7 Deadly Sins TAG

Hey everyone! I haven't done a tag in a while and I don't have any other posts planned so I thought I'd give this one a go. I found it on Jess' blog Coffee and Cosmetics, and I know it's a popular one but in case you haven't done it yet, feel free to grab it :)

1. Greed: What is your most inexpensive beauty product? What is your most expensive beauty product?

My most inexpensive beauty product is anything that I bought from Elf. I have their studio brush line and one of their gel liners, and both are great value for money. Their products are only a couple bucks and really do the job. They're nothing fancy but if you'd like to save some money on basics, Elf is a good option! Their online website is particularly easy to navigate, and shipping doesn't cost an arm & a leg.

My most expensive beauty product (that I bought with my own money, i.e. not gifted) has to be my Vice 2 palette. I don't tend to splurge on single items - I'd rather save up some money and buy an array of things. Although the Urban Decay palettes are quite expensive, I think they are SO worth it. The quality, originality, and durability are incomparable.

2. Wrath: What beauty product do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

At the moment I'm having a love/hate relationship with the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. It's an illuminating, anti-aging foundation, which is lovely in theory, but the problem is that it's chock-full of shimmer. I still can't decide if that's an issue for me or not! It was fine in the summer with a nice tan, but it seems silly to have a glowy face in the winter. Looks like I'll have to move on from it during the time being.

Living in Canada, I'm pretty lucky when it comes to beauty products being available for me. We have Sephora and Mac, and Bioderma is sold at my nearest drug store. I think the only products that posed some difficulty for me were my Real Techniques brushes. It took forever and a half for them to become available at Walmart here, and I could never seem to find them on trips to the States. Of course, UK brands are difficult to get.

3. Gluttony: What are your most delicious beauty products?

Well since I don't tend to eat my beauty products this is a bit of an odd question... However, some products smell so good they could almost be edible. Two of my favorite-smelling lip glosses are from Buxom and NYX. I'm definitely a sucker for sweet scents as opposed to more perfume-y scents like Chanel.

4. Sloth: What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?

I definitely neglect using concealer. I feel like foundation does the bulk of the work when it comes to covering up, and I don't feel like my under-eye circles are that noticeable. I also neglect powdering sometimes - and more often than not I regret it at some point throughout the day! Oops.

5. Pride: What beauty product gives you the most self-confidence?

The beauty product that gives me the most self-confidence is eyeshadow. On days that I actually put the effort into applying it, I feel instantly rejuvenated haha. Knowing that I put in the extra work in making my "look" complete makes all the difference. I'm no expert when it comes to applying eyeshadow but when it turns out looking great, I feel super accomplished haha.

6. Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

I find this question a little irrelevant so I'm going to replace it with "Which product/brand do you find has the most physically attractive packaging?" 

Even though I'm still gushing over the packaging of my new Vice 2 palette, my answer for this question is very easy: NARS. The sleek packaging and the rubber-y texture gets me every time! I even love the extra kerning on the letters and the curved edges. I contemplate buying NARS products if only for the packaging... To have a big NARS palette one day is my dream - totally wish I'd gotten my hands on Danmari when I had the chance!

7. Envy: What product would you most like to receive as a gift?

At the moment I am dying for a YSL lipstick. I can never justify the price in-store but if someone loved me enough to buy me one as a gift... I would be so so so happy! The packaging and quality looks incredible. I would definitely buy a red color making it feel even fancier :)

I tag: Hannah from Hips Like Cinderella

Urban Decay Vice 2: Swatches & First Impressions

On Monday I finally got my hands on the beautiful Vice 2 palette from Urban Decay. I stupidly did not order the first Vice palette when it came out last year, so I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice!

It's no secret that I have issues with Sephora, so I unsurprisingly did not order this from their website. The Urban Decay site was having their annual friends & family sale, and although they don't ship to Canada, my friend Emily had it shipped to a relative of hers in Florida who then brought it back for me. Throughout this entire process, I saved $25 on this palette. Instead of paying around $78 Canadian, it cost me $53. I just can't get over how much we're ripped off here in Canada! Sephora hikes up their prices so much, it drives me nuts. Even though it's sometimes unavoidable, I try my best not to give Sephora my business.

Now that I've ranted, let's get on to the palette itself. The packaging is absolutely stunning. I really love the design on the front of the palette, and while I'm usually not crazy about bedazzled makeup products, I think it works nicely here. On the inside, there is a huge mirror on top which is very practical, and on the bottom you have your shadows.

For some reason X-Rated got really washed out in this photograph - it's actually a matte baby pink (see swatch below)

I think this is a really awesome array of shades. I love the mix of colorful and neutral shadows - it makes this a very versatile palette. The only thing I wish is that there were more matte colors, like that  super electric blue from the first Vice palette. The only matte color we get in Vice 2 is "X-Rated", a slightly underwhelming matte baby pink.

Early standouts for me are Shellshock, Damaged, Voodoo, Betrayal, Ambush and Rewind, my favorite definitely being Damaged. Urban Decay makes a killer emerald green. Betrayal is this amazing blue-purple duochrome, reminiscent of Mac's Stars 'N' Rockets, only more pigmented and smoother.

Some disappointments are Madness, Strike, Stash and Habit - all have very minimal pigmentation. Strike is like the sad version of Half Baked, while Habit is so chalky it barely shows up on the skin. Another slightly annoying thing about this palette is that there are three versions of a black-based shadow with blue glitter/shimmer (Lovesick, Prank and Poison). I'm not sure this was entirely necessary.

Overall I think this palette will be great for occasions. I foresee navy smokey eyes, green and purple accents, rose gold lids... There possibilites are endless!

What do you think about Vice 2? Liking the look so far?

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