Urban Decay Electric Palette

Hi everyone!
I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday and not having to rush around buying last minute Christmas presents, which I have to do! I've just had a birthday (I'm now 23.. ahhh!) and I thought i'd write a post about an amazing present I got from Rob - the Urban Decay Electric Palette.

It's so amazing!!! I've wanted this palette for so long, and I think Rob finally got the hint after I dragged him to the UD counter in our local department store for the millionth time to swatch the colours on my hand. I've watched a lot of Youtube tutorials around it, read all the blog posts, so you can understand my excitement. The Electric Palette is a palette of 10 brighter-than-bright eyeshadows in a variety of finishes - matte, satin and shimmer. There are exclusive colours like Freak (neon green) and Chaos (cobalt blue), although each colour is equally incredible (My favourite being Fringe, which I didn't actually use in this look!). Each shade is made with their Pigment Infusion System, resulting in shadows with incredible colour payoff with serious staying power. The palette also comes with an amazing double-ended brush and a huge mirror on the inside of the lid, making application really easy. 

Tada! Here's me, looking seriously creepy. It's hard to know how to pose when you're wearing this sort of make-up! This was my first attempt at some crazy colour combinations from this palette, and I have to say that I am totally in love with it. I used this tutorial by Emma Pickles (my all-time favourite beauty blogger!) although it looks a lot different with my tiny eyelids. I chose to not wing it out because basically I thought it would look really rubbish on me, but i'm amazed with the results.  In hindsight I can see areas for improvement, but overall I am impressed. The colours blended well and you need hardly any product at all to create this vibrant look. I used Jilted, Urban, Freak, Thrash and Revolt, alongside Blackheart and Strange from the UD Naked 2 palette. I mainly used the double-ended brush, although I did use a fluffy brush from Eco Tools for blending. I finished off the look with some Magenta Lip Pencil from MAC, followed by MAC's Heroine lipstick. I don't know how often i'm going to use this palette, although I really want to as the colours are just insane. I'm definitely going to experiment with more YouTube tutorials and try to come up with combinations on my own to try out. So if you loved experimenting with colour or just want a make-up look that's bound to turn heads, the UD Electric Palette is most definitely for you.

Get your hands on the Electric Palette here for £38 or at your local Urban Decay counter. 

Benefit Candy Countdown Advent Calendar

HAPPY 1ST OF DECEMBER!!!!

Can you tell i'm excited? To be honest, i've been counting down since August. After finishing my placement with Good Housekeeping, I was perhaps given the best leaving present any beauty addict could ask for: The Candy Countdown Advent Calendar from Benefit. Everyone who follows this blog will know that I am a massive Benefit fan, and although I probably own 99% of their products, who's going to say no to a fresh set of mini's? With last year's calendar selling out in minutes, I can't tell you how excited I was for December to arrive.

Yes, I am aware that the calendar has now sold out (Apparently they were gone in 34 seconds - whaaaat?!), but I still wanted to put up a post so other Benefit lovers could admire how pretty this product is. I will say now I am really disappointed at the quality of the photos and I apologise for the horrible yellow tinge that I haven't got a clue how to alter in Photoshop. Rob's been really ill and the only time I got to take the photos was in the morning and I didn't want to wake him up to take them (The bedroom is where we get the most light!) so I had to make do with the living room. 

This year's calendar is part of their adorable Sweet Shoppe theme, with the actual calendar resembling a little (Well, I say that, but it's actually ....cm tall!) house. Behind each door is a mini version of some of their hero products, alongside some of their skincare, along side some non beauty bits like hairbands and a doodle pad. It retailed at £60, although they are currently selling on Ebay for well over £100. To be honest, £60 is such a massive bargain as full-sized versions of this product total at ..., and even sets that contain 5 mini's total at £26.50 so with that being said, you're making a £35 saving with 18 products! Amazing. 

