2013 Favorites

As the year comes to an end, it is time to summarize of what my favorites are for this year. I am much more adventurous in trying out new beauty and skincare products and lucky to find some new items that I love and will continue to purchase.

Buxom Lip Cream in White Russian

This is my favorite lip gloss. The creamy texture is long-lasting and has a minty tingling effect. The shade is a beautiful soft pink which goes so well over almost every lipstick.

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser

After trying out so many brush cleanser, I have found the best cleanser for my beauty blender and makeup brushes. It takes the least amount to get all the makeup residue out. This solid cleanser is pricey and I have a cleanser from another brand to try out next but I'm pretty confident that I will re-purchase this.

Benefit Rockateur Blush

I have heard so much raves about this newest blush from Benefit. I have almost all the other boxed blushes from Benefit and when this one was released a couple of months ago, I convinced myself that I didn't need another one. But of course I caved in and bought this. This is such a pretty rose gold shade. Very natural on cheeks and I have been using this almost daily since I got it last month.

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation 

This has to be the first foundation that I love so much that I re-purchased a second bottle before this one is half used up. Gives me the most natural finish and ideal for oily combination skin. Don't need a setting powder which save me a step every morning.

It Cosmetics Bye Bye UnderEye Concealer

Have been using this every single day since I got it back in Aug. See my post for a full review. I have puffy and dark undereye circles and this helps me out so much. 

em Cosmetics Lash Gallery Waterproof Mascara

I received this in my November Ipsy bag. I have stubborn Asian lashes which only waterproof formula would work. I have been using the Maybelline Falsies waterproof mascara exclusively. But after I tried this one, I like this better as it gives more natural effect. I just wish em Cosmetics will start shipping to Canada next year.

NARS ITA Contour Brush

Makes contouring face a breeze with this brush. Highly recommend this.

Graftobian Corrector Palette

As you can tell from the picture, I love this palette. I use the darker salmon shade(far left) and the lighter pink shade(second from the right) mixed together for my undereye area before I apply my It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer. Really helps with the dark blue-ish circles.

GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment Mask

This is my newest addition to my skincare routine. See post for review. I have been using this mask every second/third day for 2 weeks now and I can honestly say there is a huge improvement in my skin texture. My pores on my nose and cheeks are significantly smaller and tighter and my monthly hormonal breakouts are non-existent, which is a first for me in years. 

I am probably missing a few of my favorite products here as I am still visiting my family in Toronto and I did not bring a luggage full of makeup products. But these are in my travel makeup bag and some are new purchases.

What are your favorites for this year? What are your must-have items that you cannot live without?

Boxing Day Deals

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with families and friends. Weatherwise, after the nasty ice storm in Toronto, we had a good dump of fresh snow on Christmas day. I am used to that as I live near the Canadian capitol region but Toronotians may not be used to this much snow this often.

I was ready to hit a few malls for the crazy Boxing Day sales but decided to do some online shopping and if the weather clears up, I would head out.

Sephora has a few $12 Boxing Day deals.

I have always wanted to try out the MakeUpForEver Aqua shadow. For $12, I think it's an awesome deal to try.

Too Faced Cat Eye Kit

Caudalie Winter Moisturize Kit

I love Caudalie products and I love trying out kits which I can try sample sizes before buying the full-sized ones.

Also, Lush is having a buy one get one free promo for most of its Christmas collection. I haven't been indulging myself with Lush bath products this winter and it is an awesome time to get some bath goodies. The promo started at 9:00 EST and I went on the site right on time and products are going fast so hurry.

Happy Boxing Day Shopping!

Merry Christmas

We survived one of the worst ice storms in the Toronto area. Power outage for more than 40 hours in the frigid cold weather was a struggle. But we made it through and thankful that everybody is safe. Only one tree needs to be cut down. We are so thankful that power was restored yesterday and we could get ready for Christmas.

Wishing everyone a very safe and happy holiday season!

$5 Deals at Target

I am so happy that the Target store near my parents' house is now open and it has become my favorite hangout place. Sipping a yummy peppermint mocha from Starbucks while browsing in the store is such a simple joyful pleasure for me.

When I was there earlier in the week, I saw racks and racks of clothing marked down to $5 and the staff was just preparing the rack so tons and tons of sizes available. Bet they would be gone fast.

Found this lightweight cotton quilted bomber jacket for $5. Can't believe it when I saw it. It is a shorter style so I would pair it with a longer top underneath. 

I don't know what the original price was but for $5, I think it is an awesome deal.

