Julep Maven Box: May 2013

This month's Julep Maven box features shades from Julep's new Jazz collection, which was inspired by "music, fashion, and spirit of the Roaring Twenties" that "exudes luxury, elegance, and fun — the perfect homage to an era of iconic style and groundbreaking modern attitudes." I think what I like most about this month's collection is that they're not necessarily shades that would come out this time of year (usually brights and neons, which Julep did last month). With the release of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (which was phenomenal, by the way; even if the story line and actors don't appease you, the gorgeous make-up, costumes, set designs, and cinematography more than make up for it) earlier this month as well, Julep's Jazz collection fits in brilliantly with this brief '20s flashback. I decided to get the "Bombshell" style box this month, which included their new Paris Jazz Lipstick Trio, two nail polishes from the Jazz collection, and a set of super-cute flower pins as an extra gift. I decided to redeem my Julep Jules points for one more nail polish, and then added a fourth shade for $4.99. So, the polishes I got this month are:

Gabrielle, Zelda, Paris, and Ella
Gabrielle, Zelda, Paris, and Ella

Gabrielle is a dark greyed purple in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency, but is a little on the thicker side. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in one medium coat. It is very similar to MAC's Festive Finery, more greyed than Butter London's Marrow, slightly darker and less shimmery than Cult Nails' Spontaneous, and cooler and more greyed than OPI's Dutch 'Ya Just Love OPI?.

Zelda is a pale pinked champagne with champagne shimmer 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. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in one medium-thick coat or two thin-medium coats. It is lighter and slightly more pinked than MAC's Soiree, lighter than Butter London's Champers, and more gold than Orly's Rage.

Paris is a clear base with multi-dimensional holographic shimmer and hexagonal glitter. It is meant for use as a top coat. It has a thicker consistency that is common with chunkier glitter polishes, but it doesn't hinder the application. It goes on smoothly and the glitter disperses evenly, and despite the thicker consistency, I didn't experience any pulling. Due to the clear base, it doesn't reach opacity, though three coats should sufficiently cover the nail bed with glitter (I have used two coats in the swatch image). I can't think of an exact dupe for this.

Ella is a light lime green with green, gold, and silver micro-shimmer in a shimmer 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 one thick coat or two thin-medium coats. I can't think of an exact dupe for this.

Love all the nail polishes I received this month! I actually thought all four shades were very representative of the '20s — Gabrielle reminds me of all the dark smoky eye make-up, Zelda reminds me of all the flapper dresses, Paris reminds me of all the glittering jewels, and Ella reminds me of Art Deco and gemstones. All polishes applied beautifully across the board — smooth, fluid, pigmented, and completely self-levelling. While Gabrielle and Zelda are easily duped, they do look stunning on and paired together as well; I was surprised to see that I didn't have anything similar to Paris (as a glitter polish junkie, you'd think I'd have at least one dupe), and it's easily become a layering favourite because it looks gorgeous on top of almost every shade (I got a lot of compliments when I wore it on top of Gabrielle, actually). I also love the complexity of Ella — the colour itself is very Spring, very fresh, but the shimmer really glams it up and adds a lot of dimension that's not common with light greens. I couldn't find a single dupe for that colour, either.

Charleston, Sweet Lorraine, and Lady in Red
Charleston, Sweet Lorraine, and Lady in Red

Charleston is a medium vibrant cranberry red with pink undertones with a natural sheen. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is bubblegum-scented but is taste-free. It is more sheer and more pink than MAC New Temptation Sheen Supreme Lipstick, lighter and more sheer than MAC Lush Life Mineralize Rich Lipstick, more red than Revlon Raspberry Pie Lip Butter, and more pink than Revlon Cherry Tart Lip Butter.

Sweet Lorraine is a light cotton candy pink with a natural sheen. The texture is soft and creamy, but due to the milkiness of the shade, it can settle into lip lines and look slightly patchy on the lips. It has light pigmentation and sheer to semi-sheer buildable colour pay-off. It is bubblegum-scented but is taste-free. It is cooler than MAC Politely Pink Lipstick, it is more pink than MAC Hue Lipstick, more sheer than Revlon Cotton Candy Lip Butter, slightly cooler than Burt's Bees Pink Blossom Tinted Lip Balm, and much lighter than Maybelline Pink Punch Baby Lips Lip Balm.

Lady in Red is a medium-dark neutral red with a subtle sheen in a satin finish. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is bubblegum-scented but is taste-free. It is similar to MAC Russian Red Lipstick, warmer than MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick, and slightly lighter and less cool than YSL Red Taboo Rouge Volupté Lipstick.

The lipsticks are cute, and I understand that Julep is trying to slowly expand out of just nail products, but neither the colours nor the formulas really excited me. Lady in Red was the only stand-out shade of the set; it's a very dupeable shade, but it does go on incredibly well — smoothly and evenly — with incredible colour pay-off, and is fairly long-wearing, too. Charleston and Sweet Lorraine are also incredibly dupeable, but I found them to dry out quite fast on the lips (they remind me of MAC's Lustre finish lipsticks) and the sheen wears off quickly, too. You're better of using a tinted lip balm, which will give you the colour and a dose of hydration, too. I'm surprised that they didn't add a deeper berry shade with either of their Roaring Twenties lipstick sets (I received the Paris one, but there is also a New York one), since that was a signature lip colour of the '20s. I thought the gold tubes were a nice touch, though. But, for now, I think Julep should stick to nail polish.

Friday Five: Ding!

