Testing out Clarisonic's new foundation brush

Clarisonic has released their new makeup brush attachment and I've been putting it to the test for the last week. It blends powders to an airbrush finish and my bareMinerals powder foundation has never looked better. Even powder blushes apply nicely on my skin with the new makeup attachment.

Cream foundations like Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation Stick need a little more time to blend into the skin but medium-full coverage foundations like the Milani's Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 also get blended to airbrush perfection with the Clarisonic. 

Where the new makeup attachment falls short is with lightweight foundations like MAC Face & Body, Chanel CC Cream and even Armani's Luminous Silk foundation. Lightweight formulas took twice as long to blend versus the full-coverage formulas and powders. My liquid blush didn't stand a chance and got blended away to nothing so again, powders are where it's at.

The new Sonic Foundation Brush fits onto all Clarisonic devices and retail for $39. 
It features handcrafted synthetic fibers.
It's anti-microbial and easy-to-clean with any brush shampoo.

Where it performed best: powder formulas! My powder foundation had never looked better!

Where I didn't like it: around my eyes! The bristles felt too rough and the oscillating motion was too intense around the gentle eye area.

Overall, if you prefer medium-full coverage makeup and powder formulas, you're probably gonna love this makeup attachment. Where it needs improvement is the fibers of the brush aren't as soft as the website claims so that's a bit of a letdown. Also, it's simple enough to blend the entire face with exception of the eye area which proved to be challenging and mildly uncomfortable. Finally, I wish it worked well on lightweight makeup formulas as well it does on powders. On the other hand, it blends powders to perfection!

Is the bareMinerals Statement Lip Collection really long lasting?

Happy Friday! I took a little time away from the blog this week to get my hard drive in order. Not exactly by choice but my computer was completely out of space and it was so bad that I wasn't able to download a single photo! Normally I keep two months worth of photos on my desktop, basically anything that's related to the blog or Instagram. Previous months are archived in two external hard drives just in case one fails. I feel like I have a good system going except I didn't quite realize how many thousands of pictures I have stored in iPhoto. Whoops. I've had to do a massive purge to make room and I'm still not done! Lesson learned, keep iPhoto clear!

Anyway, I have some really amazing beauty and skincare launches to share with you guys so I want to dive in and talk about these three new bareMinerals lip products - the Luxe-Shine Lipsticks, Matte Lipcolors and Over Under Lip Liners. bareMinerals was nice enough to send me the entire collection so as always I've included swatches and reviews on these new items. 

I'm also introducing a new rating system in this post so you know just how much I love the products that I'm talking about. That way it's easy for you to decipher at a glance whether or not you should be jumping on the bandwagon of the latest beauty trend but I do encourage you to read the review itself for a more comprehensive overview.

bareMinerals Statement Matte Lipcolors

I love the colour range on these Statement Matte Lipcolours. From Luxe (a pale pinky-brown nude) to Devious (a deep berry shade), there's something for every skintone. As always, I gravitate towards warm the red shades and my favourite of the collection has been Flash, a bright orange-red, that's truly unique and perfect for summer. It looks great with my light-medium olive skin and makes my brown eyes pop!

At $23 a tube, they're more affordable than most high-end lip products but they're also twice as expensive than their drugstore counterparts. The formula reminds me very much of the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Glosses - lightweight in formula, easy to apply, comfortable to wear but with a demi-matte finish that isn't a true matte.

I recommend lining the entire mouth with a lipliner first because this Statement Matte Lipcolour wears quickly if it doesn't have anything to cling to. The formula doesn't stain the lips either which is good and bad depending on what you want in a lipstick. I prefer staining so that when I eat or drink, the areas where my lipstick has worn off aren't obvious but that's because I normally wear red or bright colours.

When comparing these to the Smashbox Always On and Kat Von D Everlasting matte liquid lipsticks, I would say those take the cake in terms of being long-wearing, true matte lipsticks. Sorry bareMinerals!

I realize the swatches vary in colour slightly throughout this post. Please go with this image for true-to-life colours. It was very challenging for me to get all of the colours uniform in each picture so I do apologize.

Statement Matte Lipcolor (top row)
VS.
StatementLuxe-Shine Lipstick (bottom row)

As you can see from the comparison picture above, the shades in the Matte Lipcolors collection are very similar to those in the Luxe-Shine lipstick range.

