Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel

Having been so excited with Whoosh, I got a bottle of Happy Hippy to use interchangeably. Happy Hippy is a shower gel made with all things grapefruit: grapefruit oil acts as aromatherapy to revitalize, and grapefruit juice gently cleanses the skin. And because it's made with fresh grapefruits, each bottle varies slightly in colour, from pink to yellow. Ironically, it doesn't smell like grapefruit, though... Just kidding, it totally smells like grapefruit. Not artificially sweet grapefruit, but as if you cut a fresh grapefruit in half. And added hints of bergamot and frankincense oils to give it a slightly earthy edge.

I imagine that this would be a great shower gel for those who shower in the morning. After all, Lush advertises it as "pink grapefruit breakfast juice." But since I'm not one of these people, I don't really benefit from the revitalizing effects of grapefruit. Yes, it lathers well, and thusly I'm lead to believe that it's cleaning well, too, and it doesn't strip my skin or leave it feeling dry... But I'm not sure it merits the $17.95 price tag, especially for a 250ml bottle. To me, it's really nothing special. I do love grapefruit and I think the scent is nice, but it's not really my favourite. And the scent doesn't linger, anyway, even if it was. I feel like there are better shower gels with better scents and cleansing properties for this price. See, Whoosh is great because, hello, it's like Jell-O! It's obviously awesome. But Happy Hippy? Well, it hasn't made me that happy nor has it made me a hippy. So, I like it, but not enough to re-buy it.

Canada's Wonderland

Finally took my annual trip to Canada's Wonderland ('cause Edward got us discounted passes from Costco):

This year's new ride, Windseeker (wasn't that scary until we were 92 metres up)

My favourite ride, Behemoth (until Leviathan opens next year)

Behemoth's 70-metre drop (that's 40 seconds of suspense going to the top)

Funnel cake!

A day that ends in funnel cake is always a good day.

MAC Me Over: Nail Lacquers

MAC released a new collection last Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of four new and limited edition nail lacquers featured in this collection. In this post, I will be reviewing three of the four shades. Each nail lacquer comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 10 ml, and retails for $18.

Quiet Time, Fatigues, and Deep Sea

Quiet Time is a greyed beige in a Cream finish. It is very similar to Essie's Sand Tropez.

Fatigues is a dark muted army green in a Cream finish. It is a darker and greyer version of Zoya's Dree.

Deep Sea is a deep dark teal-based blue in a Cream finish. It is darker and more teal than Blue India, and more teal than Beyond Jealous.

Overall, I thought these shades captured the fall trends quite nicely, and all three shades applied really nicely for me. They all went on quite smooth and evenly, and I didn't experience any streaking. They are a little on the thinner side in terms of consistency, but I got opaque colour coverage in two medium coats for each shade, and didn't experience any goopiness or bubbling. If any of the shades appeal to you, definitely take a look, though you may find a good dupe for much cheaper.

MAC Me Over: Brushes

MAC released a new collection last Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of three eye brushes featured in this collection: one is new and will be added to the permanent line-up, one is a re-promote and limited edition, and one is a re-promote and permanent. All MAC brushes are 100% cruelty-free.

226 is a small tapered blending brush. It is a re-promote from 2009's Brunette, Blonde, Redhead collection, and is limited edition. The 226 is made of virgin-cut goat hair. It is a small, domed, slightly tapered brush that is excellent for crease work. It's somewhere in between the 217 blending brush and 219 pencil brush. It retails for $29.50.

214 is a short shader brush. It is permanent and being re-promoted with the MAC Me Over collection. The 214 is made of virgin-cut goat hair. It is a small, short, rounded, double-chiseled brush. It is excellent for dense shading the lids and smudging eyeshadow and eyeliner. It's somewhere in between the 212 flat definer brush and the 228 mini shader brush. It retails for $29.50.

211 is a pointed liner brush. It is new and will be added to the permanent line-up. The 211 is made of synthetic hair. It is a firm and dense brush that tapers to an extra-fine point, and is excellent for applying both thin and thick eyeliner and precision detail work. It's similar to the 209, but firmer and denser, with a thicker base and a more pointed tip. It retails for $21.50.

For me, the must-have from this collection, beyond the different shades of eyeshadow, lipstick, etc., is the 226 brush. I'm surprised MAC hasn't made this permanent yet, considering how popular it is; it will the fastest to sell out at counters and is already sold out at partnered online retailers (MAC online did not put it up for sale because of limited quantities made). It's the ultimate crease blending brush, so while the 217 is fantastic for blending and the 219 is great for adding colour to the crease, the 226 can do both phenomenally. It's such a must-have for me and for my kit.