This week's Friday Five:

1. When is ding a most welcome sound? When the doorbell rings because someone's delivered a package (I would say 75% of my shopping is done online these days). And when I receive a text message from someone I actually want to talk to. And when my convection oven is signalling that it has finished toasting/warming/cooking my food.
2. When is ding a most unwelcome sound? When the doorbell rings because of any other reason than someone delivering a package to me. And when I receive a text from someone I don't want to talk to. And when my car makes that sound warning me that I'm running low on gas.
3. If a ding could be heard only by you to warn you about something in social situations, what might that ding alert you to, and how many times do you think you'd have heard it this week? I would love to hear a ding when someone annoying or someone I dislike is nearby, so I can avoid them. I've been sick this week with some sort of flu so I actually haven't left my house in three days, but I would've heard it at least six or seven times this week.
4. A Ding Dong is a hockey-puck-shaped chocolate cake-like dessert filled with cream and covered with chocolate. Its name is somewhat suggestive to some. What other food items have names that inspire you to think naughty thoughts? Twinkies, bananas, peaches, sticky buns, sausages or wieners, 'bangers and mash,' spotted dick, pound cake, ladyfingers, glazed doughnut, stuffing, whipped cream, taco... Yes, apparently, I have the mind of a prepubescent boy.
5. What's an item in your possession that recently received a ding, and whose fault was it? A couple months ago, my friend was driving my car and accidentally drove over a pothole which caused a very large ding on one of my rims, which then lead to a whole bunch of other car-related issues/expenses...

Urban Decay Build Your Own Palette: Breathless, Bordello, Last Call, and Chopper

In April, during Sephora's VIB event (wherein members receive 15% off everything), I picked up a custom Urban Decay palette. Now, let it be known that if there was no discount, I wouldn't have picked this up here — the retail price is significantly lower in the US (I went to NYC a few weeks after buying this), and Urban Decay's pre-assembled palettes (e.g. Naked, Naked2, Feminine, Dangerous, Fun) give you way more bang for your buck. But I wanted to be able to choose my own shades because there are shades in the pre-assembled palettes that I wouldn't reach for often, if ever. Let it be known that putting together a palette does not save you any money, either; the palette comes separately and is only a means to keep your single eyeshadows together in one place. I prefer to have the singles in a palette because it creates less clutter (and, let me tell you, when you have 400+ eyeshadows, there is a lot of clutter), and that's really the only reason I bought the palette along with the eyeshadows.
Breathless Build Your Own Palette
Single eyeshadows (clockwise from left): Chopper, Bordello, and Last Call
Single eyeshadows removed from their containers
The palette that I picked up includes one eyeshadow, Breathless, which contains 1.5 grams of product and retails for $22 CAD (or $18 USD). The palette is a metal tin with a black plastic insert on the inside to fit four single eyeshadows; the palette itself comes in a pale lavender colour featuring a graffiti-style heart design in shades of black and purple, with Urban Decay's name and logo in the centre. As far as I know, this particular palette is exclusive to Sephora. I picked three more single eyeshadows to put in the palette; all of Urban Decay's single eyeshadows are packaged in silver plastic pots with a design that is meant to mimic a New York City subway token, except with Urban Decay's logo in the centre. Each eyeshadow can be popped out of its plastic container to fit into the palette, giving you the choice to keep them as single eyeshadows or pans (a very handy design — I have spent hours de-potting MAC's eyeshadows!). Each single eyeshadow contains 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $22 CAD (or $18 USD).
Clockwise from left: Breathless, Bordello, Last Call, and Chopper
Breathless, Bordello, Last Call, and Chopper

Breathless is a medium cool taupe-brown with soft gold shimmer in a satin finish. This is a palette-exclusive shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 less grey than Urban Decay Bust, less mauve than Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo, less brown than Urban Decay YDK, slightly lighter and more brown than MAC Satin Taupe, and less reddened than MAC Sable.

Bordello is a medium rose-mauve with gold shimmer in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft, silky, almost buttery, 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 much more pink than Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, much more pink than MAC Shale, and less pink than Inglot Pearl #399. 

Last Call is a medium-dark pinked burgundy-plum with a pink shimmer-sheen in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft, silky, almost buttery, 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 much more purple than MAC Cranberry, brighter and more plum than MAC Star Violet, darker and more plum than MAC Plum Dressing, and much lighter and more purple than Inglot Pearl #452. 

Chopper is a medium warm copper bronze with a gold shimmer-sheen in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft, silky, almost buttery, 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 softer and more copper than Urban Decay Baked, less gold than Urban Decay Half Baked, lighter and less orange than MAC Amber Lights, darker and more bronze than MAC All That Glitters, and more bronze than MAC Honey Lust.

I have always been a huge fan of Urban Decay's eyeshadows, and these shades just add to the love. Every single eyeshadow I've ever used from the brand has a gorgeous texture — incredibly smooth, soft, buttery, and richly pigmented — and these are no exception. I was surprised that I could not find an exact dupe for Bordello and Last Call, so I'm incredibly glad that I got those. Breathless, which is exclusive to this palette, is one of the more widely flattering taupes I've come across, a notoriously fickle shade. And I've been using Chopper almost everyday (it's sort of replacing MAC's All That Glitters for me this summer). Despite the higher price tag to build a custom palette, I actually find that it's more worth it for me because I know I'll use all the shades (I think I use like, half of the shades in the Naked palette). In fact, I am so impressed with these that I built another custom palette when I was in New York (review is forthcoming). My only gripe is the huge price difference between Canada and the US... but it's something us Canadians should be used to by now, and thusly, I will only buy Urban Decay when I make my way south of the border.

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in PK 365

So, when I was at Sephora last month, I noticed that Shu Uemura's make-up line had its own space on the wall (prime real estate in Sephora, really). For the longest time, Shu Uemura's make-up (except for the mascara) was exclusive to Holt Renfrew in Canada, and then I saw it at Sephora Eaton Centre sometime over the winter holidays last year and thought they were the only location to get it (a lot of brands will make exceptions to be carried at the Eaton Centre despite its exclusivity due to that location being the busiest in Canada). But, nope, on this day, we were at the Sephora at Fairview Mall, which is in a decidedly much more suburban area, so I now assume Shu Uemura is being made more widely available here. 