The only real differences are the palest shades. The Tease lipstick is a peach/ coral shade with warm undertones versus the Luxe matte lipcolor, which is more of a cool mauve.

The Biba lipstick looks like a lighter version of the matte lippie Shameless. And finally, the Rebound lipstick looks similar to the Fresh matte.

Otherwise, the colours are practically a replica of each other and they vary in shade due to the different formulas. I personally would have liked to see more variety in terms of colours between the Matte and Luxe-Shine collections.

bareMinerals Statement Luxe-Shine Lipstick

I realize the swatches of the lipsticks are a little lighter than the image comparing the two formulas. Please go with comparison pic for true-to-life colours. It was very challenging for me to get all of the colours uniform in each picture so I do apologize.

Jumping right in, I have to say that I prefer the formula on the Statement Luxe-Shine lipsticks much more to the Matte collection. They have longer staying power and there was a slight stain on my lips after drinking my morning coffee. Exactly what I want in a highly pigmented lipstick so I don't look like a goof once I finish eating or drinking if I'm sporting a red lip.

The Luxe-Shine lipstick is hydrating, feels comfortable on my lips and the colour payoff is awesome. My lips also looked a bit plumper when I wore the lipstick versus the Matte Lipcolor but I wonder if that has to do with the way I over lined my mouth. Or maybe it has to do with the shiny finish which can also give the appearance of a plumper lip. I checked the press statement that came with the collection there's no claim of plumping so this is an added bonus if you ask me. 

As always, I would recommend pairing lipstick with a lip liner underneath for extra staying power especially since it's a shiny formula, which can fade quicker than a matte.

It probably comes as no surprise that my favourite shade here is Flash, an orange-red that's strikingly similar to Fire, it's matte shade counterpart. 

The lipsticks overall are really nice. At $25, a tube, it can be seen as either steep or cheap depending on how luxe you like to go with your makeup. 

bareMinerals Statement Under Over Lip Liners

I love lip liners and I'm a true believer in them. If you want your lipstick to last, you need a lipliner! I'm still surprised when women ask me, "how can I get my lipstick to stay". Lip Liner!

Start by lining the outline of your lips and then fill them in. I like to overdraw slightly because I think my lips are too thin otherwise but you certainly don't have to.

When it comes to formula, I prefer drugstore liners over designer ones because I don't see the value in a $35 lip pencil versus a $6 one. I've tried Chanel, MAC, Givenchy, Annabelle and NYX and I always prefer the cheaper ones.

That being said, Bite Beauty and Kat Von D are making some excellent lip pencils in the mid-range price point with excellent formulas. Now, bareMinerals is giving us their own version at $21. 

Like the rest of the Statement Collection, these wooden lip pencils are similar in shade and work well together. They're super creamy, highly pigmented, tug-free and go on like a dream. They make my lipstick last, exactly as they should and it keeps my lipstick from fading.

In terms of formula, it's excellent but where it falls short is that it's not budge proof but then again, very few lip liners are. Also, I believe the price point should be lower than it is. A tube of Statement Matte Lipcolor is $23 and a Statement Lipstick is $25. If you ask me, $21 for a liner is a bit of a stretch when the volume is a fraction of the other full sized items in the collection. Then again, Kat Von D and Bite Beauty are similarly priced so... take that for what you will. 

Collection Overview

Overall, the collection is really nice in terms of the range of colours and the comfortable-to-wear formulas. Compared to a lot of products at Sephora, I believe they're well priced. If you're already a bareMinerals fan, you're going to love the Statement lip collection so I'd say check it out!

What I really would have wanted to see from these lip products are long-wearing formulas with some staining since so many of the colours here are vibrant and so beautiful. It's a pet peeve of mine to constantly be checking and reapplying my lipstick and that's how I kind of felt wearing these. The lip pencil helped a lot in making the formulas longer-wearing otherwise both the lipstick and matte lipcolour faded fast when worn alone. 

DISCLAIMER: bareMinerals Statement Lip Collection was provided by the brand. 
All opinions are my own and completely honest.

Photography by Nathalie and Geoff Martin.

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Red Vinyl Skirt & Patent Leather Kitten Heels

Honestly, what's your take on vinyl pants? You know the ones that are super glossy and shiny and if you have mega bucks to spend you'll invest in a patent leather pair because you roll like that.

