MAC Ice Parade: Snowglobe Eyeshadows in Sultry

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

MAC released their holiday sets collection last Thursday, called Ice Parade. Ice Parade will see the release of three eyeshadow palettes. Each palette includes six eyeshadow shades and a mini 213SE brush. The Sultry palette includes the following shades: Lightfully, Trax, Fun!, Festive Delight, Black Tied, and Shadowy Lady. Each palette includes a total of 6 grams of product, comes in a limited edition glossy white compact featuring a silver reflective "snowglobe" on the cover and a mirror on the inside, and retails for $45.50.

Lightfully, Trax, Fun!, Festive Delight, Black Tied, and Shadowy Lady

Lightfully is a shimmery pale pink-tinged white in a Lustre finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from 2007's Lightful collection. It goes on powdery and uneven. The colour pay-off is also sheer, so a lot of layering is required to get it near pan colour. Because it is so sheer, the pink tint you see in the pan doesn't translate on to skin. It is similar to Forgery.

Trax is a medium red-toned violet with gold and copper shimmer. It is a permanent shade. It has a soft texture and goes on quite smoothly, but the shimmer is prone to fall out, so it doesn't translate well on the skin. The pigmentation is good and has opaque colour pay-off. It's less brown than Star Violet.

Fun! is a medium pink-copper with gold shimmer in a Lustre finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on chunky and powdery with a lot of fall out. The colour pay-off is really sheer, and I found that I really had to pack it on to get it to look even remotely like the pan colour in an arm swatch. It does, however, show up quite well on the eye. It is lighter and more pink than Mythology.

Festive Delight is a vibrant medium-dark berry violet with pink shimmer in a Lustre finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on smoothly and doesn't have the grittiness of most other Lustre eyeshadows, so there is little to no fall out. The pigmentation is good and has opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly darker than Cranberry.

Black Tied is black with silver shimmer in a Velvet finish. It is a permanent shade. It's on the drier, stiffer side, so it goes on a little unevenly. The pigmentation is semi-sheer, but it can build up easily to achieve opaque colour pay-off. This shade works better on the eye than in a swatch. It is Carbon with shimmer.

Shadowy Lady is blackened burgundy-plum in a Matte finish. It is a permanent shade. It goes on smooth and pigmented with opaque colour pay-off. It's darker and more purple than Sketch.

As much as I wanted to love this palette, I was kind of disappointed. First of all, three of the six shades are permanent. Secondly, only three of the six shades have excellent pigmentation and blendability. The other three suffer from poor-to-mediocre pigmentation and sheer colour pay-off. They should have put Pink Freeze or Seedy Pearl instead of Lightfully, because the pink in Lightfully doesn't even show up on the eye or in a swatch. While Black Tied isn't actually that bad in execution (I use it occasionally when I want to darken a smoky eye), the shimmer doesn't translate well on the skin, so you're better off using Carbon, anyhow. Fun! was terrible in the swatch but worked fairly well on the eye, as long as it's padded on and used on top of a good primer. Lustre eyeshadows can be difficult to use because of the grittier texture and resulting fall out, but they're really terrible here. The only stand out shade here was Festive Delight, but it looks very similar to Cranberry. You're better off spending the extra money getting similar shades (or the same shades) from the permanent line-up.

MAC Ice Parade: Snowglobe Eyeshadows in Cool

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MAC released their holiday sets collection last Thursday, called Ice Parade. Ice Parade will see the release of three eyeshadow palettes. Each palette includes six eyeshadow shades and a mini 213SE brush. The Cool palette includes the following shades: Snowball, Illegal Cargo, Idol Eyes, Warm & Smoky, Howzat, and Set To Dance. Each palette includes a total of 6 grams of product, comes in a limited edition glossy white compact featuring a silver reflective "snowglobe" on the cover and a mirror on the inside, and retails for $45.50.

Snowball, Illegal Cargo, Idol Eyes, Warm & Smoky, Howzat, and Set To Dance

Snowball is a shimmery cool white in a Frost finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on powdery and uneven. The colour pay-off is also sheer, so a lot of layering is required to get it near pan colour. It is similar to Forgery and White Frost.

Illegal Cargo is a medium cool-toned purple with grey undertones in a Frost finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from 2008's Naughty Nauticals collection. It has a soft texture and goes on quite smoothly, though there is a bit of powderiness to it. The pigmentation is good and has opaque colour pay-off. It's greyer and not as vibrant as Parfait Amour.

Idol Eyes is a light lavender purple with grey undertones in a Lustre finish. It is a permanent shade. It goes on rather chunky and powdery with quite a bit of fall out. The colour pay-off is also sheer, so a lot of layering is required to get it near pan colour.

Warm & Smoky is a medium-dark vibrant purple with blue undertones in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It has a smooth, soft, almost buttery texture. It has fantastic pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's darker and more red than Purple Haze.

Howzat is a dark blue-tinged purple-grey subtle shimmer in a Satin finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from 2008's Fafi for MAC collection. It has a smooth, soft texture, with good pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's slightly darker and more blue than Knight Divine.

Set To Dance is a blackened blue-purple in a Matte finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from last year's Tartan Tale collection. It goes on smooth and pigmented with opaque colour pay-off. It's darker than Naval, and more purple than Nehru.