I hadn't paid much attention to the brand in years simply because I didn't have much access to it, so needless to say, I spent quite a while playing around with their products while I was at Sephora. As you can imagine, I wanted quite a few things, but had to limit myself to one item since I was on a budget (but I wanted to take advantage of the VIB sale) and decided on a lipstick in a delightfully summery shade. Shu Uemura's lipsticks are housed in silver metal tubes with outer clear plastic casing; each Rouge Unlimited lipstick contains 3.2 grams of product, and retails for $36 at Holt Renfrew and at participating Sephora locations.
Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in PK 365

PK 365 is a medium vibrant watermelon pink with warm undertones and a natural sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more reddened than YSL Rose Culte Rouge Volupté, warmer and brighter than MAC Perpetual Flame Pro Longwear Lip Creme, more pink than MAC Lady at Play Mineralize Rich Lipstick, and less pink and more pigmented than MAC Speak Louder Lipstick. 

I'm in love with this formula! It glides on as creamy and smooth as YSL's Rouge Volupté lipsticks, but it's more lightweight and more hydrating. It actually reminds me of MAC's new Mineralize Rich Lipsticks, but a bit more pigmented. This particular shade gives off complete even and opaque colour coverage, and wears about five hours before needing to re-apply — but even as it dries down, it's incredibly comfortable to wear, keeps my lips feeling soft and moisturized, and doesn't bleed or settle into lip lines. I really need to give Shu Uemura more attention; I had bought several single eyeshadows (which are now discontinued; they only offer eyeshadow refill pans for their custom palettes now) from a Shu Uemura store when I went to Hong Kong nine years ago, and I remember them being gorgeous, pigmented and smooth... but I think I threw them out (gasp!) when I moved a few years ago. I know Shu Uemura is more known for their eyelash curler on this side of the world, but there is a whole world of colour waiting to be discovered, and I foresee many more Rouge Unlimited lipsticks in my (very near) future.

Chanel L'Été Papillon de Chanel: Le Vernis Nail Colour in Azuré

When I first saw Chanel's Summer collection, L'Été Papillon de Chanel, at Bloomingdale's in New York earlier this month, I didn't care at all for the make-up collection (I have no interest in coloured mascara and eyeshadow crayons), but I knew I had to have the nail polishes. There are three in total, but I only picked up the blue shades and left the coral because it didn't look unique enough to justify $27. Plus, you know how I'm a sucker for blues. Azuré is undoubtedly the shade with the most hype from this collection — I mean, just look at how gorgeous it looks in the bottle.

Azuré is a medium-dark duochrome teal blue in a metallic finish. It will flash iridescent turquoise, green, royal blue, and indigo depending on the lighting and angle. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It is completely self-levelling. Due to the nature of the finish, brush strokes are visible, so applying with a steady hand is recommended. It has medium-high to high pigmentation; the first coat looks semi-sheer, but it is completely opaque with a second coat. It is lighter and less green than China Glaze's Deviantly Daring, and less sparkly, more metallic, and more muted than OPI's Catch Me in Your Net and Zoya's Charla. As duochrome polishes are becoming more popular, there are more and more shades like this coming out, so I wouldn't necessarily call this a must-have... but it sure is gorgeous, so if you don't have anything similar, then this is worth looking at (whether you can justify the $27 price tag is another story). Perfect time of year for this shade, though — it's exactly as I picture the ocean to look at the beach, getting the subtle nuances of the sun shimmering in the water and the colour shifts of rolling waves.

Sunday Video Love: Radioactive Violin

So, remember when I posted a video for Imagine Dragon's "Radioactive," calling it my "current feel-like-a-bad-ass-driving-at-night song"? No? Well, the song has since blown up all over the place, being used in video games, movies, and commercials... so, as you can imagine, I have since gotten quite sick of it. But this cover, featuring my favourite electric violinist, Lindsey Stirling, and a capella group, Pentatonix, has renewed my love for this song. This is bad-ass on a whole new level.

MAC Temperature Rising: Lipsticks

This past Thursday, MAC released a new collection in stores called Temperature Rising, which is their major colour launch for Summer. It is inspired by "a sensual, seductive rooftop society [that] comes out to play... where a rare breed of seduction emerges from the sultry heat of the day.... Bathed in neon, high on glamour, the look of polished penthouse perfection shimmers against a glowing skyline... The scene sizzles with glistening bronzed perfection." Temperature Rising is comprised of two parts, Colour and Face, which consists of a total of 26 products across two displayers. This collection sees the release of four shades of lipstick, three of which are new and limited edition, and one of which is a re-promote. They come in special edition bronze rubberized packaging with matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product and retails for $20. Due to the special edition packaging, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.
Altered Beige, Sheer Seduction, Caliente, and Feel My Pulse

Altered Beige is a light warm pinked beige with a sheen in a Lustre finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2008's Colour Forms collection. The texture is soft and creamy, but it has a tendency to settle into lip lines resulting in unevenness. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and less pink than Pure Zen, similar to Japanese Maple, and more pinked than Creme d'Nude.

Sheer Seduction is a medium orange-copper with reddened copper shimmer in a Dazzle finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is slightly gritty due to the amount of shimmer, but it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. There are no exact dupes within MAC's permanent range since the Dazzle finish is limited edition, but in terms of colour, it is more orange than Strength, darker and more copper than Jist, and darker and more brown than Meltdown.