The set contains:
 “That gal” | 7.5ml
The POREfessional | 7.5ml
Benetint | 2.5ml
High beam | 2.5ml
Chachatint | 2.5ml
Posietint | 2.5ml
Stay Flawless mini
They’re Real! mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'dandelion' mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'A-lister' mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'fauxmance' mini
BADgal Lash mini
Stay Don’t Stray in 'light/medium' mini
Fakeup in '02 medium' mini
It’s Potent! eye cream mini
Total Moisture facial cream mini
Ooh La Lift mini
Watt’s Up! mini

And some non-beauty goodies: 
Beauty sticky notes
Doodle pad
Heart-shaped paperclips
Pinky, polka-dot hair tie
Elastic hair band with bow charm
Metallic silvery hair tie

For a moment I was slightly disappointed that the whole 24 days isn't packed full of beauty bits, but either way it's still really exciting! One of the other thing's i've noticed is that they've left out some of the bits that I thought were quite special from last year's calendar, like a mini Hoola or perhaps a mini Sugarbomb. 

I won't spoil it for everyone, but I thought i'd just show a picture of what was behind the first door..:

PAPERCLIPSSSSSSS. Slightly anti-climactic, but there you have it.

Basically, this has to be one of the best Christmas presents i've ever gotten.. and it wasn't even intended to be one! Beauty calendars are definitely the way forward. Don't get me wrong, I love having chocolate every day, but nothing beats getting a little of your favourite thing to brighten up a dreary December morning every day for a month! Did anyone manage to get their hands on a beauty calendar, or is there a brand that you want to release one next year? Let me know! :) 

My Graduation/ Overall University Experience

So around this time two weeks ago, I graduated university. Surrounded by my friends and family, I awkwardly walked across the stage praying to God that my slightly-too-big right shoe wouldn't fall off. When I did my annual weekend flat clean (Don't make fun, i'm becoming very house-proud since getting my own place!) I finally unpacked my diploma and all the wonderful cards and presents I received from family, and it got me thinking that I should do a post about university. 

To me, university was one of the best and worst experiences of my life. I will say now, if you are a worrier in any way, university will be very difficult for you. I'm not saying you won't get through it, but be prepared to pick up some sort of anxiety or awful habit (I actually got back into my childhood bad habit of pulling my hair out, but that's another post altogether) and spend the majority of the time second-guessing yourself. I now feel sick every time I think about assignment writing and could cry with joy every time I see a status from a current student moaning about their essay or dissertation topic, because I know I never have to do anything like that again. Yes, I know that sounds mean, but I did my time and feel it's my right to be happy that it's over with! 

I started university as one person, and feel like by the time i'd left I was ready to become an adult. That sounds weird to say and if you ask anyone that knows me they'll tell you that the words "I don't want to grow up!" are frequently said by me in any conversation, but really, by the time you get to third year, things will start to die down and you have to start seriously thinking about your future. Everyone's experience is different, but for me I was sick of feeling uncertain and wanted some direction.

Anxiety aside, I definitely think university was one of the best things i've ever done. I've met some incredible friends, experienced living somewhere new, and found out that I could do so much more than I ever thought I could do. The job I have now I would never have got if I hadn't gone to University and I would never have met my future husband. I didn't really come out of my shell until the end of second year, which was unlike me and frankly, a bit of a waste. However, I really feel like everything happens for a reason and that i've closed a really amazing chapter of my life with no regrets. 

Top 5 | Red Lipsticks for Very Fair Skin

I never thought I could pull off red lipstick. I remember giving it a go once and ordering one online and when I went in to show my mum she laughed and said it looked like I was covered in blood. I know she was kidding, but since then i'd stay away from them thinking I was too pale and that i'd look stupid. It was only when I started working at Benefit, when experimenting with lip colours became my job that I got a little bit more daring. Since then, a love affair with red lipstick began. I know sometimes when it's hard to find products that suit your skin that trying to experiment can be a little scary, so I thought i'd share with you my top five red lipsticks for very fair skin.