MAC Me Over: Fluidlines

MAC released a new collection last Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of four shades of Fluidline featured in this collection: three new and limited edition, and one re-promoted and limited edition. In this post, I will be reviewing two of the four shades. Each Fluidline comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 3 grams, and retails for $18.

Dark Diversion and Dark Envy

Dark Diversion is a darkened burgundy brown with berry undertones. It is re-promote from last year's Stylishly Yours collection, and is limited edition. It goes on semi-opaque, but is easily buildable.

Dark Envy is a darkened teal-green with teal and emerald green shimmer. It is a new and limited edition shade. It is technically semi-opaque, but it goes on a little more sheer than Dark Diversion. It is, however, easily buildable. When applied, the shimmer is not very noticeable, but there is still a metallic finish.

Fluidline is always a nice option for an eyeliner, and is especially great for those who like the precision of a liquid liner, but find it too harsh-looking. The gel formula is also softer and a little more forgivable in terms of both texture and look. Once they set, they're long-wearing, budge-proof, and smudge-proof. Fluidline is also great for those who find liquid eyeliner too difficult to put on with precision, but want something more solid and defined than a pencil liner. The only thing about using a gel liner is that you have to buy the brush separately, but it's cheaper in the long run assuming you purchase a good quality brush (which should last at least a decade). I like to use MAC's 208 brush with Fluidline, because I find it stiffer and firmer than the 266, and therefore more easy to control and build colour. Since there are only a few shades of Fluidline in the permanent line, these shades are great for those who are seeking for new liner colours, as well as Fluidline fans in general.

MAC Me Over: Shadesticks

MAC released a new collection last Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of five Shadesticks featured in this collection: three are new and limited edition, and two are re-promoted and limited edition. In this post, I will be reviewing three of the five Shadesticks. Each Shadestick comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 1.5 grams, and retails for $21.

Cakeshop, Butternutty, and Heirloom

Cakeshop is a grey-tinged mint green with a frosty finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Sugarsweet collection. It has a semi-opaque colour coverage, and is buildable. This one was a little drier than the typical Shadestick formula, so it does have a tendency to drag during application. Moreover, the shimmer in this shade makes the texture a little grittier than others. That having been said, it is a lovely shade, and there isn't anything similar in the permanent range.

Butternutty is a warm champagne-beige with a metallic finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Sugarsweet collection. This went on quite smooth and creamy, and has semi-opaque colour coverage and is buildable. It looks similar to Ricepaper.

Heirloom is a soft grey-tinged light pink with a frosty finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a semi-opaque colour coverage and is buildable. Like Cakeshop, the texture of this shade is a little drier and slightly gritty, so it does have a tendency to drag. It's like a greyer version of Pink Freeze.

Shadesticks are still available in a few select shades at counters, though the majority of them have been discontinued, so it is nice that MAC has released these new shades in a limited release. They are fairly versatile, being able to use them as eyeshadows, eyeshadow bases, or liners. They are easily blendable as well, whether you apply it straight from the stick, smudge with your fingers, or use a brush. It sets fairly quickly and dries down to an almost powder finish, so it does wear without creasing. It's great for those who want some shine and shimmer with the ease of a stick applicator, and they are creamy enough to get good colour pay-off on the lids. For me, however, I prefer using brushes and powder eyeshadows or cream bases that come in jars or pans. So while they're nice to have, they've never been must-haves for me.

MAC Me Over: Eyeshadows

MAC released a new collection on Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of six single eyeshadows featured in this collection: five are new and limited edition, and one is permanent at all MAC counters. In this post, I will be reviewing three of the six eyeshadows. Each eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 1.5 grams, and retails for $18. They are applicable for the Back To MAC recycling program (at MAC Stores only).

Outré, Moleskin, and Carbonized

Outré is a medium ochre brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a smooth and silky texture with excellent pigmentation and colour pay-off. It's definitely a more unique shade that MAC has come out with that's still fairly neutral, almost like a muted mustard brown. The yellow base, however, can make eyes look a little more tired, so it's best to be worn with other shades. It's like a more mustard version of Bamboo, or a more matte version of Soba.

Moleskin is a light-medium soft beige brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a smooth and silky texture with excellent pigmentation and colour pay-off. This isn't the most unique colour that MAC has come out with, but it is an wonderful neutral colour that will look good on anyone. I can see this being a lot of people's go-to neutral eyeshadow for a sort of an easy, effortless look. It is also fantastic as an all-over lid colour. It's like a lighter version of Soft Brown, or a more beige version of Soba.

