Urban Decay 'Naked' vs Maybelline 'The Nudes'

Neutral palettes really took the beauty world by storm last year and although the trend seems to have died down, I've still noticed quite a few new options popping up. It's been refreshing to see more readily available and affordable brands release their versions over the past few months. The number of different palettes has gotten a little overwhelming, so today I'm comparing two quite popular options- Urban Decay's Naked palette and Maybelline's The Nudes palette.

Price
The Naked palette retails for $83 for 17g of product ($4.88/g), while The Nudes is available for $25.95 for 9.6g of product ($2.70/g).

Shade range
Both palettes contain 12 shadows. The Nudes palette has a few more matte options and cooler hues, while majority of the Naked palette leans warm and has only two matte shades. That said, there are a few I thought resembled each other. Here they are in a side by side comparison, swatched without primer.

UD Smog - Maybelline | UD Darkhorse - Maybelline

UD Sidecar - Maybelline | UD Half Baked - Maybelline

UD Naked - Maybelline | UD Strange - Maybelline

UD Creep - Maybelline

So while some shades appear similar in the pan, they actually appear quite differently when swatched. Though the difference might not be as apparent on the eyes, I probably still wouldn't label any of them exact dupes. 

Quality/Application
I find Urban Decay shadows are easier to work with, as they are much softer in texture and apply with solid colour pay off. That isn't to say the The Nudes palette is bad, although I will say the matte shades required much more work to achieve the same pigmentation on the eye. Overall, the shadows were just a little stiffer. 

The Verdict?
These two palettes are actually quite different upon investigation, and if you're anything like me, this justifies owning both. I personally prefer Urban Decay's version, just because there are more shades I find myself gravitating towards. That said, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag and you would definitely be able to achieve similar looks with the Nudes palette.

Have you tried these two palettes? If so, let me know which one's your favourite. 

Lust Have It January Unboxing

It's been a hot minute since I've been able to share a Lust Have It review. Returning from my extended holiday and getting back into the swing of a full time university schedule has made life pretty hectic. This review is a teensy (read: waaaay!) bit overdue, but I've been loving getting to try the products out, so I thought I'd share some thoughts with you.

These skin care samples from Skin Yoga really caught my attention. I thought the packaging was extremely well thought out, especially since they weren't full size products. They come in little plastic vials with cork stoppers, which may not be the most practical choice, but they do look lovely set out on the counter.

As a huge believer in the use of micellar water, I was keen to try the UNANI version. The concept is pretty straight forward and I couldn't really identify anything about this particular formula to make it stand out. That said, it does have quite a strong fragrance. It is definitely pleasant, but something to be aware of if you're sensitive.

Trying new makeup is one of my favourite things about subscription boxes, and this month's Hikari offerings were no exception. The blush in Bikini is a gorgeous, bright coral perfect for the summer. I also received the lip crayon in the shade Macchiato which is a pretty, neutral brown.

This is probably shaping up to be one of my favourite offerings from Lust Have It so far. I love the fact that I'm consistently getting to try brands I never would have picked myself or that I haven't heard of. What do you guys think?

Disclosure: the products in this post were kindly sent for review. All opinions are my own. 

Lust Have It October Unboxing

I cannot believe we're already well into November- needless to say, my Christmas countdown has begun. I know there were a few hiccups with October's edition of the Lust Have It box, but I have to give them props for the way they handled it with email updates. I appreciate being kept well informed, and I think they've done a great job.

I am a huge fan of Bioderma and while their products are on the pricier side, I'm happy that they've become much more accessible here in Australia. Since the pricetag can get a little hefty, being able to try the Bioderma Sensibio Light before committing to the full size is awesome. This is meant to have a soothing effect on the skin and reduce sensitivity over time which is quite an interesting concept. I imagine it will be quite useful while traveling overseas, so it's got a spot in my carry on.

Next up is the Flormar Nail Polish or nail care product. I received a lovely plummy shade with a silver sheen. I've never heard of this brand before, but I've got high expectations as it claims to help nails grow healthy.  From the same brand is the Waterproof Eyeliner in a metallic silver. I'm keen to see how this performs in the water line, as I can totally see this popping up for new year celebrations.

Raise your hand if you need copious amounts of hair treatments in the summer. Yup, me too. I'm super stoked about getting a full size Hair Rejuvenation Treatment from Hair & Me, another brand I'm unfamiliar with. Bonus points for being 100% organic.

Onto what I was probably most excited about, the exclusive Lust Have It Highlighter Compact. It has a lovely, soft texture which means it is a bit prone to kicking up excess powder, but it's nothing a firm tap wouldn't fix. I would say it leans more towards the peachy side of things as opposed to gold. It gives a decidedly more natural finish than some of the other highlighters I've seen, so I would definitely recommend it if you're not a fan of an intense, strobe glow.

As a bonus, Atkins Chocolate Candies and Skin Magic Tea were also included this month. I do think the addition of candy was a cute touch, because who doesn't love chocolate. As far as the tea is concerned, I'm still a little bit sceptical.

If you're not already a Lust Have It subscriber, you can sign up for $19.95/month to receive 5-6 deluxe/full size beauty products. Don't forget if you use the code 'LOVE1' you can save $5 off your first month. And if you are a Lust Have It subscriber, be sure to let me know what you thought of October's offering!

Disclosure: the products in this post were kindly sent for review. All opinions are my own. 

Lust Have It September Unboxing

The September edition of the Lust Have It box arrived at my door a few weeks ago, and while I have been happily testing away, the tail end of the university semester has meant my unboxing/review is a little late! The theme for this edition was 'On the Go' which suits me just fine as I gear up for vacation time.

After all the hype the brand has received online, I was super excited to try the OFRA lipliner in 'Wine.' I've become somewhat of a lipliner junkie lately, and this one's already seen some serious love. The texture was a bit drier than I'm used to, so I did find it tugged a little bit, but I am a fan of the neutral colour.

I've been super indecisive about beginning a teeth whitening regime, so having the White Glo Professional Choice Whitening Toothpaste to try out was a definite bonus. The smaller size makes it convenient to take away on holiday too.

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to my shampoo and conditioner choices. It takes quite a bit to get me to change my ways, but my friends rave about Kerastase. Getting to try out their shampoo and masque in cute travel sizes is a win in my book.

UB Cosmetics is not a brand I'm familiar with at all, but their Tint Stick in 'V' sounded very promising. I'm not the biggest fan of lip tints as they tend to feather on me, but I'm in love with the bright red shade.

The Designer Brands Instant Polish Remover contains royal jelly, aloe vera and green tea to maintain nail health. I was a bit sceptical and my first try was a little messy, but I found it did the job quite well. Seeing how this holds up with glitter nail polish is definitely on my list now.

This month's bonus item was the Your Tea Skin Magic Tea. I'm a tea drinker through and through, but I'm a tad sceptical about how much it will actually benefit my skin.

Overall, I think there was a great range of products that could fit into any girl's routine or travel bag (I know a couple will probably find themselves in mine!). This was more of a necessities than a 'wow' edition, but personally, I'm a fan. If you're keen to give Lust Have It! a try, use the code LOVE1 to save $5 on your first box!

Disclosure: the products in this post were kindly sent for review. All opinions are my own.