Urban Decay Naked 3 Review

I purchased the Urban Decay Naked 3 the day after it released at my Sephora.  So I've owned it for about a month now.  So this is a tried and true review.  I've given it a chance, I've used it a lot, I've seen what the colors can or can not do.  And I'm sure you're sick to death of Naked 3 reviews but I figured I should write this.

Let's start off by saying I was sooo excited for this palette.  I looked at swatches and reviews from the people who get sent palettes to try and review before they're for sale.  I saw it and immediately thought what an awesome bridal palette this would be.  And it is.

This palette retails for $52.  $52 sounds like a lot but when you think about the fact that you're getting 12 full-sized Urban Decay shadows, which retail for $18/apiece, you're actually saving $164 by buying them in a palette.

The colors:

Strange: 

What Urban Decay (I'm going to call them UD) says: "pale neutral-pink matte satin"

What I think:  their description is pretty good, but there's just the slightest hint of pink in there, it's really a good neutral color.

Dust:

What UD says: "pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter"

What I think:  This shadow is no bueno.  The color itself is really pretty.  However, it's kinda chalky and you really don't get any kind of color payoff from it.  It really is like pink fairy dust, as you're left with a light pink glitter.

Burnout:

What UD says: "light pinky-peach satin"

What I think:  I'd call it more of a shimmer, but it's pretty.

Limit:

What UD says: "light dusty rose matte"

What I think:  Gorgeous color.  I love this one.  It's a purple-based pink matte shadow.  It's beautiful.

Buzz:

What UD says: "metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter"

What I think:  This is not a glitter like their other glitters.  You can barely see it.  So it's more just a shimmery shadow.  I love the color.

Trick:

What UD says: "light metallic pinky-copper shimmer with tonal micro-glitter"

What I think:  It's a coppery-rose gold with glitter.  Not my favorite color in the bunch but I'm also not huge on golds.  I don't love UD's Half Baked shadow either, which is in both of the other Naked palettes.

Nooner:

What UD says: "medium pinky-brown matte:

What I think:  This color is probably my favorite color in the palette.  This and "Limit" are.  These mattes are really smooth and blend really, really well.  This one is great for adding depth to the crease.

Liar:

What UD says: "medium metallic mauve shimmer"

What I think:  It's a pretty shimmery color for a smokey eye.

Factory:

What UD says:  "pinky-brown satin"

What I think:  I love that this isn't super shimmery, just slightly.  Another great color for a smokey eye.

Mugshot:

What UD says: "metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift"

What I think:  I guess if you look really hard, you can see the pink in there but it's basically a taupe color.  Quite shimmery.

Darkside:

What UD says: "deep taupe-mauve satin"

What I think:  It's a shimmery dark grey purpley pink color haha.  Does that make sense?  This photographed less purple than it looks in person.

Blackheart:

What UD says:  "smokey black matte with rosy red microsparkle"

What I think:  To me, it doesn't look black.  It looks like a deep, deep reddish brown with rose sparkles.  This color is WAY more pigmented than I had expected.  LOVE this color!  This color looks more black in the picture than it does in person.

Swatches of the colors over the sample of their original Primer Potion:

I own all three Naked palettes.  I was really excited about this one because it was different from the others, it was more specific.  I do like it.  I think the colors are all pretty and nicely pigmented (with the exception of "Dust").  However, here's my problem:  I have used this palette many, many times and I have used different colors in different places, over different bases and I've really mixed up where and how I use the colors... all of the looks I have done look the same.  I don't know how that's possible or why that is but it's true.  No matter what I do, everything looks the same.  I also wish there was a shimmery highlight color because "Dust" just doesn't work.

I still think this palette is an AMAZING bridal palette!!  It looks great on everyone I've seen it on, from dark skin to light skin, blue eyes to brown eyes, especially green eyes.  So it really is beautiful and neutral.  Just don't expect to get a huge range of looks from this palette because I've tried and it hasn't happened haha.  

So here's a bridal look I did when I got the palette:

And the color placement:

Did you get a Naked 3 yet?  What do you think?  If not, do you plan to get one?

