Julep Maven Box: July 2012

on
Tuesday, July 31, 2012

This month's Julep Maven "It Girl" box was all about the nail polish. Including the two add-on shades I decided to get (you can choose up to two more shades of nail polish to be included in your box for $4.99 each), and the bonus national holiday shade (Americans received "America" in honour of Independence Day and Canadians received "O Canada!" in honour of Canada Day), my box included a whopping six bottles of nail polishes this month:

Daphne, Kate, and Mila

Daphne is a medium seafoam green with teal undertones 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 darker and less blue than Julep's Robin, slightly lighter than Julep's Miranda, and darker than Zoya's Wednesday.

Kate is a pale bone white with fine iridescent micro-shimmer in a pearl 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 slightly less bright and more shimmered than Julep's Brigitte and Zoya's Purity.

Mila is a predominantly charcoal silver glitter with flecks of magenta, green, and blue 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 medium-high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two coats, though three will make it perfect. I couldn't think of any dupes for this shade.

America, Chelsea, and O Canada!

America is a predominantly red micro-glitter with differently sized flecks of royal blue and silver hexagonal glitter as well as silver star 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 medium-high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two coats, though three will make it perfect. However, I do find that it's hard to get the star glitter on the nail; this is the type of polish that you should just let run its course without trying to manipulate on the nail. It will start to get really gloopy if you try to get the glitter to look a certain way by adding more polish. I couldn't think of any dupes for this shade.

Chelsea is a predominantly magenta glitter with flecks of silver and green 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 medium-high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two coats, though three will make it perfect. I couldn't think of any dupes for this shade.

O Canada! is a clear base with iridescent glitter and larger red hexagonal glitter. 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 sheer-medium pigmentation and will reach opacity in five or six coats, but this is definitely meant to be a top coat polish. This is the type of polish that you should just let run its course without trying to manipulate on the nail. It will start to get really gloopy if you try to get the glitter to look a certain way by adding more polish. It is very similar to China Glaze's Snow Globe but with red hexagonal glitter.

I really enjoyed this month's box! Lots of great unique glitter shades. The only shade I didn't love was America, and it's because the glitter ends up looking really muddied after more than two coats. It looks much better layered over a base of red polish, though. Still, this box was entirely worth it — an $84 value for $29.97! And I know I will wear these shades again and again, unlike the May box shades.

Sunday Video Love: Hanging On

on
Sunday, July 29, 2012

I have had this song on repeat for the last week. The original is great, but Ellie Goulding has the voice of an angel.

Friday Five: Five Shades of Teal

on
Friday, July 27, 2012
This week's Friday Five:
  1. How many teal-colored items of clothing do you have, and which is your favorite? I would say 98% of my wardrobe is black, so I don't have a lot of coloured clothing, let alone teal... But I have this Paramore tee that is a light teal-aqua colour with an awesome ice cream design. I only really wear it to bed or when I'm bumming around my house, but I love that shirt.
  2. There aren't many teal-colored foods, but what comes pretty close and how do you feel about it? Well, there are some awesome teal-coloured French macarons that look pretty damn epic. I would eat that up so fast...
  3. If yellow is the color of cowardice, green the color of envy, and blue the color of sadness, what's teal the color of? Happiness! Teal is one of my favourite colours just to look at, and it always makes me happy. That's why I often pick teal shades for my nails!
  4. What's the neatest teal-colored thing you've seen recently? By far, this teal French macaron cake.
  5. If you had to paint one of the rooms in your house teal, which would it be? Probably the living room.

Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer in All Hail the Queen

on
Thursday, July 26, 2012

After all these colourful nail polishes I've been wearing this summer, I decided it was time to switch it up with a neutral. I know, I know, me wearing a neutral? The thought is rather ridiculous, but I got to keep edgy, you know? On that note, I bought Butter London's All Hail the Queen (previously called All Hail McQueen in honour of Alexander McQueen) sometime last year, but never ended up wearing it, so I thought it was about time to bust it out.


