BLOGMAS 2017 || DAY 5 - MY CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

I don't usually ask for much when it comes to Christmas presents as I have a part-time job so whatever I want/need I just pay for it myself, so you can imagine how difficult it was for me to come up with a Christmas list for 2017.

1) Thierry Mugler Aura Fragrance Set
I remember walking into Debenhams in the summer and coming across this beautiful and unique fragrance. I was on my way to get some euros for my holiday to Rome and the money office just happened to be right next to the fragrance department and of course, I took a detour...
I don't think I ever loved a fragrance as much as this one. Mugler's Alien is definitely one of my all-time favourite scents to wear this time of the year but since I ran out of it a few months ago I thought it was the perfect time to ask for this newbie to be added to my collection.

2) Lilo & Stitch Pandora Charm
Not sure if many of you know this already, but I used to work at the Disney Store for over 2 years and have recently left my position as a Cast Member. Disney was a big part of my childhood and I loved watching the movies as I was growing up, so you can only imagine how much I loved working for the company. I still feel very attached to the company and it will forever hold a special place in my heart, hence why I asked for a Disney Pandora charm this Christmas. I asked for this one in particular as I always loved the movie and my sister is my best friend, just like Lilo and Nani. Also, every time I'll look at my bracelet it'll remind me of my time working for Disney and my love for my Ohana.

3) Diptyque Candle 
Once, I was very close to buying one of these myself when I misheard the price of '£40' as '£14'... Come on now, £40 for a candle?! I don't think I'd ever spend this much on one myself but it's a great gift for home-makers. I'm currently looking into buying a house, so I want to start collecting nice bits and bobs for it which makes Christmas gifts a little bit easier. I also love Yankee and Bath and Body Works candles but they can get quite pricey. Another brand I love for luxurious candles is Jo Malone as they look so fancy and smell so good, plus I get some discount on them as I work for Estee Lauder Companies (win-win).

4) J. K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them Book
Joanne is one of my favourite authors since I was about 6. I love her style of writing and thanks to her, my childhood was filled with much needed magic. I also admire her as a person, she's always striving for greatness and is pretty much a Twitter Queen. Anyway, going back to the book - I wanted to get it when the screenplay came out as I love the cover of it but I'd much rather have the original book, because if I wanted to know the screenplay then I'd just watch the film!

5) Urban Decay Ultimate Basics Palette
This palette has been on my list for ages now, and hopefully, I'll be able to get it for Christmas! If not, my birthday is in January so I can wait til then hahaha!! I love matte shadows and this palette is perfect for this time of the year.

What's on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

2017 || JULY FAVOURITES

I know this post is now long overdue, however, I found it quite hard to balance out blogging while on holiday as I stupidly didn't schedule any posts before setting off! Thus, not only is this post a bit late but I also included the UD Naked Heat palette in my July's favourites as I had a couple of weeks longer to play with it rather than judging it by its first use, even though it's bloody amazing.

REVIEW || ARE THE URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTES WORTH YOUR MONEY?

The Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palettes have been a big hit since the first one came out in 2010, but now with so many amazing and more affordable palettes out there, are they really worth their price tag? I can finally say that I own the first 3 naked palettes and have put them to the test. After lusting over them (especially the first one due to the packaging) for years now, my wishes came true and the makeup fairy gifted me with these three beauties - in this case, my mum turned out to be the fairy.

The packaging:

Like I've mentioned above, I love the packaging of the first palette. It's very unique and you can actually open it all the way around so it's great for travelling. The only thing that annoys me about this one is the size of the mirror  - it's pathetic. I'm the type of girl who uses her palette mirror on-the-go, but using this one I can only touch up my lipstick if I hold it close enough to my mouth! 

On the other hand, the Naked 2 & 3 palettes come in a metal packaging which I really dislike. It reminds me of a very cheap palette that you could buy in like corner shops or something, but they do come with a large mirror and the metal case protects the palette from breaking while you're travelling.

Naked:
I feel like the shades in this palette are great for people of all skin tones and ages. It has a variety of subtle matte shades as well as pigmented shimmers. My favourite shades from this palette are 'Buck' and 'Toasted', which you can use to create a full eye-makeup look using just these two shades. Even though this palette was the first one to come out, it's one of my favourites and was actually my latest addition.

