Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 75 Fidelite

I saw a blogger swatch this and it looked like a beautiful glossy hazelnut that apparently sets. Unfortunately for me, 2 layers of this doesn't look layer at all... I was really excited but I do not want to put like 5-6 layers of a lip product to give it some shine, when I can do that easily with a lip gloss.

For some reason, I have never been super taken with a Chanel lip product - I've purchased a lot over the years but they're always just ok color wise.

Price: $45 for 0.18 / 5.5 ml

 

Recent clothing purchases

Happy new year!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Not sure where you live but in San Francisco it was pouring for NYE. It's been cloudy the past few days but not as bad rain wise.

I made some clothing purchases (winter ish) and wanted to add some comments/reviews in case anyone else was interested.

For reference I am about 34" bust, 26" waist and 36" hip. 

                                   

Aritzia Sno Polar Zip Up (on sale for $60) - it's a micro fleece cropped jacket with a cinch on the bottom to give it more shape. I probably wouldn't have gotten this if it wasn't on sale but it is cute if you're into cropped styled

Aritzia cardigan ($50 on sale) size XS - obv I got this bc it's my favorite color. I got their Reese cardigans for retail (in white and grey) so when I saw this on sale I had to get it. It isn't as cropped or "cute" as the Reese but it is a nice casual cardigan.

I am usually an XS in Aritzia but some of their bottoms or tops are S when it looks tight fitting.

left Athleta fleece legging ($119 size S) - would not recommend these for the price.

right Lululemon Base Pace fleece legging ($118 when I purchased, the fast and free one with pockets this year is $138, unfortunately the black is sold out already). As you can tell it's higher waist than the Athleta. Size 4 was a bit snug on me in the fleece material, I would size up if you order a fleece legging. 

Detailed photos for Athleta - if you're a legging connoisseur you can probably tell it's not the best quality

There are Amazon fleece leggings that are comparable to this

Halara Cropped Casual Jacket ($42.95 on sale) - apparently this is a pet fur resistant fabric. It is more of a ribbed texture which I didn't expect, apparently it's similar to one of the ribbed ones sold by Lulu but I haven't seen those in stores. My Lulu jackets are in the nulu fabric which I prefer.

Halara In My Feels cloudful high waisted 7/8 leggings in white ($39.95) - these are a bit translucent, you have to wear nude underwear if you don't want it to show. I like the pockets and material, but it has an elastic a waist band which I don't love - but for the price they're decent quality.

My friends gifted me a tennis dress from Halara which was decent quality so I decided to try more from the brand since I got a giftcard.

Everlane 100% human tee ($20 on sale) size 2XS - the shirt is oversized as expected, but the fabric is kind of stiff - not the biggest fan but good thing it was on sale

Everlane 100% human sweatpants ($30 on sale) size XS - their sizing is off for the pants, it said 27 waist and these are uncomfortably tight. I can wear them for a period of time but I will definitely get a mark from the elastic - really bummed bc I was really looking forward to having white sweatpants.

Everlane cropped sweatshirt ($31 on sale) size XS - surprisingly my favorite of the bunch, I generally like cropped tops these days and this is cute if you wear any type of high waisted pants (for me, leggings and sweats).

Have you purchased any clothing in midst of the post holiday sales?

 

LIPSTICK | Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy in 333

Heard about this from my favorite Chinese Youtuber, it's a red toned carrot shade. I have been into reds but recently want something a bit more understated, so I am looking at other shades. The texture of the lipstick is pretty nice, would recommend if you like their shades. The cap is magnetic.

Price: $32 for 0.12 oz / 3.5 g - I got it on sale at Nordstrom

 

Cleansing Balm | Then I Met You

As you can tell I am almost out of this. For a few years this brand never went on sale, but this year it was 20% off on Sokoglam (maybe bc the economy isn't doing too hot this fall?).

For me, Then I Met You the best cleansing balm I've ever used, the packaging, texture, emulsification and faint scent are all perfect. The only "problem" is the price. I have used Shu Uemura (post here, it's good but too expensive and fragrance is very strong), Clinique (post here, texture isn't as buttery but it works), Eve Lom (not a fan of the scent, also requires a muslin cloth which is too "high maintenace" for me), Omorovizca (post here, does not emulsify and very overpriced, I actually didn't even end up using the whole jar). 

I know the Farmacy one is quite popular, I never tried it bc I still prefer cleansing oils but I do have a deluxe sample of I will use at some point. Banila is also very OG for cleansing balms, apparently a lot of formulas are similar to this - possibly the same manufacturer.

On my list to try next: Kim True (about $20 for 3 oz). I saw Neutrogena and Cerave have came out with cleansing balms recently, but the ingredients aren't as intriguing for me.

