2013 Favorites

Its the early days of a New Year and everything looks rosy and fresh. One of my resolutions this year is to take a picture every day of the year and hopefully I'll be able to turn it into one of those cool "This year in pictures" thing.
2013 was the year I spent a lot of time and energy into making smart beauty and skincare purchases including discovering some lovely blogs and YouTubers along the way. Here are the products I loved last year -


Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm has revolutionized my cleansing process. I cannot believe how much gunk I used to inadvertently leave on my face before I discovered the joys of using oils to cleanse your face. I recently started using a small amount this for my morning cleanse as well and I noticed even more improved results. Despite using this daily the jar lasted me 7 months and I have been so pleased with it that I even gave it out for gifts this year.

My Besan face mask was a lifesaver this year. I feel like my skin has changed over the last few years and hyper pigmentation has been a huge pain in my side. This mask is the only thing that helps fade dark spots with regular use.

Another mask that has to be included in my favorites is the GlamGlow YouthMud Tinglexfoliate  mask. Its on the pricey side but I bought the half oz travel size from Sephora and so far it has lasted me about 5 uses and I'm halfway through the pot. It instantly brightens your skin so it is perfect to include in your regimen for the weeks leading up to a big event. I have yet to notice any long term benefits but I plan to use it more regularly this year and hopefully will be able to report back on that.

Hydraluron was a Q3 discovery for me and the results wowed me instantly. My skin didn't feel dry throughout the winter thanks to this serum and makeup application has become much smoother. I'm about to purchase my second tube. My only gripe is that it is not available in the US so I have to scour eBay for it but its totally worth the hassle.

For an under eye cream I have been religiously using the RoC Retinol Correction Eye Cream. I can't say that it has helped with any under eye circles but I'm hoping the regular dosage of retinol will pay off off in the long run and ward off wrinkles. I wish it wasn't so expensive though, for being a drugstore brand I do think that being priced over $20 is a lot.

My favorite night cream was the Elizabeth Arden Overnight Success Skin Renewal Serum and after discovering how good it is I cannot believe I scored it at Ross. I'm not looking forward to paying full price for it when my bottle runs out but the product has been really amazing for me. This is the only night cream that I found to deliver instant results especially with reducing dark circles and redness on my nose and chin.

The NARS Sheer Glow Foundation has to be my favorite foundation of 2013. I feel like it matches my summer skin tone perfectly and as long as I set it with powder it gives a medium coverage that matches my MAC foundation minus the breakouts. (Speaking of which, I can't wait for summer to be here already, I need my natural tan back!)

I do have to give an honorable mention to Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream because even though I love the Sheer Glow foundation, it is too heavy for everyday wear for me (that and the fact that I don't usually have the time to do a full face every morning). Therefore the face product that I have actually used all throughout 2013 is this BB cream. I bought my second tube in February and I still have a few months' worth of product left so despite the fact that this costs almost as much as a foundation it does last a long time.

Another product that I was sucked into buying from across the pond was the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. After hearing everyone and their dog blog about how great it is, I finally caved in and bought it on eBay and I have to say it was worth the hype. The only downside has been that their color range is not the best and I think I could have gotten the darkest color in their range and had it be a better match for me (I'm never the darkest shade so I picked one below which ended up being a tad too light). Even then, I have managed to use it under my foundation and it gives great coverage while mattifying instantly so it doesn't slide off during the day.

My most used eyeshadows came from the Naked Basics Palette. Its perfect for every day use and while I wish they had maybe one more color in there that would be more "neutral" for darker skin tones, I have still gotten a lot of use out of it. I do have to use a primer though if I want these to last.

The Real Techniques range of brushes was my favorite to use this year, every single brush that I have tried has been amazing not only for its intended use but for anything else I have used it for. I especially recommend the Expert Face Brush for foundation application.