Caliente is a medium-dark plum-brown with red, copper, and magenta shimmer in a Dazzle finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is slightly gritty due to the amount of shimmer, but it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. There are no exact dupes within MAC's permanent range since the Dazzle finish is limited edition, but in terms of colour, it is more brown than Odyssey, darker than Sequin, and more plum than Fluid.

Feel My Pulse is a medium-dark vibrant magenta-purple in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is more pink and less frosted than Violetta (PRO), brighter and more magenta than Up the Amp, and darker and more purple than Love Forever! Pro Longwear Lipstick.

Surprisingly, the lipsticks were probably the least interesting products to me from this collection. While I love magenta/purple shades like Feel My Pulse, I also feel like MAC has come out with a lot of similar shades to this recently, or at least in the same family (e.g. Heroine from last month's Fashion Sets, Daddy's Little Girl from February's Archie's Girls, Strong Woman from January's Strength, Seductive Intent from last December's Taste Temptation, Outrageously Fun from last October's Glamour Daze, etc.) so it's not quite as exciting or unique now, though it looks lovely across all skintones. Altered Beige is very easily duped, and there are better textures with the same or similar colour within MAC's permanent range. For those who liked the Dazzle lipsticks when they were originally launched a few years ago, there are two more options to check out here, but for those who didn't like them to begin with, these won't change your mind. I'm personally not a huge fan of the Dazzle lipsticks because of the noticeable texture from the heavy shimmer, and as they wear on the lips, they leave traces of sparkle that can look patchy. That having been said, the look of the Dazzle finish is unique and fun, and if you can get past the texture, it's worth checking out if you like those types of shades.

MAC Temperature Rising: Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Palette

Yesterday, MAC released a new collection in stores called Temperature Rising, which is their major colour launch for Summer. It is inspired by "a sensual, seductive rooftop society [that] comes out to play... where a rare breed of seduction emerges from the sultry heat of the day.... Bathed in neon, high on glamour, the look of polished penthouse perfection shimmers against a glowing skyline... The scene sizzles with glistening bronzed perfection." Temperature Rising is comprised of two parts, Colour and Face, which consists of a total of 26 products across two displayers. This collection sees the release of two eyeshadow quads, both of which are new and limited edition. They come in special edition bronze rubberized packaging with matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each palette contains 5.6 grams of product and retails for $52.
Top row: Performance Art and Temperature Rising; Bottom row: Swelter and Beauty Marked
Performance Art, Temperature Rising, Swelter, and Beauty Marked

Performance Art is a medium warm pinked mauve with subtle gold shimmer in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a re-promoted shade from last year's Styleseeker collection. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 Shale, lighter and more frosted than Quarry, and lighter and more pink than Sable.

Temperature Rising is a light-medium pinked peach with copper sparkle in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is on the slightly dry side, but it 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 less orange than Arena, darker and more pink than Naked Lunch, lighter and more peach than Expensive Pink.

Swelter is a medium-dark cool-toned muted violet in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 Shale, more grey and more frosted than Purple Haze, and cooler and less sparkly than Trax.

Beauty Marked is a dark blackened burgundy with burgundy and copper sparkle in a Velvet finish. This is a permanent shade. The texture is quite dry and stiff, so it can go on patchy and unevenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered easily, but due to the stiffness of the texture, it can be difficult to blend out. It is more blackened than Sketch, and more reddened than Shadowy Lady.

Whereas MAC's past few Summer collections have been brighter and more playful in general (e.g. last year's Hey, Sailor!, 2011's Surf, Baby!, 2010's To the Beach, 2009's Style Warrior, etc.), I love the sultry, more seductive shades in Temperature Rising. The namesake palette is, like the Bare My Soul quad, incredibly wearable across all skintones; there aren't really any "wildcard" colours here (for those who want brighter shades, check out Art of the Eye instead). The colours in the palette aren't the most unique and most of them can be easily duped, but you can create a variety of eye looks with it, from a soft, natural look to a full-blown sexy smoky eye. However, the real miss here is Beauty Marked, which is not only a permanent shade, but has a dry and stiff texture that leaves something to be desired. In the pan, Beauty Marked looks gorgeous with a complex sparkly finish, but when blended with other shades, the sparkle just doesn't translate and ends up looking like a soft black. To really see the nuances of the shade, it's best packed on top of a emollient base, like a Paint Pot. The colour combination in Temperature Rising is classic and works really well together and can really be worn all year 'round, but the inclusion of Beauty Marked just doesn't make the palette worth the retail price, in my opinion.

MAC Temperature Rising: Bare My Soul Eyeshadow Palette

Yesterday, MAC released a new collection in stores called Temperature Rising, which is their major colour launch for Summer. It is inspired by "a sensual, seductive rooftop society [that] comes out to play... where a rare breed of seduction emerges from the sultry heat of the day.... Bathed in neon, high on glamour, the look of polished penthouse perfection shimmers against a glowing skyline... The scene sizzles with glistening bronzed perfection." Temperature Rising is comprised of two parts, Colour and Face, which consists of a total of 26 products across two displayers. This collection sees the release of two eyeshadow quads, both of which are new and limited edition. They come in special edition bronze rubberized packaging with matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each palette contains 5.6 grams of product and retails for $52.
Top row: Romantico and Bare My Soul; Bottom row: Friendly and When in Rio
Romantico, Bare My Soul, Friendly, and When in Rio

Romantico is a medium warm taupe-brown in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 and less reddened than Sable, darker and more taupe than Patina, and darker than Sweet Satisfaction Pro Longwear Eyeshadow.

Bare My Soul is a medium warm golden brown in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 less orange than Amber Lights, lighter and more gold than Woodwinked, and darker and more bronzed than Goldmine.

Friendly is a dark bronzed chocolate brown in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 plum than Mulch, more frosted than Handwritten, and darker and more intense than Make Your Mark Pro Longwear Eyeshadow. 

