Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2012

Given that The Ex is only open for two weeks of the year, and I just worked seven days in a row and am leaving for New York tomorrow, today was the only day I could find time to go. Now, let me be clear: My friends and I do not go to The Ex for the midway games or rides or even the exhibitions. We go to eat the most unique, most disgusting, and most fattening foods we can find there. That's just how we roll. Here, our journey at the The Ex this evening:

The Midway

Classic ferris wheel shot

"Nutella BBBLT" from Bacon Nation: Two pieces of back bacon, eight strips of bacon, lettuce, and tomato on white bread with Nutella spread

Deep-fried beer-battered bacon-wrapped hot dog on a stick with BBQ sauce from Bacon Nation

Deep-fried beer-battered bacon-wrapped hot dog innards

The chocolate eclair hot dog from Maple Lodge Farms

"Fry'd" from Pull'd: Fries with pulled pork, gravy, and sour cream

Krispy Kreme doughnut cheeseburger from Epic Burgers and Waffles

Deep-fried Oreos

Deep-fried Oreo innards

The classic deep-fried Mars Bar

Deep-fried butter balls

How am I even alive right now?

Anyway, I'm going to New York for the long weekend! Be back next Tuesday.

Canadian National Exhibition

100 Princes' Boulevard

Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

(416) 393-6300

MAC Styleseeker: Lipglasses

This past Thursday, MAC released a new collection called Styleseeker, which is their main fall colour launch and features a total of 23 products — 16 of which are limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and four of which are permanent. Styleseeker sees the release of four shades of Lipglass, three of which are new and limited edition and one of which is permanent (that will not be reviewed here). They are vanilla-scented, but taste-free. Each Lipglass comes in regular black packaging with doe-foot applicators, contains a total of 4.8 g of product, and retails for $18. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at MAC Stores only.

Eclectic Edge, Ready to Roam, and Restless

Eclectic Edge is a medium tangerine orange with soft white micro-shimmer. It is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range; it is darker, more reddened, and much more opaque than Rising Sun Cremesheen Glass.

Ready to Roam is a medium brightened ruby red with cool undertones and red micro-shimmer. It is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly less cool than Russian Red, and is slightly lighter than Driven by Love Pro Longwear Lipglass.

Restless is a medium-dark reddened bronze with copper and bronze shimmer. It is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is less brown than Ornamental Lustreglass, and more reddened and more opaque than Get Rich Quick Dazzleglass.

All three Lipglasses just applied beautifully — perfectly smooth and even, with rich, intense colour pay-off. These are seriously some of the best Lipglasses that MAC has come out with across the board in a single collection in the past year. I typically like to layer Lipglass on top of a lipstick, but these look lovely and substantial on their own, almost like liquid lipsticks. If you like MAC's Lipglass formula, these are definitely worth looking at — they're gorgeous and completely on-trend for this fall.

MAC Styleseeker: Mattene Lipsticks

This past Thursday, MAC released a new collection called Styleseeker, which is their main fall colour launch and features a total of 23 products — 16 of which are limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and four of which are permanent. Styleseeker sees the release of five shades of Mattene Lipstick, all of which are new and limited edition. MAC describes the Mattene Lipstick formula as "intense colour and semi-matte velvety finish while offering a creamier, softer, more glide-on application. Non-caking, non drying. Moisturizing and incredibly wearable yet absolutely matte." Each Mattene Lipstick comes in rubberized matte slim black tubes, contains a total of 2.3 g of product, and retails for $18. Since Mattene is a limited edition formula, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Fun Finds, Delectable, Fashion Nomad, Eden Rouge, and Camden Chic

Fun Finds is a pale pink-beige in a Mattene finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly more pink than Myth, and lighter and more pink than Creme d'Nude.

Delectable is a light peach-orange in a Mattene finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more orange than Peachstock, and much lighter and less brown than Mocha.

Fashion Nomad is a medium brightened orange with red undertones in a Mattene finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly brighter than So Chaud, and less neon and more reddened than Morange.