I cannot talk about makeup and not talk about the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers. These did end up being launched in the US but to date I have to yet to see it in any drugstore that I have ever been to. So I ended up snagging some on drugstore.com and they were my favorite lip products of 2013. The formulation is so pigmented yet creamy and the dark colors really last all day no matter how much you eat or drink or laugh.

As a special mention, I have to say that the Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo along with the Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner ended up being my perfect hair routine. I also loved the using the random Dead Sea Spa hair mask I got from Ross.

Last but not least, my random favorites of 2013 are -

Breaking Bad
Downtown Abbey
Caroline Hirons
Stella McCartney Lily

I already have a wishlist going for 2014 - 

Incorporate more cleansers into my routine
Find a good face moisturizer for day use
Try out Mac Soft & Gentle
Try out Alpha H Liquid Gold
Find a good clarifying shampoo

Happy New Year! X

Pixi Beauty Discount Code

Pixi Beauty with Caroline Hirons is offering a 20% discount on their website with code CAROLINE20. If you've been after the famously elusive Glow Tonic, now's your chance!


http://www.carolinehirons.com/2013/12/happy-new-year-20-discount-code-from.html

December Ipsy Bag

My December Ipsy bag arrived today and I was so excited to open it! I had already seen a preview of what would be in it on the Ipsy website but I have to say I was so much more enthralled with this month's bag than last month's. First of all the quality of the makeup bag itself was very nice, I would never guess that this is something I would get for free. It kinda matches my Sephora bag that I received as my GWP so maybe I can start a new collection!

The first item in my bag was a pair of Ardell Demi Lashes in 120. I was literally just thinking about Ardell lashes today and I was so happy to see this as the first item in my bag! I've been waiting to get my hands on some Demi eyelashes for the longest time now but they always seem to be sold out. 

The next thing was this eyeshadow trio by Pop Beauty in the color Smokin' Hot. In the preview that I had seen online, it actually showed the brown/neutral toned palette so I thought that was the one I was getting. I probably would have gotten more daily use out of the neutral toned one but perhaps I can gift this one out.

I could feel something heavy in the bag and it was this nail paint by Nicka K New York in the shade Classic Taupe. I had never heard of this brand before but I was very happy with my swatch, it is a dark chocolatey taupe color with a nice application. I'm glad I got this color in my bag because the other option was a red which I already have too many of. I can't wait to try this on with some gold glitter polish for the holidays. I was also happy to read that it is formulated without DBP, Toluene, and formaldehyde. Maybe this is a brand I need to check out more.  

My next item was an NYX Lipstick in Cream. I have tried NYX lip products before and liked them a lot so I am looking forward to trying this out. This is definitely an item that I will keep and the pinky peachy color is universal enough for me to try.

My last item was a familiar brand thanks to last month's bag - Be A Bombshell. This time I got a One Stick in the color Girl Crush. It is a cheek/lip/eyelid stain in a creamy texture. I've tried out a similar multiple use stick from e.l.f before but I wasn't too happy with how overly shimmery it looked. Hopefully this product will be better. I haven't swatched it yet because I'm still debating on whether I should keep this in my gift stash or not.

Overall I am so pleased with my December bag! I feel like I got really good quality products even though there were some unheard of brands in there. I was honestly wondering whether or not I should continue my subscription past this month but now I'm very curious to see what the next bag brings. Also, this is such a good way to try out new products without spending much. You really can't beat $10 that includes a makeup bag AND free shipping!

If you would like to sign up for Ipsy, please feel free to use my referral code -http://www.ipsy.com/r/36s3

Happy Holidays! x

Holiday Gifts and GWPs

The Holiday season has really taken over and now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas trees and lights and music and shopping is everywhere! It is a very exciting time and I have spotted some cute gifts that deserve a mention.

As soon as I saw this holiday set by Essie, I knew I had to have my hands on it. Priced at only $15 this is a great gift idea for the nail varnish lover in your life. You get 5 mini Essie bottles of shades that are perfect for fall/winter. The colors are a tad darker than what they appear in the picture. This is sold out on Essie.com right now but you still might be able to snag one at your local Target or Macys.

