Some Bits From The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Collection

So when I heard that Gwen Stefani was collaborating with Urban Decay to bring out a whole collection of products, I got a little giddy. I have a whole review on the Eyeshadow Palette from the collection here and while I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it just looking at the shades, it’s landed straight in my favourites list. So here’s my thought on the rest of the bits I picked up from the collection.

The Gwen Stefani Lipsticks were just one of those things that I had to have. There wasn’t a singe shade in the lineup that I wasn’t interested in so narrowing it down to a non-outrageous number was difficult and after trying the two I picked up I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back for more. In the end I picked up shades “714” (the Mega-Matte red) and “Firebird” (the vibrant blue toned pink). I love both of the shades and they’re colours I’ll get a lot of wear out of.

Out of the two I’d say the “Firebird” is my favourite, the texture is really comfortable with it being a creamy finish and the micro-shimmer is really pretty without being OTT or at all garish. I love the shade of “714” and the mega-matte finish is lovely and long-lasting but the comfort factor lets it down a little bit. I really like both though and I think I need to go back for “Rock Steady” and “Wonderland” in particular. The other stand-out quality to these is the packaging. While it can feel a little bit flimsy as it’s just plastic, the black and gold graphic print is really lovely.

When I picked up my first pieces from the collection I didn’t think I needed the Gwen Stefani 24.7 Glide On Lip Pencils and that I’d have stuff in my collection that would work. For some of the shades in the collection that’s definitely the case but there some do seem to be a bit more unique. I have MAC’s Lip Pencil in “Redd” and that’s a near dead-on match for “714” but “Firebird” is a bit more unique and I'm considering picking up the matching lip liner. The packaging is beautiful. You can really tell that Gwen had an input into every aspect of these products.

Finally we have the Gwen Stefani Blush Palette. XSparkage’s review on this piece sparked my interest in this (no pun intended - honest). The rest of collection came out in America before it hit the UK so when she said it was perfect for pale skin tones I figured I needed to at least give it a go and it IS pretty. After having actually used it, I’m not sure it’s exactly what I wanted it to be. The matte-bronzer shade is really warm so it’s no good for contouring, you’d need a separate contouring product. Then there's a shimmery bronze-y shade that’s really pretty to add a sun-lit glow. The highlight shade is really lovely too, a very intense highlight that’s great for pale-ys, and the 3 blush shades are really great but you need to be so carful with them because they’re really pigmented. Really I just wanted to see something that would work as a contour in here, that’s the thing that really lets it down because for me it’s not an “all you need for cheeks” palette without one. That being said, if you’re pale and not fussed with contouring, I can imagine you’d think this was pretty perfect.

The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar (Days 1-4)

So to kick of another little festive series on here (don't worry, the last two installements of the gift guides are coming!) I've decided to share what I got in my Beauty advent calendar. Every Monday until Christmas Day I'm going to be revealing my weeks worth of beauty goodies, so lets get going.

So day 1 of the M&S beauty advent calendar was the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Geranium and Neroli. This actually featured in my Stocking Stuffers Gift Guide (clicky link here) and it's a nicely scented version of the original Elasticizer hair mask which is a pre-shampoo treatment. It's meant to treat damaged hair and is suitable for coloured hair but I personally have always found pre-shampoo treatments to be a bit of a faff so this wasn't my favourite.

Day 2 brought me the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, now this is something I can get behind. As a nail biter I really struggle with the skin around my nails, especially in winter, and this has been nice to keep on my desk at work and rub into my fingers every now and again. The product is a solid balm that melts into an oily texture that isn't sticky on application and I have no trouble typing whilst using it. It's nicely moisturising and the smell is also lovely.

I've been a fan of Cowshed body creams since my first experience with their "Blissful" scent so I was excited to see that door number 3 housed a generously sized bottle of their Grumpy Cow Uplifting Body Lotion. The texture is light and absorbs quickly but is still nicely hydrating and the scent is really nice as well.

And finally for this post, day 4 brought me the Pür Volume Vixen Mascara, which I'm sad to say I'm really not a fan of. The brush is massive, the formula is just too dry, it does nothing for my lashes. I've come to enjoy a worn-out damp mascara these days because they have enough about them to build on themselves without taking ages to set, and I prefer a smaller bristle or a rubber wand. So this ticked none of the boxes for me which is a shame. Check in next Monday to see what days 5-11 bring.