Rodney's Oyster House

The gang and I decided to venture downtown for dinner last night, and ended up at Rodney's Oyster House.

Raw oysters from P.E.I.

Raw oysters from Massachusetts

You can't go to an oyster house and not have oysters, am I right? I think this is the first real time I've had raw oysters — I remember having tried one when I was really young, maybe 8 or 9, but I have no recollection of how it tasted so I don't really count it. We asked our server what he recommended as first-timers, and he said to go with the P.E.I. ones. (They had an actual name, but I don't remember what they're called.) He told us that since it was our first raw oyster experience, we should have them without sauces — just a squeeze of lemon and some horseradish. So, we ordered one for the each of us, and I think we were all surprised at how tasty they were, delicately salty with a hint of sweetness. Surprisingly, the horseradish wasn't nasal-clearingly spicy; it just added a nice zesty kick. And the lemon juice just brightened the flavour of the oyster without making them really sour. We had such a good experience with that batch that we decided to order another round, so our server recommended the ones from Massachusetts. These ones had a stronger "sea" flavour than the P.E.I. ones, a little saltier, brinier. Also delicious, but I liked the P.E.I. ones a bit more.

"Johnny Bakes"

Lobster Club

Shawn and I decided to share two main dishes. The first one was called "Johnny Bakes," which was on their daily specials menu. Two fried Caribbean rolls are split and stuffed with a generous amount of ridiculously addictive warm salt cod and spicy shrimp chunks mixed in a flavourful creamy dressing and sprinkled with parsley. The rolls may not look like a lot, but don't let their smaller size fool you — one of those bad boys is way more filling than you think. They should seriously consider adding "Johnny Bakes" to their regular menu; it's just too good to be a temporary addition. The second main we shared was the Lobster Club, which is one of their signature dishes. Huge chunks of tender lobster lightly tossed in creamy dressing, perfectly crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato, and a touch of mayo layered between lightly toasted bread. Even though I think it's more appropriate for lunch than dinner, it's one of the most well-executed club sandwiches I've ever come across, and I would certainly order it again (and again and again). As for service, our waiter was very nice, polite, informative, accommodating, and attentive but not cloying. And even though the prices aren't that friendly, the atmosphere was really fun and casual and I had an amazing experience.

Rodney's Oyster House

469 King Street West

Toronto, ON M5V 1K4

(416) 363-8105

Friday Five: Ooh, Aaaaaah, Wow!

This week's Friday Five:

1. What were the events leading up to your most recent utterance of "oops"? Falling asleep with all the lights on. I remember thinking, "Okay, just gonna close my eyes for five minutes..." Except it ended up being five hours.
2. What were the circumstances that led to your most recent utterance of "a-ha!"? Finding my stash of brand new Butter London nail polishes! Apparently, I have about ten shades that I bought and completely forgot about.
3. What most recently caused you to say "ick"? The humidity. I am not a fan of hot weather.
4. What inspired your most recent utterance of "yum"? Burgers and fries from Five Guys. And Paul Wesley.
5. Where were you and what was going on the last time you said "ooooooooh"? I was at MAC and previewing their new Electric Cool Eyeshadows, which are launching next Thursday!

Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer in Rosie Lee

After wearing all these cream finish nail polishes in the past month, I was in the mood for some sparkly, bling-y glitter. I went through a pretty hardcore glitter phase several months ago, and then sort of stopped when summer started. I also went through a pretty hardcore Butter London phase (holy crap, I now have 27 of them), and never ended up wearing this one. I don't know how this is possible given the aforementioned glitter phase, but I must've forgotten about this one. This is how you know you have too many nail polishes.

Rosie Lee is a medium salmon pink glitter suspended in a clear base. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has a surprisingly high pigmentation for a glitter polish and will reach opacity in two coats, though you might want to do three if you like a denser look in your glitter polishes. The colour of the glitter is very similar to Deborah Lippmann's Some Enchanted Evening, but Rosie Lee contains much more glitter and can therefore achieve opacity on its own without layering on top of another colour — Some Enchanted Evening can't reach opacity even after five coats (I stop trying after that). Moreover, Rosie Lee has uniform glitter particles, whereas Some Enchanted Evening has both small and larger hexagonal glitter. This is honestly one of the "classier" glitter polishes I've come across — the glitter particles are on the finer side and are a uniform colour, so it's not as "funky" or "garish" as some other glitter polishes.

TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow Palette

About a month ago, I made a huge order with TheBalm which included several of their eyeshadow palettes (I reviewed the Nude 'Tude palette here). One of the palettes I bought was Meet Matt(e), which contains nine matte eyeshadow shades inside a slim cardstock case and has a magnetic close. It comes with a full-length mirror spanning the inside of the lid and a mini dual-ended eyeshadow/liner brush. The cover design of this palette features a '50s-style illustration of a man, and the names of the eyeshadows are actually all named Matt with different surnames (a tongue-in-cheek play on the name "Matt" and the texture 'matte'). Each palette contains 9.5 grams of product, and retails for $34.50 USD.

Matt Smith, Matt Gallagher, and Matt Ramirez

Matt Smith is a light warm beige in a matte finish. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and warmer than MAC Blanc Type, and less yellow than MAC Vanilla.

Matt Gallagher is a medium-dark warm brown in a matte finish. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less reddened than MAC Soft Brown, and less orange than MAC Saddle.

Matt Ramirez is a dark chocolate brown in a matte finish. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than MAC Brun, and darker and more reddened than MAC Espresso.

Matt McDonald, Matt Horowitz, and Matt Chung

Matt McDonald is a dark blackened charcoal with blue undertones and a subtle pearlized sheen. This isn't a true matte finish; it's somewhere between a satin and a frost. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and less blue than MAC Knight Divine, and more grey than MAC Nehru.

Matt Horowitz is a dark smoky navy blue in a semi-matte finish. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more purple than MAC Contrast.

Matt Chung is a pale pinked white in a matte finish. It has a drier but finely-milled texture, and goes on a little chalky and patchy. It has light-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more white than MAC Yogurt, and more pinked than MAC Vapour.

Matt Batali, Matt Schilling, and Matt Patel

Matt Batali is a dark burgundy-plum brown in a matte finish. It has a drier but finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more reddened than MAC Shadowy Lady, and more plum than MAC Sketch.

Matt Schilling is a medium-dark dirty teal in a matte finish. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. I couldn't think of a dupe for this; it is much lighter, more green, and more muted than MAC Plumage.

Matt Patel is a medium dusty taupe with hints of mauve in a matte finish. It has a drier but finely-milled texture, and goes on a little patchy. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more mauve than MAC Omega, and lighter and more grey than MAC Quarry.

Overall, this is a really good matte palette the features soft, dense, and pigmented shades. There are a couple of exceptions, Matt Chung and Matt Patel, that were on the drier, sheerer side, but considering how few matte eyeshadow palettes there are on the market (at least compared to non-matte eyeshadow palettes), Meet Matt(e) is definitely one to look at if you're searching for one that you don't have to customize yourself. This features mostly neutral shades with a couple pops of colour; generally, a foolproof, universally flattering palette. I can see this palette working on all skintones with both warm and cool undertones. As a whole, the amount of product is less than in other palettes from TheBalm, but you still get plenty of product in a much smaller, travel-friendly size (this one fits nicely in my hand).

Bath & Body Works: Big Semi-Annual Sale Haul

I totally stocked up during Bath and Body Works' Big Semi-Annual Sale.

Slatin & Co. 3-Wick Candles in Sweet Pea, First Bloom, and Green Grass (50% off — $11.25 each)

Anti-Bacterial Foaming and Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps in Eucalyptus Mint, Cucumber Melon, and Summer Escape ($3 each)

Shower Gel in Pink Grapefruit, Pearberry, and Peach Sparkle ($3 each)

Body Lotion in Pink Grapefruit (x 2), Pearberry, Rays of Citrus, and Peach Sparkle ($3 each)

PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Eucalyptus Mint, Sparkling Mojito, and Sweet Pea (5 for $5)

Of course, they gave me a coupon for an extra 20% off my purchase, so I may have to go back for a few more candles. And I'm also on the hunt for their other classic fragrances, like Juniper Breeze, Cotton Blossom, and Country Apple. Has anyone seen these in-stores in Toronto? They only bring back their classics twice a year (during the Big Semi-Annual Sales), and I have found several, but not all of the ones on their website (most stores are carrying four: Pearberry, Pink Grapefruit, Brown Sugar & Fig, and Exotic Coconut). What did you get from the Big Semi-Annual Sale?