Whereas the Warm palette has more everyone-friendly wearable shades, the Cool palette is for someone who likes a darker, edgier look. And I was surprised that most of the shades in this palette were more purple-based, 'cause I usually think of Cool palettes with more straight-up blues. Four of the six shades go on smooth and pigmented with good colour pay-off. Snowball has poor pigmentation and powderiness, while Idol Eyes has got to be one of the worst eyeshadows I've ever come across in terms of colour pay-off and texture. It's gritty with tons of fall out and it's really quite hard to work with. I've never been a fan of Idol Eyes, and this has further confirms that. That having been said, the other four shades are lovely and I can see lots of beautiful smoky purple eyes being created with this palette.

MAC Ice Parade: Snowglobe Eyeshadows in Warm

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MAC released their holiday sets collection last Thursday, called Ice Parade. Ice Parade will see the release of three eyeshadow palettes. Each palette includes six eyeshadow shades and a mini 213SE brush. The Warm palette includes the following shades: Winterscape, Magical Mist, Patina, Buckwheat, Gaelic Gold, and Midnight Flurry. Each palette includes a total of 6 grams of product, comes in a limited edition glossy white compact featuring a silver reflective "snowglobe" on the cover and a mirror on the inside, and retails for $45.50.

Winterscape, Magical Mist, Patina, Buckwheat, Gaelic Gold, and Midnight Flurry

Winterscape is a shimmery creamy white in a Lustre finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on rather chunky and powdery with quite a bit of fall out. The colour pay-off is also sheer, so a lot of layering is required to get it near pan colour. It is warmer than Forgery, and warmer and lighter than Filament.

Magical Mist is a shimmery medium taupe-brown in a Lustre finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from last year's Tartan Tale collection. It goes on smoothly and doesn't have the grittiness of most other Lustre eyeshadows, so there is little to no fall out. The pigmentation is good and has opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly darker and more grey than Era.

Patina is a light-medium taupe-brown with gold shimmer and sheen in a Frost finish. It is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, soft texture, with good pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off.

Buckwheat is a medium-dark reddish brown in a Frost finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from 2009's Naked Honey collection. It has a smooth, soft texture, with good pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's less red and shimmery version of Swiss Chocolate.

Gaelic Gold is a rich medium-dark antique gold in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It is limited edition and a re-promoted shade from last year's Tartan Tale collection. It has a smooth, soft, almost buttery texture. It has fantastic pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's similar to Goldmine, though smoother and less yellow.

Midnight Flurry is a dark blackened brown in a Matte finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It's a little on the drier, stiffer side, so it goes on a little unevenly. The pigmentation is mediocre, but it can build up easily to achieve opaque colour pay-off. This shade, like Carbon, works better on the eye than in a swatch. It is more brown than Smut, darker than Mystery, and warmer than Brun.

MAC's holiday palettes are always great for those who are new to MAC or are new to wearing eyeshadow. Other than Winterscape, which has very poor pigmentation and has a gritty texture that results in unevenness, the Warm Snowglobe palette has very wearable and workable shades. Four of the six shades go on smooth and pigmented with good colour pay-off. It's a nice palette to have, assuming you didn't get last year's warm holiday palette, of which two of the shades are re-promoted here. There's a good range of colours and textures that make for an ideal introductory palette, and the Warm palette tends to be the most flattering across all skintones.

MAC Glitter & Ice: Nail Lacquers

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Friday, October 28, 2011

MAC released the first part of their holiday launch yesterday, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are three shades of Nail Lacquer being released, of which I will be featuring two. Each Nail Lacquer contains 10 ml of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $19.

Festive Finery

Festive Finery is a dark greyed purple in a Cream finish. It applied smoothly and evenly, and went opaque in two coats. This is one of the better shades MAC has come out with recently, as MAC's nail polishes tend to streak and need at least three coats to achieve opacity. It's like a cream version of Chanel's Paradoxal.

Unconditionally Fabulous (layered over Festive Finery)

Unconditionally Fabulous is a clear base with multi-coloured circular and hexagonal glitter. It's a thinner consistency, so it would probably require three or four coats for opacity, but I find this type of glitter is meant to be layered on top of another colour. It is very similar to China Glaze's Snow Globe.

Both shades are really lovely for the holidays. Festive Finery covers the dark nail trend for fall and winter, whereas Unconditionally Fabulous covers the glitter trend (and it's just so damn pretty!). I would personally layer Unconditionally Fabulous over cooler colours like blue or green, because the glitter seems to have predominantly cooler colours (even though it's multi-coloured). But the glitter has this iridescent pastel-ish kind of look to it, which reminds me of snow or snow globes; very appropriate for the holidays! I would say both are unique enough to be worth buying.

MAC Glitter & Ice: Dazzleglasses

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MAC released the first part of their holiday launch yesterday, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are six shades of Dazzleglass being released, of which I will be featuring five. Dazzleglasses are sheer lip glosses with lots of pearlized pigments; it is MAC's most shimmery lip gloss formula. They are slightly stickier than Cremesheen Glasses, though much less sticky than Lipglass. They come with brush applicators (rather than doe-foot), and are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Each Dazzleglass contains 1.92 grams of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $23.

She-Zam, Glitter & Ice, Dressed To Dazzle, Love Alert, and Spanking Rich

She-Zam is a clear base with tons of silver and fuchsia glitter. It is limited edition and is a re-promote from 2009's Magic, Mirth, and Mischief collection. This shade will add tons of sparkle, but in terms of colour, it will just give lips a slightly cooler look. It is much less pink than Sugarrimmed, and more silver and way more shimmery than Lustrewhite Lustreglass.

Glitter & Ice is a pale nude beige with white and gold glitter. It is new and limited edition. This shade will add lots of sparkle, but no colour. It is similar to Moth To Flame.

