Julep Maven Box: April 2012

This month, Julep had a deal to add up to two items to your box for $4.99 each... and you know I had to take advantage of this. I actually received my April Julep Maven box a few weeks ago, but I didn't want to make the post until I received the add-on items as well, which were shipped separately. I didn't get the package until last week, so I just didn't have time to post about it until I came back from New York. Anyway, better late than never. I actually opted for the "Classic with a Twist" style this month instead of my usual "It Girl" box, and then got two other shades of nail polish as my add-on items. So, in total, my box this month included a tube of Julep's The Best Pedi Créme Ever! and four shades of nail polish:

Susie, Jessica, Renee, and Mandy

Susie, Jessica, Renee, and Mandy

Susie is a very pale cool-toned mint green in a cream finish. I found this polish to apply rather streaky and unevenly, and because of its thicker consistency, it is also prone to pulling. It's really quite disappointing considering how well Julep's formula usually performs. You can get this opaque in two coats, but three will help cover up any streaks. Butter London's Bossy Boots is darker and much warmer in comparison, Essie's Mint Candy Apple is darker and more green, and Revlon's Minted is darker and more aqua.

Jessica is a light baby blue in a cream finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with no streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has very high pigmentation and goes opaque in one medium coat. Essie's Borrowed & Blue is much paler, Chanel's Coco Boy is darker, and Joe Fresh's Lagoon is more aqua. Though I don't own it, Chanel's Riva seems like it would be similar.

Renee is a light lavender with slight grey undertones in a cream finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with no streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has very high pigmentation and goes opaque in one medium coat. Butter London's Muggins is very similar, perhaps slightly more grey.

Mandy is a medium bright coral red in a cream finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with no streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has high pigmentation and goes opaque in one thick coat, though two will make it perfect. MAC's Vivid Effect is extremely similar, MAC's Kid Orange is slightly less pink, Essie's Watermelon is slightly darker and much more pink, and OPI's Cajun Shrimp is more orange.

Of the four shades, Susie was definitely the biggest disappointment in terms of formula, and is probably the worst Julep polish I've tried to date. But the colour is really pretty and more unique than I thought given how many mint polishes are out there. The other three shades applied like a dream — definitely true to the formula that Julep is known for. All four shades are gorgeous and on trend for Spring and Summer. The tube of The Best Pedi Crème Ever! is also really nice; it smells like mint and cucumbers with a hint of melon and it really softens feet like crazy. I don't use a lot of foot creams in general because I tend to forget to use it, but this one is a really nice option and smells great to boot. Pretty steep for a retail price of $22, but totally worth it in this box. In total, this box cost me $29.97 with add-ons, and is worth $78. For me, it was completely worth the price, despite Susie's tricky formula.

Empties: April 2012

Before I dive into my posts from New York, I decided to do my empties post for April first, given that tomorrow is already May and I am too obsessed with doing my monthly empties to postpone it. This post is, of course, dedicated to the original Beauty Reductionista, Liz. Without further ado, here is my empties tally, collected from March 31 to today:

• Shiseido Super Mild Conditioner — Green Floral (600 ml)
• Lush American Cream Conditioner (250 ml)
• Lush Big Shampoo (325 g)
• True Blue Spa Paraffin Super Softening Hand Lotion (74 ml)
• True Blue Spa Monoi Oil Nourishing Body Lotion (236 ml)
• Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash with Biospheric Complex (150 ml)
• Benefit b.right! Moisture Prep Toning Lotion (177 ml)
• Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (100 ml)
• Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml)
• Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel (30 ml)
• MAC Cremewash (100 ml)
• MAC Oil Control Lotion (50 ml)
• MAC Lightful Charged Essence (30 ml)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Lemon & Chamomile (7 g)
• Shiseido Facial Cotton (80 g)
• Butter London Powder Room Acetone Free Lacquer Remover (59 ml)
• Quo Nail Polish Remover Regular (354 ml)
• MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g)
• MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara — Black (9 g)

Total: 19 products (18 full size, 1 jumbo size)

