Winter Haul! Makeup Goodies & More!

Hello everyone! Back to blogging after my school exams! This week, I'm excited to share with you all my birthday goodies and Christmas presents, all in a haul format. I'd also like to say that I am NOT a rich or spoiled girl, and that I saved up to buy myself a present and the other gifts were given to me by my very lovely friends. I'm truly blessed to have them in my life and I can't imagine what I'd do without them!

First of all, here is a picture of my lovely Christmas bear given to me by my boyfriend Gordon :) I haven't ever had the pleasure of getting such an awesome gift, much less from someone so special! It's the FAO Schwarz 150th Anniversary Collectible Plush Bear, and he comes with a cute varsity jacket that's oh-so-soft and has velour sleeves! I usually don't like stuffed animals, but for something with such sentiment, I'm instantly biased! Absolutely LOVE this gift.

Secondly, makeup goodies! I was lucky enough to snag the Urban Decay NAKED 2 palette at Sephora last Wednesday, right when they had restocked! They were out of stock the last two times I went to the store, so I was excited to be able to get it! I love the shadows included in this palette, and the packaging is super durable, is sleek, and wards off fingerprints well. I will probably include this in a future eye tutorial because I love the combination of looks that can come from it! Urban Decay shadows never fail to disappoint in the pigmentation department and quality- they are buttery smooth and never grainy.

I also got one of my Secret Santa wishlist gifts, which was the OPI Skyfall Bond-ettes Set. It has four mini nail polishes from the OPI Skyfall collection released recently in celebration of 50 years of 007 and the release of Skyfall (amazing movie by the way!) The four colours are GoldenEye, The Spy Who Loved Me, The World Is Not Enough, and Live and Let Die. I currently have The Spy Who Loved Me on my nails and I love it! The same quality of OPI, in mini format, so that I can finally finish a bottle!

Review: Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Hello lovelies! As some of you may know, lately I've been more into skincare and making sure I have a good base canvas for my makeup and to help me feel beautiful and at my best even on my no-makeup days. Being a university student, there are so many stressful situations to face and every now and then, the dreaded pimple (or two, or five) will show up, completely uncalled for! Especially now during exams!

To keep my skin clear and smooth, I use one of what I think is the best-kept secrets of combination skincare- Murad's Clarifying Cleanser. I bought the 135 ml or 4.5 oz bottle, which I believe is the smallest size! I prefer to use up my cleanser in shorter intervals, so that I always have a fresh tube! I would take too long to finish a larger tube, and I always keep in mind ingredient potency and expiry dates! I also love the sleek, clean, simple packaging.

This cleanser has a simple, gel formula that doesn't lather up too much, which is perfect for me because I don't like creamy/foamy cleansers as much, yet after using this one, I still feel like I have a refreshed and cleansed face. It contains menthol to leave your face feeling cool and soothed, but the minty feeling quickly fades away after washing so you don't feel cold! For the most part, it is also unscented, with a slight lemony scent that most cleansers have. I just use a small round dab, a bit less than the size of a quarter, and wash in circular movements all over my face, focusing on my T-zone, sides of my nose, and chin.

Overall, I have felt like my skin has stayed much smoother with fewer random breakouts, even during stressful times of the year! It also does a great job of keeping oil away, and my face won't feel tacky, even several hours after I put on foundation and blush! Would totally recommend to any girls who suffer from light to moderate acne or have combo skin!