Friday Five: Let's Get Personal (Or Not)

This week's Friday Five:

1. What are you on? At the moment, just caffeine. And also, my computer chair.
2. What are you hiding? I try not to wear super-revealing clothes or anything. Like, my legs? Haven't seen sun in over a decade, for real. On my blog, I pretty much hide most of my personal life (like daily goings-on, my work, personal relationships, etc.).
3. Who gets it when you go? I'm going to interpret this question as, "Who gets all my [non-existent] assets when I kick it?" My mom. If I outlast her, then my brother. If I outlast him, then... I don't know. I'll let Future Denise worry about it...
4. What's in your wallet? Some cash and change (a rarity, actually), my Ontario driver's license, my Ontario health insurance card, my debit card, my MAC PRO card, a plethora of points cards (Shoppers Optimum, SCENE, Sephora Beauty Insider, Menchie's, Indigo), and some old concert ticket stubs.
5. What do you waste? Always money, occasionally time, sometimes food (I can't help it if certain foods expire quickly). 

Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill

So, after taking nearly an hour getting downtown and another hour trying to find parking for The Ex (we lined up for two parking lots, and both times, they put up the "lot full" sign just as we got to the entrance — needless to say, we were getting more frustrated and hungrier by the minute), Edward, Ronsee, and I decided to forget going to The Ex this evening and decided to drive to the Distillery District for dinner instead. After walking by several restaurants, we decided to go to Pure Spirits 'cause they still had room on their patio.
South Lake Oysters
We weren't technically looking for an oyster bar for dinner and I know we had oysters only a couple days ago, but we couldn't go to an oyster bar and not get oysters, you know? Their special today just so happened to be a half-dozen premium oysters for $16, so we just decided to get those. Today, they were offering South Lake oysters, which are from PEI and are described as "meaty, with lobster meat-like finish." As I am still quite the newb at eating oysters, I cannot say that they were particularly lobster-like at all, but they were on the saltier, brinier side that is characteristic of East Coast oysters. Not my favourite in the oyster world as I prefer sweeter, creamier oysters, but these were still refreshing and satisfied any leftover oyster cravings I had — and definitely worth the $16 special price.
Bouillabaisse of Oven Roast Monkfish
After much debate, I decided to get the bouillabaisse as it's not something I eat often and I was feeling... seafood-y. The bowl is filled to the brim with oven roast monkfish, mussels, shrimp, salmon, fingerling potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in a saffron and absinthe infused broth, and topped off with a rouille en croute. I can't be sure how authentic it is, but the monkfish was firm and meaty (almost like a really tender piece of chicken, actually), the mussels and shrimp were fresh and tender, and the salmon was silky smooth and nearly melt-in-your-mouth. And even despite all of that deliciousness, it's the broth that's the real star here: rich with flavour, smooth, almost velvety. It's so addictive, in fact, that I had to take the remaining pieces of bread just to sop it all up (and I mean all of it — my bowl was completely dry and empty by the time I was done with it). Definitely pleased with my choice this evening. 
Crème caramel with poached tarragon-infused peaches and shortbread
Finally, as we were already quite full, we decided to share a single dessert to complete our meal. We decided on the special of the day, which isn't found on their regular menu: crème caramel with poached tarragon-infused peaches and shortbread. For those who have never had crème caramel, it's essentially like crème brûlée but with a layer of soft caramel on top rather than a hard shell of burnt sugar. The custard was soft but perfectly dense and firm enough to keep its shape (rather than falling apart on the spoon). The peaches are what really perfected this dessert, though, adding a fresh crispness that kept the dessert from feeling heavy. The cookie was rich and buttery but still lightweight and added a nice textural contrast to the dessert. This is definitely something they should consider adding to their permanent dessert menu, in my opinion. 
As we didn't actually step foot inside the restaurant at all, I can't comment on the decor or cleanliness of the interior, but the patio was lovely — spacious with big patio umbrellas over every table, clean and streamlined steel tables and chairs lining the space. I liked that the tables were spaced perfectly apart to give privacy to each party but close enough to fully utilize the area, and that they set candles at every table as it was turning dark. It also helped that it was a seriously beautiful night to be sitting out; the temperature was just perfect, the humidity dialled back and kept us warm but not uncomfortably so — this is what I love about summer. The service was polite and attentive (coming back at regular intervals to ask how our food was and to clean up our table), which I think is important when sitting on a patio because many servers end up forgetting to check up on their patio sections. I'm quite pleased with our choice for dinner tonight — it may not be deep-fried butter or doughnut cheeseburgers or gelato paninis or Nutella sweet potato fries (as I had expected to be devouring this evening), but you know, I really can't complain. 

Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill 17 Tank House Lane Toronto, ON M5A 3C4 (416) 361-5859

Urban Decay Build Your Own Palette: Cobra, Mildew, Evidence, Roach

Since putting together my first two Urban Decay custom palettes, I've been somewhat obsessed with Urban Decay's eyeshadows. Now, I realize that 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 don't love and therefore won't use. 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. So, while I was in Buffalo in June, I decided to take advantage of the lower American retail price and lower sales tax, and put together yet another palette.
Single eyeshadows (clockwise from bottom left): Cobra, Mildew, Evidence, and Roach
Single eyeshadows removed from their containers
I picked up another empty Rebound palette like last time, which retails for $10 USD (or $12 CAD). The palette is a brushed metal tin with a black plastic insert on the inside to fit four single eyeshadows; the palette itself comes in a white floral tattoo-style design outlined in rainbow shades, with Urban Decay's logo in the centre. As far as I know, this particular palette is exclusive to Sephora. I picked four 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. Each single eyeshadow contains 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $18 USD (or $22 CAD).


Cobra, Mildew, Evidence, and Roach

Cobra is a dark cool-toned olive-brown with with gold and olive sparkles in a satin finish. This is a permanent 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 more sparkly than NARS Night Breed, and warmer and more brown than MAC Black Tied.

Mildew is a medium warm mossy green in a frosted 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 warmer and less bright than MAC Swimming, darker than TheBalm Makeout Mary, and lighter than NARS Fuji.

Evidence is a medium-dark cobalt-navy blue in a frosted 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 similar though more intense than MAC Deep Truth, and slightly lighter and much brighter than MAC Thru the Night Pro Longwear Eyeshadow.

Roach is a medium burgundy-tinted brown in a frosted 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 similar though slightly darker than MAC Sable, more reddened than MAC Mulch, and lighter and less plum than Urban Decay Lost.

Does Urban Decay make a single bad eyeshadow? Every single shade I've ever used from the brand has a gorgeous texture — incredibly smooth, soft, buttery, and richly pigmented — and these are no exception. I hadn't played around with these particular shades until quite recently, and with the release of MAC's Indulge collection, I realized that Cobra is like the smoother, more pigmented version of Beluga. Which is to say, Cobra is a must-have for pretty much everybody, especially with fall coming up. It's a shade that looks good on every skintone and every undertone; a serious stunner. And on my search for a mossy green that wasn't too light or too bright or too golden, I found Mildew, which has a gorgeous depth and sheen to it. In a world with way too many navy blue eyeshadows, I knew had to pick up Evidence, which has this gorgeous cobalt shimmer-sheen that gives stunning dimension and intensity to it that I haven't seen in other navy shades. And, finally, Roach. Why add another brown shade to my ever-growing (a.k.a. overwhelming) stash of neutrals? Because this one had a lovely rosy-burgundy shimmer-sheen to it that set it apart from my other browns. Not too gold, not too bronze, not too red, not too plum. Such a great everyday crease shade, especially with fall coming around.

Oh, Urban Decay. Just take all my money.

Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill

Edward had been wanting to get oysters for a couple weeks now, so despite the pouring rain this evening, Edward, Ronsee, and I drove into Scarborough to have dinner at Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill:
Platter of assorted oysters
Malpaque Oyster (Prince Edward Island)
Pacific Tiger Oyster (Washington State)
Kumamoto Oyster (Washington State)
Since none of us are oyster experts (nor do we pretend to be), we asked our server to give us a random selection of nine oysters, so they gave us three each of three different varieties. I thought they selected a good range of oysters for us to try, from clean and sweet (Malpaque) to meaty and earthy (Pacific Tiger) to creamy and sweet (Kumamoto). Served with lemon wedges, hand-grated horseradish, and an assortment of sauces. Super-fresh, clean, and shucked to order. They offer a ton of other oysters, too, so I think it's worth going back to try out some more. It's one of the best places to get oysters outside of the downtown core, at any rate.
Seared sea scallops with arugula and endive salad
I wasn't feeling super-hungry, so in lieu of a main dish, I ordered one of today's appetizer specials instead: jumbo sea scallops on a bed of arugula, endives, radicchio, and cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil vinaigrette. The sea scallops were firm and perfectly seared with a tender, fleshy centre, topped with a zesty tomato sauce that complemented the seafood beautifully. The salad came in a generous portion (especially for an appetizer) and was fresh, crisp, and leafy — the tomatoes added a tart sweetness and the arugula offered a nice richness, while the radicchio contrasted with its bitter flavour and the endive rounded out the whole dish with a most satisfying crunch. Simple, but very well-executed, and pretty substantial for an appetizer, too. The restaurant is apparently newly renovated, offering a small and intimate but simultaneously sleek and streamlined dining area. Our server was nice and polite, though could have been a little more attentive especially given that she only had two other tables. Though I do think it says something about a restaurant when it has more than half of its dining room filled on a Tuesday night an hour before close when it is pouring outside. 
Who knew there was such a gem in Scarborough?

Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill 2105 Lawrence Avenue East Scarborough, ON M1R 2Z4 (416) 288-1588

Hare Polish Nail Lacquer in Oceans of Alloys

My obsession with Hare Polish and general love of glitter polish is still going strong. As some of you might have noticed, I go through phases with my nails and after going a little overboard with the glitters over last winter, I ended up getting so sick of them that I wore cream finishes for about six months straight afterwards. Enter Hare Polish, an indie brand that makes some of the most unique glitter polishes I've ever seen. I bought six shades from their Etsy shop (their stock is constantly rotating, so they don't always have the same shades for sale) and each one marries a gorgeous base colour with contrasting but complementary shades of glitter. After gorging on so many glitter polishes, it's likely I'll get sick of them in like, a month... but for now, I'm enjoying my blingy nails.

Oceans of Alloys is a medium dusty peacock blue base with large copper and silver square glitter, medium white square glitter, and small white, silver, and copper glitter. It has a thicker consistency that is common with glitter polishes, but it doesn't hinder the application. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. The glitter goes on evenly dispersed, and I had no problems getting the glitter to stay put, either. It has medium pigmentation, and will reach opacity in three medium coats. I cannot think of any dupes for this. Like Reverie in Rubellite, I think this shade can be worn just as much in the summer as in the winter; it looks like the sparkling reflection of sunlight in a clear blue ocean, but also reminds me of sunlight reflecting off of snow... as well as confetti being thrown at New Year's parties. But, honestly, is there anything more up my alley than a blue polish with tons of glitter?

Sunday Video Love: 9 Crimes

I have never heard the original version of this song, but this cover (by my favourite YouTube musicians) is so good, I don't think I ever need to. God, her voice... Slays me every time. (Also, I like her lipstick colour. Also, her brother's cute.)

MAC Indulge: Lipsticks

Today, MAC will be launching a new collection called Indulge at all locations. Indulge is MAC's main fall collection for this year, and is inspired by "a dinner of supreme decadence, where no taste is too extravagant and no behaviour beyond limits... Indulge is a surreal feast for the senses, as we set out a magical banquet where food, lust, and laughter combine to produce a palace of temptation that defies you to resist." Indulge is comprised of 30 products — 19 of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Indulge will see the release of five shades of lipstick, of which three are new and limited and two are re-promotes. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $18. These shades are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at all locations.
Swatches: Smash Hit, By Design, Feed the Senses, Just a Bite, and Sweet Succulence

Smash Hit is a pale champagne-beige with gold glitter in a Dazzle finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2010's Dazzle Lipstick range, and is limited edition. The texture is slightly gritty due to the amount of glitter, but it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low pigmentation and sheer 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 less golden than Tanarama, and lighter and less bronzed than Frou.

By Design is a light-medium warm peach-beige with a metallic sheen in a Frost finish. This is a re-promoted shade and is limited edition. 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 darker and more peach than Gel, and lighter and less peach than Jist.

Feed the Senses is a light-medium dirty mauve-pink in a Lustre finish. This is new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is more pink than Viva Glam II, and more grey than Faux.

Just a Bite is a medium-dark cool-toned red in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Red, darker and warmer than Ruby Woo, and much cooler than Dare You.

Sweet Succulence is a dark berry-purple with cool undertones in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, but it has a tendency to emphasize lip texture and settle into lip lines. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and more purple than Desire, and more purple and much more sheer than Media.

I was rather underwhelmed with the shade selection in this collection. None of these are "must-haves" in my opinion. Just a Bite is a gorgeous shade of red for fall — rich and vibrant, but deep enough to give it a very autumnal feel — and has a very smooth, pigmented formula, but MAC has come out with a ton of reds like this before. A great choice if you're looking for a nice fall red, but you can definitely pass if you already have a ton of red shades. I've never been a fan of the Dazzle lipsticks, but if you like glittery finishes, Smash Hit is a good option for layering (though the champagne shade reminds me more of the winter holidays than fall). I'm also not a huge fan of Frost finish lipsticks because I find metallic sheens to look rather dated, but either way, the shade of By Design is rather dupeable, even within MAC's permanent range, so I would say this is skippable as well. Feed the Senses actually ended up being my favourite from the bunch because it's a nice pink nude that's not too light and not too grey, and is surprisingly flattering on a variety of skintones. Finally, Sweet Succulence is a lovely vampy shade for fall, but the formula leaves something to be desired — definitely exfoliate lips before applying, and I also recommend using a lip liner to achieve a more polished look.