Another great gift item is something from the Marc Jacobs Beauty line. He does have a holiday set out with an eyeshadow trio, lipgloss, mascara, perfume combo but I decided it would be better to spend that money on his Style Eye-Con Plush Shadow palette. I got the Starlet 204 one which has a shimmery range of browns and grays.

The formulation and opaqueness of the colors is really nice, you get exactly the shade as you see in the pan and they are super blendable, much like the Urban Decay eyeshadows. I hope I can get a lot of use out of this palette in the holidays. Oh and did I mention it comes in its own dust bag and is a piece of art in itself?:-)

On a non-beauty note, Trader Joe's has a really nice selection of holiday chocolates and cookies out. From Dark Chocolate Covered Shortbread cookies to Peppermint Marshmallows to Pfeffernuse German Spice cookies its all delicious!

One of my favorite parts of holiday shopping has been the Gift With Purchase that a lot of brands have been offering. Clinique have a really good one out - you can pick 5 of their mini products with every $35 purchase -  https://www.clinique.com/checkout/samples.tmpl?show_promo=1
The one I got however was Sephora's which was available to all their Beauty Insiders with a $25 purchase. The offer has already passed but it is worth talking about because all the deluxe samples I received in the Glowing Magic Radiance Sample Bag I chose are amazing and worth a purchase themselves.

The bag itself was alright, better than the Ipsy bag I got this month but not as luxe as it looked in the picture. The NARS eye primer has become my new favorite and I will be purchasing the full size when my UD primer potion runs out. I have also loved the Bamboo heat protectant hair spray and the Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara is seriously making me contemplate ditching my Maybelline one. I'm looking forward to trying out the Ole Henrickson truth serum. We need GWPs all year round!

Hope you have a lovely holiday season! x

November Ipsy Bag

After two months of waiting, my Ipsy beauty box subscription finally got approved. I was really excited especially because the holiday season meant some nice goodies would come my way.
I have never subscribed to a beauty box before and I have no clue as to what the size/quality of products usually is. I decided to go with Ipsy because it was quite inexpensive ($10/month) and was cancelable at any time. Also, Michelle Phan is one of the founders so I thought it couldn't be that bad.

My first Ipsy bag arrived mid-November and I had already perused the spoilers to see what I might expect. With Ipsy you get all your products (usually 5 a month) in a cute makeup bag which is an added freebie. However, I was quite disappointed with the quality of the gold snakeskin bag that this month's products arrived in. It looks really cheap and I cannot imagine using it for anything. Nonetheless, I was excited to explore the goodies that it came with. The first item was a Gem Pencil by Starlooks in the color Topaz. I have never heard of this brand before (as was the case with a few others products in the bag) so I'm not sure if its a quality product or not. It is an eyeliner pencil in a creamy silver, I was actually quite impressed with how smoothly it went on. It can even be used as an eyeshadow base for a smoky eye look.

I did recognize the brand of the next product - Em by Michelle Phan Waterliner in Sunshine Yellow. I was looking forward to trying out her new makeup line so I am happy this was included in this month's bag. When I read the description, I thought it would be a liquid liner in a canary yellow color which was really disappointing because that is not something I would get much use out of. However, it turned out to be a twist-up soft shimmer eyeliner pencil in a muted gold with a smudge sponge at one end. I haven't tried it out yet but from swatching it I was quite pleased with how nice it looked. I think it can have a better name though.

Next was something I was probably the most excited by - Pixi's Beauty Bronzer in Summertime. Now while the color is a tad dark for me in the winter I do feel this product alone made up for the $10 I spent.

The next product was a chubby stick-esque lip stick by Be a Bomshell in the color Hot Damn which is a shimmery orangy red. I already have a product similar to this that I got from Sephora but I haven't tried it on yet to compare.

Then out came probably my least favorite product of the bag, BH Cosmetics' Baked Eyeshadow in the color Neptune. I have never tried any BH Cosmetics' products and have never had an inclination to, either. Neptune is a shimmery, silver blue that came out pale when I swatched it. I haven't put it on with a primer or base but I just didn't love the overall packaging.