All Hail the Queen is a medium greyed beige-brown with pale nude micro-shimmer. 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 medium pigmentation, and will go opaque in three medium coats. It is lighter and has less of a silvered shimmer than Orly's Nite Owl, darker and more shimmered than Chanel's Frenzy, and lighter and warmer than Essie's Mochacino. Not gonna lie, when I first put this on, I thought it looked pretty boring. It was just a typical "greige" with some shimmer. But then I went to the sunlight and bam! — the shimmer is holographic. So, by default, it's the most awesome nude nail polish I own.

Survey Says...

on
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:
  1. Your skintone/colouring? Medium with yellow/olive undertones (NC35), dark brown hair and eyes.
  2. Favourite blush/highlighter combo? Currently, it's TheBalm's Hot Mama! as my blush and MAC's Light Year Mineralize Skinfinish as my highlighter, though my classic go-to all year 'round is MAC's Warm Soul Mineralize Blush with MAC's Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish as my highlighter.
  3. Favourite lipstick/gloss combo? At the moment, it's a tie between MAC's Pleasureseeker with MAC's Meteoric Cremesheen Glass and MAC's Impassioned with MAC's Astral Cremesheen Glass. However, my favourite go-to nude combo is MAC's Viva Glam II with MAC's Private Screening Cremesheen Glass, and my favourite go-to bright combo is MAC's Love Forever! with MAC's Loud & Lovely Cremesheen Glass.
  4. Favourite eyeshadow combo? My go-to classic eyeshadow combo is MAC's All That Glitters all over the lid, MAC's Sable in the crease, MAC's Sketch in the outer corner, and the shimmery champagne shade in MAC's This & That Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo for the highlight.

Pho 88

on
Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Since it's been so hideously hot outside, I've been opting for vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and spring rolls instead of a big bowl of my usual rare beef pho. Add a glass of iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, and it's heaven.


Pho 88
325 Bamburgh Circle
Scarborough, ON M1W 3Y1
(416) 497-8899

TheBalm Hot Mama! Shadow & Blush

on
Monday, July 23, 2012




Along with several eyeshadow palettes, I also picked up a few blushes from TheBalm (because, as all blush fiends know, you can never have enough), one of which was Hot Mama!. All of TheBalm's blushes can also be used as eyeshadows, and are marketed as such. Hot Mama! comes in a slim cardstock case and has a magnetic close. It comes with a mirror that spans the length of the lid. The cover design of this palette features a '50s-style illustration of a pin-up girl in a red bikini on an island. Each blush contains 7.08 grams of product, and retails for $19 USD.



Hot Mama! is a medium peachy pink with gold micro-shimmer and sheen. 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. In terms of cheek colour, it is darker and more pink than MAC Springsheen, more peach than Benefit Bella Bamba, less shimmery than Tarte Glisten, less pink than NARS Orgasm, and slightly less bright than NARS Deep Throat. In terms of eyeshadow, it is more pink and less shimmery than MAC Expensive Pink, less orange than Inglot #407, and darker than Lancôme Kitten Heel.

Okay, in terms of colour, Hot Mama! isn't that unique — surely every make-up brand has done some variation of a peachy pink blush. What sets this one apart? Well, the texture, for one. It's so soft and so finely-milled, it's almost buttery. It goes on so smooth and so effortlessly, and is very easily blendable so it looks completely seamless. The pigmentation and colour pay-off are phenomenal. The colour itself isn't too light or too dark, the balance between pink and peach is perfect, and it has a nice soft sheen without being too shimmery; this will look good on all skintones, both cool-toned and warm-toned. And price-wise, it's a great value compared to other brands at $2.68/g (MAC is $4/g and NARS is $7.05/g). This might be a little too early to say (and it's a little controversial), but I think this might be my new favourite peachy pink blush.