Dressed To Dazzle is a pale cool-toned pink with white, gold, and pink glitter. It is new and limited edition. This shade will add lots of sparkle, and will impart a milky pink tinge of colour. It is similar to Sugarrimmed.

Love Alert is a bright cherry red with red and fuchsia glitter. It is a permanent product being re-promoted for this collection. This shade will add lots of sparkle, and has semi-opaque colour pay-off. This imparts more colour than all of the other Dazzleglasses in this collection.

Spanking Rich is a darkened raspberry pink with fuchsia and silver glitter. It is limited edition and is a re-promote from MAC's original Dazzleglass launch in 2008 (it was also re-promoted with 2009's Hello Kitty Kouture collection). This shade will add lots of sparkle, and has semi-sheer colour pay-off. It is lighter and less purple than Date Night, and darker and more purple than Money, Honey.

Dazzleglasses are very fitting in a collection called "Glitter & Ice." They're especially fun to wear around the holidays, when you want more sparkle and shine. The lighter shades are ideal for layering, with She-Zam giving the most amount of sparkle. The two darker and more opaque shades are great on their own for a more sheer bright lip, or to amp up a red or dark lipstick. Glitter & Ice actually adds the least colour, and just ends up like like a sparkly clear gloss, so I feel this is shade is entirely skippable. Otherwise, they're great for anyone who wants lots of shimmer and shine.

MAC Glitter & Ice: Lipsticks

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

MAC released the first part of their holiday launch today, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are six new and limited edition shades of lipstick being released, of which I will be featuring four. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $18.50. These are not applicable for the Back To MAC recycling program.

Double Spin, Whirls & Twirls, Such Flare, and What Joy!

Double Spin is a semi-opaque pale cool-toned pink with silver micro-shimmer in a Cremesheen finish. It goes on smooth and creamy. This is, by far, the lightest shade of Cremesheen lipstick I have ever seen. Because of its milky quality, it is prone to show dryness and imperfections, so I recommend exfoliating before application. It looks like a mix of Frou and Pretty Please.

Whirls & Twirls is a sheer light rose-gold with gold micro-shimmer in a Glaze finish. Like most Glaze finishes, this focuses more on adding shimmer and sheen more so than colour. I can see this being ideal for layering, or for muting out more pigmented lips. Glaze finishes tend to feel rather dry after some wear time, and the shimmer tends to enhance any imperfections, so I recommend exfoliating before application. It is warmer than Pretty Please, and lighter than Politely Pink.

Such Flare is an opaque bright medium red with blue undertones in a Matte finish. It goes on smooth and creamy, and has a very slight sheen to it, even though it's a Matte. It is slightly darker than Russian Red, and lighter than Viva Glam I.

What Joy! is an opaque dark berry red in a Satin finish. It goes on smooth and creamy, and has a slight sheen to it. It is less pink than Rebel, and slightly darker than Hang-Up.

Overall, I find that these lipsticks are very appropriate for the theme of this collection; both Such Flare and What Joy! are great for that holiday lip trend, with Such Flare being a classic red and What Joy! being a little darker and edgier. All four of the other colours (including Eloquent Air and Soft Sable, which are not reviewed here) fit more into the "glitter and ice" aspect of the collection. Sadly, there's quite a jump from those light, frosty, metallic shades and the creamier, more opaque bright shades; there's no middle ground. But one thing's for sure: they definitely scream "Holiday!"

MAC Glitter & Ice: Technakohl Liners

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MAC released the first part of their holiday launch today, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are six new and limited edition shades of Technakohl Liner being released. Technakohl Liners are soft, smooth, creamy eye liner pencils in a plastic mechanical applicator with a rich, intense colour pay-off. They blend easily upon application but sets quickly to a long-wear, non-smudge finish. They are water-resistant, and are safe for use on the waterline. Each eye liner contains 0.35 grams of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $19.

Silver Skates, Going For Gold, Seasonally Spicy, Fancy Moves, Smooth Manoeuvre, and Practice Makes Perfect

Silver Skates, Going For Gold, Seasonally Spicy, Fancy Moves, Smooth Manoeuvre, and Practice Makes Perfect

Silver Skates is a light pearlized silver with silver micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, but has poor pigmentation; you'll have to put on four or five layers before getting full colour pay-off. It doesn't show up on the waterline, though. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range.

Going For Gold is a medium pearlized yellow gold with gold micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, but the pigmentation isn't fully opaque; you'll have to put on two to three layers before getting full colour pay-off. It barely shows up on the waterline, though. There's nothing really similar to this in MAC's permanent range; Powersurge Eye Kohl is darker and far more bronze, whereas Pure Show Superslick Liquid Eye Liner is way brighter and more yellow (and liquid!).

Seasonally Spicy is a medium-dark warm chocolate brown with subtle burgundy-brown micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, and great pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's similar to Brownborder, but with subtle shimmer.

Fancy Moves is a medium-dark eggplant purple with soft silver micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, with semi-opaque pigmentation. You will need two or three layers to get full colour pay-off. It's like Purple Dash, but with subtle shimmer.

Smooth Manoeuvre is a pure black with soft silver micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, with great pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's like Graphblack, but with subtle shimmer.

Practice Makes Perfect is a medium-dark teal blue with soft silver micro-shimmer. It goes on soft and smooth, with great pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It's like Auto-de-Blu, but with subtle shimmer.

