Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. If you were suddenly unable to make any excuses, what could you realistically do today to address whatever in your life is keeping you from being healthy and happy? Do exercise, and start saving money.
2. What are your feelings about professional wrestling? I don't really care for it, so I'm not really for it or against it. Either way, I'd rather watch UFC, and I am really pissed that I'll be missing tomorrow's fight with Georges St-Pierre.
3. What is the brightest, most colorful article of clothing you actually wear once in a while? Sadly, I would say 95% of my wardrobe is black, mostly because I've had to wear all black for my entire working life. That 5% is blue, and is in denim pants form. But, I do have this oversized pastel pink t-shirt with the words, "California Disneyland Park" and Minnie Mouse printed on it. I've had it since I was 3. I wore it as a nightshirt then, and I wear it as a nightshirt now. Now that is low cost per use.
4. What's something you do, not because you want to or because someone's compelling you, but because it's the right thing to do? Being polite and courteous to every single one of my customers, even if some of them are downright bitches. Such is the nature of retail.
5. What's a food you’ll keep eating until it either runs out or someone stops bringing it to the table? Warm, freshly baked bread. It's just so damn good. I'll also stop eating it if I have to unbutton my pants... But if I'm wearing leggings, then I'll also stop eating it if my stomach feels like it's about to explode. Gluttony and gluten = YUM.

Queen's Head

Went for lunch today at Queen's Head with Shawn and Vito. They had a whole list of lunch specials, so I ordered the fish and chips with Caesar salad, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. It was actually pretty damn good. I like that the fish isn't frozen. And if it is, it doesn't taste or look like it (unlike Willie Stouts). And the batter was flavourful, so I didn't need to add copious amounts of salt and pepper or lemon juice. (I loaded up on tartar sauce, though, 'cause tartar sauce is awesome.) Next time, I will have the shepherd's pie. Or the English lamb pie. Or bangers and mash. God, I love pub fare.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Mermaid's Tears

OPI released their Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection sometime this past week, and since I'm such a sucker for green nail polishes, I had to pick up the only green shade in this collection, called Mermaid's Tears. It's a lovely mid-tone seafoam green in a cream finish, and goes opaque in two medium coats. A few sites have described it as pastel, but I personally don't think it's light enough to be a full-on pastel, though it does have that milky quality that pastels are known for. It's a nice change from the much lighter, actual pastel shades that are out for Spring right now, though. The most similar shade I can think of is Sephora by OPI's Read My Palm, though Mermaid's Tears is less teal, and has more of a grey undertone. It is limited edition, but if you love green nail polishes, this one is worth checking out. It's definitely going to be the most popular shade from this collection.

English Muffin + Blackberry Jam

My new food addiction is toasted English muffins with butter and blackberry jam. It's such a simple thing to make, and yet, I cannot stop eating it. I've never even been one to eat jam before, but I bought a jar of blackberry jam on a recent trip to the supermarket with Shawn, and now I eat it whenever possible, to the point where I might eat an entire package of English muffins in a day, just so I can use that blackberry jam. And it has to be English muffins, too, not regular bread or bagels or whatever. At this rate, I'm going to get diabetes before I'm 30.

MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer

MAC released a collection called Primed For Perfection a few weeks ago (on the same day as Quite Cute), featuring four new products to be added to the permanent Prep + Prime range. There are three new highlighters out (similar to YSL's Touche Éclat), and a new eye treatment-primer hybrid called Vibrancy Eye Primer. It is meant to be "a lightweight, quick fix and long-term solution for puffy, tired-looking creases and bag that targets the three main causes for dark under eye circles — while illuminating the eye area with optical effects for instant luminosity." It comes in a black shimmery pump bottle, and the product itself is a sort of pale peachy pink lightweight cream-gel. There's a slight lavender scent to it, similar to the Fix+ Lavender or Lip Condtioner + Lavender that were released last December, presumably for its calming properties. It retails for $36.50, and contains 15 ml, which is the same size as standard eye creams.

Now, I've only been using this product for about two weeks or so, so I haven't exactly seen the long-term solution for this, but it has to be noted that I don't really get dark circles. Perhaps some puffiness when I'm really tired, but nothing very noticeable. What I will say, though, is that this is one phenomenal eye primer for make-up. Whether you use it under eyeshadow or under-eye concealer, it keeps make-up smudge-proof and crease-proof for hours (about ten hours for me) while keeping the eye area hydrated. Those fine lines under the eyes where make-up usually creeps into? Gone. Powder or cream eyeshadows that start creasing after three hours (Paint Pots, I'm looking at you)? Nope. It really does keep make-up looking fresh for the majority of the day (or, at least, one full shift at work). Used alone, I can see the illuminating qualities of this product, but I personally like it more as a straight-up primer than an eye treatment. Once applied, it dries within maybe 30 seconds and colourless, so you can use it on top of make-up as well as under, if you wish. It's great for refreshing the eye area any time of day, too, just for that boost of radiance and hydration. An awesome product, and a definite re-buy.

