Just a quick post about the new Urban Decay palettes that are inspired by the new Disney "Oz The Great And Powerful" movie (which I must say I'm very excited about and totally want to see!).
The last time Urban Decay collaborated with Disney was to produce the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows which sold out like crazy (and that I luckily managed to get!).

There are two palettes in the Oz collection - Glinda & Theodora aka good witch vs bad witch.

The Glinda palette includes:
Tornado – vibrant deep purple shimmer
Aura – 2 shades in 1: iridescent white with blue shift/iridescent white with red shift
Magic – pinkish purple with a golden shimmer
Illusion – pale peach satin
Oz – 2 shades in 1: gold with gold glitter/silver with silver glitter
South – warm pale gray shimmer with silver micro-glitter

Rockstar 24/7 eye pencil and Glinda SSLC which I'm guessing is either Lovechild or Naked from the existing range of SSLCs.

The Theodora palette includes:
Broken – pale cream satin
Beware – warm brown matte
Bewitch – dark charcoal brown satin
West – deep metallic brown shimmer
Spell – 2 shades in 1: black satin with green and gold shimmer/gold metallic with tonal glitter
Jealous – 2 shades in 1: pale green pearl/dark green pearl

Zero 24/7 eye pencil and Theodora SSLC which looks like it's the existing F-Bomb SSLC.

Out of the two palettes I'm veering more towards the Theodora palette as I love my dramatic smokey looks and the colours look right up my alley!

Both palettes are priced at £35 each and are currently exclusively being sold at Debenhams, but will be released in House of Fraser this Sunday (3rd February).

Will you be buying any of these limited edition palettes? Which one catches your eye?

 

Illamasqua I'mPerfection Spring 13

Hello my lovelies!

I've been super busy of late with shoots, work and clients (not to mention general housewife duties!) so apologies for the lack of posts. I do however have a lot to blog about so I'll be sure to get these out as soon as poss!

As it's coming up to Spring (although the snow is saying otherwise!), a lot of brands will be releasing their new products and collections and clients/customers will be looking at changing their makeup "wardrobe".
Personally I love Spring, it's my second favourite season after Autumn; the sun starts peeking out and nature is at full bloom. Makeup-wise, skin is fresher and there's a lot of pastels and brights to get you in the mood for Summer.

I attended the launch of the new Spring collection by one of my all time favourite brands - Illamasqua. One of the reasons I love them so much is that they like to break away from the beauty "norm" and conventions and this collection is no different.
If you remember the last collection (Generation Q) was about beauty having no age limit, and the one before that (Human Fundamentalism) reversed traditional beauty rules. This years Spring I'mPerfection collection ties in beautifully with the whole "nature" side of Spring as well as their ethos; to celebrate and embrace your "imperfections". 
If you look at nature you'll find speckled eggs and patterned feathers of all sizes and colours; the same is true with people, with their freckles, scars and birth marks.

"Show off your freckles. Make beauty spots more beautiful. Shine a light on your birthmarks. And be proud of your scars. Because life isn't about finding yourself, life is about celebrating who you really are."

This part of the new campaign really stood out to me because when dealing with clients and customers on a daily basis, they're so quick to want to hide their "flaws", a lot often embarrassed and some even with self esteem issues. What's worst for me is finding young teenage clients who look at beauty magazines/celebrities thinking that they're flawless and wanting to be "flawless" too, when no one actually is. So again, I applaud Illamasqua for highlighting their campaign models' "imperfections" and really hope other beauty brands take a step in that direction too.

Alex Box explaining the concept behind the campaign images

As always, Illamasqua have a wildcard in their collection and this Spring its a "Leaf Green" intense lipgloss as sported in the campaign picture (and swatched with Immodest lipstick) below.

Like Apocalips, Shoot will probably only be loved by a select few who will dare to wear green on their lips, however Apocalips became a statement lip and other brands followed suit to make teal lipsticks, so green may well be the new lip trend for 2013!
For those of you who don't quite see yourselves wearing the green by itself, it makes a great mixing colour as I tried it with the new pink lipstick (Immodest) and it made a nice nude brown colour. Apparently mixed with reds it can create berry colours too!

My personal favourites from this collection are the speckled polishes, the powder blush duos (particularly Duo No. 3) and the innovative blush brush to create an ombre blush effect. I also absolutely adored the speckled eyeliner look in the campaign image below and attempted my own version that I'll be posting about very soon!

The collection in a basket "nest"

Blush Duo No. 3 - Beg & Bronzerella

Speckled eyeliner image from the I'mPerfection campaign

The collection comprises of a new blush brush (£28.50), a range of pastel speckled nail polishes (£14.50 each), blush duos for light, medium and dark skin tones (£26 each) and a new lipstick (£16) and lipgloss (£14). The existing black liquid liner in Abyss (£17) is also part of this I'mPerfection collection (to create the speckled eyeliner effect).