Kendall Jenner was spotted in a black patent leather pair in March topped off with a Gucci sweatshirt and red coat. Bloggers Sonya Esman and Aimee Song paired their red patent leather pants with knits and graphic tees - my favourite combo. 

I first saw shiny pants on Instagram about a year about and honestly, I wanted to retch. Slowly shiny pants started creeping up on my Pinterest and next thing you know, I'm online, desperately looking for a pair of my own. Trends are annoying like that, aren't they? We turn our back on ourselves and suddenly we're investing our hard earned money on something silly like shiny effing pants. Or in my case, skirts, because there are currently three in my closet.  

Vinyl pants and skirts are not for the faint of heart. They can't be passed off as office attire like that too-short summer dress, "cleverly" disguised as professional when topped off with a blazer. Depending on who you ask and what age bracket you happen to fall into, vinyl clothing isn't even suitable for a first date. On second thought, unless that first date is a concert, don't even think about it.

But you know when it's appropriate? Fashion week, a night out with the girls, or date night with your partner. Make the outfit chic and effortless with a patent leather kitten heel or a cute ankle boot. Top it off with a silk blouse and make the outfit softer and more feminine. The contrast of the silk and a vinyl pant is perfect for a night time look. I'm even thinking a cute clutch and suede pointed-toe pump as a finishing touch.

For this daytime look, I kept it low key and paired my red vinyl Topshop skirt with a Ramone's band tee from Zara, a shredded denim jacket, a rattan basket instead of a purse, and glossy red lips contrasted with matte, mustard coloured Ferragamo sunglasses.

The key is CONTRAST in textiles when wearing vinyl pants or skirts. 

Have fun when you get dressed and don't overthink it. Just go with the flow! If you're not sure of what to pair with your vinyl clothes just think of what's appropriate in terms of dress code or jump in Pinterest for some inspo and you'll be fine!

What I'm Wearing

Ramone's cropped tee, Zara. 
Denim jacket, Zara.
Sunglasses, Ferragamo.
Red vinyl skirt, Topshop.
Patent leather kitten heels with ankle strap, Alexander Wang circa 2014.
Rattan basket, unknown.

2107 is all about gloss. Update your look with glossy lips, metallic shoes, vinyl skirts and glossy hair. I'm currently hosting a contest with Clairol and you can win a years supply of Natural Instincts or a trip for two to New York! All of the details are on my recent hair post so make sure you check it out!

Photography by Geoff Martin

My favourite new blush for summer - NARS Liquid Blush

When these new liquid blushers from NARS hit my desk I wanted to start playing around with them right away and yet as someone who recently converted from powder blush to cream blush, I was initially hesitant on how well a liquid blush would apply.

Would it have the same control as cream or powder? Would it look streaky on my cheeks? Would it drip down my face? How would I apply it?

I was overwhelming myself with too many questions so instead of overthinking, I sat down in front of the mirror to start using the product and you know what, application is way easier than I thought. 

NARS LIQUID BLUSH: Luster, Torrid, Orgasm, Dolce Vita

Before getting into best practices on how to apply liquid blush, let's just look at the colour range. NARS released four flattering shades that should be suitable for an array of skin tones, LUSTER (sheer golden apricot), TORRID (warm coral with golden shimmer), the cult favourite ORGASM (sheer, warm pink with golden shimmer), and DOLCE VITA (matte dusty rose, the deepest shades in the collection). 

How To Apply NARS Liquid Blush

One pump is all you need. 

Dispense the blush onto the back of your hand. They should be clean btw. Applying makeup with dirty hands is yucky and can lead to pimples. No one wants pimples. 

Dab your middle finger in the blush and dot it onto your cheek.

Using the same finger, tap the blush into the skin using the flat of your finger. Tapping the blush into the skin will give you a beautiful natural glow. 

Repeat the process on the other cheek.

Next up, do your concealer for that glow-from-within look. If you want more info about this technique, make sure to read my 5 Minute Makeup Tutorial and why this step works well with liquid and cream blush.

If you're like me and want bright, happy, healthy cheeks, you'll want to pat more blush onto your cheeks. The key is to build up liquid blush and work in layers to get that beautiful flushed look.

