Review & Swatches: Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing the newest palette to Urban Decay's Naked line, the Naked 2 Basics. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, but the first Naked Basics Palette is one of my favorites, and I use it almost everyday. The second one is quickly becoming another favorite!

If you've seen or have the first palette, the packaging is pretty identical, this one is just a little darker in color. I love the snap closure it has and I also love how small and slim it is. Makes it great for travel.

Now the actual colors are amazing! I see these as truly neutral colors, they're not too warm but not too cool either. I see these colors working for a variety of skin tones, and I do love them on my very fair skin. The feel of them is incredible too! They feel so soft and buttery and they blend out amazingly well. 

The first color that is swatched at the very top is called Skimp, Which is described as a pale nude satin. This is the only non-matte shade in the palette, but it's not overly shimmery either. I love this shade as a light highlight because it's pretty darn close to my skin color.

The next color is called Stark, which is described as a nude-pink matte. I love this shade so much for in the crease, it's quickly becoming my go-to crease shade. 

Next up is Frisk, a warm gray matte. This color is also great for the crease if I'm doing some darker looks.

Then we have Cover, which is a muted red-brown matte. This color is probably the most pigmented and buttery shade in this palette. It's incredibly beautiful on the lid for dark smoky looks when you don't want to use black. 

Next is Primal, a muted brown matte. I'm still playing around with this shade to figure out how I like using it. So far I've used it on the lid and in the crease and I could go either way. 

The last color is called Undone, which is a deep smoky brown matte. Love, love love this shade for smoky looks and it's not harsh like black is, but it's dark enough to where it can look black. Beautiful color!

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this palette! It costs $29 and I got mine from Sephora, but you can get it on Urban Decay's website and I'm pretty sure Ulta will have this as well. I remember when I got the first Naked Basics palette and it was $27, but now it is $29. I find it amazing how the prices of everything go up all the time! I remember when the first Naked palette came out and I got mine for $48 and it came with a double-ended eyeliner pencil. Now it's up to $54 and comes with a double-ended brush. Anyways, I don't really think this palette is necessary if you already have a good amount of neutral palettes and/or single shadows. I use this and the first Naked Basics as more of an accent palette, which I'm fine with and will definitely get use out of.

What do you think of this palette? Do you already own it, or do you plan on buying it?

Anniversary & Makeup Geek Haul!

Hey everyone! This past Sunday was my husband's and my 1 year wedding anniversary and he surprised me by taking me shopping for the day! I bought a few things but didn't go too crazy. I also placed an order from Makeup Geek last week after watching one of Marlena's videos on newer eyeshadows. I hadn't bought anything from her in about 6 months, so I thought it was time again. Here's everything I got!

First stop was Sephora. We went to a mall where there is an actual Sephora store, not one inside JC Penny, so I was pretty happy and really wanted to look around. The first thing I got is the Sephora Favorites Beauty Unmasked set. It comes with the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask, which I already love and will be great if I travel anywhere. It also comes with a Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask, which I have not tried yet but I think this will be nice if I have irritated skin. It comes with a Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment Masque, which I've actually been dying to try but I'm not willing to spend the $69 for the full size jar. The last mask is the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask, which I've also been very interested in trying. This whole kit was only $29 and it was at the checkout line where they have travel sized and smaller products. I'm incredibly happy I saw this!

I've been really wanting to try the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder because I've seen so many good reviews on it. I have used it once and so far it's alright, but I'll have to play with it more to give a real opinion. 

The last product I purchased is the Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I have super oily eyelids and everyone I've seen that has oily eyelids says this is amazing, so I was definitely intrigued. I have yet to try it out, but I do have high hopes!

Then we headed over to Bath & Body Works to pick up some 3-wick candles, and it was also that last day of the 2 for $22 sale. After a fairly extensive sniff test, we settled on these four. 

