Why I have not bought any of the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palettes?

Hi Everyone =)

I hope you have been well. My flight is tomorrow so I'll just write this quick post on my thoughts of why I have not bought any of the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palettes?

Note: I do not own any of the Naked palettes nor have I tried or swatched them. These are my thoughts based on reading and watching reviews and going into stores to look at the palettes.

The main reason for any of the 3 palettes is price. While I understand, comparing the price of each individual eye shadow (if it was sold separately) to the price of the palette as a whole saves money, $52 is still a lot of money. And I don't think that a good deal for a product disregards its price.
So yes, the main reason why I don't buy any of the 3 palettes is that I find them too expensive.

Naked Original
I would have bought this when it first came out for $40, but I was hoping that it would go down in price. Instead it went up and stayed up...=(
This one is my favorite out of all of the Naked Palettes BUT there are a few reasons why I have not bought it:
1) Horrible packaging! The Naked 2 and 3 both have nice metal packaging that protects it well and makes the container long lasting. The Naked Original is still in its crappy easily dented paper-lined packaging which easily gets damaged. I have seen many Naked Original palettes get scrapes, smudges (because of the soft cover), with the paper lining peeling back over a lot of time and use.
2) Those 2 blue colors, I would never ever use, so it would be a waste of money and space.
3) While I love all the neutral colors, I already own many similar ones as single eyeshadows or as parts of other palettes, so there is really no need to buy more of the same or similar eyeshadows.

Naked 2
1) Not as wearable for day looks as the Naked Original. It is more of a darker, night-out look for more dramatic looks. I don't go out often at night and so I would not use these colors a lot.
2) Again, I already have many similar colors.

Naked 3
Of the three palettes, this is the one I would most consider buying because I do not own a lot of pink-toned or rose-colored eyeshadows. Many people say that this is too similar to the Naked Original, I don't think so. I find it very different. I really like how the pink-toned colors give a very warm and romantic feel to the eyeshadows. The colors are all feminine and sweet.
1) I am worried how it will look compared to my skin tone. Depending on how I use it and how much product I apply, this could make my eyes look red or swollen. I would need to go to the stores to try it before purchasing.
2) I have heard mixed reviews on the fallout and chalkiness of the eyeshadows, which makes me hesitant. Not because I don't like a lot of fallout and chalkiness (if the colors are beautiful enough I can deal with it), but because if I travel with it, I do not want the pressed eyeshadows to be cracking and crumbling, so that when I open the palette the powders are all messed up everywhere!

So, these are just my personal thoughts and reasons for why I have not purchased any of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes.
Perhaps if I was newer to makeup and I wanted just 1 good everyday neutral palette and nothing else, then I would consider the Naked Original. However, I know myself, I will continue to buy eyeshadows anyway =P.

On a side note, my dad always said that I could buy whatever I wanted as long as I used it. And used it, meaning, using it to its worth! If I used it enough that the price was worth it, then there was no problem in buying it no matter what the cost was.
Moral of the story: I am not telling you what to buy, it is up to you and hopefully to your own money. Just make sure it is something you really want and you will use often enough to find it worthwhile.
(A great tip when shopping, is that if something is out of your budget but you like it, ask them to hold it for you at the counter, continue shopping, and if you are still thinking about that product at the end of the day, and dearly so, then it is probably worthwhile to you to go back and purchase it)

I hope that my thoughts may have helped you in your decisions on the Naked palettes.

Thank you for reading! =)

Have a great winter break for the students! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

December Hiatus! =O

Hi guys!

I will be taking a hiatus for the entire month of December! >.<

Yeah I know, that's a long time, but finals start next week and I have 3 finals, each on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I am also finishing up my master applications. (But still waiting for my letters of rec to be done! grrr lol)

And finally I am taking a 2 week vacation to Taiwan and Japan! I will be flying the day after my last final ends so I will be super busy packing and what not.

I am going to Kyoto, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan.

So I hope you understand why I'm taking a short break on my blog. =)

Thanks so much for keeping up with me and reading my posts!
I will be buying Japanese and Taiwanese cosmetics and skin care so stay tuned for that!

Also, good luck for everyone else who are taking finals too!

I will see everyone next year!
Have a great winter break, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

^_^

Review on First Aid Beauty FAB Faves to Go Kit!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you have been doing well. =)

Today I am reviewing the First Aid Beauty FAB Faves to Go Kit

This set can be bought on Amazon for $28 and prime shipping!