MAC Indulge: Eyeshadow in Divine Decadence, Sex & The Oyster, Eat, Love, and Beluga

This coming Thursday, MAC will be launching a new collection called Indulge at all locations. Indulge is MAC's main fall collection for this year, and is inspired by "a dinner of supreme decadence, where no taste is too extravagant and no behaviour beyond limits... Indulge is a surreal feast for the senses, as we set out a magical banquet where food, lust, and laughter combine to produce a palace of temptation that defies you to resist." Indulge is comprised of 30 products — 19 of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Indulge will see the release of eight shades of single powder eyeshadow, of which six are new and limited and two are re-promotes. Each eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging, contains 1.3 to 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $18. These shades are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at participating locations.
Clockwise from left: Divine Decadence, Sex & The Oyster, Eat, Love, and Beluga
Swatches: Divine Decadence, Sex & The Oyster, Eat, Love, and Beluga

Divine Decadence is a medium-dark warm copper-bronze with gold and bronze micro-shimmer in a Veluxe finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a silky, 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 slightly lighter and less reddened than Antiqued, and darker and more reddened than Bronze.

Sex & The Oyster is medium smoky blue-grey with a hint of teal in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It 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. There's nothing really similar to this shade in MAC's permanent range; it is darker and much greyer than Steamy, and much bluer than Silver Ring.

Eat, Love is a blackened green with emerald green sparkles in a Satin finish. It 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 black and much less metallic than Smutty Green Mineralize Eyeshadow, and much more green than Black Tied.

Beluga is a dark cool-toned brown with with gold and olive sparkles in a Veluxe finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a slightly drier, stiffer texture, but goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and less metallic than Greensmoke, and darker and more sparkly than Charcoal Brown.

It seems that MAC is putting a huge focus on eyes this fall with a whopping eight shades of single eyeshadow. I love that they made these available individually rather than in palettes, so you're not stuck with shades you don't like or won't use. It may seem a little odd that these shades are being released together in the same collection, but I find they work incredibly well with the colour story — there's something very lush and luxurious about these shades, and I find that they create very rich, dimensional looks when used together. All four shades went on beautifully; even though Beluga has a slightly drier, stiffer texture, I didn't find it very hard to work with, as it still applied smoothly and evenly with good colour pay-off. Even though Divine Decadence has the smoothest, most buttery texture (probably the best in terms of texture out of the eight shades in this launch), I find it to be an incredibly dupeable shade, even within MAC's permanent range. My must-haves from here are Sex & The Oyster and Eat, Love, if only because I find them to be really unique shades that look stunning both in the pan and in execution (also, don't you just need an eyeshadow called "Sex & The Oyster"?).

MAC Indulge: Eyeshadow in Gilty Morsel, Three Ring Yellow, Palace Pedigreed, and Deep Cravings

This coming Thursday, MAC will be launching a new collection called Indulge at all locations. Indulge is MAC's main fall collection for this year, and is inspired by "a dinner of supreme decadence, where no taste is too extravagant and no behaviour beyond limits... Indulge is a surreal feast for the senses, as we set out a magical banquet where food, lust, and laughter combine to produce a palace of temptation that defies you to resist." Indulge is comprised of 30 products — 19 of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Indulge will see the release of eight shades of single powder eyeshadow, of which six are new and limited and two are re-promotes. Each eyeshadow comes in regular black packaging, contains 1.3 to 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $18. These shades are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at participating locations.
Clockwise from left: Gilty Morsel, Three Ring Yellow, Palace Pedigreed, and Deep Cravings
Swatches: Gilty Morsel, Three Ring Yellow, Palace Pedigreed, and Deep Cravings

Gilty Morsel is a light cool-toned gold with pale gold sparkle in a Lustre finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a slightly gritty texture, but goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. Due to the nature of the finish, there can be some fall-out, but it shouldn't hinder the application. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less metallic and more pigmented than Greenluxe #2, and lighter and cooler than Retrospeck.

Three Ring Yellow is medium vibrant yellow with a chartreuse sheen in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It is a re-promoted shade from 2011's Fall Colour collection, and is limited edition. It has a silky, 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 cooler and more chartreuse than Sunshine Yellow (PRO), and less green and much more frosted than Sunny Spot.

Palace Pedigreed is a dark plum-burgundy in a Satin finish. It is a re-promoted shade from 2010's Fabulous Felines collection, and is limited edition. 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 similar though slightly more reddened than Fig. 1, and much more plum than Sketch.

Deep Cravings is a dark gunmetal grey with micro-shimmer in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a silky, 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 less blue-toned than Knight Divine, and much more shimmery than Print.

