Instagram: Spring 2015 — Food Edition

I've had some good eats in the past couple months, so I thought I'd share some photos of my favourite meals. I don't always bring my camera with me when I go out to eat but I tend to Instagram everything, so or those who do follow me on Instagram, I apologize for the re-post here... but, hey, you can never get enough of food porn.

Lobster miso soup (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Sashimi sampler (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Torched nigiri (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Lobster Fantasy Roll (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Salmon Oshizushi (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Rocky lobster tempura (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Okonomiyaki with bacon, crab, and shrimp (Le Modern Japanese Cuisine)
Baked goat cheese with portobello mushroom; steamed PEI mussels in white wine garlic tomato broth; pappardalle with shrimp, scallop, and spinach in lobster brandy cream sauce; Mediterranean chicken in lingonberry cream sauce and topped with toasted almonds (Al Dente Italian Restaurant)
The Meat Lovers Pizza (Station Pizza Parlour)
Bread and olive oil; steamed PEI mussels with garlic and vine ripened tomatoes; calamari fritte with pickled peppers; ricotta gnocchi with forest mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and prosciutto (Folco's Ristorante)
Brazilian-style fish cakes with cod, crab, mint, fennel, sundried tomato mayo, olives, roast onion (Five Lamps Chophouse & Tavern)
Steak frites (Five Lamps Chophouse & Tavern)
Filet mignon and lobster tail with garlic mashed potatoes (Bâton Rouge Steakhouse & Bar)
Steamed pork soup dumplings; pan-fried Shanghai-style pork buns; steamed rice cakes with shredded pork and pickled cabbage in soup; beef and leek pancake roll (Ding Tai Fung Shanghai Dim Sum)
Seafood hot pot udon noodles (Destiny Asian Fusion)
Salmon roses, bean curd sushi, and spicy salmon sushi; Las Vegas roll; Snow Roll; tuna ceviche on tortilla chips (Sushi Kiku)
Beef tataki; assorted sashimi; assorted maki; mushroom and mussel soup (Sushi Kiku)
Curry fish and beef ball skewers (Second level of Pacific Mall)
Egg waffles (Second level of Pacific Mall)
Delectable Me Waffle (Big Karma iced cream, caramelized banana, crème Anglaise, and cinnamon streusel); Hokey Pokey Waffle (honey Madagascar vanilla ice cream, brownies, and Belgian dark chocolate sauce); Blush Crêpe (Fraoula ice cream, fresh strawberries, French vanilla meringue, and Belgian white chocolate sauce), Streetcar Named Devour Crêpe (Chocolate ice cream, fresh strawberries, and Belgian dark chocolate) at Caffe Demetre
Gelato fiends: Raspberry + pistachio for me and Vivian, raspberry + blood orange for Chelsea; blood orange + lemon for me, strawberry + lemon for Vivian, blood orange + pear for Chelsea, and chocolate + pistachio for Kayla; mango + pear for me, mango + lemon for Vivian, and kiwi + pear for Chelsea (at Love Gelato)
Been trying to make more of an effort to explore new eateries and indie restaurants, so expect to see some new foods and places on here and on my Instagram. Hope you're all having good eats, too!

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Wifey, Brills, Grind, and Leather

Late last year, seemingly out of nowhere, ColourPop was suddenly everywhere. An indie brand out of Los Angeles with little to no marketing, ColourPop seemed to rocket into popularity, being mentioned all over the beauty blogosphere and YouTube in the span of maybe a week. Clearly, ColourPop knew how to make itself known in this day and age: Send your products to the biggest beauty names on social media and bam!, instantaneous hype. Mission accomplished. (Well-played, ColourPop. Well-played.) ColourPop prides itself on "making killer makeup in every shade imaginable in prices everyone can afford." The swatches and reviews that started popping up everywhere were too tempting, so naturally, I had to get in on the action and picked up 12 shades of Lippie Stix lip crayons. There is a total of 56 shades available, and they come in slim white retractable crayon barrels with colour-coded ends. They have a vanilla cookie scent, but no discernible taste. Each Lippie Stix contains 1 gram of product, and retails for $5 USD.

