Review: Dior Addict Lipstick in Miami

So far, so good! I'm back on a regular blogging spree (updating a few times a week!) Following along the list of lovely Sephora purchases, I am going to excitedly put this out there: I think Dior Addict may just be my new favourite lipstick now! It's right up there along with MAC lipsticks and L'Oréal Caresse sticks for me in terms of winning formula.

First of all, I absolutely adore the packaging. The metallic sheen and knob at the end are very classy looking and although a little larger than most lipsticks, protects the product very well.

Moving on to the product itself- I chose the colour Miami #635, which is a warm, strawberry kind of pink with a hint of shimmer that reminds of a warmer version of Revlon's Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, which I am unfortunately allergic to! I know! I must be the only girl out there who doesn't like lip butters for this reason! I love that the product glides evenly onto lips and only takes two or three passes for semi-sheer coverage, just what I need during the day. It is very feather-light and doesn't have the waxy feel that some lipsticks may. One huge bonus for me is that it wipes off easily at mealtime because I hate eating something messy and then eating some lip colour, which I can imagine is really bad for you!

All in all, this is a winning product in my eyes and I would love to try another shade in a different finish! The $31 CAD that I shelled out was definitely worth it!

Review: D&G No. 3 L'Impératrice

Hello lovelies! Sorry for the month long gap I took from blogging! I had lots of things going on in my life and just too much on my plate at once. I'm going to try to use all my free time now to create drafts of blog posts, so that when it comes time to put one out, I always have something new for all my readers!

Today, I'm going to be reviewing one of my favourite fragrances that I've recently discovered- one of my friends showed it to me at Sephora, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for a whole month! I finally decided to go get it, because it smells THAT amazing!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you D&G No. 3 L'Impératrice! I love the fact that it comes in a simple bottle and has a pretty light peach colour to it. It has top notes of rhubarb, kiwi accord, and red currant, and a heart of pink cyclamen, watermelon, and jasmine. For the base, I can definitely agree with the description of musk, and seeing as I usually don't quite like musk, I'm surprised I love this one so much! When I first spritz it on, I apply it to my pulse points (on my neck and wrists, then I swipe a small dab to put behind my ears- it makes your hair smell so nice!) and I get the kiwi and red currant right away. After around 2 or 3 hours, it fades to the lovely heart fragrance and usually lasts me through a whole school day without reapplication.

My only gripe with this perfume is the fact that the bottle can be quite bulky, as the glass bottom is quite heavy and thick! Overall, I love the scent and I think that it has the perfect lasting power and sweet touch without overwhelming people within a small radius! This just might be my new signature scent!

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!