Normally I'll follow the dab & tap technique about three times or until I'm happy with the way my blush looks. 

To set my makeup I apply a very thin veil of loose powder on my skin using a fluffy blush. The formula on NARS Liquid Blush sets beautifully even without powder so skip this step if you have normal or dry skin. I have combination skin that can look oily in the summer so a little touch of powder is a must for me. 

NARS Liquid Blush Review

To say that I love NARS' new liquid blush formula is an understatement and I've been using them almost every day for almost a month now.

What's great about these is that they layer beautifully with powder blush and cream formulas as well so if I want a more bronzed or flushed look, I just layer another product over top for more oomph. That's what makes them so great, the versatility and the wearability. 

Based on my past experience with liquid blush they're difficult to work and fade and look patchy on my skin as the day wears on. 

NARS nailed it with this formula - it's buildable, blendable, long-lasting and easy to work with. The blush contains Monoi and Tamanu oils, known for extra moisture.

The blush looks beautiful and natural on the skin and wears well into the day even when it's hot and sweaty. 

I have combination skin that's oily prone in the summer and this blush stays put on my skin. Best of all it wears well and looks better as the day goes on because it melts into the skin to give that glow-from-within look.

Normal skin, dry skin, and combination skin will love this formula.

For those with oily skin, it would be ideal to set the liquid blush with powder over top to prevent it from slipping off the skin and fading. A translucent powder should do the trick along with a quick touch up of powder blush as a final step. Finally, depending on how oily your skin is, you may also want to use a mattifying primer to lock the liquid blush into place.

I find this formula looks best when applied with fingers and layered in stages as I explained above. I applied it using a brush a few times and I found the brush to remove product from my skin and blend it away so again, fingers are best. 

Otherwise, I say five stars NARS! It's such a beautiful blush and I have been loving all of the colours equally. To pick a favourite shade for my olive skin would be like picking a favourite child, er, cat in my case. 

Photography by Nathalie Martin. 

DISCLAIMER: NARS Liquid Blush was provided by NARS. 
All opinions are my own and completely honest.

GLOSSY is the new matte feat. Clairol Natural Instincts + win a trip to NYC!

Put away those matte lipsticks because SS17 is all about gloss! In my latest beauty posts, I’ve talked about glossy eyes, shiny lips and even face gloss. Yes, it exists and done right, it can look super chic and editorial. We’re even seeing gloss in fashion, and vinyl pants and skirts are everywhere. As someone with an extensive collection of shiny patent leather shoes, vinyl skirts are just a natural progression in my wardrobe so I’m totally jumping on the gloss wagon.

Regardless of where you stand on this trend, I think we can all agree that glossy hair is always chic. From adding oils and treatments to hair, we’re all striving for shiny, healthy looking hair. In this post, I’ll be sharing my low maintenance hair tricks and tips with you, as well as announcing my partnership with Clairol Natural Instincts and how using this semi-permanent at home dye can add gloss and strengthen your hair at the same time.

I get a lot of questions about my hair – where I get it done, how I style it and how I get it cut. The truth is I’m really low maintenance when it comes to my hair. My whole life I’ve never really enjoyed going to the salon so I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way to minimize my visits. To start, my cut is a blunt lob that’s slightly longer in the front and shorter in the back and I always have my hairdresser thin out the bulkiness at the bottom because my hair is so thick. Most importantly this cut grows out well so I can go months between visits. Another thing I do is keep heat styling to a minimum and I always use a heat protector. I wash my hair about two to three times a week to prevent further damage and I almost always let it air dry.

Another thing I do is maintain my colour at home with a quick monthly touch up. Clairol Natural Instincts is a non-permanent at-home hair colour that gives natural-looking results because it contains coconut oil, aloe, vitamin, and antioxidants. The coconut oil in Natural Instincts adds moisture, further strengthening and preventing damage. To be honest, up until last year I had virgin hair and the thought of putting dye in my hair was really frightening to me. Even though I colour my hair at home I try to keep it natural looking because again, I’m super low maintenance with my hair! Natural Instincts is definitely the way to go if you’re looking to add gloss to your hair with a touch of colour.