Sassafraz

on
Sunday, July 22, 2012
I met up with Mary and Liz last night for dinner at Sassafraz. It was actually an evening of many exciting firsts: My first time having dinner with both Mary and Liz, my first time eating at Sassafraz, and my first time participating in Summerlicious. Needless to say, it was a great success! Sassafraz was offering a $45 three-course prix fixe menu for Summerlicious, and we all managed to get something different. Here, my choices:



Confit pork belly with stewed tomatoes, escarole, and garlic chips


Braised lamb shank with roasted garlic sweet potato mash, asparagus, and sweet apple cider glaze


Banana cream tart, toasted coconut mousse, and mango sherbet

See that pork belly up there? That's what dreams are made of. There were many tempting options (including the seared scallops that both Mary and Liz ended up getting), but when there is pork belly on the menu, I must have it. There is just nothing like a big chunk of delicious, meaty pork with a thick layer of soft, pillowy fat. Seriously. The braised lamb shank was likewise fantastic — the meat, with that glorious gamey, smoky flavour, literally fell off the bone. I don't regret my choice, though Mary's striploin was by far my favourite entrée of the night (you just can't go wrong with a big slab of cow!). And for dessert, I chose the banana cream tart, all smooth and airy in a crisp buttery shell, paired with a refreshing mango sherbet. Such a great ending to a lovely meal. If their Summerlicious offerings are any indication of their regular menu, Sassafraz is a restaurant that I will definitely be visiting again! Thanks for a fabulous evening, girls!


Sassafraz
100 Cumberland Street
Toronto, ON M5R 1A6
(416) 964-2222

Friday Five: Fading

on
Friday, July 20, 2012
This week's Friday Five:
  1. What's something in your possession whose color has obviously faded? My over-sized pink Disneyland shirt that I wear to bed. But, to be fair, I've had it since I was four.
  2. Which of your talents, skills, or abilities has faded as you've grown older? My flexibility (I used to do gymnastics!). And my web and graphic designing skills.
  3. Among people you know, who seems best able to fade into the background in a crowded room? My ex-boyfriend. All my friends are much less passive.
  4. What song seems to have a ridiculously long fade-out at the end? "Ender" by Finch. The song is 13 minutes and 28 seconds long. The singing ends at 5 minutes, 36 seconds.
  5. What recently prominent person seems to have faded quickly into oblivion? Taylor Lautner. Not that I keep up with his life or anything, but wasn't he like, a really big deal during the whole Twilight hoopla? I'm sure he'll be in the spotlight again after the final Twilight installment later this year, but still. At least Robert Pattinson came out with Cosmopolis (even though apparently no one watched it). And Kristen Stewart was in Snow White and the Huntsman (even though everyone wished she wasn't).

OCC Nail Lacquer in Pool Boy

on
Thursday, July 19, 2012

So, a few months ago, I went to the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics store in New York and picked up a bunch of nail polishes. I finally decided to bust them out, and of course, had to start with Pool Boy, which was the sole reason for my going to the store to begin with (OCC isn't widely sold in Canada, and they don't ship nail polishes here from their website). This shade came out last fall and I was obsessed with acquiring it, to no avail. It was sold out online and in store, and I basically had no hopes of getting it. But OCC decided to add it to their permanent line-up this year, and there was only one left when I went to the store, so I snatched that bad boy up before I could even look at anything else.


Pool Boy is a light aqua-sky blue in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or runny. It does streak a bit in its first coat, but all subsequent coats go 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 Dior's Saint-Tropez, more aqua than Chanel's Coco Blue, and much lighter than Julep's Claire. You know, despite the plethora of light blue polishes out there, this one still manages to stand out. I can't really think of any exact dupes for it. And I seriously got asked by every other girl what shade I was wearing. As a fiend for blue nail polishes, this is definitely one of my top ten nail shades of all time. And you know I don't say that lightly.

Survey Says...

on
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:
  1. Your skintone/colouring? Medium with yellow/olive undertones (NC35), dark brown hair and eyes.
  2. Worst beauty product you've ever used? MAC Big Bounce Eyeshadow.
  3. What did you end up doing with it? I think it's in my Back to MAC recycling bag.
  4. Did you lose faith in the brand? No, I think MAC still comes out with some great products in fantastic shades. There have been some questionable limited edition products, but in the end, it's a brand with quality products that I love and have been using for years. And as a make-up artist, I still see them as the leader in make-up in terms of trend, innovation, and variety.

