Whats Your Vice [2]? | Urban Decay Palette Review & Swatches

Although it's been out for a couple of months I have only just got my hands on the Urban Decay Vice 2 palette, which is my first "colourful" one from them! I knew I wanted it ever since i missed out on the first addition last year.
It's a bit sad that Urban Decay doesn't ship internationally, and I wasn't sure where else I could get one without going through a mail forwarding service, so when I posted about it on Instagram one of my US followers who I've "known" for a few years offered to buy it & send it over for me, I was so happy!
Of course afterwards I found the website www.tarazz.com.au which is basically is a mail forwarding service from Sephora so the prices are different to what you'd find through Urban Decay, and then I didn't realize it was actually on Beautybay which I've used a fair few times!

I'll start out with the packaging... I absolutely love the design of this case with the hard, sturdy plastic cover with the gorgeous shades of purple & the raised diamond UD logo. It has an easy press button where the case glides open gently, unveiling the 20 gorgeous shades & the huge mirror which occupies the entire space of the lid, which balances the palette when it's open so it doesn't inconveniently tip over.

As always, the palette comes with a dual-ended brush. It has a flat shader on one side and a blending brush on the other, but I don't find them dense or sturdy enough to pack on the colour. However I prefer to use the flat shader for highlighting and precision blending, but the blending side is probably more stiffer and smaller to apply colours directly into the crease.

This palette features a variety of jewel-toned shades amongst the not-so-average neutrals which I find are very complimentary against each other. It consists of mainly shimmery metallic shades, some with glitter accents & flecks of shimmer against a satin base, which can be easily blended out if not careful. There are only two matte blending shades and one highlighting shade which may be a bit limiting but it works as that is not the focus of the palette.

The finish that I prefer in the palette are the metallic eyeshadows, they are definitely the most pigmented and the colours are so eye catching! If you are not used to colour, of course this wouldn't be as appealing but you could start with a hint of colour on the lower lash line or as an eyeliner.
I also thought that I would have plenty of dupes in this palette... I certainly have many similar colours with Inglot & a few other palettes but nothing is ever too similar now, isn't it?? :)

Swatches
All swatches are done without a base but of course will show up differently, the different flecks and textures in some colours would have stood out.

unforuntately the colours don't show up as bright as they are IRL!

[First two rows, top-bottom, left-right]
Smokeout: Dark Chocolate brown bordering on black; Satin
Lovesick: Intense black with silver glitter that tends to be blended out easily; matte w/ micro glitter
Shellshock: Intense metallic silver, with loads of pigmentation; Metallic
Coax: Cool toned pink; Shimmer
X Rated:  Cool toned light pink; Satin
Prank: Dark navy blue with a teal shimmer,which unfortunately blends away too easily; shimmer-matte
Madness: Cool toned medium blue; Frost
Strike: Muted yellow-gold; Frost
Stash: Olive-brown with gold shimmer; Shimmer
Poison: Black with dark green undertones; Shimmer

Radar: Medium-Dark Brown with gold glitter, minimum fall out despite a chunkier texture; Metallic
Damaged: Emerald- Forest Green, ; Shimmer/ Metallic
Voodoo: Cool, Mid-Toned Purple with slight purple glitter, a bit dryer so not as pigmented; Metallic
Betrayal: Duo-chrome purple that shifts to blue; Metallic
Derailed: Medium Brown-Taupe, very pigmented & smooth application; Frosty / Metallic
Dope: Light peachy pink, good for highlighting; Satin

Toxic: Coppery Gold-Pink; Frosty/ Metallic 
Habit: Light Beige Nude, good for blending out crease colours; Matte
Ambush: Everything I wanted Radar to be, it is a Medium-Dark Bronze & is very creamy; Metallic
Rewind: Neutral Brown, good for applying lightly in the crease as a transition colour; Matte

Depending on where you get the Vice 2 palette from, it is between $59 (US) to $72 (AU/ EURO sites) which still makes the eyeshadows only around $3.60 each! But then if you'll only use a couple of the shades then it wouldn't be worth it! (But trust me, you'll want to use them all!) My favourite colours would have to be Madness, Radar, Betrayal & Ambush. Another thing is this palette is very fall/autumn coloured, so I probably wont get as much use out of this summer as I'd like to!

Obviously my final verdict is that I love this palette, what do you think of it??
xoxo

How to perfect your lipstick | Pictorial

 Sometimes just chucking on a lipstick isn't going to cut it, especially with some formulas that like to make their way over your face, or does that just happen to me?
I've found that applying my lipstick this way, using different lip liners & doing it in different layers helps it to stay put & last a lot longer, too. This is not something that I do everyday but when I have time & I'm wearing a bolder lip colour I like to spend a bit more on the lips.