Carbonized is a dark rich chocolate brown with bronze shimmer in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It is very much in-line with a Veluxe Pearl eyeshadow: soft, smooth, buttery, excellent pigmentation and colour pay-off, and high pearl sheen. It's about time MAC released a neutral dark brown in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This would be an excellent shade to use in a smoky eye look. The most similar shade in the permanent line-up would be Antiqued, but Carbonized is more of a true brown and not nearly as bronze. It's like a less red and metallic version of Embark.

Overall, the single eyeshadows from MAC Me Over are very neutral, but all really worth getting. They're just so versatile; you can pair them with pretty much anything. The texture and pigmentation are excellent across the board. It's almost like MAC wanted to make better versions of their existing shades, and they totally succeeded. I would say they're must-haves in anyone's kits or eyeshadow palettes, and are definitely worth taking a look at.

MAC Me Over: Lipglasses

MAC released a new collection on Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of seven lipglasses featured in this collection: four are new and limited edition, one is permanent at all MAC counters, and one two are re-promotes. In this post, I will be reviewing four of the seven lipsticks. Each lipglass comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 4.8 grams, and are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Each lipglass retails for $17.50, and is applicable for the Back To MAC recycling program (at MAC Stores only).

Plum Fun, Curvaceous, Social Light, and Illicit

Plum Fun is a medium-dark berry red with gold shimmer. It has nearly opaque colour coverage. It is a new and limited edition shade. It is lighter and more red than Pop Mode, and is similar but more opaque than Looks Like Sin Cremesheen Glass.

Cuvaceous is a medium milky pink-plum. It has nearly opaque colour coverage. It is a new and limited edition shade. It's a more plum version of Lust, and is similar but more opaque than Deelight Cremesheen Glass.

Social Light is a pearlized pink-toned brown. It has nearly opaque colour coverage. It is a new and limited edition shade. It's less pink than Viva Glam V, and is more brown than Love Nectar.

Illicit is a light peachy beige. It has nearly opaque colour coverage. It is a re-promoted shade from 2007's Smoke Signals collection and is limited edition. It is a darker and more opaque version of C-Thru, or a more beige version of Florabundance.

Like the lipsticks, there is a great range of shades of Lipglass released with MAC Me Over. MAC's Lipglasses are tackier and stickier than many other lipgloss formulas, but they also last longer than most, with about an average of four hours of wear. Though, due to the tackiness, they are also slightly more difficult to layer without getting unevenness. Some of the lighter or milkier shades also tend to pronounce lip lines, so it may be better to wear on top of a lipstick. If you like MAC's Lipglass formula, you may want to check out some of the new shades; there's something for everyone!

MAC Me Over: Lipsticks

MAC released a new collection on Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are a total of eight lipsticks featured in this collection: five are new and limited edition, one is permanent at all MAC counters, and two are re-promotes and permanent at MAC Pro. In this post, I will be reviewing five of the eight lipsticks. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 3 grams, and are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Each lipstick retails for $17.50, and is applicable for the Back To MAC recycling program.

Smoked Purple, Runaway Red, Offshoot, Peachstock, and Secret Lover

Smoked Purple is a dark cool-toned eggplant purple in a Matte finish. This is a re-promoted shade at MAC Stores and partnered locations, but is permanent at MAC Pro. The texture of this lipstick is smooth and creamy; I didn't find it to be drying at all, especially for a Matte. The pigmentation is excellent and colour pay-off is opaque. It is a slightly lighter version of Cyber.

Runaway Red is a medium cool-toned red with hints of fuchsia in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. Like Smoked Purple, Runaway Red goes on smooth and creamy and not drying at all. The pigmentation is excellent and colour pay-off is opaque. The Satin finish provides a very muted sheen, so it's not as flat as a Matte shade. It's more pink (and much less drying) than Ruby Woo, and more red and more opaque than Speak Louder.

Offshoot is a medium pink-plum with brown undertones in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on smooth, and has a semi-opaque colour pay-off. The Cremesheen finish provides a nice sheen, so lips look more moist and plump. It is slightly more pink than Touch, darker than Modesty, and more sheer than Impressive Sheen Supreme.

Peachstock is a light-medium peach-nude in a Satin finish. This is a re-promoted shade at MAC Stores and partnered locations, but is permanent at MAC Pro. The texture is smooth and creamy, and the pigmentation is excellent with opaque colour pay-off. The Satin finish provides a very muted sheen, so it's not as flat as a Matte shade. It's more opaque than Shy Girl, and lighter and more peach than Cherish.

Secret Lover is a light beige-champagne in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on sheer and nearly colourless. It seems to go on a little more smoothly than some other Lustre lipsticks. When applied, it simply mutes natural lip colour and adds more of a beige-champagne sheen. It's a less pink version of Pretty Please, or a warmer version of Frou.

