Urban Decay - Alice Through The Looking Glass...

So as we all know Urban Decay have done it again and have created an insane collection. This time it's an Alice in Wonderland themed eye shadow palette and 5 limited edition lipsticks. This has come around because of the new Alice in Wonderland film that is hitting the big screens at the end of May. What more could you want, the company that produces the most amazing eye shadow palettes teaming up with Disney?! Every girls dream! However, this isn't the first time the teams have joined forces, 6 years ago the first Alice in Wonderland themed collection was brought out and sold out almost immediately so I can imagine with how pretty this ones packing is and the quality of the products the same will happen again. 

I was lucky enough to be invited down to the Urban Decay store in Wigan's Grand Arcade shopping centre to try out the collection before it was released for sale. I was greeted by the beautiful Olivia who would be showing me the products and using them to create a look on myself and by the lovely Karen who is the manager there. I fell in love from the moment I saw the stand and you will also when you see the pictures below! 

The final look using the 'Alice through the looking glass' collection created by Olivia Phoenix

Now, onto the collection! 

As you can see the packaging for this collection is everything you would expect it to be and more! Quirky and beautiful, just like the story of Alice in Wonderland, it really is a special makeup buy and one that will look forever pretty on display on your desk! The outside of the palette is trippy and very colourful, then when you lift up the lid inside is a beautiful mirror with the classic quote 'We're all mad here' and a 3D pop up butterfly, this alone would look good propped up on show within your makeup collection! You then pull out a drawer to reveal your 20 brand new colours of eyeshadow which have themed names to do with the story. There is a good mixture of neutrals, pastels, deep and the more adventurous  bright shades!

ALL 20 shades are unique and limited edition. They are pigment infused which means you will have a stronger colour and not a wishy washy finish, they will literally go onto your eye and look as bright as they do in the palette! They are all also talc free to help with smooth pigment diffusion which makes it super easy to blend these beautiful eyeshadows to create the perfect look! 

Fitting in with the collaboration each column in the palette represents a well loved character from the film. The order is:

Alice

The Mad Hatter

Mirana ( The White Queen)

Iracebeth ( The Red Queen)

Time ( Part human part clock)

Also in the collection there are the 5 lipsticks in the most to die for colourful packaging which again would look amazing on display in your makeup collection, they sure will stand out!

The 5 lipsticks are a mixture of metallic and matte finishes and are all new shades! Some are everyday wearable and others are for when you're feeling more adventurous...which can be everyday also. They are really soft and glide on perfectly. 

The shades are:

Alice ( A gold toned sheer with bit of shimmer)

Mirana ( One of the metallic ones in a burgundy shade)

Iracabeth ( Scarlet shade with a matte finish)

Time ( A blue/grey tone in a metallic finish)

Mad Hatter ( Lavender/lilac shade with a metallic finish)

Launching in stores tomorrow, May 5th! 

The palette retails at £43 which I think is AMAZING for what you're getting, 20 unique shades, beautiful packaging and it also includes the Vice 4 brush which is super easy to blend with. 

The lipsticks retail at £16 each and I believe theres a shade in there for everybody!

My trip to Urban Decay Wigan was so lovely, I would highly recommend if you live close by or are ever in the area you pop down and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. The staff are very friendly and gave me such a warm welcome. They're located at the end of The Grand Arcade shopping centre in Debenhams on the first floor to the right when you walk in!

If you're wanting to get your hands on this collection I suggest heading down to the Wigan store or any near you as quick as possible from the launch day. 

If you're local to Wigan, starting tomorrow (5th may) until Saturday (7th May) they are having The Mad Hatter's Tea Party with makeup masterclasses. I shall be heading down again for this and I can't wait to see the girls in store again as they really were so lovely!

Make sure to check out their Facebook page and like it for future updates!

Urban Decay Wigan

^^Just click here ^^

I LOVED my makeup Olivia created, such a talented girl and gave me the confidence to let her do whatever she wanted with my face! I love the bright shades used on my eyes fading into the darker tones which I think is a perfect representation of what Alice in Wonderland is all about and I also have 'Mirana" lipstick from the collection on my lips. This collection is really one too get your hands on and attended the launches if you can as they look like they're going to be ALOT of fun!

Check out Olivia on Instagram here - Olivia Phoenix 

Thankyou for reading and I hope you're excited as I am about this collection!

xxx

Instagram/ Twitter/ Facebook

Current top 10 favourite creatives - Instagram edition...

Spreading the love!
There are so many creative people out there that deserve to be noticed for their unique and beautiful ideas, I love nothing more than scrolling through instagram and seeing all of their work. Whether they are photographers, authors, tattooists, makeup artists, bloggers, designers, illustrators or artists, there is creativity everywhere and we should feel so lucky that we get to see this daily. I couldn't list every single one as there are so many I love, I think I will introduce this every so often with new people I have stumbled upon, so here are my top 10 for now ( pre warning if you're young some of them aren't quite PG but I've tried to pick the most appropriate images)...