1. Line just outside of your natural lip line with a lip liner that is close to your natural colour if you prefer a fuller lip.
Tip: If you're going for a nude lip, use a colour slightly darker than your lipstick.
2. Apply your lipstick of choice. It doesn't matter if you don't cover up the liner completely as we'll be going over that again. Make sure to really press your lips together to work the lipstick in.
Tip: Use a lip brush with the first coat which helps the lipstick to press into the creases of the lips, helping it to last longer.
3.Go over your lip line again with a liner that matches your lipstick colour. I do it after because you can see where else you need to fill in to get your desired lip shape & it kinda locks in the edges of the lipstick.
4. Blot with a tissue and reapply, either from the bullet or with a brush.
Tip: You can also hold one layer of a tissue against your lips and press a loose powder to set the first layer & reapply.
5.With a flat concealer brush, fix any edges if needed. Make sure to keep wiping it off so you don't transfer lipstick everywhere and remember to blend out the concealer.
Tip: Use a slightly lighter concealer which will also help to highlight.
6. Sweep a cotton bud in the inner rim which will take off any excess lipstick that will probably transfer onto your teeth. Alternatively, pucker your lips and pull your index finger from inside to out and it will do the same.

Products Used

 Nyx lip liners in Mauve & Pinky, Maybelline Colour Vivid in Vivid Rose, Real Technique concealer brush

Finished result

 I find this method works best for bolder colours, or different formulas such as Sleek's pout paints as the liquid is harder to stay put.

Thanks for reading! I hope these tips where helpful. You can mix up the order you apply which lip liner but I don't find much of a difference.

xx

Spring Fling Makeup | FOTD

 Hey guys I apologize profusely for the lack in posts lately! I was relying on my phone to post my drafts as I wanted to but it's still not allowing me to log in, and I've barely had any time to get on the computer properly lately :/

But anyway, I feel like I've barely worn any typical spring makeup as it has taken a while for the weather to change from cold & miserable but when we get a warm day, it gets hot!
Because of the slow transition I've been doing whatever I feel like with my makeup, but I do have a few products I've been saving particularly for spring that I haven't gotten good use out of but I can still carry them into summer.
And in case you're wondering, this isn't a Spring Fling look as so (that's a school event in the US or something, right?) but it's one of my favourite ways to wear spring appropriate makeup!

  ~Products~
-For foundation I used Loreal True Match, Milani Luminoso on the cheeks, Nars Laguna bronzer & MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base & MAC Lightscapade to highlight.
-On the eyes I used Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded (a must for any light shimmery look) & various shades from the Stila In the Light palette [Kitten, Bliss, Sandstorm], Kat Von D Trooper eyeliner & Nyx Slide on Glide on eyeliner in Green Papaya (the perfect "spring green" colour!) Sorry that I didn't take a close up of my eyes so I hope you can see clearly!
-The lips are MAC Viva Glam Nicki & Nyx Butter gloss in Apple Strudel.

I hope everybody has been doing well. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with any one's blogs or replying to comments! I'm always on Instagram so if you want to follow for recent updates & daily makeup posts my name is missashii_x and I'll follow you back :)
xx

Buxom Full On Lip Polish | Review

One of the last minute buys that I knew I would regret not buying in America was the Buxom Full On Lip Polish. After hearing about it from Shaaanxo on Youtube & knowing that Sylvia from MakeupAsExpression loves them too,I had to test it out.

 I found it hard to pick out which colour I wanted! They all seemed fairly sheer but there were so many similar colours, in the end I had to keep re-swatching before I settled on Katie.

 The Buxom Full on Lip Pouts are in a long, hard plastic tube with a silver lid & writing on the side, which has started to fade after continuous use which is annoying, but happens to most products for me.

The gloss has a thicker, slightly sticky texture, but nothing to drive me crazy. The unique thing about this product is the refreshing menthol feeling that doesn't sting compared to other plumping lip glosses that lasts for as long as you wear it, although it does fade. It also has a sweet-minty scent that goes with the cooling sensation.
It's hard for me to tell if this is actually plumping my lips, but the gorgeous shimmer helps my lips to appear fuller anyway, not that it is one of my concerns.

The coverage is sheer but leaves behind a hint of colour & glitter and it is very long lasting. Katie is a light pinky peach colour & looks lovely over nude, light pink or peach lipsticks, or on it's own for a natural look.

 Please excuse my dry/chapped lips! Here is a before & after wearing the lipgloss on it's own. You can see that it's also fairly moisturizing as you cannot see much of the chapping & my lips feel smoother.

And here is wearing a matte nude lipstick (Revlon Nude Attitude) & then the gloss. It is still present after 4 hours later and I can still feel the menthol sensation however it isn't as strong.

Overall, although I prefer lipstick to lip glosses, I absolutely love the formula, longevity & feeling of the Buxom Full On Lip Polish and would love to buy more.

Have you tried these before?
xx