A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Check out my first homemade palette!

Ignore the 3 on the right, I totally cheated and shoved 3 MAC pans in there for the photo whilst my last 3 pigments were drying.

The palette is mostly made up from The She Space pigments, I find that one full size pigment fills a pan fairly nicely.  I’ve also sneaked in a BarryM Dazzle Dust and a few Elemental Beauty shadows too!

What ya reckon?  Any of you ladies press your own loose eye shadows?  Any interest in a pictorial on my pigment pressing methods?

A quick (quick? who am I kidding, took me ages!)  FOTD showing off a couple of the matte shades from the new Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette:

Marron on the lid and lower lashline
Wafer in the crease
Moto-X on the upper lashline and outer V

gah… hooded lids…

oh well, you can at least see Marron UNDER my eyes right?

Dude, I honestly CAN blend!  The camera has totally washed out wafer which I blended into the socket line to ease the transition between browbone and lid.

I was surprised by how much I’m enjoying playing with some mattes, they’re looking more sophisticated and I feel like they’re blending less ‘muddily’ than shimmer shades.  Am I imagining things oh matte addicts?  I’ve really not worn mattes much before, but I just seem to be creating more polished looks with these than normal (not that you could tell from my photos).

And here’s a brighter EOTD with the Bohemian Palette:

Emperor on the lid
Sanguine in the crease
Moto-X into the socket to darken

Ok, that’s enough badly executed FOTDs from me for at least a year, apologies for any nightmares you may suffer as a result of viewing this post.  Hopefully though, it will help you decide whether or not you’ll be spending your lunchbreak today in Superdrug or Boots 😉

…Or just ‘divine’ according to the packaging.  And yano what?  I think they might be right…

Sleek MakeUP have truly outdone themselves on the design front.  Reminiscent of MAC’s soon to be released (in the UK) Give me Liberty of London collection with it’s whimsical scrolls and monochromatic base design.  Someone in the Sleek MakeUP Art dept. has their fingers very much on the pulse.

When the palette arrived unnanounced from Sleek HQ, I was momentarily thrown by all this new styling!  Ordinarily enclosed in a clear plastic carton, the Sleek MakeUP Bohemian palette finds itself housed in cardboard.  I don’t know if this is a permanent shift in packaging, but it’s one I prefer.  It’s easier to open at the counter to make sure you haven’t managed to pick up the one palette that’s been smashed to smithereens by an over-zealous 9 year old.

The actual palette itself has undergone a bit of a transformation too, no longer a sleek black box I’m undecided on the new look.  It looks a bit cheap, the stark white seems to emphasise it’s overall plastic-ness.  I think if Sleek MakeUP had continued the graphics (or even just the black swirls) from the outer sleeve onto the palette itself, it would have been a knockout.

In fairness though, do we care?  Probably not…

With 12 generously sized eye shadows contained under the lid, the Sleek MakeUP palettes retain their excellent value for money credentials.  Let’s take a closer look at those eye shadows.

Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette is billed as being inspired by “antique trinkets, vintage finds” and um… “Sienna Miller”.  Despite this obvious drawback *removes tongue from cheek*, they’ve managed to pull off a fabulous array of strong shades that are sure to pack a punch.  Will I use all of them?  Probably not… but I don’t think I’ve ever used every shade in a Sleek MakeUP i-Divine palette and that hasn’t stopped me buying them thus far.

The Bohemian palette is comprised of 3 shimmers and 9 mattes.  Woah there!  As a shimmer girl, I have to admit to being a little disappointed to see so many mattes…. I mean, go buy the Chaos palette if you want mattes!  Still, I’m nothing if not adventurous (honest!) and do realise that I’m not the only makeup-loving chick in the world… let’s have a closer look…

Oh, but before we do… For the love of God, will someone at Sleek MakeUP please consider naming the i-Divine shadows?  No?  Fine… I hereby christen these shades with some twatty names on your behalf…

Top Row from Left to Right… (S) = Shimmer, (M) = Matte

1. Gilt – Golden Olive (S)
2. Russet – Rust (S)
3. Marron – Maroony Chestnut (M)
4. Calendula (shutup, they’re MY names) – Banana Custard (M)
5. Anaemia (come on MAC, employ me already) – Off-White (M)
6. Neutron – Black (M)

7. Wafer (It SO is, right?) – Pale Tan (M)
8. Sanguine – Raspberry meets Cranberry (S)
9. Clover – Bright Grassy Green (M)
10. Overdyed – Indigo Denim (M)
11. Emperor – Purple (M)
12. Moto-X (yeah, I’m bored of shade naming now) – Dirt Brown (M)

And the swatches…

Bar Clover and Calendula… I think I’m happy to wear the rest of the shades, which is more than I thought when I first looked at the palette.  My only other ‘not sure’ was Wafer which actually works fabulously in the crease to blend out a more vibrant shade.

