INGLOT FREEDOM PALETTE

I'm going to be completely honest and admit that the exposed magnetic closure of this palette was the first reason that I lusted over creating my very own (sleek + playful + functional?). Following a trip on a plane, running to a bus and navigating an unfamiliar map, my anticipated moment of creating my very own palette was reached. Gravitating towards the collection of eyeshadows, I began to swatch the varying hues and finishes, leading to my second reason (and justification) for wanting to create my own. The shadows felt incredibly smooth and applied with impeccable pigmentation, I was sold. 

Having no prior knowledge or slight thought of the shades, I swatched several that were an instant visual appeal. Feeling slightly more adventurous in the moment, and with none of the typical neutral shades appearing as a standout, I opted to focus my attention upon more colourful, yet still wearable counterparts.

08 is a light golden beige with fine micro-glitter. A perfect inner corner highlight to brighten and add an instant glow.

09 is a soft peachy pink with fine micro-glitter. A simple all over the lid shade that just works, think Nars Orgasm.    

404 is a medium burnt mustard shimmer. A more orange, warm and autumnal alternative to a standard gold. A shade that compliments 08 and 09 to add extra depth. However, I imagine this shade to be worn alone with stronger brows, bold winged liner and dark berry lips (oh how cliché! But for good reason).    

434 is a medium blue-grey shimmer. One of those shades that is difficult to describe, not quite blue nor grey, but somewhere in between? A cooler shade to pair with matte greys and taupes for a grudge inspired smokey look.

423 is a deep mulberry shimmer. My favourite by far due to its complexity, a burgundy with hints of brown that would blend seamlessly with similar dark matte hues. A shade to accompany the colder months, and every other day of the year if wished.         

As a first impression, I'm extremely pleased with the colour selection, pigmentation and overall quality of the eyeshadows, winner. My only issue with the shadows is its lack of names, instead they are numbered, making it slightly more difficult to remember and identify the shades. In terms of the freedom system itself, I adore the clarity of the black case with the translucent acrylic cover, where chosen shades are able to peek through and be located with ease. The palette is thin and compact, where its shape allows it to be stacked and stored efficiently (space savingly to allow room for more products of course) in makeup bags on the go - definitely a product worth checking out!

URBAN DECAY NAKED 3 PALETTE

It is no secret that Urban Decay has created a cult classic amongst the beauty world, the naked palette. Never intrigued by the idea of eye shadow, the original Naked Palette sparked my curiosity...soon to be followed by my love towards the possibilities of such products. Recreating the hype of the original, Urban Decay has offered a compilation of following palettes, reinterpreting ‘naked’ in an array of tones and hues. Naked 3 is no exception to this, a neutral palette that plays upon the trend of rose gold. Packaged in a rosy metallic tin, the twelve shadows within the enclosure exist as the most perfect sight upon first glance, it truly is hard not to resist.

Here are the swatches:

Strange is a 'pale neutral pink matte satin'. A subtly pale pink shade, perfect for an all over the lid base or brow bone highlight. Applies smoothly with a velvety soft texture.

Dust is a 'pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter'. Applies with a small amount of fallout and slightly chunky texture, however, nothing that can't be saved with a steady hand of blending and post application clean up.

Burnout is a 'light pinky peach satin'. Another perfectly smooth in texture shade for an all over the lid colour that has a slight warm tone to its hue.

Limit is a 'light dusty rose matte'. A buttery soft rosy matte shade that would work wonders as a transition shade. 

Buzz is a 'metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter'. A shade that certainly applies according to its metallic description, a gorgeous mid tone pink that glistens in the light.  

Trick is a 'light metallic pinky-copper shimmer with tonal micro-sparkle'. Appears as a standout in the palette due to its warm toned hue amongst its cooler counterparts. Trick is the epitome of rose gold amongst the dozen.

Nooner is a 'medium pinky-brown matte'. A deeper and more evening appropriate version of limit. These two shades can be married together as the ultimate rosy matte duo.

Liar is a 'medium metallic mauve shimmer'. By far one of my favourite shades, applies as a frosty sheen with hints of pink, purple and taupe accompanied with an insane amount of colour pay off. 

Factory is a 'pinky-brown satin'. A deep chocolatey brown hue with a hint of pink, stunning as a crease colour to tone down the intensity of pink within shades such as buzz.  

Mugshot is a 'metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift'. Texture and colour similar to Liar, but contains more taupe than pink. A perfectly smooth shade to create a simple blended out taupe smokey eye.

Darkside is a 'deep taupe-mauve satin'. Another unique shade, a cool toned purpley taupe that works to darken and smoke out any look.

Blackheart is a 'smoky black matte with rosy red micro-sparkle'. A daring black shade with a feminine element of rosy glitter. A shade to deepen and define the outer v or as an alternative to black liner.

Out of all the Naked Palette's, Naked 3 is definitely a palette of its own due to its rosy focus. The rosy tints may be considered uneasy to lovers of pure browns and taupes, however, I think it's a refreshing and quite delicate take on 'naked'. I think I've fallen for Naked again, they say third times a charm? 

For those who are interested, Naked 3 can be purchased online at BeautyBay, HQHair and LookFantastic.