MAC Me Over provides a lot of choice for lipsticks with a whopping eight shades in this collection. There's definitely something for everyone. The big seller from this collection will most likely be Offshoot, because it's so universally flattering with good colour pay-off and a nice finish. Runaway Red will definitely be popular for those who like a bright lip for fall, Peachstock will appeal to the nude lip crowd, and Smoked Purple and Prince Noir (not reviewed) will be nice for those who like a dark lip look. The only lipstick that I feel is absolutely skippable is Secret Lover, which really doesn't add any colour so much as soft sheen. It might appeal to those who want a lipstick that doesn't look like lipstick. Other than that, everyone of all different skintones (from light to dark) and undertones (from cool to warm) will find something that suits them in this collection.

MAC Me Over: Powder Blushes

MAC released a new collection on Thursday called MAC Me Over. MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, and the displays feature before and after make-over shots of six different people, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. There are two new and limited edition shades of Powder Blush in Stunner and Equilibrium. Each blush comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 6 grams, and retails for $23.50.

Stunner and Equilibrium

Stunner is a light strawberry pink with peach undertones in a Satin finish. There is a slight champagne-pink sheen to it so it doesn't come off as strong as a straight-up pink would. The pigmentation was great and the colour pay-off is very nice, being both buildable and easily blendable. The texture is smooth and silky, not at all powdery or chalky. Stunner will work well on both warm and cool undertones, and fair to medium skintones. It will probably work better as a soft highlighter on deeper skintones. It's like a lighter and less bright version of Pinch O' Peach.

Equilibrium is a soft tan-bronze in a Satin finish. There is a slight golden sheen to it, which makes it a little more wearable for those who are more fair. The pigmentation is excellent and great colour pay-off. It's not so intense that you have to use a light hand with this, but you definitely get enough colour that building it up will be redundant. The texture is smooth, soft, and silky. Equilibrium will work well on both warm and cool undertones, and fair to medium-dark skintones. It may not show up as well on those with very dark skintones, though the golden sheen will provide a nice glow if used as a blush. This would be a great option for lighter skintones to use as a bronzer. It's a lighter and more golden version of Blunt.

Overall, these are really worth getting for anyone who's on the market for a new blush. The pigmentation, colour pay-off, and texture are great for both. They're excellent neutral shades to add to anyone's make-up kit. The Satin finish keeps them from looking too metallic, frosty, or shimmery, but it gives a little more dimension than a Matte, so I can see these appealing to all age groups as well. The only negative aspect of these blushes is that neither shade is particularly unique, so you may have something similar at home already. Definitely take a look if you're looking for a new blush, though.

MAC Me Over: Lady Grey Eyeshadow Quad

MAC is releasing a new collection today called MAC Me Over, named so because MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, and the displays feature before and after make-over shots of six different people, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. The Lady Grey Eyeshadow Quad is a new and limited edition eye palette that includes the following shades: All Races, Tendersmoke, Lady Grey, and Hazy Day. Each palette comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 5.6 grams, and retails for $45.50.

All Races, Tendersmoke, Lady Grey, and Hazy Day

All Races is a light taupe-based beige in a Matte finish. It is a re-promoted shade from last year's All Ages, All Races, All Sexes collection. The texture is smooth and silky, and the pigmentation is in-line for a matte shade this light; not completely opaque, but easily buildable. The colour pay-off is good, and wasn't chalky or powdery like many other light, matte shades. It's like a cooler version of Bisque.

Tendersmoke is a muted grey-based plum in a Frost finish. It is a re-promoted shade from this year's Packed To Go palettes, which were available exclusively online and at duty free. The texture is smooth and the pigmentation is decent, but the colour pay-off is not fully opaque. It is buildable, however, and easily blendable. It looks like a lighter version of Sable.

Lady Grey is a muted soft grey-tinged moss green in a Satin finish. It's a new and limited edition shade. The texture leans a little powdery, so it can be prone to fall out. The pigmentation is decent, but like Tendersmoke, the colour pay-off is not fully opaque though easily buildable. It's like a lighter, muted version of Greensmoke.

Hazy Day is an antiqued olive-brown with a sheen in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It's a new and limited edition shade. The texture is super-smooth, soft, buttery, and easily blendable. It has excellent pigmentation and great colour pay-off. It has everything you would expect from a Veluxe Pearl eyeshadow. This is probably my favourite shade of the four, but I'm kind of biased because Veluxe Pearl is my all-time favourite finish. It's like a much browner version of Sumptuous Olive.