Date night smokey eye

I don't know if I have ever told you or not but I ADORE the Naked palette from Urban Decay.  I have both the first and the second ones but I use the first one way more (which I was totally not expecting).  I never thought I would use it as much as I do, but I swear I use it like 5 times a week.  So if you haven't gotten this palette because you think you'll never use it, I think you're wrong and you should get it.  Totally worth the $50 I say.

Today I wanted to do something I thought my husband might like, something good for a date night.  So I wanted dark dark eyeliner and to go relatively simple on the rest of my makeup.  So here's the look I did.

I've done this color combo a million times before, I just tried to make my liner darker by going over it a few times and then going over it with the black shadow from the Naked palette.  The colors I used from the palette are "Creep" (black), "Gunmetal" (grey), and "Naked" (tan).  My eyeliner is Avon's Glimmersticks Liqui-glide eyeliner in "black."  On my lips I have a mixture of "Interlace" and "Femme" OCC lip tars topped by Anastasia lipgloss in "Barely" (great color, HORRIBLE applicator).

So that's my super easy date night look.  According to my husband, "it's cool" so I'm not sure what that means.  But I like it so that's all that matters!  Well, I hope you guys like it too haha!

A rusty look! And a pretty look using the Naked palette!

I've had this color from Beauty From the Earth Cosmetics called "Vamp" for a while now, it's a beautiful rusty color with some sparkles in it, and I really was itching to use it and make it the focus of my look today.  So I decided to go with something bold but not overpowering.  So here's the look I did!

And then I've seen this thing around called, "how much does my face cost?" or something like that where you figure out how much all of the makeup you're wearing costs.  So I thought that would be interesting to see.  So here's everything I used and how much it all cost (if it's a drugstore product, I'm going to put the WalMart price):

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation "Sand Beige" $9.98

L'oreal True Match Foundation N2 $7.98

Covergirl Professional Loose Powder Translucent Fair $5.98

ELF Studio Blush/Bronzer Duo $3

ELF Studio Blush "Pink Passion" (HIGHLY recommended!) $3

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser $7.94

Maybelline Super Stay 24/7 Concealer $6.48

Eyebrows:

Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil "Blonde" $22

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo "Golden Blonde" $22

ELF Studio Cream liner "Coffee" $3

Eyes:

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper $17

BFTE "Vamp" mineral shadow $6.50

Makeup Geek "Purely Naked" shadow $5.99

Makeup Geek "Corrupt" shadow $5.99

Glamour Doll Eyes "Ancestry" mineral shadow $6

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock" $8.47

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24h "Blackest Black" $8.47

Lips:

MAC "Creme Cup" lipstick $15

MAC "Boy Bait" Cremesheen Glass $19.50 (website price, I got mine at a CCO)

So the total I spent on my face is... $184.28.

Wow.  That's a lot haha.  Though most of the products I use every day, really the only interchangeable things are eyeshadows and lip colors.  So really it's not so bad.  Gosh, now I wonder how much money I have invested in my whole makeup collection!

You guys should try this and let me know how much your face costs!

And I wasn't going to add this in but I figured I might as well.  This is just a pretty look that I would totally wear again using just the Naked palette for shadow colors!

And here's my color placement on that:

I liked the way the cool grey played off the warm browns.

But that's all I have for today!  I hope you all had an amazing week!  Don't forget to let me know how much your face costs!

I'm back (with some looks and some other ramblings)!!

Hey guys!  It's been forever since I've done a post and I'm so sorry!  It's just been so much harder to bounce back from this last surgery than I thought it would be and then not having a camera didn't make me more motivated to do anything.  So I finally got a new camera (a Nikon Coolpix P500, in case anyone is wondering.  I got it on Craigslist and saved myself $250!!) and hopefully I'll be able to figure it out so I can post more.

In all honesty, I haven't hardly worn eye makeup at all.  Today was my second time wearing an actual colored eyeshadow and it was my third time wearing black eyeliner since my surgery, which was almost 7 weeks ago.  So you haven't really missed much.  But I do have two looks for you today.  A colorful one and a neutral one.  I'll go with the colorful one first.

