Urban Decay

What’s the Most Underrated Eyeshadow Palette?

February 11th, 2016 by Karen 47 Comments

I was at Sephora last weekend getting a thank you gift for a friend (I got her a bottle of the new NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, and you know something is bomb dot com when you feel the urge to immediately go out and get it for one of your girlfriends), and of course I had to also do some browsing for myself, so I hit up the Urban Decay display ’cause I wanted a tube of Cannonball Mascara.

I noticed that the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette on display looked largely untouched, especially compared to the other Naked Palettes, and I was like, WHY?!

IMO, Naked2 Basics is one of the most underrated Urban Decay products in the entire line — heck, one of the most underrated palettes in general. I feel like the regular Naked palettes get most of the attention, but this one? I dunno… I really don’t think it gets the love it so richly deserves.

It’s loaded with matte neutral shades, which, for me, are total workhorses, because I can wear them almost every day with almost anything. They’re also cool toned, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a warm-toned gal/guy and still wear them. My skin is warm toned, and I love wearing this palette because I can really add depth and shape to my eyes (especially around the crease area, since my crease isn’t naturally that deep) with the cool-toned browns and taupes… Something about the cooler tones closely mimics the appearance of actual shadows and shading on my warm skin tone.

Wearing the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette ($29) on my eyes..

Don’t get me wrong — I still love my warm browns, but when I want to wear something that I know will look good in real life and pics, this is one of the palettes I consistently grab. It always delivers the goods, and you know about UD shadows — easy to blend, last all day long, and they’re packed with pigment too! (Of course, fallout is a challenge with them, but there are ways to deal with it.)

If you haven’t tried this one yet, and you’re looking for an easy-to-use matte palette with shades that look natural, check it out. It’s $29 for six shadows and a travel-friendly case, and you can find it in the permanent line.

OK, cutie patootie! In your estimation, what’s the most underrated eyeshadow palette out there now? Inquiring minds want to know!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So, some exciting baby-related developments on this end… I think I mentioned last week that BG and I are at the point (37 weeks) when we have to see the doc every week, and yesterday at our visit, I found out that she’s dropped down pretty low, and I’m officially dilated to about 1 centimeter, which means that she’s getting ready to charge out of the gates!

Now, exactly when that will happen, we don’t know, but it’s getting close. It could be today, tomorrow or three weeks from now. But, yeah, the doc said that if she arrived right now, she’d be considered full term.

At some point today I want to take another pic of my bare tum for BG to have, and I also want to record a quick video hello, just for her to have as mementoes…

I wish I had things like that from before I was born, but I only have a handful of baby pictures. (Hey, it was the Philippines in the ’70s.)

In other news, the baby “go bag” is almost fully packed. All I need to add now are some snacks (any ideas?), makeup and some light reading! Gonna do that today. 🙂

Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection Blush Palette, Lipsticks, Lip Pencils and Brow Box: Review and Observations

January 11th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing the UD Gwen Stefani Wonderland Lip Pencil and Lipstick, and the Blush Palette — Wearing the UD Gwen Stefani collection Blush Palette and Wonderland Lip Pencil and Lipstick

I could go on and on about my super fangirl crush on Gwen Stefani, but I think you and I have already done that dance before, haven’t we?

Yes, I love her — love her look, love her music, love her makeup, LOVE HER. (Note to self: consider dressing up Baby Girl as Gwen Stefani next Halloween, and try to find some red plaid baby pants, ASAP.)

Part two of the Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani collection drops online tomorrow, and very soon at stores and counters, so grab your L.A.M.B. stilettos (the ones you can barely walk in but love anyways), and let’s do this. 🙂

Like she did with the eyeshadow palette from part one of the release, Gwen put together a selection of shades that she said she’d want to have with her in her makeup bag. I’ve been wearing the lipsticks and blush palette for the past few days, including that two-day birthing class I think I mentioned, and I think the stunt baby was impressed…

Chillin' with the scary stunt baby — Chillin’ with the scary stunt baby

Er, well…maybe not.

So which of these are worth your time?