Overall, it's a lovely quad for those who like a softer smoky eye look. It's very much in-line with the "Amber Gris" trend for this fall: ethereal, dreamy, neutral, soft watercolour colours. Like the Evil Eye quad, it's one of the better overall eyeshadow quads MAC has come out recently. I feel like this is more wearable as a whole than the Evil Eye quad, though, only because there is more of a range in tone to create a dimensional eye look. It would also work beautifully with the colours in Evil Eye to create a beautiful smoky eye. Definitely worth taking a look at if you like a softer eyeshadow colours.

MAC Me Over: Evil Eye Eyeshadow Quad

MAC is releasing a new collection today called MAC Me Over, named so because MAC held an online competition in which thousands of people submitted videos and photos of themselves to be the models for this collection. This is the first collection from MAC in which all the promotional displays feature "real people" rather than hired models, and the displays feature before and after make-over shots of six different people, ranging in age, gender, and race. MAC Me Over is a huge collection, comprising of a total of 52 products, and is one of MAC's collections for fall. The Evil Eye Eyeshadow Quad is a new and limited edition eye palette that includes the following shades: Palace Pedigreed, Spellcaster, Evil Eye, and Moody. Each palette comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 5.6 grams, and retails for $45.50.

Palace Pedigreed, Spellcaster, Evil Eye, and Moody

Palace Pedigreed is a dark burgundy in a Satin finish. This is a re-promoted shade from last fall's Fabulous Felines collection. The texture on this one is quite smooth, and I would say the pigmentation is decent. The colour pay-off could be slightly better in swatches, but it works wonderfully on the eyes. It's like a redder version of Embark, or a darker version of Folie.

Spellcaster is a cool dark plum in a Matte finish. The texture on this is smooth, but the pigmentation is on the sheerer side. I would say that this is the problem shade of the quad. Not that it's horrible, but it does require some work to get good colour pay-off. This is like a cooler version of Sketch, or a more purple version of Beauty Marked (though the pay-off of Spellcaster is better).

Evil Eye is a dark grey-tinged olive green in a Matte finish. The texture on this was fantastic: smooth, silky, and easily blendable. This is one of the best matte shades I've come across in a long time from MAC, especially in a quad. The pigmentation is excellent with great colour pay-off. There's nothing really similar to this shade in MAC's permanent range. It's like a matte and darker version of Greensmoke, or a lighter version of Femme Noir, which was discontinued.

Moody is a blackened plum-grey in a Veluxe Pearl finish. The texture is in line with Veluxe Pearls, and that is smooth, soft, buttery, and blendable. The pigmentation is phenomenal, as is the colour pay-off, which is nearly opaque. This is probably my favourite shade of the four, but I'm kind of biased because Veluxe Pearl is my all-time favourite finish. This is like a much darker version of Satin Taupe.

Overall, I think this is a great quad for those who like dark, smoky eye colours. I've read a few online reviews on this that were quite negative, but I really urge people to go to counters to swatch these shades for themselves, only because there are obviously some quality defects to those beauty bloggers that received this palette early from PR. This is honestly one of the better quads MAC has come out with in the past couple years, with only one shade that requires a bit more work. I was really surprised to see such a pigmented matte shade as well, since mattes are usually a hit or miss in terms of pigmentation and texture. My only tiff with this palette is that the four shades included aren't really wearable together; there isn't enough of a range in terms of tone. These shades would work better paired with lighter shades to create more dimension in an eye look. Other than that, I would say that this is palette is certainly worth $45.50, assuming you love wearing dark shades.

Mehoi Ear Studs

I stopped by Outer Layer (a shop that I had not been to in about a decade now, and it now houses some of the most awesome and hard-to-find goodies by the likes of Tokyomilk, Lollia, Sula, Love & Toast, Pacifica, and more!) while I was strolling along Queen Street over the weekend, and picked up a couple pairs of Mehoi's ridiculously cute ear studs. When I was in high school, I collected Mehoi's cute pin buttons and loved them to death, but like all good things, my button phase came to an end. These ear studs are a more grown-up way to wear Mehoi's cartoon-y designs (though she makes grown-up-looking pins, too!). I picked up a pair of the small diamond design, as well as the rockets, but there were so many other delightful designs, that I just ordered another couple pairs online. If you like what you see, support a local artist. You could be rockin' some rice cookers on your ears!

South St. Burger Co.

Shawn and I went to South St. Burger Co. for late lunch/early dinner. I ordered a burger with bacon, pepper jack cheese, savoury relish, garlic mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and it was pretty damn delightful. That having been said, I still like Hero Burger slightly more (and it doesn't even compete with Shake Shack). If there's one thing that I love about South St., though, it's their massive selection of fresh toppings, which is possibly the best that I've seen at a burger place. My biggest epiphany on this trip, however, was that I don't really like New York Fries...