I was feeling the bright blue today so I went with that.  I didn't get very many good pictures but I do like the pictures I got. 

There's something I really like about just being able to see the color around the eyes, especially if it's such a bright color.

What I used for this:

Eyes:

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Black Bean" as a base all over lid and under the eye

Makeup Geek (MUG) "Poolside" shadow all over lid and under eye

MUG "Neptune" in outer corner and along the crease

MUG "Mermaid" on center of the lid for a pop of shimmery color

MUG "Purely Naked" to soften the edges of the blue

MUG "Shimma Shimma" as a highlight

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock"

MUG "Corrupt" to soften liner

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara "Blackest Black"

Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara "Blackest Black" to add a little more definition

Eyebrows:

ELF Cream Liner "Coffee" to outline

Anastasia brow pencil "blonde" to fill them in

Anastasia brow powder duo "Golden Blonde" to soften the pencil

Lips:

MAC "Myth" lipstick

Revlon Lip Butter "Tutti Frutti"

And my neutral look.  Since I was playing around with my camera, I figured I'd show you the pictures I took of my Naked 2 palette (which I used for this look), even though we all know what the Naked 2 palette looks like haha.

This one isn't as clear but I didn't notice until I uploaded it.  Sorry!

And the look I did (sorry it's not the most exciting look ever!).

What I used:

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

All shadows from the Naked 2 Palette:

"YDK" on inner and outer third of lid

"Verve" on middle third of lid

"Pistol" in outer v and just above crease

"Chopper" above crease color to warm it up a little

"Bootycall" as highlight

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock"

"Blackout" to soften liner

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara "Blackest Black"

Not the most thrilling look in the world but it was pretty and flattering.

And these are just a few more pictures I've taken since I got my camera two days ago haha.  They're not of makeup though!

My kiddo and my meatball!

Meatball (her real name is Delilah but she looks like a meatball so that's what I call her haha).

My Sullivan

One of our tortoises.  I think tortoises are so cute!

Well that's that!  I start chemo again tomorrow.  I have to do 8 rounds which puts me, as long as I stay on schedule, to be done with chemo the week before Thanksgiving.  It's going to be a long 4 months but I will be SO glad for this to be over with.  And I think it's going to make the holidays that much better knowing this will be behind me.  You all have been so incredibly supportive of me.  I cannot thank you enough for your comments and e-mails and comments on my facebook page.  Even if I don't respond, please know that I do read what you write and it means so much to me.  I really cannot tell you enough how much it means to me.  So thank you so so much!

And hopefully the chemo won't knock me down too much so I can keep posting!  Thanks all for reading this!!!  I hope you're having a great week!!

Revlon Just Bitten "Lovesick" Balm Stain Review and Look!

I'm sure by now you've heard about these Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains but I decided since I bought one, I'd share my opinion about it with you!  I bought mine at CVS one week, they retail there for $9.79.  My CVS was out of most colors so I went with a fushia color called "Lovesick."  It's a pretty color, a bit bolder than colors I usually go for but I figured it was worth a shot.

So here's what it looks like, it looks like a chubby, big crayon:

Here you can see it has tiny glitter flecks in it:

When I put it on, the color reminded me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in "Addis Ababa."  They do look a lot alike but the Revlon one is much more sheer, which would be expected from something called a "Balm Stain."

And here's a look I did wearing it.  I'm not sure what it is about fushia that makes me want to wear a black smokey eye.

I used the Naked palette for this look:

"Creep" on lid and above crease

Blended with "Naked"

"Virgin" to highlight

That's all.  Just 3 colors.

I really like the color.  I think it's fun, but it is pretty bright.  I feel like you can't tell how bold it is in these pictures.  I really liked the way it applied, it was very smooth.  I like that it has a slight sheen to it.  I applied it and then tried to wipe it off, just to see how it worked, and it stayed on, which is great and something my husband also appreciated because he's not a fan of wearing fushia lipstick haha.  However, after a few hours and after I ate something, most of the boldness of the color had worn off from the middle of my lips, but it was still bright around the edges, as if I'd lined my lips with this instead of applying it all over, which is not so much a good look.  I did find that my lips were still tinted this morning when I woke up.