Lastly was a nail paint by Nailtini in the color Caviar Cocktail which is a metallic silver. I did try it on last week and while the application was smooth, I wish I had gotten a different color because I'm not sure if it looks the best on me.

Overall, I am happy to be trying a beauty box out and I am excited to see what next month's bag has in store. I have a feeling it will be a good one considering it is Christmas and New Years time. This month's bag had six items instead of the usual five which was a nice surprise. All the products are sample or sample-plus size which is decent enough to get good uses out of. You also get discount codes to use for full size purchases for each of the products featured.

If  you would like to sign up for your own Ipsy bag, feel free to use my referral link here!

XOXO!

New shampoo discovery

I have been LOVING using Organix's Ever Straight Brazillian Keratin Therapy Shampoo! I picked it up on a whim as I was looking for a new shampoo and this looked interesting because it is sulfate free. I've tried Loreal's sulfate free line but wasn't too impressed with it. This however, is a really nice, thick shampoo that leaves my hair straight and less frizzy.

I didn't get the matching conditioner because for that I had my eye on the Botanique by Himalaya Amla & Holy Basil conditioner. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but initial research shows that its either a love it or hate it product. I'm hoping that since I have thicker hair, this will work well.

I first saw this at Central Market but didn't want to fork out $10 for it so I came home and found this website called PureFormulas.com that had it in stock for half that price. It also came with free shipping and I was really impressed with how fast the package arrived. I am excited to try this out next week!!

First Impressions: elf

I love trying out elf products because they are so inexpensive and you can really find some gems in their collections sometimes. And they are cruelty free which is something I am trying to focus on with my purchases.

The first thing I picked up was the Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia. I think this is the bronzer that is supposed to be a dupe of Nars' Laguna. I don't have Laguna so I can't say how similar it is but it does have good pigmentation and is a flat, no-shimmer bronzer. The blush seemed lighter than what I thought and I am not sure if it will show up on my skin or not. The packaging is very similar to Nars and is very compact.
Update: Over the last few months I have enjoyed using the product but I have to say the bronzer is a tad dark and is best when used with a soft hand. The blush is not as pigmented as I would like but I do use it when I'm going for a more natural look.

The second, and one of my favorite things is the Essential Nail Polish in Bubble Gum Pink. I have never tried elf nail polish before so I didn't know what to expect but I am pleasantly surprised! The consistency is so smooth and the brush is the perfect size for a neat application. I would say it takes about 2-3 coats for a really nice opacity but the color is so beautiful! It is the perfect pink. Its not  too fuchsia nor too light and looks really nice on my skin tone which not a lot of pinks do. It is the perfect color for summer.
Update: This has been my favorite purchase from this lot. Love this nail paint and I'm sad that now we're heading into autumn/winter I won't be able to use this color as much. But I am very impressed with elf nail paints.

My other favorite purchase from this time is the Lip Exfoliator. I love products that give instant results and this is definitely one of them. I have already incorporated it into my nightly routine. It smells amazing is really moisturizing.
Update: I have loved using this product as well, it does a good job and I love that it is in a lipstick form which makes it so easy to use.

Next I picked up some brow products - the Eyebrow Kit in light and the Eyebrow Treat and Tame in dark. The Eyebrow kit has a dark gel on one side and a powder on the other and the Treat and Tame has a clear "treat" gel on one end and a dark color on the other. The Eyebrow kit seems okay so far, I do like the idea of adding texture using gel and powder. On the other hand, the color part on the Treat and Tame is really dry when it comes out on the brush so I have found it difficult to use.
Update: I ended up throwing out the Eyebrow Treat and Tame because I just couldn't get any use out of it. I still use the Eyebrow Kit though, but I use the gel more than I use the powder because I feel it looks more natural. 

Finally, I picked up some tweezers because you can never have too many tweezers!