Easter

I spent the long weekend in Brantford with Shawn and a few friends (our friend, Sherwin, lives there and had the house to himself since his roommates were gone), which included barbequing steak and potatoes for dinner, playing Kings and watching the boys drink (and subsequently, vomit), lighting up a joint or two, having fresh-cut bacon and eggs for breakfast, partaking in Fruit Ninja competitions (I am the champion), and just being generally lazy. Hope you're all having a lovely long weekend, enjoying the delightful weather, being unproductive, and eating copious amounts of Cadbury's Mini Eggs.

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. What are your thoughts on late-night television talk shows? I don't watch them, but I guess I don't mind them. To be honest, I don't really think about them.
2. What television program is so bad you can't believe anyone watches it? From what I've heard about it, Jersey Shore. And before that, The Hills. Oh, and that show with the Kardashians.
3. In what way have your television-viewing habits changed over the years? I only watch television shows on DVD now, because I don't have time to follow cable schedules anymore. I remember back in middle and high school, every week, I'd have my line-up of shows to watch, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, and Smallville. And then I stopped watching weekly shows when I was in university. Possibly because I had more of a social life.
4. If you were in charge of the universe, what changes might you make to television? No commercials. And music channels actually playing music videos instead of pseudo-reality shows.
5. What is most likely the very next thing you will be watching on television? True Blood: Season 3 on DVD. And if Shawn gets his way, probably Game of Thrones.

Islands + Love The Way You Lie

A refreshing mash-up of The xx's "Islands" and Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" by The Pretty Reckless. Taylor Momsen sounds like she had to smoke two packs a day to get that voice, but it's got character. Her raccoon eyes are a little distracting, though. She's definitely not Cindy Lou Who anymore. Or Jenny Humphrey, for that matter.

The Pickle Barrel

Breakfast for dinner is pretty much the best thing, ever.

Survey Says...

This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:

1. Eyeshadow colour you always gravitate towards? I execute different colour combinations all the time, but I find that with nearly every eye look, I use MAC's Ricepaper and All That Glitters.
2. Lipstick colour you always gravitate towards? MAC's Brave New Bronze. It's the perfect nude lipstick for my skintone (currently NC35 in MAC, for reference). It's not too pale or dark, or too pink or too beige. It was limited edition and released with the Style Warriors collection in 2008. The closest to this shade from MAC's permanent line is Cherish, but it's slightly darker. More recently, I've been wearing MAC's Shy Girl quite a lot. And when I want a pop of colour these days, I like Nars' Niagara or MAC Sheen Supreme in Ultra Darling or Full Speed.
3. Blush colour you always gravitate towards? More recently, it's been Benefit's Bella Bamba on my days off. When I'm at work, I like MAC's Springsheen, Fleur Power, Pink Swoon, or Blushbaby, depending on my eye look. And Nars' Angelika has always been a favourite of mine.

Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Sheer Moisture Mist

Chanel recently released a new product called Sheer Moisture Mist under their Chance fragrance family. There are currently two Mists available: one belongs to the Eau Tendre scent, and one belongs to Eau Fraîche. They both retail at $40 for 100 ml, and are available wherever Chanel fragrances are sold. I've been lead to believe that they will both be made permanent, but Chanel's website says that the Eau Fraîche version is limited edition, so if anyone has any information stating otherwise, let me know! Only wanting to buy one (for now), I eventually decided on the Eau Fraîche version of Sheer Moisture Mist, which comes in a mint green bottle (whereas the Eau Tendre comes in pink). For those who haven't smelled Eau Fraîche, it's a sparkling citrus fragrance with subtle floral (water hyacinth and jasmine absolute) and woodsy (amber of patchouli and fresh vetiver) notes. The Sheer Moisture Mist is a much more subtle version of the original Eau de Toilette; the Mists are meant to provide a hint of fragrance while imparting some moisture to the skin.

Chanel has meant for the Sheer Moisture Mists to be an after-bath or shower product. I didn't find this to be particularly moisturizing and you shouldn't expect it to replace your regular body cream or lotion, but it's great for those who want a very light scent (e.g. if your workplace is perfume-sensitive) as well as for those who want a more skin-friendly fragrance (e.g. less alcohol content). You can also layer it with other products in the line, like the Eau de Toilette or body cream for a more full-bodied version of the fragrance. The Mist by itself doesn't last long on skin, so if you want the same intensity of scent that it has freshly applied, you'll have to spray it on quite regularly. But I do find that hints of the scent linger on the skin without re-applying. Having tested this product on the inside of my wrist, I found that my skin doesn't turn red at all, which occurs with most fragrances I've tried (due to the alcohol content in perfumes). I've also found that it's safe for hair, since it won't dry out your strands like other perfumes. Moreover, it's a great option for warmer weather (which, hopefully, will be coming soon), and for $40, you won't be breaking the bank. I think I will be buying the fruiter Eau Tendre version as well.

