Empties: February 2012

It's the last day of February (Happy Leap Day!), which means it's Empties Time! This post is, of course, dedicated to the original Beauty Reductionista, Liz. Without further ado, here is my empties tally, collected from January 31 to today:

• Bliss Spa Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath (473.2 ml)
• Principessa Beauty Dolce Dreams Whipped Body Lotion (355 ml)
• Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (240 ml)
• Lush The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly (100 g)
• L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (150 ml)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Lemon & Chamomile (7 g)
• Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml)
• Lancôme Pure Focus Matifying Moisturizing Lotion Oil-Free (50 ml)
• Lancôme Bienfait Aqua Vital Continuous Infusing Moisturizer Lotion (50 ml)
• MAC Cremewash (100 ml)
• Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (150 ml)
• Kiehl's Yerba Maté Tea Toner (250 ml)
• Estée Lauder Perfectly Clear Fresh Balancing Lotion (400 ml)
• Lancôme Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner — Noir (1.4 ml)
• MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g)
• MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer (15 ml)
• MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 (30 ml)
• MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara — Black (9 g)

Total: 18 products (15 full-size, 3 jumbo-sized)

Body Care/Haircare/Miscellaneous:

Bliss Spa Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath (473.2 ml) — Nice scent, foams up nicely, doesn't irritate, and doesn't leave skin feeling stripped, but is not worth $20.

Repurchase? Not on its own. Maybe in a value set with the Body Butter.

Principessa Beauty Dolce Dreams Whipped Body Lotion (355 ml) — Smells good, hydrates well, and doesn't leave skin feeling greasy. But I hate the pump bottle, which gives out half-assed squirts.

Repurchase? Yes, but in the squeeze tube.

Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (240 ml) — Truly amazing body cream for those who have extremely dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. Has a nice cooling effect for itchy skin, as well. But the smell was absolutely awful. It reminds me of sour haw flakes.

Repurchase? No, the smell is not worth it for me.

Lush The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly (100 g) — Smells lovely (like ginger ale and cinnamon), great for travel, doesn't leave skin feeling dry, and is super-fun to use. (You can read my review here.)

Repurchase? Yes! But it's only available during Christmas.

L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (150 ml) — I didn't realize how amazingly reparative this hand cream was until I stopped using it. It's very rich and kind of greasy, so I only use it at home and before bed, but it really helps repair super-dry, chapped, on-the-brink-of-bleeding hands. I am indifferent to the scent, which is a clean, baby powder fragrance. This is a must-have for me in the winter.

Repurchase? Yes!

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Lemon & Chamomile (7 g) — Best emollient lip balm I have ever used. It really hydrates lips and repairs cracked, chapped, generally dry lips, instead of just protecting them (like Vaseline).

Repurchase? Yes, I always have back-ups, and I keep them everywhere.

Skincare:

Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml) — This is my "holy grail" cleanser. I've been using it since it came out a few years ago, and even after trying all sorts of different cleansers, this is the one I always go back to. It takes off all of my make-up (including eye make-up and mascara) and also cleans my skin effectively without leaving it feeling dry. It foams up, but it's also creamy, which I love in my cleansers (as opposed to gels or foams or milks). It is pricey, especially now that I don't get a discount, but it is worth the money for me.

Repurchase? Always.

Lancôme Pure Focus Matifying Moisturizing Lotion Oil-Free (50 ml) — Smells good, and hydrates while keeping skin matte. My go-to day moisturizer. This is especially fantastic for me in warmer months, though I do pair this with a hydrating serum in the winter.

Repurchase? It has been discontinued (!!!). Will need to find a good replacement.

Lancôme Bienfait Aqua Vital Continuous Infusing Moisturizer Lotion (50 ml) — It has a subtle clean scent, and hydrates extremely well. I've actually been using this for years (this was previously called Aqua Fusion). It doesn't keep my face matte, so I use this as my day moisturizer in the winter, and my night moisturizer in the summer. This is oil-free and doesn't break me out at all. I have been trying different day moisturizers recently, and they have not performed as well as this so far.

Repurchase? Yes!

MAC Cremewash (100 ml) — My back-up make-up removing cleanser when I'm out of my Lancôme Crème Radiance. It actually does just as well as the Lancôme in taking off make-up, but this one isn't opthamologist-tested, so I have to use an eye make-up remover prior. This is actually the sole reason I like the Lancôme better (though this is $10 cheaper!).