When in Rio is a dark reddened brown with dark teal-green pearl in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is on the slightly dry side, but it 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 intense with a brighter green pearl than Club, and more green than Blue Brown Pigment.

Whereas MAC's past few Summer collections have been brighter and more playful in general (e.g. last year's Hey, Sailor!, 2011's Surf, Baby!, 2010's To the Beach, 2009's Style Warrior, etc.), I love the sultry, more seductive shades in Temperature Rising. The Bare My Soul palette is by far one of the best eyeshadow quads MAC has put out in the past year in terms of formula — smooth, silky, pigmented textures across the board. The lack of matte shades may not appeal to some, but I find that the frosted finishes are in line with the whole glistening, "sultry heat" theme of the collection (to me, Summer is all about being glowy). In general, I find this palette to be incredibly wearable across all skintones; there aren't really any "wildcard" colours here (for those who want brighter shades, check out Art of the Eye instead). The colours in the palette aren't the most unique and most of them can be easily duped, but I love that you can create such a variety of eye looks with it, from a soft, natural bronze look to a full-blown sexy smoky eye. To me, the colour combination in Bare My Soul is sort of season-less, because I can see it being worn just as much in the Summer as I do in the Fall/Winter.

MAC Temperature Rising: Powder Blushes

Today, MAC released a new collection in stores called Temperature Rising, which is their major colour launch for Summer. It is inspired by "a sensual, seductive rooftop society [that] comes out to play... where a rare breed of seduction emerges from the sultry heat of the day.... Bathed in neon, high on glamour, the look of polished penthouse perfection shimmers against a glowing skyline... The scene sizzles with glistening bronzed perfection." Temperature Rising is comprised of two parts, Colour and Face, which consists of a total of 26 products across two displayers. This collection sees the release of two shades of Powder Blush, both of which are new and limited edition. They come in special edition bronze rubberized packaging with matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each blush contains 6 grams of product and retails for $27.50.
Hot Nights and Ripe for Love
Hot Nights and Ripe for Love

Hot Nights is a medium-dark bright raspberry pink with a soft sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has intense pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered easily, but due to the high pigmentation, it takes a bit more work to blend out well. It is warmer than Rhubarb (PRO), more pink than Salsarose (PRO), brighter and more pink than Breezy, darker and more reddened than Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush. 

Ripe for Love is a medium coral-orange with a soft sheen in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft, silky, and finely-milled, 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 Melba, darker and more coral than Peaches, and brighter and less brown than Cantaloupe (PRO).

Though the hot pink and peach combo is nothing new (see: Archie's Girls), MAC did a good job of amping them up for Summer, and I think they work really well with the colour theme of the collection in general. Hot Nights is a gorgeous blush on darker skintones (perfect for those who get extremely tanned in the summer), and the intense pigmentation will show up well on the the darkest complexions. However, for those who are fairer, a very fluffy brush (preferably a duo-fibre, like MAC's #187) and an extremely light hand are recommended, unless you are going for the clown cheeks or streaky '80s look. Ripe for Love is perfect for everybody; it's finely-milled so that lighter skintones can blend it out if needed (the more you blend, the more glowy it looks), but it's very pigmented so darker skintones can layer it to get it to look brighter. A great option for those who want an orange blush that leans coral (or a coral blush that leans more orange!). Both stunning shades for Summer, and in lovely smooth, pigmented formulas to boot! 

Essie Resort 2013: In the Cab-ana Nail Colour Collection

When it comes to Essie's collections, I am always the most excited for their Resort collections. My favourite collection of all time from Essie is still their Resort 2010, which featured shades that were really edgy and unique when they were released, and ended up being so successful that three of the shades became permanent (including fan favourite, Turquoise & Caicos). As I mentioned in my review and swatches post of Essie's Avenue Maintain, the Spring 2013 collection didn't really 'wow' me — but the moment I saw swatches of the Resort 2013 collection rolling up online, it was love at first sight.
First Timer, In the Cab-ana, Under Where?, and Come Here!

First Timer is a medium vibrant cool-toned 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 any pulling or bubbling. The first coat goes on a bit streaky, but it is completely even after a second coat. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two medium coats. It is similar though a touch less blue-toned than Illamasqua's Nomad, brighter and much more green than Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, and lighter and more blue-toned than Essie's Mojito Madness.
In the Cab-ana is a medium vibrant aqua 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 is completely self-levelling. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two medium coats. It is less teal-based than Essie's Where's My Chauffeur?, slightly darker and more vibrant than OCC's Pool Boy, and lighter and more aqua than Julep's Claire.
Under Where? is a light-medium pink-toned lilac in a jelly-cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling or bubbling. The first coat goes on a bit streaky, but it is completely even after a second coat. It has medium-high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two medium-thick coats or three medium coats. It is lighter than Butter London's Molly Coddled, darker and more pink than Julep's Simone, and more pink than Essie's Bond with Whomever.
Come Here! is a medium-dark vibrant coral-poppy red 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 is completely self-levelling. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in one medium-thick coat. It is similar though a touch more pink than Joe Fresh's Tomato, darker and more red than OPI's Suzi's Hungary Again!, and similar though a touch more coral-toned than Essie's Hip-anema.

