A Buyer's Guide To the Urban Decay Naked Palette Collection

Not long ago, a friend of mine posted on her Facebook page that she couldn't understand all the hype over the Urban Decay Naked palettes. After all, it's just eye shadow, right?

Personally, I get it. I'm a neutral girl to begin with, and I also don't have a whole heckuva lot of time to spend getting ready in the mornings. It's nice--nay, essential--to have something I can grab, knowing that I'll be able to pick a color, slap it on my eyes, and not have to deal with pigmentation or blending issues. Urban Decay (who is not paying me to write this, and has no idea I even exist) makes some of the best shadows around, so a palette filled with twelve coordinating shades is kind of a god-send for me. Key words: "for me". Everyone's tastes and needs are unique. Some people crave zillions of bright colors; others may be good with a flesh-toned single. Me? I prefer these 40 neutrals.

If you're reading this, you're probably considering picking up a Naked palette. Here, I hope to share with you everything you need to know to decide which one(s) will be right for you. Please note: I'm not going into detail over every single shade in each palette. They will be touched on, but odds are, the inclusion or exclusion of one shade isn't going to make or break your decision. You know, generally speaking. All descriptions and recommendations are my own, and may or may not differ from those found elsewhere.

Alrighty, then. Let's start with the Basics.

Packaging: Hard plastic with a rubberized finish and raised logo. Slightly larger than a credit card. Very secure closure. Full-length, usable mirror on the inside lid.

Extras: None.

Shades: Six full-sized shadows. Five matte, one satin. Pigmentation ranges from fair to excellent, with the darker shades being best. Easily blendable. Could be considered slightly powdery.

Versatility: Blending, highlighting, liner, brows. Can create a limited number of looks. Works best in conjunction with other palettes.

Swatches: For reference, I'm an NW15 in MAC, and around a 2.0 in Urban Decay. And yes, that is my leg, and yes, my lighting does kind of suck. I have work with what I've got, sometimes. Believe it or not, colors are actually very close to true to life.

Top Row, L-R: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S. Bottom Row, L-R: Naked 2, Faint, Crave 

Repeats: Four shades are exclusive to this palette. Foxy is also found in Naked 2 and the permanent range. W.O.S. was also available in some build-your-own palettes, but is not in the permanent collection.

Recommended For: All skin tones. Fair to medium may benefit most.

Naked

Packaging: Sturdy cardboard with velveteen covering. Embossed logo. Magnetic closure. Small, high quality mirror on the inside lid.

Extras: Eyeshadow brush and mini Primer Potion (at time of purchase).

Shades: Twelve full-sized shadows. Two matte, one satin, six shimmer, three glitter. Pigmentation generally excellent, with the exception of Naked, which has good pigmentation. Easily blendable. Generally creamy. Moderate fall-out on glitter shades. Overall warm tone.

Versatility:  Blending, highlighting, liner. Possibly brow fill. Evening and heavier daytime looks, with limited lighter looks possible.

Swatches:


Top Row, L-R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked. Bottom Row, L-R: Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal.

 Repeats: Smog and Sin are in the Ammo palette. Half Baked is in Naked 2. Only Sidecar, Hustle, and Creep are not part of the permanent line.

Recommended For: Warmer and neutral medium to deep skin tones. Fair skin tones may find the majority of the colors require a very light hand.

Naked 2

Packaging: Metal with raised logo. Secure closure. Usable mirror fills the inner lid.

Extras: Double-ended eye shadow brush and mini Lip Junkie lip gloss in Naked (at time of purchase).

Shades: Twelve full-sized eye shadows. Three matte, one satin, two glitter, six shimmer. Pigmentation ranging from very good to excellent, with the exceptions of Foxy, which has good pigmentation. Easily blendable, though Tease can apply somewhat patchy. Generally creamy texture. Moderate fallout on glitter shades. Overall cool tone.

Versatility: Blending, highlighting, liner. Best for lighter to medium daytime looks, with some evening looks possible.  

Swatches:

Top Row, L-R: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite. Bottom Row, L-R: Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout.

Repeats: Foxy is in the Basics pallete. Chopper is in the Ammo palette. All but Busted, Snakebite, and Bootycall are in the permanent line.

Recommended For: Cooler and neutral skin tones. Fair to medium skin tones may benefit most, but could work for deeper tones.

Naked 3

Packaging: Metal with raised logo. Secure closure. Usable mirror fills the inside lid.

Extras: Double-ended eye shadow brush and sample blister packs for the Primer Potion line.

