Product Spotlight - Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette Review

I am very excited for today's post on the long anticipated addition to the Urban Decay Naked collection. I have an obsession with all things Urban Decay, especially their eyeshadow, so naturally the Naked palettes are a staple in my makeup collection. I've had this palette for a few days now, and wanted to have some time to play around with it before writing about it. 

First thing is first, how gorgeous is the packaging?! The monotone smoky theme is right up my alley, and totally fits my aesthetic. I also love how the corners aren't rounded, although it drives me crazy how they don't all have the same packaging, but it's still so good looking! This is one sexy palette, that's all I can say!

There is a wide variety of colour in this palette - of both cool and warm tones. 

1. High - a shimmery champagne

2. Dirtysweet - a bronze colour (similar to the half-baked family)

3. Radar - a taupe with iridescent glitter

4. Armor - a silvery taupe with glitter

5. Slanted - a light metallic grey

6. Dagger - a shimmery charcoal 

7. Black Market - a black with a hint of sparkle

8. Smolder - a sparkly plum

9. Password - a matte taupe

10. Whiskey - a matte chocolate brown

11. Combust - a pink taupe

12. Thirteen - a light beige 

A cool thing about this palette is the colours are arranged most to least shimmery, as opposed to in order of colour. Some of my favourite shades are: smolder, high, dirtysweet,radar, whiskey and combust. The texture of the shadows feels less silky than previous palettes, or UD eyeshadow in general, and definitely need a primer. I also love how the shimmery colours aren't but chunks of glitter, but a nice smooth glitter. The wear of the shadows is phenomenal. I've made it through an 8+ hour shift in some of the more neutral shades, as well as a good 14 hours out and about and at the bar, aka a high success rate. Fallout is minimal, which is obviously amazing. I didn't have much of any from the top, but on my lower lash line I noticed a bit, but nothing too dramatic. Overall, it lives up to the Urban. Decay eyeshadow name. I would definitely recommend this one mainly for the sake of colour variety. I can confidently say there is something for everyone in this palette.

Will you be picking up the Naked Smoky palette? What is your favourite UD Naked palette? Leave me a comment down below, send me an email (glalamorous@gmail.com) or a tweet (@LBechkos17) and let me know!

xLB

Masks and Treatments

Along with my regular skincare routine, I love incorporating masks and treatments into my regimen. I typically do a face mask at least once a week. These are some of my favourite face masks, whether it be for hydrating dry spots, dealing with hyper pigmentation and acne scars, or calming breakouts.

• Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips: These are a staple in my beauty regimen. I always have them on hand. There's something so satisfying about seeing all the gunk that has just come off of your face.. These are also great because they're available almost everywhere for very cheap!
• LUSH Fresh Face Masks: These are another staple. They all suit different skin types and conditions, so there's a different one for everyone. However, some of my favourites are: Brazened Honey, Cosmetic Warrior (smells disgusting but it works), Catastrophe Cosmetic and of course Cupcake. I store these in the freezer so they last even longer!
• Sephora Collection Face Mask: I love these paper masks, they're so fun to take selfies in! But like the LUSH ones, they also have different ones for different purpose. My favourites are: Green Tea, Pearl, and Rose.
• REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask: I love this mask because it makes my skin more radiant and clear. It's good for acne scarring and blemishes and evening skin tone.
• GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliant Treatment: This one is probably the most pricey on my list, but definitely worth it in my opinion. This is one of few products where I've noticed a difference immediately after using it. My skin feels fresher and newer and I will continue to repurchase but use sparingly!
• Josie Maran Argan Oil: I love this because it's so multifunctional. I'm sure you've heard many people preach their love for it, so I won't blab on too much and just say it's definitely a staple and I recommend everyone to own it.
• Origins Super Spot Remover: This treatment is all around the beauty community, and the name speaks for itself. If I see a spot, I put this treatment on it before bed and after my skincare routine, and it aids in drying out the spot. It is fairly drying, which is why I wouldn't recommend it daily, but it gets the trick done.