Repurchase? Yes.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (150 ml) — Amazing deep cleanser. I like this more so in the summer when my face is greasier and sweaty, but this is actually really gentle, especially for one that is also supposed to be exfoliating. It's definitely mild enough to be using in the winter. I don't love the clay smell of this product, but it's not so strong that I can't stand it. It keeps my skin clear and blemish-free, and my skin feels super-clean afterwards without feeling stripped.

Repurchase? Yes!

Kiehl's Yerba Maté Tea Toner (250 ml) — Nothing special, whatsoever. And it smells like herbal tea. I might as well have been rubbing tea on my face, which would've had the same effect and be way cheaper than $32.

Repurchase? No.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clear Fresh Balancing Lotion (400 ml) — I've been using this on and off for years. I actually really like this toner, and it always becomes my back-up when I'm trying other toners. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean, but comfortable and smooth, and it smells really nice.

Repurchase? Yep, I always get the double-sized bottle.

Make-up:

Lancôme Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner — Noir (1.4 ml) — I do classic, winged, liquid eyeliner every day, and this is by far the best I have ever used. It has been my go-to for the last six years. It is ridiculously expensive for what it is, at $37 a pop, but one will last me about four or five months. It's not the most black eyeliner out there (I actually use MAC's Boot Black on top of this to make it carbon black), but it has the best pointed felt-tip applicator that is not too hard or too flexible, and it gives me the best precision of any liquid eyeliner I have ever used.

Repurchase? Yep, I always have a back-up.

MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g) — I have been using this eyebrow pencil for years. I love that it's self-sharpening and that it has the finest point I have ever seen on an eyebrow pencil. I have thin, patchy, asymmetrical eyebrows, and this really helps fill them and shape them with precision. And Lingering, a soft taupe brown, is the perfect shade for me.

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have two back-ups.

MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer (15 ml) — I've actually never tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion or Too Faced's Shadow Insurance or any other accoladed eye primer, but this one does the job of keeping my eyeshadow fresh and non-creasing, and it doesn't feel heavy or add colour. I do notice that my eyeshadow will start creasing after about ten hours of wear, but I rarely need to wear eyeshadow for longer than that, anyway. I love that this is also a skincare product, 'cause I use it under my eyes as an eye cream in the day as well, and I do find it keeps my eye area hydrated.

Repurchase? Yep, I always have a back-up.

MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 (30 ml) — My go-to face primer. It keeps my face looking completely smooth and matte and perfect throughout the entire day. It doesn't leave a film on my face (e.g. Smashbox), and it has SPF 50!

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have a back-up.

MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara — Black (9 g) — This is now my go-to mascara. I have really long, but really thin and straight lashes, and this amps up the volume like no other. And it doesn't smudge, even though it's not waterproof. The formula is really wet, though, so it can be prone to clumping and it can get a little messy around the tube opening... but the effect is totally worth it, 'cause I love huge, dramatic lashes.

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have a back-up.

I think I'm getting pretty good at this empties business, guys.

Ozotic Nail Polish in 505

I wore Ozotic's 505 to Montreal last week, and I swear to you, every single person I spoke to asked me about my nail polish, from store clerks to waitresses to my guy friends. My friend, Edward, was like, "Dude, I can't even concentrate on what you're saying, 'cause your nail polish is insane." I swear he wasn't high at the time. 505 is a multichrome polish, so depending on the angle, it looks like a cerulean blue with deep violet edges, then teal with deep blue edges, then turquoise with brown-plum edges, then fuchsia-purple with indigo edges... And all throughout, there's shimmer that also changes with the angle! It's insanity! I am totally in love with this polish, and even though it requires about five coats to get it opaque (I actually cheated and used two coats of 505 on top of Julep's Marisa, and only used one finger to test the opacity of 505 alone), it's totally worth it. You can get your hands on Ozotic's nail polishes at Harlow & Co., who has free worldwide shipping with purchases of $50 or more.

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Refresh: Eyeshadow Duos

A couple weeks ago, MAC launched their annual Mineralize Eyeshadow Refresh. There is no official "collection launch" for this, as the products from these "refreshes" are available for a full 12 months before MAC changes them. This year, MAC has released ten new Mineralize Eyeshadows, five of which are single mélange shades and five of which are duos, which will replace last year's six duos. (Last year's duos will still be available until stock runs out, so if there were any shades you liked, you still have a chance to pick them up!) This post will feature the five duo shades from this refresh. Each eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging, contains 2.2 grams of product, and retails for $24.

