MAC Lipsticks: Shade Extensions (Part II)

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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

This month, MAC will be adding 13 shades of lipstick to their permanent range at all locations. Of the 13 shades, four were previously available at MAC Stores only (one of which will not be reviewed here), three were previously available in Asia only, and six were limited edition. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at all locations.

Shy Shine, Giddy, Lipblossum, and Flamingo

Shy Shine, Giddy, Lipblossum, and Flamingo

Shy Shine is a light-medium muted peachy pink-beige with subtle champagne shimmer-sheen in a Lustre finish. This was previously an Asia-exclusive shade, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is more peach than High Tea, and lighter and more pink than Jubilee.
Giddy is a medium muted rosy pink with subtle gold shimmer-sheen in a Lustre finish. This was previously an Asia-exclusive shade, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and more muted than Lovelorn, and warmer than Speed Dial.
Lipblossum is a medium warm coral-pink with gold shimmer-sheen in a Lustre finish. This was previously an Asia-exclusive shade, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and warmer than Pink Pearl Pop, and lighter than Fanfare.
Flamingo is a light-medium coral-pink in a Lustre finish. This is a re-promote from 2012's Iris Apfel collection, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is more pink than Coral Bliss, and more coral than Sunny Seoul.

Shy Shine, Giddy, and Lipblossum were originally Asia-exclusive shades that have now made the permanent range at all locations in North America. On their own, they are lovely colours that are really wearable given that they all have a Lustre finish, but there are many dupes within MAC's permanent range for them so they end up not being the most unique shades. But for those who were seeking these and were bummed to learn that they were exclusive to Asia, you can now buy them on this side of the hemisphere! The shade I'm the most excited about being made permanent is Flamingo, which was originally released in 2012's Iris Apfel collection and was sold out within hours of launch. It was the lightest and most muted shade with the Iris Apfel launch, but it has that perfect blend of peach, pink, and coral that isn't searingly bright. Again, yay for popular limited edition lipsticks becoming permanent!

MAC Lipsticks: Shade Extensions (Part I)

on
Tuesday, April 29, 2014

This month, MAC will be adding 13 shades of lipstick to their permanent range at all locations. Of the 13 shades, four were previously available at MAC Stores only (one of which will not be reviewed here), three were previously available in Asia only, and six were limited edition. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at all locations.

Cockney, Pink Pigeon, Milan Mode, and Patisserie

Cockney, Pink Pigeon, Milan Mode, and Patisserie

Cockney is a medium brightened warm tomato red with subtle golden micro-shimmer in a Lustre finish. This is a re-promote from 2009's Euristocrats II collection; it was previously permanent at MAC Stores only, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly cooler than Lady Bug, and warmer than Brave Red.
Pink Pigeon is a medium vibrant blue-toned magenta pink in a Matte finish. This is a re-promote from 2012's Iris Apfel collection, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is less neon and less blue-toned than Candy Yum-Yum, and much brighter and less purple-toned than Love Forever! Pro Longwear Lipcreme. 
Milan Mode is a medium watermelon pink with subtle blue micro-shimmer in a Lustre finish. This is a re-promote from 2009's Euristocrats II collection; it was previously permanent at MAC Stores only, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is sheerer and cooler than Speak Louder, and lighter and warmer than Lickable.
Patisserie is a light-medium warm pinked beige in a Lustre finish. This is a re-promote from 2009's Euristocrats II collection; it was previously permanent at MAC Stores only, and is now permanent at all locations. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is more pinked than High Tea, and lighter than Viva Glam V.

Cockney, Milan Mode, and Patisserie were originally released from 2009's Euristocrats II collection, and were consequently added to the permanent range at freestanding MAC Stores shortly after their release. For those who don't live near a MAC Store, you can now get these three at your nearest MAC counter. For those who do live near a MAC Store, you've likely already seen these shades. And you'll know that there are many dupes within MAC's permanent range for them. For what it's worth, though, all three are incredibly wearable shades given that they all have Lustre finishes and are therefore on the sheerer side. The shade I'm the most excited about being made permanent is Pink Pigeon, which was originally released in 2012's Iris Apfel collection and was sold out within hours of launch. It is a searingly bright pink but not quite as blue-toned or neon as Candy Yum-Yum. In the tube, they look very similar, but there is actually quite a difference once it's on the lips; it's like the much more wearable version of Candy Yum-Yum that actually looks amazing on all skintones. Yay for popular limited edition lipsticks becoming permanent!

Sunday Video Love: Better Man

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

First fell in love with him as Jace Wayland in The Mortal Instruments (the movie was terrible, but he was fantastic in it), but I think I love Jamie Campbell Bower even more as a singer. Like, the fangirl in me wants to have many, many babies with him and I don't even want kids. He needs to come out with a record ASAP.