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I have wanted to try Five Guys for a really long time now (since Mary kept raving about it), and since a new location opened up recently at York Mills and Don Mills, the gang and I finally decided to check it out last night.

Little Bacon Cheeseburger

Innards

Cajun Style Fries

Okay, so apparently, the regular Burgers have two beef patties, whereas the Little Burgers have one. I'm really glad I asked what the difference was because I originally ordered the regular Bacon Cheeseburger, and had to do a double take at the menu because there is also a Little Bacon Cheeseburger, which is $2 cheaper. The lady taking my order was like, "Trust me, you'll be really stuffed if you get the regular Bacon Cheeseburger and have fries." So I got the Little version, and we ordered a regular Cajun style fries to share (we originally ordered a large, and the lady was like, "You guys might want to get the regular, because the large is huge and we give a lot of fries"). As you can see from the pictures, the "little" burger is not really little at all, and the regular fries was larger than say, a large fries from McDonald's.

I got everything on my burger except for grilled onions, which included lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, mayo, ketchup, and mustard. The beef patty was perfectly grilled, flavourful, and juicy, and the toppings were fresh and crisp, save for the grilled mushrooms which were soft and tender but not soggy. The bacon somehow remained crisp throughout, and the cheese was real cheddar and not processed (as it should be). The bun was substantial and lightly toasted, but didn't overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. A very tasty, very solid burger — one that I would definitely go back for again and again. They're not as good as, say, Burger's Priest or Shake Shack, but I would definitely put it on par with South Street Burger or Hero Burger. Five Guys is also known for their fries, and they really don't disappoint — in fact, they're some of the best fries I've had in a long time (certainly better than the aforementioned burger joints). Golden, perfectly crispy, full of potato-y goodness, and sprinkled in a most addictive Cajun seasoning. You definitely can't go to Five Guys without getting both a burger and an order of fries. Needless to say, I will be returning very, very soon.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

865 York Mills Road

Toronto, ON M3B 1Y6

(647) 347-4510

Sunday Video Love: Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)

Finally downloaded Silversun Pickups' latest album, Neck of the Woods, that was released last month. (If The Smashing Pumpkins and Coheed and Cambria had a baby, it would be Silversun Pickups.) They're playing at Edgefest this year, but I opted not to go since they'd be the only band I'd want to see and paying $50 for a ticket is too expensive for me to justify (plus, it's on a Saturday, and I have way too many appointments to get a Saturday off — it's wedding season, after all). So, I've decided I will have a Silversun Pickups music video marathon instead.

Friday Five: Scattergories

This week's Friday Five:

1. What random letter was generated by the online random-letter generator? W.
2. What food item, whose name begins with the letter in question #1, are you most likely to eat within the next few days? Watermelon! There's a big bowl of it sitting in my fridge that is just waiting to be devoured.
3. What item, whose name begins with the letter in question #1, are you most likely to purchase this weekend? White Tea & Ginger Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works (their Semi-Annual Sale is still on!).
4. What famous person, whose last name begins with the letter in question #1, makes you think thoughts you probably shouldn't? Paul Wesley! His picture is currently my desktop wallpaper and my iPhone wallpaper...
5. What is your favourite film whose title begins with the letter in question #1? Wall-E.
6. What geographical location, whose name begins with the letter in question #1, are you most likely to see within the next few days? I was going to go to Waterloo for my friend's bridal shower on Sunday, but I have to work the entire weekend, sadly.

Julep Maven Box: June 2012

After a disappointing box last month, I was very excited to get this month's Julep Maven box. I am subscribed to get the "It Girl" style box every month, but if you know the program, you'll know that you can pick a new style for the month if you don't like your original one. After having seen the other style options, I knew I had to get the "Boho Glam" box, which included a tube of their Daylight Defense SPF 30 for Hands & Face and a tube of Daylight Defense SPF 15 Lip Balm in Vanilla Mint, along with the two shades of nail polish I wanted (Daisy and Robin). But there were so many new nail polish shades I liked this month, I took advantage of their $4.99 add-on deal and got two more shades (Claire and Courteney).

Claire, Courteney, Daisy, and Robin

Claire, Courteney, Daisy, and Robin

Claire is a medium brightened sky blue in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two coats. It is lighter and less teal than NARS' Koliary and Zoya's Robyn, and lighter and much more pigmented than Deborah Lippmann's To the Beach.

