban Decay Naked 2 – A FOTD of neutralistic proportions

Posted by Lipglossiping On December - 5 - 2011

There seems to be a general consensus that the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette isn’t as cool toned as people were hoping…. in comparison to the first, and as a cool-toned girl myself, I’m sticking my head above the parapet to proclaim that they work nicely on cool-toned complexions.  Now, those first 4 shades in the palette (from left to right), are warm.  Undoubtedly.  But the rest, are certainly neutral enough to make them a flattering fit for my skintone.  My only major irritation with the Naked 2 Palette is the inclusion of Half Baked (again), it doesn’t suit me, and we’ve been there already.

I (like many other makeup fans), would be thrilled to see Naked 3 (yes, I’m going there already) filled with matte shades.  Urban Decay’s mattes are under-rated and a palette of matte neutrals would make such a great flanker to Naked 1 and 2.

As a 30 year old, I’m just not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to get away with this amount of shimmer on my eyelids. I’m hoping a FOTD will demonstrate the kind of shimmer you’ll get from the Naked 2 Palette and help you make an educated decision on whether you’ll be jumping all over this on release date or leaving well alone.

Verve on the lid  |  Tease in the crease  |  Blackout in the outer corner (and to line)  |  Bootycall to highlight

I’m also wearing the Naked Lipgloss which is included in the palette.  I don’t like this – it’s thicker than treacle, mintier than a glacier full of polos and doesn’t really serve any colour purpose.

The Naked 2 Palette will be released in the UK on 9th January 2012, priced at £36 and available from instore and online from Debenhams before rolling out to House of Fraser from February 6th.

 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette – Swatches

Posted by Lipglossiping On December - 1 - 2011

As promised earlier, here are some swatches from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. These have been swatched using a brush over primer.

Firstly a reminder of the shades in the pan.

Rollover the above image to reveal the shade names. Also check out some swatches on a darker skintone courtesy of VexInTheCity.

Come back this lunchtime for a quick comparison between the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and the original Urban Decay Naked Palette where I share my thoughts on whether you really need this one in your collection or not.

*press sample

EDIT: The Naked 2 Palette will be released in the UK on 9th January 2012, priced at £36 and available from instore and online from Debenhams before rolling out to House of Fraser from February 6th.

Naked 2 Palette, Urban Decay do it again!

Posted by Lipglossiping On December - 1 - 2011

Yes, the rumours are true and the worst-kept secret is finally out. Urban Decay are releasing a follow-up to the best-selling Naked Palette and Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Palette will be heading to the UK very soon.

Unlike its predecessor, the UD Naked2 palette* is housed in a tin – an instant packaging love as a more robust, portable alternative to the velvety-cardboard containing the original. Also worth mentioning is the mirror which stretches the length of the entire lid and the double-ended eyeshadow brush which offers both a laydown and blending option.

Swatches coming up later today…

* press sample

EDIT: The Naked 2 Palette will be released in the UK on 9th January 2012, priced at £36 and available from instore and online from Debenhams before rolling out to House of Fraser from February 6th.

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit: It’s the glitter bomb dot com

Posted by Lipglossiping On November - 3 - 2011

My dislike for all things Midnight Cowboy is well-documented.  I don’t have a problem with the colours, au contraire (Rodney), I love the peach-champagne-y goodness that MC, MCRA and its coven of glitter-witches bring.  It’s just, well… a bit of a pain innit?

Now imagine an entire palette based around Midnight Cowboy and it’s equally glitter-tastic night-time shades…

Oh HAI Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit*!!  I need an emergency GLITTER cleanup!

The styling reminds me of those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters you see in billions of guises everywhere nowadays but the silver wallet is hugely resilient to being thrown in the bottom of a bag.  It is a touch chunky considering the fairly slimline contents, I’ve sized it up against my Nintendo DS below…

…it’s very well protected and I can see the whole shebang lasting and lasting without so much as a scratch on it.

The contents of the Midnight Emergency Kit include:

 4 Eyeshadows (Midnight Cowboy, Midnight Sin, Midnight Rodeo and AC/DC)
 1 Lip Junkie Lipgloss (Midnight Cowboy)
 1  Travel-Sized Eyeshadow Brush

I’m not sure how many variants of Champagne a girl needs for a night-time look… something a little blacker wouldn’t have gone a-miss in this palette but I can’t deny that there are four very pretty shades included.

Here’s the rub.  All four will produce major fall out, either during application or after.  Eschew your beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion and use something like Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy to get them to stay stuck well into the night and for the love of God, don’t do your foundation before applying these shades.  Make use of those two tips and you’ll be able to give yourself up to the glitter monster and save your curses for something else.

Pretty yes?

Also included in the kit is a rather lovely lipgloss that doesn’t do too much on it’s own but applied over lipstick, turns your lips from daytime chic to night-time party in an instant.  The Midnight Cowboy shade is a sheer, glittery champagne that looks beautful worn over the top of a neutral lippie to give a bit of oomph and added sexiness.

The final inclusion comes in the form of a travel-sized eyeshadow brush…

It does what it says on the tin and it does it well.  Urban Decay brushes are some of the most under-rated synthetic brushes around.

A couple of FOTDs showing the kit in action…

At £28, I think it leans fairly expensive for what it is and will only really appeal to glitter demons and those under the age of 22.  Of course, there are plenty who will fall into that bracket and I can see this making a spectacular Christmas gift for those who would appreciate it.