I read some reviews on these pencils, reading that they were dry and stiff, but every single one I got was soft, smooth, and creamy. The two metallic shades, Silver Skates and Go For Gold, were the only two that had slight pigmentation problems, but they can both get to full opaque colour pay-off in a few passes. However, those two do not show up well on the waterline (Silver Skates doesn't show up at all), so I wouldn't get them for that purpose. I do wish that they had released the Pearlglide Liners instead of these, seeing as the difference in these Technakohls and the permanent ones are the pearlized finish. But the Pearlglides were better at showing that pearlized finish, whereas these Technakohls show the pearl in a more subtle way. These are pretty, absolutely, but perhaps not worth the extra $1 difference for the packaging unless you're looking for a Technakohl with subtle shimmer.

MAC Glitter & Ice: Mineralize Eyeshadows

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

MAC will be releasing the first part of their holiday launch tomorrow, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are six new and limited shades of Mineralize Eyeshadow being released. Each eyeshadow contains 2.2 grams of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $25.

Clockwise from top: Fresh Ice, Snow Season, and Hold That Pose!

Fresh Ice, Snow Season, and Hold That Pose!

Fresh Ice is a silvery white with subtle pink undertones in a frosted finish. It goes on smooth and pigmented with great colour pay-off. It's similar to White Frost, but very slightly more pink.

Snow Season is a pinked champagne with gold shimmer and sheen in a frosted finish. It goes on smooth and pigmented with great colour pay-off. There is slightly powdery with a bit of fall-out; the texture reminds me of MAC's Lustre finish. It's like a less peach version of Honey Lust.

Hold That Pose! is a medium grey-mauve in a frosted finish. It goes on smooth and pigmented with great colour pay-off. It goes on smoother than some of the other shades in this collection. It's like a greyer version of Shale, or a more mauve version of Scene.

Clockwise from top: Shimmermint, Frozen Blue, and Winterized

Shimmermint, Frozen Blue, and Winterized

Shimmermint is a blue-based mint green with grey undertones in a frosted finish. It goes on pigmented with good colour pay-off, but it's a quite gritty due to the amount of shimmer. It's a bit powdery so it doesn't go on quite as smooth as some of the other shades; this one is very similar to the Lustre finish in terms of texture. There is nothing similar to this shade in MAC's permanent line-up.

Frozen Blue is a light blue-grey in a frosted finish. It goes on smooth and pigmented with great colour pay-off. It's like a bluer version of Forgery.

Winterized is a dark taupe with brown undertones. It goes on smooth and pigmented with great colour pay-off. It's like a more brown version of Satin Taupe.

I've read some poor reviews on these eyeshadows and have no idea why, 'cause all of them applied really well and looked great on the skin. I didn't have colour pay-off issues at all with these. They all show up really well. Shimmermint is the only slightly problematic one with its grittier texture, but it's nothing that primer can't solve. They're all really pretty shades and are quite appropriate for the winter holidays. These eyeshadows are definitely for fans of shimmer, glitter, and frosted metallic finishes. Those who like mattes are out of luck here, though using one of these shades in conjunction with a matte eyeshadow would look gorgeous (I'm a huge fan of playing with texture!). Mineralize Eyeshadows can be hits or misses (see: Semi-Precious), but I really like all of these. The hard part is deciding which ones to get.

MAC Glitter & Ice: Beauty Powders

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MAC will be releasing the first part of their holiday launch tomorrow, called Glitter & Ice. The collection promotional display features Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir. Glitter & Ice will see the release of 34 products. There are two new and limited shades of Beauty Powder being released. Beauty Powders are soft semi-sheer to medium coverage powders that can be used as an all-over facial powder, highlighter, or bronzer/blush, depending on the shade and pigmentation. Each powder compact contains 10 grams of product, comes in limited edition glossy white packaging, and retails for $29.

Snowglobe

Snowglobe

Snowglobe is a frosted light pink-beige. It goes on smooth and silky, with good pigmentation. It can look very frosted if you use too much, so use light layers. Because of the lightness of the shade, this product is ideal for highlighting, more so on fair to medium-dark skintones. It can look too frosted and ashy on darker skintones. I don't find it leans too cool or warm, though, so it should work on all undertones. It's more frosted and more pink than Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish, and less bronze than Belightful Iridescent Powder.

How Beautiful!

How Beautiful!

How Beautiful! is a frosted beige-bronze with a hint of taupe. It goes on smooth and silky, with good pigmentation. It can look very frosted if you use too much, so use light layers. It's great to add warmth to the skin without being orange or gold. On fair skintones, this could be used as a light bronzer or blush. For light to medium skintones, it's great to use lightly all over the face for a nice, warm glow. On darker skintones, it can be used as a highlighter. It should work well with all undertones, as the taupe neutralizes it. It is darker and more bronze than Belightful Iridescent Powder.

Beauty Powders have never been a must-have item for me; they're definitely pretty and nice to have, but not really necessary. However, for the holiday season, they're fantastic to add some shimmer without going overboard. They also add some much-needed illumination for dull winter skin, or for too-matte complexions. Plus, the white packaging? So gorgeous!

