Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Shade Liar

When it comes to lipsticks, I usually stick to what I know and that is drugstore and a little bit of MAC. But, when I ran my birthday giveaway I wanted to get something my readers would really enjoy so I of course went with Urban Decay after having tried a few lipsticks samples here and there. If you are a regular reader, you will know of my love for all things Urban Decay. Needless to say, everything I have tried from them has not let me down and I have some found some really great make-up staples I won't be letting go anytime soon (see my UD favourites here, the Gwen Stefani collection here and here). With this in mind I thought I'd get 2 lipsticks, 1 for my lucky reader (Congrats again Dani) and for myself, and I am so glad I did!

The Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipsticks (2.8g) launched in Spring 2015 with 10 permanent shades that combine the best of their usual Revolution Lipstick but in a sheer formula. Urban Decay claims every shade to be rich, creamy and give a gorgeous, high-shine finish. The formula contains their pigment infusion system, maxi lip and a blend of Shea Butter, jojoba, olive and babassu oils, as well as vitamins C and E, all put together in one bullet to make our lips more hydrated and shiny. 

In theory, these may sound similar to Revlon's ColorBurst Lip butters, but they are far from it. I am huge fan of lip balm like lipsticks (see my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine review here) but this is above your tradition tinted lip balm when it comes to pigmentation and lasting power. Unlike the traditional bullet, this lipstick isn't as pigmented, but colour payoff is rather impressive given its super creamy texture. I have worn mine comfortably for around 4-5 hours and I find that this thinner formula wears rather well for hours on end. 

Now onto the shade I chose, Liar is described as a "sheer pinky-brown nude". It has a hint of rose and light shine whilst being a muted, medium brown. As I said, I can get 4-5 hours of wear and despite its extensive list of moisturising ingredients, it is little hydrating but not drying either so I can't really complain. It's similar to Pink Truffle from Revlon (which I linked above) if you like the sound of this but want a cheaper/less pigmented version. 

Albeit, this is part of their spring collection, hydration is what I look for during the winter months. I've been wearing it almost every day since and I definitely see myself purchasing a few more shades. The Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipsticks retail for £15.50 which is the same as a MAC lipstick, so not too overly priced.

What do you think of the shade I picked? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading beauties and and don’t forget to enter my Giveaway here!

xoxo

My 2015 Beauty Favourites

To start things off nice and easy into 2016, a roundup of the products I loved and pretty much never put down in 2015 is a must, if not, compulsory on a beauty blog such as this one. 2015 was a year when I felt more comfortable in my own skin, discovered amazing products to enhance natural beauty and really nailed a beauty routine down. I now know what works best for my skin and what types of products I should be going for in the future. I have also had the opportunity to try many brands and realised that one brand does it all for me in pretty much all aspects (yes Urban Decay, I'm taking about you). My 2015 favourites are not only last year's favourites but also products I am pretty certain I will keep repurchasing over and over again.

Click on each product name below for full reviews here on the blog

The Benefit POREfessional Face Primer has completely changed my make-up game. It manages to hide my huge pores and provide flawless finish making it very much worth the hype if you haven't tried it yet. In my experience, it workes amazingly well prior to the Garnier Micellar Water and followed by the L'oreal Infallible Matte Foundation, which I know isn't everybody's cup of tea due to it being best suitable for combo/oily skin (ideal for me) and not working out so hot form those with dry skin. With the skin prepped, the next step would be to conceal my dark circles, an easier task said than done, but one product that comes close to tackling them effectively is the Urban Decay Naked Concealer and I have yet to find something better than this. And given 2015 was the year of contouring and strobing, my trusty Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette came in handy whenever I wanted to contour my not-so-tiny round face and highlight the cheekbones for a more polished and illuminated complexion.

Onto brows, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade is my newest best friend and I am kicking myself for not buying it sooner; it's smooth, pigmented and waterproof, everything you want in a little pot to really up your brow game. Still on the eyes, the much raved on this blog Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette and Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara both make reappearances and I'm not even sorry about talking about these repeatedly. And, whenever it came to lining my eyes, I always seemed to reach for the cheap yet amazing quality Collection Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner, a product I can actually work with given the lack of skills when it comes to mastering the art that is doing my eyeliner perfectly.