Wifey, Brills, Grind, and Leather
Wifey, Brills, Grind, and Leather

Wifey is a medium vibrant blue-toned magenta pink in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and brighter than ColourPop Pony, brighter and more purple than MAC Love Forever!, lighter than NARS Angela, and lighter and brighter than NARS Silvia.

Brills is a light-medium cool-toned lavender-lilac in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more purple and more matte than MAC Asian Flower, lighter and more muted than OCC Rollergirl, brighter and more pink than Kat Von D Coven, and more pink than NYX Lavender.

Grind is a medium-dark cool-toned magenta-violet in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter than ColourPop Leather, darker and more purple than ColourPop Fern, similar to MAC Heroine, and darker and brighter than Bite Beauty Violet.

Leather is a dark cool-toned plum-purple in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than ColourPop Grind, lighter and more magenta than ColourPop Feminist, darker than MAC Heroine, and lighter and brighter than MAC Smoked Purple.

Smooth? Check. Creamy? Check. Colour saturation? Check. The formulation doesn't seem to have any added benefits, but it's not meant to. After all, ColourPop is a brand that is focused on an extensive shade variety at affordable prices, and that's exactly what you should expect. I didn't find these shades dry or hydrating, but they are comfortable to wear while having a decent wear-time (an average of four to five hours, though darker and brighter shades wear up to eight); they don't have a lot of slip, but I didn't find that these tugged or dragged on the lips, either. As a whole, I found these shades to perform really well, applying smoothly and evenly with true and opaque colour pay-off. If you like lipstick crayons, these are absolutely worth checking out. You just can't go wrong for $5. They come in a huge variety of shades and six different finishes, and are especially great for those who like a more precise application with their lipsticks without having to veer into lip pencils.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Frida, Brink, Bound, and Lumière

Late last year, seemingly out of nowhere, ColourPop was suddenly everywhere. An indie brand out of Los Angeles with little to no marketing, ColourPop seemed to rocket into popularity, being mentioned all over the beauty blogosphere and YouTube in the span of maybe a week. Clearly, ColourPop knew how to make itself known in this day and age: Send your products to the biggest beauty names on social media and bam!, instantaneous hype. Mission accomplished. (Well-played, ColourPop. Well-played.) ColourPop prides itself on "making killer makeup in every shade imaginable in prices everyone can afford." The swatches and reviews that started popping up everywhere were too tempting, so naturally, I had to get in on the action and picked up 12 shades of Lippie Stix lip crayons. There is a total of 56 shades available, and they come in slim white retractable crayon barrels with colour-coded ends. They have a vanilla cookie scent, but no discernible taste. Each Lippie Stix contains 1 gram of product, and retails for $5 USD.

Frida, Brink, Bound, and Lumière
Frida, Brink, Bound, and Lumière

Frida is a medium warm-toned peachy pink in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter than ColourPop Clover, darker and more pink than ColourPop Button, lighter than MAC Cosmo, more muted and more peach than Bite Beauty Tatin.

Brink is a medium warm-toned peachy-pink brown in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more pink than MAC Taupe, more peach than NARS Vanessa, darker and more peach than Bite Beauty Léché, and darker than Bite Beauty Amaretto.

Bound is a light-medium cool-toned mauve-pink in a Glossy finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter than ColourPop Westie, cooler than MAC Angel, similar though more matte than MAC Creme Cup, cooler brighter and cooler than YSL 10 Beige Tribute.

Lumière is a medium-dark cool-toned mauve-plum in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It more muted than MAC Amorous, more plum than MAC Twig, similar to NARS Anna, and darker and more pink than Urban Decay Rush.

