Filed In: Makeup
NARS x Sarah Moon Collection Holiday 2016, Gift Sets pt. 2
Leaving [what I believe] is the best for last, I’m wrapping up the colossal NARS x Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Collection with these three gift sets — major points scored for them having some of the most exquisite package I’ve seen to date. I’ve said often enough that I’m a sucker for details, and when that’s coupled with some pretty awesome products, it becomes one (or three) of the sweetest deals ever.
NARS x Sarah Moon Collection Holiday 2016, Gift Sets pt. 1
You’ve got to hand it to NARS for not only creating this truly lovely — not to mention totally wearable — Sarah Moon x NARS Holiday 2016 Collection, but for throwing in so many interesting gift sets as well. With dreamy packaging details (zero chintzy cardboard throwaways, thank you very much) each set offers up interesting product combinations, some with generously sized minis of the brand’s cult-fave pieces, and all at relatively decent price points.
Burberry · Cat Lashes Mascara, Lip Velvet Lipsticks & Nude Beige Burberry Kisses Lipstick
When I think of Burberry, the words “classic” and “timeless” instantly come to mind, followed by: elegant, chic, mod, and pretty much anything else that’s luxurious and über-cool. The latest mascara release from this brand, Cat Lashes will not only win instant approval from all the feline fans out there, but meets all the desires of mascara aficionados such as myself, while the lush new Lip Velvet lipstick formula has winner written all over it. Well done, Burberry.
For reviews on other products from this brand, click Burberry
Burberry · Nude Beige Burberry Kisses, Damson & Nude Apricot Lip Velvet
Housed in gunmetal hued casings that are etched with the iconic Burberry plaid pattern both on the caps and on the lipstick bullets, they also come with a hefty feel to them (which I love) and a magnetic closure for added security. The new Lip Velvet has a matte casing (same design) with the lipsticks displaying a richly pigmented formula to provide excellent coverage from the first swipe. Along with excellent wear and a non-drying feel, these have a slight sheen at the finish; not full-on shine exactly but far from the traditional flat-matte look.
- Nude Beige N°01 Burberry Kisses (CAN $36.00) – A blend of satin-finish pigments and shiny polymers, this formula is meant to be buildable, although a light/neutral shade such as this will not become overly opaque. Buttery smooth in feel and with a good mix of both cool & warm tones to suit a variety of complexions
- Damson N°425 Lip Velvet (CAN $38.00) – deep mulberry, cool toned
- Nude Apricot N°401 Lip Velvet (CAN $38.00) – soft apricot, warm toned
Burberry · Nude Beige Burberry Kisses, Damson & Nude Apricot Lip Velvet swatches
Burberry · Cat Lashes Mascara
Housed in the brand’s signature gunmetal casing, this formula is meant to deliver length & volume, with a lightweight yet still flexible feel. The uniquely shaped hourglass brush has been designed to grip and coat all lashes evenly, helping them fan out for an eye-opening sculpted effect.
- Midnight Blonde N°03 – dark grey/taupe, excellent for those with über-fair lashes
- Chestnut Brown N°02 – rich deep brown
- Jet Black N°01 – inky black
The formula is very user-friendly and effortless to apply; that being said, I really love the brush head and how easy it is to reach all lashes from corner to corner, but I personally find the wand a touch too long for my taste. Bonus points scored for lashes that are clump-free and beautifully defined, as well as a no-fuss removal at the end of the day.
Burberry · Cat Lashes Mascara swatches (2 coats for each shade)
Mascara is easily my “desert-island” staple and the one product which in my opinion gives one’s face definition like nothing else can. That being said, my standards are fairly high with regards to performance and Cat Lashes totally delivers, even with the too-long wand (side note: you get used to it. But still). From the three lippies shown here, Damson has won me over completely – both in terms of colour and formula … and how cool is that name?
Feel free to drop me a line & let me know if you’ve tried any of these lovelies
Press samples/As always, all opinions are my own
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Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics
We can thank Urban Decay for making Naked part of our beauty vocabulary, and just when you thought things couldn’t go “nude-er”, along comes the latest addition to the family: Naked Ultimate Basics. Filled with 12 of the brand’s most popular matte shades, none of these hues have ever come together in one palette before, which means that this palette also has the honour of standing apart from past iterations as well.
Previously reviewed Naked palettes:
Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics
Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics
Naked Ultimate Basics (CAN $68.00) | For starters, honourable mention has to go to the packaging; housed in a square rigid plastic case which includes a full-sized mirror on the inner lid as well as a dual-ended brush, the cover almost steals the show with its rose-gold hue and precisely etched radiating lines along with the raised lettering on top. STUNNING. Moving on …
There’s a good mix of hues that range from pale neutral to darker nudes, as well as some colour thrown in that might stretch one’s concept of “Naked” but somehow still fit in well with the overall theme. The shades in this palette also have the added bonus of being workable, as well as suitable for a broad variety of skin tones, from the fairest to quite dark. With nary a shimmer in sight and while have a matte finish, it’s not of the flat variety but rather rich in hue and each throughly pigmented. Easy to blend and without any fall down upon application, staying power — over primer — is excellent as well.
Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics (brush detail)
- Blow – light nude demi-matte
- Nudie – soft pink-nude matte
- Commando – light taupe-brown matte
- Tempted – pale brown matte
- Instinct – medium pink-taupe matte
- Lethal – reddish brown matte
- Pre-Game – pale yellow matte
- Extra Bitter – burnt orange matte
- Faith – medium warm brown matte
- Lockout – rich neutral brown matte
- Magnet – smoky grey matte
- Blackjack – warm black matte
Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics swatches, direct sunlight & natural light (below)
Pulling out both the Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics palettes for comparison, it’s fairly obvious that we don’t have any real duplication, and while a couple of shades might appear to be similar, there’s still enough variety in Naked Ultimate Basics to turn into a well-worth investment.
Urban Decay · Naked Ultimate Basics, Naked Basics & Naked2 Basics swatches in direct sunlight & natural light (below)
NAKED-palooza
For neutral-fans such as myself, you’re going to absolutely love this palette. And even if you’ve held off from Urban Decay’s Naked frenzy until now, you should still check the Naked Ultimate Basics palette out, as it has a grouping of colours that are not only all totally wearable, but one I’m fairly certain you’ll be turning to more often than not. This is very, very good naked …
Press samples/As always, all opinions are my own
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Urban Decay · Full Spectrum
Urban Decay has been on one helluva roll lately, releasing enough products to make your head spin, but I’d have to say that none have been anywhere near as eye-catching as the Full Spectrum palette (Holy Rainbow-Colour-Wheel, Batman!). The brand’s largest palette to date, it includes 21 shades — 18 of them new and 3 exclusives from past releases, with a variety of finishes to sweeten the deal even further. For those who simply live for colour, if this doesn’t get your motor running, I don’t know what will.
For reviews on other products from this brand, click Urban Decay
Full Spectrum (CAN $80.00) | Housed in a black rigid plastic case that includes an oversized mirror on the inner lid plus a dual-ended synthetic fibre brush, the case is etched with lines of alternating thickness in both matte & shiny finishes and adorned with a colourful faceted UD “jewel” on top. Ugh…so pretty, am I right?
Organized by colour family in vertical trios (although for convenience, I’ve opted to show them in 3 horizontal rows), there’s a nice mix of finishes that range from matte (which also includes matte/satin & matte with pearl) all the way to über-metallic, and while highly colourful at first glance, there are still enough ‘normal’ shades to keep things grounded as well. I experience absolutely no pigmentation issues with any one of these hues and they all appear to blend effortlessly. There will be some powdery kickback seen upon swirling brushes across most, but that’s easily solved by tapping any excess off first – bonus: no fall down upon application. Staying power over primer is excellent, without any noticeable fading.
Urban Decay Full Spectrum (brush detail)
- Alchemy – deep fuchsia satin
- Warning – deep metallic copper
- Midnight Blaze – black matte with yellow/gold pearl
- Hundred – deep metallic forest green
- Minx – deep nay matte with floating tonal pearl
- Delirious – deep plum matte with subtle floating pearl
- Platonic – black matte with iridescent glitter
- Gossip – bright metallic pink with subtle floating pearl
- Seize – bright metallic coral with subtle floating pearl
- Calavera – bright yellow matte with subtle floating pearl
- Hatter – vibrant green with tonal micro-sparkle
- Blindsided – bright teal blue matte with floating pearl
- Sketch – metallic medium purple
- Iced – oyster silver with shimmer
- Paranoia – soft metallic blue-pink
- Jones – metallic orange with subtle floating pearl
- Goldmine – metallic yellow-gold
- Mean – bright metallic lime green
- Metamorphosis – vibrant periwinkle blue with micro-sparkle
- Faded – lavender with gold shimmer
- Bump – white matte
Urban Decay Full Spectrum swatches (in sunlight & natural light, below)
Neutral shades are my comfort zone, not to mention the fact that I feel they’re much easier to work with and definitely more flattering as I’ve gotten older. And while I may be a tad colour-phobic when it comes to my makeup, I can’t deny the allure of opening up a palette like Full Spectrum and staring in slack-jawed wonder at all its colourful beauty. After some experimentation, I’ve discovered that I like injecting some unexpected colour into my looks … but in baby steps, please. What makes this palette a winner in my opinion, is the quality: each and every shade totally delivers. In spades.
Just a thought: When Urban Decay released their Urban Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette in 2015, it sold out in a heartbeat — you might want to get on board with Full Spectrum while you can. And yes, this too would make an awesome holiday gift. Just saying …
Urban Decay products are available at Sephora & online
Press sample/As always, all opinions are my own