For the lips, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Monte Carlo was inevitably what I picked up so sort out my often dry lips whilst adding a sheer touch of red. Despite the Coco Shine collection having a lot of bad reviews out there, this lipstick is smooth, hydrating and ideal for when my lips need a little TLC. And last but certainly not least, the Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel, because bubblegum scented gels make shower time much more fun and every day seem like it's Christmas.

Albeit I omitted haircare and nailcare products from this list (L'oreal and Essie all the way if you're wondering), this list pretty much covers what I've been wearing on a daily basis. I could go on and on about each and every single one, but all you need to know is that these seriously work and provide the result I want time after time!

What are your 2015 favourites? Have you tried any of these? Let me know below!

Thank you for reading beauties and Happy 2016!

xoxo

My Favourites: Urban Decay #2

A few months back I initiated a mini series of posts here on the blog in order to show you my favourites products of a specific brand. Having started with Sleek MakeUp (read more here), it is time I turn to the trustworthy and beloved high-end brand, Urban Decay. Simply put UD is a brand that fails to disappoint me. It may very well be my favourite cosmetic brand of all time, not just because of their famous eyeshadow palettes, but because of the great quality they offer across all of their products. With the difficult task of only picking a handful, these are my must haves and absolute favourites.

Naked Eyeshadow Palette £38

Quite possibly the most iconic palette of all time, this is a must have for every beauty lover, full stop. Its shades are buttery, pigmented and a dream to work with. They all blend beautifully and if you do not have yet have it, do yourself a favour and pick it up. You will not regret it.

Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette £38

If you come here often you will know I recently reviewed this gorgeous little thing, so for swatches and more details see here. In short, this has been the palette I've been reaching for this fall. It contains a mix of light and darker shades allowing you to create looks ideal for both day and night. This is a limited edition, so if you haven't got yours yet, check it out before it's gone.

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Foundation £27

I first heard of this over at Dani's YouTube channel, and given I am a massive fan, I just had to try her favourite foundation of all time. Despite being a little more liquid than my usual bases, this foundation ticks every box for me. It truly feels like the first foundation I've felt perfectly comfortable to wear due to its lightweight, soft and extremely blendable formula. It has a semi-matte finish, it is not at all cakey, hides the imperfections well and just has great coverage with not much product need. I honestly cannot recommend this enough; my shade is 2.0.

Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer £17.50

I'm sure we have all read a vast number of reviews on this product, so all I will say is that this is the best concealer I have ever used. Originally I wanted the NARS one, but I'm so glad I picked this up instead. I wear the Light Warm shade and whilst it does not 100% cover my naturally dark circles, it masks them pretty well, stays in place throughout the day and does not settle into fine lines. What more could we want?

Naked Flushed £22.50 

This palette makes every day contouring a breeze. In the shade Naked, the bronzer is beautifully matte, suits my skin tone perfectly and applies well. The blush is rather pink and the highlighter is a subtle, not too sparkly, gorgeous shade. The trio is extremely pigmented, easy to blend and shades are buildable.

Other favourites include the Naked 3 (perfect for spring), the 24/7 glide eye pencil (smokey eyes anyone?) and the All Nighter setting spray. It is fair to say that I adore all things Urban Decay and can't wait to get my hands on the new Vice palette. Not sure when that comes out over here in the UK but have you seen the shades, two words: fab-ulous!

These are my UD favourites, what are yours? Let me know below!

Thank you for reading beauties and have an amazing Sunday!

xoxo

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette: Worth The Wait?

If you are new around here, welcome to my new home! Given the blog celebrates its 6th month anniversary this month; I've decided to take one step forward and buy my own domain. I couldn't be happier; the whole process was so simple and I did it all myself (with the help of a few Youtube videos). In less than 10 minutes after completion, there I was looking at my new URL: www.pamscalfi.com. It was time for a change, given how much this blog has grown in so little time. I have all of you to thank for, and to give thanks lots of new things are coming to Pam Scalfi this month so watch this space.

Now that we got that out of the way, you will remember my excitement a few months back when it was announced that a new Naked palette would be coming out (read here). The day it would be released online finally came and I managed to buy one before it sold within 5 minutes and as a result broke the Urban Decay website, madness I know! I finally have it and let me tell you all about it.