McDonald's Swiss & Mushroom Angus Third Pounder

So, yes, I'm fully aware of the amount of fast food I've eaten recently, but I've been a busy bee and McDonald's is open 24 hours. And they're conveniently located. I try to keep fast food to twice a week, but where else are you going to eat at 3:00 in the morning and you're too lazy to cook? Anyhow, McDonald's recently added three delightful new burgers to their menu, the Angus Third Pounders. I guess people just weren't getting full off of the Quarter Pounders and were getting too full from the Double Quarter Pounders. (The Goldilocks of McDonald's eaters.) McDonald's was having a promotion from April 12th to the 18th, where you could get any Angus Third Pounder for half-price. So, obvs, I had to get one.

Our server recommended the Swiss & Mushroom one, so that's the one I ordered. And, holy moly, this burger was ridiculous. In the best way possible. Few fast food chains do mushroom burgers well, let alone Swiss and mushroom burgers. But in the Angus Third Pounder, the mushrooms were crisp and actually tasted like mushrooms. And the Swiss cheese was actual Swiss cheese, complete with holes! There was a nice smoky flavour to the burger overall, and the Angus patty tasted beefier than their regular patties, with perhaps slightly more chew. And the burgers come with new, fancy sesame rolls that are nicely toasted and offer much better support for the innards (they are third pounders, after all) than their regular buns. And look at all that mayo! This totally makes up for them taking the Big Xtra off our menu.

Benefit B.Right! Cleansers

Benefit released a new skincare line this month called B.Right!, which features eight products that focus on making skin more radiant. I never tried Benefit's old skincare products, but having read a few pre-release reviews, I was intrigued. It's currently available at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada, but the Shoppers location I went to only had four of the eight items in stock, so I just bought the Foamingly Clean Facial Wash and the Refined Finish Facial Polish. One thing I do have to say about this line is that the packaging is absolutely adorable. The boxes are fun and colourful, with a pattern of waves and bubbles in various shades of green, blue, and peach. The bottles themselves are a clean pale blue with faux cork screw caps, which I thought was a nice touch. Chic apothecary-style labels are on both the boxes and the bottles, clearly stating the name and function of the product. They both have a fresh floral and cucumber scent that isn't strong or overwhelming. Both of these products contain 127.5 grams or 4.5 oz. of product, and retail for $24 and $26, respectively.

The Foamingly Clean Facial Wash is a "one-step gentle face wash" that "effectively cleanses the skin and removes make-up and impurities with a soft, gentle lather." It's a cream cleanser that foams up well, but isn't overly frothy, and a nickel-sized amount of product should be sufficient for a nice lather. It does take off make-up quite well, but because it doesn't state that it's opthamologist-tested, it's only meant to take off face make-up. I did, however, test this cleanser with a waterproof eyeliner on my hand, and it did take it off quite effectively, so I will attest that it removes waterproof make-up. It states on the box that the cleanser is for all skin types, but I'd recommend this more for normal to combination-oily skin, only because I can see the foaming aspect a little more drying on dry skin types. I have combination skin (oilier T-zone), and my face didn't feel tight after using it. Overall, I'd have to say that this cleanser lives up to its claims, and I would definitely re-buy it.

The Refined Finish Facial Polish is being touted as the "smoothest surface facial exfoliator" that "brightens the complexion, gently exfoliating to purify the skin, and help minimize the appearance of pores to reveal skin's natural radiance" with natural clay and seaweed extract. This is a cream-based face scrub, as opposed to a gel, and contains smooth and round polyethelene beads, so it's more gentle than some other scrubs which contain more jagged grains. When I used this scrub, I found that it made my skin soft and smooth without drying it out, but I think that more fragile, sensitive skin types will find this scrub a bit too harsh for regular use. I personally didn't find this scrub overly gritty, though I think every day use would be a little excessive (2 to 3 times a week is enough). I did notice that my face was more "glowy" after using it. I actually really like this scrub, and can see myself replacing my old stand-by with it. Overall, I'm very pleased with the cleansing products from Benefit's B.Right! line. I'm definitely interested in trying some of the other products from this collection.