The first one is Peach Cilantro Twist. The scent description on the back says, "Capture all the fun of a backyard bash with this fresh and fruity blend of early summer peach, fresh garden cilantro and a hint of juicy mango." When I smelled this, I wasn't wowed. When my husband smelled it however, it was a totally different story. His eyes got big and all he said was I like that, like 4 times. In the shopping bag it went!

The next one is Autumn Sky, another one the hubby picked. The description of this one says, "Experience fall's bright, crisp sky with notes of still green leaves, cedar and lemon wood." We were talking to a sales girl there and she asked if he liked the Mahogany Teakwood scent, which he does love, but I find it too overpowering. She showed us this and said it smelled similar just not as overpowering. I actually find this to smell very nice and it doesn't give me a headache like Mahogany Teakwood did. Of course the other half liked it too!

The last two are ones I picked! First up is Bourbon Butterscotch. "This creamy blend includes rich notes of butterscotch, sweet vanilla and a hint of that singularly American spirit - bourbon whiskey - perfectly aged in oak barrels." I smelled this one and almost died with how awesome the scent was. I love the sweet smelling candles and this is pretty perfect for me. 

The last one I picked up is Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. "Delight in the scrumptious scent of pumpkin pecan waffles, pure maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar." This is probably my favorite out of all of them. I love pumpkin, and I love waffles. Combine the two and you get this wonderful smelling jar of wax. I don't know what it is about this that I love so much, but I'd buy this in bulk if I could. 

Now for some Makeup Geek! I wanted to get some brushes but of course when I went to make my order, most of them were sold out, so I went with the Soft Dome Brush, which I think is going to make a nice crease brush. It's really soft and I did already wash it, which to my dismay caused some shedding. I'm curious to see if there will be shedding while applying shadows. I also bought seven different eyeshadows, which I'll show one at a time.

First up is Purely Naked which is described as a shimmery tan. You can hardly see the shimmer in the pan, so I am curious to see how it comes off as a crease color.

Next is Twilight, which is described as a pale shimmery muted purple. I honestly don't see purple in person. It's more of a taupe, but it may come off different on the eye. 

Next we have Sensuous, which is a shimmery purple with flecks of silver. I can't wait to use this on the outer corners of my eyes, or in the crease if I want a smokey look.

Next we have Unexpected, which is a matte pale pink brown. I think this shade will look awesome with Sensuous or Twilight.

Next is Latte, a matte medium brown. This doesn't look too warm for my fair skin, so I'm hoping it's going to be a nice crease color when I want something a little darker. 

Then we have Cupcake, a matte medium pink. This actually looks alot darker in person than on the Makeup Geek website, so I'm hoping it's still going to look alright.

Last color is Prom Night, a pale purple with hints of grey and a shimmery finish. Now I know it looks funky in the picture, but it came like that. Must've gotten scratched in the packaging or something. This is such a pretty shadow and I think it will look nice with some of the other colors I bought and already have.

That's everything! Have you purchased anything recently?

First Look: Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette

New palette alert! Urban Decay has come out with their third installment of the Vice palette, and I got my little hands on it! It came out on Urban Decay's website on the 13th, and then to Sephora on the 16th, which is where I purchased mine! I just wanted to let you guys know that it's out and it's beautiful, so get your hands on it before it's gone! It is limited edition like the other two. Here is a quick look at the colors!

Ooooooh, Aaaaah!

Isn't it gorgeous?! I promise you guys I will be reviewing this, but I just received it in the mail and had to show you how pretty it is! And also to tell you to buy, it. Like now...

Review: Apothecary Extracts 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil

*Disclosure* This product was provided complimentary for review purposes. Although this post is sponsored all opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always :)

Hi everyone! I was given the awesome opportunity to try out this Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil and I'm so happy with it! I've always loved tea tree oil, but this one is really great stuff.