Hero Certified Burgers

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Highlights of my weekend:
  • An 8-ounce Hero Burger with cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, zucchini relish, Hero sauce, and Ancho chipotle
  • Downloading States' new full-length album, Room To Run (sounds like Blood Red Shoes meets Rilo Kiley)
  • Pre-ordering Paramore's new Singles Club EP ("Renegade" is dangerously catchy)
  • Spicy waffle fries with chipotle dipping sauce at Willie Stouts
  • Coffee and pumpkin spice muffins at Tim Horton's with Ben
  • Buying two new pairs of black leather booties for work (30% off at The Bay!)
  • Getting new candles from Indigo: Lollia's No. 50: The Air I'm Breathing, Voluspa's Japonica: French Cade & Lavender, and Lucia's Laurel Leaf & Olive
  • Getting new polishes from OPI's The Muppets collection: Fresh Frog of Bel-Air, Gone Gonzo!, and Divine Swine

Helena Beat

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

It is impossible not to want to dance when this song is on. So I put it on repeat and dance around my house.

Friday Five

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Friday, October 21, 2011
This week's Friday Five:
  1. What everyday task is more difficult for you than it should be? When I have work, it's getting up. Without fail, I never get more than five hours of sleep on a day I have work. When I don't have work, getting ready to go out. I'm just supremely lazy on my days off, and sometimes I just don't wanna put on any make-up or straighten my hair.
  2. What everyday task do you usually put off for as long as possible? Going to bed. I'm a night person, so I tend to do everything before going to sleep, and once I'm on the Internet or watching a really addictive TV show, I just don't wanna go to bed.
  3. What everyday task do you perform especially well? Putting make-up on. I can do perfect winged out liquid eyeliner on three hours of sleep.
  4. What everyday task has most recently been added to your every day? Eating breakfast. Up until last month, I would just have a cup of coffee, get ready, and go to work. But I'm trying to be healthier, so I've started eating some toast with peanut butter along with my coffee. It's hard to keep this up, though, 'cause I've got my routine down to the minute. I eat breakfast, I'm late for work. And I hate getting up early (see #1), so I'm usually late for work.
  5. What everyday task makes the least sense to you? My skincare routine. I mean, the routine itself makes sense, at least to me. But it's the fact that I have time to put on three serums, but not enough time to eat breakfast. Yeah, it's kinda ridiculous.

Julep Maven Box

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

My October Julep Maven box finally arrived in the mail today! For those not familiar with the Julep Maven program, it's essentially a beauty subscription program, not unlike Luxe Box or Glymm, but specific to hand and nail products. It's $19.99 a month, which is pricier than the other programs, but they offer only full-size products (worth a minimum of $40) rather than deluxe samples. Moreover, you get a preview of the products in your box (so there's no surprise factor), and if you are unhappy with the products in it, you can request for a box change, send the box to a friend, or skip the month completely (which is fantastic, so there's no obligation).

This month's "It Girl" box includes:
Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener (89 ml, $32 retail price): This is essentially a hand treatment lotion that promises to "visibly minimize the appearance of fine lines and age spots on your hands while adding radiant glow and evening skin tone." It contains rare African plant extracts that are "clinically proven to block melanin production and reduce hyper-pigmentation." Since I only received this today, I haven't really seen the effects of the brightening aspects, but it is a really nice lightweight, water-resistant, non-greasy hand lotion. I see this as sort of a serum for the hands; it's not moisturizing enough to cure really dry hands, but it feels really nice and makes hands pretty soft. Plus, it has a lovely sweet citrusy smell that reminds me of Bliss Spa's Lemon + Sage Maximum Moisture Cream.

Nail Color in Jaime (8 ml, $14 retail price): A rich medium-dark cerulean blue in a cream finish. It applies really smoothly and evenly, and you can almost get it opaque in one coat. I can't really think of a dupe for this shade. The closest I can think of are OPI's Ogre-The-Top Blue (from last year's Shrek collection), which is slightly lighter, and Sephora by OPI's Slushied (from the Glee collection), which is lighter and more turquoise.

Nail Color in Leighton (8 ml, $14 retail price): A metallic medium silver. It applies really smoothly and evenly, and it goes opaque in one coat. It's a little thicker than the usual Julep formula, but it doesn't go on goopy. It can look a little streaky because of the metallic finish, though. It's not the most unique shade; most nail polish companies will have a shade like this. That being said, it's a fantastic neutral metallic that will look good on everybody and go with every outfit. Some possible dupes: OPI's Birthday Babe, Sephora by OPI's Social Climber, Essie's Steel-ing The Scene.

I'm really, really happy with this box. The shades are, again, totally up my alley. Absolutely worth $19.99. So far, I have zero complaints about this program! I can't rave enough about this program for nail polish lovers.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in It's Alive

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

So I've been sick and stuck at home for the last three days, and as a result, am going a little crazy. I've already finished all of my Grey's Anatomy: Season 7 DVDs (that's nearly 22 hours of television in the span of two days!), and watched half of 90210: Season 3 (another 11 hours!). I've had so much soup and tea that I'm seriously feeling sloshy (not to mention I have to pee every fifteen minutes). So what's left to do? Obviously, paint my nails. I decided to get a little head start with Halloween and chose China Glaze's It's Alive, which is from their Halloween collection this year. It's an awesome blackened olive green with lighter olive green shimmer and glitter. And it is gorgeous. I can see how it's Halloween-themed, but it's definitely wearable right into the holidays (it's kind of evergreen-y, no?). And I actually haven't seen other glitter polishes in this colour. Bright green? Yes. But for some reason, these darker greens (and not forest green, either, this is definitely an olive, army green) never make the glitter ranks. And this particular shade goes on opaque in two coats; a lot of glitter shades usually need at least three! Thusly, as I am a fiend for all things glittery, this is a definite must-have.

