More Empties!

I was recently inspired by one of my friends who had cleared out six months worth of empties from her stash! I am now diligently dwindling down my makeup, skincare, and bath and body product collections to reasonable sizes, so that I can save money and only buy things to replace those that are finished!

I have recently finished these three items:

Bath & Body Works- A Charmed Life Shower Gel
Shiseido Pureness Mattifying Oil-Free Moisturizer
Yves Rocher Phytum Hair Care- Nutrition S.O.S. Split Ends Leave-In Treatment

Two of these items were on my P10P (Project 10 Pan) list from the end of August, and I will definitely do an update on the progress of that soon! For now, I can check the Shiseido moisturizer and the shower gel off my list! I am glad that I am slowly, but steadily finishing up some products to free up storage room and also save money for new ones! As always, I will get around to blogging some of the new holiday treats I have gotten shortly!

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!

My Current Empties

Hello everyone! Long time no see on the blog, I've been really busy with school work and job commitments, but I finally have a post for you all about a set of empties I have. Empties are a really great way to judge a product because you've taken the time to use it and you can see its performance over time.

Here I have for you a few of my most favourite products for makeup removal and hair care! Sorry for the blurry photo quality, I don't have any other cameras besides my phone right now!

The first is Shiseido's Creamy Cleansing Emulsion. I use this as an all-over face cleanser to remove my face makeup at night, and I wipe it off with tissue before I wash my face. It's really moisturizing, yet it doesn't leave that sticky residue that I typically associate with creamy cleansers. (For those who know me, they'll know darn well I don't like the texture of thick facial creams!) I used this bottle almost daily for the past 8 months, so it'll last you quite a while!

I also have Yves Rocher's Express Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes with Cornflower. I've been using this eye makeup remover for a few years now; there's just something about dual formulations that I love. It lasts me around 4 months per bottle, making it a great deal, since it retails for $6, but you can almost always get it on sale!

Next I have yet another Yves Rocher product that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE- their Éclat Radiance Rinsing Vinegar. I have gone through 2 (or was it 3?) bottles of this and I started using it in January of this year. I noticed that it made my hair smoother and shinier, and helped it feel clean after my shampoo without that squeaky-clean stripped hair feeling. I apply a few pours into my hair after shampooing and conditioning, and I leave it in for a minute before thoroughly rinsing. ALSO, did I mention that it smells absolutely fabulous? It smells just like real raspberries with a hint of vinegar on occasion, just like raspberry vinaigrette you would put in your salad.

Overall, I would definitely repurchase all these items and I plan to use them all for a long time to come. They are very good investments!

Review: BUXOM Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss in YOW

Happy November everybody! To kick off, I'd like to share with you an item I picked up at the Sephora F&F Sale! As you may recall, I posted a previous wishlist last week of what I wanted to look at (HERE.) and I ended up picking up my regular Shiseido moisturizer, a Sephora by OPI nail polish (to be reviewed!) and this all-star beauty pick-me-up right here: I present to you, the Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss in the shade YOW, a pearly pink :

Now, I had actually been planning this purchase for some time, mainly because I like the effect of a plumping gloss (temporarily, of course) but without any sting or tingle. After trying this gloss out for a few days, I can say that while it doesn't give me a lot of lip volume, it is EXTREMELY moisturizing as it promises and really delivers on keeping your lips baby soft. A huge plus with this gloss is that it doesn't leave that cakey white residue on your lips after it's been applied for a while, and even with a drink in tow, this gloss lasted me quite a while, around 2 hours! Without eating and drinking, I would say it lasts around 4-5 hours on me, which is pretty good! This is my go-to gloss for now, and I've been loving it as it is non-sticky, has a minimal sweet crème brulée scent, and is a great everyday colour!