Palette Series: Urban Decay Naked Palette

If you have managed to get along so far without coming across this palette then you must have been living in a cave! It is that ever hyped-up Naked Palette!

Packed with 12 beautifully neutral shades, it is a wonderfully wearable palette that can create so many different looks for night and day!


As with all UD eyeshadows, they are wonderfully pigmented and the colour pay-off is fantastic! My favourite ones has to be Buck, Toasted and Hustle (but not necessarily all together!). There are some shades that I haven't touched or even attempted to experiment with but maybe one day I'll branch out and give some of the other ones a go.


As the Naked Palette was so popular, it wasn't surprising that UD released the Naked 2 Palette soon after. Although they contain completely different shades, I can't help but feel that I don't need any more neutral shades in my life so I have yet to invest into it.


This palette is slightly on the more expensive side at £36.00 at UD stockists but breaking it down to numbers, it comes to about £3 per eyeshadow and they are of great quality and in a handy palette. If you think about it, one MAC eyeshadow will set you back at least £9! I think that it is really worth the money you pay for it and if you don't own either the original or the Naked 2 palette, I would seriously consider investing in at least on of them.


What do you think? Do you own this palette or the Naked 2? Which shades are your favourite?


Vanessa


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Where I have been the past few days...

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Hello!

I feel like I owe you all a little post about where I've been the last few days (although you probably don't think I need to!) Since I started this blog, I've have made a conscious effort to post regularly and basically to always have a presence on here. But the last few days has been physically and mentally draining what with me graduating the other day (which I will be doing a separate post on) and just spending time with family and friends but I've been finding it more and more difficult to make my fingers type out what I'm thinking. I've got several posts saved on draft and I've just been getting the feeling that everything I write isn't worth clicking the 'publish' button yet.

I hope you understand the intermission on my blog and that I've really needed the last few days (and hopefully not too many in the future!) to kind of re-boot my brain! I have some great posts lined up and a small giveaway as I am coming up to 50 followers across GFC and HelloCotton! 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to you all for sticking with me! 

Vanessa

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Review: Garnier 2 in 1 Tinted Eye Roll-on

I am a huge sufferer of dark circles and if I don't get an adequate amount of my beauty sleep, you can definitely tell through my dull under-eye circles! I decided to invest some of my hard earned pennies into the Garnier tinted eye roll-on to try and make me look more alive!

I picked up the shade 03 Medium which actually matches my skintone really well! It has the same elements as the standard Garnier eye roll-on but with the added benefit of a tinted concealer. At first,  was slightly dubious of applying caffeine under my eyes but I was pleasantly surprised as to how refreshing and brightening it made my eyes.

I simply apply this as I would an under eye concealer and pat it gently under my eyes (being careful not to tug on the eyes!). I found it to be quite a 'liquidy' product that doesn't have the particular thickness that a concealer might have but it doesn't bother me. The 'cool' feel of the roller ball added to the experience of using the product (if that makes any sense!) and it had that 'oooh, I'm awake now' result. It doesn't accentuate any lines that I may have and I set it with a little dusting of MAC MSF Natural. It just sits there happily all day; I can't actually tell you how long the wear lasts for so a small touch-up may be required if you are out and about for long periods of time.

This is available in 2 different shades and claims to adapt perfectly to your skintone. I bought this on offer from Superdrug at £5.09 but it retails at £10.20. If you keep an eye out, Superdrug usually does some great deals and you can end up picking up a bargain!

Have you used this before? What do you think of it?

Vanessa

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Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Oh Revlon, you are fast becoming my favourite drugstore brand! The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains have finally made it's way across the pond to the UK! Again, we are only getting a few select shades rather than the entire collection (no surprise there then!) But the one I have to review for you is shade 001 Honey.

They have been compared to the Clinque Chubby Sticks but unfortunately I have never tried the Clinque Chubby Sticks so I can't give you a direct comparison but from what I've seen in the stores and several blog reviews, there is not much difference between them (except the price!). The balm itself is very glossy and I found the application of them was really easy. The pointed tip of the balm stain likened to just colouring in your lips! To get more product, you can simply twist the silver bit at the bottom and it twists up like a lipstick almost.

Now the colour, I swatched all the shades that were available in Superdrug and I deduced that Honey would be the one that I would wear most often. It's a very nice nudey-pink colour and when I applied it onto my lips, it was like 'my lips, but better'! One point I have to say about this is that it has a minty, polo mint type scent which I found strange because I thought it would have had a vanilla scent. But it doesn't bother me because I (heart) minty scents but some people might be put off by that.

These are available in Superdrug now for an introductory offer of £5.99 each or at Boots on 3 for 2 offer but at £7.99 each. Depending on how many you plan to get, there are great deals on them just now!

What do you think? Are they the poor girl's Chubby Stick? Which shade is your favourite?

Vanessa

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Sunday Summary #10

Follow me on Instagram: fong_wingsee

001. The picture above are the three different dresses I have bought in the past few weeks. I really don't think I need that many dresses but they're all so pretty (and in the sale!) that I really couldn't pass them up! Plus, I'm sure I'll find an occasion to wear them. My bank account is suffering a lot right now though!


002. I've been thinking a lot about my blog and what I can do to make it more 'me'. Possibly a unique type of post or a bit of a 'blog re-vamp'? If you're very technological and would love to give me a hand, then I would be greatly appreciated!


003. Whilst sitting here and trying to think about what I've done this week...it seems that I haven't really done much with my time. I finally went for my 'medical assessment' for my new job in which the results should come through next week then fingers crossed everything goes to plan, I can start my training at the end of the month! 