Sandwich Series: Meatball Hero

on
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

So, remember that whole thing where I wanted to do a series of blog posts aptly named Sandwich Series? Wherein I post about all the sandwiches I eat at home because I don't cook (and refuse to learn)? That I was going to do every week? Yeah, so that sort of failed because I may have forgotten about it... But, I remembered today! I remembered today, damn it.


I was craving a meatball hero, but seeing as I am obviously not going to make my own meatballs, I sort of made a lazy, makeshift version for lunch today. I had some frozen Italian meatballs, so I nuked several of those in the microwave, then took some marinara pasta sauce (from a jar, obviously, not homemade — don't be ridiculous) and heated that up in the microwave, and coated the meatballs in the sauce. Then, I toasted one of those Italian burger buns 'cause that's all I had, buttered it and melted some sliced mozzarella (not the processed crap, though!) on it, and then put my marinated meatballs on it. Finally, I added a sprinkle of salt, a dash of oregano, and a ton of parmesan cheese. This was definitely one of my more complicated sandwich assemblies, guys. And it was devoured in about two minutes.

MAC Electric Cool Eyeshadow

on
Monday, July 16, 2012

Last Thursday, MAC launched their preview of the Electric Cool Eyeshadow collection at The Bay stores in Canada. This collection will be released at Nordstrom in the US this coming Thursday as the American preview, and then will be launched at all other North American locations on August 2 (it will be made available internationally some time in August). This collection is comprised of 12 new and limited shades of Electric Cool Eyeshadow, and a #252 large shader brush, which is permanent. 10 of the 12 shades will be reviewed here. MAC describes Electric Cool Eyeshadow as "a lightweight, cushiony eyeshadow that is creamy to the touch and provides intense, pure colour that wears for hours." It has "comfortable, easy-glide flexibility" and "medium-to-high coverage" in a "multi-dimensional pearly wash." Each Electric Cool Eyeshadow comes in a twist jar in black packaging with a clear lid, contains 2.1 grams of product, and retails for $22.

Dynamo, Coil, and Pure Flash!

Dynamo, Coil, and Pure Flash! (swatches)

Dynamo is a medium bright coral-orange in a satin finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 orange than Expensive Pink, and lighter and more pink than Coppering.

Coil is a medium-dark copper-bronze in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 slightly less reddened than Antiqued, and more copper than Bronze.

Pure Flash! is a pale champagne beige in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 Dazzlelight, and less pink than Phloof!.

Superwatt, Electroplate, and Blacklit

Superwatt, Electroplate, and Blacklit (swatches)

Superwatt is a light-medium warm taupe brown in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 more grey than Sable, and lighter and more brown than Satin Taupe.

Electroplate is a medium warm gunmetal grey in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 warmer than Silver Ring.

Blacklit is a dark soft black in a satin finish with multi-coloured shimmer. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 similar though much more pigmented than Black Tied.

Highly Charged, Infra-Violet, Fashion Circuit, and Brilliantly Lit

Highly Charged, Infra-Violet, Fashion Circuit, and Brilliantly Lit (swatches)

Highly Charged is a medium-dark purple with pink micro-shimmer in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, 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 Nocturnelle, and darker than Satellite Dreams.

Infra-Violet is a medium brightened magenta with blue and purple micro-shimmer in a frosted finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more intense than Stars 'n Rockets.

Fashion Circuit is a medium brightened teal green in a metallic finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent eyeshadow line-up.

Brilliantly Lit is a light-medium bright acid yellow green in a frosted finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, mousse-like creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is like the frosted version of Sunny Spot.

The formula of these is fantastic — smooth, even application, great pigmentation, and easily blendable and layerable. Due to the texture, I recommend padding this on first to get the colour pay-off you want, and then blending out as needed. One thing to note, however, is that they work infinitely better with powder eyeshadows. You can definitely use them with each other, but because there is quite a lot of slip initially, it can be a little more difficult to blend them together (think about blending different cream eyeshadows together — it's very easy to over-blend, and the colours become muddied). These also work brilliantly as an eyeshadow base; it really intensifies the colour of any powder eyeshadow you layer on top of it. I didn't have a huge issue with creasing, but I do still recommend using a primer because it is, ultimately, a creamy eyeshadow (even though it dries down to a powder). This is really what Big Bounce Eyeshadow should have been. (Anyone remember those? Yeah, exactly. That's how bad they were.)