MAC Proenza Schouler: Lipsticks

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Saturday, April 26, 2014

This past Thursday, MAC launched their collaboration collection with fashion brand Proenza Schouler. It is inspired by the "minimalist silhouettes, artful modernity, and subtle intricacy" of Lazaro Hernandez's and Jack McCollough's designs. For the first time, "the cool cleverness of the Proenza Schouler woman is captured in a collection of confident colour." The entire collection features a total of 15 products, of which ten are new and limited edition, and five are permanent at all locations. Proenza Schouler will see the launch of four new and limited edition shades of lipstick. They come in square metal tubes featuring an ombre colour scheme in "oceanic teal to glossed lemon and royal violet" with the Proenza Schouler and MAC logos on the cap, as well as matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $26. 

Woodrose, Pinkfringe, Mangrove, and Primrose

Woodrose, Pinkfringe, Mangrove, and Primrose

Woodrose is a light pinked beige in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and more pinked than High Tea, lighter than Jubilee, and lighter and sheerer than Blankety.
Pinkfringe is a medium flamingo pink in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and warmer than Pink Nouveau, lighter than Chatterbox, and warmer and brighter than Lovelorn.
Mangrove is a medium vibrant orange red in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar though slightly more reddened than Dangerous, similar though slightly more orange than Lady Danger, and more reddened and more matte than Korean Candy Sheen Supreme Lipstick.
Primrose is a dark purple-toned plum in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, though it goes on somewhat streaky and unevenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and more purple than Desire, much sheerer and lighter than Cyber, and much sheerer than Smoked Purple (PRO).

While there's a good range of colour and texture in this collection, I don't think any of these are necessarily must-haves. Woodrose is a very wearable nude that doesn't lean too cool or warm, but it might be a touch too dark to be a true nude on fair skintones and too light to be a flattering nude on deep dark skintones; Pinkfringe is a fun vibrant warm pink shade for Spring and Summer that isn't too bright or light or dark (however, those with darker skintones may find it too light or milky), but it seriously emphasizes lip texture (including any and all dry flakes) so prepping the lips is a must; Mangrove is a stunning vibrant orange red that looks good on everyone, but MAC has exact dupes for it in their permanent range (seriously, you won't be able to tell the difference between this and Lady Danger or Dangerous); Primrose is actually a very unique shade in the Lustre finish formula (it's a great gateway shade for those with lighter skintones who want to try out darker lipsticks but are scared of going too bold, and is a great everyday shade for darker skintones), but it's not very on-trend this season and the formula can go on patchy on the lips and accentuate lip lines. Given the higher price point, you can definitely find shades within MAC's permanent range that look almost the same (if not exactly the same). Unless you love the special edition packaging or the novelty of the collaboration, or are a die-hard Proenza Schouler fan or serious MAC collector, these will likely be skippable for many.

MAC Proenza Schouler: Blush Ombre in Sunset Beach

on
Friday, April 25, 2014

Yesterday, MAC launched their collaboration collection with fashion brand Proenza Schouler. It is inspired by the "minimalist silhouettes, artful modernity, and subtle intricacy" of Lazaro Hernandez's and Jack McCollough's designs. For the first time, "the cool cleverness of the Proenza Schouler woman is captured in a collection of confident colour." The entire collection features a total of 15 products, of which ten are new and limited edition, and five are permanent at all locations. Proenza Schouler will see the launch of two new and limited edition shades of Blush Ombre. They come in square mirrored compacts featuring an ombre colour scheme in "oceanic teal to glossed lemon and royal violet" with the Proenza Schouler and MAC logos on the lid, as well as matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each blush contains 14 grams of product, and retails for $35.50. 

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach (swatches of the ombre effect)

Sunset Beach (swatch — blended)

Sunset Beach is a light-medium cool-toned cotton candy pink ombre into medium-dark fuchsia pink. When blended together, they create a medium-dark cool-toned orchid pink with blue undertones in a satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky, finely-milled texture, and 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. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range; it is darker and brighter than Peony Petal, much cooler and more matte than Dollymix, and cooler than Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush.

While Ocean City is a distinctly warm orange shade, this one leans on the opposite end of the spectrum; a cool-toned orchid that is a must-have for lovers of pink blushes. Again, the ombre effect is gorgeous, and the resulting shade is stunning; so perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons. It has a smooth, silky texture that will glide on skin easily but also blend out well. Initial reviews of this blush have stated that it's dry and stiff and difficult to pack on colour, but I didn't have problems at all with mine; it went on just as smoothly and pigmented as Ocean City. Like Ocean City, this one should work well on most skintones, though very dark skintones may find it starting to look a touch ashy. Again, these blushes pack a whopping 14 grams of product, which makes it more than double the size of MAC's regular blushes, so before you balk at the higher price point, keep it mind that it is actually much more inexpensive per gram than many other blushes out there ($2.54/g vs. $4.17/g for MAC, $6.67/g for NARS, $9.76/g for Hourglass). For whatever reason, while Ocean City is sold out at almost all locations (though the Canadian site now says that these blushes are "coming soon," which means they are re-stocking them — keep your eye out!), this one is still available at many counters and stores as of this post going up.