UD Gwen Stefani Collection Blush Palette ($45)

ud gwen stefani blush palette — The UD Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

How cool is that packaging for the Blush Palette? I definitely think this one is worth considering, but ideally for lighter lords and ladies.

In the palette you get two powder blushes (a shimmery cool pink and a shimmery golden plum), three powder highlighters (a shimmery golden beige, shimmery peachy beige and an opalescent peachy pink) and a warm matte orangey brown powder bronzer, and while I like how soft the powders feel and how they last all day long, a couple of the colors look — how should I say this? — a tad wonky.

ud gwen stefani blush palette packaging — Packaging for the UD Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

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The Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Lipsticks: Swatches!

January 7th, 2016 by Karen 30 Comments

ud gwen stefani lipsticks — The eight lipsticks from the new Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection ($18 each)

GIRL, you know I had to do it. You cannot put all of those juicy reds in front of a girl like me and NOT expect her to at least try on a couple (OK, all) of them.

Here’s the whole batch, swatches of all eight lipsticks from the new Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection ($18 each).

I have to say, a few of them have me seriously wowed — Firebird, 714, Rock Steady, Spider and Wonderland (basically, all of the opaque shades). They’re all gloriously intense, although, hello! — note to self: use them with their coordinating UD Gwen Stefani Lip Pencils next time, because getting those edges smooth was harder than herding cats.

The sheer shades (Ex-Girlfriend, Phone Call and Plaid) have a healthy dose of pigment (for sheers), but they end up showing off my lip flakie-flakes more than I’d like, and, yes, I’m still bummed about Ex-Girlfriend breaking in the tube. ?

ud gwen stefani spiderweb lipstick — UD Gwen Stefani Lipstick in Spiderweb

ud gwen stefani firebird lipstick — UD Gwen Stefani Lipstick in Firebird

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Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection First Look and Swatches

January 7th, 2016 by Karen 38 Comments

I realize that the “L.A.M.B.” in Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line stands for “Love, Angel, Music, Baby,” but can we please pretend for a sec that it stands for “Love, Angel, Makeup, Baby”?

Because, makeup? Pretty please? It makes sense when you consider Gwen’s new collaboration collection with Urban Decay, UD Gwen Stefani.

Think of it as a part deux extension of last year’s UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette. There are lipsticks galore (and, hello! — it wouldn’t be a G.Stef collab without rockin’ reds), lip pencils, a blush palette and a brow box.

Here are swatches and pics of the whole kit and caboodle, but I need a little more time with these products to canoodle (!), then I’ll holla back, girl (haha, you know I couldn’t resist), with some looks and the full scoop.

I’m lovin’ the reds, especially the matte red, 714. Very bright. And I like the packaging. That gold and black seems very Gwen.

I was a little bummed when I swatched Ex-Girlfriend, one of the Lipsticks, because it was so creamy that the lipstick bullet broke. 🙁 And I won’t be able to use the Brow Box, because it’s for blondes…so in this case, I guess blonde’s really do have more fun.

The Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection

(1) Blush Palette — $45

(8) Lipsticks — $18 each

(6) Lip Pencils — $20 each

(1) Brow Box — $30

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If You Like Neutrals, the Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Palette Is B-A-N-A-N-A-S

November 19th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

There should be a video in this post, but if you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

When I open the new UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay and see all of the neutrals, I start getting ideas… My internal makeup monologue kicks in, and looks start running through my head.

They start simple, but that doesn’t last long. “I’ll just do a quick wash of color with one or two matte browns on my lids,” I’ll think, “then black winged liner with a red lip. Just like Gwen!”

But then I’ll think, why stop at just two browns? I should add a third one in the crease.

Ooh! — or why don’t I do a grayish brown smoky eye instead? Maybe with a touch of blue on my lids? Because that’s so Gwen!

BUT then I’ll remember that I almost forget about glitter! How could I forget about the glitter!?

Girl, you know how it goes. 🙂 What starts as a five-minute look spirals into 35.

It’s not me though. It’s not my fault. It’s because of all the inspiring neutrals in this palette.