Other than that, I'm getting excited about this week as I have a 'pre-wedding big family meal' and GRADUATION! I'm rather looking forward to it!


What have you been up to this week?

Vanessa

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£100 ASOS Challenge

Dress | Shoes | Bag

I've seen the £100 ASOS Challenge making the rounds around the blogger-sphere so I thought that I'd participate. Even if I don't win, I managed to find a way to make these collage type posts! Yay!

I'm really into the whole cream/white colour this season (maybe it reminds me of weddings...I do love a good wedding me!) and this sequinned daisy dress emulates summer and all things girly to me! The floaty skirt is really flattering and brings out the old romantic in me! To go with the dress, I picked some nice nude pink heeled shoes, just to keep things a little simple. Not sure how long I'd last in them but I find that heeled shoes improve my posture drastically and makes me feel that little but more lady-like. Lastly, I chose this small tan weave bag just to complete the outfit. You can wear this across the body or just on the one shoulder to keep all your precious items in! The tan colour really goes well with the tone of the dress and the shoes without being too over-bearing. I prefer small bags like this as it can usually carry more things in it than a clutch, and who wants to hold on to something all night?

So that's my little simple outfit! Nothing too crazy but I think this is such an elegant outfit.

What do you think? Will you be doing this challenge?

Vanessa

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Joliebox: June Edition

I feel like I've waited an eternity for this box and it's somewhat true! This is my first Joliebox and after reading such great reviews on them...I decided that this was the beauty box for me! Joliebox have had some problems with the delivery of their June boxes so I only received mine this morning (it's July now...just FYI). But I'm going to do a separate post on my thoughts on the 'beauty box' phenomenon! Please don't read any further if you don't want any spoilers because I'd hate to ruin it for you if you haven't received yours yet!

The first thing I noticed about the box was that it's a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but I guess that isn't at all a bad thing. The design of the box is so pretty! I did prefer this one to the other orange one they did and the little drawstring bag inside will come in so useful!

 Elysambre Lipstick

If I'm quite honest, I'm not sure if I would like to use this as a lipstick. It's a muddy brown colour with what looks like subtle shimmer in it. I'll give it a go anyway but it's not a standout item to me.

 Institut Esthederm UV inCellium Spray

This looks promising! It says it's 'a pre-tanning treatment which will boost skin's natural defences and ensure a long-lasting tan'. I'm sure once Mr Sun decides to put his hat on again, I'll be sure to try this out!

 L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream

I think this is the most exciting item in the box! I've always wanted to try L'Occitane skincare products. It's a really nice sample size so hopefully I can work it into my skincare routine.

Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Protective and Vitalizing Cream

Now this was supposed to be the customised product if you managed to fill in your beauty profile online but due to the labelling issues that delayed the delivery of our boxes, I got a different customised item. This is for Normal to Oily skin BUT recently I've been feeling like my skin has gotten more oily so maybe I will give this a go and if it doesn't work out, I'm sure MummyTron would welcome it with open arms!

Overall, I'm fairly happy with Joliebox's 1st Anniversary box. There are some really nice skincare items in there and the box design is really cute. My payment has already been processed for July's box so I'm going to wait until that arrives before I make an overall opinion on the Joliebox beauty subscription. I hope they do something special for the subscribers that had to wait a very long time for it to arrive as I got a very bad vibe from the subscribers commenting on Joliebox's Facebook thread.

Joliebox costs £10 per month + £2.95 delivery.

What do you think of this month's box? Did you have to wait a long time for it too?

Vanessa

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TAG! Shhhh! 10 Little Secrets!

I've seen this tag circulating the YouTube world and I always love a chance to be a little bit nosey! I thought I'd write this down in blog form and share with you a little something from my life.

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1. What is one product that makes you feel like a million dollars?
Lipbalm...? As silly as it sounds! My lips are pretty big and I always feel self conscience if they're chapped so lipbalm always makes me feel better. 


2. What is your skincare secret?
I don't really have a specific skincare secret but I always follow my skincare routine meticulously! But I would say moisturiser is a key part of any skincare routine.


3. Share your haircare secret?
I don't do much with my hair except to try and keep it under control! But I would say a heat protectant...it's so important when using heated appliances on your hair.


4. What is your biggest diet rule?
Everything in moderation! I have been through a gazillion diets and I found that everything in moderation is the best. Diets come and go but just keeping balanced diet is the best rule.


5. Any workout tips?
Just to vary your workout as much as possible. Your body will become used to you going on  the same workout machines every time you hit the gym so just vary it a little. And also to take advantage of the great outdoors by running outside. As much as I love the treadmill and the safety of a steady pace, you can't beat some outdoor running.


6. Which perfume is your secret weapon?
I'm not the kind of girl to have 10 different perfumes on the go but my signature scent is Daisy by Marc Jacobs :)


7. Show us a clothing item of yours which always turns heads.
I wish I was confident enough to say that an item of clothing always turns heads! But I'm most confident in tea dresses and pretty girly clothing, but unfortunately I'm often stuck in a plain top, jeans and converse rut!


8. What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?
A ruby cross necklace that my Gran gave to my Mum and then she gave it to me. I don't wear it as much as I would like but it's something special to me so as long as I know it's there, it's enough to me!


9. Who is your style crush?
Zooey Deschanel. She just has that effortless 'girl next door' look about her. Beautiful lady :)


10. Tell us something we don't know about you.
My dream is to open my own bakery.


I tag YOU to do this and leave me a link to your blog post in the comments so I can be a little nosey!

Vanessa

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