The collection will be available to buy from 31st January 2013 from the Illamasqua site and counters. 

What do you think of the new I'mPerfection collection? Which products would you like to try?

 

FFF: Oxblood/Burgundy smokey makeup look

One of my recent requests has been to use the Oxblood/Burgundy trend to do a makeup look.. and of course I accepted!

I thought I'd do a quick smokey look with the oxblood colour, so here it is:

Products used: 
Eyes:

> UDPP

> NYX JEP in Milk

> Sleek Monaco Palette: Sand Walker, Moors Treasure

> Sleek Nude Palette: Nougat, Toast, Bark, Noir

> NYC black liquid liner 

> UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Perversion

> Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara

> Khuraira ACC in Light 

Face: 

> Graftobian HD foundation - Desert Sand

> UD Razorsharp powder

> UD Toasted Bronzer
Lips:

> UD Wicked lip pencil

> UD SSLC in F-Bomb

I started by applying Noir in the crease and outer corner of the eye after priming with the usual UDPP & NYX JEP in Milk. I then applied Moors Treasure to the middle of the eyelid and Toast to the inner corner. Sand Walker was used above the crease and blending out Noir, whilst Nougat was used on the brow bone. I used a small brush to apply Moors Treasure to the bottom lashline, then used UD Perversion to line the inner eye and NYC black liquid liner for the top liner. 

I applied my concealer under the eye and finished the eyes by filling in the brows with Bark & Noir and Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara on the lashes (black):

For the rest of the face I used the Graftobian HD foundation in Desert Sand and UD Razorsharp powder on the areas needed. UD Toasted Bronzer was used to define the cheekbones. UD Wicked lip liner was applied all over the lips, then SSLC in F-Bomb very lightly:

Hope you like this look, I didn't have a lot of time to take more pictures, but do let me know if you have any other requests!

Would you wear red on the eyes? What other colour recommendations would you choose with an oxblood/burgundy colour?

 

Gold Glitter Makeup Look

Hello my lovely followers!

I've been meaning to upload a glittery look for a while now seeing as I love it so much; I thought I'd make it similar to the Naked Arab post that is still very popular on my blog, but with added sparkle.
Although New Years Eve has passed, this can be used with any variation of colours/glitters for any special occasion, so I hope you like!

Products used:

Eyes:

> UDPP

> NYX JEP in Milk & Yogurt

> UD Naked palette: Naked, Buck, Half Baked, Darkhorse and Creep

> La Femme pressed eyeshadow (refill in Z palette) White

> NYC black liquid liner 

> Avon Supershock black eye pencil

> UD Heavy Metal glitter liner in Midnight Cowboy

> Make Up Store glitter in Super

> Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara

> Khuraira ACC in Light 

Face:

> Graftobian HD foundation in Desert Sand

> UD Razorsharp powder

> UD Toasted Bronzer
> Sleek Face Form in Medium (highlighter)
> Elf cream liner in black (eyebrows)  
Lips:

> UD SSLC in Lovechild & Punch Drunk

As always, I primed the eyes with UDPP and then applied NYX JEP in Yogurt on the eyelids and Milk from the crease to the browbone.
I then applied La Femme White eyeshadow to the brow bone, followed by Naked just above the crease, but under the brow bone. I then added Buck to the crease and Darkhorse to intensify the crease, blending upwards slightly and into the inner corner of the eye. Midnight Cowboy Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner was used as the adhesive for the Make Up Store Super glitter, and both were applied to the full eyelid but stopping at the crease. Using a small liner-type brush, Half Baked was applied to the bottom lashline, and using a smaller crease brush Creep was used ever so lightly in the V/triangle shape formed at the outer crease of the eye, above the glitter.
I used NYC black liquid eye liner to line the top lid fairly dramatically, winging the flick out and Avon Supershock black eye pencil to line the inner eye both up and down.
I applied my concealer under the eye and finished the eyes by filling in the brows with Elf Cream liner (lightly) and Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara on the lashes (black):

For the rest of the face I used the Graftobian HD foundation in Desert Sand and UD Razorsharp powder on the areas needed. UD Toasted Bronzer was used to define the cheekbones and the highlighter from the Medium Sleek Face Form. UD SSLC in Lovechild and Punch Drunk were used on the lips:

Hope you like this look, I have another requested makeup look that I will post next, do let me know if you have any requests!

Do you wear glitter? Would you wear this look?

 

Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil sets Fall 2012

Hi guys!

Apologies for the lack of posts, I've been on holiday the last 2 weeks to South Africa; which was amazing as it was their Summer so the weather was beautiful. I'll post some pictures as soon as I've transferred to my laptop, but in the meantime you can check my instagram: frootibeauty.

I've been meaning to review a couple new Urban Decay products so I thought I'd start with the Smoked 24/7 eye pencils and the Ocho Loco set that came out this Fall.