MAC Proenza Schouler: Blush Ombre in Ocean City

on
Thursday, April 24, 2014

Today, MAC launched their collaboration collection with fashion brand Proenza Schouler. It is inspired by the "minimalist silhouettes, artful modernity, and subtle intricacy" of Lazaro Hernandez's and Jack McCollough's designs. For the first time, "the cool cleverness of the Proenza Schouler woman is captured in a collection of confident colour." The entire collection features a total of 15 products, of which ten are new and limited edition, and five are permanent at all locations. Proenza Schouler will see the launch of two new and limited edition shades of Blush Ombre. They come in square mirrored compacts featuring an ombre colour scheme in "oceanic teal to glossed lemon and royal violet" with the Proenza Schouler and MAC logos on the lid, as well as matching secondary cardstock boxes. Each blush contains 14 grams of product, and retails for $35.50. 

Ocean City

Ocean City (swatches of the ombre effect)

Ocean City (swatch — blended)

Ocean City is a light-medium tan to medium-dark orange coral ombre. When blended together, they create a medium-dark coral-orange with red undertones in a satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky, finely-milled texture, and 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. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent blush range; it is more reddened than Modern Mandarin, brighter and more orange than Pinch Me, and much darker and more reddened than Peaches.

A beautiful, beautiful blush. The ombre effect is gorgeous, and the resulting shade is stunning; so perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons. It has a smooth, silky texture that will glide on skin easily but also blend out well. A lot of shades will look great on either fairer skintones or darker skintones, but this one works well on everyone. And this blush packs a whopping 14 grams of product, too, which makes it more than double the size of MAC's regular blushes, so before you balk at the higher price point, keep it mind that it is actually much more inexpensive per gram than many other blushes out there ($2.54/g vs. $4.17/g for MAC, $6.67/g for NARS, $9.76/g for Hourglass). As this post goes up, it is very likely that most locations will already be sold out of this shade. It was sold out online within a few hours of launch, too (which was a couple days before the in-store launch date), but the Canadian site now says that these blushes are "coming soon," which means they are re-stocking them — keep your eye out! If you had your heart set on getting this in person, you may need to go to several counters or stores in search of it.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: April 2014 — Sephora VIB Sale Haul

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014
As any good beauty addict will know, Sephora had a 15% discount for all VIB members a few weeks ago. And after two online orders and three trips to actual stores, I may have gone a little overboard...

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Peach Beach, Something About Berry, and Candy Glow

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer and Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo

I've been curious about a lot of Too Faced face products recently and knew I had to take advantage of the discount and pick up some things I'd been eyeing. It all started with those damn Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blushes. I've been on a baked blush kick lately (as you may have noticed with my hoarding of Milani and Hard Candy blushes some weeks ago), so I didn't just pick up one of them, I picked up all three shades because they were just too damn cute to resist. They just give such a nice glowy, illuminating flush; so fresh-faced and perfect for Spring! And that packaging! Some might say it's cheap or gaudy, but I just think it's ridiculously adorable. They look like freakin' chocolate boxes. I needed them. And speaking of chocolate, I was on the hunt for a new bronzer for contouring and found the perfect one in Too Faced's Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer. I wanted something more subtle for contouring, and this one fits the bill perfectly for my skintone right now (around NC30). I like that it doesn't lean too orange or too red; just a perfect golden caramel. Love the texture of this, too: smooth, silky, and finely-milled with excellent pigmentation. And they smell exactly like Cocoa Puffs, which I quite enjoy (except that it makes me hungry). I might grab the darker one later on when I get more tanned.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15 (Jumbo Size)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta, Diffused Heat, and Luminous Flush

I was nearing the end of my bottle of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer from last November (it's now my HG face primer — yes, I've converted — thanks a lot, Liz) , and it is notoriously expensive, so I had to get a replacement one while I could get a discount. I noticed they had their jumbo size value tube still available (it's an online only special), so I snatched that baby up because it's $83 for 60 ml (the regular 30 ml size is $60!). And while I was perusing the Hourglass page, you know those damn blushes got me. You know the ones. The ones that everyone and their mothers are raving about. And as a good blush fiend, I decided to get the three shades that I'd been wanting most (which are, to absolutely no one's surprise, the three brighter ones of the range). These suckers retail for $41 each, which I think is really steep for a single blush that's not from a fashion house, so with a discount is the only way I'd be willing to splurge.