Since Natural Instincts adds a subtle shift to your existing hair colour, it’s best to stay within a shade or two of your existing shade. That’s why I went with shade 5A, Clove, a medium cool brown, which was recommended to me by James Corbett, Clairol’s Colour Director. I’ve included a coupon code for you guys here so you can go try it out for yourselves. Make sure you let me know what you think!

I dyed my hair early one morning before heading for a super busy day full of meetings and events. It was super easy, just 10 minutes and my hair was shiny and healthy looking again.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of odor in the dye. Again, it’s ammonia free so it didn’t sting my eyes or bother my cats who were in the powder room with me and curious to see what I was up to.

Natural Instincts is a gloss that’s nourishing for the hair. It contains coconut oil, aloe, vitamins, and antioxidants. The coconut oil adds moisture, further strengthening and preventing damage.

BENEFITS TO USING CLAIROL NATURAL INSTINCTS

• Quick and easy at home dye. Takes as little as 10 minutes!

• Subtle colour enhancement to current hair colour with a beautiful, glossy finish.

• Semi-permanent. Lasts only 28 washes.

• No harsh root-line.

• 0% ammonia free.

• Gently blends away greys.

• Adds a boost of shine to your natural colour – use monthly to restore the gloss.

• Natural Instincts is available in 32 shades. It retails for $8.99 and can be found at most major retailers.

Another reason I was excited for this partnership is because it involves giving back to you guys for being such awesome readers and always supporting me. Seriously, thank you! 

So here’s the deal – I’m giving away two amazing prizes:

Prize 1

• Year supply of Clairol Natural Instincts

Prize 2

• A trip for 2 to New York City, one of my favourite cities ever!

The prize includes:

1. Two flights

2. Two nights hotel stay (one room)

3. One colour consultation and haircut at the James Corbett Salon, Clairol Colour Director

4. One Visa gift card for $500 in spending money

In order to enter the contest, you’ll need to try out the Clairol Natural Instincts product, take a photo and share on Instagram using #GlossBoss. Clairol is also offering a coupon code for $2 off all Natural Instincts products! To download the coupon, click here: bit.ly/2p1zmv7. Really looking forward to you trying out Natural Instincts and seeing why I’ve been loving it!

Good luck!

Rules & Regulations

1. Contest closes on Monday June 19th at 12:00 am.

2. Must be Canadian Resident.

3. Hair appointment with James Corbett, Clairol Colour Director to take place on June 24, 2017 in NYC at the James Corbett Salon. Recommended travel is Friday, June 23, 2017 to Sunday, June 25, 2017.

DISCLAIMER: I partnered with Clairol to create this blog post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and I only partner with brands that I truly love prior to being contacted!

Byredo's new Kabuki Brush. Is it worth it?

Article by Diana Aldea
Photos by Nathalie Martin
 

Did you know that our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than our other senses? Not entirely surprising, considering that scent has the ability to change our moods and stimulate our senses. I’ve been addicted to fragrances for as long as I can remember. It started with an innocent affair with Bath & Body Works body sprays in my early teens, and it has since escalated to buying a fragrance a month, the latest being Byredo’s Blanche.

The first time I smelled Blanche - it blew me away - it was the perfect combination of fresh and luxurious. Sure, the price point for Byredo fragrances is a little high (it starts at $150 for a 50ml of their eau de parfum), but you really do get what you pay for. When I heard that Byredo was releasing kabuki perfumes in three of their most popular scents (one being Blanche), I was super excited. To give you a bit of background, kabuki perfumes are exactly what they sound like – kabuki brushes which are filled with perfumed talc, and are designed to be lightly dusted where you desire. They market it as the “new art of perfuming”. Sounds pretty sensual and fancy, right? Like all things Byredo, the price point can be a little jarring for the uninitiated ($85 for a kabuki brush with 7 grams of perfumed talc). Loving Byredo as much as I do, I bit the bullet and fully expected to love it. Sadly, I didn’t.

First, it took a long time for me to get the brush working. I followed the instructions closely, yet, the perfumed talc would not emerge. When it did, it was very sparingly, which is probably because there’s only 7 grams in the brush. Second, the talc was very, very light. I’m sure this appeals to some people who love super subtle fragrances, but I found that there was little to no longevity. I layered it over my eau de parfum and found that the scent lasted for the same amount of time. Lastly, the price point is really high for what you’re getting. I understand that you’re also paying for the brush and if you’re a collector, or have a lot of money to spend, this might be for you. Sorry Byredo, you can’t have my cash this time. 

