It wasnt an easy feat to add the Urban Decay Naked Palette to my stash of eyeshadow palettes. The very popular palette sold out the instant it hit the shelves thanks to the amazing number of beautiful neutral eyeshadows it contained.

But if you’re the kind to use only a certain number of colours for daily wear, you’ll love the Too Faced Neutral Eye Palette. Perfect for a soft, natural sexy look this Natural Eye Palette is modeled after the first Too Faced Classic Smokey Palette. Bundled with three step-by-step instruction cards on how to create the looks you love, this eyeshadow palette is probably the next best alternative to the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

I know I already have the Naked Palette and the Too Faced Natural Eye Palette isn’t new in Sephora Singapore, but I’m currently going through an everything-brown phase so this palette might just be next on my to-buy list although I probably shouldnt. Quick! Somebody, stop me!

This set contains 10 of Sephora’s favorite bronzers and luminizers that “creates believable, sunkissed color, year-round”. Perfect for a setting where it’s summer all the time dont you think? And what could be more perfect than getting a sample of each one of these 10 gems in precious mini bottles?

From left to right:
* 0.39 oz Korres Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder in Sunglow Light
* 0.16 oz SEPHORA COLLECTION Nail Polish in Bright Red
* 0.08 oz Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder
* 0.04 oz LORAC Tantalizer Baked Bronzer in Golden Bronze
* 0.17 oz Josie Maran Bronzing Argan Oil
* 0.2 oz Smashbox Artificial Light Illuminating Lotion in Glow
* 0.02 oz Bare Escentuals bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Faux Tan
* 0.09 oz Tarte EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow Liner in Bronze
* 0.09 oz Benefit High Beam
* 0.08 oz TEMPTU RETOUCH Highlighter in Gold

I probably wont be able to finish using them all this year, but they wont ever run out style here in Singapore! Heehee.

My OTHER loot comes in the form of individual items that I picked up off the shelves. I like to have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But when I took this picture, I realised most of the items were from Urban Decay.

From left to right:
* NARS Super Orgasm Blush
* Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow in Moon Spoon
* Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20
* Benefit Concealer Brush
* Urban Decay Ink for Eyes Cream Eyeliner in Demolition

I just adore the funky packaging from Urban Decay, especially the Ink for Eyes Cream Eyeliner. Definitely cant wait to try it out! In fact, I also cant wait to compare the difference between the NARS Super Orgasm and the NARS Orgasm blush. Anyone tried them both before? Which one do you prefer?

The second and much bigger Sephora outlet in ION didn’t manage to bring in these coveted brand either. But now, girls, after months of waiting, it’s time to pop the champagne.

URBAN DECAY IS FINALLY HERE IN SINGAPORE!

A peek at just a few of the items the counter carries.

Mention Urban Decay, and the ever popular Urban Decay Primer Potion comes to mind. Other than the original Primer Potion, two new stunning colours are now available for your picking: Eden, a wearable, tawny, matte shade and Sin, a shimmering champagne colour (all three seen in the picture, extreme left of middle row). Both gorgeous to wear on its own as a cream eyeshadow and of course, for use under your eyeshadows to make them stay longer. I couldn’t decide which of the two to get. I love shimmery shades but at the same time want a matt eyeshadow that’s ever so versatile. Anyone want to buy me them both?

The counter also stocks the to-die for 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils, Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner and brilliant StarDust eyeshadow which again made my pocket cry out in vain. I poured over the items and couldn’t decide which one to get. Ohhhhh… The joy of shopping for your items and testing out the colours you like. The Oil Slick StarDust eyeshadow had my name written all over it. I couldn’t help but drool over the intense amount of glitter in this pigmented eyeshadow. The Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner was another one with an obscene amount of glitter in it. Back during my escapade in the Philippines, I was lucky enough to have Miss Northern Ireland lend it to me. I tried it out and ended up looking like I had pretty fairy dust on my lids. Teehee.