Courteney is a light-medium key lime green in a cream finish. It has a thicker consistency, and as a result, is prone to streaking and pulling. It was kind of a pain to work with because it kept glooping up. It has medium-high pigmentation and will reach opacity in three coats. It is lighter and brighter than Zoya's Tracie, much cooler than Illamasqua's Radium and OCC's Wasabi, and darker and brighter than Illamasqua's Milf.

Daisy is a light-medium golden lemon yellow in a cream finish. It has a runnier consistency, and as a result, is prone to streaking. It has low-medium pigmentation and needs four coats to reach opacity. There's a translucency to the colour that makes it look more like a jelly finish than a cream finish. It is similar but less pigmented than OCC's Traffic, and darker than Butter London's Cheeky Chops.

Robin is a medium robin's egg blue in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has intense pigmentation and will reach opacity in one coat. It is brighter and more blue than Zoya's Wednesday, and brighter and more teal than Dior's Saint-Tropez.

I really wish that Daisy was more pigmented because there are so many yellow polishes out there that are very similar but with better colour pay-off, but it was actually Courteney that gave me a really hard time because it kept pulling and streaking, and it was really hard to get it to look even. Despite that, however, I really do love these colours. They're all super-fun shades that are totally up my alley, and perfect for Summer. Robin has one of the best formulas I've ever seen, and went on super-smooth and evenly and opaque in one coat! Coincidentally, it's also my favourite colour of the four. Oh, and remember how pissed off I was last month at the frayed brushes that two of the polishes came with? Apparently, it wasn't just my polishes, but all of the ones they sent out. So, this month, they rectified the situation by sending everyone two brush replacements. A sign of a company who really cares about their customers and the quality of their products.

The Daylight Defense SPF 30 is very hydrating and feels great on the skin, but I will be keeping this more so for my hands than my face since I already use a face primer with SPF 50 (and also because I like my face matte). At $28, though, it's a very pricey sunscreen, so while I appreciate it being apart of this month's box, I would never buy it for retail price, especially given that I'd only use it on the hands. The Daylight Defense Vanilla Mint Lip Balm SPF 15 is good as well, very smooth and moisturizing, but it's almost exactly like the Vanilla Mint ChapStick. It's a good deal in the box, but again, I would never buy it on its own (which retails for $6). Overall, though, this box was entirely worth it — a $90 value for $29.97!

Survey Says...

This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:

1. Your skintone/colouring? I have a medium skintone with yellow undertones.
2. Least flattering lipstick on you? Any pale cool-toned pinks, like MAC's Saint Germain or Snob.
3. Least flattering eyeshadow on you? If worn alone, frosted baby blue. But then, to be fair, I don't find frosted baby blue to be flattering on anyone. It's too '80s, in the worst way possible.
4. Least flattering blush on you? Dark matte brown, like MAC's Blunt. It ends up looking too muddy on my skintone.

SU&SHI Noodle Bar

If you've been to Yorkdale Mall recently, you'll know that they recently opened up Dine on 3, which is their new dining concept and features several new dine-in restaurants along with their newly renovated food court. Shawn and I went to Yorkdale to do some shopping today (and to get out of the ridiculous heat) and noticed a new Japanese restaurant called SU&SHI Noodle Bar (a subsidiary of Spring Rolls), so we decided to go for dinner there.

Tropicana Roll: Shrimp tempura, salmon, tuna, hamachi, tobiko, avocado, and mayo

House Ramen: BBQ pork, shrimp tempura, hard-boiled egg, corn, and nori

Noodle-y goodness!

Apparently, SU&SHI is modelled after popular ramen bars in Japan. I've never actually been to one, but the decor is simple, sleek, and modern, as one would expect from a Spring Rolls restaurant. When you first walk into the restaurant, all the staff make sure to say "Konnichiwa!" to welcome you. The service is nice, attentive, and polite while being extremely fast and efficient; they also brought us extra napkins, plates, and drink refills without even being asked. Moreover, I noticed the manager (possibly owner) made sure to stop by every table to say hi or ask how everyone's experiences were.