Eden Rouge is a medium brightened cherry red with cool undertones in a Mattene finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly lighter than Russian Red, and warmer than Ruby Woo.

Camden Chic is a medium-dark brick red with warm undertones in a Mattene finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more brown than Viva Glam I, and darker and more brown than Dubonnet.

Honestly, Mattene is probably my favourite lipstick formula from MAC, and it makes me really sad to see that they are still not apart of the permanent range of lipsticks. All of the Mattenes that I tried from this collection are beautiful — creamy and non-drying, smooth and even application, rich and opaque colour, and comfortable to wear. They are not touted to be long-wearing, but the darker or brighter shades lasted six hours before it started to fade even a little (even after drinking, eating, and smoking). The lighter shades lasted about four hours before starting to fade. If you like a more matte lip, definitely check these babies out, and snatch up every single shade you like, 'cause they are going to sell out fast.

MAC Styleseeker: Eyeshadow Duos

This past Thursday, MAC released a new collection called Styleseeker, which is their main fall colour launch and features a total of 23 products — 16 of which are limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and four of which are permanent. Styleseeker sees the release of four eyeshadow duos, all of which are new and limited edition (though some of the shades within each duo are permanent). Each eyeshadow duo comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 3 g of product, and retails for $33.

Culturalized

Culturalized

Culturalized comes with two shades, Brulé and Retrospeck. Brulé is a pale soft creamy beige in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. 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 slightly darker and more beige than Vanilla, and less peach than Orb. Retrospeck is a light-medium warm molten gold with gold shimmer in a Lustre finish. This is supposedly a permanent shade, though it really looks and feels nothing like the original. 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. Despite some minor fall-out, the look and texture reminds me more of a Frost finish than a Lustre finish. It is lighter and less orange than Amber Lights, and is darker and much warmer than the original Retrospeck.

Marché aux Puces

Marché aux Puces

Marché aux Puces comes with two shades, Chessa and Indie Spirit. Chessa is a medium golden orange with a golden orange shimmer-sheen in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, almost 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 and more orange than Amber Lights. Indie Spirit is a medium-dark red-toned mahogany brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a slightly drier texture, but 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 reddened than Texture, and lighter than Brownscript.

On the Hunt

On the Hunt

On the Hunt comes with two shades, Star Myth and Raving Mad. Star Myth is a medium-dark copper-bronze in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, almost 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 more brown than Mythology, and lighter and much more reddened than Mulch. Raving Mad is a medium-dark muted burnt red with orange undertones and a subtle sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a slightly drier texture, but goes on smoothly and evenly, more so in execution on the eye than in a swatch. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. The look and texture reminds me more of a Satin finish than a Frost finish. It is more reddened than Hot Paprika Pro Longwear Eyeshadow.

Whims & Fancies

Whims & Fancies

Whims & Fancies comes with two shades, Performance Art and Shadowy Lady. Performance Art is a light silvered mauve with gold and silver shimmer in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, almost 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 more mauve than Idol Eyes, and lighter and much more silvered than Shale. Shadowy Lady is a blackened plum in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has an extremely stiff, dry texture, and goes on patchy and unevenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off in execution (it look semi-sheer in swatches). It is very difficult to layer and blend out. It is darker and less red than Sketch, and more cool-toned than Beauty Marked.

Okay, I've read rather mixed reviews on these duos. I actually found three of the four of them to perform quite well, with Shadowy Lady in the Whims & Fancies duo to be the only disappointment (but then, Shadowy Lady is permanent and has always been a disappointment). And I actually find that both of the supposedly permanent shades in Culturalized perform better than their original namesakes. Brulé seemed to go on much softer and was almost buttery compared to the original, and Retrospeck looks and feels completely different compared to the original. Anyway, I say that if these shades attract you, they're definitely worth looking at... except for the Whims & Fancies duo (while Performance Art is a really pretty shade, it doesn't cancel out the horrendous execution of Shadowy Lady to make the duo worth buying).

