Urban Decay Naked 2 // Review

Hello lovelies!

I've been meaning to do this post for a crazy long time but just never got round to it! I was originally going to do a first impressions, but after using this palette constantly for the past six months I thought I'd switch it up and do a full review!

I've always had so much love for Urban Decay and was desperate to get my hands on one of their palette's. I opted for the 'Naked 2' which is available HERE for £39.50. It comes with 12 shades that includes both matte and shimmer finishes. It also has a doubled ended brush called 'Good Karma shadow/crease' and is exclusive to this palette. I absolutely love this brush and actually use it all the time!

Swatches 1.

Swatches 2.

From the swatches its already quite clear to see that they are really pigmented and from the photo above I only swiped the shade once. On top of this they blend beautifully. I find I use a fluffy brush to blend out and only have to use a small amount of colour. I've already been using this palette for about half a year and haven't touched pan on any of the shades yet! Amazing.

 The only colour I find a bit pointless in this palette is the first shade called 'Foxy'. It's a banana type shade which I love but it just doesn't show up much on my skin tone. However, saying this I do find this one to be really good for a matte base colour or if you want a more natural look on your eyes.

My absolute favourite colour in the palette has got to be 'Chopper'. It's a beautiful sparkly copper colour and I always find myself going back to this shade and doing an orangey/copper look.

This palette is so versatile. With such a range of different colours I can do smokey eyes, copper eyes and even some purple. I definitely recommend this if you're new to makeup as a kind of beginning high end palette because it's so easy to apply and doesn't leave a lot of fall under the eyes.

I can't wait to get my hands on some more Urban Decay make-up. Let me know in the comments your favourite palette at the moment!

Love B x

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University tips // Managing time!

Hello lovelies,

This is my last university tips blog post and will be all about how to manage your time when away at university. If you haven't seen my other two posts about preparation and saving money then please go check them out!  *PREPPING AND SAVING MONEY*

When you head of to university managing your time can be quite stressful. You have to study, make time for yourself, socialise and sleep. So, here are a few tips on how to help and mainly how to focus on your studies.

1. Avoid distractions

University is just full of distractions but be strong and try to stay away if you know you have things that have to be done. The best way to do this is to use your university facilities such as going to the library or a classroom. By setting up in a quieter environment you can focus way better!

2. Make a schedule 

When you have tonnes to do I find making a schedule for the week breaks everything up much easier and it doesn't seem so daunting. You can then start crossing things off as you do them and that shows you actual progress which can often be motivating.

3. Give yourself some me time

Even when you have loads to do you need to give yourself some time to either be alone or socialise and see your friends. By doing this it allows you to have a breather and relax for a bit. As important as studying and stuff is it's so important to give yourself some time off. Your body will thank you!

4. Prep and plan

Don't leave things till the last minute!!! By prepping and planning you give yourself some time to overlook everything that needs doing and also reduces stress massively. Planning can help you write down any ideas and really boost your motivation.

5. Prioritise 

Make sure you separate what needs to be done and what you want to be done. By prioritising things you can get the most important things done first. I normally prioritised by using the dates things needing doing so that everything was done in time. 

Again, even if you aren't going to university you can always use these tips to manage your time if you are at school or college. Make sure you go check out all of my other university tip blog posts here and here and good luck for anyone going away to university!

Love B x

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University tips // Saving money!

Hello lovlies,

This is the second post for my three post series all about my university tips. If you haven't seen my first post you can read it here. This one will be talking about probably one of the most important things to do when going off to university. SAVING MONEY.

Student finance is great but they don't always give you a lot to live on and receiving a low amount of money can make leaving home so daunting. But... even though I can't offer real money there are loads of ways that you can save some dollar!

1. Budget!!!

Budget your money and stick to it. Remember you're a student now. By giving yourself a budget it means you can see exactly what you need and how much everything will be. You can also take note of what you are spending your money on either weekly or monthly and if you are over spending you can look back and see what you need to cut out.

2. FRESHERS

 Don't spend your entire bank during freshers, you'll have at least 3 more months until your next loan and living on pot noodles and toast isn't fun. We all know that having a huge lump sum of money dropped into your bank account during freshers is super tempting but give yourself a budget and don't go crazy. 

3. Forget about your car

Driving is great and I loved my car but the fact is you won't need it. If you have a car the best thing to do would be sell it. This way you'll make some extra cash! Normally when you go away to university everything is a walkable distance away. 

4. Student discount

Tonnes of places offer student discount now. You can either buy an NUS card or use the unidays app. Whenever you go somewhere all you need to do is search to see if they offer discount or simply ask. Both of these offer discount on things such as shops, restaurants and even hotels.