Now, on to the most important part: The food is pretty damn good. We each ordered a bowl of the house ramen, 'cause you can't go to a noodle bar and not order the noodles, am I right? The noodles were on the firmer side, but just springy enough, and immersed in addictively flavourful, almost milky broth. The BBQ pork is not the fat pork belly that I'm used to getting at most ramen restaurants; it's leaner, but still soft and tender with a subtle smoky flavour. The portion seemed slightly larger than the standard size you get at places like Ajisen or Kenzo, though I could be wrong. At the very least, they don't skimp on the noodles nor the accompaniments. Along with the ramen, we decided to share the Tropicana Roll, which included pretty much all of my favourite things (salmon, tuna, hamachi, avocado, shrimp tempura, etc.). The roll was gigantic, the ingredients were fresh, and it was well-presented. Even though it's a noodle bar, it's not called "SU&SHI" for nothing! The only thing I regret? Not having a bigger stomach to try more things.

SU&SHI Noodle Bar

Yorkdale Mall (Dine on 3)

3401 Dufferin Street

Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

Foster the People: Live at Downsview Park — Pumped Up Kicks

Here's the video I took of Foster the People performing "Pumped Up Kicks" at Downsview Park in Toronto on June 19, 2012. (Watch it in HD, it's much better.) This was their last song, played during the encore — expected, seeing as it's their biggest hit and it single-handedly put them on the map. What wasn't expected, however, was the total epicness of the performance, complete with confetti, massive blow-up monster, flashy rainbow lighting, and some crazy remix beats. It was seriously a dance party at the end. Such a phenomenal ending to an amazing show.

Foster the People: Live at Downsview Park — Warrior

Here's the video I took of Foster the People performing "Warrior" at Downsview Park in Toronto on June 19, 2012. (Watch it in HD, it's much better.) Foster the People invited guest and opening act, Kimbra (yes, the one from Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know"), to join them on-stage for a unexpected performance of their collaboration song. Despite Kimbra reminding me a bit of a large chicken, her voice is sort of magical. Warning: You may feel the urge to get up and dance.

Foster the People: Live at Downsview Park — Helena Beat

Here's the video I took of Foster the People performing "Helena Beat" at Downsview Park in Toronto on June 19, 2012. (Watch it in HD, it's much better.) Warning: You may feel the urge to get up and dance.

Foster the People: Live at Downsview Park

Around Christmas last year, Shawn had bought us tickets to see Foster the People (with Tokyo Police Club and Kimbra), and I pretty much forgot about it until last week. Anyway, we made our way to Downsview Park to see them today, and despite the outdoor venue and sweltering heat, I'm really glad I didn't miss it.

I knew they were good from watching their Grammys performance in February, but actually seeing them live sort of blows your mind away. Amazing vocals, amazing instrumentals, amazing stage presence. It was a little too showy for my taste (what can I say, I'm a grunge girl at heart), but they really were phenomenal live. Videos to come, of course, including a stunning performance of "Warrior" featuring Kimbra, and an epic encore of "Pumped Up Kicks."

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Nomad

As I had mentioned a couple days ago, I made an order on Illamasqua's website recently and picked up several nail polishes along with a few lipsticks. Illamasqua's nail polishes are now available at Sephora in Canada, but this particular shade seemed to be sold out at every single location I'd checked (I was actually on the look out for it when I was in New York in April, and every Sephora there seemed to be sold out of this colour as well). Of course, from there, I got that "I have to have it" mentality, and getting it directly from Illamasqua seemed to be the only way to get one. Nomad is a new shade that was launched with their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012, but it will be added to Illamasqua's permanent line-up. Each nail polish contains 15 ml of product, and retails for £13.50 or $18.

Nomad is a medium bright seafoam green in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has high pigmentation and will go nearly opaque in one coat, but two will make it perfect. It is more green than Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, brighter and more green than Gosh's Silky Mint, and darker than Nicole by OPI's My Lifesaver. Illamasqua makes my favourite nail polish formula to date — many brands have good formulas, but what Illamasqua succeeds in is consistency. I think I have about 12 polishes from them, and every single one of them has high pigmentation and applies smoothly and fluidly. And Nomad is pretty much the most perfect seafoam green polish I've ever seen and used. And coming from someone who has nearly 50 shades of green nail polish, that's really saying something.

Sunday Video Love: Youth Without Youth

The official music video for "Youth Without Youth" was finally released last week! Can you tell I'm still on a Metric kick?