Tea tree oil is such a versatile essential oil that's got so many uses. Just a few of the things it helps with is acne, lice, skin tags, cold cores, dandruff and warts. You can also use it in many products you already use like shampoo, body soaps and lotions, face cleansers and even toothpaste. 

As of writing this post (September 18th) this huge 4 fluid ounce bottle costs just $24.99 on Amazon and every purchase comes with a recipe book with over 50 uses for tea tree oil! 

I've truly been loving this tea tree oil. I've used tea tree oil before but it was never 100% pure like this one is, and boy is this stuff potent! I've always enjoyed the medicinal smell tea tree oil has but this one is so strong, my husband says it's overpowering. I honestly don't mind it though. My absolute favorite way of using this oil is in my shampoo. When I put my shampoo on my hands, I put 3-5 drops of this in first and rub it all together in my hair. I swear, this has helped me so much with itchiness and dandruff, it's pretty incredible. I think it's better than using anti-dandruff shampoo by itself. Another way I've been using this is to clean my makeup brushes! When I use the baby shampoo I put maybe 2 or 3 drops of this oil in and then swirl my brushes around. Once they're dry, they have the faintest scent of this oil and I really feel like it helps with cleaning and getting nasty bacteria out of my brushes.

I'm definitely excited to get more use out of this oil, and with it coming in such a massive jar for a great price, I see this lasting quite a while for me. I highly recommend you give it a try as a natural alternative to disinfecting. 

Have you tried tea tree oil before? If so, what did you think?




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review, Swatches & Fall Look: It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette

Hello, my name is Katy and I'm addicted to eyeshadow palettes! If you've been around for a while here, you know my love for palettes is pretty high. I probably don't need more, but will that stop me?! Nope. Anyway, today I'm going to be reviewing the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette. This got alot of hype quite a few months ago but has been around for a while, and of course, I was intrigued. I posted this in a haul back in August here if you want to see other goodies I got!

The packaging feels so lovely, it's like velvet. When you open it up, it's even more lovely with all the beautiful colors inside! The closure is magnetic and it's fairly strong so if you travel with this, I don't see it opening up potentially ruining the shadows. 

Apparently, these shadows were developed with plastic surgeons to help lessen the look of fine lines and wrinkles on the eyes and lids. With ingredients like Peptides, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Silk, Acai, Green Tea and other antioxidants, these shadows definitely seem like an anti-aging powerhouse! If you haven't noticed already, all of these shadows are matte and then there's a Transforming Pearl shade that gives the shadows a bit of shimmer, if you want to add that.

These swatches are of the first row, Sheer Joy, Soft Light, Warmth and Soulful. Of these four shades, my favorites are Warmth and Soulful. Both make beautiful lid shades.

These are swatches of the second row, Love, Sunrise, Sunset and All Heart. I'm absolutely loving Sunset! Such a beautiful terracotta shade. Love is nice too if you want a bit of a darker highlight shade instead of Sheer Joy. 

Again, this is the first row, Mocha, Violet, Midnight and Noir. Oh man I love these shades! Perfect for if you want a smokier look. Midnight is super pretty, it's almost like a navy with dark gray in it. 

These are swatches of the Transforming Pearl, Java and Iconic. I freaking love Iconic! To me it's a purple with a hint of taupe in it. So gorgeous! Java is definitely a nice dark brown that everyone needs in a palette. When using the Transforming Pearl shade, It Cosmetics recommends dipping your brush into the matte color first, then the pearl. I think you can do that or put the matte shade on first then use your finger to add the pearl. 

Here is my Fall look! I first took warmth and placed it all over the lid just up to the crease. I then wanted to take the Beautiful Sunset color and used that in my crease as my transition shade. Then I used Java on the outer corner to add a bit of definition and lastly, I used a little of the Transforming Pearl as my highlight. I really love how this turned out and think it's awesome for Fall!