The pigmentation of the mattes is (as expected) not as strong as the shimmers, but they’re easily buildable without looking chalky and the above swatches show no more than 3 swipes (2 in most cases).

I’ve given Sleek a hard time recently on Lipglossiping.com…. from Eye Dusts that spill to liquid liners that flake, I’ve been disappointed with the quality of some of the brand’s recent offerings.  So it’s just as well they’ve come along and hit this one out of the ballpark.

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Bohemian Palette is Limited Edition and will be available from Wednesday 17th March at some Superdrug stores (not my local – boo!) and online at Sleek MakeUP priced at £4.99.

International ladies, please note that Sleek MakeUP now accept online orders and offer international postage.

I just got mine, well… Leila’s.

Remember, SHD1 for free delivery and PE5P will give you10% off (yeah, I found that one AFTER I ordered)

I’ve received clarification from Urban Decay’s PR representative in the UK.

You’ll be pleased to know…

Debenhams.com will be restocking the Alice in Wonderland on their website. They’re hoping to have this done within the next 2 days, but can’t give an exact time frame.  Advice is to simply keep checking.

The palette will then hit Oxford Street Debenhams on the 28th of February.

On the 1st March, the palette will roll out to Debenhams stores nationwide.  Check to see if your local has a UD counter because if you pop down to your local counter, you’ll also have a (no purchase necessary) chance to win a pair of tickets to see Alice in Wonderland at the cinema.

Please refer to this post for further shopping details.

I hope that eases the confusion x

….As of 12.30am on the 21st Feb, the Alice in Wonderland Palette is out of stock on Debenhams.com.  That’s about 12hrs after it was first released right?

How do I know this?  ‘Cos I’ve been umm-ing and ahh-ing all bloody day trying to decide whether or not to purchase the one I’ve had sitting in my basket since lunchtime to keep as a little makeup heirloom for Leila.

At 12.30am, I decided to go for it!

BUGGER!

Hurry up and come back Alice!  Will it be there when I wake up in the morning?

I guess it didn’t want to be late, for a very important date! *groan*

Click the image for more info!

Enter code SHD1 upon checkout for free UK delivery.  P6MP will give you 5% off your order too, bringing the total to £26.60 delivered.

Huge thanks to Yuen-Ting for the heads up and Lady Gray for the 5% code – good going ladies! xx

This is Part 3 of a triple post on the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Palette.  Check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Whew!  I’ve been on a marathon swatching session for you to feast your eyes upon!  I hope the photos are clear enough.  I’ve worked hard to keep the swatches as close to real life as possible and I’m confident I’ve achieved it.

Slightly less importantly, I’ve added a commentary of my thoughts on each of the shadows.  I think eye shadow preferences are a particularly personal affair, so please be aware that these are my personal likes and dislikes.

There still seems to be a lot of (mis)information flying around.  To clarify, the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows will be released exclusively at Debenhams.  It appears that *some* stores won’t be receiving stock, so do check with your local store in advance to save disappointment.  If your store won’t be selling it, you will be able to order it online from Debenhams.com (and there’s usually a free delivery code floating around on t’internet to save you a few pennies).

The palette will be priced at £28 (UK) / €37 (Ireland) and the rumours that there are only 2000 palettes allocated for our shores are untrue.  There will be many more than that, but it IS limited edition and it WILL sell out quickly as sales in the US have proven.

Ok, that aside… let’s get started shall we?

Key:

S = Shimmer
SG = Shimmer Glitter
UGBCGGIOM = Ugh! Great Bit Chunks o’Glitter, GET IT OFF ME!

UNDERLAND (flash) (S) – A true violet.  It’s buildable to a strong intensity with 3 strokes… definitely leaning towards the cool tones –

ALICE (painkiller) (S) – Beautiful aqua turquoise.  Highly pigmented, one firm stroke gives solid opacity on the lid.  Not a shade for shy, retiring types! –

CHESSUR (chopper) (SG) – A gold that leans towards brown.  This would be great for a pop of intensity to an otherwise neutral eye.  It’s gold, but not gaudy –

WHITE RABBIT (polyester bride) (UGBCGGIOM) – More commonly known as “Polyester Bride”.  It’s a white with silver reflects.  Gritty in the pan, the large chunks of glitter are more likely to end up on your cheeks than stay on your lids.  Be prepared to apply your eyeshadow with your head tilted toward the ceiling in an attempt to minimise fall out –