'True Love's Kiss'  - MAC

This is one of my newer lipsticks that got given to me back in July and it's taken me a while to use it, purely because I think the packaging is so pretty I much prefer it to be sat on the shelf looking pretty! It's from MAC's Malificent collection, and is a lovely cherry red with just enough warmth to give my pale skin some needed colour! I love the texture of this product as it's super creamy and it's so pigmented you only need a little to get a full coverage lip. 

'Virgin' Glamore Lipstick - Illamasqua

This is the sheerest red out of the five, and the one you need to have the most patience with to get a good colour pay-off. It got there in the end as you can tell, but this is the red i'd most reach to if I wanted something less dramatic that I could lightly dab onto the lips for more of a stain. One negative I would say about this, and this goes for all Illamasqua lipsticks in general, is that the bullet is so pointed it makes it so difficult to apply, so I would definitely recommend applying with a lip brush or using a really strong microscopic mirror!

'Dangerous' Retro Matte Lipstick - MAC

To be honest, this almost didn't make the cut. I originally wanted to include Benefit's 'Dare Me', but I couldn't find it so this was really my back up. I do like it, but when I look back at pictures of me wearing it it is really bright! However, this is the most daring shade (So 'Dangerous' is probably quite a fitting name, ha ha!) and I do feel quite glam when I wear it. It's more of an orange red, so might not be to everyones taste, but definitely something I grab if a standard red lip just isn't enough!

'Mrs. Mia Wallace' - Urban Decay

This is probably the darkest and most highly-pigmented lipstick I own. Having tried a fair few Urban Decay lipsticks i've learnt that they are amazing for strong colour, and this is no exception. Brought out as part of their limited edition Pulp Fiction collection, this is an amazing blood red that is perfect applied on top of the matching lip liner. It's really hydrating and super glamorous; the glossy finish feels very 1920's! For a full review of this product, check out my post here.

'Ruby Woo' Matte Lipstick - MAC

When I first thought about this post, this was the first product I thought of, as it was the first red lipstick that I felt comfortable wearing. Ruby Woo is loved by many as its universally flattering and extremely long-lasting. Matte lipsticks are brilliant for their fantastic colour pay-off, which generally lasts from morning to night with very little need to touch up. When posting this image underneath 'Mrs. Mia Wallace' it may look a little flat, but I promise that this is a product that every lipstick lover needs in their arsenal.

So there you have it! I've definitely started to become more adventurous when it comes to my lipstick choices - i'm trying so hard not to buy anymore pinks or nude corals! I spent a long time feeling self-conscious about being so pale, but now i've really learnt to embrace it. I've now learnt to ignore those 'What shade looks best on your skin' charts you see on cosmetic counters and in magazines - remember, these are just my favourites and if you like it, wear it whatever the colour!

New Perfume Additions

I have a slight addiction to perfume. I think anyone with a shopping habit can admit that fragrances are some of the easiest things to splurge on. The bottles are pretty, they smell amazing and there's always a sale somewhere! I've acquired a few more fragrances recently, so instead of reviewing them individually and rambling on, I thought i'd do a quick (ish) round-up. It's really difficult to review a perfume because everyone's tastes are different, but i'll give it my best shot. Just so you know, the sizes of the bottles pictured do not necessarily reflect the prices i've mentioned. I've started with the lowest price for the smallest amount to give you a rough price bracket!

Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria Eau de Parfum* (From £37.50 for 40ml, The Fragrance Shop)

I absolutely loved the original Euphoria and I was slightly disappointed when I found that it didn't really resemble anything to do with the old fragrance at all. But that's not to say this isn't an amazing fragrance on its own. It has hints of cherry blossom, violet and bergamot, making this scent really refreshing and light. It's described as quite dream-like, and I totally agree. This would be a perfect scent to throw in a bag (Maybe not literally!) when you're going away, as it's perfect for both day and night. 

Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Tease Scented Body Mist (£22 for 250ml, Victoria's Secret)

This is the only body mist out of the new additions and the reason for this if i'm totally honest is that I really wanted the proper bottle but didn't want to pay the £50 for the small Eau de Parfum! This scent is boidoir-inspired, with black vanilla and sandalwood bottom notes for warmth layered with top notes of red apple and lychee to keep it light. It's sexy, flirty and just the perfect combination of musky and fruity! I do think I will purchase the actual EDP after this is finished because the staying power isn't great (obviously) and i've heard amazing things about the EDP's leaving a strong scent for hours.

DKNY Be Delicious City Blossom Rooftop Peony Eau de Toilette* (£37 for 50ml)

This is probably my least favourite, purely because i've never been much of a fan of the DKNY perfumes. Containing mandarin, pink lady apple, raspberry and peony, this is just far too sweet for my liking. Whenever I smell it I can always smell the alcohol used to create it, which i'm definitely not a fan of. The bottle is pretty, but as it settles it just smells really powdery and floral; a little too wishy-washy for my taste.

Balenciaga Paris L'Edition Reflets Eau de Parfum* (£75 for 75ml, John Lewis)

Now this is a posh one! Containing violet and woody musk, this is something I would wear on a fancy night out or special date night. This is my second Balenciaga perfume and both of them always make me feel really confident and classy when I wear them. It's safe to say this is the most 'grown up' fragrance I own and i'd like to think its something that will grow on me in time.

Fantasy Stage Edition by Britney Spears* (From £29.50 for 50ml, Boots)
What I didn't realise when I was given this perfume was that it's the same Fantasy fragrance but in a new bottle? This scent reminds me so much of being a kid and being so excited to get hold of Britney's cupcake-inspired perfume. It also contains white chocolate, musk and kiwi, so its safe to say it's pretty sickly. I fear this one may be a little young for me, although I think it may be nice in the summer. Either way the bottle is really pretty and it's ideal if you want a distinctive scent that'll linger for a while!

Nina Ricci La Tentation de Nina Limited Edition Eau de Toilette (£34 for 50ml, Feel Unique)

One word to describe this perfume: YUM. Inspired by the smell and taste of a French macaroon, this little scent is bursting with almonds, raspberries and lemons to give you a combination of sweetness and elegance. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous too, with the neon pink really standing out against the rest on my fragrance shelf. 

Penhaligon's London Empressa Eau de Toilette* (£100 for 100ml, Penhaligon's)

I didn't photograph this because I only received a sample from a press event, but I literally cannot get enough of this perfume. Penhaligon's are a fragrance company that i've only just started to get to know, and I just love their elegant packaging, classic scents and general style. If you walk into a Penhaligon's shop you feel like you've been instantly transported to the early 1900's, and the bottles are so elegant and old fashioned I would keep them for decoration after i'd finished the actual product. Anyway, Empressa contains pink pepper, blood orange and vanilla with hints of patchouli, cocoa and sandalwood to give it a rich sweetness. The best way I can describe it, is that it smells almost exactly like Coco Chanel Mademoiselle, only a little bit richer slightly less floral. Unfortunately it's not something I would repurchase purely because of the price, but its definitely something i'd love to splash out on if I ever had the money spare!

Have you bought any perfumes recently? What are your favourites? Let me know, as i'm always on the hunt for more!

Urban Decay Black Magic - 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil Set

Hands up anyone who loves a good old-fashioned kohl liner?! I know I certainly do! Ever since I started wearing make-up I always loved to run a black kohl liner on my waterline (back when I thought I was super edgy!) and I love using one to create a soft feline flick or make my lashes appear thicker and darker my smudging a small amount into the lashline. Being a massive fan of black liner and Urban Decay, you can imagine my excitement when I was able to take home their new Black Magic 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil Set* to try.