Smooth? Check. Creamy? Check. Colour saturation? Check. The formulation doesn't seem to have any added benefits, but it's not meant to. After all, ColourPop is a brand that is focused on an extensive shade variety at affordable prices, and that's exactly what you should expect. I didn't find these shades dry or hydrating, but they are comfortable to wear while having a decent wear-time (an average of four to five hours, though darker and brighter shades wear up to eight); they don't have a lot of slip, but I didn't find that these tugged or dragged on the lips, either. As a whole, I found these shades to perform really well, applying smoothly and evenly with true and opaque colour pay-off. If you like lipstick crayons, these are absolutely worth checking out. You just can't go wrong for $5. They come in a huge variety of shades and six different finishes, and are especially great for those who like a more precise application with their lipsticks without having to veer into lip pencils.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Tipsy, BFF, Button, and Cookie

Late last year, seemingly out of nowhere, ColourPop was suddenly everywhere. An indie brand out of Los Angeles with little to no marketing, ColourPop seemed to rocket into popularity, being mentioned all over the beauty blogosphere and YouTube in the span of maybe a week. Clearly, ColourPop knew how to make itself known in this day and age: Send your products to the biggest beauty names on social media and bam!, instantaneous hype. Mission accomplished. (Well-played, ColourPop. Well-played.) ColourPop prides itself on "making killer makeup in every shade imaginable in prices everyone can afford." The swatches and reviews that started popping up everywhere were too tempting, so naturally, I had to get in on the action and picked up 12 shades of Lippie Stix lip crayons. There is a total of 56 shades available, and they come in slim white retractable crayon barrels with colour-coded ends. They have a vanilla cookie scent, but no discernible taste. Each Lippie Stix contains 1 gram of product, and retails for $5 USD.

Tipsy, BFF, Button, and Cookie
Tipsy, BFF, Button, and Cookie

Tipsy is a light orange-peach in a Glossy finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly, but due to the nature of the colour, it can emphasize lip texture. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter and more orange than ColourPop BFF, more pigmented than MAC Razzledazzler, lighter and more muted than MAC Sushi Kiss, and brighter than Bite Beauty Syrah.

BFF is a light peachy beige in a Glossy finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly, but due to the nature of the colour, it can emphasize lip texture. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is softer and more beige than ColourPop Tipsy, brighter and less brown than MAC Freckletone, more peach than Bite Beauty Madeira, and less pink than Bite Beauty Syrah.

Button is a light-medium pinked peach in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more pink than ColourPop BFF, brighter and less brown than MAC Kinda Sexy, more peach than Bite Beauty Léché, and lighter and more peach than NARS Brigitte.

Cookie is a light-medium pinked peachy-brown in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Peachstock, lighter than MAC Velvet Teddy, lighter and more peach than Bite Beauty Honey Berry, and less pink than Bite Beauty Amaretto.

Smooth? Check. Creamy? Check. Colour saturation? Check. The formulation doesn't seem to have any added benefits, but it's not meant to. After all, ColourPop is a brand that is focused on an extensive shade variety at affordable prices, and that's exactly what you should expect. I didn't find these shades dry or hydrating, but they are comfortable to wear while having a decent wear-time (an average of four to five hours, though darker and brighter shades wear up to eight); they don't have a lot of slip, but I didn't find that these tugged or dragged on the lips, either. As a whole, I found these shades to perform really well, applying smoothly and evenly with true and opaque colour pay-off. If you like lipstick crayons, these are absolutely worth checking out. You just can't go wrong for $5. They come in a huge variety of shades and six different finishes, and are especially great for those who like a more precise application with their lipsticks without having to veer into lip pencils.

Friday Five: The Bard

This week's Friday Five:

1. In what way is all your world a stage? As a make-up artist, I'm always teaching people different ways of using make-up and tools or techniques, so it's like performing all the time. I even have an audience sometimes.
   
   
2. What is something wicked which this way comes? This fucking bipolar weather, a.k.a. Canadian Spring. It's almost May and it was snowing this morning.
   
