Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eye Palette

 I haven't bought Bobbi Brown cosmetics for a while, but I used to be absolutely obsessed with the brand when I was first hitting the high-end beauty counters. I think that was because Bobbi Brown make-up appeals to all ages; I first used the brand when I was around thirteen. I used to be able to just see pieces I could add to my make-up bag like a volumising mascara or a black eyeliner pencil. I liked the little treat of spending more money that I on the average kohl pencil from a pharmacy make-up brand.

I received this for Christmas and overall I really like it. The colour selection is certainly Old Hollywood with the shimmery golds and the dusty grey and beige. It feels very Gatsby-esque and glamorous.

Retailing at £59 this does look like it lives up to its price tag with the golden edges of the palette and the sleek black and gold exterior. It contains 9 shades each labelled individually in the photo above, five of which are shimmery and 4 which are matte. My three favourite shades out of the nine in this palette are ivory, golden pink and opal.

I use ivory as a base shadow and blend golden pink into the crease. Opal is better as a highlighter in my opinion but it does have some shimmer particles that can cause some fallout from the brush.
The same thing can be said for the majority of the colours with a glitzy shimmer - if the brush I am using is harsh or has some abrasive bristles (I'm thinking of the Real Techniques Duo Fibre eyeshadow brush here) it means that picking up a decent amount of pigment can be difficult. I prefer to use the regular Real Techniques eyeshadow brushes for these shadows. Using the softer brushes is definitely a better option for applying these shadows as it allows the brush to blend the shades together on my eyelid without being harsh or flicking specs of the shadow onto the rest of my face.
I think this is the perfect palette for a Hollywood smokey eye if you used ivory, opal, fog and eclipse. If I'd been going out on New Year's Eve I would have reached straight for this palette.

You can buy this palette from a number of retailers for £59 - click here for the Bobbi Brown website to buy it directly.

// //////

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

The Naked and Naked 2 palettes have been make-up staples for pretty much everyone I know. I'm not sure how I resisted both of them but somehow I did...I think it's because although they're super neutral palettes that can be used to create almost any eye look I was unsure as to how much use I'd get out of each one when I've got a stock pile of single eyeshadows in my make-up organiser.

A couple of weekends ago I was returning some items with my mum and we both decided this would be a worthwhile purchase. We weren't wrong! My mum and I have different skin tones, she is slightly more olive toned than I am but this palette is used every day by both of us. The colour range is perfect to create a quick and simple every-day look or to blend the darker colours to make a smokey, night time look.

My favourite shades are Venus and Naked 2 - I use these daily for my no-make-up make up! Venus goes in my inner corner and under my eyebrow and Naked 2 is blended into my crease.

All of these have a very smooth but slightly chalky texture apart from Venus... It's very soft but I tend to experience a little bit of fallout or grittiness with the shimmery shade. Once it's applied it doesn't really shift until I take it off though so it's manageable! There's also a strange smell to my palette, is that just me? Let me know in the comments so I know I'm not alone!

What's your favourite shade from Urban Decay? There are a ton of new releases in individual pots which are certainly next on my shopping list!