If you've tried any of these masks or treatments, or have any to recommend, send me an email (glalamorous@gmail.com), a tweet (@LBechkos17/@glalamorous) or a comment!

xLB

April Favourites

GUESS WHAT? It's May.. Crazy right?! The year is flying by, we're finally into spring! That means April Favourites!

BEAUTY

• SEPHORA COLLECTION FIBER MASKS: There is something so fun about putting a fibre mask on and taking selfies. But these always make my face feel luxurious and are a fun treat. Not too sure how much of an impact they actually make on my skin, but the serum always feels nice and leaves my skin super hydrated. 
• JOSIE MARAN LIP AND CHEEK OIL: My lips have been very dry from the disgusting Canadian winter season, so I needed something very moisturizing but with a bit of colour as I'm not a fan of bare lips, and this definitely does the trick. 
• TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA: I tried this awhile back and hated it, but found a sample recently and decided to try it again and I'm so glad I did! Paired with my next favourite it's a dream team for unstoppable lashes.
• DIOR DIORSHOW LASH MAXIMIZER: This product is amazing, it takes any mascara the extra mile! I redeemed 100 points for a deluxe sample of it from Sephora (bless the samples for introducing me to new products) and will definitely be purchasing!

FASHION

• H&M LACE SHIRT: Basically I just bought a new top and have been wearing it like crazy. Since it's lace I normally wear it with a cream coloured Gilly Hicks/Hollister bandeau underneath and love the combination. So versatile too - with skirts, pants, anything my little heart desires! It's so quick and easy and effortlessly chic which I love!
• CONVERSE: This time of year I always fall in love with my converse again. My all time favourite are the white baruth style (constantly seen on the flawless Eleanor Calder) which I wear with anything from pants to skirts. I also love my all black low tops. Definitely need more colours!
• WARBY PARKER GLASSES: I finally went to the optometrist, and much to my shock was told one of my eyes improved! Happy days! So I decided to get some new glasses. I found out about Warby Parker from a lovely man called Brian Magida who works in Marketing for WP. He contacted me awhile back to do a feature on a new collection from the company, and I fell in love with the company. I've just received the glasses about 2 weeks ago and I love them! The quality and design is amazing. I'd definitely recommend checking the company out!

FOOD/DRINK

• CRUNCHWRAP SUPREME: Basically.. Taco Bell is my boyfriend. I'm obsessed. A bit back I posted my recipe for my homemade Crunchwrap Supreme annnnd I'm still loving it. It's expensive both financially and from a calorie standpoint to consume Taco Bell as much as I'd like, so I played around and made my own bundles of deliciousness at home! Again, TRY IT :~)
• WATER: How lame is that? LOL. I don't know.. lately I can't get enough water. It's all I want to drink, it's more refreshing and delicious than usual. It's just so satisfying. You can tell my health and diet is drastically improved when water is in my favourites.. #sad
• QUEST PROTEIN BARS: These are so good! By far the best protein bars I have ever had! My only wish is that they were more accessible in Canada, but in the meantime I order them online from the Quest website. The prices are almost double on amazon, so I'm so pleased Quest at least ships their protein bars to Canada. In the future I'm going to do a full post on more health & fitness related things like that, so I'll share my favourite flavours then!
• FONTAINE SANTE HUMMUS: I recently got a package of 2 large tubs of this brand of hummus from Costco and I've been obsessed! One of the best hummus' I've tried, especially when you factor in the price. I love pairing it was Stacy's Naked Pita Chips.

MUSIC

• WORK SONG by HOZIER: The entire album is amazing, but this song is probably my favourite. The album sounds amazing on vinyl and I always find myself repeating this song. The lyrics, the music.. just amazing. He is so, so talented. If you've yet to experience Hozier, listen away!!
• WHERE ARE U NOW by JACK U ft JUSTIN BIEBER: If you haven't heard, 'Jack U' is the lovechild of Skrillex and Diplo. Together they've created an album and Jack U is the result. While this type of music isn't really what I'm into, something about this song pumps me up! So fun to dance around and let loose to.
• FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: I used to listen to F+TM years ago. Not a clue why I stopped. I don't know what made me randomly start listening again but I'm happy to be listening again!