   
3. Is the fault in us, in our stars, or in something else? Us, always us.
   
   
4. What will you be doing tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow? Tomorrow: Work then dinner and gelato with Vivian and Chelsea. Sunday: day off, dinner with family. Monday: work again.
   
   
5. What's your most recent pound of flesh made of? Hmm, nothing, really. I mean, I try not to get into situations where someone demands his/her pound of flesh from me, or vice versa. 

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Over this past winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" There is a total of ten shades available right now, all in pan-form only. Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten in a bundle package for $89 USD).

Clockwise from left: Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester
Mesmerized, Caitlin Rose, Center Stage, Houdini, and Jester

Magic Act is a dark warm-toned plummy taupe-brown in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and more plum than Ardency Inn Hell, more plum than Make Up For Ever ME-614 Graphite Brown, and more taupe and more metallic than MAC Twinks.

Caitlin Rose is a medium brightened blue-toned violet purple in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and brighter than Makeup Geek Pop Culture, lighter and brighter than Ardency Inn Royal, and brighter and more blue than MAC Violet Pigment.

Center Stage is a medium-dark brightened cobalt-royal blue with purple undertones in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more purple than Makeup Geek Neptune, more purple than Make Up For Ever D-222 Night Blue, and lighter, brighter, and more metallic than MAC Contrast.

Houdini is a dark cool-toned teal-green in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more blue than Make Up For Ever ME-302 Peacock, cooler than Urban Decay Loaded, and brighter than MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment (PRO).

Jester is a light-medium vibrant golden chartreuse in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more golden than Makeup Geek Pixie Dust, more muted and more golden than Make Up For Ever ME-338 Acidic Green, and more golden than MAC Lucky Green.

Yes, yes, yes! These are everything I imagined them to be, and well worth the hype they've been getting. Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing). Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments and Make Up For Ever's most metallic Artist Shadows. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual metal sheets on your lids.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime

For those who are familiar with Makeup Geek, you'll know that they've become the indie darling of the online beauty world over the past year. Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike are enamoured by Makeup Geek's eyeshadows, which are ultra-smooth, finely-milled, and incredibly pigmented for very affordable prices, partially due to its indie standing and partially because of its minimal packaging (as of now, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are only available in pan-form, so you have to purchase empty palettes to house them). Over this past winter, Makeup Geek released a new eyeshadow formulation called Foiled, which are described as "a creamy texture that is a hybrid between a powder shadow and a cream shadow that is on a level of its own. The intense pigmentation combined with an opaque, metallic finish make these shadows a dream to work with. These can be applied effortlessly in just one swipe with no primer required!" There is a total of ten shades available right now, all in pan-form only. Each Foiled Eyeshadow pan contains 1.8 grams of product, and retails for $9.99 USD (they also offer all ten in a bundle package for $89 USD).

Clockwise from left: Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime
Magic Act, In the Spotlight, Flame Thrower, Grandstand, and Showtime

Magic Act is a light warm-toned muted champagne gold in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to Ardency Inn Sunday, more yellow and more metallic than Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma, and more metallic than MAC Ricepaper.

In the Spotlight is a light warm-toned muted peachy pink in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more metallic than MAC Jest, more peach than MAC Naked Lunch, and brighter and more metallic than Make Up For Ever I-520 Pinky Sand.

Flame Thrower is a medium-dark brightened orange-toned copper in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter and more orange than Makeup Geek Goddess, more metallic and less red than MAC Coppering, and smoother and less sparkly than MAC Copper Sparkle Pigment.

Grandstand is a medium muted rose gold with brown undertones in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is less brown than Ardency Inn Rose Gold, brighter and more metallic than MAC All That Glitters, and lighter and warmer than Make Up For Ever ME-612 Silver Brown.

Showtime is a dark warm-toned rusty burgundy in a high metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, dense, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation to opaque colour pay-off. It is more metallic than Makeup Geek Burlesque, darker and more reddened than Makeup Geek Last Dance, and warmer and more orange-toned than MAC Heritage Rouge Pigment (PRO).