5. Get a student bank account

Not everyone wants to use an over draft but loads of banks now offer student accounts that give you an interest free over draft. (Basically you can borrow money and not have to pay any interest on it.) Even if you don't ever have to use your overdraft it's much safer to have it incase anything does happen. Just remember, don't be tempted to start spending it all on things you really don't need. *Clothes... makeup... ect... *

I used all of these tips in my first year and will most probably be using many of them again. You could even use some of these if you aren't going to university but just want to save some money. Keep an eye out for my last post about saving money and you can read my previous post here. I hope they help and a huge good luck to anyone going away this month to university!

Love B x

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University tips // Prepping!

Hello lovelies, 

This time last year I was busy running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything together before I went away to start three years in Leicester for university. I found heading off to university both daunting and exciting. I went out and brought every single type of saucepan and started stocking up on essentials such as pasta. 

So, before you go crazy in Ikea I though I’d do a three part blog post series with some tips to help you before going away to university including prepping, saving money and how I found it best to manage my time. 

Todays post will be all about preparing for university and some advice on how to do so! Hopefully some, if not all of these tips will help make university life a little easier!

1. LISTS! 

Writing lists of things you need to get will make your lives ten times easier. You can write up your own or go online and find a pre-made one. You can write down different categories like things for your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. I found making a list made me not forget anything essential.

2. Colour themes

Now this one may seem weird but having some kind of colour scheme for my bedroom made it so much easier when I was out buying bits and bobs for my room. It stopped me from going crazy and buying absolutely everything and instead made me look out for some nicer more suitable items. I also found by having a coloured theme for my room I was able to make it my own and it really helped with the home sickness. 

3. Get a REAL email address

By now I’m assuming lots of you have an email address that isn’t something like ‘princess2017’ because no lecturer or job application will ever take you seriously! Having a professional looking email address that you can contact your university on is so much easier. Everything will be in one place for you to find things and you’ll be able to use it for things in the future such as work experience or placement. It’ll also make organising things 10x easier as well. You’ll be able to link everything together on your computer and phone.

4. Facebook groups

Now I’m not a huge Facebook fan and I rarely use it other than to speak to family but during this time of year Facebook is full of university group pages that you can request to join. By doing this you can meet so many other people who are in the same boat as you and you can begin to make friends with people. From here you can even find some of the people on your course or who you may be living with if you’re staying in halls. I found this super helpful and actually met some of my best uni friends this way!

5. Get involved!

When you arrive at uni your first week will be a blur. There will be fresher’s fair, loads of events and you’ll be meeting so many new people. My best tip would be to get stuck in. Talk to new people and get to know your surroundings. I found starting in my halls was best and as I became familiar with everything I started venturing out around campus. Fresher’s fair is also something to get involved in. You’ll be given so many freebies and also get a chance to look at the different societies. Doing all of this will make making new friends easier and make university life easier too!

For anyone off to university this month then good luck! Just keep in mind that everyone is in the exact same boat as you and you'll be fine.

Love B x

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Brushes // Top 5

 I never used to be fussed about using brushes when I first started using makeup. Other than a big fluffy brush for powder I didn't own a huge collection like I do now, but since my first set of Eco-Tools brushes I got when I was 16 I have been obsessed.

I love having a nose at other beauty bloggers favourite brushes so thought it would only be right to do my own top 5. Now, I don't have the most luxurious brushes as I am a student who unfortunately has to budget her whole life! I am a huge drugstore fan and love finding a cheap alternative that works just as well.

1. Sephora Collection - Classic Mineral Powder Brush
This was my first ever high end make up brush that I brought when I went away to Paris and it has been my go to foundation brush ever since. I love this brush to pieces and use it every single day. It is a great multi tasking brush that I mainly use to apply dewy foundation. It blends so easily and is so soft. One of the best things I find with this brush is it doesn't leave any bristles on the face when using.

2. No 7 - Concealer Brush
Unfortunately I can't find any of the No 7 brushes online so I can't link them onto this post but these brushes came in a set. (Hence the funky patterned handle) I think this brush was originally an eye shadow brush but I feel it works so well as a brush to blend in my liquid concealer. It isn't the softest brush in the world but for a drugstore buy I find this brush is a staple in my daily routine.

3. Real Techniques - Contour Brush
I recently caved in to the Real Techniques hype and I am so glad I did! Unfortunately, I was unable to find the brush as a single brush but have linked above the set of core brushes which is what I purchased. I love the size and shape of this brush. It fits perfectly on my cheek bones and is firm enough to define and highlight without being too fluffy and soft.

4. No 7 - Fluffy Eye shadow Brush
This brush is amazing for blending in eye shadows. The only thing I would wish this brush would do better is be softer. However, for the price I payed (Below £10 if I remember correctly) it does its job and it does it well.

5. MUA - E7 Eyebrow Brush
For £1.50 this brush is amazing!!! I use it all the time to do my eyebrows. It's a very sturdy brush which works best for me. It's very small and angled which gives me good precision and holds enough product to do my eyebrows quickly which is fab for my 15 minutes I have to do my makeup in the morning!

Leave your favourite brushes below! I'm always on the hunt for more to try out:)

B x

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