Dolce & Gabbana Monica Voluptuous Lipstick in Gentle Monica, Only Monica, and Chic Monica, and The Lipstick Shine Lipstick in Violet

I've been curious about Dolce & Gabbana's make-up line for years now, but they aren't widely available in Canada. Even as other big designer make-up lines made their way over the border (Burberry, Tom Ford, etc.), Dolce & Gabbana still remained out of reach. Now that they're being carried at Sephora (and can be shipped to Canada without a hefty cost plus duties — in fact, free for me, 'cause I'm a VIB Rouge member), I took the opportunity to get some of their lipsticks, which are what intrigued me the most about this brand. As they aren't carried in-store here, I couldn't test them out myself, so I relied on many swatches over many blog posts to finally decide which ones to get. In the end, I decided on three shades from the Monica Voluptuous Lipstick line (that were inspired by D&G's muse, Monica Bellucci), and one from The Lipstick Shine range. I haven't tested these in full yet, but how gorgeous is the packaging?

Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

No surprise here — I had to get the latest Urban Decay palette. As Urban Decay has to state that a few of these shades are "not intended for use in the immediate eye area," they have called this a "Pressed Pigment Palette" (similar to many of MAC's brighter or neon pigments, which are also not meant to be used on the eye area). They put this warning because many pigments haven't been tested or approved by the FDA or Health Canada for use on the eye. Some pigments (like carmine, for instance) have a higher probability of irritation or allergy, but I don't generally have problems with them, so I still consider these all eyeshadows. This particular palette hasn't received nearly as much hype as their other palettes, but I reckon it's mostly due to these being much bolder shades to work with (e.g. less wearable or "scary"). I think this is a spectacular palette, to be honest; a lot of brands don't come out with straight-up bright shades like this housed in a single palette so it's kind of refreshing to see Urban Decay, who re-invented itself with a neutral palette, release one. And one that is so well-executed, too.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish and Cityswept Finish

I'm not typically one to get very fancy with hair. I generally wear it up in a messy bun or down and ironed straight. But it's when I wear it down that I feel my hair needs a little... oomph. I like the idea of having more voluminous hair especially since straight-ironing hair usually gives the opposite effect. Can't I have straight hair that doesn't fall flat? It's a struggle, since I have quite heavy hair that's coarse. After hearing so much about the Thickening Dryspun Finish (and watching videos on how to use it), I decided to give it a go, especially since I could get a discount on it — this stuff is straight-up expensive for what it is, and I wasn't prepared to pay full retail price for it. That's why I also decided to pick up the newer Cityswept Finish; I wash my hair everyday so my hair is often too "clean" to get good texture or separation, so I figured this would get me that "second day" texture with some sheen (straightened or constantly blow-dryed hair, as many of you know, can look really dull over time). And the fact that they're both sprays is totally up my alley.

Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Kit: Invigorating Night Gel, Sheer Transformation, and Truth Serum Collagen Booster

I'm just winding down on the last of my Michael Todd True Organics stuff (works fairly well, but smells truly awful) and wanted to try out something new for my night-time routine. I want my skincare to help even out my skintone and texture while adding hydration and radiance without being too oily or heavy. I've been wanting to try Ole Henricksen's products for a while and had been specifically looking into three products: the Truth Serum (which is probably their most popular product), Invigorating Night Gel, and Sheer Transformation. And wasn't it just my luck that Ole Henricksen decided to put all three products in a value kit? It was meant to be!

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Face Exfoliant and Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens

Sephora 100 Point Perks: Philosophy Living Grace Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel (x2) and First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Polish (x2)

I had also finished up the last of my Origins Modern Friction scrub (yep, my products always finish up at the same time so it's extra expensive when I need to buy skincare), and while I love it and would say it's been my HG exfoliator for a few years now, I wanted to try something different. After some perusing, I decided on Fresh's new Umbrian Clay Mattifying Face Exfoliant. I have mixed feelings about Fresh's skincare as a whole, but when I actually tested this stuff out in store, I was sold. I like my face scrubs to be fairly gritty but have a finer particle and make my skin feel like a baby's butt. I've used this several times now, and I don't want to be disloyal to Origins, but... this might be my new favourite. Lastly, I picked up a couple of packs of my favourite Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens 'cause I had finished the last of my stash, and got a few 100 VIB Point Perks since I have so many points accumulated. I'm curious about First Aid Beauty and was eyeing their Facial Radiance Polish anyway (it was between this one and the Fresh one that I ended up buying), and I figured the Philosophy body washes would come in handy for travel (and I quite like the Living Grace scent).