From a company that is just as obsessed with black liner as I am, Urban Decay have released a set of four double-ended pencils for Christmas, with one of their signature black shades on one end a colourful shade on the other. It's no secret that their eyeliners are super pigmented, creamy and long-lasting, so I was just stupidly excited to get my hands on some new colours! The set also includes two shades, Black Market and Eggplant, which have recently returned after becoming temporarily discontinued, as well as Black Velvet, which contains their new 24/7 Velvet Glide-On formula. 

I apologise for the crappy quality of the photos - I took these when I was in the midst of moving out and I was rushing/stressed, so these are definitely not my best! Anyway as you can see, it has the gorgeous multi-coloured smokey packaging, which is absolutely beautiful. Each pencil's barrel is also perfectly matched with the shade of the liner, making it perfect for when you need to grab one on the go! 

The set contains:
Black Velvet - Rich, smokey black matte
Smoke - Deepest grey matte
Black Market - Charcoal black satin
Tornado - Dark eggplant pearl
Perversion - Blackest black matte
LSD - Navy shimmer with bright turquoise micro-sparkle
Zero - Zealous black cream
Demolition - Deep brown matte

I can't believe that there are so many different versions of black liner! My favourite by far is Perversion - it's pigmented, creamy and industrial strength black. I love the subtlety of Demolition, but i'm excited to use Tornado as purple tones compliment blue eyes really well. These would make a great Christmas gift for a Urban Decay junkie, or a good taster set for someone who wants to try out some of their products. What I will say though, is that once it dries it really dries. My usual make-up remover didn't take it off, so I had to resort to a specific eye make-up remover. Slightly annoying, but it is exactly what you want in a liner. Basically, this set is awesome. Coloured liner is a perfect way to put on a fun twist on your regular make-up routine, and I can't wait to get playing with these!

You can get your hands on the Urban Decay Black Magic set for around £25 online or at your local Urban Decay store later this month! :) 

Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in 115 Delight

Oh hello!

I hope you're enjoying your week...

I've not tried many D&G cosmetics as i've never really been drawn to the packaging (Let's face it, pretty packaging helps!) and there hasn't been anything that's really made me want to rush out and buy it right there and then, so I thought i'd start off slow and try out this Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in 115 Delight*. Once again, quite a safe colour choice, but I always tend to start off well within my comfort zone when I try a new brand.

It's a nude shade with a hint of coral and is designed to be moisturising whilst delivering really strong pigmentation. I'm becoming a massive fan of creamy lipsticks recently, so I thought this one would be ideal. It comes in a shiny gold case and is fragranced with the iconic D&G dusty rose, which I think is a really lovely touch - there are too many cosmetic brands that have their products smelling like chemicals.

I'm really not a fan of the colour. I'd imagine it would look great on someone with darker skin, but its just too light for me and I hate that I have a faint outline of my lips around it - I know this could be corrected with a lipliner but it's just irritating when this is supposed to be a low-key colour. It definitely has a strong colour pay-off and it's certainly creamy. It's meant to be long-lasting, but I found it's quite average and came off completely after i'd had a drink.

Overall this is an alright lipstick, but definitely not one i'd run out and repurchase for £24 - that's ridiculously steep for a standard lipstick. However, it does come in 46 colours - so if you're a fan of D&G and want something with high pigmentation this could be the one for you. However, I have a feeling this will end up buried at the back of my lipstick drawer. Shame! :(

On a more personal note, i've recently started my new job and moved to Tunbridge Wells with Rob. It's all very new and quite a lot of things are still in boxes, making blogging quite hard. I can't wait to sort things and get back into it again! So this will be the start of me getting back into blogging properly now I can get into a routine again. I'm so excited! 

You can purchase the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick range for £24 each at your local counter or online here.