Saturday Nine

This week's Saturday Nine:

1. What is the most "down and out" that you've ever been? Probably when I was at UTSC. I had quit my full-time job at Lancôme to go back to school, but I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I was studying Humanities and I knew I wasn't going to be doing anything with these studies; I just wanted a change, and no more minimum wage jobs. I was broke and depressed and just felt really alone. It was after that when I decided to finally pursue make-up school, 'cause I realized all I wanted to do was make-up.
2. Do you believe there is only one "right" religion? Seeing as I don't believe in any religion, let alone one, my answer would have to be a resounding no.
3. If you could get back in touch with one person you've lost touch with, who would it be and why? I wouldn't want to get back in touch with someone I've lost touch with. I'm not in touch with that person for a reason. I truly believe that if someone is meant to be in your life, he or she will be.
4. Has anyone ever held the key to your heart, but did not know it? Probably... I had these insanely long-term crushes back in high school that never came into fruition.
5. If your lover cheated on you and profusely apologized, might you accept them back into your life? No. I don't take to betrayal very well, especially from someone I once trusted so much.
6. Have you ever gone to work/school drunk or stoned? If yes, do tell. Oh, yeah, when I was in university, I definitely went to lectures stoned. Never drunk, though.
7. Who is your favourite relative? I'm not sure if I have a favourite, but I most appreciate my mom and my brother.
8. What annoys you most? See the side bar.
9. Tell us of one thing you used to do that you are not proud of. I used to be a complete stoner. And also my first relationship. I made a lot of stupid decisions when I was younger.

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. Among people you know, who seems to be most attractive to mosquitoes? Me, sadly. That's why I don't do camping. Or the outdoors in general.
2. Among people you know, who seems to be most attractive to illness-causing viruses and bacteria? Me, but I think Edward runs a close second. When I get sick, I get ridiculously sick in terms of symptoms, but Edward seems to get sick the most often, even if it's just a minor cough or cold.
3. Among people you know, who seems to be most attractive to rip-off artists? Hmm... Most of the people I know are pretty street smart, so no one off the top of my head.
4. In what way were you recently the object of unwanted attention? When a manager at one of my work places (not even my direct manager) reamed me out for not being able to work a full eight-hour shift due to my schedule at my other work place. At 8:30 in the morning. He was being a complete and total douche bag, and just inappropriate. There's a chain of command for a reason, and should not have contacted me directly to begin with.
5. When you go out with friends, which of you is most likely to be flirted with? I'm usually with a bunch of guys, but I guess Wynnie gets quite a bit of attention from men in general.

McDonald's Bacon Egg McMuffin

Today: three hours of sleep, eight hours of MAC Update, and driving through both morning and afternoon rush hours. That McDonald's breakfast was the highlight of my day. And in honour of this, a classic quote:

"Tardiness is not something you can do all on your own. Many, many people contributed to my tardiness. Uh, I'd like to thank my parents for never giving me a ride to school, the L.A. city bus driver for taking a chance on an unknown kid, and, uh, last but not least, the wonderful crew at McDonald's for spending hours making those egg McMuffins, without which I might never be tardy. "

— Brecklin Meyer as Travis Birkenstock, Clueless (1995)

Survey Says...

This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:

1. Blush you last wore? Benefit's Bella Bamba. It's all I wear on my days off now.
2. Highlighter you love? MAC's Iridescent Pressed Powder in Verve-acious, from 2008's Fafi for MAC collection. It was limited edition and no longer available, but it's a gorgeous gold-peach that looks beautiful on warmer skintones.
3. Is bronzer a must-have? For me, yes. It allows me to avoid buying, like, four different foundations a year because I can use it to gradually change my complexion shade all year round. It's also great for contouring and just for having that sun-kissed glow whenever I so please.

Niwatei

Katherine and I went for dinner yesterday at Niwatei. We both decided to get the ramen set, which includes your choice of ramen, side, and dessert. So, I opted for the tonkotsu ramen, which includes Japanese BBQ pork (I got mine with extra slices, available for an extra $2.50), fish cake slices, and half a hard-boiled egg in a pork bone broth. The ramen noodles are on the firmer side here (as opposed to the really soft kind that kind of breaks once you pick them up with your chopsticks), but not overly chewy. The BBQ pork was just perfect: soft and tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth, but not quite. And the broth. The broth! It was just beautiful; milky and flavourful and actually worth slurping even after the noodles are all gone.

I ordered the gyoza as my side dish, and I'm really glad I did because these are not the frozen kind of gyoza that you get at all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurants. These are handmade, full of piping hot, flavorful, porky goodness in a thin dumpling wrapper. I find that most Japanese restaurants have the kind of gyoza that are lacking innards but have an abundance of dough, which is more similar to the Chinese dumplings. Don't get me wrong, I love most dumplings, and almost all Asian types, but authentic gyoza are supposed to have thin wrappers. So Niwatei's version is a win in my books.