Did you end up getting anything during Sephora's VIB Sale?

Sunday Video Love: Never Give In

on
Sunday, April 20, 2014

Still on a Veronica Mars kick (I will be a Marshmallow until the end of time). The movie soundtrack is just so full of gems, and I love that both the show and the movie feature such fantastic indie artists. And not just for the sake of featuring indie artists (ahem, Gossip Girl and The O.C.), but because the songs really just fit in with the plot and mood of the story so incredibly well. And I just think that this song in particular reflects the whole Veronica Mars franchise perfectly.

Friday Five: Bonus Questions, 8

on
Friday, April 18, 2014
In lieu of today's Friday Five questions, I've decided to do a set of bonus questions instead:
  1. If someone insisted on paying for it, would you rather have a gardener, a housekeeper, a personal chef, a driver, or a personal assistant? A housekeeper. I absolutely despise cleaning. I would also contemplate personal assistant... but then I think to myself, "Am I that self-important?" It's just another person I don't want to need to depend on. But an assistant would really come in handy, especially if I'm feeling particularly lazy...

  2. If someone insisted on paying for it, would you rather have a personal masseuse (or masseur), a sex surrogate, a personal trainer, a therapist, a make-up artist and hair stylist, or a life coach? Masseuse. 

  3. Would you rather have a non-creepy secret admirer who sent you the occasional small gift and admiring note, a professional agent who kept an eye out for your next job and applied on your behalf and negotiated your salary, a private investigator who found out what people are saying about you and found out interesting things about people you know, or a personal photographer to capture all your special moments in ways that always made you look your best? I quite enjoy discovering things for myself, so I'd say no to private investigator. I don't give a crap about being in photos, so I'd say no to personal photographer (and, really, I'm not that conceited). The secret admirer thing would be cute at first and then I would slowly get really bored and eventually creeped out. So, I'd say a professional agent. I would never have to worry about employment or having money.

  4. Would you rather have limitless closet space (for clothes only), limitless shelf space (for books and music only), limitless hard-drive and cloud storage, or an eidetic memory? Eidetic memory. I don't have a need for unlimited closet space 'cause I don't buy that much clothing to begin with (and I always donate clothes I haven't worn in three or more years). I would actually love more shelf space because I buy so many damn books (actually, that reminds me that I need to buy a new Billy bookcase from Ikea), and more hard-drive space because I have so much music (I typically download songs through iTunes now rather than buy CDs 'cause I don't have enough physical space)... but you can't buy eidetic memory. And I think it would really come in handy. I would be like Mike from Suits!

  5. Would you rather have perfect pitch, the ability to do long or tricky math problems quickly in your head, ambidexterity, an inerrant BS detector, or the uncanny ability to know exactly what the weather's going to be like in your neighbourhood within twenty-four hours? BS detector. I ain't got no time for that.

  6. In what way have you stubbornly refused to grow up? Cleaning and keeping my things organized. I actually think I've gotten worse at this over the years. I let things get so cluttered until I can't stand it anymore and then I do a major reorganization. And I'm still pretty irresponsible with my money sometimes, like blowing an entire paycheque at Sephora instead of putting more money into my savings account or retirement fund. The shopaholic in me still rages on. And I still love cutesy things like Hello Kitty and Disney movies. But on that note, I think I've grown up quite a lot in all aspects of life.

  7. In what way have you stubbornly refused to be open-minded? Ironically, I'm not open-minded towards narrow-minded people. A paradox. I'm also narrow-minded towards very conservative views.

  8. In what way have you stubbornly refused someone else's kindness? I've often refused a friend's kindness (whether it be paying for something, driving me somewhere, etc.) because I always think, "Why trouble someone else if I can do it myself?" It just makes me lazy and ineffective.

  9. In what way have you stubbornly refused to be apologetic? I refuse to be apologetic about my views and opinions, and the choices I've made in life.

  10. In what way have you stubbornly refused to take a short cut? I don't like taking short cuts in life at all because I find that doing so can make you ignorant to a lot of things. I only like taking short cuts when I'm driving.

Hope you're all having a great long weekend!