This is a Mossimo grey 3/4 sleeve turtleneck. It is quite soft and I like the longer style so I can wear with leggings. I got this in size L for the extra length.

This is a sweater from the brand Xhilaration. It is dark grey with pink flowers. Very cute. Of course, the quality is not that great but it is very soft and not itchy. 

Last item I got is this Mossimo dark purple short sleeve tee with a front pocket. I love Missimo tees because they are so soft and hold up well after many washes.

I love it when I find great deals. Sometimes when I go get a hot drink at Starbucks, it cost more than $5.    So would you rather have a drink or a piece of clothing item for that price?

Urban Decay Naked 3

I am happy to receive my Sephora order as I see numerous Urban Decay Naked 3 circulating in the blogging world daily and I was getting anxious to get my hands on it.

Naked 3

I think this is currently sold out online at Sephora but I have been to a few Sephora stores and they have plenty of them in stock.

Here are just a few quick snapshots of the palette. I did some quick swatches and only a couple are quite powdery and may have a bit of fall out but other than that, they are very creamy and pigmented. 

Comes with 4 eyeshadow primer samplers.

Included in my order is Daisy by Marc Jacobs and Fresh Soy Face Exfoliant.

Are you a fan of rose gold eyeshadow? Will you be picking up the Urban Decay Naked 3?

GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment Mask Review

I have tried a lot of new treatment masks this year. My skin does not break out too often but when it does, it leaves high pigmentation marks which would take a long time to clear. So when I see minor breakouts approaching, I would try to treat them before they get full-blown.

I bought this GlamGlow Gift Sexy from Sephora a couple of weeks ago and have been trying it out. Let me tell you, I haven't seen such amazing results on my skin with one single use. 

This set comes with a GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment (1.2 oz) and a YouthMud TingleExfoliate Treatment(0.5 oz) at CAD $75. It is so pricey and this is why I waited so long to try this out.

I have tried the YouthMud TingleExfoliate Treatment in a deluxe travel size during the Sephora VIB sale. The 0.5 oz can actually last me 4 good uses which is not too bad. The sensation is very tingling but I find the results are not as impressive. It is very similar to the Origins Charcoal Mask which is much more affordable. 

The packaging of this set is very cute. It comes in a cube box which can be opened two ways. One way is with the pink side as seen in the first picture. When you open the box the other way, it is with the blue side as seen here. Guess the mask is marketed towards both women and men. 

I have tried the SuperMud Clearing Treatment for the past week. I used it every other day. I apply the mask with a foundation mask as suggested by many who reviewed on the product. That way, less product is used and can be applied to face more evenly. It has a mild herbal scent which is pleasant. It has little bits of chunks of herbs in the mask. When you apply it on your face, within a minute, you would see the mask slowly drying up. When it is totally dried up(usually within 15 mins), the mask turns from a deep grey color to a light grey color. With problem area on your face, you can actually see impurities extracted from your pores. As disgusting as it sounds, I find great joy in seeing the "dirt" and excess oil extracted from my enlarged pores, especially on my nose and on the sides of my cheeks. I then rinse my face off with water and a wash cloth. With my first use, I found pores immediately tightened which I have never experienced with any other facial masks I have used before. Also, my face feels so soft. It is actually so soft that it amazes myself. It is as soft as a baby's bottom, not exaggerating. I continue to use the mask every other day and find same results. Every time, my pores tightened a little bit more and cleansed. You would think that after such a deep cleansing treatment, your skin would be so dry. But it is not the case. It just feels thoroughly cleansed and rejuvenated. It is such an amazing mask that even though it is so pricey, it would become a staple in my skincare routine.

Have you tried any product from GlamGlow? Do you have a favorite facial treatment that you cannot live without?

Little Chanel Haul

Continuing on my high end beauty splurge in the city to celebrate my birthday(see my Dior lip balm post), I picked up a couple more things at the Chanel cosmetic counter.

I was drooling on their limited edition collection. Their eyeshadow palette is so pretty. But I restrained myself and got only what I planned to get.

I got 2 of their illusion d'ombre long wear luminous eyeshadows. I have 2 in my collection already and absolutely love them. They are so creamy and they last all day long. Sometimes when I'm running late in the morning, I just apply a little bit on my lids and a bit of eyeliner and ready to get out the door. 

I got 83 Illusoire and 837 Fatal. Illusoire is their permanent item which I have been eyeing on a long time. Fatal is in their limited edition collection.