Sunday Video Love: Move in the Right Direction

on
Sunday, July 15, 2012

After a couple of really rough weeks, this song is just what I needed to remind myself to keep my head up.

Also, Beth Ditto's make-up is always fierce.

Essie Summer 2012 Bikini So Teeny Collection

on
Saturday, July 14, 2012

Okay, when I saw Essie's Summer 2012 collection, I could not resist. It was like looking at a big bowl of colourful candies (but not jelly beans, 'cause they're gross). So when I saw that four of the six shades were offered as minis in a boxset, I snatched it up right away. It has to be noted that, while Essie has some fantastic shades, I have been consistently disappointed with the formula so I have sort of avoided buying Essie for the past year or so (save for a shade here and there). The last time I was this excited about an Essie collection was 2010's Resort Collection, of which I also had to have every single shade. I am happy to report that this year's Summer Collection comes in at a close second.

Bikini So Teeny, Fear or Desire, Mojito Madness, and Off the Shoulder

Bikini So Teeny is a light periwinkle blue with a very subtle silver shimmer. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It does streak a bit, but I didn't have any problems with pulling or bubbling. It has medium pigmentation and will reach opacity in three coats. It is lighter than Topshop's Celestial and Essie's Lapis of Luxury.

Fear or Desire is a medium bright tangerine orange 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 darker and more vibrant than Zoya's Arizona, and less reddened than OPI's Y'all Come Back Ya Hear?.

Mojito Madness is a medium brightened grass green 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 warmer than Essie's Pretty Edgy, and cooler than Illamasqua's Smash.

Off the Shoulder is a medium bright passion pink with yellow undertones 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 warmer than Essie's Funny Face, and lighter than MAC's Steamy.

This was a really well-executed summer collection in terms of range of shades and formula. With the exception of Bikini So Teeny being a little sheer and streaky, they were all a pleasure to work with and wear — I actually got tons of compliments on Bikini So Teeny, though, which somehow manages to be soft and vibrant at the same time. But all of them are very summer-appropriate and worth checking out — they're perfect for someone like me, who likes the idea of drinking cocktails under a brightly-coloured umbrella on white sands and overlooking a clear blue ocean... but hates it in actual execution.

Friday Five: Versatility

on
Friday, July 13, 2012
This week's Friday Five:
  1. Among people you know, who has the most diverse range of talents or abilities? My best friend, Ben. He's a culinary chef, ex-army, the handiest person I know (he's renovating his house and seems to know how to fix everything, from plumbing to electrical to putting in new walls), has perfect pitch (he can listen to a song and re-play it exactly on guitar and/or piano), and knows everything about the wilderness. And he has really neat writing.
  2. Besides its intended use, what are three things you've used a paperclip for? Earrings, a zipper pull, and a bookmark.
  3. What item in your pantry is the most versatile? Sugar, maybe? I mean, you can use it to bake and cook and sweeten drinks... and then go make a nice face scrub or lip scrub...
  4. What implement related to your work seems to be the most useful in different ways? Probably tweezers, though I'm not sure if it's specific to my line of work.
  5. What's an item in your home that seems to have one (and only one!) use? A light bulb.

Survey Says...

on
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:
  1. Your skintone/colouring? Medium with yellow/olive undertones (NC35), dark brown hair and eyes.
  2. Favourite grey eyeshadow? Currently, I'd have to say it's MAC's new Electric Cool Eyeshadow in Electroplate (review coming soon!), but I love MAC Starflash Eyeshadow in Smoke & Diamonds.
  3. Favourite grey eyeliner? I don't like or use grey eyeliner on myself, but my favourite to use on others is MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Industry.
  4. Do you prefer warm or cool greys? On myself, I prefer warm greys, the ones that lean more taupe. But I appreciate looks with both warm or cool greys!