The marble effect on the packaging is a nice touch and feels so much more fancy than previous palettes. The palette is a hard plastic design with smoky printing on the top and a full size mirror inside. It closes with a magnet and the brush that comes with it is unlike what we were used to. The dual-ended pencil/crease brush works well to create your ideal smoky eye (and it is really all you need) and with the little step-by-step booklet (looks include the Iconic UD Smoky Eye, Smoky Reality Star, Smoky Cat, and Everyday Smoky) everything becomes a whole lot easier. 

The colour scheme isn't your usual “from light to dark”. As much as I love the previous Naked palettes, it was all getting a little monotonous and it is refreshing to have something new to play with. And despite being called “Smoky” and having all the shades that create the typical smoked eye, I like how the palette does not only focus on silvers, greys or blacks. Those shades are there, but with warm and rich browns, taupes and lighter colours we are also able to create smoky brown eyes for example, which personally suit me so much more making this palette versatile and fun to work with.  And, onto the shades themselves, nine out of twelve are brand new with only three making a comeback from previous Vice palettes.

From left to right:
High: champagne with shimmer finish (New) // Dirtysweet: medium bronze (New) // Radar: warm light brown taupe with glitter finish (Vice 2)
Armor: greyish brown taupe with metallic finish (Vice) // Slanted: light blue toned metallic grey (New) // Dagger: medium charcoal with shimmer finish (New)

Black Market: jet black satin (Vice) // Smolder: plum-taupe (New) // Password: cool matte taupe (New) // Whiskey: rich matte brown (New)
Combust: soft pink-taupe (New) // Thirteen: light beige satin (New)

The formula is dissimilar from previous palettes but don’t get me wrong they are still pigmented and easy to blend. The shades feel thinner in consistency and perhaps even less metallic and that is a good think y’all! As a result, there is less fall out in application and the finish isn't as glittery as with the Naked range (I still love you Naked 3). Password and Whiskey are already favourites of mine, but as I keep exploring I'm sure the remaining shades will also become my go-to.

All in all, the Naked Smoky is a breath of fresh air and well worth the purchase. It may be sold out online, but it launches tomorrow (06/08) in stores here in the UK and for £38, I recommend you to go get yourself one. 

Will you be getting the new Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading and I will see you soon beauties!

xoxo

June Favourites 2015

"Monthly Favourites" posts are very possibly flooding everyone's feed right about now (or maybe I'm a little late?), so bear with me even if you have read 100 of these lately. Here we go :)

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation | £27

Now that's a mouthful! I am a big fan of "Coffee Break with Dani" (see her Youtube channel here) and when she mentioned this was her all time favourite foundation I knew I had to have it. You think it won't work at first because it's a very runny product, but as you blend it out it covers blemishes and uneven tones perfectly. It is not the cheapest but it is by far the best foundation I have ever used.

Vichy Idealia Eyes | £23

A little (a lot) more than I would normally pay for eye cream, but after reading as far as I recall around 100 reviews on various different eye creams, this is the one I decided to go with. My dark circles have not vanished overnight, but I've been using this for 2 weeks now and I can see an improvement. I can't wait to see how it turns out after the 4 week recommended period.

Sisley Phyto-Khol Star Eyeliner in Dark Amethyst | £33.50

Pricey, but hear me out. This has Swarovski crystal glitter particles and the packaging contains a genuine Swarovski crystal at its tip; fancy! I love how it leaves my waterline with a beautiful lilac colour and it is so sparkly, just the way I like it!

Essie Nail Varnish Care Duo Kit | £12.99

I always found that my nail polish would chip within a day or two because my nails were always splitting. This product has changed that; the Prep polish makes sure the nail varnish stays put for longer and the Protect polish makes the colour more vibrant, glossy and shiny. My mani now lasts a week or so and I recommend these 100%!

Naked 3 Palette | £38

This is my summer sweetheart. I find myself wearing these shades a lot more often when the sun is out. I'm all about beautiful pinky smokey eyes this summer!

What are your June favourites? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading girlies.

xoxo

Beauty Release: Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

The weekend is almost here so hang in there! In other news, I don't know if you've heard already, but Urban Decay is releasing a brand new Naked Palette and I am here to share my excitement with you. When I saw this new palette 3 days ago on my Facebook news feed, I instantly wanted to find out more and from these pictures I know I love it already! 