Yup, this is one of those palettes, and to really feel the magic in the makeup (shout-out to No Doubt’s Return of Saturn!), you have to appreciate the beauty of browns and beiges.

I see this one as almost an extension of the Urban Decay Naked Palette family, except with the addition of a few brights, so if you’re the kind of girl or guy who’d rather wear electric teal shimmer, you might find the neutrals here a bit underwhelming.

Not me though. When I see browns and golds and mattes (and there are so many in this!), I get excited.

In the unlikely event that you were cryogenically frozen in 1993 and are only now asking yourself, “Who’s Gwen Stefani?” she’s a pop singer, fashion designer and current vocal coach/judge on The Voice.

I’ve always admired her casual So Cal punk style and cool girl vibe, and I kid you not, I was hell bent on being her in 1995.

I even designated a section of my closet for my “Gwen Stefani” outfits. My favorite was a pair of baggy navy blue pants with light blue stripes going down the sides, which I’d pair with a baby blue sleeveless crop top and baby blue stick-on bindis.

OH, LAWD!!

urban decay gwen stefani swatches 3 — Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987 and Blackout

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Quick Tip: Get Hotter Smoky Eyes With the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

urban decay zodiac — Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac ($21)

Here’s a quick way to take nighttime smoky eyes from “glam” to “Glam! Bam! Thank you, ma’am!”

Just do this: add glitter. 🙂

Yup! I know, right? What a huge shocker… After you finish doing your smoky eye, if you feel like full-on hot dayum drama, grab a glitter eyeshadow, and pop that ish on your lids.

The $21 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows are great for this.

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How to Do a Smudgy Liner Daytime Smoky Eye | Tutorial

October 16th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Ah, smoky eyes… How I love, love, LOVE thee.

I love you for your telenovela-style drama, of course, but more than that — I love your gymnastic-caliber flexibility. There are so many ways to creatively interpret smoky eyes, and one of my favorites is this daytime eye look with smudgy liner.

It’s easier than it looks.

No, really! You won’t need a quadrillion brushes or eyeshadows. Just four brushes — a flat eyeshadow brush, a domed blending brush, a tapered blending brush and an angled eyeliner brush — and four eyeshadows, and for the shadows I suggest choosing a progression of colors from darkest to lightest in any finishes that move you from matte, to shimmer, to satin, etc.

For daytime smoky eyes, I do prefer mattes, though, more than shimmers, because the flatter finish says to me, “Let’s set a meeting to work on the fourth-quarter TPS reports,” as opposed to, “Let’s meet at da club to freak on some hot dudes.”

As for your colors, you’ll need a light shade to highlight your brown bone, a slightly darker crease color around your skin tone or one or two shade darker, a color slightly darker than that for the “smoke” on your lids, and then another even darker shade to smudge the eyeliner we’ll be using.

For this look, I went with four shades from the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette, namely light beige Thirteen, which I’m using as my highlight shade; peachy taupe Combust, which I’m using as my crease shade; dark brown Whiskey, which I’m using as my lid shade; and dark gray Password to smudge the liner.

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5 Lavish, Lovely Berry Lipsticks to Fall for This Fall

October 15th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

Fall.

They say it’s fall, and it did feel like fall here about a week ago. It was cloudy and chilly, and there were leaves falling everywhere outside, but then summer struck back and said, “CUT! Hold your horses! I’m not ready to go…” We had another string of 80- and 90-degree days.

Sooner or later, though, it’ll get cooler and stay that way. It’s a guarantee. 🙁 And when it happens, I’ll be ready for it with these five fall-friendly berry lipsticks.

1. NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park ($26)

nars hyde park — NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park

I really like Reddish berry Hyde Park with bronze, burgundy and brown looks. And even cranberry smoky eyes (Ooh! — give it try sometime with a warm and shimmery cranberry on your lids and a matte orangey brown in the crease). The pencil shape makes it easy to line and fill in my lips without needing a lip liner, so yay for skipping steps! Hyde Park is available now at NARS counters, stores and online.

2. Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Plum Lush ($52)

tom ford plum lush — Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Plum Lush

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