Fresh & Mint

Fresh & Mint

Fresh & Mint features a pale pinked white and a light cool-toned aqua-green, both with a metallic shimmer-sheen. These are new shades, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture of the pink shade is soft and smooth, with high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The texture of the green shade is slightly grittier, with medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, both shades become more intense and look more metallic. The aqua-green shade is like a much more pigmented and metallic version of Aqua; the pink shade is more white than Pink Freeze.

Joy & Laughter

Joy & Laughter

Joy & Laughter features a medium grey-mauve and a light icy lavender-pink, both with a metallic shimmer-sheen. These are new shades, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture of both shades is soft and smooth, and they both have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, both shades become more intense and look more metallic. The grey-mauve shade is darker than Shale; the lavender-pink shade is similar to Seedy Pearl.

Love Connection

Love Connection

Love Connection features a medium warm bronze gold and a light pinked beige-gold, both with a metallic shimmer-sheen. These are re-promoted shades from 2008's Electroflash collection, and will be permanent for one year going forward.The texture of both shades is soft and smooth, and they both have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, both shades become more intense and look more metallic. The bronze gold shade is similar to Honey Lust; the beige-gold shade is lighter than All That Glitters.

Sweet & Sour

Sweet & Sour

Sweet & Sour features a medium cool-toned greyed turquoise-green and a light yellow-beige, both with a metallic shimmer-sheen. These are new shades, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture of both shades is soft and smooth, and they both have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, both shades become more intense and look more metallic. The turquoise-green shade is much less blue than Steamy; the yellow-beige shade is darker than Ricepaper.

Water & Ice

Water & Ice

Water & Ice features a medium greyed periwinkle blue and a pale silver-grey, both with a metallic shimmer-sheen. These are new shades, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture of both shades is soft and smooth, and they both have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, both shades become more intense and look more metallic. The blue shade is darker and more grey than Moon's Reflection; the silver-grey shade is lighter than Electra.

Overall, I thought these performed really well for Mineralize eyeshadows. They were smooth and soft, and applied evenly with good colour pay-off. Compared to the singles launched with this refresh, these were much less gritty and are easier to work with, and I thought they looked even and pigmented both dry and wet. Unlike last year's duos, four of the five of these are brand new, so if you like Mineralize eyeshadows, you may want to check these out.

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Refresh: Single Mélange Eyeshadows

A couple weeks ago, MAC launched their annual Mineralize Eyeshadow Refresh. There is no official "collection launch" for this, as the products from these "refreshes" are available for a full 12 months before MAC changes them. This year, MAC has released ten new Mineralize Eyeshadows, five of which are single mélange shades and five of which are duos, which will replace last year's six duos. (Last year's duos will still be available until stock runs out, so if there were any shades you liked, you still have a chance to pick them up!) This post will feature the five single mélange shades from this refresh. Each eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging, contains 2.2 grams of product, and retails for $24.

Gilt By Association, Smutty Green, Blue Flame, Young Punk, and Cinderfella

Gilt By Association is a blend of blackened brown and dark olive-gold. When swirled together, it's a dark olive-brown with olive-gold sparkle. It is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Style Black collection, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture is soft and smooth, and it has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, the colour becomes much more intense and it looks much more metallic. It is darker and more bronze than Sumptuous Olive.

Smutty Green is a blend of black and dark forest green with silver, gold, and red shimmer. When swirled together, it's a blackened forest green with cool-toned green sparkle. It is a new shade, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture is fairly gritty due to the larger glitter used in this so there is some fall-out and unevenness when applied dry. When used wet, the colour becomes much more intense and the green metallic sheen really comes out. It is much darker than Humid.

Blue Flame is a blend of black, navy blue, and silver. When swirled together, it's a dark navy blue with blue sparkle. It is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Style Black collection, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture is soft and smooth, and it has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, the colour becomes much more intense and the blue metallic sheen really comes out. It is darker than Contrast.

Young Punk is a blend of black, purple, and pink-purple. When swirled together, it's a black with purple shimmer. It is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Style Black collection, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture is fairly gritty due to the larger glitter used in this so there is some fall-out, chalkiness, and unevenness when applied dry. When used wet, the colour becomes much more intense and the purple metallic sheen really comes out. It is darker than Nocturnelle.

Cinderfella is a blend of blackened brown, silver, and grey. When swirled together, it's a black with gunmetal and silver shimmer. It is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Style Black collection, and will be permanent for one year going forward. The texture is soft and smooth, and it has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is some fall-out due to the amount of glitter, but it is minimal. When used wet, the colour becomes much more intense and the silver metallic sheen really comes out. It's like a much more intense and metallic version of Black Tied.