MAC Heavenly Creature: Mineralize Skinfinishes

on
Tuesday, July 10, 2012

MAC released a new collection in-stores last Thursday called Heavenly Creature. This collection is comprised of three different parts: Colour, Eyes, and Skin. Together, Heavenly Creature features a total of 35 products — 25 of which are new and limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and seven of which are permanent. Heavenly Creature sees the release of four shades of Mineralize Skinfinish, all of which are new and limited edition. MAC describes Mineralize Skinfinish as "a luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish." It's ideal for adding "buffed-up highlights to cheeks or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face." Each Mineralize Skinfinish comes in regular black packaging with a clear lid, contains 7 grams of product, and retails for $34.

Center of the Universe

Center of the Universe (swatch)

Center of the Universe is a mélange of medium warm gold, medium peachy orange, and medium-dark coppery bronze. When swirled together, it creates a medium-dark orangey copper with gold shimmer-sheen. 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 more copper than Peachtwist, and darker and more orange than Sunbasque.

Earthshine

Earthshine (swatch)

Earthshine is a mélange of medium dirty gold, medium peachy tan, and dark plum-burgundy. When swirled together, it creates a reddened brown with gold and burgundy shimmer. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has intense pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. A little goes a long way because this shade can build up in colour intensity very fast, so I recommend using a light hand (and a stippling brush like MAC's #188). It can blend out, but because of the darkness of the shade, it will be hard to diffuse the colour well. I can't think of a dupe for this in MAC's permanent range.

Light Year

Light Year (swatch)

Light Year is a mélange of light pinked peach, medium dusty rose, and medium-dark bronze. When swirled together, it creates a medium peachy pink with gold shimmer-sheen. 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 more pink than Springsheen, and lighter than Peachykeen.

Star Wonder

Star Wonder (swatch)

Star Wonder is a mélange of medium champagne beige, medium warm pink, and medium-dark pinked plum. When swirled together, it creates a medium cool-toned raspberry pink with champagne shimmer-sheen. 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 cooler than Dollymix, and lighter than Love Thing.

All four shades had really soft, smooth textures and good pigmentation. Keep in mind that, like the Mineralize Eyeshadows and Mineralize Blushes, each Skinfinish is created differently; that is, each one has different "swirls" with differing amounts of colour, so they may look slightly different than the ones swatched here (for example, Star Wonder may look more pink or more plum depending on the swirl design). I would definitely use these more as cheek colours than anything else, though those with darker skintones can definitely use Light Year as a highlighter. As usual, Mineralize Skinfinishes have very metallic finishes, so for those who like a more matte look to their skin, you can definitely skip these. I find that Mineralize Skinfinish has a tendency to emphasize skin texture and pores due to the high-frost finish, and I find that these shades are no different except for Light Year, which imparted the perfect glow. If you aren't a fan of Mineralize Skinfinishes, these likely won't change your mind, but if you are, definitely check these out because they are really pretty.

MAC Heavenly Creature: Mineralize Eyeshadows

on
Monday, July 9, 2012

MAC released a new collection in-stores last Thursday called Heavenly Creature. This collection is comprised of three different parts: Colour, Eyes, and Skin. Together, Heavenly Creature features a total of 35 products — 25 of which are new and limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and seven of which are permanent. Heavenly Creature sees the release of nine shades of Mineralize Eyeshadow, all of which are new and limited edition. Mineralize Eyeshadow "provides exceptionally sheer and lightweight application" so that "colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage." Each Mineralize Eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging with a clear lid, contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $24.

Aurora

Bright Moon

Earthly

Aurora, Bright Moon, and Earthly (swatches — dry)

Aurora, Bright Moon, and Earthly (swatches — wet)

Aurora is a mélange of white, pale pink, medium muted red, medium olive green, and blackened olive green. When swirled together, it creates a medium-dark warm bronzy brown with a shimmer-sheen. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and less golden than Bronze, and darker and more reddened than Saddle.

Bright Moon is a mélange of light aqua blue, light silvered lavender, and medium-dark greyed purple-blue. When swirled together, it creates a light silvered blue-grey in a metallic finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more blue than Electra, and lighter and more pigmented than Idol Eyes.