Braving Black Lipstick

I love wearing black. It's classic, simple and goes with everything. I base a lot of my outfits around the colour black, but i'm the total opposite when it comes to cosmetics. I think because I have pale skin and blue eyes I immediately go for soft colours like pale pinks and corals, and tend to shy away from brighter colours incase it makes me look even paler. However, I got the chance to try out MAC's Hautecore*, which is a matte black, and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take the plunge and try something totally out of my comfort zone.

After doing my research, i've now realised that Hautecore isn't available anymore (Although there are a few floating around on Ebay), so i'll post a few alternatives below! 

I actually kind of love this! I don't know why. I tested this out on a day where I didn't want to put on too much make-up, so everything else is quite natural which looks a little odd. Because it's such a dramatic colour I wanted to keep things quite low-key, but i'm now thinking I went a little too low-key and should have at least done my brows (as I like to have them quite dark!) instead of just running Benefit's Gimme Brow through them. As its a matte shade it needed a few coats and you can still see some fleshy tones poking through, so i'd definitely recommend investing in a lip liner of the same shade - as you can tell I didn't have one! 

This has definitely proven to me that black lipstick is actually quite wearable. I always thought it was something that only Kylie Jenner could pull off, but I think if you have pale skin it can look quite cool. I now can't wait to pull this out on a night out, or even brave it as a day look perhaps? Maybe not. Either way i'm quite proud that i'm now reaching for darker colours and embracing my inner goth! Haha. What do you think of black lipstick? Do you have a favourite that I should be trying out? Let me know! 

Alternative Matte Black Lip Colours
Barry M Lip Paint in 37
Lime Crime Black Velvet
Illamasqua Lipstick in Pristine

Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette

Winged liner has always been an enemy of mine. I know most girls say that, but I am at times genuinely afraid of it. I think i'm always hesitant to blog about looks that require winged liner because when it comes to being a beauty blogger, you're judged a lot on your ability to apply make-up instead of how you review the products. That's totally fine, but I started this blog because I enjoyed writing about beauty, not to show off my make-up artistry skills. Long story short, i'm a bit crap at applying make-up. I'm getting better, but don't expect any mind-blowing too soon, but i'm certainly working on it!

That aside, this Too Faced Cat Eyes palette has been the perfect practice palette for winged liner. It contains nine different colours that can be used to achieve three key looks, all finished off with a feline flick. 

Three of the shadows (Leopard, Jungle Love and Panther) are designed to be wet/dry liners, so they can either be used as a shadow or a soft liner with a dry brush or something a bit more intense and gel-like when the liner brush is wet. I love this idea, as you can control the intensity of the flick this way. Here is my review of the three example looks you can achieve with this palette:

Day

This is my favourite look out of the three, as I believe its the most natural. It's really soft, natural and I love the shimmer of Purr on the brow bone. When I applied Tigers Eye as the liner it didn't really seem to show up, but it seems to look really intense here? Weird. I love how this understated look is achieved with just three colours. Really simple yet equally beautiful.

To achieve this day look, you apply Purr all over the lid, blend Tigers Eye into the crease and using Leopard as a liner.

Classic

I'm not too sure about this one. I can see where I needed to blend a bit more, but i'm just not a bit fan of the recommended crease colour. I really love the double liner though, the intensity of Pussy Cat is just gorgeous, and although Jungle Love looks black in the photo, the pink above it really brings it out. I'd prefer this to be paired with some silver for a twist on a classic smokey eye instead of trying to incorporate a bronzy tone.

I used Meow all the way up to the brow bone, Tigers Eye in the crease, followed by a line of Jungle Love with Pussy Cat lined above it.

Fashion

I only have one picture of this one, as after I took this picture I itched my eye and smudged the entire thing!! I would say this is more of a classic cat eye than a fashion one, with the purple and pink liners used in the Classic look to be a bit more high-fashion.