Shades: Twelve full-sized shadows. Three matte, three glitter, one satin, five shimmer. Pigmentation generally very good to excellent, with Strange ranking as fair, and Dust acting more as a glitter topcoat. Easily blendable, generally creamy. Moderate to heavy fallout on glitter shades (particularly Dust). Overall rosy tone.

Versatility: Blending, liner. Best for glowy, natural daytime looks, with some evening looks possible.

Swatches:

Top Row, L-R: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick. Bottom Row, L-R: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart.

Repeats: None. All are new shades, exclusive to this palette.

Recommended For: Warm, Cool, or Neutral. Fair skin tones may benefit most, but also recommended for medium. Deeper tones may be able to make it work.

Good luck getting Naked!

Just In Time for Mother's Day: Norma Bates Makeup Tutorial



Photo Credit: Fanpop



I admit it, I'm completely addicted to Bates Motel. Dear God, the people in that town are so weird, they probably vacation in Twin Peaks to escape the crazy. Freddy Highmore absolutely breaks my heart week after week (someone just hand him his Emmy and Golden Globe now, okay?), and Vera Farmiga brings such life and humor to an iconic character--that, up until now, has remained (mostly) unseen--that you can't help but be drawn into Norma Bates' special brand of cuckoo. If you haven't seen it, yet, I highly recommend it. It's soapy and silly and melodramatic and nuts and visually striking and frustrating and laugh-out-loud funny and gut-wrenching...and you'll love it.

Now, I look nothing like Vera Farmiga, but I'm in love with how the makeup department has her looking for this role. Norma's makeup style is soft, romantic, and classic. This is great for everyday, and appropriate for any age, so, for kicks, I thought I'd try to recreate it. I think I got pretty darn close, too.



Photo Credit: The Backlot

In the two reference photos, you can see that her eyes are done in soft gray, while her cheeks and lips have just a subtle hint of pink. Overall, the products are matte, though the gray shadow could possibly have a little shimmer to it. It's hard to tell. I like shimmer, so shimmer it is!

I started off with CoverGirl 3-in-1 foundation and a little Maybelline Age Rewind concealer, followed by Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Then I swept W.O.S. from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette all over the lid, up to the brow bone. After that, I ran Naked 2 from the same palette along the crease. Next, I placed Gunmetal from the Naked palette in the outer corner and lashline, then used a fluffy brush to blend it across the lid and into the crease. Using a flat brush, I lined the lower lashes with Naked from the Naked palette, then ran the UD 24/7 Glide-On pencil in Zero along the top lash line, concentrating it at the roots. I finished off the eyes with Buxom Lash mascara on the top lashes, and on the outer corners of the bottom lashes. The brows are filled in with Naked 2, then set in place with E.L.F. clear mascara.

On the cheeks, I used Dollface (baby pink) from Tarte's Amazonian Clay line. I kept it more as a contour, but will probably go ahead and bring it onto the apples next time. It looks like Norma's is on the apples in some photos, but not in others. Personally, I like it on the apples. The lipstick is NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm, and looks pretty dead-on. It may or may not be what they use on the show, but, if not, it's a definite dupe for it.


Funny thing about photographs: they don't represent real life. In person, my foundation matches my skin exactly. On camera, my chest and arms look pinker than my face. I swear, I didn't walk around looking like I had Snookie's face on Snow White's body. It's just the camera. Still...yipes!

I kind of love this look. It's great for everyday, but could easily be amped up for after work. I think I might trade the black liner for a deep purple next time, and might line the lower lashes a little more heavily, just to make it a little more "me". What do you guys think?

March Favorites!

Oh, dear God, it's April. When did that happen? Well, here are the products that most impressed me during the month of March. Some are new, some are new to me, and some are old loves. Have fun, and leave me your faves in the comments.

Eyes
Naked Palette--Half Baked/Smog
Who doesn't adore the Pixiwoo sisters? I mean, really? They're precious, and their tutorials are amazing, and surprisingly easy to recreate. One of my favorites was a Victoria's Secret-inspired bronze look that used these two shadows from the Urban Decay Naked palette. Half Baked on the lid, and Smog at the lashline (upper and lower) look spectacular on hazel eyes. It's my go-to these days.