Earthly is a mélange of pale beige, medium golden copper, and dark cool brown. When swirled together, it creates a medium taupe-brown in a metallic finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more brown than Satin Taupe, and lighter and more grey than Charcoal Brown.

Invincible Light

Magnetic Attraction

Neo Nebula

Invincible Light, Magnetic Attraction, and Neo Nebula (swatches — dry)

Invincible Light, Magnetic Attraction, and Neo Nebula (swatches — wet)

Invincible Light is a mélange of pale beige, pale cool-toned pink, light lavender, and medium-dark golden copper. When swirled together, it creates a pale warm pinked beige in a metallic finish. It has a fairly gritty, powdery texture due to the excess sparkle, and goes on unevenly and patchy as a result. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense, and the texture looks smoother and more even. When used dry, it's a bit difficult to layer the product with a brush because the powdery texture blends out so easily. It is easy to pack on colour when used wet, however. It's lighter and warmer than Sweet Lust, and more pink than Phloof!.

Magnetic Attraction is a mélange of light-medium yellow gold, medium-dark brightened copper-orange, and medium-dark raspberry pink. When swirled together, it creates a medium brightened coral-red with golden shimmer-sheen. It has a slightly gritty texture so it can look a bit powdery, but it goes on smoothly and evenly for the most part. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense, and the texture looks smoother and more even. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less orange and less intense than Coppering, and more pink than Hot Paprika Pro Longwear Eyeshadow.

Neo Nebula is a mélange of pale cool-toned pink, medium cool-toned pink, and dark mauve-plum. When swirled together, it creates a light pinked mauve with a metallic finish. It has a fairly gritty, powdery texture due to the excess sparkle, and goes on unevenly and patchy as a result. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense, and the texture looks smoother and more even. When used dry, it's a bit difficult to layer the product with a brush because the powdery texture blends out so easily. It is easy to pack on colour when used wet, however. It's warmer and more pink than Crystal, and much lighter and less brown than Shale.

Sky

Universal Appeal

Water

Sky, Universal Appeal, and Water (swatches — dry)

Sky, Universal Appeal, and Water (swatches — wet)

Sky is a mélange of light-medium golden green, medium brightened electric blue, and dark cobalt blue. When swirled together, it creates a medium electric blue with gold-green shimmer. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, the colour becomes more intense and looks more pigmented. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less bright and more teal than Electric Eel.

Universal Appeal is a mélange of medium dirty gold, medium cool violet, and dark cool brown. When swirled together, it creates a medium-dark plum-tinged brown in a metallic finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more plum than Twinks, and much darker and more brown than Shale.

Water is a mélange of light-medium bright lemon yellow, light-medium lime green, medium chartreuse, and dark navy blue. When swirled together, it creates a medium blue-toned green with green shimmer. It has a fairly gritty, powdery texture due to the excess sparkle, and goes on unevenly and patchy as a result. It has low pigmentation and sheer colour pay-off. When used wet, both the colour and the metallic finish become more intense, and the texture looks smoother and more even. When used dry, it's a bit difficult to layer the product with a brush because the powdery texture blends out so easily. It is much easier to pack on colour when used wet, but it never seems to reach full opacity. I can't think of a dupe for this in MAC's permanent range.

For those who are looking for intense, pigmented eyeshadows that go on and blend out without any effort, Mineralize Eyeshadows are not for you. Oh, and if you prefer matte eyeshadows, these aren't for you, either. Mineralize Eyeshadows are meant to be buildable and layerable to achieve different opacities, and they all have metallic or shimmery finishes. For me, Invincible Light and Water are completely skippable shades — the former has an annoyingly gritty texture with a great deal of fall out, and the latter is almost too sheer and takes too much work to layer. I don't think any of them are necessarily must-haves, but my favourites are Earthly, Magnetic Attraction, and Universal Appeal. I must also note that Mineralize Eyeshadows perform significantly better with a good eye primer (I like NARS Smudgeproof). Those who are fans of Mineralize Eyeshadow should take a look at these to see if there are some new, interesting shades to pick up that they don't already have. Those who don't like Mineralize Eyeshadows can keep walking — these won't change your mind.