REVIEW: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

Sleek packaging - long and slim

 ~AG~

This foundation works better than I had expected! It is very, very lightweight and feels like nothing on my skin. Urban Decay Naked Liquid Makeup is definitely my new favourite. This foundation provides light to medium coverage. It has a demi-matte finish with light-diffusing spheres that makes your skin illuminated. It works well to conceal my redness around the nose, and my blemishes. Though, it is not provide enough coverage enough for my dark circles. For those that prefer or need more coverage, you would have to layer the foundation over a concealer to get the desired look. Urban Decay Naked Liquid Makeup stays on well, even without a primer. It does not smudge off from my combination skin. *clap clap* This foundation will also work well for those with oily skin type, though prepping your face with a face primer will be advised. In addition, my sensitive combination skin did not have any adverse reaction to this foundation. No new breakouts, no bumps or no redness. Yay! Urban Decay Naked Liquid Makeup is paraben-free. 
My cousin who has an acne-prone skin tried my Urban Decay Naked Liquid Makeup and liked it. She said that the texture is nice, and looks very natural. The coverage provided was good enough for her. 

With a metal-finish pump dispenser

According to Urban Decay, infused with Matrixyl 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm, antioxidant green tea and vitamins. :

• 100% of participant in a clinical studies had a measurable improvement in the appearance of skin imperfections
• 96% of participants had a measurable improvement in skin radiance
• 90% of participants had a measurable improvement in skin firmness
• 93% of participants had a measurable improvement in the appearance of fine lines

Shade 3.0 matched my medium skin tone perfectly. For shade reference, I am Bourjois Shade 52 (Vanille), MAC NC 30, Bobbi Brown Beige (3) and Chanel Beige (10). 

Shade 3.0

 

It is pricey at S$52 for 30 ml worth of product. But I will still recommend this Urban Decay Naked Liquid Makeup especially for those who prefers a natural skin finish. It looks like you are not wearing makeup at all. This foundation works well for special occasions, and is also comfortable for daily use. 

High-End vs. Drugstore (Roadshows) Makeup Products

Worth the Splurge:
1) Foundation - I almost always buy high-end foundation. The biggest factor is the process of selecting a color match. A saleslady at the counter can greatly assist in the color selection. For drugstore brands such as Revlon or L'Oreal, you often have to play the guessing game to select a color match. Plus, the lighting at the drugstore is often not suitable for selecting a color match for foundation. The only drugstore foundation brand that I adore is Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. But in Singapore, they sell it at BHG counter, so I had the helpful assistance of a saleslady. 
2) Concealer - There is a huge difference between high-end concealers and drugstore concealers. High-end concealers provide more coverage, and yet goes on smoothly. As with drugstore foundations, you often have to guess your color match because there are no testers available. Even if there is a tester, the lighting at drugstore is not adequate to accurately determine a color match. Drugstore concealers that have high coverage tends to be cakey too. 

 

Not worth the extra $$:
1) Mascaras - Since you have to replace them every 6 months, it would be very costly to purchase high-end mascaras such as Lancome, Dior and Chanel. Drugstore brands such as Maybelline and  CoverGirl produce good-performing mascaras that are easy on your pockets. Korean roadshow brands such as Etude House and innisfree have a good selection of mascaras as well. 
2) Lipstick - A girl needs an array of lip colors. I have a confession to make: I am a lip product junkie. I probably have more than 20 lipsticks, lip tints, lip crayons, lip glosses and lip balms. I do own some high-end lipsticks such as Chanel, NARS, Dior lipsticks. But I also own mid-priced products such as Benefit Benebalm. For affordable-priced products, my inclination is towards Korean roadshow brands such as Clio, VDL and innisfree. I especially <3 the VDL Expert Color Lip Cube Ex! 

So there you have it! Makeup products that I splurge on, and those that I save on. Tell me about yours!

REVIEW: Banila Co. Floral Seoul Lip Crayon in Boston Pink

The lovely floral packaging 

A handy lip crayon 

~AG~

Banila Co. Floral Seoul Lip Crayon was purchased last year for KRW 14,000 (S$17). The floral packaging attracted me to this lip crayon. The shade I selected was Boston Pink (ND 02), which is a dusty rose. The shade looks brown on packaging, but it shows up as pink (with a hint of coral) on my lips. Boston Pink reminds me of one of My Lips But Better (MLBB) lip products, NARS Sheer Lipstick Dolce Vita. Although Banila Co. Lip Crayon is more pigmented than NARS Sheer Lipstick. Banila Co. Lip Crayon has a creamy texture that is non-drying. My lips felt comfortable wearing it without any lip balm on. Banila Co. Lip Crayon has a semi-sheer finish that is great for everyday use. 

It has twist mechanism so no sharpening is required

Regarding its staying power, it lasts 2-3 hours with normal wear. Since it is not a tinted formula, the lasting power is not as great as VDL Tint Bar. The color does wear off when eating and drinking. Overall, Banila Co. Lip Crayon has a medium staying power. 

Special rounded tip

Swatches of Boston Pink

Honestly, I was not expecting much for this Lip Crayon, but it highly exceeded my expectations. What took me so long to try this product remains a mystery. But I am glad I found this Banila Co. Lip Crayon. Best of all, Banila Co. Lip Crayon is way more affordable alternative compared to NARS Sheer Lipstick. Banila Co. Lip Crayon is half the price of NARS Sheer Lipstick. Will definitely recommend this Lip Crayon to those looking for a great everyday lip color to wear.

REVIEW: Klorane Shampoo with Peony for Itchy & Irritated Scalp

~AG~

I can only say good things about Klorane Shampoo with Peony. It has a nice light flowery scent. I was expecting it to have an herbal undertone, but it did not have any. This shampoo is targeted with those with irritated or itchy scalp. I am one of those people with oily scalp and dry ends. My hair care habit is to wash my hair every morning. I CANNOT not wash my hair everyday. However, with my dry ends and frizzy hair, it is recommended to chose a gentle shampoo for daily cleansing. 
Klorane Shampoo with Peony does contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a commonly used foaming agent. However since Klorane Shampoo with Peony does not foam up as much as other shampoos, I think the concentration of Sodium Laureth Sulfate is relatively lower. Shampoos with strong foaming action contains high concentration of Sodium Laureth Sulfate which can strip your hair of its natural essential oils. 

Klorane Shampoo with Peony

Been using Klorane Shampoo with Peony for over a month, so far, I am liking it! It is not drying at all. Some days, I even skip my conditioner after using this shampoo. It makes my hair feeling soft.
The plastic packaging is quite  bulky but it is durable, I dropped it from a height of one meter, and the bottle was still perfectly intact. Each bottle comes with 400 ml of shampoo, which can lasts me for at least 5 months. Bought it for only $18.90 when Watsons Singapore was having a promotion. Such a value-for-money buy! 

I would definitely repurchase this Klorane Shampoo with Peony; would also love to try the other shampoos from the Klorane brand. Will highly recommend this shampoo to those with oily/itchy or sensitive scalp, it cleanses well without over drying the hair.