Will try Five Guys Burgers next time, as per Mary's suggestion.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Swimsuit... Nailed It!

This is the last of the three shades I bought from OPI's Miss Universe collection. Swimsuit... Nailed It! is a bright medium-dark cerulean blue with blue shimmer. It almost looks like a foil when applied. The formula on this one is excellent; smooth, even application, and nearly opaque in one coat. The colour along with the finish definitely makes for a more unique blue polish among a sea of them. I've been getting a lot of compliments on this one, but I find that it can look almost too metallic ('80s tacky) instead of shimmery (chic). It looks great on nice, manicured nails, but it can also look like something a 5-year-old would wear, so make sure you put on a good top coat to keep it from chipping. It reminds me of the blue make-up bags from MAC's Wonder Woman collection earlier this year. If you like blue polishes, this might be one to check out.

Everest

Shawn and I decided to spend the afternoon on Queen Street West today, and I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't been down there in over a year. Possibly more. I suppose living so far into the suburbs now, I rarely have a reason to go downtown, unless it's school (which I'm not in anymore). A lot has changed, but there are still a few places that have stayed, including the restaurant we had lunch at, Everest. I've been there once before, many years ago, and we went there today because we were super hungry and also because it's the first place we saw.

Vegetable samosas

Vegetable samosa innards

Butter chicken with naan

I wasn't sure what to order there because I don't really know what they're known for. I assumed it was Tibetan food, because of the name of the restaurant, but they serve just the same amount of Indian and Asian foods, as well as pizzas and pastas. I asked our waitress what she recommended, and she said the butter chicken was really good, so that's what I ordered, along with an order of samosas to share. The samosas were actually really good, better than some that I've had at actual Indian or Pakistani restaurants. They were a good size, stuffed with lots of tender well-seasoned vegetables, and the outer shell was perfectly crisp and substantial. It was rather overpriced at three pieces for $7.99, but such is the nature of eating downtown.

My butter chicken was also surprisingly good, though whether or not it was authentic is another question (the butter chicken I've had is usually red or orange in colour, and this one was more yellow). The way I see it is that the chicken was tender and moist, and the curry was creamy and flavourful. And it was pretty damn delicious. The naan wasn't the best, not being quite as fluffy or flavourful as I'd like, but it was tasty and substantial enough to hold all the curry I was piling on it, which is good enough for me. And butter chicken is always deceptively filling. It doesn't look like that much on the plate, but once it's finished, you're pretty damn full. Regardless of whether it's really butter chicken, I would order it again just because it was so good. (I wonder if Indian people look at us eating this butter chicken the way I look at non-Chinese people eat deep-fried chicken balls. Whatever. Good food is good food.)

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. What was your most memorable alarm-clock failure? I honestly can't remember. I'm pretty good about waking up to my alarm clock.
2. What item recently in the news do you find most alarming? Alexisonfire broke up.
3. Of car alarms, burglar alarms, and smoke alarms, which do you consider most effective or useful? Smoke alarms. Man, if a car alarm goes off, no one turns an eye.
4. If the shoplifting alarm is tripped as you exit a store, what do you do? Go back to the cashier to see what triggered the alarm and get them to remove the security tag.
5. If you owned some kind of personality alarm to warn you upon first meeting someone of likely trouble in the relationship, what would be five qualities you’d set it to detect? Truthfulness, intelligence, friendliness, sincerity, genuineness.

MAC Prep + Prime Pressed Transparent Finishing Powder

MAC released a new collection today called Prime Focus. It features six new and permanent products, all in the Prep + Prime family, which, as the name implies, is a collection of priming products. With Prime Focus, MAC has released their Transparent Finishing Powder in a pressed compact form. It's great for someone like me, who does not like loose powders. I absolutely love the benefits of the Prep + Prime Finishing Powder, but I hate loose powders so I didn't use it as much as I liked. But this new compact solves that. It contains 6.3 grams of product, and comes in the black sparkly Prep + Prime packaging. Pressed Transparent Finishing Powder retails for $27.50 each.