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I'm feeling myself and it's gonna show

Fashion photography by Michael Biro
Beauty photography by Nathalie Martin
 

It’s June and I can’t believe we’re halfway through the year already. In a lot of ways, I thought I’d be further along in terms of blogging and life goals but I’m learning that I need to chill out and stop being so hard on myself. I recently picked up the book In The Company of Women by Grace Bonney. It had been on my wishlist since it came out but I only just bought it now. I’m glad I finally did because it’s helping me get back to my roots. (I’ll explain that in a sec.) Almost as soon as I started reading the book I was hit with a wave of sadness. Reading about how these highly creative women define success made me realize that I’ve totally derailed from what I love to do and want to get back on track.

Like a lot of people, I have a tendency to be really hard on myself and don’t take enough time to enjoy and celebrate my accomplishments. I mean, I do to a certain degree but I have a tendency to focus more on what I don’t have versus what I do have. For example, Geoff and I would love to have a family one day but we don’t. I probably think about that more often that I even admit to myself and to some degree I feel guilty that we don’t have kids and yet, it’s just the way life has rolled out for us. In terms of work as a freelance blogger, I often wonder why my blog hits aren’t as high as they are and yet I should be celebrating that my metrics have almost doubled since last year!
 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not an ingrate and trust me when I say that everyday I wake up and thank my lucky stars that I’m able to blog for a living. I absolutely love it and I’m incredibly proud of how far along my photography and writings skills have come since I first started. Yet here I am, battling my inner demons constantly. 

Come on guys. Don’t tell me you haven’t been there!

So here’s where the book In The Company of Women comes in. Reading about how these creative, successful and fearless women approach lives and their businesses makes me realize; I miss making shit with my hands and I define success with monetary value. (Yikes when did that happen?!) 

When I say I miss making shit with my hands I actually mean that I miss being a hands-on artist, not a digital content creator. When I was younger I used to paint and when it was time for college I was enrolled in graphic design in hopes of getting a job at a magazine like Vogue when I graduated. Instead, I went into business for myself, hand-making iPod cases and selling them all over the world with my business partner, Diana, BFF extraordinaire and now WoahStyle's beauty contributor. We closed the business after a few years and soon I was back at it again, illustrating and screen printing on textiles this time sewing my designs into tea towels. Fast forward to eight years later and I can’t remember the last time I painted or sewed anything.
 

I read about six interviews from In The Company of Women when I realized that not a single person had defined success by how much money they made. Maybe it’s taboo to admit in print, I don’t know.

When I was younger I remember thinking that I’d be successful in life if I had my own business, if I was an artist and if I made enough money to shop at the Gap full price. Ya, I said that!

It makes me realize the two points are connected. Somehow putting so much focus on my annual income means I’ve lost sight of what makes me happy and what makes me me and that’s my art.

Crazy how it took a book to make me realize that. I’m hoping that my creating art again and bringing my paints out of storage that I’ll start to feel more balanced in my everyday life and who knows, maybe one day not be as stressed out and actually have a family.

I urge you guys to take the time to celebrate your accomplishments in life because damn, life is crazy and we have to pat ourselves on the back right? 

Urban Decay Nocturnal collection + swatches

I love getting new makeup to try out and to be perfectly honest, I'm a sucker for limited edition eye palettes. Just the other day I received Urban Decay's Nocturnal eyeshadow palette and two (of the four) lipstick shades from the collection. As much as I wanted to start swatching the colours like crazy, I held off until I had a chance to photograph them. That's willpower guys! Okay, not really. 

Now that I've swatched and had a chance to play around with the colours, I can tell you that the Nocturnal collection is exactly what you would expect from Urban Decay. If you're familiar with the brand already, you're going to get the same quality, high pigmentation and easy-to-work-with formulas as always.

If you're new to the brand or if you're looking to experiment with more with colour in your makeup, you'll love this palette as there's lots of versatility in the shades. The lipsticks are equally as easy to work with and are excellent for everyday use. They're super creamy and hydrating and long wearing with a lipliner. 

The Nocturnal collection is available now at Shopper's Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques. 

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"The palette has 12 amazing shades of eyeshadow — eight must-haves from our current collection, plus four exclusives from past sets." 

