Urban Decay UD XX - 20 Years of Beauty with an Edge + My Favorite Urban Decay Products.

Can you believe that Urban Decay is celebrating their 20 year anniversary? It seems like just yesterday that the 'beauty with an edge' brand launched in 1996 with just 10 lipsticks and 12 nail enamels. I remember their early years and nail enamels that really shook up the industry with their edgy names. The brand has certainly grown over the years and has become adored by millions of women around the globe. I am one of them. In celebration of this milestone, Urban Decay has launched a really special vault called UD XX - 20 Years of Beauty with an Edge.

UD XX contains 20 shades of Eyeshadow and 20 shades of 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil that span the brand’s entire 20-year history which is pretty bittersweet. It includes everything from the brands best selling shades and new shades to vintage shades like UV-B along with cult classics like Covet and Lucky too.  The range in shades is astounding and goes from from neutral to bright and dark to light with an array of finishes that you can never be bored.

UD XX shades:

Eyeshadows: Oil Slick, Roadstripe, ABC Gum, Shattered, Grifter, Gunmetal, Polyester Bride, Baked, Mildew, Asphyxia, Mushroom, Midnight Cowboy, Smog, Lounge, Flash, Vapor, YDK, Roach, UV-B and Last Call.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils: Zero, Oil Slick, Gunmetal, Mushroom, Whiskey, Roach, Smog, Lucky, Midnight Cowboy, Underground, Stash, Mildew, Covet, Deep End, UV-B, Deviant, Asphyxia, Ransom, Last Call and Crash.

This vault is a super limited edition and only available at urbandecay.com and Sephora. It's pricey at $375 but it's the ultimate for the true Urban Decay fan.

My Favorite Urban Decay Products

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite Urban Decay products in celebration of this special time. I use so many of them regularly.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette - I use this a few times a week. It contains all of the shadows I need to create the perfect eye look, from everyday to soft and smoky to full on smoky.

Urban Decay Primer Potion - This is my eyeshadow primer of choice. I think I have used all of the different formulas/shades. It's simply the best.

Urban Decay Liar Naked Lipgloss - I have this on my vanity and in my purse. It's the perfect shade of gloss for me.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - I own multiple shades and just love this long-lasting easy to apply liner.

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette - Could it get any better than this basic eyeshadow palette? I think everyone needs to own this one. It's perfect for everyday and as a base to any shadow look.

Urban Decay NAKED on the Run - This palette is my ultimate travel palette and I bring it with me everywhere. It has just the right shadows, blush and bronzer shades along with a great gloss. My mascara has gone bad a long time ago, but the rest is perfect.

Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette - Honestly, I could have all of the NAKED palettes on my favorites list, but this is the one I pull out the most. I just love the rose-hued neutrals and they are so versatile. I had to buy another because I hit pan on many of the shades in my original.

What are you favorite Urban Decay products?

Top 10 Makeup Hacks.

While I may have shared a lot of makeup and beauty tips over the years, I don't think I have ever shared my top beauty tips or hacks that I most often use. As it's a top ten day, I'm going to share the top makeup tips and tricks that I have learned and used over the years (some a very long time) that are real time, and in some cases, money savers.

My top ten makeup hacks:

1. Mix concealer with eye cream to help concealer from settling into fine lines. It helps to further brighten up the eye area too.

2. Warm up your pencil eyeliner with a lighter. I’ve been doing this since high school! It turns the eyeliner into a gel-like formula and helps it apply and smudge easier too.

3. Make your own BB Cream! Mix an equal amount of your favorite moisturizer (with SPF of course) with your favorite liquid illuminator — about the size of a nickel of each will work. Then add about a pea-size amount of your favorite concealer to that. I swear by this in the summer months.

4. Use concealer in the center of your lips to make them appear fuller. Simply dot a bit of concealer in the center of your lips then blend it in with the warmth of your fingertip. Top with a pearl or nude lip gloss for a perfect plump pout.

5. Make your own custom tinted lip balm by mixing Vaseline (yes, good ole’ Petroleum Jelly) with your favorite loose pigments.

6. Add a few drops of saline solution to mascara that is dry or clumpy to thin it out. Don’t mistake this for extending the life of your mascara — you still need to throw it away after three months — but this helps with drier or more clumpy formulas.

7. Forgot all those fancy contour tutorials! Simply apply bronzer in the shape of a number three (or a backwards three) on your forehead, cheekbones and jawline for an easy contoured look.

8. For a quick, smoky eye look, after you apply your shadow, use your ring finger to apply a dark shadow right at the upper and lower lash line. Smudge the lower lash line again with your finger. I almost always apply my shadow to my lower lash line with my finger and smudge; it’s so routine that it took me a few minutes to realize it was probably unconventional and a makeup hack.

9. Use a nude colored eyeliner on the inner rims of the eyes (otherwise known as your waterline) to open up the eyes and make eyes look larger.

10. Get an instant eye lift! Add a dab of liquid highlighter above the arch of your eyebrows and blend over the outer part of your brow - simple!

An InLinkz Link-up

MAC Zac Posen.

MAC has teamed up with womenswear designer Zac Posen for a makeup collection featuring his name, MAC Zac Posen. It's a classic collection, just like his trademark designs. From the packaging to the shades, the makeup and shades are exquisite.

"After dazzling women with his modern but timeless designs on the runway and red carpet for 13 years, New York designer Zac Posen presents his debut colour collection for M·A·C. From the iconic packaging to the square-handled contour and buffer brushes that boast the designer’s mark, every loving detail that Posen adorns on the female form takes on new shape for the face."

I rarely post photos of boxes or packaging, but I was really impressed with everything about this.

I love the simplicity of the products. The bronzer and blush are my favorite (shocker) with the 6 pan shadow palette being a keeper as well. I simply love how wearable the shades are. Worn together, they leaves eyes with a soft, everyday look that can be kicked up just a bit. The mauve and gray together are always on point, and yes, classic. The surprise is the orange lipstick.

The complete MAC Zac Posen makeup collection:

Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder - $27

• Transparent pressed powder

Lipstick - $18

• Sheer Madness - Sheer nude (lustre)
• Darling Clementine - Bright orange (matte)
• Dangerously Red - Blue fuchsia (matte)

Eyeshadow X 6 Eye Z You - $43.50

• Cozy Grey - Soft white pearl (veluxe pearl)
• Phloof! - Frosted off-white (frost)
• After Dusk - Deep lilac (veluxe pearl)
• Performance Art - Soft lilac w/multi-pearl (veluxe pearl)
• Palatable - Deep frost-grey (satin)
• Mauve Over - Soft mid-tone mauve (veluxe pearl)

Fluidline Pen - $23

• Retro Black - Solid flat black

Zoomlash Mascara - $18

• Zoomblack - Rich black

Powder Blush Duo - $29

• Haute Contour- Matte neutral brown/pink coral w/pearl

Brushes
182 Buffer - $54
168 Large Angle Contour - $36

The MAC Zac Posen collection will be available beginning February 25th. Buy it at all MAC stores, counters in Nordstrom, Macy's, etc. and at maccosmetics.com.