If you’re like me and can’t decide what to get, perhaps the 24/7 sets with the 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil and Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner will be an easy choice for you. The assortment of rainbow colours allow for some dramatic and fun looks. But me being me, I had difficulty picking just ONE set. They were all so pretty. I’m greedy, I WANTED THEM ALL!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Electric

These creamy Glide-on eyeliners literally glide on your skin and stays soft for up to 30 seconds before drying up to a long-lasting finish. They are waterproof and WILL not BUDGE. It took a quite hard rub with my finger before the liner would smudge.

Because it’s the beginning of the month and the paycheck is already in, I think it might just be a good time to hop on down to Sephora right now.

Sephora is located at:
Sephora ION Orchard Shopping Mall
2 Orchard Turn #01-05
Singapore 238801

Sephora Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road #B1-05
Singapore 238873

Sephora Great World City
Great World City
1 Kim Seng Promenade #01-59
Singapore 237994

Sephora Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue #B2-32
Singapore 018956

Are you an Urban Decay fan? What are your favourite products?

8.30pm to 9.30pm (local time)

About 9 hours before it’s Earth Hour! Counting down to when we all turn off our lights to help save the environment.

Do your little bit by turning off non-essential lights for just one hour today. But that’s not all you can do, you can turn off your air-conditioner and use the fan to show how much you care. Even better plan a block party with some friends and enjoy the natural evening breeze Mother Nature has to offer!

Turning off these appliances will help to conserve the Earth’s natural resources, reduce your carbon footprint and lead to a cleaner, healthier environment for our future. You are just one person but YOU can change the world by taking action.

It’s all in the name of going green. As for me, here’s my pledge to going green: a green Face of the Day!

Click to enlarge

Face of the Day

Face:
Anna Sui fluid foundation
NARS Bronzer in Casino

Eyes:
Majolic Majorca eyeshadow palette in GR750
Too Faced Smokey Eye palette in Fashion Smoke
NARS eyeshadow duo in Pandora
Kate Gel Eyeliner (read review HERE)

Lips:
Maquillage lipstick in BR302

“One must be the change one wishes to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

Face of the day

Face:
M.A.C Prep and Prime
M.A.C Studio Fix
M.A.C Pinch-o-peach blush

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette using Fashion Smoke
NARS eyeshadow in Pandora
Kate Gel eyeliner in Black
Maybelline Define-a-lash mascara
L’oreal Voluminious mascara

Lips:
Dior Addict Plastic Shine

Face of the day

Face
La-Roche Posay sunblock 50++
Everyday Minerals Olive Golden Medium foundation
Covermark foundation (used as concealer)
M.A.C Pinch-o-peach blush

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer
Day Smoke from Too Faced Smoky Eye Shadow Collection
Maybelline Define-a-lash mascara
Kate Gel Eyeliner (review HERE)
Falsies

We were told to have waterproof makeup because obviously a swimsuit shoot would involve getting into the water. Without it, we ran the risk of mascara and eyeliners streaking down our faces like an emo goth. Highly unbecoming of beauty queens-to-be. I thus had to put the Too Faced Shadow Insurance to the test.

Here’s the product story from their website:

Your full-coverage insurance policy against all fading creasing melting blurring oil-slicked and hard-to-blend eye shadow accidents. Our silicone-based eyeshadow primer transforms any eye shadow into a perfectly blendable color-drenched intensified version of itself then locks it down perfectly until you take it off.

Promises of intensified, creaseless and lasting eyeshadow I had no doubts about. I mean, look at how gorgeous the Day Smoke colours turned out.

But what about in the water? Here’s how it fared after some time in the pool.

After splashing about in the pool (I didnt go underwater) and getting water splashed indirectly at my face a couple of times, THE COLOURS STUCK! I didnt have to do any touch-ups with regards to the eyes after the 3 hour shoot.

Did I mention I took the above picture after we got out of the pool and changed for the workshop?

The picture says it all.

Just like how a building requires a good and solid foundation, primers
are the building blocks to keeping a good face, especially if you’re
gonna keep it for long. In this case I was looking in particular at eyeshadow primers.