It seems that MAC is putting a huge focus on eyes this fall with a whopping eight shades of single eyeshadow. I love that they made these available individually rather than in palettes, so you're not stuck with shades you don't like or won't use. It may seem a little odd that these shades are being released together in the same collection, but I find they work incredibly well with the colour story — there's something very lush and luxurious about these shades, and I find that they create very rich, dimensional looks when used together. I had no problems with these four shades here, either; they all applied smoothly and evenly and pigmented, and even Gilty Morsel went on really well for a Lustre finish. If you missed out on Three Ring Yellow a couple years ago, here's your chance to grab it now. Palace Pedigreed is a gorgeous colour with a beautiful texture, but it is incredibly similar to Fig. 1, which is permanent. I would say my biggest must-have from these four shades is Deep Cravings — it's such a stunning, multi-dimensional dark grey that, surprisingly, MAC doesn't have in their permanent range.

Sunday Video Love: Stars

Been playing this song on repeat a lot lately. It's about love and loss; incredibly sad yet raw and powerful at the same time. Breathtaking, haunting, unforgettable. Good god, I love this woman.

Friday Five: The Person Who

This week's Friday Five:

1. At a business establishment you patronize regularly, what might the employees refer to you as, when they speak of you behind your back? "The Asian Girl Who Always Wears Black."
2. Similarly, at your places of employment, current and/or past, what do either the patrons or brand-new employees who don't remember your name yet probably refer to you as? "The Asian Girl with Ridiculously Long Eyelashes."
3. Aliens have come to earth to observe families and take notes. If each member of your family is listed as the one who __________, which are you? (Bonus question: What are the others in your family written down as?) I would be the "the one who smokes too much and always wears make-up." My brother would be "the one who likes to work hard and party hard." My mother would be "the one who is neurotically germaphobic." My dad would be "the one who makes lame jokes."
4. You meet someone you had a crush on in high school, someone who didn't know you felt that way (let's say you meet him or her in the grocery store, and that the snow is falling Christmas Eve…). He or she doesn't remember your name, but does remember you. How are you cataloged in this old crush's memory? "The web designer who loves hard rock music and photography."
5. If a hobby of yours were to have some kind of club, and if the other club members only knew you by your particular preferences, styles, or behaviours in that hobby, how would they refer to you? "The Asian Girl with Perfect Winged Liquid Eyeliner and an Affinity for Mascara."

Hare Polish Nail Lacquer in Reverie in Rubellite

As you may know, I recently hauled a bunch of nail polishes from indie brand, Hare Polish. I was going through a kind of nail polish funk, if you will — a first for me, as I have a bit of a nail polish addiction. I was just bored with everything that was out, and none of the new collections stood out to me. I mean, I love a bright colour for summer as much as the next girl, but how many brights can you wear before fall arrives if you change your nail colour every other day? Thusly, my fascination with Hare Polish, an indie company that makes some of the most unique shades I've ever seen and is solely responsible for rekindling my love of glitter polishes. 

Reverie in Rubellite is a medium-dark raspberry-magenta jelly base with large iridescent orange-red square and hexagonal glitter, medium iridescent orange-red square and round glitter, and fine violet and magenta micro-shimmer. It has a thicker consistency that is common with glitter polishes, but it doesn't hinder the application. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. The glitter goes on evenly dispersed, and I had no problems getting the glitter to stay put, either. It has medium pigmentation, and will reach opacity in three medium coats. I cannot think of any dupes for this. I think the best thing about this particular shade is that it can be worn through summer all the way to winter, because the colours are neither too bright, too dark, or too festive, and it's whimsical without being too girly. It somehow reminds me of flying embers from a bonfire in the summer before dusk, or perhaps Chinese paper lanterns floating in a mid-autumn's sunset. Either way, the effect is stunning.