L.A.M.B. Malabo Tote

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I got a few packages from Hautelook in the mail today, one of which included my new black leather L.A.M.B. Malabo tote, which I got for $189 from $448. I'm kind of totally in love with it. It's huge. Like, it could easily hold my laptop. Or, like, my make-up kit. Along with the bag, I also received two pairs of dark wash jeans: the William Rast Madison for $89 from $165, and the James Jeans Humphrey for $79 from $185. And last week, I ordered three Miss Sixty coats (I couldn't resist, they were 60% off!). Guys, I am out of control. Hautelook is ruining my life. This doesn't even include all of the other online shopping I've done. Last week, I ordered a bunch of new China Glaze polishes from Spa Boutique. And I've had a nasty cold for the last couple days, so I've been at home. Being at home = so dangerous for my credit cards. Today alone, I ordered a bunch of things from MAC's Glitter & Ice collection (released next Thursday), and the new holiday colours from Butter London. Oh, god, once the holiday collections are in full swing, I am in so much trouble.

Luxe Box

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Monday, October 17, 2011

I finally received this month's Luxe Box in the mail, and the first thing I noticed is that they've upped their game in terms of packaging. They now come in sleek black slide boxes, new product info cards, and personalized stickers. I'm not sure I like the boxes more than the old ones, 'cause they were sturdier and more ideal for storing my nail polishes and random knick knacks... but, hey, they do look really pretty.


Inside this month's box:
Lise Watier Flash Lift Radiance Vial (sample size, 1 ml): This is a new serum that promises to give instant radiance, erase signs of fatigue, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. I find it odd that they'd name it Flash Lift Radiance, because they don't actually mention the product doing any lifting. Regardless, this isn't a product I would use, anyhow. With my shiny, oily skin, anything that will add "radiance" will just make me look like an oil slick. They do give a full ampoule of product, but it really is a one-time use only sample, and I don't believe anyone can fully see the benefits of a skincare product only after one use.

Lise Watier Plumpissimo Le Gloss in Opalescence (sample size, 1.5 ml): I've tried these glosses before, and while I'm not sure how well it really plumps (my lips look juicy, sure, but not bigger), nor am I a huge fan of plumping glosses, the texture and look of them are very nice. They're non-sticky, and provide a lot of shine. There is a light tingling sensation, presumably for that "plumping" effect. Opalescence has a colourless, very slightly milky base with silver, blue, pink, and green micro-shimmer. This shade is more ideal for layering on top of other products to add shine and sparkle, but can also be worn alone for those who want to add shine and sparkle without adding colour. The amount given is pretty generous as far as sample sizes go; it'll be enough for anyone to really try the product.

Kérastase Elixir Ultime (sample size, 5 ml): This hair serum is meant to "bring shine, nourishment, and deep conditioning while smoothing the hair fibre." It's a product that is good for all hair types, but I'm not sure how well 5 ml of product will convince someone of its merits to purchase the full-size product, which is $50 for 125 ml. I gotta be honest, I'm always intrigued by these hair products, but knowing that the retail price is so steep always keeps me from trying them to begin with. I suppose I can try this after I straighten my hair to smooth frizz and flyaways, but I doubt I'll buy the full-size even if I like it.

Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex (sample size): This eye treatment is meant to "hydrate to restore the area to its optimum appearance by improving the look of crow's feet" as well as "reduce excess fluids to diminish dark circles and puffiness." This seems to be a product that is targeted to those well over 35. Add that to the fact that I don't use eye cream; I'll definitely be giving it away. But they do give a generous amount of product (the exact amount is not on the package, but it looks to be around half the amount of a full-size product, which is 15 ml) so it should provide about one to two months worth of use.

China Glaze Crackle Glaze Nail Lacquer in Lightning Bolt (full size, 14 ml): I love China Glaze, but I've never tried their new Crackle Glazes (similar to OPI's Shatter polishes), so I'm quite excited to try this one out. Lightning Bolt is an opaque white cream, which should match just about any polish shade.

This box was, overall, disappointing. For a box that was apparently created just for me, it doesn't seem to fit my beauty needs or wants. I won't use the Lise Watier serum or the Olay eye cream (both of which seem to be targeted for those who are 35+ in age), and I'm not a huge fan of plumping glosses. I actually think the only thing I'll really use from this box is the China Glaze polish, which retails for $8 (and a Luxe Box is $10 a month). This doesn't even compete with my Glymm box.

OPI Nail Lacquer in DS Temptation

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

The moment I saw this new shade from OPI's Designer Series, I snatched it up regardless of the $14.95 price tag (that's $5 more than a regular bottle of OPI, because it's formulated with diamond dust, but I'm not really sure how beneficial that is). It's called Temptation, and it's a deep royal purple with purple, blue, and pink glitter. It needs three coats to get opaque and it is rather gritty so you need a good thick layer of top coat (I just used my usual Seche Vite and it worked great) to keep it from chipping, but it is totally worth it. It looks even better in person than in the photo; I've gotten countless compliments on this shade (possibly more than any other shade I've worn recently) and even more people asking what it is and where I got it (Canadians can get it at most Trade Secrets locations). Conclusion: If you like glitter nail polish, you must buy Temptation.

Glymm: October Box

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Friday, October 14, 2011


I finally got my first Glymm box in the mail today! For those who haven't heard of Glymm, it's a beauty subscription program very similar to Luxe Box. I had originally read about this through Mary's blog and got tempted to join. It's $10 a month (or $110 for a year), and you get a box of four to five deluxe beauty samples sent right to your door.