Finally, the meal ends with your choice of dessert. I decided upon the tried-and-true red bean ice cream. Ironically, after such a great bowl of ramen and delightful dumplings, the ice cream was... kind of crappy. I realize that this is a very minor point; you go to Niwatei for the ramen, not the dessert. But, still, it was a disappointment, and it should be called red bean ice rather than red bean ice cream since it just wasn't creamy. I think I've had better red bean ice cream at Chinese buffet restaurants. That being said, however, I shouldn't really complain. Because at $15, I thought my dinner was really quite worth it.

Saturday Nine

This week's Saturday Nine:

1. Do you listen to music at work? If so, do you use a MP3 player, play it through your office computer, or do you listen to it collectively via a separate radio you keep nearby? There's usually music already playing at work, but we do sometimes plug our MP3 players to the stereo system using an auxiliary cable.
2. Tell us something about people that you absolutely hate. One thing I really, really hate is when people speak to me in a condescending or patronizing manner.
3. What is something someone has done that you'd like the world to know about? My boyfriend treats me like gold, and I'm a very lucky girlfriend.
4. Where is your favorite place to sit when at home? The couch in the main living room. It's one of those couches that makes you so insanely lazy that you really contemplate whether or not it's worth getting up to go pee.
5. How did you come up with the title of your blog? It's the title of a Thursday song.
6. Tell us about the one who got away. Before Shawn, I dated this guy who I really, really connected with. We just had ridiculously good chemistry, and we were comfortable with each other within hours of meeting one another. But we were ultimately looking for different things and were in different places at the time, and it didn't result in a relationship. But it's okay, because I found the one I got to keep.
7. Have you ever had a big birthday party? Yeah, when I was a kid. I remember my parents would hold these huge parties for me at a place called Adventure Zone, which was similar to Chuck E. Cheese. They've closed down since then, but I remember it being epic. Ironically, since I've been legal to drink, I haven't celebrated any of my birthdays in a huge way, like at a club or anything. My 24th birthday last year was pretty awesome, though. Shawn, Edward, and Wynnie took me out for dinner, and then we went to their local bar and a dozen or so of my friends came by to celebrate with me, and we just had a really nice, low-key night.
8. What was the biggest bash you've ever attended? I actually try steering clear of big bashes, but I guess when I used to visit my brother at Cornell, we'd go to some insane frat parties.
9. With an always changing life, do you find yourself unable to focus sometimes? I'm actually pretty good at keeping focused at this point in my life, although to be fair, I'm unmarried with no children, so all I really have to take care of right now is myself.

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. At what age do you think you will no longer be young? Ultimately, I think being young is a state of mind. I've met women who have sagging, wrinkly skin and they still giggle and tell dirty jokes and look on the bright side. I've also met women who look really young that are cynical and negative and don't know how to have fun anymore. To kids and teenagers, I'm old. But to seniors, I'm really young. So, I really don't know, but I don't think I'm there yet.
2. What was the longest line you ever had to stand in? Probably at Vans Warped Tour. I remember the line-ups every year would go all the way around the park and it would take at least two hours to get in.
3. In what way are you especially strong? I've been told that I'm great at relating and/or empathizing with people, if that's considered a strength. I've also been told that I'm an excellent conversationalist. But if we're talking about emotional strength, well, let's just say I've been through a lot of shit and I've gained a lot of perspective from it.
4. Who was the last person to inform you that you were wrong? Probably Shawn.
5. When did you last have to bid someone so long? I assume this means the last time I had to say goodbye to someone that I won't see again for a while. In which case, it would be my brother.

MAC Pink Nouveau Lipstick

My MAC order arrived earlier this week, and along with the Quite Cute collection and some of the usual products that I use on a daily basis (foundation, powder, eyebrow pencil, etc.), I also bought a tube of Pink Nouveau lipstick. It's a bright bubble gum pink in a Satin finish. Like, the ultimate Barbie pink. It runs slightly cool-toned, and is like a lighter, less neon version of Candy Yum-Yum from the Quite Cute collection, or a cooler and brighter version of Chatterbox.

Pink Nouveau goes on smoothly and pigmented with good colour pay-off. Because it's a Satin finish, it doesn't quite have a sheen but it's not matte, either. It's not particularly moisturizing, but it's also not drying (though I still recommend putting on some lip balm beforehand). It's one of the most popular colours for Spring and Summer; this has been selling like hot cakes at the counter, and is even sold out online at the moment. But have no fear, this is a permanent shade at MAC. So, if you want a bright pink that's not too neon or fuchsia or magenta, you might want to check out Pink Nouveau.

