Customise your own Palette with Makeup Obsession!

Makeup Obsession is, I am hoping, a brand you have by now heard of and if not, you soon will. Last week I went to the launch party and learn all about the concept with Tam Beauty, the people who you might recognise with brands such as Makeup Revolution and Freedom Makeup, two brands who have shaken up the beauty industry by bringing affordability to the highstreet with amazing quality makeup and maybe an excellent dupe along the way.

Makeup Obsession is all about creating your own look and to do that, you create your own palette using shades from a plethora of those currently available to do just that. In doing so you not only have the option to choose which shade you want to create a look, but you have he ability to create a palette which is unique to you, your personality and your style. But it isn't just about eyeshadows, there are also highlighters, blushers, contouring and strobing options thrown into the mix alongside the mattes, shimmers, pearlesque and bold colours.

If this isn't enough, they are so affordable, it is a challenge to not own every single option that there is available right now! The eyeshadows cost just £2 each, while the blushers, highlighters and contour shades cost £3. Then there is the cost of the palettes and again there is an amazing choice there as well. So for just £4 you can have a palettes which has six slots or you can pay £8 for a 12-slot palette and again there is a choice of black, white, silver, gold and rose gold! Personally I want one of each and will be very shortly making my own highlighter palette!

I was lucky enough to choose which palette I would like and which shades I would love to make up my own palette and as you might expect the possibilities are endless and each and every shade is just stunning, even if it is one you might never wear.  However, I am so predictable with my eyeshadow shades I went for the neutral shades and then added a few more into the mix, picked up a blusher, a base colour, some contour shades and a highlighter.  My palette which you can see above, I think, looks very me.

What has really impressed me is the how each shade is so incredibly pigmented, for me Makeup Revolution has set such a high standard when it comes to products so I was really expecting something a little bit special from Makeup Obsession and that is exactly what I got, it is just amazing. Not only is each shade, whether it is eyeshadow, blush, contour or highlighter pigmented, they are just incredible shades which absolutely do match the names they have given.

From Right to Left is Eyeshadow in shade London, Blush in Golden Girl, Eyeshadow in Espresso and Highlight in Peach

From Right to Left we have Eyeshadow in Lucky Charm, Eyeshadow in Precious Metal, Eyeshadow in White out and Contour Powder in Fair.

From right to left is Eyeshadow in Ibiza, Eyeshadow Luxe, Eyeshadow Mink and Contour Powder in Light

If you hadn't guessed already, then I absolutely love everything about this concept. Not only is it lots of fun with lots of choice, making your own palette gives you the chance to leanr a bit about yourself and gives you the opportunity to experiment outside the norm and your comfort zone, the tempting bright shades daring you to try them and all without having spending lots of money for something you don't like. It is fun, it is easy and it is exciting all rolled into one. I really loved the experience which is why I was excited to hear that if you’re near to a Boots Emporium, you can get your palette engraved. Which could make great stocking fillers and gifts this year.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Yardley English Dahlia Collection

The English Dahlia collection from Yardley is the latest range to launch and it is just so pretty. I was lucky enough to attend an event which gave an introduction to the brand and the new fragrance.  Most people will have heard of Yardley and have in their mind soaps and talcum powder, which is how I recognised the brand originally, now with a makeover, stunning looking packaging it is much more than that.

The English Dahlia is now in season and so is very fitting for Autumn. The British brand also wanted to highlight this absolutely beautiful British flower, one that we don't hear and see enough of. 

The scent opens up with top notes of neroli and apple flower which are fruity and light. The heart notes of Dahlia, Rose and Peony add a hint of a floral tone which when combined with the neroli make a stunning scent and finally after a good ten minutes of settling down the base note of base notes of patchouli, cedar and musk which give the fragrance an earthy tone.  Overall you get a nice mixture of floral and musk which isn't sweet and nor is it earthy, it sits somewhere in the middle and lasts for hours on the skin.

The range consists of an Eau de Toilette, Body Spray and a handcrea, and is purse friendly with the hand cream costing just £2.66, the Body spray is £2.49 and with the fragrance being on offer in Boots, so you can get 125ml for just £9.99 or 50ml for £6.66 this would make a really nice gift set.

Yardley is available at Boots and Superdrug. 

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette includes twenty eye shadows that celebrate the brand’s 20-year history.  From vintage shades that go WAY back (like Gash, Acid Rain and UV-B) to must-haves from the current collection, it’s all here.

Now as you would expect with Urban Decay, this palette is stunning.  With a jewelled 3D UD logo clearly visible it stands out against the black lid.  Opening is easy peasy with a click button and inside, the entire top half is a mirror, which is handy to have plus the inclusion of a double ended brush, which is actually a really good eyeshadow brush.