83 Illusoire

837 Fatal

Left: Illusoire

Right: Fatal

Illusoire is a purple/grey shade with a hint of silver shimmer. I love their eyeshadow base as I am not a big fan of glitter and shimmer. But the Chanel ones are quite subtle that it just gives your lids a bit of "glam" without looking like a shiny disco ball. The SA told me this shade is one of their popular ones.

Fatal is one of the two eyeshadow base included in their 2013 holiday collection. It is a plum/brown shade with a bit of silver shimmer. It also has a bit of cooper in it which I love as I like warmer tones. The texture is so creamy and bouncy. I have other cream eyeshadow bases from other brands but I find these one don't dry out on me like others. I try to close all the lids as tight as I could for all of them but they still dry out. The Maybelline Color Tattoo ones seem to dry out the fastest for me. So even their colors are gorgeous and so affordable, I stop buying them as they only last a couple of months for me. 

Dior Creme de Rose Lip Balm

I am a lip balm junkie. I always have to have a lip balm in my purse and a few to rotate at my vanity. I just can't stand chapped or dry lips. 

I am in Toronto visiting family for the holidays and also for my birthday. So I decided to pick up a few beauty items that I would not usually splurge on. But it is my birthday, so I gave myself every excuse to do so :)

Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm

It probably is the most expensive lip balm I have purchased. At CAD $29 a piece, it'd better be good.

It comes in a simple white plastic container with 0.25 oz of product. When I swatched at the store, it just feel like butter. It is so smooth and creamy. It claims to be a plumping lip balm but I don't see any plumping effect on my lips.

If you are a big fan of rose scent, you are going to LOVE this. I have tried this for the past 3 days and I am totally hooked. It has a slight hint of pink color and when I don't feel like putting on a lot of makeup that day, I just apply a little bit of this to give my lips a hint of color. It really does moisturize your lips and seem to last quite a bit on my lips, even with constant drinking. 

The other drug store lip balm I can think of which is comparable to this is the Nivea Lip Butter. It is a bit thicker in consistency so may not be the easiest to get absorbed. With the Nivea, I always have to make sure I run through my lips with my fingers a few times to help my lips absorb faster. Otherwise, would find my lips with a thick white "balmy" film on it. With the Dior one, it melt into your lips much faster and stay on much longer. So even though it is pricey, you only need to apply a tiny bit and don't have to keep re-applying it all day long.

Final verdict: Is Dior Creme de rose lip balm worth the hype? Yes, it is. I know, it is a bit pricey for a lip balm. But for those of us who have dry chapped lips in the harsh Canadian winters, it is such a luxury item but it is worth it. Would I re-purchase it? I am not sure yet. I would have to see how long this last me and decide.

Lush Haul

I have been really good this year in controlling my bath/shower product purchase. Last year I went way overboard with Lush bath products that I still have a stash of bubble bars from last Christmas.

I had to go to Lush to get a few essentials.

Sweetie Pie shower jelly is my favorite. The scent is amazing. But I have to admit, sometimes it is quite slippery to use first thing in the morning when I'm half asleep. 

It's Raining Men shower gel is another stable product in my shower routine. Such an amazing and fresh citrusy scent that would wake you.

Tea Tree Toner is an amazing toner for oily skin. Keeps my skin clear and helps control oil.

Big Shampoo is my go-to shampoo. The coarse sea salt scent is refreshing and lathers up so well. Gives my hair volume and removes excess oil, keeping my hair fresh-looking.

Rose Jam shower gel is a Christmas limited edition product. I am not a huge fan of rose scent. But I love their rose bubbleroon and decided to give this one a try.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in 41 Warm Tan

I have been looking for Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer for a while. I finally found the shade I want at Target.

Whenever I go to Target, I always go to the Sonia Kashuk section first to check if they have it in stock. For some reason, the shelves in that section are rarely stocked. I am not sure if they just don't carry enough stock or they sell out that fast.

There are 2 shades available: 42 Rich Bronze and 41 Warm Tan

Both shades are very pretty. But I prefer the 41 warm tan for winter months.

This bronzer is very creamy. The shade reminds me of Too Faced Chocolate Soleil.

I compare it to my Soleil Tan de Chanel(bronzing makeup base)

Left: Soleil Tan de Chanel

Right: Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan

The shades are very similar. Sonia Kashuk is a tiny bit more brown. I am so surprised about the similarity of the texture. They are pretty hard to tell apart. 

I love Soleil Tan de Chanel and use it daily. I like to layer it as a base to contour my face and then apply some powder bronzer(either Too Faced Chocolate Soleil or Nars Laguna) so my bronzer would last longer. Now that I have tried Sonia Kashuk Creme Bronzer, I can honestly say it is a very good dupe of the more pricey Chanel version. If you're thinking of investing money in the Chanel one, I would highly recommend you to try the Sonia Kashuk(CAD $10.99) version first. You wouldn't be disappointed.