Tuna & Dill Salad Sandwich

For whatever reason, I was totally craving tuna today, so I made a tuna salad sandwich for lunch. I love mine with tons of dill, plus some fresh tomato and cucumber slices. Oh, man, so good. And then I spent the entire afternoon watching Mercy on DVD. Yep, I had the laziest day, ever, and pretty much didn't get off the couch until dinnertime. It was glorious.

Survey Says...

This week's Survey Says... from Temptalia:

1. Lip gloss you can't live without? MAC Cremesheen Glass in On the Scene. It's discontinued now, but it's a lovely peachy nude (similar to Boy Bait, but peachier) that I can wear with pretty much anything or on top of any lipstick.
2. Lipstick you love, but rarely use? MAC Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Digna. It's a deep, rich berry red that is absolutely gorgeous, but I have to be in the right mood to wear such a dark colour.
3. Is lip liner a must? No, but I find that it does help with certain looks. For example, I find that I can't wear MAC's Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick without a lip liner underneath, only because the lipstick alone is much too pale and beige for my complexion. I also like lip liners if I want my lip colour to stay on all day long.

MAC Quite Cute: Eyeshadow Quad

MAC's Quite Cute collection will also see the release of an eyeshadow palette called Cutie that includes four new and limited edition shades. Each eyeshadow is 1.5 grams, which is the same size as standard MAC single eyeshadows. Each palette retails for $43, and comes in regular black packaging. The quad as a whole seems to suit pale to light-medium skintones more than medium to dark skintones, and for cooler undertones than warm.

Moshi Moshi! is a pale mint green with silvery-white shimmer in a Frost finish. I found this shade to look more white than green when swatched, which was a little disappointing since MAC doesn't have a permanent mint green shade and it would have been nice to see one that actually looks mint green in execution. It was fairly pigmented, but the texture isn't as smooth as I'd like in a Frost eyeshadow and there was quite a lot of fall out, which reminded me more of the Lustre finish eyeshadows. Goody Goody Gum Drop is a very muted bubblegum pink with a subtle gold sheen in a Satin finish. It went on smoothly and has decent pigmentation. It's like a less brown version of Girlie, or a lighter and less metallic version of Da Bling.

Boycrazy is a pale lavender purple with silver shimmer in a Lustre finish. It's like a lighter version of Creme de Violet. While it goes on smoothly and doesn't have much fall out, it is incredibly sheer. Almost too sheer. You really have to pack on this colour to even get it to show up. This is easily the most disappointing shade in the quad, and almost not worth using. Azuki Bean is a dark mauve-purple in a Frost finish. It's like a darker, more purple version of Shale. It goes on smoothly and pigmented with decent colour pay-off. This was definitely the easiest shade to work with. Overall, I don't think this quad is worth $43. There are definitely better dupes out there. I really wanted this palette to work out because the colours look so nice and fresh and appropriate for Spring, but the quality of the eyeshadows individually just varies too much.

MAC Quite Cute: Nail Lacquer

MAC's Quite Cute collection, launching in stores on April 7, sees the release of three new and limited edition shades of Nail Lacquer. Mischievous Mint is a pale blue-based mint green in a Cream finish. It is similar to Essie's Mint Candy Apple, just slightly deeper and bluer. Ice Cream Cake is a mid-tone blue-based cotton candy pink in a Cream finish. It reminds me of a less magenta version of Essie's Splash of Grenadine. Little Girl Type is a pale lavender in a Cream finish. It's a less pink version of Essie's Nice Is Nice. I found the formula of these to be a bit watery with Ice Cream Cake being less so, but you can get a smooth, opaque finish in two medium coats. These shades are fun, whimsical options for Spring, though they're easily duped. Still, I've always been a sucker for mint green polishes.

MAC Quite Cute: Plushglass

MAC's Quite Cute collection, which launches in stores this Thursday, will see the release of four new and limited edition shades of Plushglass. Plushglass is a non-sticky plumping lip gloss with sheer to semi-sheer finishes. They retail for $22 each, and are in regular black packaging. The Plushglasses released with this collection seem to have a very strong vanilla scent. While MAC's lip products are usually vanilla-scented, these seemed stronger than usual and was noticeable upon opening the tube. Moreover, I found that these have a fairly strong tingling sensation upon application. It wasn't unpleasant, but it's definitely noticeable and some people might be prone allergic reactions to them. That being said, though, my lips were distinctly more plump after use. So if you're looking for a plumping lip gloss, you might be interested in these.