TECH

• Wii ZUMBA: Basically I needed a new, fun workout. I heard from a friend how great this was so I decided to try it out and it's SUCH a blast, you almost forget it's a workout!
• SPOTIFY PREMIUM: I've had spotify for several years ever since being in the UK, but back in North America it had no popularity, so when I came back here I gave up on it. But about a year or so ago it began gaining more popularity, so in the summer I switched over to a North American account any got back in business! However it wasn't until just over a month ago I made the wonderful decision of going to premium. In my opinion, definitely worth it. 
• MARBLE MACBOOK SHELL: I always buy MacBook shells from amazon, normally in solid colours. Previously I've had pink and black mainly. I was searching for a white one when this gorgeous marble one came up and I'm obsessed! It looks so chic and different from anything I've seen, I'm in love!
• GOLD CHEVRON JCREW PHONE CASE: I absolutely adore JCrew's phone cases. They're so cute, such great quality and feel so comfortable! This month I finally picked one up for my 6 after months of looking and I'm obsessed. My phone feels so different in the best way, not to mention it looks even cuter!

I've noticed there are quite a few exclamation points in this post.. Guess I'm pretty pumped! Hope you enjoyed, be sure to leave me a comment with some of your favourites!

xLB

Met Gala 2015

Hello all!

Monday night was the highly anticipated Met Ball, one of fashion's premier events of the year. With this post, I bring to you some of my favourite looks of the evening. While the fashion was great, I do have to admit I was rather disappointed with the lack of participation with the theme. However, overall most of the attendees looked great. Very few people made my worst dressed list!

What were some of your favourite looks this year?
xLB

Coachella 2015: The Music & Fashion I

Every year, the music and fashion worlds come together to bring the most hyped event of the year. Coachella is an arts and music festival held over the course of two weekends. While the festival is about the music, it's really about the fashion. We see many great performances, but the fashion is what people talk about all year long.

With that, I'm going to share with you my favourite performances and looks from weekend 1 this year, enjoy! 

THE MUSIC

• Marina and the Diamonds: overall always an incredible performer, it's always nice to see a favourite artist performing new work, which is what we got with the set of tracks from Froot. 
• Florence + The Machine: I have been so obsessed with F+TM again lately, so I was super excited for a Coachella performance. Florence was incredible, she is so captivating. The performance was never boring, she really kept the crowd going.
• The Weeknd: I actually used to have an obsession with Abel. I prefer his older stuff, I guess that's why the obsession ended. But that being said he performed a lot of his older stuff which made me a happy girl. 
• Tame Impala: a boy I had a crush on in high school actually introduced me to them, which I'm glad for. This was my first time watching a live performance from them, I've never thought to look any up from them. But wow, they are incredible performers! Their Coachella set just really brought the band to life and represented them so well, I was so pleased. 
• Drake: Of course I had to include Drake.. While I found some of it a bit off, most of it was great. And then there was that Madonna kiss.. At least now we know how she stays so young.
• Honourable Mentions: Angus & Julia Stone, FKA Twigs, Gesaffelstein, Hozier, Kygo, Mac Demarco, SBTRKT, Tyler the Creator, Vic Mensa

THE FASHION

Hope you enjoyed, looking forward to seeing what weekend 2 has in store!

xLB

Skin Care Routine 2015

I have to say one of my obsessions this year has been skincare. I think that finding things that work is what has mainly fuelled this newfound obsession. On different days I do different things with my skincare, so I'll be sharing a basic schedule of that along with my current products and some favourite masks and treatments!

EVERYDAY BASICS

I like to start my skincare routine by taking my makeup off as soon as possible, whether it be mid afternoon, in the evening or at night before bed. 