Matthew Comer

Matthew is a photographer and is also the founder and editor-in-chief of a magazine called Off The Rails. His work really captures the moment with a raw feel compared to a heavy edited look and he shows the female body in such a beautiful way, this is one of the things that makes his photographs catch my eye. The magazine he is a founder of is brilliant! I purchased the digital version of the first issue and it is jam packed with really cool images with many of them telling a story through the pictures. Even though the magazine is fairly new it is extremely popular already and the reason for this is because it has such inspiring content inside, be sure to check it out! Links to his individual instagram and the magazines are below...

Matthew Comer Instagram
Off The Rails Mag Instagram

Haris Nukem

Haris' photography caught my eye because of how different it is. With a distinctive style which has an urban feel to it highlighting the features of mostly tattooed people his work is a pleasure to look at. It really stands out with a slight grungey yet colourful and clean look to it and they always look very chilled which gives it such a natural vibe. All of his shoots vary, my favourite shots of his are the ones in bath tubs that are usually in clouded water which makes the models features stand out incredibly. Haris is one to watch as his work is being recognised more and more and each time people are falling in love, which is clear to see why.

Haris Nukem Instagram 

Jordan Green

Jordan is a northern photographer based in London but in 2015 he travelled around the world a hell of a lot for shoots and touring with musicians. His work ranges from shooting beautiful ladies in all different styles to campaigns and many more. One of his most recent campaign shoots was for Footasylum which you can see his images for this in store windows nationwide. With such a wide range of skills in his photography styles it obvious why Jordan is such a favourite and on top of that he is one of the loveliest guys I know! 

Jordan Green Instagram 

Jack Ede

Jack's work captivated me from the very first moment of seeing it. This boy has insane skills when it comes to drawing and blows me away each and every time! Jack is also currently a tattoo apprentice for Iron & Ink which is based in Denmark. Every single one of his drawings has outstanding detail and you can be tricked into easily thinking they're photographs, not drawings. His work has been noticed by so many people including the one and only Mark Wahlberg who reposted a portrait he had made of him, which again was amazing. To have this much talent at a young age amazes me and Jack is going to go really really far which is what he deserves, and more.

Jack Ede Instagram 

Izzy Garcia

Izzy's work was brought to my attention by someone I follow on Instagram reposting a drawing and I instantly fell in love. All the drawings are usually of a pinup style that look  sultry yet elegant and glamorous. The detailing is simple yet so so SO effective and I love it every time a new one pops up on my feed!

Izzy Garcia Instagram

Keely Elle

Keely's work had been something I had been following for a little while on Instagram and then one day I got a notification that I had been tagged in one of her photos and when I clicked on it was an illustration of me! I was so happy because her work was something I had loved and to have one based on myself made me feel so privileged. On her instagram you can see the process she goes through to create her pieces from start to finish and I am amazed each time. They are so fun, colourful and bold! I could not believe it when I found out Keeley is only 18 as to have the skills and knowledge to do what she does, and she does it extremely well, was very impressive. I am loving watching her work and her followers grow and she is one person that I don't think gets enough credit and recognition for the masterpieces she produces. 

Keely Elle Instagram 

Emily Alice Johnston

Emily's a tattooist at Into You Tattoo in London. I really love her style of tattooing, its simple and gets straight to the point without having to have lots of detail in them. A lot of them are fun little drawings with clean lines which in my opinion makes them dainty and just look lovely on the skin. They're something really different with a sassy feel to them. My personal favourites are the ones I have seen her do of just a ladies mouth. Be sure to check out her instagram to see more of her work as I can't give it enough credit without attaching lots of pictures!

Emily Alice Johnston Instagram

Oh Abi Oh

Abi (what a great name) is currently in her first year of being a tattooist at The Interbellum in Essex. I have followed Abi for quite sometime now and watched her work grow from the very beginning and her skills have expanded so quickly to such a great quality! Her tattoos range through all different styles from mandalas to more classic styles and each one is as brilliant as the other. Not only is she a great tattooist who is passionate about her work she is a really lovely and beautiful girl who deserves all the credit in the world! She has worked really hard as you will see on her instagram and this has really payed off as she is great! I can't wait for the day I will have some of her art work on me forever!

Oh abi Oh Instagram

Abi Hack Tattoo Instagram

Jade Chanel

Jade, where do I start with Jade?! Not only is she incredibly beautiful, her work is on the same level of beauty. From the very first day I stumbled upon one of her pieces that was it, I was in love! Her work is very different to a lot of tattooists I have seen out there, I'd describe them as clean, feminine an delicate. Jade mostly does black and grey tattoos with a lot of intricate detailing which usually contains dot work...which is a favourite of mine! There hasn't been a tattoo or drawing that she has created that I haven't been head over heels in love with. Jade's work is done in Lowrider Tattoo London which also has a lot of other talented artists working there. She also sells prints of hers which I really want to get my hands on to frame and put on my wall as they're just so beautiful. This girls work really is something amazing and someone I think everyone should be following!