I ♥ U is a semi-sheer pinked lavender with very subtle micro-shimmer. It goes on slightly milky, but I didn't find it to settle into lip lines. Girl ♥ Boy is a semi-opaque cool-toned cotton candy pink with a cream finish. It kind of reminds me of a more pigmented version of Fashion Scoop Cremesheen Glass. It is rather milky, and I noticed some settling into the lip lines. This is the most pigmented shade of the four. Fashion Fanatic is a sheer peachy pink with white shimmer. This doesn't look like much on the lips; it might lighten them up very, very slightly, but it mostly just looks like clear gloss with shimmer. Bubble Tea is a semi-sheer peachy beige nude with subtle micro-shimmer. It looks smooth and creamy, not milky. It's fairly sheer, but it does lighten up my lip colour. This is probably my favourite of the bunch. This was the first time I tried the Plushglass formula, as I rarely use lip plumping products, but it's a nice option to wear on top of lipsticks to add more dimension and fullness.

MAC Quite Cute: Lipstick

MAC's Quite Cute collection, launching in-store this Thursday, will see the release of five lipsticks, one of which is permanent (at MAC Pro stores only) and four of which are new and limited edition. I only decided to get three of the five lipsticks, as Saint Germain (pale pastel pink) is permanent and Quite Cute is way too similar to Lavender Whip, which I already have. So, I have picked up Playing Koi, Candy Yum-Yum, and Play Time. I will state now, though, that all five of these shades are not your every day shades. Most people will find them to be a hit-or-miss, whether they're too bright, too pale, too cool- or warm-toned, etc. Each lipstick retails for $17.50, and is in regular black packaging.

Play Time, Candy Yum-Yum, Playing Koi

Play Time is a semi-sheer muted pinked purple in a Cremesheen finish. It reminds me of a much more sheer and less pink version of Up The Amp, or a more pink version of Style Curve. It looks like a really intense violet in the tube, but it's actually made surprisingly wearable due to the sheerness of the finish. It goes on smoothly and creamy and has a sheen to it. This is a great option for those who want to try purple lipsticks but don't want something too in-your-face. For those who have Style Curve, I would skip this. For those who have Up The Amp, it's definitely different enough to be worth buying.

Candy Yum-Yum is an opaque bright neon pink in a Matte finish. This colour is nearly blinding in its brightness. It is for people who love an insanely bright lip look. Because it also has blue undertones, it does tend to suit those with cooler skintones, and those with warmer skintones might be more comfortable with a more neutral or warmer bright pink, like Chatterbox or Lustering. That being said, however, Candy Yum-Yum went on very smoothly and extremely pigmented. For a Matte finish, it's actually quite creamy (unlike Playing Koi). If you want serious lip voltage, definitely look into this shade.

Playing Koi is an opaque pale peachy-pink nude in a Satin finish. It reminds me of a much more pigmented and slightly pinker version of Hue. This has got to be one of the most unforgiving shades I have ever tried. It looks great in the tube, but on the lips, it magnifies imperfections about ten times, so every crevice, every and any flake of skin will show. It's a fairly dry formula, and feels much more like a full-on Matte finish lipstick than a Satin. You'd definitely need a heavy-duty lip balm underneath (and possibly on top of it as well) to make this colour look smooth on the lips.

MAC Quite Cute: Mineralize Blush

MAC will be launching its latest collection, Quite Cute, this Thursday. With this collection, we see the release of three new and limited edition Mineralize Blushes. Each blush features a different-toned heart in the middle, which I am glad to report is not just an overlay and goes all the way through to the pan. I can see the hearts being used as an eyeshadow using a smaller brush, but as its intended function, it'll be very hard to use the individual colours separately as they're meant to be used together. Each blush will retail for $27.50, and they are slightly bigger than the regular permanent Mineralize Blushes (4 g vs. 3.5 g).

Outer colour, heart colour, mixed together

Miss Behave is a light beige-peach with a pale frosted mint green heart. When swirled together, it's a pale beige. This blush is very powdery and, as a result, it's not very dry skin-friendly. It also sheers out quite a lot in execution, so add to the fact that it's such a light colour, I can't see this amounting to anything more than a highlighter on anyone, even porcelain complexions. This blush is more suitable for pale to light-medium skintones, whereas it will tend to look ashy on medium to dark skintones. I can see this looking great mixed with other colours for an eye look, though.

Outer colour, heart colour, mixed together

Sakura is a medium lavender pink with a darker frosted magenta pink. When swirled together, they create a mid-tone muted magenta pink with a soft frost finish. Like Miss Behave, this blush is also quite powdery and sheers out very easily. But it's also quite pigmented, so some might actually prefer that it sheers out to avoid over-applying. I found that I actually had to apply a couple of layers of this blush on top of each other to get the colour I wanted. Due to the blue undertones of this blush, it tends to suit those with cool-toned complexions, but those with warmer skintones can definitely rock it paired with the right colours. This shade will work on light to medium-dark skintones, but those with dark skintones may find it looking ashy.