Urban Decay Nocturnal Shadow Box, $42

There are six neutral shades to work with in this eyeshadow palette;  two matte (ABC Gum and Delete), one shimmery (Riff) and three frosty shades (Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Baby and Half Baked).

Six colours line the bottom of the palette; two mattes (Blackout and Heroine) and four frosted/ metallic shades (Fireball, Backfire, Lounge and Armor).

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The colours aren't too out there considering the brand is known for making producing neon eye shadows and intense glitters in their collections. Personally I love that side of Urban Decay and that's what keeps me faithful to the brand. If you're looking for a palette to take you from day to night - this is an excellent one to have in your collection. It also comes with a dual ended brush - one side flat and one side small that's perfect for smudging.

The colour payoff is amazing and so is the longevity of these shadows. I was inspired by the neutral shades and created a golden smokey eye on my recent tutorial so make sure you check that out!

"The perfect pairing for the Nocturnal Shadow Box... limited-edition Nocturnal Vice Lipstick shades range from neutral to bold."

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Urban Decay Nocturnal Vice Lipsticks, $21 each

Four never-before-released lipstick shades are available for the Nocturnal collection - Lawbreaker (sheer brown), Fireball (peach satin with pink shift) , Backstab (creamy purple-red) and Nonsense (muted rose). 

UB says these lipsticks are highly pigmented and comfort wearing. While I find the latter to be true, I'll have to disagree with the highly pigmented claim. You can see from the swatches above that even Backstab, the matte shade, is still pretty sheer in formulation. If you're looking for more of a colour payoff, I'd suggest wearing a lipliner underneath. 

These shades are very pretty regardless and I even like Lawbreaker a lot and I'm never much of a fan of brown shades as they don't do anything for my skin tone. These lipsticks are limited edition so make sure you big them up if you see anything you like!

Photography by Nathalie Martin.  

DISCLAIMER
Urban Decay Nocturnal collection is a PR sample provided by Shoppers Drug Mart.
All opinions are my own.
Affiliate marketing links in this story are used as a form of compensation.

Olivia Palermo smokey eyes

When I saw this picture of Olivia Palermo rocking this intense eye makeup, it inspired me to create my own look using the Urban Decay Nocturnal eyeshadow palette. While her look is more focused on sharp black eyeliner that wraps beautifully around her eyes, I wanted to smoke mine out just a little because I feel it suits my eye shape better. 

Below you'll find the steps to recreate this Olivia Palermo inspired smokey eye along with the shades I used.

While this look is a bit too sexy for everyday wear, I would definitely rock it for a night out with the hubs or for an event. 

I hope you have fun recreating this look. Let me know how it works out for you! Also if you want a review on the Urban Decay Nocturnal collection, make sure you check out my post! I've included swatches for you as always! 

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GET OLIVIA'S SMOKEY EYES

1. 

Start by priming your eyes and sweep ABC GUM (a nude matte shade) from your lashes to brow bone.

2.

Use the shade RIFF (a shimmery brown-orange) on the crease and lower lash line using a windshield wiper method with a fluffy crease brush and blend.

3. 

With the shade DELETE (matte chocolate brown), apply it to the crease with a small fluffy brush and blend. 

4. 

Using a flat eyeshadow brush, take HALF BAKED (a golden shimmery shade) and pat it onto your eyelids.
 

5.

Now take BABY (a shimmery rose shade) and apply it to the corners of your eyes and give your eyelashes a good curl.

6.

Draw a winged line using liquid liner. Stila and Kat Von D make some of my faves. Then, take a black kohl pencil and line the upper and lower waterline.

7.

Use the small brush from the Nocturnal palette and apply BLACKOUT (matte black) to the lower waterline and smudge it a bit.

8.

Coat your lashes with mascara. I used Cover Girl's Total Tease Waterproof to hold my curl and one coat of Marc Jacob's Velvet Noir for volume.

9.

Finish the look with a sheer brown lipstick like Urban Decay's LAWBREAKER.

Photography by Geoff and Nathalie Martin.  
Makeup by Nathalie Martin. 

DISCLAIMER
Urban Decay Nocturnal collection is a PR sample provided by Shoppers Drug Mart.
All opinions are my own.
Affiliate marketing links in this story are used as a form of compensation.