These are supposed to be comparable to the Tarte Lipsurgence, which I've never tried so I personally cannot compare the two.  The only thing I can honestly compare is the price.  $9.79 for a Revlon one or $24 for a Tarte one... for me, that makes up my mind immediately, but I'm one who's always looking for something similar but less expensive anways.  I do like this product, I really like the idea of it.  I'm interested to try a more nude one, just to see how the color would hold up.  I was disappointed that the color had faded (though it wasn't completely gone) in the center of my lips because it just looked sloppy.

I can't speak for the less intense colors but I'd recommend this color, just as long as reapplying to the center of your lips after a meal doesn't upset you.  If it does, then pass on this guy!

Have you guys tried these?  What do you think of them?  What color is your favorite?

Navy blue and gold (as requested by Erika)

The other day I asked for suggestions for looks to do and a follower, Erika, said she's graduating on Tuesday (congratulations, by the way!) and wanted to see a look using navy blue and gold.  Normally these aren't colors I'd necessarily pair together but I decided to give it a go!  I hope you like what I came up with!

I blended the gold into the blue, then back into the gold just below my brow bone to tie it together.

What I used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil "Milk"

Gold- Urban Decay "Half Baked"

Navy- Ingot 428 P

Makeup Geek "Corrupt" (black to darken outer v)

Highlight- Urban Decay "Bootycall"

L'oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black liquid liner

Revlon Photoready 3D volume mascara "Blackest Black"

I think it was a nice smokey look with the unexpected pop of gold when I looked down.  I wanted gold to be as much a part of this look as the blue.  I hope you like this look Erika!  You'll have to send me pictures of what you end up doing!!

And on an unrelated note, I just wanted to post a couple things that fellow bloggers have said recently.  Yesterday Makeup Geek shared the picture of my purple and coral look on their facebook page and there was one girl on there who said, "It's cool but for drag queens.  This is way too much makeup unless you're a performer."  Now everyone is entitled to their opinions but I know this was meant as an insult (which I don't understand, honestly, if you don't like something, don't wear it yourself.  There's no need to go around trying to make people feel bad).  Unfortunately for her, this did not offend me.  I wish that look was good enough to be worn by drag queens.  

I told a few of my blogger friends about the comment and this is what they had to say, which I think is important. 

"I don't understand women using "It looks like a drag queen." or "It looks like something a drag queen would wear" as an insult. That's not an insult honey, that's a compliment. Drag Queens are FIERCE creatures and there is nothing shameful about what they do or what they look like. It's ignorant to think that you can use that as an insult to offend someone and their makeup. Really, get over yourself and grow up. I'm not talking about me and my makeup (which I would be HONORED if a Drag Queen wore!), but a friend (actually a few of them) who have been told this as a means to be insulted. And the women who toss around this supposed insult have to be the most cowardly, ignorant, and unclassy "women" I have ever seen. The internet sure does bring out the stupid in people in the worst way." -Dawn from Makeup by Siryn 

"As someone who gets called a drag queen/transsexual on a regular basis because of my makeup I would like to highlight the two problematic sides to this. A) I have the UTMOST respect for Drag performers. What they do is art, it's amazing and I only wish I could be at that level artistically. This is not an insult to a makeup artist. Period. B) Drag Queens and Transsexuals are NOT one and the same, first of all. Educate yourself. Secondly, equating either of those people with things that you dislike or using their identity as an insult to someone is ignorant, hateful and disgusting. If you do it. Stop. If you don't do it, call people out who do and put a stop to this ridiculous culture of hate in the beauty world. ♥" -Meredith Jessica from Pigments & Palettes

So please, if you're using these terms in a negative way, please stop because being a drag queen is not a negative thing and people need to stop making it seem like it is.

So that's my post for today!!  Thank you as always for checking this out and for supporting me!!