Smash Kitchen & Bar

on
Thursday, April 17, 2014
When you Google "best restaurants in Markham," Smash Kitchen & Bar always pops up on the lists. I've read lots of rave reviews about the place, so Ronsee and I decided to check it out for dinner:

Firecracker Shrimp

We decided to share a bunch of dishes (my favourite way of dining), so we got a couple of appetizers to start. We had originally wanted to get the Ahi Tuna Wontons, but they were sold out of them, so we subbed it for Firecracker Shrimp instead. Big, fat prawns are wrapped in bacon, lightly battered and deep-fried, topped with chopped pepper medley and drizzled with sweet Thai chili sauce. It tastes exactly as you would imagine it. The shrimp are firm but not fleshy or plush like fresh ones would be, which makes me suspect that they get them frozen. Wrapping them in bacon does infuse a great smoky flavour, though, and saves the shrimp from being too bland on their own. We both thought the batter was well done; thin, crisp, and perfectly golden brown. The pepper medley doesn't do much in terms of flavour, but it does add a nice crunch and colour to an otherwise monotonous presentation. The Thai chili sauce adds a nice zesty tartness that I imagine would work well with many deep-fried foods. These were good, but not great. 

Seafood Cakes

For our second starter, we decided on the seafood cakes, which are made with blue crab and black tiger shrimp. The crab and shrimp were in abundance, just great big chunks of seafood fused together in a patty. We couldn't figure out whether they were housemade or not, but the texture of the seafood makes me inclined to think that it is. However, they also blend in copious amounts of bell pepper into the mix, which becomes the dominant flavour in the whole dish and doesn't let the seafood take the spotlight. It's coated in a breadcrumb batter, which is expected (like crab cakes), but it seemed to be a little too thick for my liking because the extra starch made the shell a bit too tough. The horseradish aioli and pico de gallo add a nice kick and compliment these well, though, and the portion size is generous. Again, these were good, but not great.

Margherita Coal Fired Oven Pizza

I like to think that the quality of coal oven pizza is best judged by trying the simplest offering, and this is usually the Margherita. There is only four ingredients atop the crust: tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. First up, the crust. The crust is actually really good here. Thin, crisp, a nice slightly charred flavour, and holds up well. It's as you would expect from a good coal fired oven pizza. However, I found that there was way too much tomato sauce on here, and it seemed unbalanced to the rest of the toppings. Like, the sauce was dripping off the sides and adding far too much tartness, almost negating all other flavours. Moreover, a true Margherita pizza has massive plops of fresh mozzarella, and it seemed like this one had regular packaged mozzarella and then a few teeny tiny pieces of buffalo mozzarella thrown in to make it seem more authentic. But it didn't have the same creamy, plush consistency as I would expect from buffalo mozzarella. With the addition of big, thick slices of tomato that I felt made the pizza too "wet," it just seemed overwhelmingly tomato-y. Will it satisfy your pizza craving? Yes. But there are definitely better Margherita pizzas out there.

Smash Mini Donuts

After some contemplation, we decided to get the mini donuts for dessert, 'cause it seemed like it would be the easiest to share. They are dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with warm caramel and chocolate sauces. We originally thought they'd be more akin to Tiny Tom's doughnuts, but I'm sorry to say that these were sorely lacking. These were almost like... dough nuggets. Like, imagine a chicken nugget. Except with dough inside. They ended up being way too dry and hard. And even though the cinnamon and icing sugars and the sauces do help make them tastier, it's just the texture of them that I can't get over. It says on their website that these are homemade, but the quality of them makes me think they were frozen and thrown in the deep-fryer upon ordering. Overall, a major disappointment, and way too overpriced at $7.

What gives me conflicting feelings about this place is that everything else is fantastic: the decor, the service, the ambience. It looks sleek, clean, and modern, but somehow cozy and intimate at the same time. There's a great big patio in the back, too, which I imagine would be lovely on summer days. All the servers are pleasant, friendly, helpful, attentive, and efficient. But the food is just so... mediocre. At least, the dishes we ordered seemed just like glorified bar food. For the price, I would much rather go a little further to JOEY Markville when dining in Markham, and I hate to say that I'd rather go to a chain restaurant than an independent joint like Smash, but at least I know the quality of the food and service is great (and consistent) at JOEY. I would probably be inclined to go again and order different dishes just to see if our first visit was just a fluke, and they actually have some amazing hidden gems in their menu. There's just too many rave reviews for me to believe that there isn't. In any case, though, it is a beautiful space and a great relaxing hang-out spot. So if the food doesn't excite me, I can still see myself returning with friends to chill on the patio.



Smash Kitchen & Bar
4261 Highway 7 East
Unionville, ON L3R 1L5
(905) 940-2000

MAC Playland: Lipsticks

on
Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Tomorrow, MAC will be launching their second Spring colour collection called Playland, inspired by "a funtastical wonderland of enchantment and delight, where spring becomes a fabulous whirlwind of creativity and amusement. Fantasize... Your funhouse of purest colour awaits." The entire collection features a total of 22 products, of which 15 are new and limited edition, five are permanent at MAC PRO, and two are permanent at all locations. Playland will see the launch of six new and limited edition lipsticks (one of which will not be reviewed here). Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at all locations.

