The Friday Review: The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

I've been eyeing this product up for a while but I wasn't sure whether I could commit to the purchase because, to be honest, it didn't look all that unique to me. After spending weeks wandering into Debenhams to just look at it and swatch it, I decided I needed to just bite the bullet and make the purchase, so I figured I'd post a review to help you if you're another one who's been sat on the fence with this one.

So firstly, the packaging is amazing. Apparently, Gwen helped design every part of this product, from the packaging to the box it comes in and the shades included, and the packaging for the palette is beautiful. Gold casing and a dimensional monochrome circle design, the metal plate with "UD Gwen Stefani" is a lovely touch too. The weighting to the product is lovely and there's a nice big mirror inside the lid when you open it with "Magic's in the makeup" written on it in the corner. It's a generally nicely though out casing.

As for the shades, I'm in love. In the couple of weeks I've had this, I've used it a lot and I really believe that for a fairer skin-tone, this palette is such a winner. A lot of reviews around this have said the palette was designed "By Gwen, for Gwen" and I 100%. It's full of light to mid-tone neutrals, and the few pops of colour that are included are very well suited to a fair skin-tone.

For an Urban Decay palette, the number of mattes in this one is amazing, 5 mattes, 3 satin-type finishes and 7 shimmers. As for the individual shades on the top row we have "Blonde" which is a satin finish, very light, cool-toned cream. "Bathwater" is a shimmery light, yellow-y cream, "Skimp" is a satin finish light beige. "Steady" is a mid-tone rose-gold shimmer and "Punk" is a dark reddish-brown matte.

On the second row of the palette we have "Baby", a shimmery pinkish taupe and "Anaheim" a cool, mid-tone brown matte. "Stark" is a mid-tone beige matte and "Zone" is a mid-tone warm brown matte. Finally on the second row we have "Serious" which is a charcoal grey satin.

The third row of the palette brings us out of the neutral zone. On this row we have "Pop" a shimmery peachy-coral and "Harajuku" a medium cool-toned blue shimmer. "Danger" is one of my favourite shades, a lot of people have called this a navy but to me it's more of a deep electric-blue shimmer. "1987" is a yellow-gold shimmer and finally we have "Blackout", a matte black.

And just in case that wasn't enough to reel you in, while a lot of Urban Decay palettes seem to come with some sort of sample of the Urban Decay Primer Potion, this comes with four testers of the soon-to-be-released Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipsticks. The back of the packaging for these seems to indicate that there will be eight shades with the release. I'm not sure if all of the palettes came with the same sample shades but mine had "Rock Steady" a cream finish red, "714" a mega matte mid-tone pink, "Ex-Girlfriend" a sheer nude and "Firebird" a cream pinky purple shade.

March Favourites

It's monthly Favourites time again and this month is a good mix of products with some skincare, body care, a few bits of make-up and even a fragrance.

So I have two absolute skin saviours this month. As you may have heard a few posts back, I've had some really unusual (for me anyway) problems withs spots. I used to get one or two big spots around that time of the month but since hitting my twenties, that hadn't really been a problem for me unless I'd been really naughty with my skincare or my eating habits and I was a bit lost for solutions. I'd seen a few recommendations from bloggers for the REN Clarimatte Clarifying Toner and it's ah-may-zing. I stripped my skincare right back to the bones and started using this morning and night, just targeting my problem areas and it's cleared things up a treat. I've even started using it on some acne scarring I had on my face, chest and back from my teenage years and it even seems to helping with those. I'm amazed.

My other strange skin situation this month has been on the opposite end of the spectrum. I've had the driest skin known to man on my feet (TMI, I know) but I did. I've been applying Soap & Glory Heel Genius as often as I can and it's easing the drought quite considerably. Thank heavens.

Another Soap & Glory product I've been loving this month is their Archery Brow Pencil in "Hot Chocolate". This is the one with the pencil on one end and the spoolie brush on the other and it's great. I was loving the Maybelline brow pencils but the fact that they didn't have any kind of brush was making them a bit difficult for me as I often do my make-up on the go and the Soap & Glory option takes up a lot less space in my make-up bag so it's a winner.

I tried Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara this month and I love it. It's exactly what I like in a mascara. Gives a curl, a little bit of volume and a lot of length, I only have the mini that I received in this months BirchBox but I can see a full-size purchase happening soon. I've also been embracing a more eau-naturale look with my make-up and so my bolds have been put away in favour of shade like the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in the shade "Descanso" which is a lovely nude, not too light and not too dark, it's a perfect everyday lipstick for the girl who wants a neutral look. Also? No need for a mirror, and the formula is nice and comfortable.

My mum bought me a bottle of Ghost's Eclipse perfume for Christmas and I hadn't really worn it all that much. I've had Nina by Nina Ricci as my go-to fragrance for a while and it's the one most people seem to like on me but I fancied a change and so spritzed this on a few weeks back and I can see it taking the drivers seat for my spring and summer scent this year. It's fresh and citrus-y but it's also a little bit sweet even a tiny bit floral at the same time and I'm hooked.

My Manic Monday-Morning Make-up Routine

Being a creature of habit, my weeks follow a very similar structure and Monday has recently become my gym day. Straight from work every Monday I hit the gym, do my 2 classes and get my self home for some well deserved dinner. Working in an office environment means I can't just rock up to work in my sweats with my greasy hair up in a pineapple-like fashion, so I've come up with this routine which means I can get away with long-overdue-a-wash hair and gym-bag combo.

So firstly, that hair needs to go. I slick it up into a high bun, secure with hair pins and load it up with hairspray, and while I hold no loyalty to a particular one I'm currently using the Professional Touch Salon Hairspray High Shine Extra Hold Curl Control (what a mouthful!). It holds buns and curls a like without that crispy feeling and smells pleasant, if a bit strong.

I'll then get to work on make-up, with it being a Monday morning I've more than likely woken up slightly later than planned so a quick work-appropriate look for me consists of this: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in shade "3", it's a nice coverage that blends best with fingers and matches my skin perfectly. I then go in with the Urban Decay Nake Skin Concealer in "Fair Neutral" where I need it. A light dusting of Soap & Glory's One Heck of a Blot Powder to set my base and a bit of the Benefit Sugar Bomb Box O' Powder on the cheeks for a slightly rosy flush.

With base done I tight-line with Lord & Berry's Polish Eye Pencil in "5071 Mirror Black" and line my lower water line with Rimmel's Skandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal in "Nude". I then wiggle some MaxFactor 2000 Calorie Curved Brush Volume and Curl mascara through my lashes and tame unruly brows with Maybelline's Brow Satin in "Medium Brown".

All quite simple, standard stuff, right? Then to top it all off and make it look like I've put some effort in, I've been gravitating to a bold lip. Now I love my reds and I'll always go back to them but lately I've found a bold pink to be my go-to lip colour. It just seems more statement than a red. The one I've been picking up a lot is the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in "Yu" and it is b-e-autiful. I've just been finding that a bold lip is the best way to distract from a bad hair day and livens up an otherwise lack-luster make-up. And the best bit, just remove the bold lip with a make-up wipe and you're ready for the gym. Genius.