Mineralize eyeshadows tend to go on more sheer and uneven when used dry, and these are really no different. They're not difficult to use, but they tend to have more fall-out and patchiness than your average eyeshadow, and they do require some layering. But when used wet, they have this gorgeous, dazzling, metallic effect with jewel-like sparkles and super-intense colour. That is to say, they are entirely worth working with, because the result is stunning. I like to dampen a MAC #239 brush with Fix+, and put it directly onto the eyeshadow — Mineralize eyeshadows are actually made to be used both dry and wet, unlike many of MAC's other eyeshadows. Those who like Mineralize eyeshadows will like these, and those who don't probably won't change their mind. But for those who like darker colours, these are definitely worth looking into.

Montréal: Exploring Old Montréal

It's like a European city! But in Canada!

And that is the end of my Montréal posts! Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Montréal: Chez Suzette

On Wednesday, we decided to spend our last day in Montréal exploring Old Montréal. My friend Leah (who works for MAC in Montréal) met up with us for lunch down there, 'cause I hadn't seen her since we went to make-up school together. We thought we'd catch up over French food since we were in Montréal and all, so we went to Chez Suzette for crêpes.

Crêpe aux crevettes

Crêpe aux crevettes (innards)

Crêpe la Montréalaise

I got the crêpe aux crevettes and Shawn got the crêpe la Montréalaise. The crêpe aux crevettes is stuffed with Matane shrimps and topped with creamy lobster sauce and cheese, then baked. It is super rich and decadent, but so worth every calorie and fat gram... I don't know why we can't find crêpes like this in Toronto, but yeah, this was ridiculous. Ronsee got this as well, and we were still talking about its deliciousness five hours later. Shawn's crêpe la Montréalaise is stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, and topped with Béchamel sauce. A fail-safe option for those who are less adventurous, but delicious nonetheless. Both were super-satisfying, and filling without making us feel sickly or bloated. This is really a great place to go if you like crêpes — there's far more variety in crêpes, both savoury and sweet, than any place I've been to in Toronto. If you're ever in Old Montréal, definitely stop by Chez Suzette. It's kind of touristy, but it's a really quaint and cozy spot in a gorgeous area, and the food is super-tasty. And French.

Montréal: La Banquise

After our exploration of the Underground City (a.k.a. my make-up shopping excursion), we went back to the hotel where I had a two-hour nap and then joined the boys for a few games of Bang!. To me, this is how vacation should be — doing whatever the hell you want with no set schedule. (Also, naps are glorious.) After our fourth round of Bang!, we realized that it was already past midnight. And that we were all hungry. So we made our way to La Banquise, a 24-hour restaurant that is famous for their poutine.

Poutine T-Rex

Poutine T-Rex (cheese, gravy, and meat, oh my!)

Imagine the best poutine you've ever had. The Poutine T-Rex is probably a hundred times better than that. That is to say, this poutine is the best I've ever had. The Poutine T-Rex is not for the faint of heart (or vegetarians, for that matter): a mountain of golden fries layered with rich gravy, massive cheese curds, ground beef, sausage slices, pepperoni cubes, and pieces of bacon. C'est glorieux! There is a reason why La Banquise is on nearly every "Best of Montreal" list, and why it's completely packed at 1:00 in the morning on a Wednesday. Even native Montrealers come here for the poutine. Yep, it's that good. And they have a whopping 28 different poutines for you to try devour. Unless you're vegan, you have to go to La Banquise at least once (or 87 times) in your life.

Montréal: Inglot

We spent the rest of the afternoon on Tuesday exploring the Underground City, but the only place I really wanted to go to was the Inglot store (in Place Montréal Trust). There are five locations in Canada and all of them are in Québec, and I was determined to get some new palettes while I had the chance. I bought a couple of eyeshadow palettes two years ago at their store in New York City, and forgot just how amazing their eyeshadows are. Seriously, nearly every single one, regardless of the finish, is smooth, soft, and buttery, with amazing pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. They were having a palette promotion, so the 10-pan palettes were $79 instead of $89, and the 20-pan palettes were $158 from $175. I prefer the 10-pan palettes because they're more portable and easier to organize, so after playing around in the store for nearly an hour, I came out with four new Freedom System 10-pan eyeshadow palettes:

Top row: AMC Shine 17, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 414, DS 483, and AMC 61

Bottom row: Pearl 419, Pearl 433, AMC Shine 49, DS 465, and Pearl 422

AMC Shine 17, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 414, DS 483, AMC 61, Pearl 419, Pearl 433, AMC Shine 49, DS 465, and Pearl 422

