Review: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette




Foxy - pale yellowed beige matte
Half Baked - coppery brown with golden shimmer metallic
Booty Call - peach-tinted white beige satin
Chopper - orange-toned with copper shimmer metallic
Tease - mauve brown matte
Snakebite - bronze with golden shimmer satin
Suspect - soft champagne-bronze satin
Pistol - taupe with a lot of brown satin
Verve - white-gray metallic
YDK - warm coppery brown metallic
Busted - burgundy deep brown satin
Blackout - deep black matte

Naked - sheer neutral pink with white shimmer.

It's a fabulous value, if you bought everything separately (12 shadows, the lip gloss, the brush) you would pay $234.  They put it all in one sleek palette for $50.


Pros:
-Packaging - Sleek packaging in a metal tin that shuts really well.  It's a little heavier than the original but feels more durable and travel-friendly.
-All eyeshadow have good color payoff, easy to work with.
-Matte highlight and black (can be used as eyeliner!)
- A large usable mirror.  Palettes and face products usually always come with those tiny impossible to see anything mirrors, but this one might actually get some use!

Cons:
-Lack of dark colors - not that many dark colors to work with. Only two good crease colors.
-Too many similar colors to the original palette.
-Dual-ended brush - (This is probably just me being weird and picky) I keep my brushes in brush holder - how am I supposed to store a dual ended one? One side will be messed up.  I don't like keeping brushes in the palette, they usually aways fall out when you open it.
-Lip gloss - I don't understand why a lip gloss was placed in this EYE palette? Another primer potion would've made more sense.


Comparison
Let's compare Naked (the original) to Naked 2.

There's really no need to purchase both palettes. If you're an obsessed beauty junkie, of course, you'll want both but the everyday normal person can definitely just get away with one.


-Half Baked is in both palettes.
-Booty Call (2) and Virgin (1) are nearly the same color.
-Suspect (2) and Smog (1) are nearly the same color.
-YDK (2) and Sidecar (1) are nearly the same color.
-Busted (2) and Hustle (1) are nearly the same color.

A few others are similar. Only 5 shades (out of 12) aren't similar at all to any in the first palette.  I'm a little disappointed with Urban Decay for producing such similar colors and even including one of the exact same.

The only two things I really couldn't stand about Naked the original were:
1.) The "black" color was really a glitter almost black/navy mess. I needed a true black to go over eyeliner or deepen the crease for night time looks.  I always had my Naked palette along with MAC Carbon Eyeshadow.

2.) The felt packaging always collected dirt.

Both of these 2 flaws were fixed in the Naked 2 palette. A deep dark black eyeshadow and a sleek metal tin as packaging.


So which one do I buy?
It took me a year to finally just give in and purchase Naked. I've used it every day since and have gotten rid of almost all of my neutral MAC eyeshadows (minus Carbon.)  Only a few colors are starting to have a dent in them.  It only took me a month to purchase Naked 2 this time around.  I looked at swatches but I never really sat down and read multiple reviews saying you don't REALLY need both.

My ideal Naked palette would be to take all of the eyeshadows from the original and put it in Naked 2's sleek case.  Then switch out Creed (1) with Blackout (2) and switch Gunmetal (1) with Verve (2).

Both Naked and Naked 2 both have warm tones.  Naked 2 is the cooler toned palette but still may not suit all cool tones.  Naked can create more looks.  Naked 2 has a matte highlight and black (can be used for eyeliner or deepening.) Naked is more pigmented and shimmery.  Basically, the choice will depend on your preferences and skin tone...

Rating:
Product: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5

Retail: $50.00
The Winner: Naked (the original)
Overall: I'd be more impressed with this palette if I didn't already own the original.  Don't get me wrong, I do like it and I've been alternating back and forth between the two palettes. They're pretty similar, but I understand it's hard to produce so many different shades of neutral.  The original Naked palette got a ridiculous amount of hype and Urban Decay played off that. $50 for 12 full-sized eyeshadows with great color payoff is a great value and worth looking into especially if you never purchased the original palette.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.

naked again,
-Kaitlyn

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Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter


"94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother, and instantly hydrated." 
 - Revlon.com

I've heard (read) nothing but praises about this product.  A week ago, when the shelves were cleared at both my local Ulta and Wal*Mart, I realized it must be worth having.


Not that $7.00 is a bad price for a lip butter, this week (1/8-1/14) there are multiple deals going on which gave me motivation to finally go purchase it.

CVS has these on sale for $5.99 with $3 Extra Bucks (Register Rewards) making it just $2.99 - that's nearly the cost of your basic chapstick! Target Mobile has sent out $1.00 off any Revlon cosmetic item.  Ulta has these BoGo 1/2 this week.

I was happy (and surprised) to see an untouched display at CVS:

Revlon Lip Butters

Unfortunately, there's a limit of one (for the Extra Bucks) at CVS or I probably would be going back to clear the shelves.  I had a gift card at Target and decided to use the mobile coupon to purchase a second shade ($5.49) there.

Revlon coupon

I'm a sucker for the color-of-your-lips-but-better lip shades.  I first chose Pink Truffle, I had a hard time picking a second shade but I opted for a more wearable hot pink - Raspberry Pie.