Ocho Loco 24/7 eye pencil set

I bought the Ocho Loco set last month as I was excited seeing them in store, particularly the new colours Psychedelic Sister (a real purple shimmer as opposed to violet purples), LSD (midnight blue shimmer) and Junkie (teal shimmer).

The set consists of 8 full size eye pencils, some available to buy singularly and others only in this set or other LE sets.
The sets are usually great value for money and this one is no exception; I bought the set from Debenhams for £36 in their 10% cosmetics sale (usual price £40), which meant that each pencil only costs £5 if you buy it at the full price of £40, which means you're saving £8 per pencil as they're sold at £13 each.
All in all this set is worth £111 (including the Grindhouse sharpener) but you only pay £40 so you save £71 (or more if you buy it in the sale like I did!).

FrootiFactor: I have to say I love this set a lot re: value for money and amazing colours so I give it a 5:

The set can apparently only be bought online at Debenhams and House of Fraser, but sometimes they are available in certain stores so it's best to check your local store if you can't find it online.

Smoked 24/7 eye pencil set

The smoked pencil set consists of 6 trial sized pencils and is particularly exciting for those who love smokey eyes, as you have 3 matte pencils (Zero, Demolition & Mainline) and 3 with slight shimmer (Uzi, Smog & Empire).

Mainline (gorgeous peacock teal) and Empire (eggplant purple) are two new shades I haven't seen before and are definitely my favourites; Uzi was in the 15 year anniversary pencil set (read about the set here) and Smog is another colour that was brought back by demand.

The set is sold at £26 a pop which equates to around £4.33 per pencil; still not bad value for money particularly if you're a fan of their pencils as much as I am.

FrootiFactor: I have to say I love all Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils so I'd give a biased FrootiFactor of 4.5 for this one as my only qualm is the sizes of limited edition pencils!

The set is available at selected Debenhams and House of Fraser stores as well as online and in these online retailers: HQ hair, Look Fantastic, and Beauty Bay.

Have you tried Urban Decay's 24/7 eye pencils before? Will you be buying any of these sets?

 

Pixi event product swatches and reviews

Two weeks ago I got to get up close and personal with Pixi products at their London store in Fouberts Place and talked about the new AW12 releases.
Pixi is a brand I've always been undecided on; I love their name and quirky vintage-feeling shop. I used to buy their lip blushes when they were available in Debenhams and a few of their brushes too which I quite liked; but I've never been able to try eyeshadows/blushes or other lip products so it was a great opportunity to do so.

The shop was filled with a lovely warm smell and I was offered some yummy pastries as I entered.

I browsed some of the new products out from the AW12 collection and found I quite liked the eyeshadow quads (Shade Quartettes), particularly "Shades Of Daylight" (£16):

I also thought the glittery nail polish trios (£16) looked so pretty and festive:

 

Early Bird Kit
I got to take away the Early Bird Kit which consists of 3 cheek colours, 2 bronzers and a highlighter, 4 eye base shades and 16 eyeshadows.

The kit is designed to make you look like you've got more sleep than you actually have with it's "daylight colours".

I've not yet come across base shades that are powders/eyeshadow-like like these but I've used them underneath some shadows to see the effect and it does seem to make the shadow more vibrant.

16 eyeshadows and 4 eye base shades

swatches of eye base shades

eyeshadow swatches; left - without eye base shades, right with eye base shades

2 bronzers and highlighter

3 blushes

left 3: highlighter and 2 bronzers; right 3: blushes

Overall I found the palette to be quite soft and pigmented; the blushes were lovely, not too over powering. The highlighter and bronzers I feel are more suited to fairer skintones so I'll have to find a way of using them all as highlighters.
The eyeshadows were hit and miss; some were soft and creamy in texture and others grainy. They're mainly lovely light colours with the odd darker colour and one matte shade too, so many looks could be created.

I'd give this palette a 3.5 out of 5 because it's improved my expectation of Pixi but this particular palette doesn't have face shades that would suit a range of skintones.

Lip & Line
Whilst in store I discovered the Lip & Line (£12) and thought it was innovative; I was lucky enough to get one to take home in "No 2 Fresh Pink"; 

It consists of a double ended lipliner and lipstick in the same shade which is so handy as a MUA but also as a lippie buyer! The lipliner is waterproof and anti-feathering, whilst the lipstick is moisturising with Vitamins E and C. I chose this shade as it's rare to get lighter shades like this in matching tones, however as my lips are fairly dark, this colour is too pale for me so I'll be using this in my kit for fairer clients.
I did notice that the lipliner coupled with the lipstick felt nice and moisturising but also lasted a long time too, so these are definitely plus points.
I'd give this product a 4.5 out of 5 as it's hydrating but also long lasting; I  like that you don't need to waste time faffing around looking for a lipliner or that it would take up much space, as it's a handy two in one!

All Pixi products can be bought from their boutique off Carnaby Street (22a Fouberts Place) in London, pixibeauty.co.uk, or ASOS. 

Have you tried any Pixi products before? Which would you recommend?