It was a tough decision when it came to choosing between the Urban
Decay Primer Potion (PP) and Too Faced Shadow Insurance (SI). I’d
heard raves reviews about both and for a primer amateur like me, they
both would most likely do the job for me. It was thus a matter of
application and ease of access to the product that broke the hair on the camel’s back.

Too Faced SI comes in a easy to use squeeze tube. Although UD’s
genie-like bottle wins in terms of style and coolness, I’d heard that
when little product is left, it’s hard to get out. Thus the only
way to get your money worth of the primer is to CHOP the bottle in
half. Haha. Guess what, there are even videos on Youtube on how to do it! It was the funniest thing I heard.

They’re both priced the same (both USD17), so to save me the hassle of taking up a butchering course anytime soon, Too Faced Shadow Insurance was my latest addition to my makeup trove. Hooray!

Review coming up soon!

Here’s the how-to on the awesome classic smokey eyes based on the Too Faced Smokey Eye palette!

The great thing about this set is that it comes with brushes and tutorials on how to use the colours in the palette, but I slightly modified it cause it was more for Western eyes than Asian eyes.

Before

1. Apply silver to the entire eye area up to the brow.

2. Next, apply to the lid up to eye socket Black Spark.

This is what you should get when you open your eyes.

3. Finally, use Black Suede on your crease and line/rim your lower eyelid with the same colour. I’ll tell you the brush included in the set is awesome for lining your lower eyelid. The brush picks up the pigments beautifully and deposits the colour evenly on your eyes.

4. This is the secret to getting that smokey effect. BLEND BLEND and BLEND! Use a windscreen wiper motion – left, right, left, right and a clean soft eyeshadow brush to do your blending. This helps your eyeshadow colours “melt” into one another and doesnt look like you slapped each one on individually.

Once done, continue with your eye liner and mascara. I personally believe in double mascara-ing your eyelashes.

The result. You might have already seen it, but here it is again, because I love it so much.

And that’s is! It’s so simple.

I’ll tell you what happened.

I walked into Sephora hoping just to chill and look at the pretty colours that deck the shelves of the various makeup brands one fine and dandy day; I had no intention of shopping for anything. And then, I realised that Pop Beauty was having a 50% off their eyeshadow wallets. Okay… Breathe, I said to my already excited little heart. Let’s go see if they’re worth checking out.

Lo and behold, they were p r e t t y awesome.

For a 24 colour eyeshadow wallet (they’re called wallets cause they’re flat and long and well, duh, like real wallets) whose original price was $65, $32.50 was a pretty good price for that number of eyeshadows. And convenience came in the form of the wallet which had everything – eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks sans foundation. Imagine going out in the day without makeup and having a last minute meeting scheduled for the afternoon. What do you whip out? Your makeup wallet of course. Just slap on some lipstick, blush and maybe some eyeshadow if you have time. Sounds really inviting to a lazy bugger like me.

“Okay, let’s think about it”, I told myself. Afterall I really had no intention of buying anything and wasnt going to go on a spur of the moment shopping spree. Whilst walking around and browsing the pink shelves of the Too Faced counter, the salesgirl approached and whipped this out.

HOLY COW!

Smokey eyes in a beautiful black and purple packaging! And check out the gothic font.

It was hard to resist. I can feel my inner goth rock chick slowly creeping out.

So I succumbed. I bought it.

There were three different types of smokey eye colours (9 colours in total) in the palette: day smoke, classic smoke and classic smoke. Perfect for use in all different occasions.

Had my brother’s 21st dinner party last night and I decided to break out the palette. So here’s my face of the day with the Classic Smoke from the palette.

Isnt it gorgeous!?

The colours really stand out on camera and is soooo pigmented.

Face of the day

Face:
Everyday Minerals mineral foundation in Olive Golden Medium (my holy grail!)
Benefit Dandelion blush

Eyes:
Too Faced classic smoke in Smokey Eye palette
Kate Gel Eyeliner
Beauty Buffet eyebrow pencil
Maybelline XXL Waterproof mascara
L’oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips:
Maybelline Fruity Jelly lipgloss

Get the look here.