Toying Around, Head in the Clouds, Red Balloon, Happy-Go-Lucky, and Sweet Experience

Toying Around, Head in the Clouds, Red Balloon, Happy-Go-Lucky, and Sweet Experience

Toying Around is a medium vibrant coral-orange in a Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar though slightly less reddened than Lady at Play Mineralize Rich Lipstick, darker and more orange than Be A Lady Mineralize Rich Lipstick, and much more pinked than Vegas Volt.
Head in the Clouds is a medium vibrant cherry red with gold shimmer-sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and warmer than Viva Glam Rihanna, slightly warmer and more frosted than Cockney, and darker and brighter than Lady Bug.
Red Balloon is a medium-dark vibrant cool-toned reddened pink in a Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more muted than All Fired Up, lighter and more pink than Perpetual Flame Pro Longwear Lipcreme, and slightly darker and warmer than Good Taste Mineralize Rich Lipstick.
Happy-Go-Lucky is a medium vibrant blue-toned magenta pink in a Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and more muted than Candy Yum-Yum, slightly lighter than Pink Pigeon, and slightly less purple-toned than Bold Spring Mineralize Rich Lipstick. 
Sweet Experience is a light warm-toned milky pink in a Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly darker than Be Fabulous Mineralize Rich Lipstick, brighter and more pink than Creme Cup, and much lighter than Please Me.

Yes to more Amplified finish lipsticks! These are great for those who love rich, saturated colour with a creamier consistency and a light sheen. Mattes made a huge comeback last year, and I love them for their incredible pigmentation and wear-time, but they can be very drying and look flat on the lips. The Amplified shades in this launch are great for those who like that opaque colour pay-off but want something a little more dimensional (and more comfortable to wear!). There are also two Frost finish lipsticks that launched with Playland (one of which I didn't pick up), which surprised me because I still don't think frosted lipsticks are on trend right now. On that note, Head in the Clouds looks creamier rather than metallic on the lips, and the pearlized pigments in it make lips look more dimensional than truly frosty. For those who like the look of Viva Glam Rihanna but think is too cool-toned for them, this is a warmer, slightly more muted option to look at. In any case, these shades are fun, bright, perfect for Spring and Summer, and surprisingly different enough from shades in MAC's permanent range (whether by colour or finish or texture) to be worth looking into.

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Petal Pusher

on
Tuesday, April 15, 2014

So, I finally bit the bullet and bought a couple of Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadow palettes. I was not interested in Wet 'n' Wild whatsoever mostly due to the packaging, which I feel is cheap and tacky-looking, like it came from the dollar store. Actually, I associate Wet 'n' Wild to dollar store make-up only because that's exactly what it was when I was a kid. It was the brand you went to for Halloween make-up 'cause it was cheap and crappy and you could toss it away after one use. The brand has been revamped quite a lot over the years and has become one of the go-to drugstore brands in North America now. More than anything else, their eyeshadows have received rave reviews over the past couple years, and curiosity got the best of me, so I picked up a couple of their Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection palettes. Each palette is packaged in a plastic black compacts with a clear lid, contains a total of 8.5 grams of product, and retails for $4.98 to $5.99 CAD (depending on the retailer).

Column #1

Column #1: Browbone, Eyelid, Crease, and Definer

Column #1 Browbone is a pale icy white with lilac shimmer-sheen in a satin finish. It has a dry, chalky texture, and goes on somewhat patchy. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and less silvered than MAC Crystal, sheerer and warmer than MAC Digit, more muted and more pinked than Urban Decay Zephyr, and brighter and less grey than NARS D. Gorgeous.
Column #1 Eyelid is a light-medium lilac with pale gold shimmer in a satin finish. It has a slightly dry, chalky texture, but goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer and more pinked than MAC Beautiful Iris, warmer and more purple than MAC Idol Eyes, darker and less grey than NARS D. Gorgeous, and cooler and less metallic than Urban Decay Grifter.
Column #1 Crease is a medium-dark violet-purple with lilac shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is brighter than MAC Satellite Dreams, brighter and cooler than MAC Nocturnelle, lighter and brighter than Urban Decay Gravity, and darker and less shimmery than NARS Strada.
Column #1 Definer is a medium blue-toned purple with silver shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is similar to MAC Parfait Amour, brighter and more blue than MAC Satellite Dreams, cooler and less pinked than Urban Decay Omen, and more blue than Urban Decay Flash.