Bodycare/Haircare:

Shiseido Super Mild Hair Conditioner — Green Floral (600 ml) — In case you haven't seen it before, this is a part of Shiseido's "drugstore" line, which is big in Asia, but not so much in Canada. All the writing on it is in Japanese, so I can't really tell you what it's supposed to do or what it's supposed to smell like, but I love, love, love the scent of this. This conditioner comes in three fragrances, but I am partial to the green one, which is a light, fresh, clean floral scent. I love that this conditioner isn't heavy, but leaves my hair feeling super soft and silky and completely detangled without leaving a residue. (For the record, I have non-dyed, long, medium-thick, coarse, dry hair.) Plus, it comes with a pump (which I personally like), and a 600 ml bottle is around $16 here (but it does go on sale for around $12, which is when I buy it).

Repurchase? Yes.

Lush American Cream Conditioner (250 ml) — I totally picked this up on a whim when I was at Lush, and I found that it didn't really do anything for my hair (non-dyed, long, medium-thick, coarse, dry) in terms of conditioning or detangling. The scent is a hit or miss — warm vanilla and honey — but I really loved the way it made my hair smell. Once your hair dries, the scent really lingers so you can pretty much smell it all day long. I personally like it, but many people don't like lingering scents in their hair products.

Repurchase? No, not worth it just for the scent.

Lush Big Shampoo (325 g) — You can read my review of this here. Basically, I love it.

Repurchase? Yes!

True Blue Spa Paraffin Super Softening Hand Lotion (74 ml) — Amazing, amazing, amazing. Totally bought this on a whim at Bath & Body Works last year when they were having a promotion (I think it was Buy 2, Get 1 Free). It has replaced the much more expensive L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream as my favourite. I use this at night before I go to sleep because it is fairly emollient (e.g. greasy). I didn't realize how well this cream worked until I started using it again. I was using my MOR Grape & Basil Hand Cream, which is nice but not the most hydrating for my purposes (I have ridiculously dry, cracked hands from a combination of over-sanitizing and washing as well as eczema), and I switched back to this to see if it would work better, and what do you know? My hands were visibly smoother and more hydrated than before. This is seriously amazing at repairing super-dry hands.

Repurchase? Yes, already did!

True Blue Spa Monoi Oil Nourishing Body Lotion (236 ml) — Again, I bought this on a whim at Bath & Body Works when they were having a 2 for 1 sale. I really like the consistency and texture of this lotion, which definitely feels more like a rich cream than a lotion (though not as thick as a body butter). Amazing for dry to really dry skin. I wasn't too keen on this scent; it smells good at first, like a tropical fruit punch or something, but the more I used it, the more cloying it became.

Repurchase? Yes, but in a different scent.

Skincare:

Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash with Biospheric Complex (150 ml) — I didn't use this for make-up removal, so I'm not sure how effective it is for that purpose, but this is otherwise an amazing cleanser for my combination-oily skin. It really makes skin feel super-clean without drying it out, and it smells really fresh and clean. It has a very slight cooling effect which would make it perfect for hotter weather.

Repurchase? Yes.

Benefit b.right! Moisture Prep Toning Lotion (177 ml) — I absolutely hated this. It feels so gross to be spreading all over your face, like a slimy liquid-gel (actually reminded me a lot of jizz). It left my face feeling sticky and just not clean at all, like I had a layer of residue on; I seriously had to resist the urge to re-cleanse my face afterwards. Again, this is a moisture prep toner, so I should have known it was not going to be the best for my combination-oily skin, but I didn't know it would be this bad. Those with dry skin types might appreciate this more, but I could not wait to finish this damn bottle. The only redeeming quality is that it smells nice. And the bottle is quite cute, too.

Repurchase? God, no, never again.

Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (100 ml) — I've been using this for years as my day time serum. It's a skin refiner, so it's main goal is to make skin look and feel smoother. Aside from making my pores look smaller and my skin more even, it also helps with any flakiness or roughness. Especially amazing to use before applying make-up.