MAC Styleseeker: Powder Blushes

This past Thursday, MAC released a new collection called Styleseeker, which is their main fall colour launch and features a total of 23 products — 16 of which are limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and four of which are permanent. Styleseeker sees the release of three shades of Powder Blush, all of which are new and limited edition. Each blush comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 6 g of product, and retails for $24.

Clockwise from far right: Hidden Treasure, Supercontinental, and Worldly Wealth

Hidden Treasure, Supercontinental, and Worldly Wealth

Hidden Treasure is a dark warm rusted red with a very subtle sheen in a Velvet finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has intense pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily, though due to the nature of the shade, using a light hand is recommended as it builds up in colour intensity very quickly. It is lighter and more orange than Fever, and darker and much warmer than Frankly Scarlet.

Supercontinental is a medium peachy coral with a subtle sheen in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. 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 darker and more pink than Springsheen, and lighter and more peach than Fleur Power.

Worldly Wealth is a medium-dark bronze-brown with orange undertones and golden shimmer-sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. 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 brown than Sunbasque, and darker and more bronze than Coppertone.

I thought all three shades performed exceptionally well. Supercontinental is probably my favourite if only for its softer pop of colour while being generally flattering for all undertones, though Hidden Treasure looks stunning on darker skintones and Worldly Wealth is fantastic to warm up any skintone. All three blushes do lean on the warmer side, though, so if you prefer cooler blushes, I would look elsewhere. But these blushes are very appropriate for fall, and are some of the more coveted items from this collection, so they will likely sell out very fast.

Sunday Video Love: Only Girl (In the World)

So, it seems that everyone is on this Ellie Goulding kick lately. I'm not going to say that I didn't get sucked in, 'cause I've been obsessed with her since I heard "Every Time You Go" on The Vampire Diaries soundtrack (don't judge). I have her original album and way too many remixes (the dubstep remixes are my favourites), and as dance-y and infectious as those songs are, I still find that she's best when she performs acoustically. So, yes, I have finally found a way to listen to a Rihanna song and actually enjoy it. Just get Ellie Goulding to cover it and a string orchestra to back her up.

Landmark Seafood Cuisine

It was my friend Anson's birthday, so we all went for dinner at Landmark Seafood Cuisine. Now, I'm not usually this Asian (I typically only go to these types of Chinese restaurants with my extended family for whatever occasion), but he was really craving this deep-fried beef dish that they serve there, so that decided that. I swear, I don't think I'd ever felt that Chinese in my life. I think even the servers thought it was weird that seven 20-somethings would choose to go there on a Saturday night rather than some other, more hip and modern dining establishment. But, I digress, 'cause the food was damn tasty:

Peking duck slices

Assembling my peking duck

Leftover roasted duck meat served with plum sauce

The infamous glazed deep-fried beef strips

Sweet and sour pork

Clams in black bean sauce

Our epic five-pound lobster

The great thing about eating these Chinese feasts with friends? No repetitive "green and brown" dishes (e.g. some Asian veggie and mushroom or fungus of some sort), which are always in abundance at my family dinners. We just ordered all of our favourite dishes, ensuring a most satisfying feast for all. The service was surprisingly decent, too; just very attentive and helpful and polite, which I find really rare at Chinese restaurants. $30 per person after tax and tip. Totally worth it.

Landmark Seafood Cuisine

3601 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit #101

Scarborough, ON M1W 3Y3

(416) 498-8882

Friday Five: Strawberries

This week's Friday Five:

1. What's your favorite way to eat strawberries? On their own. Or on top of frozen yogurt, like from Menchie's.
2. What's your favorite strawberry-flavored food or beverage? I love the strawberry milkshakes from Johnny's. And I also love strawberry banana smoothies from Freshly Squeezed. And strawberry cheesecake and strawberry shortcake. Speaking of which, when I was a kid, there were these strawberry shortcake ice cream bars that were glorious. But I can't find them in Canada anymore, sadly.
3. What object in your line of sight is strawberry-coloured? A tube of MAC Cremesheen Glass in Galaxy Rose.
4. What geographic location near you could be much cooler if its name were modified to contain the word 'strawberry,' and what would this new name be? Orangeville could be re-named Strawberryville...
5. Here are 500 Wikipedia articles with the world strawberry in their titles. What's something interesting you learned from one of them? The Strawberry Quik meth myth.