Illamasqua Lipstick in Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Illamasqua has slowly made headway into Canadian markets via Sephora with their nail polish, but as any Illamasqua fan will know, the rest of their make-up line is sadly unavailable here. If you're like me and are slightly addicted to shopping online at Sephora, you'll know that Illamasqua items are marked as "Canada restricted," so they won't ship their items here. Last time I had checked Illamasqua's website, shipping to Canada costed an arm and a leg, and it just wasn't worth it — I just waited to go to NYC to pick up their products. But being the beauty masochist I am, I decided to look up their new collection on their site to add items to my ever-growing wishlist. And that's when I found out that there's now free international shipping for orders over £75 (the current conversion rate makes that around $120 CAD). So, I obviously put in an order. And it arrived two days later, I kid you not. Anyway, this post features the three lipsticks I ended up ordering. Each lipstick is housed in shiny black plastic square packaging, contains 4 grams of product, and retails for £15.50 or $22.

Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Eurydice is a medium bright, almost fluorescent, fuchsia pink in a matte finish. It is a new shade from their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012. It has a very dry texture, so it does pull and skip when being applied. It reminded me a lot of MAC's Retro Matte finish, actually (e.g. Ruby Woo). It does, however, have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is lighter and less cool-toned than MAC Girl About Town, and is less cool-toned than YSL #10 Provocative Pink Rouge Volupté.

Liable is a medium-dark bright reddened orange in a matte finish. It is a new shade from their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012. It has a very dry texture, so it does pull and skip when being applied. It reminded me a lot of MAC's Retro Matte finish, actually (e.g. Ruby Woo). It does, however, have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is quite similar to MAC Lady Danger, and very slightly less orange than MAC So Chaud.

Welt is a medium-dark cool-toned muted magenta pink in a matte finish. It is a permanent shade. It has a very creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is more muted and more purple-toned than MAC Girl About Town, and much brighter and more pink than MAC Craving.

I absolutely love, love, love these colours, but I was definitely disappointed at the formula for Eurydice and Liable. I'm not sure if they're limited edition or not, but they were released with Illamasqua's Human Fundamentalism collection a couple months ago, and they were both dry, stiff, and kept tugging on my lips so it was harder to get them to look even. I sincerely hope that's not what all of their future lipstick shades will feel like, because Illamasqua is known for their creamy, smooth matte lipsticks. Welt had the best formula of the three, and is exactly the way I expect Illamasqua's lipsticks to be.

TheBalm Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow Palette

I had long been curious about TheBalm but never bothered to check out their products until recently. Their palettes have been receiving rave reviews for the past year or so (I'm still sad that I couldn't get my hands on their limited edition, ultra-coveted Muppets palette, which had some of the most gorgeous, pigmented shades), and so when I saw that they had a promotion on their Shady Lady palettes (all three palettes for the price of one!) on their site, I decided I had to get in on this. Of course, because they only offer free international shipping for orders of $100 or more (otherwise it's $40 for shipping on their site), I ordered a bunch of other goodies, too. One of which was the Nude 'Tude eyeshadow palette.

This palette contains 12 nude/neutral eyeshadow shades inside a slim cardstock case (similar to a hardcover book) and has a magnetic close. It comes with a full-length mirror spanning the entire inside of the lid and a mini dual-ended eyeshadow/liner brush. There are two versions of this palette, one called "Feeling Naughty" that features nude pin-up girls with eyeshadows censoring various parts (which is the one featured here), and one called "Feeling Nice" that features a black-and-white photo of a bedroom similar to the one on the cover of the palette. Both palettes feature the same 12 shades. The palette contains a total of 11.08 grams of product, and retails for $36 USD.

Sassy, Snobby, Stubborn, Stand-offish, Selfish, and Sultry

Sassy, Snobby, Stubborn, Stand-offish, Selfish, and Sultry

Sassy is a pale white with a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is similar to MAC Crystal Avalanche.

Snobby is a light yellow gold with a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than MAC Goldmine, and darker than MAC Ricepaper.

Stubborn is a light-medium pinked peach with a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than MAC All That Glitters.

Stand-offish is a light-medium gilded peach with shimmer in a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is similar to MAC Naked Lunch.

Selfish is a medium-dark taupe in a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than MAC Satin Taupe.

