An Urban Decay Makeover in Selfridges, Birmingham

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Urban Decay

Last week I received an email, inviting me to a bespoke Urban Decay makeover at their Selfridges store in Birmingham.

Urban Decay: beautiful products, cruelty free and the primary contributors to my ever-growing make-up collection.

Awesome.

I was advised to attend without any make-up on at all (eek!), so I made sure that I had thoroughly exfoliated and moisturised before my appointment, arriving with my red and windswept face on display in all of its blotchy glory. I was greeted by the manager, Ranjeeta, who then introduced me to my stunningly-gorgeous-with-flawless-skin make-up artist, Sana.

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After examining my skin and asking specific questions about the general looks and colours I prefer, we decided to go for more of a daytime look and Sana set to work on transforming my face.

Rather arrogantly, I believed that my make-up knowledge and my own routine was sufficient enough to be able to understand the products. Sana quickly made me realise that I knew nothing.

She started with the B6 complexion prep spray (£10.00) the Primer Potion (£19.50) and the Naked Skin Colour Correcting Fluid in green (£17.50) to counteract the redness on my face. It worked beautifully – my skin immediately became much more balanced and less blotchy.

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She then applied the Naked Skin Foundation 1.0 (£27.00) and the Naked Skin Complete Coverage Concealer (£17.50) underneath my eyes. She created flawless eyebrows that actually suited my face shape using the Brow Box in Taupe (£19.50), and then blended a beautiful smokey eye using the Naked Ultimate Basics Palette (£38.50).

To enhance the smokey eye effect, but without overpowering the look, she used black eyeliner in shade 0 (£15.50) with shade Whiskey that needed to be blended out within the first 30 seconds, adding the Subversion Lash Primer (£15.50) and the Perversion mascara (which is the mascara I swear by and very reasonably priced at £17.50) on my lashes at the end.

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She then added Beach Bronzer, the pink blusher from the Flushed Blush Palette (£23.50) and then came my favourite: the Naked Illuminated Highlighter (£22.50), which is so popular that is quickly sells out as soon as it becomes available in stock. Gorgeous. She put it onto the tops of my cheeks and on the inner corners of my eyes and I had to refrain from grabbing the highlighter myself and putting it all over my face, simply because IT’S JUST SO PRETTY.

To enhance my lips, she used the Naked 2 lipliner and Safe Word Lipstick (£15.00), finishing the overall look with the All Nighter Setting Spray (£22.00).

Sana is a genius. I went from this:

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To this:

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(Note: I look squinty-eyed when I smile, and felt that the ‘sneer’ look showed my eyes off better).

As someone who lacks confidence and uses make-up to feel better when I go out, this was one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. It was enhanced by the fact that I didn’t just get to try out and learn about products I had never used before, and could see the potential of what well-crafted make-up could do to my features, but I had a genuinely interesting conversation about Sana’s make-up and training, which I found fascinating.

And then, after I had managed to stop admiring myself in the mirror, I was given a beautiful (and very generous) goody bag of products for me to use at home.

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It was a brilliant way to spend an afternoon, the products and the service were fantastic, and as someone who is getting married later this year, I would highly recommend the experience for brides-to-be and bridesmaids ideas.

Disclaimer: I was given the makeover, brilliant conversation and goody bag free-of-charge, but was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

You can find the Selfridges store online here

39 thoughts on “An Urban Decay Makeover in Selfridges, Birmingham”

  4. I have no understanding of make up what so ever! My eldest daughter was trying to explain contouring to me the other day and I just smiled and nodded haha. It’s cool that the make up is cruelty free and you look nice (despite the “sneer” haha) so does Sana.

  6. Another really good pallet to use for eye make-up is Kat Von D’s Shade and Light pallet. Really really good. Urban Decays All Nighter make -up fix is brilliant to keep you make-up on all day.

      • Oh my, you better get down to Debenhams and have a look at her range. For more than 10 years I have used the same shade foundation from MAC, and I’d say generally when it comes to more high end make-up MAC is my favourite brand I’ve been faithful for more than 10 years…. Until I cheated with Kat Von D’s ” Lock-it” foundation, her everlasting liquid lipsticks, tattoo liquid liner and the Shade and Light pallet. Dare I say, I am having an affair with Kat Von D one I don’t wish to end LOL. The quality of her make-up is GOOOOOOOD and the suitability to all skin tones from pale as she is to deeper than mine is EXCELLENT. She has really created a range that appeals to me, and it helps that she appeals to me also as a person I think she’s cool. For sure give her range a try, let me know what you think if you do.

      • Really? Do they? I had no idea they do this. Ah now, I’m really glad I discovered an alternative as for me this is not the kind of thing I really would support. The tattoo liner is worth every penny! That stuff sticks all day no matter the weather.

  8. Beautiful transformation, Suzie! I love Urban Decay and use 3 of their Naked line shadow palettes. I also use the eye primer potion. My brows are getting lighter and sparser by the year, I will have to check that out, too! Thanks for the informative post!

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