Anastasia Eye Lights Matte in Camille
Sure, you can use this to add a matte highlight to your browbone or inner corner...yada, yada, yada. Whatevs. Personally, I love to run this creamy, slightly pink fleshtone over the darkest parts of my undereye, then go over it with my regular concealer. There's no tugging or pulling, and the shade is just pink enough to brighten without going over into the too-peach category that so many brightening concealers tend to lean toward. I'm super pale with yellow undertones, so while salmon concealers look gorgeous on everyone else, I look like I smudged coral eyeshadow under my eyes. It's not a good look, trust me. This works perfectly.

Lips
Flower Beauty Shine On Lipgloss in Pretty In Petunia
Hello, gorgeous! This has been the perfect wash of coral-ly goodness for the dreary Spring we've had so far. Whereas salmon concealer looks horrendous under my eyes, salmon lipgloss brightens up the face like crazy! The formula is really beautiful, too; not to sticky, decent wear, and moisturizing. It's lovely, and you can't beat the Walmart pricetag.

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush in Strawberry Fizz
This stays in my purse. In a pinch, it looks beautiful on its own, for a lot of shine and a little color. You can also pop it over a coordinating liner (Rimmel Rose Quartz is a good one) for a deeper, super sparkly, shade. Plus, it smells like candy.

Face
Flower Beauty Skincognito Foundation Stick
You know how in my review I mentioned that this went on patchy and didn't cover well? Well, I'm going back to update it. The product is fine--my application was off. I used a brush to blend the foundation into my skin, when really, I should have been using my hands. The heat from my (clean and sanitized) hands melts the product into the skin for a much smoother, more even application. Used over a primer, this lasts all day, and the finish is completely natural looking. The coverage has been much better, as well. I've been wearing this about every other day, and love the look of it.

Flower Beauty Ready, Set, Glow Blush/Bronzer Duo in Beachy Keen
I know, I know, I'm on a Flower Beauty kick. I can't help it! All of the products I picked up have, legitimately, become everyday staples. This blush has usurped my NARS Orgasm, and the bronzer is just the ticket for a beachy glow. I highly recommend checking this one out.

*Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
This is sort of an honorable mention because it's been in a few Favorites now, and this is not the intended use for the product, but it works. If you like the look of Benefit Watt's Up but don't have it handy, dab a little of this particular shade onto your cheekbones, inner corners, brow bone, and cupid's bow for an almost identical look. Added bonus: it's not going to budge. Well...the cupid's bow budges, but nothing else does. Plus, it's $6 compared to $30.

Skin
Basin Face Mask
I didn't supply a link for this because you can't get it online...which really sucks. However, if you happen to have a Basin store near you (or are planning a trip to Disney World--there's one in Downtown Disney), do yourself a favor and hop on over and get a custom face mask. For about twelve bucks, you'll receive a colloidial clay base of your choosing (mine is strawberry), and a bottle of glycerine mixed with whatever ingredients you decide. I picked green tea and sea kelp...I think. It's not in front of me, but it is marked on the bottle. Mix the two together whenever you want to apply. I needed a mask to brighten skin and fight inflammation, since I tend to get puffy. This has worked like a charm! The lady at the counter told me I could get three to five masks out of the set, but I've had it since October, and have made well over half a dozen and it's still going strong.

Meaningful Beauty Skin Brightening Treatment
For years, I have been infuriated by informericials for Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty. They talk about Ms. Crawford like she was the Cryptkeeper! "What? She's 43 and still looks sooo young!!" Because she is young. Forty-three ain't what it used to be. My mom had a one year-old when she was 43. I'm not quite 33, and the mere thought that I could be considered "old" in ten years is downright heartwrenching. That said, I've been fighting some dark spots for a bit, and ran across a bottle of this on sale at Sephora. (Meaningful Beauty has revamped the formula and changed the packaging) Desperate times called for desperate measures. And you know what? It's really good stuff. My skin looks incredibly bright and alive, and my makeup applies better, too. Honestly, I'm considering ordering the set when I need to restock my skincare. It's about forty bucks for five pieces (fifty for seven pieces), and my eye cream alone costs thirty at MAC (and I'm not thrilled...review to come). That's a serious deal, money's tight, and I know that at least one product is a winner. It galls me to use this stuff, but it's a good product at a great price, and I'm not going to miss out (or not tell you about it) because of ego.

*Replenix All-Trans-Retinol Eye Repair Cream
Here's another honorable mention, but only because I'm never going to purchase this. It's $75 freaking dollars. That's not happening. Anyhoo, I had a deluxe sample of this stuff, and my current eye cream was a bit of a disappointment, so I gave it a shot. It's wonderful. It's emolient and moisturizing and makes my little fine lines softer and less noticeable and I love it...and it's crazy expensive. Darn it.

