Review - Urban Decay "Smoke Out" kit.

I was recently sent a few pieces by Urban Decay for review purposes - First up, we have their "Smoke Out" kit in "Yerba". The Kit is also available in "Juju" which contains smoky browns and greys. Yerba on the other hand contains white, nude, grey and very dark green shadows. The kits retail at £22.00, and are available at Boots, Debenhams and House of Fraser...

The kit seems to be well thought out  - it contains all the basics for a smoky eye - Four shadows, a black liner (24/7 in Zero), an applicator brush, a mascara (Skyscraper Multi-benefit mascara), and the top layer flips over to reveal a mirror, and also has a pull out drawer with a little instruction leaflet...

Lets take a closer look at the contents...

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Urban Decay Lipsticks... "Tease" and "Gash"

Since picking up the shade "Oil Slick" from Urban Decay recently for my post on dark makeup I decided I like these lipsticks a LOT - from the dagger style packaging to the formula, and the colours... Well, some are not exactly everyday shades, but reds in the range are definitely worth a look...

I picked up a couple the other day in the shades Tease and Gash (nice colour, name, not so appealing possibly?)

Tease is definitely the more wearable of the two, it reminds me a bit of MACs "Kinda Sexy" but is a bit less drying on my lips...

It looks like a reddish-pink nude in the tube, slightly teracotta like...

However, on the lips it is a lovely peachy shade, perfect with a smoky eye - I love this shade, and it may be that I have found a (kind of) nude shade I can work with....

I also picked up the shade "Gash" a deep dark red shade - vampy but wearable for night time, and I'm thinking false lashes, simple black liner, and a slick of Harlot blusher from Illamasqua will set this off nicely...
Apologies for the freaky swatch above - I tried to take a full lip shot, but my lips were all blotchy and it looked like a five year old had applied it, but hopefully this gives you a good idea of the colour.

I find both shades reasonably long lasting, and non-drying. They cost around £11.50 each at Boots, and are also available in department stores.

Do you own any Urban Decay lipsticks? How do you find them?
MizzWorthy xxx

MAC is not the only Black!

I have to say, since I started blogging and trying different products, for me, the whole "MAC=amazing" idea that runs through so much of the blogosphere no longer rings true. Now I'm not saying MAC isn't a great brand, it is, but their LE collections have failed to inspire me for a LONG time - the last few months have seen a dirge (in my opinion!) of badly pigmented and disappointing products. The last collection that inspired me in any way was BBR. Outstanding MSF's and fab brushes (although in a way, I find the LE brush thing annoying too - why do you do that to us MAC? Why!?).When I first saw the images and products of the Style Black collection, I have to say, I felt the old interest in MAC stirring again, and I was so excited to have a look at the collection. I was sadly really really disappointed. I got to my local MAC counter on LAUNCH DAY to find that all the eyeshadows were already crumbling and smashed up in the containers. This did not bode well. The one intact shadow swatched well, but I personally found it too glittery - the one shade I was really interested in was the Gilt by Association (sadly the sample was smashed to smithereens), and I may still purchase this one, as it appeals to me for the Christmas season, and looks like it would make a wicked smokey eye over a black base.

I love the look of the black lipsticks, but I am aware that I would probably look ridiculous in them - I am too pale to carry them off (with the possible exception of night violet) and this does make me sad - I'm all for trying out unusual looks, and I'm definitely having fond memories of my teen goth phase, but wearing black lippie when you are 16 (or in a studio with the benefit of amazing lighting and a computer airbrush) is very different to wearing it in your thities (especially when you have as little confidence in your looks as me)(*sob*).I'm definitely more open to the dark purple and red lipsticks which are a massive part of this trend.

Mooching about the beauty hall following this disappointment, I realised that there are actually a LOT of other collections which meant I could still indulge in this trend... Chanel, YSL and NARS all have suitable products to rock this look...

My interest was definitely massive in the Chanel Noirs Obscures collection.

This darkly decadent collection features a couple of dark lipsticks - both very tempting, and some very very nice dark nail varnishes, as well as a new mascara ("The Chanel Mascara"). The products I picked up were the eye palette (£37) and the lipgloss (I think it was around£15?)...

The colours are a little difficult to see but this is basically a palette of colours with very dark undertones - there is a purple, a green, a blue and a brown. The gloss is a black see through base with golden shimmer (Sounds similar to bling black?)

Swatching the shadows on their own makes them look pretty indestinct...

However, over a black base their individual colours stand out much more;

The lipgloss is very subtle - the picture makes it look much more subtle than it is in real life...

On its own the gloss deepens the natural lipcolour. It would look great over the (in my case) dreaded nude shades too...