What do I think of this product?
So this year, especially starting with the summer until now, I have been much more stressed than normal with studying for my mCAT exam, and now busy with hospital shifts, school, work, and applications. Therefore, my skin showed it. =P
I started to get redness on my face and also it became more sensitive and easily irritated. This is probably due to stress, lack of sleep, and also poorer eating habits (which are improving).
So I bought this kit! As you know I did buy the "First Aid Beauty" Ultra Repair Oatmeal mask and I loved it. It worked very well in calming my redness down and hydrating my skin. 
However, I did want a skincare product that treated me on a more daily basis, than just doing the occasional mask. I could wear the mask everyday, but most people don't and if I did, I would probably finish that bottle in a week. XP

This kit comes with 3 products:
-Face Cleanser: 56.7g or 2.0 oz
-Facial Radiance Pads: 28 pads
-Ultra Repair Cream: 56.7g or 2.0 oz

I have used these products for almost 1 month. None of these products irritate or redden my skin in any way.

Facial Cleanser
This cleanser is recommended to be used in the morning when you wake up and before you go to bed. It is said to moisturize and protect the skin.
This is a creamy cleanser with a soft texture. It will lather up into a foam when washing your face. One thing that did bother me was that it smelled like old paint...=/, but at least my skin doesn't smell like that after I wash my face.
I found this cleanser to be a nice cleanser for everyday use. It cleans my face well and keeps it hydrated. However, I don't find this cleanser to be that special or have a significant improvement for my skin. I think it works just as well as my Shiseido Perfect Whip and Shiseido Perfect Milk cleansers, which are much cheaper.
Therefore, while this is a good cleanser, I can find others that work the same and are much more affordable, so I will not be repurchasing this product again.

Facial Radiance Pads
These pads are said to exfoliate, tone and brighten skin. You are supposed to use it after you use the facial cleanser but I don't. I actually use it as a replacement for my cleanser on days that I come home late and I am very tired but I still want to clean my face, I will use these. Probably not the best way to use them, but it didn't hurt my skin, so I think it is okay. They clean my skin very well, I can see the pad change color very clearly from white to gray or brown....which may be gross, but hey! it works!
These pads are very thin and soaked with a lot of cleansing solution. They gently exfoliate and clean my skin. Also, they still keep my face moisturized, they don't dry out  my skin.
I love to use these because they are very portable, container is leak proof, and good to use when I am very tired or in a hurry. I personally don't think they brighten my skin much, but they do clean and exfoliate my skin well. I will definitely consider repurchasing this again, I think it is great when I am busy or when I am traveling!

Ultra Repair Cream
This is my most favorite product of the set. It is said to provide immediate relief and visible improvement for distressed skin and eczema. FAB Antioxidant Booster is there to defend skin from free radical damage. Ultra Repair Cream can be used all over the body and on the face.
The directions say to apply as needed. This bothered me a bit, because usually medical creams have directions like that, which means that the product is a strong and intensive product. Also, the cream smells medicated which doesn't bother me too much, just makes me concerned on how intensive this product is. Because the general rule for medicated products is that the less you use them the better.
I initially used this all over my face after cleansing everyday, because I had overall redness. The redness decreased rapidly because of this cream and as it says it is very fast acting and moisturizing. I also applied this to a bug bite on my face and saw a clear decrease in redness and swelling.
Once my overall redness decreased, I applied it only the redness around my mouth and my nose. And I am seeing great results with a lot of redness gone and some days with no redness!
This product is moisturizing but not as moisturizing as I would like it to be. Usually I apply it a second time if this is the only moisturizer on my face. But now I apply my Aveeno Baby all over my face and then the Ultra Repair Cream on areas of my face that are irritated and/or red.
This product works very well for me, decreasing irritation and redness quickly and significantly. I would definitely repurchase this product again!

Do I recommend these products?
For the Facial Cleanser, I really think that it is not necessary for you to buy it at that price so for the price I do not recommend it. However, if you really want to try this product or if you have very sensitive skin, then I think it's okay to try.
If you are looking for an on-the-go facial cleansing product, then the Facial Radiance Pads are your friend! I recommend this product because it is great for days when you are super busy, tired, or when you are traveling! I don't recommend for your daily use, but use it when you need it!
If you have sensitive skin, irritated skin, dry skin, red/inflamed skin I definitely recommend the Ultra Repair Cream! It works very well and worth the price! Just make sure to not apply it to any broken skin or open wounds, because they will sting.

So I hope you liked this review and found it helpful! Feel free to ask any questions or write comments in the comment box below. Thank you for reading and I will see you later! =)