Makeup Geek sunrise look, a neutral look, and a personal update!!

I wanted to use some of the Makeup Geek eyeshadows that I have but haven't really used yet (I have all of them and I promise, once my new Z palette comes and I can have them all out at one time that I'll swatch them for you and review them!).  So I went with a sunrise/sunset look.  

Color Placement:
1- Razzleberry
2- Purple Rain (for crease definition)
3- Mandarine
4- Chickadee
5- Yellow Brick Road
6- Bling
7- Poolside (on waterline over a black liner)













I was pleased with the way this came out.  I'm not usually one to play with colors on my waterline because I think it looks weird on me (I really like it on other people though) but I think it works here.  I kinda tend to steer away from warmer looks too, even though I like the way they look against my eyes, I just don't care for warmer colors on me.

Speaking of not loving warmer colors... you know how the majority of the Naked palette is warm golds and bronzes, I surprisingly like that palette.  However, I decided to get the Naked 2 palette as well!  I've used it a few times and I really prefer the colors in Naked 2, strictly because they're cooler toned than in the original Naked palette.  I didn't really need it but I got it anyways haha.  So here's a look I did with that.

Every once in a while I'm a fan on pretty neutral looks.  This has been the case lately haha.  I couldn't tell you my color placement on this one, all I know is I used Maybelline's Color Tattoo "Tough as Taupe" as a base.  

And now for the personal part of my post.  I went to Duke University yesterday and met with a surgeon there who will be doing the next surgery I will need done, which is a liver surgery to remove the cancer spots from my liver.  At first I wasn't aware the liver surgery was like a big deal, but it is.  It's a delicate area and there are lots of veins and blood vessels in the liver so it's not an easy surgery to do, hence my decision that I need to go somewhere huge to a doctor who only does liver surgery.

I met him yesterday (Dr. Clary, just in case anyone has heard of him) and he gave me some information that scared me a bit, it's not terrible news or anything but I was just hoping for better news.  He wants to remove 70% of my liver, which is a lot but they can remove up to 80% and you'll still be able to live because the liver is the one organ in the body that regenerates itself.  So he can take the 70% because eventually it'll grow back.  Before he does the surgery (which will probably be in July), he's going to basically clot of the vein in the right part of my liver where the cancer is.  What this is supposed to do is make the left side of my liver grow so they'll have more liver to work with.

I have to finish my next two rounds of chemo first and then they'll follow the liver surgery with 6 more rounds of chemo just to make sure it's all cleared up.  The doctor said that with the surgery and everything, 20-30% of people are completely healed of this cancer and they never see it again.  This is the number I was hoping would be higher.  While it's a WAY better number than the number I'm facing without the surgery, I just thought it would be better.  

They also did a surprise CT scan on me yesterday (which burn like a mofo when they put contrast into your veins so they can see everything going on inside) so in a couple of days I will find out the results of the effects the chemotherapy is having on the spots on my liver.  The doctor said that for the most part chemo just holds them to their size, 60% of people have their spots shrink, but the chemo won't cure the cancer.  He said even if the spots shrink so much that you can't see them on the CT scan, if you were to cut the liver apart, you would still find cancer cells in there.  Fingers crossed though that I'm responding positively to the chemo!!!

This is a CT scan machine in case you've never see one.  You lay down on the bed and they put you into the donut hole part and have you hold your breath while they take the pictures of what they need to see.  I felt like a lab rat on the table when they injected the contrast (as they call it, it makes certain parts inside your body visible) into my veins.  It burns!

But I counted on the calender and assuming they do the surgery exactly 8 weeks after the last dose of Avastin (a medicine I'm on that I need to be off of for 8 weeks before and after surgery or I won't heal) then I will be done with treatments and cancer free on November 7th.  This is assuming everything goes perfectly and according to plan.  I know this is a lot more information than you probably wanted to know but it helps me sometimes typing stuff out so I hope you don't mind hearing it haha.