If you don't mind spending a bit more on cleansing balms, I would highly recommend this. I personally have been enjoying more affordable products under $30, but I will probably repurchase this again at some point, or as a gift for others.

Ingredients

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Trii-sostearate, PEG-8 Isostearate, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax/Cire Microcristalline), Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Orbiignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer

Price: $38 for 3.17 oz / 90 g

 

LIPPIE | Jill Stuart Rouge Lip Blossom in 103

 

Creamy texture, softer

Jill Stuart is a Japanese brand with an American designer's name - as you can see on the label it's owned by Kose. Not sure if they're super popular outside of Japan, I saw it being sold at the Hong Kong airport, not sure where else. I also have their powder foundation and blush (post here). I heard about this brand years ago (like 10+ years?) from a Youtuber who was really into high end Japanese beauty. For me, Jill Stuart's main selling point is the crystal like packaging. The product is decent as well, but I don't think it's super worth buying unless you're a packaging fanatic like me. If there is one product actually worth getting, it's the powder foundation - it has pretty good coverage and looks good on the skin.

The texture of Rouge Lip Blossom is nice, 103 is a nude that's more wearable and feels comfortable. I prefer more pink nudes, this is more of a tan nude that goes well with darker eye looks or a "no makeup" look. In China this would be called a "milk tea" color.

I purchased a Jill Stuart lippie a year or 2 years ago (post here) but the color was an unflattering pink. 

Price: $24 for 0.12 oz / 3.5 g (I got it for 50% off during their holiday sale)

Best Acne Cleanser: Zapzyt Acne Salicylic Acid Wash

 

If any of y'all had acne, I'm sure you've had your fair share of acne washes over the years. In my teenage years up until now, I've used the Neutrogena oil free pink grapefruit one, probably one of the Clean & Clear ones, some Korean/Japanese ones, none of which I really enjoyed. Recently, I've tried some other ones including the Cerave SA cleanser, Cetaphil acne cleanser, and SkinFix 2% BHA cleanser that also has azelaic acid and an acne body wash from Pacifica just to see if they perform well. Cerave SA I didn't like how my skin felt after, so I returned it. The Cetaphil I also returned right away, bc it is hard to squeeze and slips out of my hand easily when trying to lather. Most of these have 2% salicylic acid but are usually quite drying. 

The Zapzyt is the best 2% salicylic acid cleanser I've tried, it has a short list of ingredients, including aloe and chamomile which are soothing which I think helps with the non-drying quality. It lathers well but not as creamy as some Japanese cleansers. What I love most about it is after using it a few mornings in a row, I actually see a huge improvement in my blackheads, which nothing really helps other than clay masks which is a super temporary solution. 2% salicylic acid cleansers can also be a good way to mildly exfoliate even if you don't have acne, since the PC 2% BHA is quite popular (I've used 2 bottles of it but it doesn't make a huge difference on my skin? At least with blackheads, it does give you a glow)

On top of everything, it is also affordable at only $5.99 at Walgreens (or $9 ish on Amazon currently) for 5 oz. If you're in the market for an acne cleanser or a gentle exfoliating cleanser, this one is my top pick. Walgreens shipped my cleanser for free - didn't even need a minimum purchase $$.

I found out about this cleanser from Dr. Dray, it has very plain packaging - I hope everyone who has a need can find this cleanser bc it is amazing!

LIP GLOSS | Dior Lip Maximizer in Burgundy

Ah the Dior Lip Maximizers. I've had one of the Dior Lip Glows forever, it's nice to have around but the colors can get way too pink/unnatural.

I got a sheer red Lip Maximizer (post here) last year and it basically had no color, so I was hesitant to try anything else from this line.

I was never a fan of the Dior packaging to collect them, but there comes a time where you run out of brands to lust after and you go back to OGs.

Not a fan of this doe foot, it's a bit small and you have to redip a few times if you want more gloss.

As you can tell, very sheer. One of my youngin (23yo) friends love this type of product, but for me I feel like I might as well get a clear gloss? If you want something more pigmented, Dior also has a line of regular lip glosses that I hear are more sticky. I recently got a Tower28 lip gloss and the color actually shows and it's more affordable, so that may be a better option as well.

You may say, just layer it over another lip. I have learned over the years that I am a lazy person and don't tend to use/wear things that are high maintenance, so I prefer all-in-one products that have no fuss.

Dior Lip Maximizer has a minty feeling and smell upon application and can last for a good 20-30 minutes. If you want an actual plumping effect, I am not sure this will deliver but glosses tend to make your lips look slightly bigger.

Price: $38 for 0.2 oz / 6 ml - for me this is too expensive for the lack of color. If you want a moisturizing lip this can be ok. If I didn't already have a ton of lip balm, I could've kept this as an overnight lip balm.