I achieved this by bringing Kitten all the way up to the lash line, then blending some Panther in the outer V and then using it as a wet liner to create the flick. I finished it off with some Kitty Glitter in the inner corner. The Kitty Glitter used in the tear duct is absolutely gorgeous but so powdery, so I really had to pack it on in order to get a substantial amount of shimmer to show up. However, this is definitely what I would wear for a night out :)

Overall I think this is a really versatile palette. Although these are the looks they recommend, there's a great range of shades so you can really play around. They are also very pigmented, meaning that I can practice my flicks for as long as I want without even making a dent in the shadows. It's quite pricey at £35, but these are good quality shadows that are built to last. Now excuse me while I attempt to perfect my flicks!

Do you have any tips or tricks to achieve perfect winged liner? Let me know below.

You can purchase the Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette for £35 here!

Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash

Two posts in one month, things are already looking up for Sophie Says! Haha.

It's safe to say that lipstick is my favourite beauty item, ever. Everything about it is just so easy - no frills packaging, quick to apply, easy to swatch and review. That is precisely why i'm so excited about the Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash* - a selection of gorgeous limited edition and best selling lipsticks in little travel sizes. It's the perfect set for any lipstick lover, giving a great opportunity to experiment with reds, pinks and neutrals. 

Gaaahh! It's like a treasure chest! As amazing as the lipsticks are, I was even more impressed with the full-sized 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone - the first invisible lipliner i've ever tried and originally retailing at £13. It's only been recently that i've given their lip pencils a try (Have a look at the review here), and so far i've been really loving them, with this one being no different. It's great if you like to switch up your lip colours and don't want to invest in a million different shades of liner, but of course its only ideal if the lipstick shade is highly pigmented and doesn't need any extra hep from the liner. 

Look how cute these little lipsticks are! When I first saw them, I wasn't convinced as I thought the bullet would just snap when applied, but I was definitely wrong. The bullet distributes a lot of colour without cracking. They're perfect for nights out or when you want to just chuck one in your handbag and go.

How strong are these colours? That's with a single stroke! Words can't describe how great these shades are.

Ladyflower

When swatched on my arm its quite a dusty pink, but its actually a pretty bright fuschia. This would be a pretty great day colour, and it was actually the first colour I wore from the collection as I was instantly drawn to it. Very pretty!

Crush

I'm so impressed with this! It's by far the brightest pink I own. It's definitely more of an evening colour and goes perfectly with the invisible liner - there's no need for a coloured liner to intensify this even further! 

Illicit

This would usually be my go-to colour as its described as a sheer baby pink. It's a bit frostier than I would usually choose for myself, but its a great day colour for when you want to keep things natural but don't want to go completely bare. 

 Gash

Wow, I love this colour. It's a shade darker than a classic red and is really flattering. The invisible liner helps stop the product bleeding, but when it comes to such a statement colour, I think a visible line to work with would be a lot easier. 

Liar

This is probably my least favourite, although when photographed it doesn't look too bad. It's a pink-brown nude, that I would imagine was included as its supposed to be a universal nude, but i'm just not a fan of the colour on me. It's too brown, where as I like my nudes to be a bit more pink. However, I would imagine it would be a great nude shade for slightly darker skin tones, perhaps. 

F-Bomb

This is a seriously glamorous red. It's great, but its a bit too intense for me. Would be amazing for someone with amazing lips, but mine are pretty flat and would require some over-lining which you can't really do with an invisible liner and its at risk of looking really fake. 

Overall I am so impressed with this. It's such a fun little kit with serious pigmentation. They're long-lasting, hydrating and have such intensity the little bullet will last for ages. It's great for someone who's torn between shades or wants a little taster of some of the shades available at Urban Decay. It's not something i'd repurchase as there are certainly better colours for me than others, but it would make a great little gift (whether it be for yourself or not!) that I would recommend to any lipstick lover.

Unfortunately I don't have the release for this, meaning that i'm going to be really annoying now. It's not available yet in the UK, but should be available in the next few weeks in the US, so it won't be too long before it'll be hitting the shelves in your local Urban Decay counters or online. It should be around £24.