Asada Mexican Grill

Every couple of weeks or so, Steph and I meet up for a dinner date during which we make it our goal to try a restaurant we've never been to. Steph usually looks up several restaurants of different cuisines that are highly rated and then gives me a list to choose from. So with that, and a realization that I was craving Mexican food, we decided to try out Asada Mexican Grill:
Platter of soft tacos
We didn't realize until we got there that it was a Mexican fast food-style joint rather than a typical sit-down restaurant with waiters and proper china, but we digressed because it looked intriguing and there was a good amount of seating space. (It's been described as "slow food served fast.") You go up to the counter and give your order to the server. Everything is made from scratch — from the soft tortillas to the meat fillings (which are grilled, fried, or slow-cooked), to a plethora of fresh toppings from which you can build a burrito, taco, torta, or "Asada box." Any option for $8.95. I decided to go with three soft tacos:
Chorizo with Mexican rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and salsa
Pulled pork with Mexican rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and salsa
Baja fish (deep-fried) with cabbage, pico de gallo, and Baja sauce
Amazing, amazing, amazing — easily the best tacos I've ever had in my life. The pulled pork was super-tender, the chorizo had the perfect marriage of spicy and smoky, the tortillas are thin and soft but still substantial enough to hold the mound of toppings, and all the ingredients are both fresh and freshly prepared (the meats are cooked to order). Despite the deliciousness of all three, the clear winner of the night was the Baja fish ($3.00 extra). Thinly battered and deep-fried to a golden crisp, the fish is super soft and fleshy but perfectly flaky. The cabbage adds a beautiful crunch to the mix, the pico de gallo contrasts with a zesty tartness, and the creamy Baja sauce adds a nice kick and brings all the flavours together. If you're going to order one thing here, make it the Baja fish.
Sweet Nachos
And let's not forget dessert! Steph and I shared an order of the sweet nachos ($4.95), which are deep-fried tortilla shells and coated with cinnamon sugar, made fresh to order. Think of those cinnamon twists at Taco Bell, but in a dense chip form with a crispy outer shell and a softer, chewer innard. They're so damn addictive, I literally could not stop eating until the bag was empty. And the portion is huge — both of us were about ready to burst out of our pants, and I was all, "Okay, just one more chip, and then no more!" until I ate a good like, 28 of those sugary oil-soaked demons. I rounded out my meal with a can of mango nectar, but there are a ton of other options including a myriad of Mexican beers, Mexican sodas, freshly made unsweetened iced tea and lemonade, and housemade Horchata. The place itself is bright, modern, almost industrial, but also clean and vibrant. Basically, it doesn't look like a place where you'd expect to get some of the best tacos in the city. But there's plenty of dining space, it's casual and inviting, and the servers are super nice, super perky, super patient, and super informative. Definite multiple returns in my near future.

Asada Mexican Grill 809 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, ON M6C 1B9 (416) 654-9488

Sunday Video Love: Electric Feel

Haven't played this song in ages, but I was in a groovy kind of mood.

Friday Five: What's It Like?

This week's Friday Five:

1. What's the outgoing message on your voicemail like? "Hi, you've reached Denise. I'm not available right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you." Super generic and boring. It's gotta be relatively professional because it's the only phone number that anyone can reach me on, including potential clients.
2. What's the wallpaper on your computer like? A photo of my soulmate, obviously.
   
   
   
3. What's stuck to your fridge door? Nothing, actually. I have one of those fridges that isn't magnetic on the doors, only the sides, and the sides are blocked off by walls.
4. What's your daily organizer like? I don't really have a daily organizer. I used to keep a nice leather one from Coach, but I'd always forget about using it. I don't even use my phone as an organizer. I have a Cirque du Soleil notebook in which I keep track of my monthly work schedule and financial planning stuff, but it's not really on a day-to-day basis.
5. What's signature on your personal emails like? Also really boring and generic. Just my name, profession, phone number, and e-mail address. 

Hare Polish Nail Lacquer in Hooky at the Hamlet

As you may know, I recently hauled a bunch of nail polishes from indie brand, Hare Polish. I was going through a kind of nail polish funk, if you will — a first for me, as I have a bit of a nail polish addiction. I was just bored with everything that was out, and none of the new collections stood out to me. I mean, I love a bright colour for summer as much as the next girl, but how many brights can you wear before fall arrives if you change your nail colour every other day? Thusly, my fascination with Hare Polish, an indie company that makes some of the most unique shades I've ever seen and is solely responsible for rekindling my love of glitter polishes. The first one I had to try, and the nail polish that originally got me interested in this brand, is Hooky at the Hamlet.

Hooky at the Hamlet is a medium vibrant turquoise-green jelly base with large white square and hexagonal glitter, medium white square and round glitter, and fine white, blue, and purple micro-shimmer. It has a thicker consistency that is common with glitter polishes, but it doesn't hinder the application. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. The glitter goes on evenly dispersed, and I had no problems getting the glitter to stay put, either. It has medium pigmentation, and will reach opacity in three medium coats. I cannot think of any dupes for this; the base colour is brighter and much more blue-toned than Illamasqua's Nomad and Essie's First-Timer, and much more green than Essie's Where's My Chauffeur?, but none of these shades have glitter in them. The effect of the polish is similar to China Glaze's It's a Trap-Eze!, but the colour scheme is entirely different. There's just something super-fun and energetic and happy about this shade, and it edges the line of tacky without going over it. It's like watching dozens of dandelion fluffs floating around in a sea of shamrock... while high on acid.

MAC So Supreme: Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint

Last week, MAC released a new and limited edition collection in-stores called So Supreme, which features a total of 14 products —13 of which are new and limited edition, and one of which is permanent. So Supreme sees the release of eight shades of a new lip product called Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, which is a "high shine, creamy, lightweight formula [that] tints lips with long-wearing colour. PH pigments work with the body's natural temperature for fresh, custom colour." Like all MAC lip products, they are vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are packaged in black shiny tubes with clickable, pen-style brush applicators. Each Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint contains 2.5 grams of product, and retails for $23. Due to the higher price point and different formulation, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.
Glorious Intent, Simply Wow, K-Wow, and Bubble Gum

Glorious Intent is a medium-dark cool berry-red with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is much less pink than Rebel Lipglass, brighter and more red than Desire Lipglass, and lighter and more red than Lasting Achievement Pro Longwear Lipglass.