They aren't the most unique colours or finishes (sometimes a colour can be made different enough to be worth having if the finishes are different, say with shimmer or glitter), but they're perfect shades to transition from Spring to Summer — they're like the brighter, amped-up versions of the soft pastels we've been seeing this Spring, but not so bright as to be neon which is a big trend for Summer. For those who don't want to splurge on Illamasqua's Nomad, First Timer is actually a pretty good dupe — they're not exactly the same, but they are quite similar. In the Cab-ana is a great option for those who want a bright aqua blue but not as electric or cyan as, say, Illamasqua's Noble or OPI's Can't Find My Czechbook. In general, I feel that there are actually a lot of dupes for these shades out there, and at various price points, but if you don't have anything similar and you want some fun new warm weather shades these are great options and they actually have very smooth, even, and pigmented formulas across the board. In the Cab-ana and Come Here! make for an especially fun mani-pedi combo this season.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — Brick by Boring Brick

This is the video I took of Paramore at Sound Academy on May 13, performing "Brick by Boring Brick" from their album, Brand New Eyes. This was the last song of the night, during their encore. Though it remains one of their most successful singles to date (the number of covers of this song on YouTube alone proves that) and was incredibly overplayed at the time of its release (the official video for it is probably their most expensively produced), it is still one of my favourite songs from Brand New Eyes. It's very different from their other songs, both lyrically and musically — more dramatic and theatrical, it's written from a mostly third-person narrative about a dark world in which there's a sense of longing for innocence and fairy tales that will never happen. There's also an harder edginess to the sound; as Rolling Stone put it, they put in some "unexpected Smashing Pumpkins-style sonics into the mix." A wonderful song to end off their show with, compete with an epic sing-along and exploding confetti.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — Still Into You

This is the video I took of Paramore at Sound Academy on May 13, performing "Still Into You" from their new self-titled album. (In case it sounds familiar, I posted their official video for this song on the day it was released last month.) This is the second single from their latest album, and probably their most carefree, upbeat, happy song to date. Again, it isn't my favourite song from the album, but it's by far the most catchy (and will therefore likely be their biggest hit). It is also the only true love song from the album, one that I mentioned before is cheesy, yes, but also simple and unadulterated — and the one they chose to dedicate to us, their fans, their first true love.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — Renegade

This is the video I took of Paramore at Sound Academy on May 13, performing "Renegade." This is my favourite song from their Singles Club EP, which came out during what I refer to as Paramore's "dark period." The four songs with this boxset were the only new music they released in the four years between their third and fourth (and latest) album. They wrote all the songs for this EP during a really turbulent time in their career, when the Farro brothers (two of the founding members of Paramore) had left the band and wrote a long letter that they released online publicly attacking Hayley Williams — an event that was widely publicized and caused the remaining members of Paramore to address live on MTV. The lyrics of this song are sort of Hayley's commentary on the whole debacle, like "this is who I am and I don't need you anymore." And if Paramore's huge success right now is any indication, they really are better without them and this song now merely acts as a huge middle finger up to the Farro brothers.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — The Only Exception

This is the video I took of Paramore at Sound Academy on May 13, performing "The Only Exception" from their album, Brand New Eyes. Musically, this isn't my favourite song from the album (though it is a fan favourite in general), but I love it lyrically — it seems like it's really sad and depressing at first, but it's ultimately a very hopeful, optimistic song. This was the only acoustic song of the night, and therefore the only song during which people put up their lighters (and/or cell phones because we're just so technological now) and swayed back and forth and sang every single word along. I love capturing acoustic songs because they always seem so much more intimate and heartfelt — it's a true crowd-pleaser and really brings all the fans together.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — Ain't It Fun

This is the video I took of Paramore at Sound Academy on May 13, performing "Ain't It Fun." This is one of my favourite songs from their new self-titled album. The footage is kind of shaky because of all the movement going on around me, but hopefully, you can still make out Hayley dancing around on stage. It's very different from their older material, and definitely one of the most fun songs to listen to off the album — and, judging by their energy, one of the most fun songs for them to perform.

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy — Fast In My Car

Well, we all knew this was coming: my videos from the Paramore show I went to last Monday at Sound Academy. First up is their performance of "Fast In My Car," which is from their latest album. It's a super-fun, upbeat, kind of dance-y song, and there's a line in it that so aptly describes how it should be at Paramore shows: "No, we're not looking for violence, no — tonight, we want to have fun."

Paramore: Live at Sound Academy

I went to see Paramore this past Monday at Sound Academy, marking my third time seeing them live:

It's been nearly eight years since I first saw them opening for Armor for Sleep in London, Ontario (the majority of the members weren't even legal to be in that bar at the time), and while they've really honed their skills, perfected their stage presence, and gotten an unprecedented amount of media coverage over the years, they are still as charming, entertaining, and dynamic as ever — the same reasons that drove me to pick up their first record at that 2005 show. They are the type of band that, after watching them perform, stays in your mind forever — their raw talent and love for creating music are incredibly apparent, even more so now that two of Paramore's founding members, who proved to be poison for the band, have left. As Hayley commented before their performance of "Anklebiters," during which she invited ten or so people from the audience to come on stage, seeing so many of their "long-time friends and fans in Toronto feels like the good ol' days." Paramore is a band that connects and interacts exceptionally well with their fans, somehow making a concert with 500+ people feel intimate — a mark of a band that can keep a hugely loyal fan base, along with hearing and seeing every single person in the venue singing along to every song with perfect lyrical memory.

The show began with "Interlude: Moving On," a 1.5-minute song and one of three "interludes" from their latest album, which was perhaps the perfect song for them to start with; like they were washing away the drama and disappointments and events causing the near-break-up of the band, and starting anew. During the show, they sang several more songs from their latest album, including their singles, "Now" and "Still Into You," and two of my favourites, "Ain't It Fun" and "Proof." But they somehow also managed to play songs from every single one of their albums, even "Decode" which was originally released with the Twilight soundtrack and "Renegade" from their Singles Club EP. Highlights for me personally were "Whoa" and "Let the Flames Begin," songs that make me incredibly nostalgic and remind me of why I fell in love with Paramore to begin with. If this show — the first time I've seen them without the Farro brothers — proves anything to me, it's that they're as strong as ever as a band, and that Hayley Williams is still one hell of a powerhouse.