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

Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml) — You know, this has been my "holy grail" cleanser for years, but I think I like MAC's Cremewash a little more now! But this is amazing for removing make-up (including eye make-up and mascara), and it also cleans my skin effectively without leaving it feeling dry. But now that it's $35 a tube, I just can't justify getting a new tube every two months.

Repurchase? Yes, but only occasionally now; it's just too expensive.

Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel (30 ml) — I was using this as my night moisturizer. It has a light gel texture, so it's a great option for those with combination-oily skin. It left my skin feeling fresh and hydrated, and there is a cooling sensation that is pretty wonderful, especially after a shower (my face gets super hot). I didn't really find a huge difference in the texture and clarity of my complexion, but it didn't make me break out or leave dry patches of skin. However, the packaging is a total deal breaker. It comes in this pump jar which was great until it broke. I don't know how it broke because it was working perfectly one night, and the next, the pump was stuck right in there. I couldn't fix it, I couldn't un-twist the top, nothing. I was super pissed, too, because there was still some product in there, and seeing as each container only has 30 ml, I wanted to get as much of it out as possible. Such bullshit.

Repurchase? No, the packaging is horrendous!

MAC Cremewash (100 ml) — You know, the more I use this, the more I love it. It seriously takes off all my make-up (you're not meant to be using this in the eye area, but I do and it takes off everything, even stubborn mascara!), and leaves my skin feeling so soft and so smooth and so clean. It foams up beautifully and has such a rich, buttery lather. And it smells really clean with a hint of sweetness, kind of like apples and flowers. This is my new "holy grail" cleanser.

Repurchase? Yes!

MAC Oil Control Lotion (50 ml) — I was using this as my day moisturizer. This lotion is meant to disperse the oil on your face more evenly as the day goes on, so oils don't pool up around certain areas (like the edges of the nose). It does make your face look matte to a certain extent, but I get so oily that you can definitely see my grease face coming through after half a day of wear. As far as it goes, though, it's a decent oil-free hydration lotion. Not the best in terms of mattifying, though.

Repurchase? Maybe, if I can't find anything better.

MAC Lightful Charged Essence (30 ml) — Amazing at evening out skintone. You have to use it to believe it. All the redness in my face was much less noticeable even after a week of use. MAC's Lightful line is essentially their "whitening" line, so it's meant to fade dark spots and even out skintone. I don't know if my beauty marks and freckles are any less noticeable at this point, but it really does help with skintone.

Repurchase? Yes, I have the new version now (Marine Bright Formula).

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). And this one tastes and smells like lemon cupcakes.

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

Miscellaneous:

Shiseido Facial Cotton (80 g) — Best cotton pads, ever. Ridiculously soft and fluff-free, and holds product better than any other cotton pad out there, so you end up needing less product. And before you think $9 is too steep for a package of cotton pads, think again. In terms of cost per pad, it's about the same as your typical drugstore brand. Also amazing to use to remove nail polish, because it holds remover like no other so it's always soaked.

Repurchase? Always, I have about four back-up packs.

Butter London Powder Room Acetone Free Lacquer Remover (59 ml) — I got this as a bonus gift when I ordered a bunch of polishes from Butter London's site. Really amazing polish remover (I would say as good as Zoya's) and smells amazing. But the bottle is tiny, and it's $7 each.

Repurchase? No, too expensive for the amount you get.

Quo Nail Polish Remover Regular (354 ml) — After having used both Zoya's and Butter London's polish removers, you will never go back to this shit. Quo's remover is terrible; you need double the amount of product and time to take off polish than the other brands I mentioned.

Repurchase? Maybe as a back-up remover only.

Make-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 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 1.5 months, so I always have a back-up.

Guys, I think I hit a new record for empties this month!

A-England Nail Varnish in Ascalon

It's been a while since I last wore an A-England nail polish, so I decided to bust out one of the colours I hadn't tried yet. Given the dreary turn in weather recently (guys, it snowed today, and while I realize that we were freaking out over the global warming-induced, record-breaking temperature days in March, I am now freaking out over snow when we're a week from May), I decided that A-England's Ascalon really suit the mood.

Ascalon is a medium gunmetal grey with fine multi-coloured holographic duochrome shimmer. It looks more like a shimmery gunmetal grey when you're indoors, but when the sun hits, the holographic and duochrome effects of the shimmer are ridiculously stunning: It'll take on gold, pink, green, lavender, aqua, blue, purple... I just about passed out at seeing rainbows shining back at me in shimmer form. (Seriously, the photo doesn't do it justice.) The consistency is not too thick or thin, and it applies smoothly and evenly with no streaking, pulling, or bubbling. It has very good pigmentation, but while both Dragon and Saint George were one-coaters, I found that Ascalon needed a second coat to make it perfect. This polish has probably the most complex, harmonious blend of coloured shimmer I have ever seen, and I cannot think of a single dupe for it. Therefore, you need this polish.

Oh, and did I mention that this shade looks good with everything? Indeed, I love it so much that I'm going to wear it on my trip to New York City. I will be gone until Sunday, but will be on Twitter from time to time. Try not to miss me too much.

Topshop Lips Velvet Finish Moisturising Lipstick in Confession and Mischief

Topshop is huge in the UK and I know many bloggers and "YouTube beauty gurus" from there have talked and raved about Topshop's make-up line for ages. But it doesn't seem to be very well-known in Canada, probably due to the lack of stores here (Topshop is exclusive to The Bay in Canada, and within Toronto, only two of the locations sell Topshop — of the two, I believe only the Yorkdale location carries the cosmetics line). In addition to two powder blushes, I also picked up two shades of their Lips Velvet Finish Moisturising Lipstick (not to be mistaken for Topshop's Lip Stick, which are their chubby lip pencils — it's confusing, I know). I finally decided to post a review after testing these for a couple weeks. Their lipsticks are packaged in white-coated metal tubes featuring black stripes on the base, and have a subtle mango fragrance and taste. Each lipstick contains 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $17.

Confession and Mischief

Confession and Mischief

Confession is a medium bright coral that leans slightly pink in a Velvet finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is very slightly more pink than MAC Vegas Volt, but they are quite similar.

Mischief is a medium bright orange-toned red in a Velvet finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more red than MAC Chili, and less orange than Lady Danger.

The texture of these lipsticks is gorgeous, and reminds me quite a lot of MAC's Amplified lipsticks — really creamy, smooth, and pigmented with a slight sheen. Those who have a sensitivity to fragrance might not like the mango scent in these, but both the smell and the taste disappear after a few minutes of wear. There's really nothing about these I don't like. The only thing I'm confused about is the pricing. I just don't get how Topshop's blushes are $13, whereas their lipsticks are $17. I can't think of any other company in which its lipsticks are more expensive than their blushes. I'm not complaining, though, because I feel like their lipsticks easily merit the price point, but I just thought their pricing was odd. That having been said, I don't think you should go out of your way to get to a Topshop just to grab their lipsticks — MAC is comparable in quality and price, but with infinitely more shades and locations (at least in Canada). However, if you're near a Topshop, then these are absolutely worth checking out.

Topshop Powder Blush in Powdered and Pop

If you read about my Topshop haul a few weeks ago, you'll know that I picked up two of their powder blushes among a few other items. Topshop is huge in the UK and I know many bloggers and "YouTube beauty gurus" from there have talked and raved about Topshop's make-up line for ages. But it doesn't seem to be very well-known in Canada, probably due to the lack of stores here (Topshop is exclusive to The Bay in Canada, and within Toronto, only two of the locations sell Topshop — of the two, I believe only the Yorkdale location carries the cosmetics line). I finally decided to post a review after testing these for a couple weeks. Their blushes are packaged in a white plastic mirrored compact featuring black dots on the top. Each compact contains 5 grams of product, and retails for $13.

Powdered and Pop

Powdered and Pop

Powdered is a medium blue-toned cotton candy pink in a matte finish. It has a really soft, silky texture. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It blends out and builds up effortlessly without being too powdery. It is brighter and cooler than MAC Pink Swoon, and is slightly lighter than both NARS Angelika and Tarte Adored.

Pop is a medium bright coral-orange with pink undertones in a matte finish. It has a really soft, silky texture. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with intense pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It blends out and builds up effortlessly without being too powdery. It is much more orange than MAC Fleur Power, and more pink than Illamasqua Excite.

How have I not used Topshop's blushes before these?! Everything about these are phenomenal: the texture, the pigmentation, the colour pay-off. And for $13 a pop? I consider these a complete steal. Something tells me that I am going to need every single shade in Topshop's line...

Pizza Party

A bunch of us went over to Wynnie's for dinner tonight. We had a ton of leftover veggies and meat from our BBQ dinner a few days ago, so we decided to put them to good use and make pizzas. Ben made the dough and pizza sauce from scratch and, let me tell you, there's nothing quite like fresh homemade dough and sauce — all those pizza chains will never be as good. We had a little topping station all set up on the kitchen table and proceeded to make our own personal pies:

Ben's fresh homemade dough

Ben's homemade pizza sauce

A mountain of mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni!

Spicy Italian sausage

Steak with homemade bacon BBQ sauce

Eggplant

Portobello mushrooms and asparagus

Broccoli

Red onions

Assembling my personal pizza!

My masterpiece: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, steak, portobello mushrooms, extra cheese, and basil

As you can see, I sort of bypass vegetables when there's a plethora of meat on the table. But it was seriously one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. I'd almost forgotten how good homemade pizza is — the last time I ate one was on my birthday, also made by Ben. The dough was so perfect: soft, fluffy, slightly chewy, and crispy in all the right places. The sauce wasn't a typical tomato sauce, either; there were different spices and whatever secret ingredients Ben used that made it more zesty and savoury. (I love that I have a chef for a best friend. Seriously, he really comes in handy.) There was a lot of preparation work by Ben and Wynnie, and our pizzas were proof that taking the time and care to make food really makes a huge difference. Ben had planned on making a dessert pizza that consisted of bananas, cinnamon, sugar, and a lot butter... but we were all so full by the time we ate our own pizzas that we just couldn't even think about eating anything more, so he didn't end up making it. It's too bad, because it really sounded quite epic. But at least I have lunch for tomorrow!

Glymm: April Box

I received my April Glymm box a couple days ago. After receiving the most disappointing box last month, you don't even know how wary I was of opening this month's box. For those who haven't heard of Glymm, it's a beauty subscription program very similar to Luxe Box. It's $10 a month, and you get a box of four to five deluxe beauty samples sent right to your door. This program is good for those who want to try a different assortment of beauty products without having to actually buy the products. However, the products in each box are a complete surprise every month, so I would not recommend joining if you have certain expectations, because there are bound to be some products that you'll be disappointed in. As far as I know, Glymm is a Canadian-only beauty subscription program, but there are many similar programs offered by different companies all around the world.

This month, I received:

Lucia No. 1 Goat Milk & Linseed Soap (mini size, 25 g): I've used tons of Lucia's soy candles, and actually bought a Pomegranate & Redcurrant Organic Shea Butter Soap for the guest bathroom a couple years ago, so I'm familiar with this product. I'm not generally a huge fan of bar soaps for the body, but I don't mind them for washing my hands (though I still prefer liquid soap, either way). These mini ones are actually really nice as gifts and for use in guest bathrooms, and the packaging is gorgeous. Each bar is triple-milled and handmade with 100% Organic Shea Butter, so it leaves skin feeling soft but still clean. I didn't really like the scent of the one I bought previously (though the candle smells amazing), but the Goat Milk & Linseed one is actually really nice: soft, clean, slightly powdery, slightly sweet. I probably wouldn't buy these for myself, but they are lovely to receive.

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue (sample size, 1 ml): I've read about Atelier Cologne in many fashion and beauty magazines, but it's not really widely available in Canada, so I haven't really been able to smell any of the scents until now. Orange Sanguine has notes of blood orange, bitter orange, jasmine, geranium, amber woods, tonka bean, and sandalwood. I actually really like this scent: it's citrusy without being too sweet, and it settles down into a soft floral. It is somehow fresh and warm at the same time, almost like peeling an orange while lying in the sun with a cool breeze. It has 15% concentration, so its lasting power lies somewhere between an eau de parfum and a perfume extract. It's definitely one of the longest-lasting citrus fragrances I've ever worn. If I don't get sick of this scent after a few wears, I would really consider buying a bottle.

Free Your Mane Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner (sample size, 7.4 ml each): There is something about getting packet samples that really, really infuriates me. It is so cheap, so one-use-only, so drugstore, that it just turns me off completely from trying it. As snobby as that may sound, packets are just ridiculously annoying to use. Could they not put the same amount of product into small squeeze tubes? I know that these sample packets have at two to three uses' worth of product in them, and yet I know that even if my interest is piqued enough to try them, they will be used precisely once and then thrown out because I cannot stand keeping opened, oozing packets in my shower. And then I would promptly forget about them because one use is not enough convince me that a hair product is good.

Mai Couture Social Gloss in G'Vinity (full size, 5 ml): Mai Couture claims that this "luxurious treatment lip gloss fills in unwanted lines and restores moisture for healthier, fuller lips." It is made with "a complex mix of plant extracts that enhance lip volume effortlessly without the allergen." Okay, it has to be said that I didn't find my lips to be any healthier or fuller from the use of this gloss — to use this as a "treatment," you'd have to keep it on and re-apply it on an ongoing basis. But it feels great on the lips: non-sticky, smooth, slick, and hydrated. It kind of reminds me of MAC Plushglass without the tingly, "plumping" effect. I find that all glosses, because of their reflective nature, will always make lips look more voluminous or "juicy" so I didn't find that this one "enhanced" my lip volume any more than any other gloss. The colour itself is a semi-sheer creamy beige with white micro-shimmer. When it's on, it looks similar to MAC Lustrewhite Lustreglass or MAC Pretty Plush Plushglass. That is to say, it doesn't add a lot of colour, but mutes the lips and adds shine and shimmer. It's not a colour I would ever pick for myself, but it's versatile. This gloss has a good, solid formula that feels comfortable on the lips, but for $28 a pop, there are way more easily accessible brands with more colour options or better formulas (or at least better prices) than Mai Couture.

NuMe $100 Gift Certificate: A really nice bonus but, of course, it's only redeemable towards styling tools and hair extensions. Seeing as getting hair extensions is out of the question, I started browsing their styling tools. I already have a great heat styler, but I was tempted in getting a new hair dryer... until I realized that even with $100 deducted, it would still be $125 before tax. And for that amount of money, I would rather invest in a brand that is well-known and renowned in the industry. (Whereas I had never heard of NuMe until those hideous feather hair extensions I received last month that completely freaked me out.)

Overall, this month's box was much better than the last box I received — my only major complaint was the packet-style shampoo and conditioner samples (packets are the lowest of the low in sample packaging), which should be given for free all the time rather than in a beauty subscription box that costs me $10 a month. That having been said, I love the soap and the perfume, and the gloss was surprisingly nice as well, even if the colour is kind of boring. The NuMe gift certificate was a nice touch, but it's not going to be of much use to me since I'm not really looking to spend that much money on hair tools right now. If anyone is interested, however, I would be more than willing to give them the certificate code!

A Little Dinner Party

On a whim, Wynnie decided to invite us over for dinner at her house tonight. Wynnie, Ben, and Ronsee were in charge of cooking (and grocery shopping and grilling and basically planning everything), and I am not one to say no to a dinner invite in which I get to eat and do none of the work. A sampling of the food we consumed:

Homemade guacamole (served with chips but also amazing with meat!)

Caprese salad (basil, tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella)

A German-style potato salad

Bacon-wrapped shrimp with melted mozzarella (!!!)

Also from the barbeque: chicken skewers, juicy beef ribs, and chicken wings. (No pictures from the grill, 'cause it was too dark and I refuse to use flash.) Add to this a homemade BBQ sauce made with bacon and caramelized onions (courtesy of Ben, of course, who doesn't need a reason to add bacon to anything), and it was the perfect impromptu dinner party.

Sandwich Series: Cucumber & Dill Cream Cheese Bagel

As many of you will know by now, I have a very limited cooking ability. So basically, I eat a lot of sandwiches. I usually only post photos of what I eat when I'm dining out, but I figure, why not showcase what I eat the most? So, I'm going to do a mini series of posts, aptly named, "Sandwich Series." Which means I will post a different sandwich every week. That is, until I get really sick of sandwiches. Which could be in about two months or something. (No, I doubt it. I love sandwiches.)

I've been sort of obsessed with this sandwich lately. It's basically dill cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel with sliced cucumbers. (For those who haven't had the pleasure of eating an everything bagel, it has sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, and garlic. It gives you dragon breath, but it's so damn worth it. I am partial to the Dempster's brand.) I sprinkle some salt and lots of dill on top because dill is pretty much my favourite herb of all time. This is probably the easiest sandwich I make, with a total preparation and assembly time of three minutes. Sometimes, if I'm feeling wild, I'll replace the cucumber with tomato slices. Or, if I'm feeling extra fattening, I'll use avocado. But, yeah, you get the jist. Simple but just ridiculously good. And addictive. Seriously, I eat two of these per sitting.

China Glaze & The Hunger Games: Capitol Colours Nail Lacquer in Agro

Even though the hype around The Hunger Games is slowly coming to an end, I finally got around to trying out the last of the five shades I bought from China Glaze's The Hunger Games Capitol Colours collection. As I mentioned before, I don't think these colours are really suited to this time of year, but if you're not one of those people who has to wear pastels in the spring and brights in the summer (or you don't care about trends in general), then these are definitely for you. I, for one, will rock this year round.

Agro is a dark rich olive green with olive-gold shimmer and metallic threading throughout. This shade is named for District 11 for agriculture. The consistency of this shade isn't too thick or thin, and it goes on smoothly and evenly without bubbling, streaking, or pulling. It almost goes opaque in one coat, but two will make it perfect. Surprisingly, I don't have a lot of shades that are similar to this. It has much more of a golden undertone than Julep's Stefani, and is like the direct mix of MAC's Fatigues and Immortal Gold.

This is by far my favourite stand-alone shade from the entire collection (though it also looks amazing with Luxe & Lush on top of it). It looks absolutely stunning on its own, and is especially gorgeous in daylight, where the golden shimmer and metallic threads really pop. If you're going to buy just one shade from the China Glaze Capitol Colours collection, this is the one you should get. The warmth of the gold and the coolness of the dark olive green will suit every skintone from fair to dark, and every undertone from cool to warm. It has a good consistency, easy application, and great pigmentation — the three things we've come to expect from China Glaze.

Momiji Sushi Bistro & Bar

I was craving sushi for dinner, so Shawn and I went to Momiji.

25 pieces of sashimi

Spicy salmon crunch roll

Spicy tuna roll

We got there really late, around 10:15, and their last call was at 10:30, so we just ordered our favourites — no time to peruse the menu and try out more interesting items (I try to order different things every time I visit a restaurant repeatedly). Can't complain, though; the food was fresh, the portions were generous, and even though we got there late, the service was quick, efficient, and polite. I've heard that Momiji is often really dead, even though the location is in a relatively busy area (on Sheppard, just east of the 404). People say that that particular spot must be cursed, because no restaurant that has occupied that space has lasted for more than two years. This really makes me sad because Momiji is a beautiful restaurant that offers great food, good service, and a nice ambiance at decent prices. If you're ever in that area and are craving sushi (or Japanese food in general), definitely try Momiji.

Lush Haul: Karma Kream, Big, Bath Bombs, and Bubble Bars

I went to Lush to pick up a new tub of Big Shampoo, and was also persuaded to pick up a jar of Karma Kream. I have their Dream Cream, which is amazing for dry, sensitive, allergy-prone skin (I have dry and eczema-prone skin), but I just could not stand the smell of it (they say it smells like lavender and chamomile, but it just smells like medicinal dirt to me). So my friend who works at Lush told me to try Karma Kream. It's a lightweight body cream made of cocoa butter and almond oil with Lush's signature Karma fragrance infused into it, which is a blend of orange flower, patchouli, and lemongrass. I normally don't like spicy scents, but there is a fresh citrus element that cuts the spice. Karma Kream actually has a really strong fragrance that lingers on the skin (so if you don't like lingering scents, you should pass on this one), but it's amazing mixed with Dream Cream. That way, I get the moisturizing properties of both, the soothing properties of Dream Cream, and the scent of Karma Kream (which is diluted by the Dream Cream, so it's not as strong).

As some of you will know, I finally tried taking a bath — to great success! I've taken a bath every week for the past month now. Honestly, it's not so much the lying in a tub of water but the bath products that make it so fun (and kind of addictive, actually). I told my Lush friend that I love taking baths now, and he was so excited for me that he ended up gifting me a bunch of bath products! He gave me two bubble bars in The Comforter and Karma, plus four bath bombs: Big Blue, Avobath, Butterball, and Sex Bomb. You don't even know how excited I am to try out these new goodies; I'm totally set for the next few months' worth of baths. Guys, bath products is an entire beauty department that is completely foreign to me. (Who knew one even existed for me?) But now that I've crossed the threshold, I sense that I will soon be making up for all the years that I was deprived of bathing. Consider me a convert.

Baking Session: Vanilla Bean Latté Cupcakes

As mentioned, I met up with Janetta for a baking session yesterday, our second one since the midnight lemon cupcakes a couple months ago. Since we wanted a budget-friendly recipe, we decided to make "vanilla bean latté" cupcakes, which essentially consists of a vanilla bean cake with a hint of butterscotch and a vanilla-coffee buttercream. We decided to make ours vegan-friendly so that my vegan friend (and Janetta's vegan boyfriend) could eat these as well. Here was our baking process (this is a really photo-heavy post, so I apologize in advance for the loading):

In one bowl, add 1¼ cup all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp. cornstarch

Add ¾ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, ¾ tsp. salt

Sift dry ingredients into bowl

In separate bowl, add ⅓ cup oil and ¾ cup sugar

Add 2 tsp. vanilla extract (Janetta had some homemade extract)

Add 1 tsp. rum extract (if you want a hint of butterscotch flavour)

Turn mixer on, and add 1 cup of water (or soy milk) and 1 tsp. vinegar

Add sifted dry ingredients into wet ingredients

Mix, mix, mix; if mixture is runny, add some more flour

Pour batter into cupcake liners (about ⅔ of the way up)

Put tray into pre-heated 350° oven, and bake for about 20 minutes

Let cupcakes cool before frosting

Buttercream frosting: Add vegan margarine to a bowl (we didn't have a set recipe for this, so we just winged it)

Add brown sugar syrup

Add vanilla bean

Add sifted icing sugar

Mix, mix, mix; see the delightful vanilla specks?

Add coffee (we used instant coffee)

Mix until whippy goodness

Put buttercream in a bowl and start frosting!

We sprinkled some sugar crystals on top

And then added a chocolate-covered espresso bean

Ready to be devoured!

For our "testing cupcake," we drizzled some caramel on top

The caramel made it a little too sweet for our liking, but it was otherwise delicious!

The recipe we followed was supposed to make 12 cupcakes, but we ended up with just enough for 11. Both the cake and the buttercream were a little softer, lighter, and fluffier than we were used to; we substituted a few things in this recipe that may have changed the texture (e.g. water for soy milk, oil for butter, etc.), but overall, these were pretty tasty. The rum extract added a really nice butterscotch flavour to the cupcakes, though you can easily substitute it with maple or almond or caramel. They were a huge hit to everyone (vegan and non-vegan alike) that I gave one to — my vegan friend actually exclaimed, "I would marry you for these cupcakes alone!" And she doesn't even believe in marriage. Job well done! Any ideas on what to make for our next baking session?