Urban Decay Naked Ultra Noursihing Lipgloss Rule 34 Review

I received my small Sephora order with the Urban Decay nourishing lipgloss. I was so excited that Urban Decay released their new line of lipgloss as I love their Revolution lipsticks. 

There are 9 shades to choose from. I spent a lot of time deciding on which one to get. 

I have a few nude, pale pink lip gloss. My other holy grail is the Buxom lip cream in White Russian which goes so well with so many lip colors. So I decided to go for Rule 34, which is a medium brown-nude.

First of all, have to say I love the packaging of these lip gloss. You can see the shade of it from the bottom of the tube. So if you decide to pick up a few, you don't have to twist open every single of them to see which one you want.

I picked Rule 34, which is the second darkest shade of the whole line.

I really like the applicator. It has a more slanted doe foot application which makes applying an easy breeze.

The formula is quite sheer. Not tacky or sticky at all. So you won't have to worry about your hair stuck to your lips in the blowing wind. It is very moisturizing and I find it last on my lips for a good 4 hours.

I have Rule 34 over Maybelline Buff lipstick in 920 (Nude Lust). I like nude lippy but it would look too pale on my lips and I look sick. By applying the slightly brownish pink tone lip gloss on top is just my perfect mix.

I really like the Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing lipgloss and I am glad I picked out this shade which suits me very well. 

Do you like nude lipsticks or lipgloss? 

Happy Chinese New Year(Kung Hei Fat Choi)

Happy Chinese New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi(in Cantonese). 

May the Year of the Horse bring you lots of good health, joy and prosperity!

Being born and raised in Hong Kong, I have many fond memories of what we used to do to celebrate Chinese New Year. Lots of good food and happy family gatherings. There is always a magnificent fireworks display at Chinese New Year in Hong Kong and one of my best memories was to watch that over the beautiful Victoria Harbor after a feast with family. 

Having been in Canada for so long and even though there is not much Chinese New Year atmosphere in the small town we reside, we still try to do our little celebration. For the New Year Eve dinner, I cooked a special meal. Important to have the family together at dinner table for good luck for the coming year. 

There are also many superstitious traditions. Certain do's and don'ts. For example, have new outfits for the New Year's day, preferably red as red is the lucky color for Chinese. New underwear, pajamas and slippers to bring good luck all year long. Don't sweep floor on New Year's day as you would sweep all your "fortune" away. Don't curse or say negative things and good luck would be with you. 

Get It While You Can- MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Stereo Rose

If you love MAC mineralize skinfinish and you missed out on previous release of the limited edition and highly-raved shade, Stereo Rose, you have to act fast and grab it with the new release of their new Fantasy of Flowers Collection.

Stereo Rose

It is a pretty coral shade with slight golden shimmer. Can be worn as a blush or a highlighter. I will wear this as a blush and I just love how beautiful the mineralize skinfinish show up on my cheeks. Prettiest glow.

If you are Canadian, use code Fantasy for free standard shipping.

January Empties

First month of the year really flew by. We have been hit with extreme cold snaps one right after another (-25C/-15F) 4 days in a row certainly is not fun. 

Back to this month's empties:

Managed to finish up quite a few products this month. I got a few fall or Christmas season scented candles and I can't wait to get some spring scents.

Bath & Body Works Velvet Cupcake 3 Wick Candle

BBW Island Margarita Mini Candle

BBW Cider Lane 3 Wick Candle

BBW Fresh Picked Apples Hand Soap

Bath and Body Works Velvet Cupcake has to be one of my favorite candles from their holiday season collection. Island Margarita is from last summer and I like to burn that in the kitchen after cooking a heavy-scented meal. Cider Lane is a mixture of apple, cinnamon and caramel. I thought it would be a pretty mixture of scents but the scent is just too strong.

Fruits & Passion Lily Body Souffle

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye

Roc Dermatologic Enydrial Hand Cream

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Emulsion

LaVanila Healthy Deodorant(vanilla grapefruit)

Origins High Potency Night a Mins

I received the Fruit s & Passion body souffle as a PR sample and really enjoy it. Will definitely repurchase it.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye is my second tube finished up. I love their Midnight Recovery Serum and without a doubt this eye cream is moisturizing enough. But I don't find it do exceptionally well with helping my under eye area look brighter in the morning. 

Roc Dermatologic Enydrial hand cream is a gift from Shoppers Drug Mart with purchase. This is really moisturizing. Definitely helps with my dry chapped hand. This doesn't have a scent which I prefer for hand cream. Will purchase it in full-size.