Hair
Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo/Conditioner/One-Minute Moisture-Plenish
This is going to get a real review later, but I've been using this for a while and really, really like it. BzzAgent sent me this set to test out and give my opinion on, so it's been in my shower for a few weeks. In that time, I've been able to stop using my leave-in treatment. That's astounding. Plus, while it's not color-safe, I haven't noticed any fading. I even used a white towel to dry my hair, and had to look extremely hard to find even a trace of transfer, and I'm still not positive there was any. I've been using mainly the shampoo and conditioner, but once every one to two weeks I'll throw in the one-minute treatment. My hair's been smooth, shiny, and soft. Best of all, the system smells like tropical fruit, so I feel like I'm showering with a mixed drink--I just wish it came with one of those little umbrellas!

Times Square Crystal Ball-Inspired New Year's Eye Look

I am trying very hard not to get sick, but I think I'm losing the battle. I'll be staying in tonight, but if you're lucky enough to be ringing in the New Year somewhere fabulous, here's a pretty silver smoky eye for you.

I started by using my finger to dab a little Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Silver Spoon across the inner half of my eye, including inner corner, and blending upward to the browbone. I filled in the entire crease to brow area by blending that one little dab. Then, I popped Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Strut across the outer half and blended upward to the browbone. I also ran a small amount under my lower lash line and across the top lash line. Next, I grabbed my Urban Decay Naked, Naked 2, and Naked Basics palettes for the rest of the eye. I patted Verve across the inner third of my eye and over the silver in the inner corner. Then, I added Pistol to the center and crease, and Gunmetal to the outer third and above the Pistol in the crease, then blended all of them together and up toward the browbone with a fluffy brush. I used the same fluffy brush to blend a little Creep into the crease, then ran what was left on that brush under the lower lash line (that's a blend of ALL of the colors, since I didn't change brushes. If you want to change brushes, just run a light layer of each color under the lash line). Using a small, flat brush, line the upper lash line with Crave, and run a small amount of that color under the outer quarter of the lower lash line. Clean up the browbone area with a light dusting of Foxy. Finish with loads of black mascara. I like Buxom Lash.

If you don't have Naked Basics, sub Blackout for Crave. You can also line your waterline (which I think would look amazing) with a black liner. I would have loved to, but I have small eyes and it just closes them up. A silver liner would look cool there, if you have small eyes, too. I don't have a silver liner, so I'm still S.O.L. Oh, well.

This is not a glittery look, but it is super-duper shimmery. I finished the look with a demi-matte foundation, matte powder, matte cool pink blush, matte bronzer (see the trend?), and just a very light amount of pale pink highlighter on the cheeks. The lips are also a pale, glossy bright pink with just a hint of shimmer. A pink gloss would work just as well.

Happy New Year, guys!

Randomness: Naked Basics Eye Look and Jewelmint Mystery Box

Good Lord, it has been a day! I had planned to do a December faves, but that'll have to wait. Instead, I give you TOTAL RANDOMNESS!! I know you're excited...

Anyhoo, to further test out the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, and how well it coordinates with the larger neutral palettes, I put together this quickie eye look. It works beautifully with a deep berry lip (like Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet). Leave it as is to wear to work or shopping; toss a little sparkle on top, and you've got the perfect holiday party look.

Lid: Venus (Naked Basics)
Crease: Naked (Naked 1)
Blending: W.O.S. (NB)
Lower Liner: Naked (N1)
Brow and Inner Corner: Virgin (N1)
Upper Liner: Zero 24/7 Glide-On Pencil
Mascara: Buxom Lash

I also received my Jewelmint Mystery Box!!! About a week and a half ago!!! I'm posting this not to brag or show off, but because the Mystery Box is still available. If you were thinking of purchasing, here is an example of a typical box. Each box is different and pieces are chosen at random, but it'll give you an idea.

From Top: Evening Star Bracelet, Crystal Gazer Necklace (not available on site/discontinued), Lover's Locket Silver, and Calypso Island Earrings (not available on site/discontinued). You might be able to find the discontinued pieces on Ebay, but I can't guarantee that.

I was beyond thrilled, because I'd already been eyeing the Evening Star Bracelet. It, alone, was worth the $29.99 price tag, but there was no promise of that piece. The Mystery Box is a gamble, and one that you won't necessarily win if you're not completely enamored with the majority of the Jewelmint product line--past and present. Sure, the bracelet was a favorite, and the locket has already made it into regular rotation in my daily wardrobe (I'm wearing it today, actually). The other two pieces...well, they've been more challenging.