Simply Wow is a medium cool-toned pink-plum with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more pink than Rebel Lipglass, more muted and warmer than Girl About Town Lipglass, and darker and more purple than Pink Poodle Lipglass.

K-Wow is a light-medium cool-toned milky cotton candy pink with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is much more sheer than Pink Nouveau Lipglass, darker and more sheer than Snob Lipglass, and darker and more opaque than Pagoda Cremesheen Glass.

Bubble Gum is a light warm milky pink with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and more sheer than Angel Lipglass, warmer and more sheer than Snob Lipglass, and warmer than Fashion Scoop Cremesheen Glass.

Heart & Seoul, Kiss, Kiss, Gwi-Yo-Mi, and Blushing Berry

Heart & Seoul is a medium brightened peach-coral with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is less pink and less sparkly than Lychee Luxe Lipglass, and brighter and more coral than Richer, Lusher Cremesheen Glass.

Kiss, Kiss is a medium brightened reddened coral-pink with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is more coral than Double Dare Cremesheen Glass, much warmer and more coral than Venetian Lustreglass.

Gwi-Yo-Mi is a medium-dark brightened fuchsia-raspberry pink with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and less cool-toned than Loud & Lovely Cremesheen Glass, and more reddened than Pink Poodle Lipglass.

Blushing Berry is a medium-dark cool-toned cherry red with a high shine finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is fluid and slick, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and cooler than Venetian Lustreglass, and much pinker than Russian Red Lipglass.

In terms of the applicator and texture, these are very similar to the Sheen Supreme Lipglasses that came out last year. I'm actually not a huge fan of these click-pen brush applicators, as I feel like it's messier than a regular lip gloss in which the applicator is inside the tube. You get less control with the amount of product, and the product can congeal around the brush. I also don't like that you can't see how much product you have left in these applicators. In terms of texture, these are non-sticky when initially applied, but they do get slightly tackier over time — stickier than Cremesheen Glass, but less sticky than the original Lipglass formula. However, the formula itself does differ from the original Sheen Supreme Lipglass, because these are actually stains.

I'm not sure if these actually contain "PH pigments," but I do find that the shades of these glosses actually change from person to person; for example, Kiss, Kiss could look more coral on one person and a lot more pink on someone else. I do also find that these stain well, so it appears that the wear-time of these glosses is longer (they stay glossy for about three hours, but the stain will wear about six). The downfall here is that they do feather a bit outside the lip line (which is much more obvious with the brighter and darker shades), and as a result, leave a ring of stained colour around the lip line over time (which makes it appear like you're wearing lip liner but forgot to fill in the lips). That having been said, I do find the effect of these glosses to be really quite gorgeous — they make lips appear full and plump like the Plushglass formula, but have that shiny, juicy look of Cremesheen Glasses.

MAC So Supreme: Sheen Supreme Lipsticks

Last week, MAC released a new and limited edition collection in-stores called So Supreme, which features a total of 14 products —13 of which are new and limited edition, and one of which is permanent. So Supreme sees the release of six shades of Sheen Supreme Lipstick, which combines "the colour impact of a lipstick with the shine sheen of a Lipglass" and is touted to be "lightweight, non-sticky, slick to apply, and comfortable to wear." Like all MAC lipsticks, they are vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are packaged in black shiny cylindrical metal tubes. Each Sheen Supreme Lipstick contains 3.6 grams of product, and retails for $20. Due to the higher price point and different formulation, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.
Candy Apple, Playtime, and Pleasurefruit

Candy Apple is a medium-dark warm muted red-plum with a glossy sheen. 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 semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly darker and more vibrant than On Hold, darker and cooler than Hot Tahiti, and slightly more reddened than Perpetual Flame Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Playtime is a medium vibrant blue-toned pink with a glossy sheen. 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 semi-opaque to opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more muted than Candy Yum-Yum, and darker and more neon than Pink Nouveau.

Pleasurefruit is a medium-dark vibrant warm watermelon pink with a glossy sheen. 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 semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is warmer than Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick, cooler than Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and more muted than Impassioned.

Sweet Grenadine, Gotta Dash!, and Prêt-à-Pretty

Sweet Grenadine is a medium-dark vibrant tangerine orange with a glossy sheen. 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 semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is more muted than Korean Candy Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and softer and less neon than Morange.

Gotta Dash! is a light-medium coral-peach with a glossy sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and less pink than Fashion City Sheen Supreme Lipstick, brighter and more peach than Shy Girl, and lighter and less orange than Style Surge Mineralize Rich Lipstick.