Thank you as always for standing beside me and supporting me!  It really means so so so much to me!  And I just have to say it again, if you know something isn't right in your body, go to the stinkin doctor!!!  Health insurance or not.  Go to the doctor.  Do not wait because if it's something serious, all waiting is doing is giving the disease a chance to progress itself inside your body.  Even if you're embarrassed about whatever problem it may be, go to the doctor!  So please please take my advise and just go to the doctor if you know something isn't right!!  Did I say that enough?  I'm not sure haha.

Thank you again guys!!!!  Love you all!!

A belated Merry Christmas and two looks!

I didn't post right before Christmas like I had planned so I never wished you guys a Merry Christmas (for any who celebrate)!  I hope you all had a great day!  This was by far the best Christmas with my daughter.  She's 6 now and was SOOO excited for Santa to come.  My husband and I went to bed around 1:30 in the morning and we could hear her up in her room running around in circles.  She's insane haha.

And even though this is late, I'm still going to add a few clips from some of my favorite Christmas movies.

It doesn't get better than Home Alone 2

I like watching "The Polar Express" with my daughter

And of course, Elf

Enough of that haha, onto the looks!

This look I did the other day and while I thought it was pretty, it wasn't a favorite.  But then when it was almost bedtime, my husband goes, "I really liked your makeup today."  Which is not really something he ever says to me.  If I ask him how he likes my makeup, 98% of the time he'll say, "it's cool."  So that really surprised me.

I have silver glitter on my lid but guess what?  You can't see it in my pictures!

What I used:

TFSI

NYX "milk" JEP

Kat Von D "Razor Grey" from the Metal Orchestra palette

Calypso Minerals silver glitter (applied with hairspray!)

Calypso Minerals "Grape Pop" matte pigment

Calypso Minerals "Matte Violet" pigment

*Edit* I know their colors are beautiful but I just found out that Calypso Minerals has been taking people's money and not sending them the products they've ordered.  So please don't order from them!  I don't know about dupes for all of the colors but Glamour Doll Eyes has a color called "Mingles" which is a good dupe for "True Blue".  I'm so sorry!*

and I can't remember what I used for my highlight... whoops!

L'oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense

Maybelline The falsies Volum' Express Mascara

And the look I have on today:

I did this look so fast!  I had to take my puppy (I don't think I told you guys I got a puppy, I'll post some pictures at the bottom) to the vet this morning so I wanted to get ready fast.  I grabbed my Naked palette and did this look.  I have to say that I really love being able to do a complete look using just one palette.  There's enough of a range in color shades in there to be able to do a whole look, which I'm a HUGE fan of.  It makes life so much easier if you can just grab one palette and do a look rather than having to grab a bunch.

I used NYX "Black Bean" JEP as a base

Naked's "Hustle" on lid

"Toasted" above crease and under eye

"Sin" above that

"Virgin" right under brow as a highlight color

I lined my eyes with MAC blacktrack fluidline and then placed some "Creep" over that to soften it

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

And while I'm not a huge fan of neutral looks on myself, I really like this one.  The black bean didn't make "hustle" too dark, it just gave it a bit of depth that I'm really diggin.

So yeah, I got a puppy.  She was a Christmas present kinda for me and kinda for my other puppy (no worries though, he's fixed so there shall be no baby Sullivan's running around).  Her name is Delilah but I have nicknamed her Meatball because she is a little meatball haha.  She's an American Bully (which basically a selectively bred Pit Bull to be shorter, stockier, and calmer), she' about 22 weeks old, and she's WAY more calm than my Sullivan.

see that North Carolina red dirt on her paw?

I love this picture of the three of them!

However, Sullivan and Delilah are quite the little duo.  They made a HUGE mess one day when they decided to play in the mud together.

he doesn't think he was naughty haha

but she sure does!

They were the biggest mess EVER!  They had mud all over the side of my house.  My husband had to carry them inside so we could bathe them.  My bathtub looked like a murder scene from a movie.  It was stinkin hilarious though.

But that's about it for today!  Again, I hope you all had a great Christmas!  Are you planning anything for New Year's??  Going to any parties?  Let me know your plans, I'd love to hear them!  Thanks so much for checking this out guys!!  You're the best!!!