Sultry is a medium-dark warm brown in a satin finish. It has a soft texture and goes on smoothly, but it almost blends out too easily so it can seem a uneven if applied with a heavy hand (like in the swatch, my finger dragged the pigment so that it looks sheered out). It can be layered easily. It is less orange-toned than MAC Saddle.

Sophisticated, Seductive, Sexy, Silly, Serious, and Sleek

Sophisticated, Seductive, Sexy, Silly, Serious, and Sleek

Sophisticated is a dark cool-toned brown with shimmer in a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It's like a frosted version of MAC Brun.

Seductive is a medium-dark bronze-brown in a frosted finish. It has a soft, buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less golden than MAC Bronze, and slightly lighter than MAC Tempting.

Sexy is a dark reddened burgundy in a matte finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and much more red than MAC Embark, and much darker and much less pink than MAC Cranberry.

Silly is a dark reddened brown with copper sparkle in a satin finish. It has a slightly drier, stiffer texture, so it goes on a bit patchy and powdery with some fall out. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less red than MAC Embark.

Serious is a dark soft black in a matte finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more intense than MAC Carbon.

Sleek is a dark blackened brown in a matte finish. It has a soft texture and goes on smoothly, but it almost blends out too easily so it can seem a uneven if applied with a heavy hand (like in the swatch, my finger dragged the pigment so that it looks sheered out). It can be layered easily. It is more brown than MAC Mystery, and more blackened than MAC Brun.

A very solid palette, overall. It's a really good neutral palette that can be used to create simple, natural looks to much smokier, sultrier looks. With the exception of a couple of shades, the textures are generally soft and buttery, and they have great pigmentation and colour pay-off. Of course, comparisons to Urban Decay's Naked Palette are inevitable. I find that the Naked Palette still has better textures, pigmentation, and colour pay-off across the board. The Naked Palette as a whole is more expensive, but you also get more product; the cost per gram for both is actually quite similar (Urban Decay is $3.21/g, TheBalm is $3.25/g). However, those who wanted more satin/matte shades and more tonal variation from the Naked Palette (which consists of mostly warm shades) may want to check this one out.

NARS Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish in Koliary

For Spring 2012, NARS teamed up with fashion designer Thakoon to create six nail polish shades inspired by Thakoon's Spring collection. When I first saw these popping up in magazines, I was like, "I need to get on this ASAP." When I finally saw swatches of the shades on various beauty blogs, they were all super pretty but none too unique and I was going to write them off. But about a month ago, I was shopping online at Sephora and decided to pick up Koliary, anyway, because I'm a sucker for blue polishes. Each bottle contains 15 ml of product, and retails for $21.

Koliary is a medium brightened electric blue in a cream finish. It has a very fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has high pigmentation and will go nearly opaque in one coat, but two will make it perfect. The dry time on this relatively fast; I would say each coat dries completely in about five minutes, maybe less. (I wasn't really keeping track as I was watching re-runs of The Vampire Diaries while doing my nails, but I remember it being completely dry after watching a single scene…) NARS nail polish has always been a hit or miss for me, but Koliary is a really gorgeous colour with a fantastic formula. Consider me impressed. As for dupes, well, let's just say this is exactly what I wanted Deborah Lippmann's To the Beach to be.

Survey Says...

This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:

1. Your skintone/colouring? I have a medium skintone with yellow undertones.
2. Most flattering lipstick on you? MAC's Love Forever!, Viva Glam I, Viva Glam Cyndi, Rebel, and Lady Danger, as well as YSL's #5 Beige Etrusque, and Shiseido's RS 320 Fuchsia.
3. Most flattering eyeshadow on you? MAC's All That Glitters. Without fail, I have someone asking me what I'm wearing when I have it on (which is all the time).
4. Most flattering blush on you? MAC's Springsheen and Warm Soul Mineralize Blush.

MAC Casual Colour: Lip & Cheek Colours

Last Thursday, MAC launched a new and limited edition collection called Casual Colour. It features a total of 17 products —10 of which are new and limited edition, two of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Casual Colour sees the release of a new and limited edition product called Casual Colour, which is a "versatile, lightweight all-in-one colour for cheeks and lips" in a "creamy, super-blendable, barely-there formula that contains Vitamin E to help skin and lips feel nourished." It has a subtle vanilla scent, but is taste-free. Casual Colour comes in eight shades, of which four will be reviewed here. They are packaged in clear plastic pots with black lids, similar to the Lip Conditioner jars. Each pot contains 13 ml of product, and retails for $24 each.