This month, I received:
Vasanti Silky Eyeshadow in Tokyo (full size, 3.2 g): I've never tried Vasanti's products, but I was pleasantly surprised at the Silky Eyeshadow I received. Tokyo is a lovely warm rose pink with gold micro-shimmer, and it goes on smooth and silky with great colour pay-off and is easily blendable. It should look great on all skintones and undertones, and I can see it working beautifully as a blush as well.

Principessa Bacio Me Lip Balm (full size, 14 g): I have always wanted to try Principessa's products, and I am frequently tempted to purchase something when I see their stuff, all in pretty pink packaging, lining the shelves at Murale. But I never end up buying anything because I always end up getting distracted by other brands. This lip balm, in a handy slant-tipped squeeze tube (like my favourite Jack Black lip balm!), is packed with shea butter and vitamin E, and goes on lightweight and super smooth, and feels amazing on the lips. It's a creamy lip balm (rather than waxy) without feeling sticky or goopy, and has a light vanilla marshmallow scent but is taste-free. Love it!

Lise Watier Kiss Lip Crayon Gloss in Rouge Flamenco (full size, 2.8 g): A great product if you want the hydration and feel of a lip balm, the colour of a lipstick, and the look of a gloss. It actually gives a really good amount of colour while providing hydration and shine. Rouge Flamenco is a fabulous cherry red shade that goes on opaque and has great colour pay-off. The crayon-style applicator makes it fool-proof to put on and super-easy to get precision, very similar to Clinique's Chubby Sticks. I'm not sure if it's the same with all of their shades, but Rouge Flamenco smells and tastes like cherry slushies. My only qualm about this product is you have to sharpen it yourself, and it has to be through a jumbo sharpener. It's kind of a pain in the ass if you don't already have one.

Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream (sample size, 2 g): I have used a few of Caudalie's body products (I whole-heartedly recommend the hand cream), but not the skincare. Premier Cru The Cream "regenerates and re-densifies skin, filling wrinkles, firming and lifting, and minimizing dark spots for an evenly luminous look." It sounds promising, but it's not really my cup of tea. It sounds like it's for a more mature skin, firstly, and the texture of the cream is a bit too rich for my combination/oily skin. I will pass on this, but those with more mature skin or those who want to try anti-aging moisturizers may be interested.

Jelly Belly beans: A little jar of orange and black liquorice jelly beans to celebrate Halloween! A really nice touch to an already fantastic box. I love that they sprung for the Jelly Belly brand, too, rather than a generic brand (which, let's be honest, is a huge difference).

Can I just say I am super impressed with this box? A whopping three full-sized products, worth $43 on their own! And not only are they full-sized, but they're actually products I've wanted to try and will absolutely use! I know it's a little too soon to judge having only received one box so far, but I think Glymm might just be better than Luxe Box.

Friday Five

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This week's Friday Five:
  1. What non-food items are in your refrigerator or freezer? There are some ice packs in my freezer.
  2. What non-book items are on your bookshelves? Mostly DVDs. I actually think there are more movies and television show box sets on my bookshelves than books, sadly.
  3. What song or album in your music collection doesn't fit in with your usual tastes? I may have one or two (or eight) Spice Girls songs...
  4. What item in your wardrobe really doesn't match anything else? Nothing, really, most of my wardrobe is black with way too many pairs of jeans.
  5. What scar on your body did you receive in the unlikeliest of ways? There's a scar on my pinky finger that I got in Grade 6 track and field; we were doing the relay races, and one of the girls on my team accidentally dug her nail right into my finger as she was passing me the baton. I remember it bleeding a whole lot; it's been 14 years, and there's still a faint scar.

Illamasqua Haul

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Thursday, October 13, 2011
Radium, Jo'mina, and Poke

Sydney was kind enough to pick up some Illamasqua goodies for me while she was in New York City last month, and was even kinder to send them to me when she got back. So I got the package in the mail today, which contained three Nail Varnishes and two lipsticks. The first Nail Varnish is Radium, which is a bright acid chartreuse green with iridescent green and chartreuse micro-shimmer. The second one is Jo'mina, which is a bright lilac purple with pink-red undertones in a cream finish. The third one is Poke, which is a bright medium-dark magenta-purple with iridescent purple and silver micro-shimmer. All three are absolutely beautiful, and the formula is just phenomenal: smooth, even flow, amazing colour pay-off, and opaque in one coat. I have found that Illamasqua's nail polish formula is very consistent; I've yet to be disappointed with one (I currently have ten shades). For $14 USD a pop, I find them to be really worth it.

Brink and Fable

The two lipsticks I got are Brink and Fable. Brink is a gorgeous bright medium peachy-coral in a matte finish. The colour is like MAC Vegas Volt and Ravishing mixed together, or if MAC Cremesheen Glass in Richer, Lusher was completely opaque. Fable is a warm bubblegum pink in a matte finish. It's like a lighter and warmer version of MAC Pink Plaid. Both shades go on completely smooth and opaque. They are matte finishes, and while they're not moisturizing, they feel very comfortable on the lips. Illamasqua's lipsticks have some of the best pigmentation I've ever seen, with a fairly long wear-time as well. At $20 USD each, they are more expensive than MAC, but are otherwise in-line with most luxury brands. I really, really love Illamasqua's products; it's definitely a brand created by make-up artists for make-up lovers. Moreover, the quality never wavers and I really do think they're worth the price. My only qualm about Illamasqua? It isn't available in Canada. I don't know why, 'cause Illamasqua is made in the UK. We share a queen, for god's sake! They need to get on this, stat.

Thanks again, Sydney!