However, in the face of some of Urban Decay’s other recent offerings… it’s a thumbs down from me.

Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit is priced at £28 and available on counter now and online from House of Fraser, HQ Hair, Debenhams and BeautyBay.

* press sample

 

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Big Bang

Posted by Lipglossiping On August - 22 - 2011

With their palettes taking main stage, it’s easy to forget about Urban Decay’s other product releases and this Autumn sees quite a few new introductions from the U.S. brand.

One in particular that I think will prove to be popular are the new Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors.  Currently available in five shades, these chubby lip pencils feature varying textures and finishes that promise high impact colour.

I would describe Big Bang as a medium-textured pencil, it’s not going to need constant sharpening but it doesn’t drag across my lips either.  This particular shade (Big Bang) contains a hefty amount of glitter which I didn’t find bothersome despite expecting to be irritated by a rough or scratchy finish from the particles.

Big Bang is a vibrant magenta that leans cool and contains a blue-pink glitter.  Despite the high-gloss moniker, I didn’t find this particularly glossy.  Shiny, yes (from the glitter) but not glossy in the traditional sense.  Neither should this be confused as a lipstick/gloss hybrid.  This particular shade is far more lipstick than lipgloss in both application and finish.

It packs a punch of colour and applies evenly with an impressive opacity even at first swipe.  Once on, it stays put nicely with no additional feathering and only minimal transfer to other objects.  It can be blotted to shift a little of the glitter if you find it a bit too disco.

Big Bang delivers a good 3/4 hours of wear before fading evenly and leaving a hint of a stain behind.  I think I’d love it more sans glitter but either way, this introduction to the new line has ensured that I’m destined to head to my nearest Urban Decay counter to check out F-Bomb (the creamy red) and Crush (the hot creamy pink).  As far as I’m aware, these are not limited edition.

Oh and incase you were wondering, the eyeliner in the above lip swatch is one of their new ones too…

Yup, Urban Decay appear to be on top form this Autumn.

All Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors* are currently in stock online at BeautyBay.com priced at £14.00 each.

* press sample

RANDOM

A CHEAP PRETTY THING FOR YOUR DRESSING TABLE!

If I had a penny for every attempt I’ve ever made at making my beauty collection look both pretty and organised, I’d have at least …

It's been a good makeup week

Indulge me, I rarely do haul posts.  But I’m really loving the things that I picked up this week.  And just look how restrained I …

Giveaway Winners!

Two giveaways ending at the same time nearly gave me a headache! Approximately 380 entries later, the 2 winners of my 72hr BarryM Dusky Mauve …

The best free (or cheap) delivery offers around!

This is a work in progress – if you know of any offers that I haven’t listed… please add them! It strikes me that considering …

Nailene So Real False Nails - Review

Back in the days of stumpgate, the wonderful Sirvinya kindly offered to send me a spare pack of her Nailene false nails that she’d received …

They don’t do cosmetics… but they should.

I wanna know… are there any brands out there who don’t do cosmetics that you think absolutely SHOULD?! I was thinking about this because back …

Inglot Lipsticks #192 & #264 - Swatches

In addition to my lovely Inglot Eyeshadow palette, I picked up a couple of lipsticks when I checked out the Inglot Store in Westfield a …

Avon Luxe Lace Christmas Collection - Lace Hues Palette

I was going to do one post that encompassed the entire Christmas Collection, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get a colour-accurate tube …

Wordless Wednesday

Spring is COMING!!!!

Confessions of a Beauty Snob

In the four years since I first fell in love with makeup, I’ve become a snob.  Caused by a simple case of exposure, or should …

POPULAR

Hello? Is this thing on?

Phew, that was a little unexpected. For those of you who haven’t had the misfortune of reading my hand-wringing tweets and woe-ridden facebook updates, let …

Big savings on French Pharmacy brands, win my Escentual.com top picks!

I’m of the firm opinion that for the money, French pharmacy brands offer some of the best solutions for diffcult skin-types. Escentual.com have long been …

Win it! 3 EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brushes to win!

I’ve written about these before, you know I love them, I want you to love them too! So why not have a go at winning …

FOTD Busting out of the comfort zone!

You may recall my bitter moans last week about how when presented with a rare opportunity to spend an indecent amount of time playing with …

Dear Obesity...

We have been together for over 20 years, our lives so entwined that I’ve never been sure how to live without you.  I would like …

Urban Decay The Black Palette - Photos & Swatches

The soon-to-be-released Black Palette from US eyeshadow maestro’s Urban Decay is an altogether darker affair than the recent Naked set… The Black Palette includes 6, …

Urban Decay 15-Year Anniversary 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set

This here post be ALL about the pictures… The Packaging…

The Johnson & Johnson Beauty Care Journalism Awards…

…were held earlier in the week at a swanky ‘do’ in London. Attended by some of the country’s best journalists and writers, the awards recognise …

Leila is two today!

My beautiful little girl Leila turns two today.  I’m sorry I don’t have a ‘normal’ post lined up for today but I spent all weekend …

Win a £100 voucher to spend at Zalando!

Well now, hasn’t February been a gloomy month so far? At least in January, we had the promise of a fresh new year… well, that …

  • Categories

  • Archives

  • Admin

  • Ads