Prêt-à-Pretty is a pale pinked beige with a glossy sheen. 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 semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker than Supreme Confident Sheen Supreme Lipstick, slightly lighter and more pinked than Creme d'Nude, and similar though much glossier than Myth.

Fans of the Sheen Supreme Lipstick can rejoice at five new shade offerings here! I've always liked the Sheen Supreme formula — they are creamy and slick and moisturizing, comfortable to wear, and give off really gorgeous, saturated colour. And because it's a hybrid between lipstick, lip gloss, and lip balm, it's a really nice option for those who like a creamier lip colour that won't dry out lips. My only issue with the Sheen Supreme formula is the general wear-time, but I was pleasantly surprised that the four brighter shades in this launch wear a good four to five hours and actually leave a nice stain behind even after the glossy shine fades away (which makes the wear time appear even longer) — an effect that I don't get with the permanent Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. As it's already August and fall collections are starting to roll out, the bright shades here are something of a "last hurrah" before summer ends (my, how time flies!).

Sunday Video Love: The Lion the Beast the Beat

Addicted to Grace Potter & The Nocturnals' latest album right now. To define their sound is kind of impossible; they encompass many rock subgenres from alternative to folk to blues, and they are, in my opinion, one of the most underrated acts in rock music. Grace Potter is like a modern day mix of Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, and Mazzy Star — incredibly talented, beautifully dynamic, and 100% bad ass.

Jimmy Eat World: Live at Phoenix Concert Theatre

I went to see Jimmy Eat World perform at the Phoenix last night:

Jimmy Eat World played such a big soundtrack for me during middle and high schools (I listened to them through three Discmans, three iPods, and two iPhones) that the show was just an evening of full-blown nostalgia. They released a new album this year which didn't dazzle me as much as their older records, so I was pleased to hear just a few selections from the new record and a much bigger focus on their older material. They played a whopping 20-song setlist and three-song encore that spanned well over 1.5 hours and included favourites from every album they released in the last 14 years: 

1. "I Will Steal You Back" from Damage
2. "My Best Theory" from Invented
3. "Appreciation" from Damage
4. "Your New Aesthetic" from Clarity
5. "Futures" from Futures
6. "Kill" from Futures
7. "Work" from Futures
8. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (Taylor Swift cover)
9. "Damage" from Damage
10. "Heart is Hard to Find" from Invented
11. "Hear You Me" from Bleed American
12. "Let It Happen" from Chase This Light
13. "Pain" from Futures
14. "Always Be" from Chase This Light
15. "No, Never" from Damage
16. "Lucky Denver Mint" from Clarity
17. "Goodbye Sky Harbor" from Clarity
18. "A Praise Chorus" from Bleed American
19. "Sweetness" from Bleed American
20. "Bleed American" from Bleed American
21. Encore: "Chase This Light" from Chase This Light
22. Encore: "Big Casino" from Chase This Light
23. Encore: "The Middle" from Bleed American

Jimmy Eat World's rendition of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was just spectacular (you can see them performing it on Conan here); they took a ridiculously poppy, Top 40 song and really made it their own, another reason why I like Taylor Swift covers so much more than the originals. Needless to say, the audience went apeshit for all the songs from Bleed American, which is their most popular and most relevant album even 12 years later, and is the record responsible for launching them into the mainstream. I don't think there's anyone in my generation (that is to say, born in the mid- to late-'90s) that doesn't know that album, or at least the major singles from it ("Sweetness" will be my favourite Jimmy Eat World song until the day I die). Anyway, don't worry, I didn't take any videos from this show; I just rocked out to 14 years worth of songs and took a long walk down memory lane.

Friday Five: The Grass is Always Greener

This week's Friday Five:

1. What's something non food-related you have to go to a nearby town to do because the town where you live doesn't have it? I technically live about 15 minutes outside of Toronto and while we have pretty much everything here, I still go into the city to go to concerts (all the major venues are downtown), take the subway (not often, though, 'cause I hate public transportation), and shop at stores that we don't have here (like Holt Renfrew)... I'd also have to go out of town if I was ever interested in things like fishing or going to the beach (but I'm not, so I don't really worry about it).
2. What's something you go to a nearby town to do because your town's version of it isn't as good? I go into the city to eat non-Asian foods. Like Burger's Priest.
3. What's something people in nearby towns come to your town to do? Eat really good, authentic, cheap Asian food.
4. In what way are residents of a nearby town different from residents in your town? I technically live in a city in the Greater Toronto Area, but I do think people are a little nicer and more humble here than in Toronto core. 
5. Many towns give themselves nicknames, like "______ Capital of America" or "America's ___________est Town" or "Home of __________." What would be a good nickname along these lines to give the town where you live? Actually, my city's nickname is "The High-Tech Capital." But I'd call it "Home of Crappy Drivers" or possibly "Chinatown II."