Outer colour, heart colour, mixed together

Giggly is a bubble gum pink with a slightly deeper frosted berry purple heart. When mixed together, it's a mid-tone pinked plum with a soft frosted sheen. While this blush is slightly powdery, I had no problems blending this out and the colour goes on quite pigmented. I would say this suits cooler-toned complexions slightly more, but those who are warm-toned shouldn't have a problem with this one. I can see this working on light to medium skintones. Those with darker skintones may find the colour muted, though not nearly as ashy as the other two blushes. Of the three, I'd say Giggly is the most universally flattering. So if you were only going to pick one of these blushes to purchase, this would be the one I'd recommend.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in C-C-Courage

I finally found some time this evening to paint my nails after a ridiculously busy week of work. I usually never go more than four days without changing my nail colour, so I was really itching for a change. I decided on China Glaze's C-C-Courage, which was released with their Wizard of Ooh Aahz Returns collection in 2009. (I recently made a huge nail polish order from Spa Boutique, and grabbed a ton of shades I wanted from older collections that aren't in stores anymore.) It's a deep, rich purple with lighter purple and silver glitter. The picture really doesn't do this shade justice, because it's actually so much prettier in person. This will probably be my last dark nail colour choice for a while, though, given that it's already April and all the Spring colours are rolling out. We've been in a dark period for way too long.

Saturday Nine

This week's Saturday Nine:

1. What was the best thing about being 19? Being legal, obviously. I remember thinking how fantastic it was that I could finally buy my own cigarettes and alcohol, and I didn't have to bribe my brother anymore.
2. Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity? Walking around downtown or going for long drives. Traveling in general inspires me, because it's really the journey that counts, not the destination.
3. Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when... I accidentally fart in public. (Yeah, that's right, I admitted it.) Or when I need to poop in a public bathroom. What can I say? I like the comfort of my own home. But, hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. I just don't like it when people can hear my business.
4. Name 3 fads from your teenage years. Modrobes pants, Vans Slip-On sneakers, and Discmans.
5. What's the best birthday present you've ever had? Hmm... birthday sex.
6. What's your oldest possession? My mom gave me a hand-painted lacquered wooden jewelry box that she got when was a teenager. If hand-me-downs don't count, then it's a jade ring necklace that my grandma gave me when I was a born. It's conveniently stored inside the aforementioned jewelry box.
7. Do you have any phobias? Coulrophobia and pediophobia.
8. This is pretty much the start of Spring. What's on your to-do list for the next few weeks to transition away from this long winter we've been having? Spring make-up!
9. Which of the 50 states in the U.S. would you rather die than live in? Pretty much any of the red states.

The Pickle Barrel

Shawn met up with me for dinner after work today, so we decided to go to The Pickle Barrel since we were at the mall, anyway. I was in a sandwichy kind of mood (yes, it exists!), so I decided to try the Fressor sandwich, which includes corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing piled high in dark rye bread. It satisfied my sandwich craving, but it wasn't phenomenal. The coleslaw added some good crunchy texture, but not much for flavour. And the bread was kind of bland, so I ended up having to add some mustard to give it a punch. Their Reuben sandwich is infinitely better.

Friday Five

This week's Friday Five:

1. What's in need of a good cleaning? My car. It's just so full of junk that I've accumulated over the past couple of years. A lot of my school make-up kit (plaster from prosthetics class, mannequin head from hair styling class, etc.) is still in my trunk. And I've found pairs of shoes that I thought I'd lost for months under my car seats. And right now, on the floor by the passenger seat, are half-empty bottles of water, juice, pop... Just the thought of all that crap turns me off from cleaning it out. Yeah, it's a vicious cycle.
2. What's your idea of good, clean fun? Long drives, cuddling with my boyfriend while watching DVDs, coffee runs with friends, and roller coasters. Not all together, and not necessarily in that order.
3. How clean is your driving record? Seeing as I got a speeding ticket within the first month of acquiring my driver's license, just went to court a couple weeks ago to fight two tickets I got in 2009, and am still waiting for two accidents to drop off my record, I'd say it's downright dirty.
4. When did you last make a clean escape? This afternoon, I artfully dodged a crazy evangelist trying to sell me on the ways of Jesus. She told me how my smoking cigarettes reflects my dirty soul, and that God will save us from impending doom or whatever when the earth and sun no longer exist, and some stuff about heaven and hell. I just looked at her, put out my cigarette, told her I don't believe in God or the afterlife regardless, and walked away.
5. What are your feelings about dirty language? I probably utilize it way too much.