NYC — Spring 2013: Tina's Cuban Cuisine

My brother, not having much time to spare from work but wanting to see us before we left the city, took us out for a quick lunch on our last day in New York. As both his office and our hotel is in midtown, he decided to take us to one of his favourite lunch spots in the area, Tina's Cuban Cuisine. As you can guess by the name of the restaurant, they serve Chinese food. Just kidding, they serve Cuban. Anyway, this is a place that I would never really stop in on my own; it's somewhere you're brought by a local. It looks very unassuming from the outside, with just a simple awning and a board featuring the menu and weekly specials. It's more popular for take-out and delivery, as the massive line-up in the take-out section and half a dozen delivery guys running in and out of the place can attest to, but there is a small dining area in the back (by small, I mean like, eight tables) for those who want to eat in. We somehow managed to grab the last table, which was a miracle in itself since we were in the middle of lunch rush. 

This place is very no-nonsense: there is no ambiance (lots of fluorescent lighting and almost zero decor), and both the customers and the staff are constantly in a hurry (it is New York, after all). However, they serve authentic, cheap, and tasty Cuban comfort food. Upon recommendation from my brother, we all got the roasted pork with yellow rice and sweet plantains, which comes in very generous portions. Dependable, filling, and totally satisfying. What really makes their food truly addictive, though, is their spicy green sauce, which is some sort of creamy pico de gallo concoction. Seriously, regulars of the place know to drench their food in it, and for good reason — this sauce is to their food like tzatziki is to souvlaki or hummus is to a falafel pita. That is to say, a necessary component and quite possibly the best part of the meal. And I swear, it's like crack — apparently, people started asking for so much of the green sauce on the side that they had to start charging extra for it (however, if you dine in, the sauce is unlimited and a table of four people can very easily finish one entire bottle). 
Our waitress was friendly and insanely efficient (she was legit running everywhere, as she is the only person working the dine-in area and also helping with the take-out line) — since they are consistently cooking for the constant stream of people coming in, they serve you super-fast and the food is hot and freshly made. At about $12 per person after tax, it proved to be by far the cheapest meal of our trip. In an area full of incredibly expensive restaurants, I can see why so many locals — from students to suits — reach here nearly everyday for a quick and affordable lunch. If you're visiting New York on a budget and find yourself in midtown (or maybe you're just craving Cuban food), Tina's is worth a visit.

Tina's Cuban Cuisine 179 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 679-3500

NYC — Spring 2013: La Sirène

For our last dinner in New York, my brother took us to one of his favourite restaurants, a small French bistro called La Sirène.

Moules Rochelaises
Sepios Sautés à la Provençale sur Salade
To start, we decided to share two of the appetizers. The mussels are probably the most popular appetizer here, and they offer three types. We decided to go with the Moules Rochelaises, a bowl of steamed mussels in a light curry cream with diced apples, and is listed as the chef's favourite. The mussels were fresh and plump, and the mild spicy flavour of the curry contrasted beautifully with the sweetness of the apples, which also provided a wonderful crunch. I'm usually not a huge fan of cooked fruit in general, but it works incredibly well here, and the flavour combination of the curry and apples proved to be incredibly addictive; we were all scrambling to dip our crusty baguette slices into the broth, while trying to scoop up the apples with the mussel shells. It was really quite a sight. Our second appetizer was equally as good, if you can believe that: sautéed baby octopus with garlic, parsley olive oil bread crumbs, diced tomatoes, and mushroom slices. I could seriously have eaten the whole plate by myself, it was so good. The baby octopus was incredibly tender and not too chewy, the mushrooms added a lovely earthy crunch, and the tomatoes were slightly sweet and crisp. Tossed altogether in a gloriously garlicky sauce... Just thinking about this "salad" is making me drool.

Poisson du Jour
Tournedos Rossini
As usual, my mom and I decided to share to entrées. My mom's choice was the fish of the day, which was seared striped bass in a creamy anise béchamel sauce. The bass was tender and perfectly flaky and the sauce had a wonderful spicy-sweet flavour that was enhanced by the anise. I'm not huge on cooked fish, typically, and I rarely ever order it for myself, but it was really well done here and I would definitely recommend it for those who want a slightly less heavy main course. I, on the other hand, decided on the Tournedos Rossini, their most popular dish: tender, juicy filet mignon seared to perfection, and then topped with plush foie gras and black truffle, with a silky port and red wine truffle sauce. Uh, can you get more decadent than this? Seriously. I don't think this dish really needs me to describe how gloriously divine it is... Just order it. Oh, and they also serve you a long dish of four different creamed vegetables to share as a table — buttery and delicious, they're completely complementary, and are all you can eat (!). We totally took advantage and ended up having like, four trays of the stuff. 
We originally weren't going to order dessert, but ended up deciding to share the profiteroles. It was too dark in the restaurant for me to get a good photo, but trust me when I say that they were epic. Choux pastry balls filled with whipped cream, served with velvety vanilla ice cream, drizzled with rich bittersweet Callebaut chocolate. If you're going to get dessert, make it this one. Seriously. You won't regret it. Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with this place. It's completely tiny (it only seats 25 people) and in a rather obscure part of Soho (technically South Village, which is mostly residential), but it's cozy, charming, and authentic (everyone that works there has a thick French accent, actually). The service is super nice and attentive, and great with recommendations if you're stuck on what to order. You get seriously amazing, quality French food in a casual, intimate environment without the pretentiousness or snobbery of a typical French restaurant. And it's also BYOB with no corkage fee (a serious rarity in New York City restaurants, especially a French bistro). Two thumbs up and 5 out of 5 stars — a definite recommend and must-visit.