Illamasqua is ALWAYS worth checking out for unusual and trend shades - they have many many dark shades which are bang on trend at the moment - their cream shadows make great bases and they do an augergine shade called debauch which would make a change from MAC's blackground paintpot. I picked up their black concealer (shade 350). This is also available in the less pigmented undereye version - both make AMAZING eye shadow bases.

I also picked up a new shade by Urban Decay called Oil Slick. This looks like a black lipstick with silver shimmer...

But when worn it is much more subtle - although in this picture it looks like I applied it in the dark you get the idea!

Drugstore ranges are also well worth a look - Maybelline do a shade in their new Colour Sensation line called Galactic Mauve which looks great worn alone...


Top this off with a layer of Oil Slick by Urban Decay though and you have a perfect on shade and wearable combo..

I LOVE this combination - what do you think?

Other dark and moody collections worth looking at - YSL's new rouge volupte and gloss volupte shades, as well as their new 5 colour eye palettes; Estee Lauder's double wear cream shadow in midnight velvet, and the classic black honey sheer lipcolour from clinique... Any other suggestions?

Oh and by the way - Barry M do a cheap black lipstick that won't leave a dent in your pocket once this trend passes!

MizzWorthy xxx

FOTD - Featuring RBR, Korres, Barry M... and the mysterious disappearance of the UD Brow Box ;-(

This is a look I've been wearing a lot over the last few days, so thought I'd share... I think I look so serious in the photo above, as here at Casa De Worthy, we have had a casualty of makeup proportions...

Those of you who twitter with me, will know that I had a reorganisation of my stash last night, curtesy of some flat-pack from IKEA... It is my sad duty to report that my urban decay brow box is missing... This is a definite staple product for me, and I feel like my brows don't look quite right. Oh well, time to hunt out a replacement!

Well, here is a picture of me looking a little happier;

Products Used;

Face;
Korres Watermelon tinted moisturiser
ELF mineral blush in Coral
Rouge Bunny Rouge liquid highlighter (AKA candlelight in a bottle) blended in "C" shape around eye and up to brow bone, and also a smidge down the centre of the nose.
Illamasqua pressed powder (PP115) dusted over T-Zone.

Eyes

MAC paintpot in bare study as base,
Rouge Bunny Rouge shadow in "Unforgettable Oriole" (muted pale gold shade) over lid and blended up to browbone.
Rouge Bunny Rouge shadow in "Abyssinian Catbird" in crease and outer lid.
Rouge Bunny Rouge shadow in "Bejewelled Skylark" in outer V.
Loreal Telescopic carbon black mascara.
UD 24/7 Liner in "Lucky" (bronze-gold shade) on waterline, and upper lashline.
ABSENT - ud brow box!

Lips.

Barry M lipgloss in "Toffee" - this smells like toffee and adds a nice sheen - probably as near to a nude lip as I'm willing to go!

MizzWorthy xxx

Requested; Pics of my Collection...

Hi Everyone,

First of all, I want to say I'm so pleased to the reaction to my tag post! I hope you all enjoyed doing this as much as I've enjoyed reading the responses! I've found all the products that got you hooked really cool to read about - we are all passionate about our makeup and thats for sure!

So this post was requested by two of the people I follow and who also follow me (Kelly and Laura)... and its pics of my collection of makeup. I want to say before I go any further though, that I'm not doing this to brag or boast or anything - my collection is not really that big (in my opinion - there are always more things to add lol!) , so please don't post any nasty comments or anything as I really am not trying to come across that way...

So I've tried to do things in some kind of logical order - and I've grouped products together rather than photograph every single item on its own - that would just simply have taken too long haha! My photographer (my lovely BF) would also not have enjoyed having to do this... So deep breath and here we go!


1. The place I keep all stash - bought these little drawer sets from IKEA and they will do for now...

2. My foundation's - yes I know most people only have one or two, but I like playing about with different looks on my skin etc. I have a problem lol!

So we have MAC Studio fix fluid, Mac Studio Tech, NARS Firming Foundation, MAC Studio stick, MAC Full Coverage, Clinique supermoist, my MAC concealer and a product from the Body Shop which can be mixed in with liquid foundation for a luminizing effect...


3. Mineral Foundations and face powders...

This is mostly from bare escentuals... I have the foundation in light and light-med, a little refillable compact, radiance powders, warmth powder, well rested for eyes concealer and mineral veil. At the back of the pic is a collection of everyday minerals samples in various colours..

4. My Makeup Brushes...

I've also pictured my fix+ and brush cleaner here.. Various brushes from MAC, Bare escentuals, the body shop and everyday minerals amongst others, as well as my tweezermans.

5. Random other bits of mineral makeup...

This is all from a couple of kits I bought from Bare Escentuals - two Buxom lip glosses which are tingly and minty on the lips, last very well and I like the colours... The rocker eye kit, which I posted about in Jan, and a blusher and three purple shadows from another kit - all good for smoky looks!