Julep Maven Box: August 2012

Instead of getting the "It Girl" style this month which offered three shades of nail polish, I opted for the "Boho Glam" option for my August Julep Maven box, which came with two shades of nail polish and a bottle of their new Acetone Free Conditioning Nail Polish Remover. According to Julep, August is all about "metallics and chromes," so I knew I wasn't going to be too excited about this month's box since I'm not a huge fan of metallics to begin with. But I'm always willing to give it a chance, just in case it'll change my mind, you know? So the two shades I received this month are:

Isla and Piper

Isla and Piper

Isla is a soft milky white in a metallic 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. Because of the nature of the finish, however, brush strokes will be visible. It has medium pigmentation and will reach opacity in three medium-thick coats. It is less pearlized than Essie's Oui Madame, less silvered than Essie's Pearly White, more metallic than Zoya's Gaia, and whiter and brighter than OPI's Birthday Babe.

Piper is a medium seafoam teal in a metallic chrome 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. Because of the nature of the finish, however, brush strokes will be visible. It has medium pigmentation and will reach opacity in three medium-thick coats. It is much lighter, more subdued, and less green than Zoya's Zuza, and lighter and more teal than Essie's Beach Bum Blu.

These haven't changed my mind about metallics. Isla is a very "bridal" colour to me, and is really dupeable. Piper is a lovely colour and much more unique than I thought, but it's the metallic finish that kills it for me. I'm just tempted to put glitter on top of it. I knew I wasn't going to be excited for this box, and I'm really not, though the colours themselves are nice. Knowing me, I would use them as base colours at best. I'm also none too pleased with the pigmentation of these polishes; they both needed at least three coats to reach opacity. On another note, however, the nail polish remover that came with this month's box is phenomenal! It's actually exactly like the one from Butter London, which I also love. They both perform the same (it removes all of my nail polish quickly and efficiently while being really gentle and completely non-drying) and smell the same (clean, slightly baby powdery), and even have the same retail price (Butter London's is $7 for 59 ml, and Julep's is $14 for 118 ml). But Julep's comes with a handy pump, which makes me love it more.

La Maison du Japon

Family dinner at La Maison du Japon this evening! That means food porn time:

Salmon sashimi and surf clams

Black Dragon Roll

Volcano Roll

Rainbow Roll

Spicy salmon hand rolls

Apollo Roll

Salmon and avocado maki

Salmon roses

Eel sushi

Grilled salmon belly

Grilled mackerel

Mushroom tempura

Shrimp tempura

Deep-fried octopus

Grilled eggplant

Black pepper beef

Eel fried rice

Cheesecake

Mango pudding

Mocha chocolate cake

One thing I can appreciate about La Maison du Japon is their consistency. I'm never disappointed when I go to there, which is probably why it's my go-to all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant when I'm between trying other places. And also why my family only ever really likes going there when they want Japanese for dinner. The service today was also better than last time I went — just more efficient and more attentive. They were surprisingly busy for a Wednesday, too. The only thing I'm not too keen on is their new dessert menu. The cheesecake and mocha chocolate cake were substandard at best. The mango pudding, however, was surprisingly good; silky in texture, with just the right amount of sweetness. On that note, I seriously can't go to all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurants for another two months. I think I've gone more this summer than I have in the past two years. I may actually get mercury poison from all the goddamn salmon I'm eating.

La Maison du Japon

7500 Woodbine Avenue

Markham, ON L3R 1A8

(905) 415-8233