Clockwise from bottom: Evening Stroll, Keep It Casual, Out For Fun, and Weekend Getaway

Evening Stroll, Keep It Casual, Out For Fun, and Weekend Getaway

Evening Stroll is a medium red-toned violet. It does appear slightly pinked when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. There are no dupes for this as a blush in MAC's permanent range, but as a lip product, it's less pink than Up the Amp, and lighter and more pink than Goes and Goes Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Keep It Casual is a medium-dark raspberry red. It does appear more pink when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it is more red than Desert Rose, and lighter and less plum than Breezy. As a lip product, it is brighter and less pink than Craving, and warmer and less berry than Positively Dashing Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Out For Fun is a medium tangerine-orange. It does appear more coral when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it's brighter and more coral than Peaches, and much less intense and less red than Devil (PRO only). As a lip product, it is slightly more orange than Crosswires, and brighter and more coral than See Sheer.

Weekend Getaway is a medium bubblegum pink with subtle cool undertones. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it is darker and much brighter than So Sweet, So Easy Cremeblend Blush, and slightly brighter than Dame. As a lip product, it is brighter than Lovelorn, and slightly cooler than Chatterbox.

Casual Colour is a great product for those who are constantly on-the-go or in a rush. If you're one of those people who use lipstick on the cheeks for a quick fix, this is a fantastic option. It goes on very smoothly and can be blended out very easily, and likewise be layered for more colour. I would use either fingertips or a duo fibre brush (like MAC's 188). It does, however, give off a very dewy look (some might even say "oily"), so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who prefers a more matte finish. That doesn't mean that those with oily skin can't use this, but I would definitely dust it with a transparent powder (like MAC's Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder) to keep it from slipping and looking overly greasy as the day goes on. As a lip product, it's somewhere between a lipstick and a really pigmented tinted lip balm. I don't find it particularly moisturizing, but it's definitely not drying and keeps lips feeling soft.

Metric: Live at Sugar Beach — Synthetica

Here's the video I took of Metric performing "Synthetica," from their new album, Synthetica, at Sugar Beach in Toronto on June 11, 2012. (Watch it in HD, it's much better.) Sorry for any shakiness. My arms were getting tired.

Metric: Live at Sugar Beach — Youth Without Youth

Here's the video I took of Metric performing "Youth Without Youth," from their new album, Synthetica, at Sugar Beach in Toronto on June 11, 2012. (Watch it in HD, it's much better.) Sorry for any shakiness. My arms were getting tired.

Mill Street Brew Pub

After seeing Metric at Sugar Beach, we headed over to the Distillery District and had dinner at the Mill Street Brew Pub.

A pint of Mill St. Stockhouse Ale

Cheers with Mill St. Stock Ale and Wit Beer

Pulled Pork Tacos

Pulled Pork Taco

Short Rib Poutine

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

Chicken Pot Pie

They offer $6 appetizers on Mondays, so we obviously took advantage of their special. The pulled pork tacos were filled with tender, juicy, and super flavourful pulled pork that was coated with the perfect amount of sauce, topped with a generous dollop of avocado crème fraîche and fresh cilantro — so addictive, I could've eaten like, eight of those. We also shared the short rib poutine: Yukon Gold fries are topped with pulled beef short rib that has been braised with their Tankhouse Ale, and a generous helping of real cheese curds and deliciously rich beef gravy. Easily the best poutine I've ever eaten at a pub in Toronto. Definitely worth getting on its own as an entrée.

We also shared a couple of mains, one of which was the portobello sandwich. Huge, juicy portobello mushroom caps are marinated in balsamic vinegar and their Tankhouse Ale and grilled to perfection, and then topped with sautéed baby spinach, roasted red peppers, and herbed creamy goat cheese on a toasted focaccia bun. Seriously the best vegetarian sandwich I've ever eaten. And, finally, some classic pub fare: Chicken pot pie. Pulled chicken, pearl onions, and sautéed mushrooms in the most addictive creamy gravy made with their Stock Ale, baked in a perfectly golden crust, served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and buttered peas. So glorious. I seriously need to go there again (and again and again...). The Tankhouse Lane Burger and Lobster & Avocado Club are calling my name.

Mill Street Brew Pub

21 Tank House Lane

Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

(416) 681-0338