It's a true lip butter formula that glides on and lasts awhile.  It's a really smooth, creamy texture making application even. Pigmentation depends on the color, they're buildable..from sheer to a heavy tint. If you want it completely opaque, it'll be best with a lip liner underneath.  It moisturizes, gives pigmentation, and a little shimmer/shine.


There's a wide color selection, barely-there colors to a deep vampire red.  All of the colors have food names but they're tasteless and unscented!


Pros:
• Unscented - and tasteless! I hate when good products are ruined by unneeded/unwanted scents.
•  Packaging - the lid matches the color of the butter, it's easy to see which color is which.
• Long-lasting - not in the lipstain way, but typical lip butters and balms usually vanish within 30 minutes.  This held up for a few hours.  Even after eating and drinking there was still a little bit of color left behind.
• Moisturizing - it really is.  I'd usually carry around both lip balm and lipstick but takes care of both moisturizing and the color.
• Shades - extremely large color selection

Cons:
• Limited Availability - Some stores didn't get all of the colors.  Some stores can't keep it on the shelves.
• Messy- It's the formula, I like the formula but... the butter softness has potential to be a big mess.  There's no way you can leave this barely hotter than room temperatures without it melting.  (This as a backup lipstick in your car is out of the question.)  It'll easily loose its shape so you'll have to be extra careful to hit it while twisting and putting the lid back on. I've had it for a few days now and the lip product has made its way around the exterior of the silver tube.  (What my lipsticks usually look like after a few months.)

Rating:
Product: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Packaging: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Overall: A short description is a lighter version lipstick in a lip balm formula. The product delivers as advertised... moisturizes and gives shiny color.
Retail: $6.49-$9.99 (depending on store and location)  
Best For:  Those fearful of lipstick but looking for color.
Bottom Line:  Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.

It's hard to pay full price for an item when you first purchased it as low as $2.99! - I'll probably wait it out for another similar sale or a BOGO half off.  I definitely want to pick up a few more shades.

wearing Raspberry Pie,
-Kaitlyn

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2011 Beauty Favorites

Here are my favorites for 2011! It was neat to look back on my favorites from last year and compare them with the products I've used (or continued using) this year.

The products marked with - means it is a type of product that I do not use, or I just didn't find a miracle product for the year. The products followed by * means it was my favorite for both 2010 and 2011.

These are all products I have used continuously throughout the year.  I have repurchased most of these or I will in the future. I have recommended them to friends and family, and I recommend them to you.


Makeup
Blush: NARS Orgasm
Bronzer: NARS Laguna
Brush: Sigma Tapered Blending Brush
Concealer: Revlon Photoready
Eyebrows: Anastasia Brow Kit
Eyelash Curler: -
Eyeliner: MAC Technakohl in Graph Black*
Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Palette
Eyeshadow Primer/Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion*
Foundation: -
Highlight: MAC Soft & Gentle Mineralized Skin Finish
Lipgloss: -
Lipstick: MAC Velvet Teddy
Mascara: Clinique High Definition*
Nail polish: Butter London Come to Bed Red
Powder: -
Tool: Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge
Top Coat Polish: Seche Vite

High-End Brand: Urban Decay
Drugstore Brand: Revlon



Body
Bath Product: Epsom Salt
Body Exfoliator: LUSH Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub
Body Lotion: Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter
Cuticle Cream: LUSH Lemony Flutter
Fake Tanner: -
Foot Cream: Bath & Body Works Shea it isn't So Foot Cream*
Hand Cream: -
Perfume: Stella by Stella McCartney*
Shower Gel: -
Soap: Dove Sensitive Skin
Teeth Whitening - Crest 3D White Advanced Seal



Haircare
Conditioner: Joico K-Pak
Electrical: Clairol Hot Rollers*
Hair Dye: Revlon Colorsilk
Hairspray: Big Sexy Hair
Mask: Joico K-Pak Hydrator*
Miracle Product: Joico K-Pak Liquid Reconstruct
Shampoo: Organix Moroccan Argan Oil



Skincare
Exfoliator: LUSH Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub*
Eye Product: -
Cleanser/Makeup Remover: Clinique Take the Day Off
Facial mask: Freeman Cucumber Peel*
Lip Treatment: Blistex
Moisturizer: Origins Vitazing
Toner: Clinique Clarifying Lotion


here's to the best,
-Kaitlyn

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December Favorites

"Favorites" posts/videos discuss the products (and other misc things) you loved for that month. The products can either be purchased that month or (old) "rediscovered" items. Favorites are published at the end of the current month or at the beginning of the following month."

This month hardly consisted of purchasing any new beauty products because most of my time and money went into apartment décor and Christmas gifts. But I did have to make a few repurchases this month:


MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot
It evens out the eyelid and gets rid of veins or redness, making eyeshadow pop brighter. Unfortunately, it’s not a great base on its own and needs the help of Urban Decay Potion Primer to avoid creasing.

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Renewing Treatment
It helps restore shine, moisturizes, dangles and smells nice.  It's extremely cheap compared to the Moroccan Oil products.

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Nail polish lasts another 3-4 days topping it with this. The shine is really intense too. On lazy days, I’ve just been opting for this on its own.

shiny nails,
-Kaitlyn

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