Gwen Stefani + Urban Decay "Ex-Boyfriend" Dupes

     Good day, all you lovely people! Today I thought I'd share some "dupes". Most of these are a bit of a stretch, matching more in colour than formula, but for anyone who missed out on this fantastic colour, it might be enough.

     

     I fell deeply in love with Gwen's collab nude shade at first swipe. It's sheer, but builds nicely, giving a "my lips but better" feel. I knew it would be a favourite. So let's get into the dupes (or near dupes) I found in my collection.

Ex-Boyfriend is on the left, Marc Jacobs 'New Nudes' Sheer Gel Lipstick in #110 Role Play on the right.

    As you can see, the UD shade is much more sheer than the MJ one, even though the MJ line is considered "Sheer". The wear time is better with Role Play, due to it's deeper opacity. Both lean warm.

R: NARS Audacious in Barbara

     Again, the formula is very different here. But putting a clear or nude gloss over Barbara gives the same effect as Ex-Boyfriend, and lasts much longer. Plus, the Audacious line of lipsticks is the best. Ever. In the history of every lipstick.

R: Maybelline "Warm Me Up"

     The Maybelline Colour Sensational line is probably the best in the drugstore. They're incredibly comfortable and there are tons of shades to choose from. This shade isn't as opaque as the previous two, but holds the same tone. It has a satin finish, and is longer lasting that UD.

R: Rimmel Moisture Renew - 720 Notting Hill Nude

The Rimmel line, especially the Moisture Renew range, is also worth checking out. There isn't as wide a choice for colours, but the formula is fantastic. I do have a problem with the scent, however; it's very old-lady-ish. This shade is the same warm nude as Ex-Boyfriend, but as with the NARS colour, applying a gloss over top would give the same effect. And the "Oh My Gloss" line from Rimmel might be worth giving a try. (Note: this shade is out of stock/discontinued from what I can tell, but it's currently on Amazon) 

R: Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Super Natural

Speaking of using a gloss topper, this Revlon shade would be a perfect choice; it's sheer enough not to give too much colour, but has the same tone as Ex-Girlfriend, Plus, the formula on this is really comfortable, and not too sticky. 

R: Revlon Lip Butter- 001 Pink Truffle

     And last but not least, what I think is the best dupe (in my collection, anyway) Revlon's Pink Truffle Lip Butter. This colour holds that same warm nude tone, and has a very similar formula. Sheer, layers well, and feels great on the lips. I feel like this line is hit and miss, and people either love or hate them. I personally really like the shades that I have, and find them really comfortable. In fact, they were the first lip products I bought in the beginning of my makeup collection. 

     Having this makes me feel better about not stocking up on multiple backups of Ex-Girlfriend. Hopefully I have enough dupes for the liner shade too. Otherwise it's time to go shopping. ;)

Are there any of your favourite lipsticks that have been taken off the market? What are some of the replacements that you've come up with? 

Now We Resume This Blog, After That Long-A** Break

     Hi everyone! My blog has been terribly neglected this past year; I've just had so much going on, personally, that writing has been one of the farthest things from my mind. My husband and I separated last year, and I've been treading the waters of single-parenthood, trying to stay afloat. It hasn't been easy, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
     Breakups are never easy, but I hope that in the case of my children's father and I, we can make this as easy as possible for our 2 girls. There is no drama, no hurt feelings, and no ill-will toward one another. We've been growing apart for some time now, and just realized that if we want to be happy, we should make the decision while the kids are young.
     Alright, now that I've delved deep enough into my personal life, let's get into the reason I started this blog; MAKEUP! I've been acquiring quite a bit of it these last several months, and though I have been using it, I thought I should put my buying on hold for a bit and try to use what I have more. (And when I say 'hold', I mean a soft hold. I'll probably still dip into the wallet when something really good comes along.)
     After making a few hasty purchases simply because they were new and exclusive, I made the decision to think before I buy. For example, the new Huda Beauty lip contour pencils; I bought the Shade "Bombshell", simply because of all of the hype around the launch. And for $25.50, I should've had better intentions. When I got it in the mail a couple days later, I immediately regretted my choice. It was a lip liner. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but for $25, it wasn't supposed to be "just" a lip liner. Coupled with the fact that the shade was identical to MAC's "In Control" liner that I already had (and paid $6 less for) and the formula wasn't anything new or innovative, I put it back in it's packaging, grabbed the receipt, and back to Sephora it went. 
     Point being; I have a lot of makeup. A LOT. More than some people, less than others, but for me, it's a lot. And I do love it. But I think in order to really appreciate it, I need to use what I have and make educated decisions when buying any more. So in this new chapter of my life, that will be my mission, to use and document my beloved beauty items, and share it with those who appreciate it: the beauty community.
     I hope to be better at writing - and taking time out, now that I have more of it - for the passion I have for beauty products, :) 

Smashbox ART. LOVE. COLOR. Master Class palette review

Happy holidays!! 

Wait, wait, wait. It's still summer. So why am I suddenly in the moods for pine boughs and pretty lights that are all tangled together and I break a nail trying to get them apart and oh great, a bulbs broken this sucks I hate the holida--- ohhh, right. Holiday MAKEUP. THAT'S why I'm so hyped about upcoming festive season while it's still 30° out. 

If you're like me and are a sucker for limited edition makeup sets, now's the time you start making your list and checking it twice. I follow TrendMood on Instagram, and I swear I'm considering getting a second job because of her posts. Urban Decay, Too Faced, Tarte, they've all had photos released of gorgeous new goodies. Smashbox was the first (to my knowledge) to release, and it looks like a doozy. I've missed the last 3 Master Class sets, so when I noticed this suddenly on Sephora's site, I was on that "Add to Basket" button like a duck on a Junebug. It boasts 32 eye shadows, 6 blushes and 2 highlighters. 

The eyeshadow pans are the sizes of nickels and dimes, and the blush and highlights are about the diameter of a Toonie (silver dollar, I guess, if you're 'Merican). They're supposed to be able to pop out to put in a Z palette, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. The finishes range from matte, satin, and shimmer. The shimmers are quite disappointing, I have to say; they aren't very pigmented and come off a little chunky. The mattes, for the most part, are creamy and smooth, and the satin's really shine. 

As soon as I took this bad boy out of its box, I was immediately struck by the range of colours. Some of them I don't have in my collection (mainly the yellows/oranges/pinks). But as I dipped my fingers in to swatch, my heart sank; some shades were pretty, but half of them were chunky, and a little cheap-feeling. I looked at the palette after my swatch-fest and it looked disastrous. 

Powder was EVERYWHERE. Maybe I'm picky. But this does NOT look like a high-end palette should after you touch it. And I'm fairly light-handed. 

Most of the shadows swatch nicely on my arm, but they didn't transfer very well onto my lid. I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion, and they creased after a couple of hours of wear. I'll insert a range of some of the colours. 

As you can see, some of the most glittery shadows are quite chunky. The mattes are hit and miss, but the ones that are nice, I have in other palettes. The blushes are pretty, but too many of them leave a sheen on the cheeks that I would prefer to get from a highlight on top (otherwise I come off too disco-ball-y). 

My Verdict: this palette is a no-go for me. I just wasn't wowed. With all of the new makeup launching in the next couple of months, I can't see myself gravitating towards this. I will be returning it. 😪

What are your thoughts? If you have this palette, do you like it? Is it something you're looking forward to purchasing? I'd love to hear any views, opposing or similar. :)

-N