I'm currently using the Almay Oil-Free Liquid Eye Makeup Remover. I wouldn't say it's a favourite or anything, but I just find it gets the job done at a great price. As for my face makeup, I use the Neutrogena Oil-Free Grapefruit Cleansing Wipes. I've repurchased this many times and will continue to do so. I love both of these products because they're easy, affordable drugstore products, which are always a day saver when it comes to essentials you use everyday and go through quite a bit of.

No matter what products I'm using, I always use my trusty Clarisonic. While it is a bit pricey I think it's a worthy investment. Since using it I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin and it always makes my face feel that much cleaner. It really helps take great products the extra mile.

SUNDAY & THURSDAY

Sunday (being the start of the week) and Thursday (the day after a night out with friends on Wednesday) are evenings when I need a more thorough cleaning. For that, I lean on the Murad Clarifying Cleanser. I'll never get over the feeling I had the first time using it, my face had never felt so clean! Everything felt so fresh and nice, but not in a dry or irritated way. Since this is a clarifying acne cleanser I don't like to use it everyday as I think for my skin its a tad harsh, but I love using it a few days a week to ensure there is no gunk hiding in my face. 

Following that, I use my trusty Lancome Tonique Radiance toner. I've been using it for years and I'm still in love with it. It's clarifying, exfoliating and it takes anything left behind along with it. It supports cell turnover which is very important to me and my stubborn acne scars. 

Finally, I finish with Philosophy's Hope in a Jar Night. I've actually yet to purchase this, I just continued to redeem it as a 100 point perk from Sephora for a few months. As soon as I'm out of my deluxe samples I'm definitely going to purchase. It's amazing in winter when my skin is all dry and gross, it just gives a nice fresh boost and it's extremely thick and hydrating.

MONDAY & WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

This would be my standard "Everyday" skincare routine if someone were to ask me for just one everyday routine. For this, I use my beloved Michael Todd skincare products. I initially found out about this brand after receiving a product in an Ipsy bag, then I kind of forgot about it until I started to see it popping up all over the beauty community. After that, I ordered a cleanser and moisturizer and now I'm hooked! So to start, I use the Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser, then follow up with my Lancome Tonique Radiance then finally the Michael Todd Citrus Cream Moisturizer. 

TUESDAY & SATURDAY

On Tuesday & Saturday I do my MWF routine along with exfoliating and a face mask/peel or treatment. To exfoliate, I use the Aveda Botanical Exfoliant or the Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub. The first one is a liquid exfoliant, similar to a toner, but you can see the amount of gunk it's scrubbing off which is so satisfying! And the second one is charcoal so it just sucks everything right out of your skin!

If you have any holy grail skincare products I'd love to hear them so leave a comment down below, shoot me an email (Glalamorous@gmail.com) or a tweet (@lbechkos17/@glalamorous). I'm always looking for new masks, and would love to hear from you. I also plan on doing a favourite masks/treatments post soon, so look forward to that!

xLB

Hello There Old Friend!

Well,  I'm very sad to say it has been awhile.. Just 2 months shy of a year! 

My absence can be explained by one main variable: Google frustrates me to no extent. For some reason my YouTube and my Blogger accounts aren't connected, I've had them both separately before Google had all of these joint shenanigans. Anytime I try to connect my accounts it bounces me around like a ping pong ball and ends in nothing but sheer frustration. Then, whenever I log out of my YouTube account it's impossible to log back in, due to these connected accounts. Some of my YouTube accounts are connected, although I don't recall connecting any of them.. 

So there you have it, my explanation on my absence. Although I'm sure you weren't too concerned. However, the best part is obviously the solution! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but to be fair my blog slipped my mind after months of the frustration issue ensued, so what I've now done is kept my YouTube account logged in to my internet browser on Google Chrome and my Blogger account logged on to Safari. As much as I dislike Safari, its a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

That all being said, my sincerest apologies for my absence, and from here and out I'm hoping to bring content back to this blog more regularly. I can't promise a weekly post, but definitely monthly! I'm happy to be getting back to one of my passions, however it is quite difficult to juggle work that pays the bills, classes, a minuscule social life and a blog. But I'm definitely trying, so here goes nothing.

See you soon

xLB