OCC Pretty Boy: Loose Colour Concentrates

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

For its Fall/Winter collection, Pretty Boy, OCC released three new shades of Loose Colour Concentrate, of which I picked up two. Loose Colour Concentrates are "lightweight, ultra-refined, densely pigmented powders" that can be used on eyes, face, and body (similar to MAC Pigment). Due to the intense pigmentation, a little goes a long way, because too much of this product will lead to fall out. OCC is not yet widely available in Canada, so it is easiest to purchase their products online (or for those going to IMATS this year!). Each Loose Colour Concentrate contains 2.5 grams, and retails for $12 USD. All OCC products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

Poison and Cruising

Poison is a blackened forest green with hints of brown in a frosty, metallic finish. It goes on smoothly and has very rich colour pay-off. It works equally well used wet or dry. It reminds me of Illamasqua's Nail Varnish in Viridian, but in powder format. It is darker and more green than MAC's Pigment in Emerald Dusk.

Cruising is a brassy, almost antique, gold in a frosty, metallic finish. It goes on smoothly and has rich colour pay-off. Used dry, it looks softer and less metallic. Used wet, it looks smoother, more metallic, and more opaque. It is darker and more yellow than MAC Pigment in Gold Mode (discontinued), and lighter than MAC Pigment in Cocomotion (discontinued).

Both Poison and Cruising are absolutely beautiful colours. Cruising is slightly less unique, only because there are so many metallic gold eyeshadows and pigments available out there, but is totally worth getting if you are on the market for a gold eye colour. Poison is just stunning, especially in a smoky eye, and more unique than Cruising, though perhaps less wearable. Like with MAC Pigments, I recommend using OCC's Loose Colour Concentrates on top of a base or primer so the powder adheres better onto skin. It would also work beautifully with a mixing medium to use as an eyeliner. I love that OCC sells their Concentrates in smaller batches, too, 'cause for anyone who has bought a MAC Pigment will know, it lasts forever (seriously, you can split a MAC Pigment with five other people, and you'll still never be able to finish it). Very much worth the price as well, since a little goes a long way. I'm really excited to check out some of OCC's other Concentrate shades.

OCC Pretty Boy: Lip Tars

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For its Fall/Winter collection, Pretty Boy, OCC released six new shades of Lip Tar, of which I picked up three. Lip Tars are intensely-pigmented, featherlight liquid lipsticks. They go on slick and wet like a lip gloss, but are smooth, non-sticky, long-wearing, and dries down to a matte finish. Lip Tar is currently available in 36 shades, and while many of the colours can be worn alone, a lot of them are meant to be mixed to create custom shades. There is a light peppermint scent to them (from the peppermint oil), but they are taste-free. Due to the intense pigmentation, a very tiny amount goes a long way (I'm talking like, a tiny bead), because too much of this product will lead to feathering. OCC is not yet widely available in Canada, so it is easiest to purchase their products online (or for those going to IMATS this year!). Each Lip Tar contains 8 ml, and retails for $13 USD. All OCC products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

Pretty Boy, Narcissus, and Queen

Pretty Boy is a bright, saturated blue-based fuchsia pink. It has opaque colour coverage. On the lips, it's like a brighter and cooler version of MAC Girl About Town or Lickable.

Narcissus is a bright medium blue-based pink. It has opaque colour coverage. On the lips, it's like a darker version of MAC Saint German or a lighter and milkier version of MAC Pink Nouveau.

Queen is a bright, neon pinky coral-red. It has opaque colour coverage. On the lips, it's like a brighter, neon version of MAC Impassioned, or a more pink version of MAC Korean Candy.

OCC Lip Tars are fantastic to play around with, by mixing the colours together, or layering them with other lip products. Because Lip Tars are so saturated in colour, the wear time is quite long; typically around six hours. The bright shades (Pretty Boy and Queen) tend to stain over time as well, so they do wear for eight or more hours. Again, I do have to stress that a tiny bit goes a long way with this product, so be gentle when you're squeezing the tube! I would also recommend using a lip brush to apply it rather than straight from the tube to get a more precise lip.

Survey Says...

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This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:
  1. What lipstick are you wearing today? MAC's Peachstock.
  2. What eyeshadow are you wearing today? MAC's Ricepaper, All That Glitters, Thru The Night (Pro Longwear Eyeshadow), and Black Tied.
  3. What blush are you wearing today? MAC's Dame with Lightscapade as a highlight.

50/50

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Shawn and I went to see 50/50, which might be the best movie I'll have watched this year (which isn't saying much, 'cause I haven't watched that many new movies this year, but still). It is equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and heart-wrenchingly sad. (Seriously, I think I started tearing up about six different times, which would have been full-out sobbing if I wasn't: a) in public, and b) wearing make-up.) The story itself is fairly simple: a 27-year-old man gets diagnosed with cancer and has to deal with the consequences. But it's the relationships between him and the people around him, the love and hatred and friendship, and finding humour in such a bleak situation, that make this film so worth watching.

Every single actor is perfectly cast, from Anna Kendrick as the therapist to Seth Rogen as the best friend to Anjelica Huston as the mother. But no one is more perfect in his role than Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who keeps it realistic and human, and somehow finds balance on a very emotional tightrope. Seth Rogen's loudmouth obnoxiousness offsets Gordon-Levitt's subtlety to keep 50/50 from being too serious or sentimental. A lot of illness-centred movies tend to be very trite and sticky-sweet (A Walk to Remember, anyone?), but there's just enough cynicism and honesty to make 50/50 a smart and engaging film that balances drama and humour.

Rating: 5/5