La Sirène 558 Broome Street New York, NY 10013 (212) 925-3061

NYC — Spring 2013: Clothing & Miscellaneous Haul

As you can imagine, I did quite a lot of shopping while I was in New York, as evidenced by my two cosmetics hauls (can I just say, thank god for tax returns?). But I did buy a surprising amount of non-beauty items as well. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran Bag
Before I actually arrived in New York, I had had my heart set on buying a new handbag. Nothing crazy expensive, mind you, but a new one to replace my old, beaten-up one. I've always leaned towards Marc by Marc Jacobs for medium-priced bags, and had my eye on the Classic Q Fran for a while. I love everything about this bag: it's in a classic black pebbled cowhide leather with gold hardware, comes with both shoulder straps and a longer cross-body strap, and it's the perfect size to hold all my stuff. Plus, I like that the style is more classic than trendy, so I can use it for years to come. I was incredibly tempted to buy it online sometime around Christmas, but decided to wait until I went to the US, since it'd be a lower retail price with a lower tax rate, and I wouldn't have to pay an insane amount for shipping and duties. I took the opportunity to buy it when we were perusing Bloomingdale's, where they offer a 10% discount to international customers (you show them any official ID and they can process it for you right at point of sale). It ended up being $438 after tax, as opposed to $468 before tax, so I thought it was totally worth waiting to buy it on this trip. 
Uniqlo x Ladurée tees
Uniqlo x Sanrio tees
Of course, we had to drop by Uniqlo (we love it so much, we ended up going to two locations). Uniqlo often has a variety of T-shirt collaboration collections, and they had a lot of super-fun ones this time around. Their featured collaboration right now is with famed macaron house, Ladurée, from which I grabbed three different tees: two puff-sleeved tees in black featuring a Parisian macaron design and in pistachio green featuring a puff pastry design, and crew neck short-sleeve tee featuring their pitbull logo in pink. I also ended up buying three 3/4-sleeve tees from the Sanrio collaboration because they were on sale for $9.90 each: two Hello Kitty tees in white with red polka dots and black with green polka dots, and a My Melody tee in wheat with pink detailing. I will likely be using these as sleep shirts or to wear around the house since, you know, I'm quite a bit older than 12, but they were just too cute to resist.
Uniqlo Lounge pants, Drape printed bottoms, and Relaco cropped pants (x2)
Uniqlo Room Shoes in pink floral and seafoam green
Uniqlo makes some of my favourite loungewear in the world: they're insanely comfortable, great quality, and incredibly affordable. Plus, they come in super-cute patterns and colours to boot. I've been looking for a pair of sweatpants and ended up getting a pair of black Lounge pants for $12.90 (they come in a variety of patterns and shades, but thought getting black would allow me to wear them outside as well), and then some ultra-soft, feather-light pajama pants: a pair of Drape polka-dot print bottoms in black on sale for $9.90, and two pairs of their Relaco polka-dot print cropped pants in grey and cream also on sale for $9.90. I also bought a pair of their slippers that have terrycloth lining and cushioned soles that were on sale for $7.90. I wore them around our hotel room and found them so damn comfortable that I went back to Uniqlo the next day to buy another pair. 
Uniqlo Leggings Pants (x5)
Uniqlo extra light short-sleeve stole cardigan, Uniqlo x Cabbages & Roses scarf, and Mango leather studded belt
Of course, I had to stock up on my most favourite Leggings Pants, basically the only pants I like wearing on a regular basis. I've tried many a pair of denim leggings, and none of them are as comfortable or as regularly affordable as these ones at a retail price of $19.90 a pair. They fit insanely well, never too tight or too loose, and they have a great stretchy elastic waist so you can totally wear these to a buffet and never feel restricted. I bought three of the regular ones in black, and then two denim pairs in charcoal and dark blue to change up my mostly black wardrobe. I also bought a super-lightweight short-sleeve black stole cardigan that will be perfect for layering in warmer weather, and a lovely printed stole scarf in black from their Cabbages & Roses collaboration collection on sale for $7.90. The last fashion item I picked up was a black leather belt with large silver studs from Mango. It wasn't on sale or anything, but it's cute and I needed a belt. The greatest thing about shopping for clothes (or shoes or bags or accessories) in New York is that all items that are under $110 are tax-free. Yes, tax-free! For those of us who live in Canada, this is an incredibly exciting concept, and therefore more reason to shop for clothing in New York. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.
Max Brenner Coco and Snowies Chocolate Tins, and Caramel and Sea Salt Milk Chocolate Bar
Starbucks You Are Here Collection mug
Last but not least, I picked up a few touristy, souvenir-y items. On our first night in New York, my brother took us to Max Brenner for some dessert (the line-up was way too long to actually eat in the restaurant, so we got some of their famous ultra-rich dark hot chocolate to go instead), and my mom and I stopped by the gift shop to grab some goodies to take back home with us. My choices: two tins of their Coco (hazelnut cream, milk chocolate, and roasted coconut) and Snowies (hazelnut cream, white chocolate, and roasted pistachios) chocolates, plus a bar of their milk chocolate with caramel pieces and sea salt. Then, at one of the many Starbucks locations we went to, I picked up the New York mug from their You Are Here Collection (they have one for pretty much every big city in North America) to replace the old Starbucks mug that I broke a few months ago. (Some people like to collect postcards or shot glasses or hats from their travels. I like to collect mugs, okay?) And that, folks, completes my entire haul for this New York trip. I don't think I'll be spending any more money this month...

Bloomingdale's Soho 504 Broadway New York, NY 10012 (212) 729-5900
Uniqlo Soho 546 Broadway New York, NY 10012 1-877-486-4756
Uniqlo Midtown 31 W 34th Street New York, NY 10001 1-877-486-4756
Mango 561 Broadway New York, NY 10012 (212) 343-7012
Max Brenner 841 Broadway New York, NY 10003 (646) 467-8803