Urban Decay Naked 3 is here

The hype about the Urban Decay Naked 3 is all over the blogging and youtube world for the past few weeks. It was available from the Urban Decay website for two weeks and they were out of stock and restocked. I have to admit Urban Decay really knows how to get people all hyped up about their newest palette.

Finally, the wait is over. It is available on the Sephora website now for CAD $62.

I was on the Urban Decay Facebook yesterday and was just amazed at how many different answers from their site to people asking about the official release dates in Canada. One said it would be Dec 6, another said Dec 9. So I took a chance after midnight and was happy to see it is on the Sephora website.  If you are a VIB Rouge member, you would have received a gift card of $20 with purchase of $50, making this a sweet deal. The promo ends on Dec 16 and the palette may or may not be available in stores by then. So it is a great time to do the purchase online if you're planning to get it.

Do you like the shades in the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette? Are you planning to get your hands on it?

OOTD J. Crew Factory Beaded Sweatshirt

Another snowy day for us here. Can't believe we had so much snow within this week.

At least the temperature has risen a bit and it is not as bone-chilling as the past couple of days.

J. Crew Factory beaded sweatshirt in size S (here, sim here)

old Banana Republic cotton turtleneck

Zara navy leggings in M (here)

I am all into dressing comfy in the cold winter months. I love wearing leggings and this Zara leggings have become my new favorite( to replace my J. Crew pixie pants). I wore my J. Crew pixie pants to death last season. As much as I love them, I am really not a fan of the hook at the back of the pants which make things difficult at times.  This Zara pair has wide elastic waistband which makes it so comfortable that I can literally sleep in these. I got these in black and navy.

My dog likes to lounge on "his" door mat and refuses to move an inch to let me take these pictures. Funny dog.

This factory version of the jeweled sweatshirt is quite easy to style. I usually style it casually with a long tee or turtleneck underneath. It is more fitted but not as fitted as the J. Crew version.

November Favorites

Woke up to winter wonderland. This is the second major snow storm this week for us already. For sure will have a white Christmas.

For the month of November, I did not try out a whole bunch of new beauty products and mostly I stick to my everyday routine products but added a few new favorites.

Josie Maran Argan Illuminizer

L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Replenishing Mask

em Cosmetics Lash Gallery Waterproof Mascara

L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur

I am all into highlighter for the past couple of months. Besides my new favorite: Hourglass Ambient Powder Palette, Josie Maran argan illuminizer has become my other go-to. I got this in a Josie Maran gift set and this is the deluxe sample size. You need  a very tiny bit to give your cheeks a beautiful glow. It was tricky when I first used this as I didn't know how little I needed and always applied too much. Once it is on your cheeks, it is hard to remove. So have to be precise of where you apply.

I have switched to a new hair mask: L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Replenishing Mask from my Macadamia Nut hair masque. This one is  a fraction of the price and delivers same effect on my hair if not more. My hair is so soft and moisturized afterwards. Love this.

I received the em cosmetics lash gallery waterproof mascara in my Ipsy bag earlier this month. As I have mentioned many times before, my lashes are quite stubborn. So far, the Maybelline Falsies Volume Express waterproof mascara is the only one(among many many brands I have tried) that would hold my curls up, doesn't smudge and last all day. I was quite skeptical to try a new mascara as I never have any luck with all the ones sent in beauty boxes. This one surprises me. Keep my curls up, give a very natural effect(not as dramatic as the Maybelline Falsies). It does smudge a tiny little bit though but so far I'm enjoying it. Just hope em cosmetics will start shipping internationally soon so I can repurchase.

L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur has been in my collection for a few months but not something I grab on a daily basis. I tried to use it as an all over face primer. I don't see much significant effect and I would rather go to my favorite Benefit Pore-fessional primer to minimize pores. But I have found a good use of this product. I apply this under my eyes as an undereye primer and I find it does smooth out the fine lines around my eyes and make my under eye concealer glide on easily.

Lastly is a non-beauty product. It is the Popcorn Indiana all natural Kettlecorn popcorn. I don't know how many bags of these I went through this month. I don't like very salty and buttery popcorn(yes, I know I'm strange). I like sweet and salty ones. This one is light and fluffy. Not as sweet as the caramel ones that you get. Just because it says zero trans fat on the pacakge makes me grab this more and more without feeling too guilty about it.

What are your favorites this month?