Urban Decay state that each Eyeshadow in this limited-edition palette features their Pigment Infusion System™, the proprietary blend of ingredients that gives every shade its velvety texture, rich colour, serious staying power and blendability. SO what you see, is what you get. Now all of the shades are just beautiful and some I have used more than others, but this is how they are described:

• Suspend is described as a “greige-brown matte.” It is definitely a muted, medium-dark taupe brown with a matte finish. Easy to blend and 
• Oil Slick is described as a “black matte with silver micro-glitter.” This is a stunning shade and it will be perfect for anyone loving Halloween. It is quite a medium black that has a silver sparkle.
• Roadstripe is described as a “iridescent white with blue-violet shift.” It’s a bright, iridescent white with a bluish-violet sheen. I find it works quite well as a base shade as well as being wearable on its own.
• Gash is described one of those shades which makes you go wow! Described as being a “metallic brick red” it is has orange undertones and is incredibly pigmented. Again a shade which is perfect for Autumn and one I am trying to learn to work with.
• Midnight Cowboy is one of my favourite shades on the palette and it is described as a “pink champagne with shimmer with silver glitter.” A light beige shade which has a slight addition of silver glitter but not too much that it takes away from the shade, it instead gives a bit of a shimmer. 
• 501 is described as a “deep metallic blue with copper micro-glitter” and it is just that. The blue is a deep blue with a slight smattering of glitter which as with Midnight Cowboy, doesn't detract from the beauty of the shade, but instead adds a little something.
• Shallow is described as a “pale taupe-silver satin.” and it definitely does have a silver tone to it when it is caught in the light. As well as a eyeshadow it also works well as a highlighter. 
• Laced is described as a “pinky-taupe matte” and it is a muted light pink shade which gives really good colour payoff and as its description states is a matte shade. This is one of the shades I have not yet worn. 
• Hot Pants is described as a “pearly medium pink.” In the pan it looks as though it will be an incredibly hot pink shade, and it is bright but with warm undertones there is a slight shimmer to it and again, not one I have yet worn.
• Mildew is described as a “deep metallic green shimmer.” and for me it is more of an olive green shade which a shimmer.  A beautiful Autumn shade or one for Halloween, im just not convinced it is for me as I have blue eyes.
• Smog is another one of my favourites and one I have worn a lot of. It is described as a “deep coppery bronze shimmer.” and it is incredibly rich with a coppery bronzed effect giving great colour payoff. 
• Misdemeanor is described as a “deep olive green matte with green micro-shimmer.” which is exactly what it is though it does have coll undertones, the matte finish is really pretty but as with Mildrew, I am not sure it is a shade I can pull off. 
• Freakshow is described as a “bright purple satin.” though I would have used the word violet ove purple. It is stunning shade which has amazing pigmentation, it blends like a dream and is perfect for autumn. 
• Asphyxia is described as a “hyacinth shimmer with blue shift.” It definitely has a touch of Lavender about the shade with the colour and for me, this is the one shade I found disappointing.
• Acid Rain is described as a “pale yellow-green shimmer with green shift.” It definitely has a slight green undertone and it is one of those shades which could look yellow or green in certain lights.  This is one I haven't got a clue how to use but it is pretty.
• Moonflower is described as a “metallic rose-gold with gold micro-shimmer.” For those of you loving your rose golds, then this is an amazing eyeshadow to have. It has warm undertones but amazing pigmentation and I absolutely love it.
• UV-B is described as a “bright blue with violet shift.” and it is a shade which at first glance reminds me of the shade my mum used to wear as I was growing up.  On a swatch it is more of a violet blue that has a slight sheen to it.
• Goldmine is described as a “bright metallic gold.” and it is an incredible shade, though much like Acid Rain, I have no idea what to do with it.  It is bright an it is yellow with a metallic sheen to it.
• Twice Baked is another one of my favourite shades and it is described as a “rich brown satin with gold micro-glitter." It is a medium brown with a slight red undertone and a really fine shimmer which you notice when it is picked up in direct light. 
• Anonymous is the final shade in the palette and it is described as a “pale peachy cream matte.” It does have a matte finish and is light and creamy with a slight peach hint of colur too it.  This shade, like Roadstripe does make a great base shade.  

Rather than swatch all 20 shades I have done a mixture of my favourites and then some of the more out there shades which I love but am yet to be comfortable wearing:

From left to right here there is Midnight Cowboy, Twice Baked, MoonFlower and Smog. These are the shades that I wear a lot of from the palette and yes they do fall into the neutral/nude category.

From Left to Right here we have 501, Mildew, Gash and Oil Slick which are all pigmented and stunning shades.

This palette costs £43 and is available via Urban Decay and Debenhams. It is one of those palettes everyone who loves eye shadow should have, on colour payoff alone it is exceptional and if you dare to try some of the more brighter shades, then this is the palette to do it with.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise