Tikka Tikka Indian Delight

I was craving Indian food today, so Shawn and I went to Tikka Tikka and ordered our favourite Indian dishes:

Vegetable and beef samosas

Vegetable samosa with tamarind sauce (innards)

Beef samosa with spicy coriander sauce

Naan (!)

Butter chicken

Lamb korma

The food is excellent across the board. The samosas are stuffed to the brim with well-seasoned fillings, and have perfectly crispy wraps that aren't too thick or thin (think spring rolls rather than egg rolls) — not as cheap or fresh as Samosa King, but better than most Indian restaurants I've been to, including Bombay Bhel. The vegetable samosas stand out more to me than the meat ones, though, with generous amounts of potato, peas, and onions. The butter chicken is creamy and flavourful with tons of massive chicken pieces, and the lamb korma is just spicy enough with tons of tender lamb chunks. I would say the butter chicken is on par with Bombay Bhel, but the lamb korma is better executed at Tikka Tikka. And the naan is huge, fluffy, and substantial enough to sop up any curry. The service is on the slow side and could be more attentive, mostly because they are understaffed and they receive a ton of take-out orders, but they're pleasant and polite. And the prices are on par with most dine-in Indian restaurants. I would definitely come here again.

Tikka Tikka Indian Delight

6001 14th Avenue

Markham, ON L3P 3J3

(905) 201-6767

Menchie's

Hi, my name is Denise, and I'm a Menchie's addict. I think I've gone there like, five times in the past two weeks. My current favourite combination: Original Tart frozen yogurt and Raspberry Lemonade sorbet mixed together, topped with pineapple chunks, kiwi chunks, strawberry slices, and mochi balls. Just the right amount of sweet and tart, totally refreshing, and perfect for summer. Oh, and one of my clients is the owner of the Menchie's location I frequent, and she gave me some free yogurt coupons. So, basically, I'm going to be spending my entire summer at Menchie's.

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt

Markham Town Square

3828 Highway 7

Markham, ON L3R 1L7

(905) 477-8300

Yang's Kitchen

Dinner with the girls — yes, all you can eat Japanese again. This time, at Yang's Kitchen:

Edamame

Salmon and white tuna sashimi

Spicy salmon rolls and California rolls

Salmon roses

"Thousand Island" (crab salad) rolls

Deluxe sushi pizza

Deep-fried scallops with mayo (!)

Chicken teriyaki skewers

Beef ribs

Steak teriyaki

It was my first time at Yang's Kitchen and while the food was really good and varied and got to our table at top speed, I probably won't be returning. The service was just terrible. All the waiters had this exasperated look about them, like serving you is very low on their priority list. I swear, you can raise your hand all you want, but they will act like they suddenly got tunnel vision and purposely ignore you, acting like they're busy with something else. If they deign to acknowledge your existence, you better know exactly what you're ordering, because I swear to you, they just kept sighing and rolling their eyes with impatience while we were deciding on the last few things we wanted. (Like, how dare you not know whether you want three pieces of sushi or four?!) It's stupid, anyway, because they bring the wrong amount you wanted to begin with. Six deep-fried scallops means three to them, apparently.

Also, the waiters barely speak English, so you better get your index finger ready to point at things on the menu. Or, you know, bring someone who is mighty fluent in Cantonese and/or Mandarin. Moreover, they have a policy that insists on charging regular prices to any leftover food, and they kept bringing us food that we didn't order. This happened four times. Not that a plate of 24 spring rolls is bad, we just can't eat it all. And to add insult to injury, they automatically add a mandatory service charge to your bill. (Um, since when is it mandatory to tip?! Not that we wouldn't, but it's nice to have a choice, you know?) Seriously, read this story about an experience at this restaurant, it's insane. Anyway, yeah, food's good but the place is run by complete douche bags.

Yang's Kitchen

4261 Highway 7

Markham, ON L3R 9W6

(905) 944-0818

Julep Maven Box: May 2012

I can't believe it's already been a month since my last Julep Maven box — seriously, where has the time gone? When I got a preview of the May boxes for Julep Maven, I wasn't too impressed with the products or shades in any of the box styles, so I just kept my "It Girl" option. Included in this month's "It Girl" box were three nail polish shades:

Kylie, Ashley, and Nessa

Kylie is a medium-dark amethyst purple with purple shimmer. This shade is actually a magnetic polish (the box came with a magnet), so when you use the magnet with the polish, it creates blackened violet wavy stripes. It applied smoothly and evenly, with high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It goes opaque in one medium coat, but two will make it perfect (and you need at least two coats if you're going to be using the magnetic effect). It is very similar to Nails Inc.'s Houses of Parliament.

Ashley is a medium brightened tangerine with gold shimmer. The brush for this polish arrived really frayed, so I wasn't able to achieve a smooth or even application, but that doesn't mean that those who received this polish with a non-frayed brush couldn't. The brush caused the polish to go on really thick and goopy, and it was really hard to control how it went on my nail. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It goes opaque in two medium coats, but because it is prone to streaking, you may need three to achieve full opacity. I couldn't think of a dupe for this shade.

Nessa is a light-medium brightened lemon yellow with white-yellow shimmer. The brush for this polish arrived really frayed, so I wasn't able to achieve a smooth or even application, but that doesn't mean that those who received this polish with a non-frayed brush couldn't. The brush caused the polish to go on really thick and goopy, and it was really hard to control how it went on my nail. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It goes opaque in two medium coats, but because it is prone to streaking, you may need three to achieve full opacity. I couldn't think of a dupe for this shade.

I liked that the colours in this box were more unique, even if the formulas weren't stellar. Though Ashley and Nessa aren't really my cup of tea, they're nice options to have for Spring and Summer. I am, however, super-pissed that the brushes on both of those shades arrived completely frayed — it made it impossible to get a smooth and even finish. Kylie had the best application and colour pay-off, but it looks almost identical to Nails Inc.'s Houses of Parliament — and let's be honest, I'm so over the magnetic trend. Overall, it's a decent box with some unique colours for the season, but I'm not entirely impressed with the quality of the formulas and I was very disappointed with the frayed brush applicators. The May Julep Maven box is probably my least favourite so far.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Lipsticks

MAC released their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, in stores last Thursday in North America. Hey, Sailor! is comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection features a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of four lipstick shades, all of which are new and limited edition. MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Each lipstick comes in a limited edition tube with a navy blue and white stripe nautical design, and limited edition box packaging featuring the same design. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $18.50. These are not applicable for the Back To MAC recycling program.

Red Racer, Sail La Vie, Salute!, and To Catch a Sailor

Red Racer, Sail La Vie, Salute!, and To Catch a Sailor

Red Racer is a medium bright red with yellow undertones in a Satin finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It applies smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer than Russian Red and MAC Red, lighter and brighter than Chili, and less orange than Lady Danger.

Sail La Vie is a medium bright orange-red in a Satin finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It applies smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more orange than Lady Danger, more red than Korean Candy Sheen Supreme, and brighter and more orange than So Chaud.

Salute! is a pale peach-beige in an Amplified finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It applies smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. Due to the lightness of the shade, it has a tendency to accentuate imperfections on the lip. It is less pink than Myth and Fleshpot, and lighter and more yellow-toned than Creme d'Nude.

To Catch a Sailor is a light-medium tan-beige with a metallic sheen in a Frost finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It applies smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and less gold than Tanarama, and more brown than Gel.

All four shades applied well and had smooth, creamy textures with opaque colour pay-off, so it really comes down to whether these colours suit your tastes. As with most collections that come out this time of year, the bright shades (Red Racer and Sail La Vie) will sell out the fastest. Salute! will really only work well on fair to light-medium skintones, as it will really look like pale concealer on medium to dark skintones (e.g. washed out). Moreover, because it is such a pale shade, it will really emphasize lines and flakes on the lips, so super-smooth, freshly-exfoliated lips are a must. To Catch a Sailor was surprisingly not drying for a Frost lipstick, and is a nice option for those who like metallic finishes in their lip products. For me, the must-have from this collection is Sail La Vie, which is a really fun, bright colour that's perfect for this time of year, right on trend this season, and will suit fair to dark skintones.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms

MAC released their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, in stores yesterday in North America. Hey, Sailor! is comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection features a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of three shades of Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm, all of which are new and limited edition. Each Suntints Lip Balm comes in a limited edition navy blue and white stripe nautical design with the corresponding shade featured on the front, and limited edition box packaging featuring a navy blue and white stripe nautical design. Each Suntints Lip Balm contains 10 ml of product, and retails for $19.

Abalone, Au Rosé, and Sea Mist

Abalone is is a light-medium cool-toned pink with a transparent finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with low pigmentation and sheer colour pay-off. It slightly darkens my natural lip colour while adding shine. It's like a slightly pink-tinted version of Clear Lipglass.

Au Rosé is a light-medium melon pink with gold shimmer. This is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer colour pay-off. It adds a very subtle melon tint and quite a lot of shimmer. It's like a sheerer version of Love Nectar Lustreglass.

Sea Mist is a pale peachy beige with white shimmer. This is a new and limited edition shade. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with low pigmentation and sheer colour pay-off. It adds white shimmer and shine. It's like a sheerer version of Lustrewhite Lustreglass.

Every summer, MAC launches a new set of Suntints, and they never impress anybody and they don't sell well. I don't know why they don't just skip the Suntints and release new shades of Tendertones instead, since everyone loves those and they also have SPF. I have never been a fan of Suntints, and these haven't changed my mind. They're not moisturizing, they feel tacky on the lips, and these particular shades don't really show up on the lips. The only good thing about these is that they have SPF 20. I think these were made for those who like to spend long periods of time outdoors (like, say, on the beach) and want a gloss with SPF but don't want to look very made up. If you are one of these people, the only shade I'd recommend is Au Rosé, because it's the only one that will show up on the lips. Otherwise, these are a total pass.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Eyeshadows

MAC released their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, in stores today in North America. Hey, Sailor! is comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection features a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of five Eyeshadow shades, four of which are new and limited edition, and one of which is permanent (that will not be reviewed here). Each Eyeshadow comes in a limited edition navy blue pot with a clear lid featuring a navy blue nautical stripe design, and limited edition box packaging featuring the same design. Each Eyeshadow contains 1.3 - 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $19. These are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

From bottom right: Jaunty, Barefoot, Feeling Fresh, and Nautical Navy

Jaunty, Barefoot, Feeling Fresh, and Nautical Navy

Jaunty is a light-medium warm wheat beige with a metallic sheen in a Frost finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, dense, and buttery. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than Patina, cooler and less frosted than Retrospeck, and lighter and less brown than Era.

Barefoot is a light-medium warm dirty gold in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, dense, and buttery. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. I find that it doesn't have the same intense pigmentation as most Veluxe Pearl eyeshadows, but this does layer easily to achieve opacity and also blends out easily. It is less yellow and much more subdued than Goldmine, and darker and more bronze than Gorgeous Gold.

Feeling Fresh is a medium brightened grass green with yellow undertones and silver shimmer in a Frost finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a dry, powdery texture and doesn't bind well together, so it tends to skip on the skin and doesn't blend easily. There is a grittiness to it that makes it seem more like a Lustre finish than a Frost. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off, but it does layer easily over a primer or eyeshadow base to reach opacity. It is slightly lighter and a bit cooler than Fresh Flare Pro Longwear Eyeshadow.

Nautical Navy is a dark navy blue with soft blue and silver shimmer in a Satin finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a slightly drier texture, but it goes on smoothly and evenly, with high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is slightly darker and much less metallic than Thru the Night Pro Longwear Eyeshadow, much more blue and less purple than Contrast, and lighter and more blue than Nehru.

For me, the must-haves from these are Jaunty and Barefoot — they have the smoothest and most pigmented formulas, and they also happen to be the most wearable and neutral shades of the collection. They're the type of colours that look good on their own (with a bright lip, perhaps?) and mixed with brighter or darker shades to create a full-blown eye look. The biggest disappointment out of these is Feeling Fresh, which is such a gorgeous colour — if only it would execute better! If you're looking for a similar green, I would definitely go for Fresh Flare Pro Longwear Eyeshadow instead, which goes on much smoother and more evenly with better colour pay-off. Nautical Navy is nice (I had read that it was super-dry and stiff and sheer, but I was pleasantly surprised that it's none of those things!), but very easily dupeable within MAC and within other brands. It's a nice option if you're looking for a navy blue shade, but it's easily passable if you have a lot at home.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Powder Blushes

MAC released their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, in stores today in North America. Hey, Sailor! is comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection features a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of two shades of Powder Blush, both of which are new and limited edition. Each Powder Blush comes in a limited edition navy blue compact with a clear lid featuring a navy blue nautical stripe design, and limited edition box packaging featuring the same design. Each compact contains 6 grams of product, and retails for $25.50.

Fleet Fast and Launch Away!

Fleet Fast and Launch Away!

Fleet Fast is a medium-dark reddened coral with hints of pink and a subtle golden shimmer-sheen in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture and soft and finely-milled, but is a little on the dry side so it doesn't feel dense or buttery. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It layers and blends out easily. It is more reddened than Fleur Power, and slightly lighter and more pink than Pinch Me.

Launch Away! is a light-medium warm peachy pink with a very slight sheen in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. I found this shade to be especially deceiving, since it looks like a really pale peach in the pan; it turns quite a lot darker and more pink on the skin! The texture and soft and finely-milled, but is a little on the dry side so it doesn't feel dense or buttery. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It layers and blends out easily. It is much lighter than Pinch O' Peach, and lighter and less yellow than Dainty Mineralize Blush.

Both blushes are really gorgeous — they have soft, finely-milled textures, go on very smoothly and evenly, and have great colour pay-off. The shades are both very appropriate for the season, and the drier texture should also help them stay on longer in warmer weather. Launch Away! will be more suited to fair to medium-dark skintones, and will look light and ashy on dark to deep-dark skintones. On the other hand, Fleet Fast will work well on everyone, though those with fair skintones will need to work with a light hand because it can get really bright (read: clown cheeks). Both of them are definitely worth taking a look at, but with tans coming fast and furious, Fleet Fast will likely sell out very fast.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders

MAC released their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, in stores today in North America. Hey, Sailor! is comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection features a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of two shades of Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder, which is a new and limited edition formula. The Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder formula is meant to provide "flawless sheer-low transparent coverage and long wear" and a "fully dimensional yet natural finish." Each Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder comes in a limited edition navy blue compact with a navy blue and white nautical stripe design, and limited edition box packaging featuring the same design. Each compact contains 12 grams of product, and retails for $33.50.

Nude on Board and Sun Dipped

Nude on Board and Sun Dipped

Nude on Board is a light-medium soft golden tan with yellow undertones and subtle gold shimmer-sheen. This is a new and limited edition product. The texture of this powder is soft, silky, and finely-milled. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and layers and blends out easily. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more yellow than Soft Sand, and lighter and less orange than Give Me Sun! Mineralize Skinfinish.

Sun Dipped is a a light-medium brown tan with slight red undertones and subtle gold shimmer-sheen. This is a new and limited edition product. The texture of this powder is soft, silky, and finely-milled. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and layers and blends out easily. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is less yellow than Soft Sand, darker than Golden, and lighter and more brown than Give Me Sun! Mineralize Skinfinish.

While you can see a difference between the two shades in the pan and in the swatches, they're actually quite similar when applied to the face. I think only those with strong cool undertones will be able to see a difference between the two when worn. Both shades will work well on fair to medium-dark skintones as a bronzer, and will help even out skintone while adding a subtle warmth to those with dark to deep-dark skintones. In the end, Sun Dipped is just a slightly less warm version of Nude on Board, so the good news is that you don't need to buy both. The bad news is that this formula is limited edition. It's really disappointing, because I honestly think the Pro Longwear is one of MAC's best bronzing formula to date. They reminded me quite a lot of last year's Studio Careblend Bronzing Powder — soft, smooth, finely-milled, natural finish — which was also a limited edition formula. The Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder seriously feels like silk going on, and they wear about ten hours before starting to fade. It's definitely one of the best products from this launch, and a must-have for bronzer fans.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Soft Sand Bronzing Powder

MAC will be releasing their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, this coming Thursday, May 24, in stores in North America. Hey, Sailor! will be comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection will feature a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of two shades of Bronzing Powder, one of which is new and limited edition and one of which is permanent (that will not be reviewed here). Each Bronzing Powder comes in a limited edition navy blue compact with a navy blue and white nautical stripe design, and limited edition box packaging featuring the same design. Each compact contains 10 grams of product, and retails for $29.

Soft Sand

Soft Sand

Soft Sand is a medium warm golden tan with a subtle gold shimmer-sheen. The texture of this powder is soft though slightly stiff, so it has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off but it does take some more effort to go on smoothly and get it to sit evenly. That having been said, this shade is really hard to over-do and it's easily layerable and blendable. It is lighter and has less shimmer than Refined Golden, and less orange than Give Me Sun! Mineralize Skinfinish.

In terms of texture, I have seen better from MAC — just smoother and more finely-milled — but the colour is really great for those with fair to medium skintones that want to add a sunkissed glow without going really dark or orange. It is a shade that is really needed in MAC's permanent range, actually, because Refined Golden is currently the only bronzer with yellow undertones (Golden is on the peachy side and barely shows up unless you're fair, Bronze is much darker with red undertones, and Give Me Sun! is gives an orangey cast). This shade is really quite excellent for a more natural-looking tan.

MAC Hey, Sailor!: Crew High-Light Powder

MAC will be releasing their main Summer collection, called Hey, Sailor!, this coming Thursday, May 24, in stores in North America. Hey, Sailor! will be comprised of two parts, one focusing on colour and the other focusing on face and body. Together, this collection will feature a total of 40 products — 30 of which are new and limited edition, five of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Hey, Sailor! sees the release of Crew High-Light Powder, which will undoubtedly be the star product, and therefore the most coveted item, in this collection. Each High-Light Powder comes in limited edition navy blue compact with a clear lid, and limited edition box packaging featuring a navy blue and white nautical stripe design. Each compact contains 10 grams of product, and retails for $34.

Crew High-Light Powder (separate three shades)

Crew High-Light Powder (blended)

Crew features three main shades in raised stripe patterns: a medium cool-toned pink-lilac in a satin finish, a light-medium warm pink in a satin finish, and a light-medium orange-peach in a matte finish. Between these three shades is a pale creamy beige overlay colour (this does not go all the way through to the bottom). When these shades are swirled together, it creates a light-medium warm pink with a very subtle satin sheen. The texture of this powder is soft, smooth, and finely-milled. I found that it went on very evenly and was easily layerable and blendable. It is warmer than Well Dressed Powder Blush, lighter and warmer than Dame Powder Blush, and more muted and much cooler than Dainty Mineralize Blush.

I don't know how well this product actually highlights, but it certainly brightens the skin. Those with fair to medium skintones can easily layer this to use as a natural blush, but for those with darker skintones, this will be more of a skin brightener (it will lean on the chalky side if used as a blush). You can easily alter the undertone of this product by mixing more of the peach shade to make it warmer, and likewise mixing more of the lilac to make it cooler, so it should suit both warm and cool undertones. Compared to the High-Light Powders from the past couple summers (Marine Life from To The Beach in 2010, My Paradise from Surf, Baby! in 2011), Crew is definitely a more subtle, natural mix of shades, but it is soft and pretty, nonetheless. To me, it's not a must-have like the ones from previous years, but it's a welcome addition to anyone's make-up collection and will certainly sell out fast.

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in On The Beach

My order from Nail Polish Canada arrived (super speedy delvery, too — I waited maybe two days?) and included in it were several Deborah Lippmann shades. I had bought the coveted, ultra-hyped Mermaid's Dream from the Spring collection back in March, but I finally got around to picking up the other colour from the collection called On The Beach. I usually only pick up Lippmann's glitter polishes (Across The Universe, Bad Romance, Happy Birthday, Ruby Red Slippers, etc.), so this is my first experience with a cream finish shade from Lippmann.

On The Beach is a medium electric blue in a cream finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, but I did find it to have a thinner consistency with medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. I needed three coats for opacity. That having been said, Deborah Lippmann's polishes have a relatively fast dry time, so I felt like having to do three coats took the same time as having to do two coats of another brand's polish. What Lippmann excels at in her nail polish is the brush — it gives a beautiful, smooth, even application. It's just the right size to give clean, controlled strokes without smudging or going off the nail bed on to the skin. It is less teal than China Glaze's Flyin' High, slightly lighter than Sephora by OPI's Slushied, and similar to Zoya's Robyn. While On The Beach is a fantastically fun shade, there are many dupes out there that have more pigmented formulas and are quite a lot cheaper.