Jade Chanel Instagram

Amber Dean

Amber Dean is an American make up artist living in Barcelona but she's always travelling around the world with her job and I had the pleasure of meeting and working with her when she was in London as being her face model for a masterclass her and Jamie Genevieve held. Amber is a natural beauty who knows just how to create a masterpiece with someones face and makeup. Her work is very colourful and bold on the eyes and I just love it! I was blown away after she did my makeup and that continues each time she updates Instagram with a new post. I would highly recommend attending one of her masterclasses if you're passionate about makeup or want to learn more as they're so much fun and I came away with a lot of new knowledge from the London one. The masterclasses are held all the time and to find details head over to her Instagram and keep your eye out for the next one!

Amber Dean Instagram

I really hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired by them just like I do each time I see all their work! I have such a huge list of creatives I love so keep your eyes out for the next feature on this! Also, if you have any creative people you love to follow on instagram comment below or tag me in their work as I LOVE finding new people to admire.

Have a lovely day!

xxx

- All images above aren't my own and belong to the people mentioned-

                                                       Instagram/ Twitter/ Facebook

My go to daily makeup look....

Now I'm no makeup artist but I frequently receive questions on Instagram regarding my makeup so here goes, this is what look I would go for most days. It's a very simple look with the main focus being the skin and not really the eyes, truth is I'm rubbish at experimenting with eye looks but thats something I'd like to change! I do all of my make up in this ring light mirror from No7, it's my saviour!

First I start off with applying moisturiser all over my face, I used Nivea-Soft it comes in a really big pot and always leaves my skin feeling lovely. Next up I apply primer and today I chose Rimmel stay matte primer. This gives me a nice even base all over but I wouldn't recommend it if you're having a dry skin day as it won't sit very well!

I then apply my foundation all over, I used a mixture of Rimmel match perfection and Mac Studio fix liquid to even out the colour. I apply this all over my face leaving a triangle under my eyes blank as I don't like too much product there and I save this space for only concealer, I apply my foundation and also my concealer with a damp beauty blender as I find it makes the foundation sit on my face better. I then used Rimmel match perfect 2in1 concealer and highlighter under my eyes, the bridge of my nose and a tiny triangle on my fore head. Once this is all blended in I set these places with Rimmel transparent powder and I bake it under my eyes. I do this by leaving a thick layer on for a little while, as you can see above, then I softly dab away the excess with a beauty blender ( I'm a big fan of them can you tell?!)

After this I usually contour, well actually I do this while my powder is baking but hey ho. I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour powder kit in Tan to Deep, I apply a mixture of the colours depending on how strong I want my contour to go and I just wing it , I don't follow specific colour choices each time I just do it until I'm happy with the outcome. I contour my cheeks, my nose and my forehead. After this I do my brows which are completed above. I have recently started using the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz in Medium Brown, I really love the natural look this gives my eyebrows. I then apply a clear mascara all over my brows to keep them in place then sometimes if I haven't dyed them in a while I will use an old black mascara that has hardly any left in it and gently brush my hairs with it, it only picks up the tiniest amount of product and doesn't make your eyebrows look black, it just makes the hairs more apparent (sounds crazy, but try it!)

I then highlight, I have used Makeup Academy Shimmer Highlighter in a pink shade ( I can't find the name for it) I apply this on my cheeks above my contour, on my cupids bow, on my brow bone and on the very tip of my nose. Next up, lips! Today I have used Max Factor colour elixir lip liner in Brown n Bold to line my lips and fill in the outsides then I have Mac cremesheen in Modesty over the top.

On my eyes I just used a cheap shimmery white shadow (not sure on the brand at all) just on the inner of my eye to give it a little highlight and I used a burgundy colour eyeshadow just on the outer of my lid and blended it in, I literally only use the tiniest amount! Then finally, mascara! I used my all time favourite...Max Factor- Masterpiece Transform. I always get asked which mascara I use and its this one each and every single time, it really does transform your eyelashes like it says in the title no matter how short or long they are!

I haven't listed the products as a lot of them I have used I can't find online and I plan to go more in depth doing posts on my eyebrows, contour and blah blah individually with a step by step process so I will link the details then! If you like the look of it I hope you got a tip or two from this, like I said I'm no makeup artist this is just how I enjoy doing my makeup..and if you have any tips or things for me to try I'd love to hear! 

- Bare with me on the bad quality photos, still working with my iPhone or Mac -

xxx

Instagram/ Twitter/ Facebook