Top row: Pearl 450, AMC 75, AMC Shine 40, Pearl 423, and DS 458

Bottom row: Pearl 446, AMC Shine 14, AMC Shine 42, and DS 491

Pearl 450, AMC 75, AMC Shine 40, Pearl 423, DS 458, Pearl 446, AMC Shine 14, AMC Shine 42, and DS 491

Top row: Matte 323, Matte 343, DS 477, AMC 58, and AMC Shine 44

Bottom row: Matte 365, Matte 345, Matte 338, Pearl 415, and Pearl 426

Matte 323, Matte 343, DS 477, AMC 58, AMC Shine 44, Matte 365, Matte 345, Matte 338, Pearl 415, and Pearl 426

Top row: AMC Shine 15, Matte 361, Matte 362, DS 495, and Matte 366

Bottom row: Pearl 429, DS 493, Pearl 439, Matte 388, and AMC 65

AMC Shine 15, Matte 361, Matte 362, DS 495, Matte 366, Pearl 429, DS 493, Pearl 439, Matte 388, and AMC 65

The eyeshadows are available in five types of finishes: Matte, Pearl, DS, AMC, and AMC Shine. Other than matte and pearl, I have no idea what the other three finishes mean, and neither the salesgirl nor the website explained them to me. Also, the numbering system is horrendous. I wrote down the number of each eyeshadow underneath my palettes, because it will be nearly impossible to remember which shade is which number. Moreover, you have to use either a really strong magnet or an X-Acto knife to get the pans out of the palettes 'cause there are no grooves to remove them with your finger (like with the MAC palettes). But, even after all of that, their eyeshadows apply so beautifully and are such a good price (I got these for $6 an eyeshadow, with the palette costing $18) that they are totally worth getting. Even their matte shades are buttery and pigmented! If you like a huge range of colours in your make-up at a great price with fantastic quality, you definitely need to check out Inglot. It's a make-up artist's dream.

Montréal: Eggspectation

Having played Bang! (a most addictive game) until about 5:00 in the morning, we didn't actually get up until about 2:00 in the afternoon on Tuesday. And we were all craving breakfast food, but had no idea who served all-day breakfast... until we walked by Eggspectation on Rue Sainte-Catherine. I know there is a location by the Eaton Centre in Toronto, but for whatever reason, I have never been there. The menu is fairly large there, but with a name like Eggspectation, I couldn't not get eggs. But even then, there are about five full sections of the menu dedicated to eggs or egg dishes. So I decided upon one of their signature dishes, actually called Eggspectation: a three-egg omelette with mushrooms, onions, green and red peppers, bacon, sausage, and ham. Served with grilled potatoes, buttered toast, and fruit. I thought it was quite good, at least from what I remember, but I think it would be a real travesty if the eggs at a place called Eggspectation were bad. It's a great place to go if you're in Montréal and craving breakfast at a non-breakfast time (they have eight locations!).

Montréal: Schwartz's

With macarons in tow, we decided to look for some real food for dinner. And by "real food," I mean smoked meat. Schwartz's was one of the restaurants we were determined to try on this trip, so we walked about half an hour from Centre Eaton to the deli. And once we were there, we were met with a line-up of about 20 people outside, waiting for a seat inside the tiny restaurant. Yes, people, this deli is so popular, it can get 20 people waiting in the cold on a Monday night. After a half-hour wait, our party of six was finally seated.

A side of fries came first...

And then the famous smoked meat sandwich!

The bread is really just an afterthought...

And fatty cuts are the only way to go!

There is nothing fancy about Schwartz's. It's a cramped restaurant with a massive take-out line-up along with packed tables, waiters running around, guys behind the deli counter yelling across the restaurant, unflattering fluorescent lighting, and old pictures and paintings and newspaper clippings hanging on the wall. But I would line up for half an hour again and again and again to eat at Schwartz's. 'Cause, seriously, that was the best sandwich I've ever had in my life. It doesn't look very big, but there is so much smoked meat packed in between those two pieces of rye bread that I had to take out about half of it to eat separately with a fork. It was amazing. Real quotes from that night: "I can go outside right now, get run over by a car, and it would be okay, 'cause I got to eat that sandwich," "Easily a 10 out of 10," "I can die happy now." In my humble opinion, Schwartz's lives up to 100% of the hype. Would I say it's the best restaurant in Canada? No, probably not. Is it the best smoked meat in Canada? Well, I haven't eaten all the smoked meat in Canada, but I wager that it is.