Dec 26, 2011

Quick Tip: Garlic Nails

If you have trouble with weak, short, and peeling nails, this is for you. Buy the cheapest clear polish you can find. Next, take a small garlic clove and cut it into itty bitty pieces, and stuff them into the polish. Try to paint your nails with this concoction every week or as soon as you see a chip, and your nails will thank you.

Dec 22, 2011

Tip: Determining Your Skin's Undertones

Many people become very confused when faced with products labeled for "warm" or "cool" skin tones. An easy way to determine this is to look at your arm - if your veins appear greenish, then your skin has a yellow undertone, or is warm-toned. If the veins on your arm look blue, then your skin has a pink undertone, or is cool-toned. If you can't see the veins under your skin, try to determine whether you look better in gold or silver. Warm skin tones tend to look best in golds, while cooler skin tones look best in silver.

Hope this was helpful!

Dec 21, 2011

Tag: If I Had To Start Over

So there is this tag that has been going around YouTube that asks you to name the ten items you would purchase first if all of your makeup disappeared. I don't make YouTube videos, but I thought it would be fun to share this anyway.

The first item on my list is a cheap clear mascara. I use a clear mascara every single day to keep my crazy eyebrows in place, and I think it makes all the difference in the world. I don't bother buying expensive tubes of "brow gels" because a $2 clear mascara from a drugstore works just fine!

The second item is actually a dark grey eyeshadow, which I use sometimes to fill in the gaps of my brows. My hair and eyebrows are black, and I find that dark grey looks more natural than a brown shadow. I apply it using an angled eyeliner brush for a natural finish. The one I currently have is Kiko Eye Shadow in 175, but when I run out I'll have to get something different unless I go to Italy to get it :)

My next item is the Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner Pencil in Black, and so far this has been the darkest, creamiest liner I've found that doesn't move around in my inner rims/lower lash line.

I would have to buy a mascara, and although I don't use one every day, I like to have one for when I'm doing night looks or if I feel like wearing one. I've tried many before, but so far I really love the Clinique High Impact, L'Oreal Voluminous, and Rimmel The Max Volume Flash mascaras.

Rimmel The Max Volume Flash Mascara
For foundation, I'd like something that I could use as a powder and that's portable. Right now I'm using the Mark. Powder Buff Foundation in Buff, and I really like it. I haven't found my holy grail foundation yet, but I'm working on it!

I think my favorite makeup item is blush, so I actually picked two from my current collection. If my makeup actually did disappear, I'm not 100% sure if I would repurchase these specific ones, simply because I love blush and I want to try every single one out there, but for now MAC's Dame and Benefit's Dallas would definitely have me covered. 
Benefit Dallas & MAC blush in Dame


For eyeshadow I had to pick a palette, and of course I went with my new boo, the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette. This palette is amazing, and I can create so many different looks! If you want to know more, you can read my review here

I have oily skin, and thus I have oily eyelids. Without primer, my eyeshadow would crease badly, and then just disappear somewhere, and that's not a very good look. I haven't tried many primers, because the one that I tried first was amazing, and that was the Urban Decay Primer Potion. I currently have the original, but I'm really interested in trying the Eden one. 

Lastly, I had to pick a lip product, so I decided to go with Clinique's Superbalm Lip Treatment in Currant. This is a balm/lip gloss that leaves some color and is super moisturizing, and I've actually repurchased it twice. Most of the time I wear lip balm, but this one can act as a lip gloss as well.


That was all, thank you for reading!

Dec 20, 2011

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette: Review & Photos

Why hello there! I know I haven't posted in forever, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about this blog. I have many reviews, tips and routines coming up that I think everyone will enjoy, so stay tuned.

If you are somewhat interested in makeup and beauty products, you've probably heard of the ever-so-famous Urban Decay Naked Palette. UD eyeshadows are known for their amazing texture, pigmentation, and overall quality. Last year when they released a 'Naked' palette full of wearable neutrals, everyone went nuts and it sold out everywhere. The palette became so famous that this month they have released a sequel called the Naked2.

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette
Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, & Snakebite

Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, & Blackout
Double-ended brush
Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked









This new palette is already famous by association. I managed to get my hands on it, but so far only the Urban Decay website is carrying it and it keeps selling out at a ridiculous rate. This palette deserves five stars just for the fact that it includes twelve full-size shadows, when a single UD shadow usually retails for $17. The packaging of this version is made of plastic and resembles a metal tin, which might make it more durable and definitely easier to clean. It comes with a bigger mirror, a double ended brush (a flat shader and a fluffy blending brush) and a mini lip gloss. All of this for just $50 USD is just too good to pass up.

The real question would be, is it worth to have both? In my opinion, I actually prefer this new palette over the old one. On the UD website it says that this palette was created with more 'greige' and cooler colors, which I definitely like. Many of the new shades lean more towards the cooler side and there are many shades of taupe. There are also three matte colors: a cream highlight (Foxy), a mid-tone beige/gray (Tease) and a really intense black for liner or defined crease work (Blackout). I have light, cool-toned skin, so this palette will definitely get more use than my original Naked.

If you are a makeup collector and can afford it, it's definitely OK to have both palettes. My older Naked palette was barely used, so I actually sold it to a friend who prefers gold and bronze shades. If you have neither and are considering purchasing one, I'd say go to the store once it's released and swatch the shades. Although they look very similar in their packaging, the difference is quite notable. However, I definitely like the Naked2 better than the first. :)

This palette is currently available at UrbanDecay.com and I believe it will be available at Sephora.com after Christmas. This palette retails for $50 USD.

Dec 2, 2011

NAKED?! AGAIN?!

The NAKED2 palette from Urban Decay is officially out, but it's already sold out! Word is that the colors are very similar, although this new palette has a few more matte shades and an amazingly intense matte black color. From what I've seen so far, it doesn't look that different from the original palette, so if you already have that one, I wouldn't necessarily suggest purchasing it. However, if you never got the chance to buy the first edition, I definitely recommend buying this palette!





This palette comes with a dual-ended brush (regular shader and crease/blending) and a mini lip gloss. There are twelve shades, and five of them are exclusive. The shades are:

  • Foxy
  • Half Baked *
  • Booty Call
  • Chopper
  • Tease
  • Snakebite
  • Suspect
  • Pistol
  • Verve
  • YDK
  • Busted 
  • Blackout
*Half Baked is also included in the first palette


The palette is currently sold out at urbandecay.com, but you can sign up on the website to be notified of when it is back in stock. As for other retailers, sephora.com will start carrying the palette after Christmas, and it will be in stores as of January 2012.

Happy Holidays!


Photo and information courtesy of urbandecay.com