6. Face Powders and Mineral Skin Finishes...

At the back we have prescriptives magic liquid powder, then a MAC SE from the fafi collection, at the front MSF's in natural, soft and gentle and a Lancaster bronzer which was given to me by Happy1234 (thank you!!!)

7. Blush collection.

Back row has a Revlon blush from a couple of yrs ago, a chanel one I wore when I got married (but don't hold that against it lol), NARS Nico and Albatross/Orgasm duo. At the front MAC blush in well dressed, peachykeen, harmony(which I use for contouring) and creme blush in lilicent, a Dior show blush given to me by Happy1234 (thanks again!) and a creme colour base in improper copper.

8. Lipsticks.

I'm not going to list all these but they include a Mac palette from last Christmas, a couple of rouge veluptes and my nudes...

9. Lipglosses.

The two chanel ones at the laft were LE and they glow under fluorescent/blacklights. Then we have three BE ones, MAC ones and various other random ones from YSL, a juicy tube and a MAC tinted lipbalm...

10. Eyeliners...

So here we have a shadestick in jaded, my Urban Decay 24/7 sets (velvet rope and another one which I cant remember the name of - these were out at Christmas...), Barry M lip and eye crayons, a MAC liquidlast, one of those guerlain Kohl things in navy, Mac fluidlines in blacktrack and brassy and various randoms from Ruby and Millie, Loncome, No 7...

11. Eye Shadows...

Some more close up pics;

At the back, my pigments in pink-bronze and blue-brown, palettes from chanel and YSL, my NARS duos and singles a few Barry M dazzle dusts, Paintpots in painterly, blackground, nice vice (from Fafi collection)and rubinesque, a sleek pigment in dark purple and various single MAC shadows including contrast, beauty marked trax and star violet...

12. Eye palettes... (hope you aren't too bored yet lol!)

Urban Decay's book of shadows, which I love, packaging is very pretty and OTT! Great shadows and colour range.

A cheap and cheerful one from Sleek, (sold in Superdrug) I have to confess I've yet to try this out!

My MAC palette. Colours from top to botom, left to right... Brule, copperized, mythology, samoa silk, antiqued, honeylust, vex, idol eyes, typographic, humid and chrome.

13. A couple of Chanel LE kits...

Lip and eye palette...

'Les Guaches' for eyes lips and cheeks.

14. Random Bits and Bobs...

at the back we have my brow kit from urban decay, mascaras (YSL false lasy, Max factor masterpiec max and 2000 calorie and a tester from No 7), UDPP. Then at the front, MAC matte gel, lanacane anti-chafing gel-powder (This works as a primer as it's full of silicone - similar to monistat gel that all the USA girls rave about!) MAC prep and prime, strobe cream, YSL Touche Eclat and my eyelash curlers...

So there we go! Well done if you've lasted through the whole post!

If you want a review of anything I've mentioned, swatches etc, then leave me a comment and I'll do my best to do it!

Hope you enjoyed... would love any comments of course!

Love MizzWorthy xxx

Some Not Very Clear Pics of my Christmas Look

Ok, so better late than never, I finally got the software for my camera uploaded onto here, which means I can get pictures on here. Anyway, here are some pics of me on Christmas day. Unfortunately this doesn't look as bright as it did on the day on the pics - must have been the lighting or something. I didn't think to take any close ups of my eyes either :-(

I did this look using the urban decay book of shadows palette...

The steps as follows...

1. Apply concealer and blend on prepped skin, then used a 187 brush to apply Mac Studio Tech foundation in NC20.

2. Applied UDPP to eyelids and blend out. Apply a little under eye lid as well.

3. Pack on the shade 'Absinthe' from palette over lid up to crease, blending slightly upwards and outwards.

4. Apply the shade 'Protest' from the palette to outer crease and blend using a window wiper motion and a decent blender brush.

5. Use a very small brush to pack the shade 'shattered' on the inner corner and bring slightly underneath eye, about a third of the way across the lower lid.

6. Use shades 'goddess' and a TINY amount of 'perversion' for 'outer V' to add a little more depth to the crease.

7. Use a liner brush to apply 'absinthe' across lower lash line, blending in with the 'shattered' in the inner part of the lash line.

8. Apply 'protest' to the outer third of the lower lash line. Make sure the colours on the lower lash line are blended well. It should look like a series of green shades going into a lighter blue-green. Line upper lash line with a fine line of black kohl or fluid liner. Line the water line in black.

9. Lots of mascara...

10. Apply a pinky creme blush (I used MAC's 'Lilicent' using a 188 brush)

11. Set foundation with your choice of powder (I used MSF Natural in light/medium)

12. Apply nude lip gloss of your choice (I have so many I can't remember what I used, but it was a peachy nude...)

That was it really. It did look much more vibrant in real life though! Hope you like! xxx