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Emulsion is one of the products included in my Shiseido White Lucent gift set from Sephora a few months back. I apply that after I wash my face at nite and apply it before I apply my night time moisturizer. It has a very light texture. But it is quite pricey so I won't be buying it in full-size.

LaVanila healthy deodorant has been a stable shower routine product for me. Yes, it is pricey but it does last a few months for me. Vanilla grapefruit is one of my favorite scents from their collection.

Origins High Potency Night A Min is such a joy to use. It is scented like sweet oranges. Texture is thick but fast-absorbing. This one is the regular version and I also have the oil-free version. I have normal to combo skin and even though winter is dry, I prefer the oil-free version.

It Cosmetics CC cream(sample satchel) in medium

Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Balm

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara

Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream

I really enjoy It Cosmetics products and I tried their CC cream and really impressed. Gives my skin a medium coverage and it does cover all my imperfections and doesn't grease me up. 

Fresh Sugar lip balms have to be my all time favorite lip balm. Rose is the color I like the best. 

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara(waterproof) has a very brilliant idea of combining 2 brushes in one tube. One brush for upper lashes and a much thinner and defined brush for lower lashes. Even I got the waterproof version, it doesn't do magic to my stubborn Asian lashes and doesn't hold my curls.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Day perfecting cream is a deluxe sample size product I received from redeeming some Sephora BI points a while back. It does last me quite a while and I apply it every morning. Very nice texture and I will definitely look into it next time I go to Sephora.

What prompts you to buy beauty products?

I shop online a lot. These days, online shopping is so easy and handy. A lot of companies offer free shipping or other discounts to lure you into buying something you don't need.

On this chilly Sunday morning, I am guilty to admit I just put in an online order with Sephora. Yes, once again, the simple click button is just toooooo handy and easy. 

I just bought the Hourglass Ambient Blush in Radiant Magenta. This is an early access for Sephora VIB rouge members until Feb 1 and it will be released on the website later on in Feb, I believe. 

I love the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette(limited edition) released late last year. I use the palette every day and just enjoy the effect of subtle glow and illuminating effect on my face and cheeks.

So when I found out Hourglass has released a new blush, I am so excited.

Of course, reading reviews and swatches online do push me over the edge and I am convinced I NEED that right this moment. Even though I won't get my order for another week or so, I'm still super-excited.

This is Diffused Heat

This is Mood Exposure

I spent a good hour on deciding on the shade. These are the other 2 shades I was seriously considering but since I don't have the luxury of swatching them in person, I had to rely on the very limited reviews and swatches online.

Question of the day is: what prompts you to buy certain beauty products? Is it because you see the product on your friend and you think it is gorgeous and you want to try it yourself? Is it because you read great reviews? Are you talked into buying the product because the super-friendly sales associate is a good convincer? 

It Cosmetics New Year New You 5PC Set

Two weeks ago, It Cosmetics was featured on the Shopping Channel. After my first purchase from the Shopping Channel(like QVC in U.S.), I quite enjoy the products featured there and the shipping is always fast and reliable.

It Cosmetics New Year New You 5 PC collection (here)

Celebration Foundation Illumination in Medium

Feel the Moment Primer

Eyelift in a Tube(Bye Bye Under Eye concealer&Hello Light liquid brightener)

Fan Brush

Foundation Brush

and the little silver measuring cup-like thing is a fan brush stand

I should have mentioned that this set sells for regularly CAD $79.99. On the promotion weekend when I bought, it was $59.99. I am most interested in trying this Feel the Moment serum which alone goes for $48.99 so I ended up getting the whole set for a few dollars more.

Feel the Moment Anti-Aging Ultra Hydrating Sensory Awakening Primer Serum:
Feel the Moment is a revolutionary anti-aging, sensory treatment skin serum and primer in one–a true sensory spa experience in a bottle! Caviar extract, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides and silk all work to help nourish, hydrate, prep and prime the skin, while vitamins A, C and E, deep ocean water, argan, jojoba and avocado oil infusions help skin stay soft and supple!

Celebration Foundation Illumination:
Celebration Foundation Illumination is the next generation of IT Cosmetics's full coverage anti-aging foundation. It is formulated with hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, anti-oxidants and Drops of Light™ Technology for the ultimate, soft, candlelit glow complexion. This foundation is formulated with good-for-you ingredients, including niacin, hyaluronic acid, rose, silk and aloe, which help leave your skin
fresh and hydrated.

Eyelift In A Tube Dual Concealer & Brightener: 
The Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer & Hello Light Liquid Brightener Eyelift In A Tube is your secret weapon for bright eyes and beautiful skin.  It is formulated with hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, anti-oxidants and drops of Light Technology™ for an instant flawless, radiant complexion. Key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacin and vitamins C, A, and E help your skin look younger. 