Prep + Prime Pressed Transparent Finishing Powder, like the loose version, is meant for minimizing the appearance of imperfections when used with foundation, and to control oil. While "finishing" insinuates setting foundation or make-up as a last step, it is also phenomenal under make-up. A lot of people might be skeptical of using a powder as a foundation primer, but it is absolutely wonderful, especially for those who are oily. It will leave your foundation looking flawless and shine-free for at least eight hours. The powder itself is stark white, which may be scary to some, but it is absolutely transparent. Not translucent, but transparent. It doesn't add any colour at all, which is why it is perfect for every skin tone. It will not make people look ashy or ghostly, as many may think. It is such an under-utilized product from MAC, but the benefits are so great. And now it comes in a compact version, so it's portable, easy-to-use, and best of all, not messy! If you're on the market for a new setting powder and/or primer, definitely check this out.

Gal's Sushi

Shawn and I went for dinner at Gal's Sushi:

Takoyaki

Sashimi appetizer

Shrimp Caterpillar Roll: shrimp tempura, avocado, and tobiko, topped with avocado, spicy salmon, and caviar

Gal's Special Roll: shrimp tempura, salmon, avocado, tobiko, and cream cheese wrapped in soy bean paper and topped with potato bits

Everything was pretty good, except for Gal's Special Roll, which was honestly really gross. It sounded good in theory, but was just terrible in execution. The cream cheese sort of ruined everything. Honestly, I feel like cream cheese is something that doesn't belong in sushi. (I've never had a Philadelphia Roll, but it's apparently quite popular, so I assume it has to be relatively good... but I have no desire to try it.) And the soy bean wrap left a nasty fermented aftertaste. I wouldn't recommend it at all, let alone re-order it. Ack. I also have to note that the quality of the service really varies depending on how busy it is. The first time I went to Gal's Sushi, our host and waiter were quite friendly and efficient, but they were totally apathetic and slow this time around (it took us about 10 minutes just to get our bill). I would go back again, but only to order the tried-and-true items (no more "interesting" dishes), and not during peak meal times (after 9:00pm).

Luxe Box

Got this month's Luxe Box yesterday:

Inside, I found the following:

- Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup SPF15 in Golden Medium (4.3g)

- City Lips by City Cosmetics Lip Plumping Treatment (1.5ml)

- Proclaim Cocoa & Shea Butter Hand & Body Lotion (88ml)

- Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Eau de Parfum Rollerball (3ml)

- Sheyna Jewelry handmade pearl and moonstone earrings (bonus product)

Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the products in this month's box. It's not that they're bad products, it's that they aren't to my taste. The Pür Minerals powder is a decent product, but I'm not particularly a fan of mineral products to begin with, especially in my foundation. If I was, I'd be using more of MAC's Mineralize products, which I get at a hefty discount or for free as gratis. Having worked at Shoppers, I have tried a few of Pür Minerals' products and they're decent, but they're just not my favourites. Or, at least I didn't like them enough to merit a re-buy. Moreover, the Golden Medium shade is way too dark for me, so at best, I'd use it for contouring. The City Lips Lip Plumping Treatment is something I'm not interested in using, period. I'm not a fan of plumping products at all, 'cause I hate the feel of them (besides MAC's Plushglass, which has a very subtle tingling sensation) and my lips are naturally quite full.

Proclaim's Hand & Body Lotion is nice, lightweight, and quite moisturizing, and this is probably the only product in this box that's going to get remotely any use. That having been said, I have tons of hand creams that are better quality and smell better (Proclaim's lotion doesn't have an offensive smell, it's very much the smell of cocoa butter, which I'm indifferent to). The deluxe sample of Calvin Klein's Forbidden Euphoria is relatively generous and comes in a handy rollerball applicator, but unfortunately, I'm just not a fan of the scent. It has that kind of overly sweet floral smell that tends to give me headaches, similar to the original Euphoria (I liked Euphoria Blossom the best of the fragrances released under the Euphoria umbrella, but even then, I didn't like it enough to buy it).

The earrings from Sheyna are a generous bonus product, but they're just not my style (I like simple silver and white gold and occasionally crystals, but I don't like really girly or delicate-looking jewelry, like pearls), which is unfortunate because they are rather cute (on someone else). Overall, I didn't think this box was worth $10 for myself, though I do think many other people (specifically people who aren't in the cosmetics industry) will enjoy these products.

MAC Turquatic

MAC's Turquatic fragrance is back! After discontinuing their entire fragrance line-up this past winter, MAC has decided to re-release Turquatic permanently, available at MAC Stores only. The scent itself is exactly the same as the old Turquatic, but they now come in lovely new bottles featuring a gradient from yellow-chartreuse to green-teal. They now also come in 20ml and 50ml sizes, as well as a rollerball version. I decided to get the 20ml bottle, which is the one pictured here, but the 50ml size has a slightly different design (which I actually find a bit prettier). The 20ml size of Turquatic retails for $33.