I'm finding this to be the prettiest palette of them all (sorry Naked 3). The packaging looks awesome and so different from the others, it has magnetic closure (perfect for the handbag environment) and everything about it is just perfect. Obviously, from the name you can kinda guess what looks you would be creating. Personally, I am a big fan of smokey eyes because they look super sexy, glamorous and are definitely the most fun to create. And if you are wondering why they called it "Smoky" (and not smokey), it is because this palette is full of smoke, literally.

This palette will be part of their Summer 2015 Collection and what I love about it most is that it has a combination of eyeshadows that is sure to please everybody. What you get with this smoky palette are matte, shimmer and satin shadows, perfect for day and evening looks. The shades vary from warmer and cooler tones, and there are 3 beautiful highlighting shades perfect for that glowy bright look we all want this summer. Whether you like champagne, golds, silvers or greys, this palette has it all; you get a lot of different colours and a lot of different variations. Just look at that purple/plum shade, WOW!

From left to right the shadows names are: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor, Slanted, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder, Password, Whiskey, Combust and Thirteen. Most of these are brand new and those names........enough said. The brush is also different from previous Nakeds, and I find it a lot more useful being a dual ended pencil/crease brush. The pencil side is obviously great for highlighting the inner corners of your eyes, the brow bone and your lower lash line, and the fluffy brush proves to be perfect to create transition between shades and to get rid of any harsh lines. You also get a full-sized mirror making it easy to get "Naked" whenever and wherever you want. And if you aren't convinced just yet, check out this teaser by UD themselves:

                     

I NEED this palette and I can't wait until it hits the stores. When I finally get my hands on it you can count on a thorough review so watch this space. It becomes available on the UD US website on July 8th, in stores July 16th and in the UK, in early August. Until then I will keep watching those lucky bloggers on Youtube and fall in love with this product over and over again.

Are you as excited about this palette as I am?

Thanks for reading beauties!

xoxo

*All photos featured in this post belong to Urban Decay Cosmetics*

Two Years and Counting: Urban Decay Anniversary Gifts

Yesterday my fiancé and I celebrated our 2 Year Anniversary. I can't believe it has been 2 years already! I am extremely blessed to have someone in my life that supports me through everything, including this blog. He wanted to buy me gifts I would enjoy and of course that meant one thing and one thing only: MAKE-UP.

We popped into Urban Decay Covent Garden and he told me to choose whatever I wanted. I, being the sensible person that I am (NOT!), only picked up a few things but ended up leaving the shop with a goody bag full of samples! Here's what's new in my make-up collection:

It's not a secret that in my opinion the Naked 3 palette is the most beautiful palette of them all and the only one of the collection I ever really needed. But I decide to give in and get the original Naked Eyeshadow Palette after being convinced by the sales girl that it was simply perfect for my skin tone. I have never been treated so well in a make-up store; too bad I don't remember the girl's name but whoever you are thank you for making me take home these gorgeous eyeshadows, I am in love! This palette has been reviewed exactly a billion times so I will spare you on the long list of pros I have. We can just look at it instead and appreciate how beautiful it is.

Next up, the Naked Concealer in the shade Light Warm. Simply put, this is the most perfect concealer I have ever tried. Don't get me wrong, I won't be ridding myself of my all-time favourite Collection concealer just yet, but this is just on a whole.other.level. This product conceals my very dark circles and it doesn't set into fine lines all day long. I feel like it highlights my under eye area extremely well, doesn't cake and even though its smell is odd, this is a product I will be buying over and over again. And of course, now I want the Naked foundation too because why not!

And finally this black 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil. I confess I don't wear eyeliner much because I just find them all less than adequate. This changes now with this amazingly pigmented pencil; it is waterproof and just perfect for that smudged sexy evening smokey eye.

All in all, Urban Decay is quickly becoming my favourite premium make-up brand; it is cruelty free, mostly vegan and of great quality. I kinda wish it was our anniversary every month because I already have a huge UD wishlist...hope the nice lady is there to help me out next time.

These were my beauty presents and I love them! I can't wait for my next present: the theatre on Friday! And even though he told me not to I can't finish this post without a picture of us. To my honey, happy anniversary! ♥

xoxo