I did manage to wear the earrings. I paired them with a black sweater over a gold tank, and pinned my hair in a messy bun. The earrings were the main focus of the look, and I received a few compliments on them. They're decent quality, not too heavy, and really made my outfit look "styled", rather than "thrown on". The Crystal Gazer necklace is still in the box, but I think will work well with a low-cut black wrap dress and my leopard flats with pink crystals (much less tacky than they sound, I promise!).

All of the pieces are well-made. The clasp on the bracelet is very secure, which is extremely important given the weight of the piece. It's not light. The locket does open and close, with both a magnetic and button closure. The minimum amount of four pieces came packed with three items in a signature Jewelmint box, and the bracelet in a velvet Jewelmint pouch.

Do I recommend the Mystery Box? Absolutely, as long as you are prepared to possibly end up with pieces you HATE. I have gotten a dud or two in the past, but there are normally enough pieces that I genuinely love, that it all comes out in the wash. I don't get every Mystery Box that comes along, but the ones that I have received have given me items that I never would have purchased on my own, but offer new opportunities to be creative, and maybe even breathe new life into some old wardrobe pieces. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics: Yeah or Meh?

Urban Decay must have listened to all of the harumphing over the lack of matte shades in the Naked and Naked 2 palettes, because they've responded with an almost completely matte companion palette. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be right up my alley, and I also had a gift card for darn near the price, so I called "kismet" and picked one up yesterday.

The outer packaging is, as you would expect, basic. There are no pop-up butterflies, USB ports, or extras like lip glosses, eyeliners, or Primer Potion. In fact, this may be the only palette EVER to not come with primer or a liner. I swear, if Urban Decay threw a Mardi Gras parade, they'd toss Primer Potions and Zero eyeliners.

Inside, the palatte case is sleek, a lovely rosy-beige, and rubberized so that the feel is similar to that of NARS packaging, which I happen to like. Normally, that could lead to an over-all grubbiness after a while, because that sort of material picks up everything, but the light color should prevent most of that from showing up. I am not a fan of the clasp. It was very difficult to open, and I came very close to breaking two nails in the process. I'm hoping it becomes easier to manage over time.

Now, here's a gawdawful photo, but I wanted you to see how large this mirror is. This is definitely a functional travel mirror, and for that, I'm grateful. I do wish that there was a spot for a small shadow brush, but we can't have everything, now can we? I didn't intend to catch that little Sephora card back there, but since I did, let's use it! The card is the size of a credit card, so that should tell you something about the size of this palette. It's not large. It's, quite literally, half the size of the Naked and Naked 2 palettes. That makes perfect sense, though, since this holds exactly half the number of shadows of one of the large palettes.

The shadows, from left to right, are Venus, Foxy, W.O.S. (Walk of Shame), Naked 2, Faint, and Crave. Foxy can also be found in Naked 2, and W.O.S. is from the Build Your Own Palette. The other four are brand new releases.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Swatches!! Please bear in mind that I am a MAC NW15, so super pale with yellow undertones. In Urban Decay Naked Skin, I'm a 2.0. On the top row, I have Venus, Foxy (really!), and W.O.S. (no kidding!). On the bottom, Naked 2, Faint, and Crave.

Venus is stunning, and easily my favorite out of the group. It's a soft, golden-white demi-matte. Basically, it reflects light without using shimmer or pearl. It's just gorgeous, and makes a great highlighter. Think of it as a white version of Bootycall from the Naked 2 palette.

Foxy is a butter yellow, and W.O.S. is an eggshell pink. More on them in a bit.

Naked 2 is a true taupe. There are no lavender undertones like you find in so many other taupes. It's just a matte, cool taupe.

Faint is a warm medium brown. Period.

Crave is a black with deep brown undertones. It reminds me of dark chocolate, and makes a lovely shadow liner. It's very similar to Blackout from the Naked 2, but not quite as harsh.

Foxy and W.O.S. are not duds. I know that they don't show up on my hand, but that's neither their fault, nor is it necessarily a bad thing. These are both nicely pigmented, but they also happen to be very similar to my skin tone. For me, this is a plus, actually. Foxy was already a favorite from the Naked 2 palette, because it works beautifully as a blending and "clean-up" shade. I can fix mistakes, soften edges, or use it on natural looks from crease to brow for polish. I've even used it as a lid color because it counteracts redness. I'm, honestly, very happy to add W.O.S. to my arsenal, because the pinker shade will work in the same way, but coordinate better with rosier shadows, like Sin and Toasted.