Turquatic is inspired by the sea, with notes of anemone, lotus, orris, and Corsican blue cedar. It's a very fresh and crisp scent, reminiscent of seasides or oceans. There's a wateriness to the scent that keeps it light and non-cloying, but there is an underlying floral muskiness that lingers on the skin after a few hours of wear. That having been said, Turquatic lasts about three or four hours on me before fading completely. Turquatic was the only fragrance that I ever liked from MAC, so I'm glad they chose this one to re-introduce again, and permanently! For those who like scents like Estée Lauder's Pure White Linen Light Breeze or Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue, Turquatic may appeal to you.

Lush Big Shampoo

I'd never used Lush's shampoos before, but I was interested in trying a more natural hair product, so I went into the store to inquire about them. After I told the salesgirl that I had a dry, sensitive scalp and dull hair prone to frizz, she recommended Big. Big contains raw sea salt, fresh sea water, fresh lime and lemon juice, seaweed, extra virgin coconut oil, neroli oil, and mandarin oil. The sea salt and sea water soften and maintain moisture in skin, and sea salt is also a natural antiseptic, so it also purifies, de-greases the skin, and removes dead skin cells and dirt. The lime juice provides high shine, the lemon juice cleanses and de-greases hair, and the seaweed helps strengthen and further soften hair. The texture of the shampoo is very much like a body scrub, which may turn some people off. As a result, it comes in a tub rather than a bottle, and you have to scoop out the product rather than squeeze it out as you would regular shampoo. A 330g container retails for $24.95.

At first I was a little hesitant to put a scrub on my scalp, let alone my hair. But I digressed after realizing that the sea salt almost instantly dissolves upon contact with water. I use about a teaspoon for my medium-to-long hair, and it produces a really nice lather, which surprised me considering the texture of the shampoo. The smell of this product is probably my favourite scent of all the Lush products I've tried; it's very fresh and citrusy and kind of beachy, and not overwhelming at all. I've been using the shampoo for about three weeks now, and it really has left my hair much softer and shinier than before, even without the aid of styling products. I haven't noticed a significant amount of volume, mostly because I already have thick, coarse hair, but I have noticed a lift at the roots. I do recommend using a good conditioner with this shampoo, only because the salt can dry hair out (similar to swimming in ocean water). Then again, I've never shampooed my hair without using conditioner, so this really is a moot point for me. I would definitely re-buy this for the scent alone, but the fact that it makes my hair feel softer and healthier makes it infinitely worthier.

Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer in Wallis

My latest order from Butter London arrived last week, which included a few other permanent shades and a couple of new and limited edition shades from their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. I obviously couldn't wait until Fall to wear their new shades, so I've started wearing them now. I'm currently rocking Wallis, which is a gorgeous metallic antiqued olive with gold shimmer. It's very much a duochrome, shining green/gold in one light and bronze/gold in another. I can't find a dupe for this shade, but it looks exactly like MAC's Semi-Precious Mineralize Eyeshadow in Golden Gaze (but, you know, in nail polish form). The formula is exactly as one would expect from Butter London: smooth application, even flow, and great pigmentation. It goes opaque in one coat, but two makes it perfect. A beautiful shade for Fall, and a great addition to Butter London's line-up.

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. What could serve as physical evidence that you sometimes lose focus? The fender of my car.
2. What could serve as physical evidence that you are loved? My family, boyfriend, and friends.
3. What could serve as physical evidence that you're from wherever you're from? Birth certificate and passport.
4. What could serve as physical evidence that you went anywhere this past week? Receipts, debit card transactions, mileage on my car, time sheets at work...
5. What could serve as physical evidence that you recently caved in to temptation? My weight.

Ikea Food

Dear Ikea, I love you and your $3.99 Swedish meatball lunches.

The Keg

I met up with Jaime at The Keg for her birthday over the past weekend. We were super full by the time we finished our entrées, but were too tempted by the dessert menu, so we each got the mini dessert trio:

Passion fruit crème brûlée

Strawberry shortcake with strawberry coulis

Chocolate fudge brownie s'mores

The crème brûlée was good, with the custard being really smooth and silky, and the burnt sugar was just crispy enough, but I think I would have preferred it if it wasn't passion fruit-flavoured, and if the custard was warmer. The strawberry shortcake was quite delightful, fluffy and light, but the strawberry syrup was too sweet, and I thought they should've added more actual strawberries. The s'mores were also good, but I would have preferred them without the brownies, to be honest. It was almost too much chocolate? And I would have liked the marshmallows to be a little more melty. Overall, they were decent and a nice mix in terms of flavours and textures, but they won't replace Billy Miner Pie as my favourite dessert at The Keg.