Concealer

Brightener

I have their Bye Bye UnderEye concealer which has become my holy grail from last year (see my previous post for my review and magic it does for my dark circles. This tube has the concealer which is of a slightly different consistency than the one I have. This one is more liquid-ey and appears to be much easier to blend. Also this tube will be very handy for traveling.

I am glad I picked the Celebration Foundation Illumination in medium. I was contemplating in getting it in light but glad I picked this shade as it matches my skin much better.

The foundation is very creamy and blends beautifully into my skin(you can barely see the little swatch on my hand).

When shopping with the Shopping Channel, I have always been rewarded gift certificates which I could use towards future purchase. I had an $15 certificate and I used it with this order, making this set only for $45. I thought it is an awesome deal.

Another product I want to try from It Cosmetics is their new CC cream. But unfortunately it is not yet available with the Shopping Channel yet. 

Have you tried any product from It Cosmetics?

GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment First Impression

I have put a few items on my January wishlist but surprise surprise, January is not even over, and I got them. What can you say? Weak will and no self-control could be the reason to blame :(

GlamGlow Thirsty Hydrating Treatment (buy at Sephora)

GlamGlow always has the cutest packaging. Check out my Supermud Mask in this post.

When you open the lid, it says Hello Sexy :)

The treatment is in a light brown/beige cream-like texture with little brown particles in it. But once you apply the mask on your face, the tiny particles dissolve. The mask smell strong coconut. I love coconut scent and this is right up my alley. 

There are a couple of ways to apply the mask. I only tried it once last nite by applying it on my face and let it sit for 30 mins and rinse off. Another method is to apply the mask on your entire face and use it as a thick overnight treatment and leave it on while you have your beauty sleep and rinse off in the morning.

The mask is like a medium thick facial cream. It is not extremely sticky and moisturizing and I assume you can leave it on as an overnight treatment so your skin can fully soak in the nutrients and moisture. 

Let me tell you my first impression of this mask. I left it on for 30 mins and wipe off with a tissue and then massage the rest into my face. The scent is amazing. Coconut reminds me of tropics and I could imagine myself being pampered in this rich mask in the tropics. The result is not as impressive as I have when I first used the Supermud treatment. The result from the Supermud treatment is almost immediate. This one, I feel like I will have to try the second method to let it sit on my face while I sleep. Upon rinsing, I did notice my skin feels more moisturized and hydrated. It is a bit softer but not noticeably softer if that makes sense. But I have to admit this has to be one of the better hydrating facial treatment I have used and believe me, I have used many brands, including those paper masks. This one definitely is superior to those and I will update my review once I have tried the overnight method.

What is your favorite hydrating facial treatment/mask? Any recommendations?

p.s. also included in this Sephora order are two deluxe sample-sized products

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel

Heard a lot of good reviews about this Too Faced mascara and I'm dying to try out.

TopBox January 2014

Received my January Topbox in the mail today. This month, I picked the Chinese New Year special edition Benefit box.

Comes in a very festive Chinese New Year(Year of the Horse) tube which is super cute.

Also included is a Benefit Chinese New Year red envelope.

4 Benefit products included:

Total Moisture Facial Cream 

Benetint

Porefessional Face Primer

Bad Gal Lash Mascara

I was looking at my product information card and it says FakeUp concealer which is the only product I haven't tried from Benefit. I couldn't find it and just when I was about to email TopBox, I found a little sample package in my tube. Kind of disappointing as it is one of those tiniest one-time use sample that I can't really tell if it is going to work for me or not.

Overall, I am ok with this month's Benefit Prive box. I know what I am getting and I have used all of these products and know I will use them up. Even though they are tiny deluxe sample sizes(except the total moisture facial cream), I am happy. I would rather have products I know I will make good use of instead of tossing them or end up giving them away.

Are you happy with what you receive in your January TopBox? What goodies did you get?

Maybelline Color Sensational The Buffs Collection

I like nude lipsticks but due to my medium skin tone, I have not found any nude lipsticks which look good on me and don't make me look washed out.

Maybelline has released a new lipstick collection called The Buffs. They have 10 shades but at my Walmart, they only had 5 or 6 shades offered.

I picked 930 Truffle Tease which is in the middle of their shade spectrum. There are a few shades lighter than this but when I swatched on my hand, they either look too light or too pink. If you have lighter skin tone, those lighter shades would work for you.

The swatch does not look too nude on skin. It is a natural nude shade with more brownish tone to it than other shades. I tend to go for lipsticks with more earth tone. Find those work better for me so I don't look sick.

This is how it looks on my lips. Loving it so far. It is quite moisturizing but not as moisturizing or sheer as the Revlon lip butter. This is very pigmented and slides on lips quite smoothly. 