This is not a tutorial, or even a "look", really. I just wanted you to see how the shadows look in a real-world setting. The only one not used was Foxy, and that's partly because of its place in the Naked 2 palette, and partly because I only have so much eye area. W.O.S. is on the lid, Faint in the crease and as lower liner, Naked 2 as a blending color, Venus to highlight brow and inner corner, and Crave as upper liner. If you wanted to travel with only this palette, you could get a look or two out of it. The shadows were buttery, applied smoothly, and blended easily. I have no complaints with the quality of the shadows; they're top-notch.

Urban Decay, Sephora, and Ulta all have this priced at $27. If you only consider the fact that the price is less than two full-sized shadows, and you're getting six not-quite-but-darn-near full-sized shadows in the palette, that's amazing. However, if you compare it to either of the larger neutral palettes, which were priced at $50 and came with deluxe samples and brushes, then suddenly $27 seems a bit steep. Still, it's not a bad deal, and you can always wait for a coupon.

Now, would I recommend this palette? Yes and no.

I can see where this could be an essential palette for some people, while others would find it completely unnecessary. These are not groundbreaking colors. They are exactly what they are advertised as: basics. If you look, you can find oodles of good mattes, many in these exact shades, at the drugstore, as singles, or in other palettes--possibly already in your collection. Heck, if you have the Naked 2 and the Build Your Own, then you already own a third of this palette.

However, if you honestly need a convenient collection of neutral mattes, housed in a travel-friendly container, then this would fit the bill. I actually did need one. Between auditions, filming, and publicity gigs, I'm on camera fairly regularly, and mattes are far more camera-friendly than shimmers or glitters, however neutral. I can't always carry a full train case, and this is handy enough to fit in my purse. Plus, I use my Naked and Naked 2 palettes more than anything else, and while I've been able to make-do with mattes from other palettes, they've never been quite right. These were designed specifically to coordinate with those palettes, so this collection should make my mornings much easier. I've actually been trying to cut down on my makeup...oh, let's just call it "hoarding"...so this purchase was well-researched and still deemed necessary...for me. Maybe not you.

The necessity of this palette is completely up to the prospective buyer. If you specifically want a small travel palette of Urban Decay mattes that compliment their larger neutral palettes (and I did, so that happens), then this is your palette. If you just want some neutral mattes to add to your collection, you have a world of options. This is cool, but it's nothing special.

Packaging: 7 (out of 10)
Quality: 9
Shade Range: 5
Application: 9
Wear: 10

Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. If you need this exact palette, it's worth it. If you're even slightly on the fence, then don't waste your money.

Pink and Girly Eyes Featuring Urban Decay

I bought the Urban Decay Rollergirl palette for one color, and one color only: Woodstock. I knew that the shocking pink would be tough to wear, but it was just so gorgeous (and the palette was on sale so cheap!) that I had to give it a shot. Happily, I have been able to pull off the color in a couple of party looks, but, you know, sometimes a girl wants to wear Barbie pink eyeshadow during the day. Sometimes, you just need that little pick-me-up that only girly, shimmery PINK can provide. Today is one of those days. So, with the desperate need for pink as motivation, I came up with this look that I will now show you, step by step. Yes, you do start out with hot pink, but in the end, you have this soft, sweetly sexy, not overly made up eye. Think: Victoria's Secret Angel. That wasn't the goal, necessarily, but that's what I got. Please let me know what you think in the comments, and also let me know if you'd like to see a party look with Woodstock. Thanks!

Start by smoothing Sin Primer Potion all over the eye area, then applying Woodstock to the outer third of your eye, and bringing it up into the crease.

Next, apply Virgin (from Naked) to the inner two-thirds of your eye, inner corner, and browbone.

Apply Sin (from Naked) to the area where the two colors meet, and blend.

Apply Toasted (from Naked) to the crease and area directly above.

Blend the colors, then line the upper and lower lashes with Creep (from Naked). Wing the top line out slightly.

Blend out the liner, so there are no hard edges.

Fill in your brows and apply black mascara to top and bottom lashes. This is Buxom Lash. Brows are E.L.F. Brow Kit.

This  is the same look in daylight.

To finish the look, I used NARS Orgasm blush, Too Faced highlighter form the Spun Sugar Glamour To Go, and Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Lipstick with Dervish pencil from MAC. Foundation is Urban Decay Naked. Concealer is Maybelline Age Rewind.