Overall, I love this palette a whole lot! It's $42 on the Ulta website, but I have heard you can get it on QVC in sets for a good price. These shadows remind me alot of the Lorac Pro matte shades with how buttery and soft they are. I find them easy to work with and they blend out beautifully as long as you take the time. I feel like with matte shadows, you do have to be patient with them for it to look nice, but with this palette it's so worth it!

Have you tried this palette before? What do you think?

September 2014 Ipsy Bag!

Hey everyone! It's a dreary, rainy day here in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm off work but my husband wasn't so I was by myself all day. I got a little happier when I checked my mail and saw my Ipsy bag had arrived! The tracking info I got said it wouldn't be here til next week sometime, so it was definitely a surprise seeing it! The theme this month is called Street Style, so lets see what I got!

This bag is super cute to me! I love silver and it's very rocker chic with the studs. I can see myself carrying this in my bag. Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush. I've purchased brushes by Crown Brush on Hautelook before and I'm impressed with them, so I was excited to see this double-ended brush in my bag. It's really soft too so I think I'm gonna like it!

Next up is the Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream. Apparently this is made with matured essential oils over in Kent, England which makes it sound all posh. However, I don't really smell anything at all but then again, my nose is a bit stuffy right now. I always like a good hand cream, so I'm happy to try it out!

Then we have the Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in the color Love Affair. This is such a beautiful burgundy shade that'll be great for Fall! It's fairly pigmented as well, which you'll see in a swatch in a bit.

Next product is the Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in the color Gun Metal. It's a pretty silvery color that to me has a hint of green to it. The swatch I did on my hand was a bit hard to do so I'm a bit wary of putting it near my eyes. maybe if I warm it up a bit first then it'll be okay. I really like the color too, but it's not an everyday color.

The last product I received is the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser. I'm a little wary of trying this as well because I have oily skin and cream cleansers don't go well for me. I think maybe I'll save this for colder months when my skin is less oily.

swatch of eyeliner and lip gloss

Overall, I'm alot happier with this bag than I was with previous bags. I'm happy with pretty much everything, which hasn't happened in quite a while. If you want to sign up for your own Ipsy bag for only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, use my affiliate link here!

Review: Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in 015 Barcelona Nights

Hey guys! A few posts ago, I did a haul where I bought 4 of these Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains, and for a good price too! Today I'll be reviewing the color Barcelona Nights, which is probably my favorite out of the ones I purchased.

Revlon says that these Moisture Stains drench lips in glossy wet color, it's an ultra-light creamy lipstain with Vitamin E and aloe, and that 88% of women felt lips were instantly moisturized without stickiness. The Revlon website shows 11 shades but I have read that there are 12 and depending on where you buy them, they range between $8 and $10. 

I really like the design of this brush. It's like a flat paddle shaped brush that's super soft and picks up alot of color out of the tube. I have to note though, and I don't know if it's me, the brush or the product, but the ones I have go on streaky and I have to work with it a bit to get the full color on my lips. I'm thinking it's me because I always have to put on a lip balm before any lip color or my lips just dry out instantly. Once I get the color on the way I like, it looks great!

Barcelona Nights is definitely a warm color which I surprisingly like since I'm more of a cool toned girl. To me this is a bright berry color and the consistency of it is pretty nice, like a gel-creme formula. I feel like I get good wear out of this and the shine of this product lasts about 3 to 4 hours on me. The stain it leaves behind is nice too but definitely not as bright as this swatch. 

I really love how shiny these look! Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this product. This color is a bit hard to work with and you definitely need a mirror and patience for it to look blended evenly. I can go through a whole work day with only having to reapply once which is definitely a good thing for me because I don't have the time to be constantly reapplying lip products. I typically just reapply after lunch and I'm good til the end of the day. Would I recommend these? Sure, as long as there's a sale! At around $10, I don't find that particularly cheap and like I said in my haul post, I got these on sale at Ulta with a coupon and points were used so I only spent a little under $20 for the 4 that I have.

Have you tried these Moisture Stains? What do you think of them?