Do you like nude lipsticks? What is your go-to nude lipstick at the moment?

Favorite Lip Balms

Lip balm is my daily essential. I always have one in my purse and have one in each room in the house for easy access :)

Weather has been gorgeous this past few days. But usually in January, it is bitter cold here in eastern Ontario in Canada. Chapped lips and dehydrated skin seem to be the immediate results.

My top 3 lip balms: Dior Creme de Rose, Rosebud Salve and Nivea Lip Butter(vanilla & Macadamia)

I like to keep these at home as they are in tin containers and need clean fingers for application. 

They are very similar in texture. Dior Creme de rose and Nivea lip butter are so creamy. Rosebud Salve texture is more like vaseline. All three are quite long-lasting on my lips and I don't have to keep re-applying all day long. 

If you like rose-scented lip products, you would love Dior Creme de rose and Rosebud Salve. Dior one has a slight tint to it and supposed to be also a plumping lip balm but I don't see any significant result. 

Nivea lip butter is my night-time lip balm. It is very thick in texture. The only thing I am not crazy in love with this is I really have to rub the lip butter onto my lips for even application. If not, I would have a white "film" on my lips. 

Price-wise, the Dior Creme de Rose is CAD $29, Rosebud Salve is $7.50 and the Nivea lip butter is around $4.50. The Nivea lip balm comes in a tube and also does the rosebud salve. I am thinking of getting one of them to put in my purse but I have so much lip balm that I need to use up some before I go out and buy some more.

What is your favorite nourishing lip balm for the winter? Do you go by the lip balm texture or you simply pick it because of its scent?

January Wish List

 Urban Decay has released their new Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss.

I love their Revolution lipsticks and can't wait to get my hands on a couple of these. I am into nude or more natural lip shades and these ones look amazing.

They are available on Urban Decay website and not yet at Sephora.

I have normal combination skin but the cold harsh Canadian winter has been making my skin quite dry. I notice a few dry patches and am desperately looking for a good hydrating mask.

GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment

GlamGlow has a new facial treatment. From the few reviews I read so far, this is a good choice. But at the price of $69, I want to make sure it is worth it. 

January Ipsy Bag 2014

I skipped posting about my December Ipsy bag since I was away and by the time I got back, it is almost a month behind. Plus, it was one of the bags that did not excite me at all with the products.

Received my January Ipsy bag and here is what I got:

comes in an aqua color bag

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Cream Eye Pencil in Penny

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner

Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion

Mica Beauty Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in Natural

Willa Naturals Gentle Cleansing Towelettes

Out of the 5 products I was sent this month, only 2 I am excited about. Sadly, I find the products in my Ipsy bags are not as great as previous months.

One of the products I like is this Elizabeth Mott's Smooth Shadow creamy eye pencil in penny. This is a very tiny pencil though and not sure if it is just mine or not, but this one does not twist up and that is all the product I'm getting. Fortunately it is a shade I like. It is a light copper champagne color which I intend to use on my lower waterline.

Another product I like is this tinted lip balm in natural from Mica Beauty cosmetics. I love tinted lip balm and this shade is very natural and I will put this in my purse.

The rest is just so-so for me. Healthy Sexy Hair products are very popular among beauty bags and this has to be my third or fourth one I receive. The Nourish Organic face lotion is ok. Scent is argan rosewater and I am not a big fan of putting fragrant lotion on my face. Last product is the cleansing towelettes from Willa. Not a big fan of this either.

Would give this month Ipsy bag a 2 ** out of 5. Would give Ipsy another 2 months and I may have to cancel my subscription.

What did you receive in your Ipsy bag? Are you happy with what you get?

Mario Badescu Skin Care

I have wanted to try the highly-raved skin care brand, Mario Badescu, for the longest time. I don't have major skin problems but the occasional breakouts and clogged pores. One of my New Year's resolution is to take better care of my skin. 

Read about how amazing Mario Badescu products are but when you go to visit their website for the first time, you would be overwhelmed by all the products available. What I did was to register with them by setting up an account and there would be a short skin questionnaire to fill out and they would have suggested products suitable for your skin type. 

A few days after I set up the account with them, I got an email from them asking if I would like samples of the suggested products. I was pleasantly surprised and a variety of deluxe-sized samples arrived at my doorstep a week later.

I think it is an awesome idea for skin care companies to send out samples for potential customers to try out their products, especially when the products are not readily available at drug stores or department stores. 

I am super excited to try out these products but would have to wait till I finish the current skin care products I have first. 

Have you tried any of this highly-raved skin care brand? What is your favorite product?