ORACULUM (baked) (S) – A true intense yellow gold.  Blends like buttah and I fear that I’m already making a very slight dip in the pan on this one –

QUEEN (last call) (S) – One of the nicest cranberry shades I’ve ever worn.  Most make me look like I’ve been rubbing my eyes, this one has enough purple in it to avoid that.  Texture is simillar to UNDERLAND –

WONDERLAND (maui wowie) (SG) – Quite hard to describe… a neutral gold?  60% Gold/40% Silver?  It’s paler than the others in the palette and slightly more metallic.  Glitter is present, but mostly disappears with a couple of taps of my brush.  Other than being a beautiful shade in it’s own right, I love this one for it’s flexibility.  It pairs beautifully with most of the shades in the palette –

CURIOUSER (grifter) (SG) – Looks pink in the pan, applies lilac-y on my pale skintone.  Slightly less pigmented than the majority of shades in the box, but like UNDERLAND… it’s buildable.  Unlike UNDERLAND, it contains glitter which will build alongside the colour intensity –

MUCHNESS (x) (S) – Pretty peach with a golden sheen.  A lovely duotone that would look great set against blue eyes, but not such a great shade for my pale pink skin.  Texture however, is smooth as a baby’s bum and strongly pigmented –

MUSHROOM (mushroom) (S) – In my world, all taupes would look like this.  The perfect blend of grey/brown, a gorgeous crease colour –

ABSOLEM (homegrown) (S) – I’m not a fan of greens (which is one reason why I prefer this palette to the BOSII), but I’ll try my hardest to be impartial!  This is slightly sheerer than the pan would suggest… It’s buildable and safe to do so without ending up looking like a disco ball thanks to a lack of glitter.  A shimmering grassy green that would look fab paired with WONDERLAND –

DRINK ME EAT ME (sin) (S) – A fabulous champagne shade that makes a wonderful base for a neutral eye.  No glitter, smooth-textured and highly pigmented.  This is a winner! –

MIDNIGHT TEA PARTY (mcra) (UGBCGGIOM) – You knew it was coming… Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (and again, and again).  Why do Urban Decay keep insisting on putting it in my palettes! 😉  In seriousness, I know that there are lots of people out there who LOVE this shade… but for the life of me, I can’t think why.  You guys must love it *for* the glitter, ‘cos once that’s dropped onto my lashes and cheekbones (20 seconds after applying) all that’s left is a very sheer version of DRINK ME. EAT ME –

VORPAL (s&m) (S) – Stunning! Looks simillar to MUSHROOM in the pan.  Swatched, it’s a gorgeous platinum grey.  Smooth as buttah and blends beautifully.  I actually DARE you to dislike this shade –

MAD HATTER (twice baked) (S) – The least shimmery shadow in the palette.  MAD HATTER is a neutral dark brown which should get kudos for not leaning towards the red.  It’s slightly sheer on the first stroke, which I appreciate as it would be easy to go overboard otherwise.  I’m sure it’s an absolute staple neutral shade for many –

JABBERWOCKY (oil slick) (SG) – Underneath the glitter, this looks to be a matte black.  It’s highly pigmented… so use with a light touch!  I don’t really wear black shadows but I’ve discovered that I LOVE to use this wet as an eyeliner.  The glitter makes it a killer black liner for the evening!  Urban Decay even make a product that allows you to do this with ease (or, failing that, just wet your favourite eyeliner brush with a drop of good old H2O).  Don’t worry, Urban Decay eyeshadows can be used wet or dry! –

24/7 Pencil in ZERO – A basic strongly pigmented smooth matte black.  Glides on, doesn’t rub off easily.  A makeup staple! –

24/7 Pencil in FLIPSIDE – A super bright teal.  For me, FLIPSIDE is a wise inclusion.  The palette boasts a number of shadows that work well together to create a natural looking eye and FLIPSIDE is the perfect shade to lift that neutral looking eye out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary… straight into Alice’s world perhaps? –

That’s it!  That’s all I’ve got for you (barring a couple of dodgy looks I’ve done with the palette).  If you have any questions about the palette or swatches, I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

This is Part 2 of a 3 Part UD Alice Extravaganza! – Click here for Part 1 and Part 3!

Clockwise from Top Left: UNDERLAND, ALICE, CHESSUR, WHITE RABBIT

Clockwise from Top Left: ORACULUM, QUEEN, WONDERLAND, CURIOUSER

Clockwise from Top Left: MUCHNESS, MUSHROOM, ABSOLEM, DRINK ME. EAT ME.