Column #2

Column #2: Browbone, Eyelid, Crease, and Definer

Column #2 Browbone is a pale icy pink in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more white than MAC Pink Freeze, brighter and more white than MAC Seedy Pearl, less metallic and less lilac than MAC Kitschmas Pigment, and lighter and cooler than MAC Pinkluxe #1.
Column #2 Eyelid is a medium dirty mauve-plum with copper and rose shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. It has a soft but very powdery texture, and goes on patchy and unevenly as a result. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered easily, but because it is so powdery, it can disappear with too much blending. It is similar though has more copper shimmer than MAC Trax, darker and more reddened than MAC Shale, cooler and less reddened than Urban Decay Last Call, less brown than Makeup Geek Sensuous.
Column #2 Crease is a dark burgundy-brown with red sparkly shimmer in a satin finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more reddened than MAC Beauty Marked, similar to MAC Embark but with red sparkles, lighter and more brown than Urban Decay Blackheart, and more brown than Beauty Geek Drama Queen.
Column #2 Definer is a soft grey-black with multi-dimensional shimmer in a satin finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more muted than MAC Black Tied, Urban Decay Oil Slick, NARS Night Breed, and less metallic than Makeup Geek Galaxy.

The quality of these weren't nearly as consistent as the ones in the Comfort Zone palette; three of the eight shades were sheerer and went on quite patchy. That having been said, the majority of the shades have a really nice formula that is smooth, pigmented, and executes well. The poorer shades in this palette can easily be remedied by using an eye primer or base; despite their sheerer pigmentation and more powdery textures, I didn't find any of them really difficult to use. In the end, this palette is still entirely worth the $5 price tag (even if the packaging is crap). If you like your purple and plum shades, Petal Pusher is definitely one to look at.

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Comfort Zone

on
Monday, April 14, 2014

So, I finally bit the bullet and bought a couple of Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadow palettes. I was not interested in Wet 'n' Wild whatsoever mostly due to the packaging, which I feel is cheap and tacky-looking, like it came from the dollar store. Actually, I associate Wet 'n' Wild to dollar store make-up only because that's exactly what it was when I was a kid. It was the brand you went to for Halloween make-up 'cause it was cheap and crappy and you could toss it away after one use. The brand has been revamped quite a lot over the years and has become one of the go-to drugstore brands in North America now. More than anything else, their eyeshadows have received rave reviews over the past couple years, and curiosity got the best of me, so I picked up a couple of their Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection palettes. Each palette is packaged in a plastic black compacts with a clear lid, contains a total of 8.5 grams of product, and retails for $4.98 to $5.99 CAD (depending on the retailer).

Column #1

Column #1: Browbone, Eyelid, Crease, and Definer

Column #1 Browbone is a light warm golden beige in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less golden than MAC Ricepaper, more muted and more golden than MAC Dazzlelight, lighter and less golden than Urban Decay Easy Baked, and more golden than TheBalm Devilish Danielle.
Column #1 Eyelid is a light-medium warm rosy peach in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more pink than MAC All That Glitters, darker and more pink than MAC Jest, similar to NARS Nepal, and slightly darker than Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy.
Column #1 Crease is a medium-dark warm golden brown in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than MAC Soba, warmer than MAC Cork, less golden than TheBalm Shameless Shana, and more golden than Urban Decay Twice Baked.
Column #1 Definer is a dark reddened brown with red and burgundy shimmer in a satin finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is slightly darker and more shimmery than MAC Embark, lighter and more reddened than MAC Mystery, lighter and more brown than Urban Decay Blackheart, and more reddened than NARS Mekong.

Column #2

Column #2: Browbone, Eyelid, Crease, and Definer

Column #2 Browbone is a light cool dirty wheat beige in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less grey than MAC Vex, lighter and less brown than MAC Patina, lighter and more grey than TheBalm Insane Jane, and more muted and less metallic than Urban Decay Verve.
Column #2 Eyelid is a medium warm moss green in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more muted than MAC Lucky Green, brighter and warmer than TheBalm All About Alex, similar to TheBalm Makeout Mary, and warmer than Urban Decay Mildew.
Column #2 Crease is a dark cool-toned brown with gold shimmer in a satin finish. It has a slightly stiffer, drier 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 a little more shimmery than MAC Brun, more brown than MAC Legendary Black Pro Longwear Eyeshadow, less shimmery than Urban Decay Cobra, and cooler than NARS Mekong.
Column #2 Definer is a medium-dark reddened brown with teal pearl in a frosted finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than MAC Club, similar to MAC Blue Brown Pigment, and more reddened than MAC Greenluxe #5.

Colour me impressed. If you can get over the cheap packaging (though I don't think you'd be looking at Wet 'n' Wild for the packaging to begin with), this palette is completely worth the hype. The quality of the shadows is spectacular; all of the are smooth and pigmented and can very well compete with much higher-end brands. Even if you only like one shade out of the eight here, it's still a total steal. And these shades will work with just about every skintone and undertone. Honestly, you really can't go wrong with this one.