Naked 2:
The Naked 2 palette is a cool-toned shadow lovers' dream. The shade 'Tease' was literally created for me... it's a beautiful transition shade for all skin tones and looks lovely on its own too. I enjoy using this palette but I don't reach for it as much as I'd like to, so I would definitely suggest that you try the colours out in store before deciding on which one to buy.

Naked 3:
Now, I feel like this palette is very girly and versatile. It's great for every-day use, and the shades compliment each other very well. It has a lot of pinks in it, so if you're not a big fan of pink shadows then stay clear from this one as you might not like it. I think the shades 'Blackheart' and 'Trick' are my favourite as they're very pigmented.

If you're interested in more affordable dupes for these then I suggest the W7 palettes or the 'eBay' alternative 1 and 2.

^swatches from the Naked palette.

^swatches from the Naked 2 palette.

^swatches from the Naked 3 palette.


Overall, I found it hard to decide which palette I liked and used the most out the three, but I chose the first original Naked palette. I chose this one because I thought it suited me the most as there are 10 nude shades and 2 silver shades which make smokey eyes a lot easier to create. However, the price tag of £39.50 is way too high for what these palettes have to offer, but I will probably buy the Heat palette as I've heard lots of great reviews of it.

Do you own any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes? If so, what do you think of them?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || URBAN DECAY NAKED ILLUMINATED SHIMMERING POWDER FOR FACE AND BODY

I feel like this product has been so hyped about since it came out that I felt compelled to buy it and try it out for myself. I chose the shade Luminous as I felt it was best suited to my skin tone (I'm naturally very pale). The most popular shade I believe is 'Aura' but I felt that it was slightly too dark for me, but it is very beautiful as my sister has it and I love looking at it!

I feel like it is very impractical for travelling or even carrying around in a handbag as it's very bulky - it's the size of like three of the UD Afterglow highlighters! Don't get me wrong, I think that the packaging is absolutely beautiful (you go UD!), it looks lovely on display especially if I had the whole set (just you wait, it'll probably happen haha).

As you can see in the picture above, the highlight shade is very subtle and compliments my pale skin tone, however, I feel like it's too light for me as I do enjoy an intense highlight. For the price tag of £24, I expected a lot more from this product than what is offered, so I am very disappointed in the colour payoff as it's nowhere near as good as the Aura shade which is annoying, but then again it's my own fault for buying a product without looking into it first or giving it a swatch! If you're seriously thinking about buying this highlighter then I suggest you try it out in-store - ask a staff member to put some on for you or even swatch it at the back of your hand. Learn from my mistake!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Have you tried the Naked Illuminated Highlighters? If so, would you recommend it?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || URBAN DECAY BROW BEATER IN TAUPE

Urban Decay never fails to surprise me with new launches. I absolutely love their collaboration with Pulp Fiction, the Naked palettes, All Nighter Setting Spray etc. You know the gist! So when I saw that they came out with ABH style brow pencils I had to try it for myself. The colour range isn't the best which is a shame, but I opted for Taupe as it seemed most appropriate for my hair colour.

I usually use blonde shades and they often turn out to be too warm for me so I thought that Taupe would be the best colour choice. The packaging is very similar to their eyeliners which is nice as they stuck to the original theme however, I feel like it looks too much like the ABH brow products.

I must say that I was very happily surprised with how pigmented this brow pencil was. It applied very easily and wasn't too waxy which made it look very natural once applied to the brows. The tip is very small and thin which makes the application more precise and easy to draw hair like strokes for a natural look.

The finish of the brow pencil is very odd, it's not quite matte but it's not shiny either... satin maybe? Either way, it looks great on and I would highly recommend it to those who want to try something new without it disappointing you. I must add that I have never tried any of the ABH brow products so I can't compare the two, but this one has worked for me well and I will continue to use it until I find the ultimate most perfect brow product ever!

Do you have a favourite brow product? Have you tried the UD Brow Beater?

Lots of love,

Maya xo