Clockwise from Top Left: MIDNIGHT TEA PARTY, VORPAL, MAD HATTER, JABBERWOCKY

Left to Right: 24/7 Liner in Zero (black), 24/7 Liner in Flipside (blue), Urban Decay Primer Potion (mini)

On colour alone… I’m absolutely loving the look of:

~ Oraculum
~ Alice
~ Vorpal / Underland (I can’t choose between them – please don’t make me!)

Come on… which are your top 3?

Swatches and my thoughts on the individual shades tomorrow xxx

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part UD Alice Extravaganza!  Click here for Part 2 and Part 3!

After my not so subtle hint-dropping yesterday, I’m sure that most of you have figured out that I took delivery of Urban Decay’s heavily anticipated Alice in Wonderland Palette (yay!).

I’m feeling priviledged to have been chosen to ‘unveil’ this to you wonderful UK beauty addicts as only one sample box was released to the UK blogging community.  Forgive me just a teeny bit of smugness, but if it gets too much, feel free to slap me.  I’d do the same to you.

Anyway… I’m going to break the ‘unveiling’ into 3 posts… I’m not falsely modest and know that photos are what I do best.  So you can expect each post to be picture heavy (which I am hoping, is a good thing).  This first post will focus on that wonderful pop-up scene.  The artistry that’s gone into the palette is breathtaking and a large part of the overall appeal for many of us.

So, without further ado (or let’s be frank… rambling)… I bring you, Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows.

Open the palette to reveal a pop-up scene of Alice in the mushroom forest. Her “drink me” bottle discarded, she staggers past towering mushrooms, only to cross paths with a very peculiar, hookah-smoking caterpillar. A large mirror rests behind the scene – you feel as if you are transported into the film itself.

The Alice in Wonderland palette is due to be released in the UK on the 22nd February online with a store-wide release set for the 28th February.  It will be a Debenhams exclusive.

The gothic whimsy of the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie is inspiring both audiences and brands alike.

It has now been confirmed that Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland palette will be released on the 22nd of February online in the UK at Debenhams.com, followed by an instore release on the 28th February.  It has also been confirmed that the UK price of the palette will be £28.

Interesting news hot from The States is that after much speculation, Urban Decay have thankfully released a name check for the renamed Alice-inspired shades.  So keep reading to see how many colours may be duplicates in your collection.

The Shades…

Underland – Flash
Alice – Painkiller
Oraculum – Baked
Queen – Last Call
Chessur – Chopper
White Rabbit – Polyester Bride
Wonderland – Maui Wowie
Curiouser – Grifter
Muchness – X
Mushroom – Mushroom
Midnight Tea Party – Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (dear god..)
Vorpal – S&M
Absolem – Homegrown
Drink Me. Eat Me – Sin
Mad Hatter – Twice Baked
Jabberwocky – Oil Slick

Because I’m such a geek dedicated to the cause, I’ve been googling Urban Decay’s back catalogue and can tell you what you would duplicate if you already own…

Ammo – Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper, Maui Wowie, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin (7 dupes)
Sustainable – Grifter, Twice Baked, MCRA, Flash, Oil Slick (5 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol II – Mushroom, Twice Baked, MCRA, Homegrown (4 dupes)
Skull – MCRA, Grifter, Chopper, Twice Baked (4 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol I – Last Call, Grifter, Baked (3 dupes)
Get Baked – Twice Baked, Baked (2 dupes)
Show Pony – Flash, Painkiller (2 dupes)
Wallpaper – Last Call, Chopper (2 dupes)
Arsenal – MCRA (1 dupe)
Face Case – Polyester Bride (1 dupe)
Foreshadow – Oil Slick (1 dupe)
Deluxe Shadow Box – No Dupes (0 dupes)

Have I missed any out? Probably…

Hopefully this is useful to you lovely lot, it means that this palette promises me 7 brand new shades to add to my collection.

I’m not too disappointed with that and that adorable packaging is cute enough that I would have probably talked myself into owning this purely as a “collector’s piece” anyway (or at least until Mr. L snatched the debit card out of my hand).

What say you?

How many of those shades do you already own?

Obviously, this has been out aaaaaages… but ever since I saw the swatches on Jojoba’s blog last month, I’ve been lemming it like a woman possessed.

Since Sephora doesn’t ship to the UK, I have no US friends and I’m not keen on paying £40 on eBay, I’ll just have to suck it up and continue to cry myself to sleep thinking about it until like the beautiful LE item it is, it disappears from my sights forever…

A January essential? Most definitely *sigh*

If you have it, tell me how much you love it!