Yes, yes, yes! These are everything I imagined them to be, and well worth the hype they've been getting. Each Foiled Eyeshadow is so soft with such a dense, buttery texture that it feels almost like a cream shadow, but they are so pigmented that the littlest amount gives off full, rich, saturated colour pay-off, and they layer and blend out beautifully and easily like the best powder shadows. Of course, where these get their name from is the finish, which is so metallic that it literally looks like foil, whether or not you use primer (I would use primer regardless, especially if you're prone to oily lids or creasing). Makeup Geek doesn't market these as pressed pigments, but that's really what they are and how they perform. Formulation-wise, I find them to be the most similar to Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments and Make Up For Ever's most metallic Artist Shadows. I also reckon MAC Pigments would be similar if they added a binding agent to make them pressed. Basically, if you like metallic shadows, these are must-haves. It's pretty much one step away from putting actual metal sheets on your lids.

Sunday Video Love: FourFiveSeconds

So I actually quite like this song, but just cannot stand the atrocities that are Rihanna and Kanye's vocals. (I literally cannot get through the original because my ears, they bleed.) Enter this cover, which I'm sure is how the song is meant to sound.

Friday Five: Bonus Questions, 7

Friday Five Bonus Questions, Part 7:

1. What kinds of craft-making do you particularly enjoy? I don't do a ton of crafts nowadays, but I remember loving (and being quite good at) making friendship bracelets with both embroidery floss and gimp string.
   
   
2. What craft-making's appeal baffles you? I can honestly understand the appeal to all crafts because I love them (and wish I had more time to do them!). But one that I have no interest in is glassblowing. Because torches kinda freak me out.
   
   
3. What have you purchased from Etsy or similar websites? The most recent thing I purchased from Etsy was this sterling silver origami-style rabbit pendant necklace. My dad told me I had to wear a "metal rabbit" this year (Year of the Sheep) to balance out my ch'i (similarly, I had to wear a jade horse last year). But I've also purchased various glitter nail polishes from Hare Polish, and some cute key fobs from Leather Prince (before they inflated the prices like crazy, because I remember them being maybe $15 a pop and now they're running at $70 - $100, which is ridiculous).
   
   
4. What crafty item in your house gets the most use? Not gonna lie, I don't have a lot of craft items in my house anymore. After I moved to this house six years ago, we had to throw out a lot of things. But my childhood/teenage bedroom had lots of crafts that I made: origami cranes hanging from my windows, origami flowers in vases on bedside tables and chest of drawers, handcrafted picture frames, etc.
   
   
5. What qualities really make someone a good crafter? Patience, creativity, determination, and time.
   
   
6. What's your favourite animated, non-Disney, non-Pixar movie? My Neighbor Totoro. Technically, Disney distributes it now, but the version I have is by Fox Video.
   
   
7. What's your favourite teen movie? Clueless.
   
   
8. What's your favourite romantic movie? It's a tie between Amélie and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. I mean, it really depends if I'm feeling comedy or tragedy, you know?
   
   
9. What's your favourite action movie? Drive.
   
   
10. What's your favourite non-animated movie musical? Pitch Perfect (and I am so excited for Pitch Perfect 2 next month)! But I do also have a soft spot for The Sound of Music. It's one of the first movies I ever watched.

Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Taffy, Nude Beach, and Naughty Nude

A couple months ago, I went on a random jaunt to Sephora and found myself having a swatch party at the Too Faced section. There's been a lot of hype over their Melted liquid lipsticks, but not nearly the same amount of hoopla over the La Crème formula, and it completely baffles me because they are wonderful. Too Faced describes it as "a rich and creamy lip colour infused with moisturizing and strengthening benefits including white lotus flower and power peptides." There are 20 shades in total, available in four colour ranges, and have a light lemon cake scent but no real discernible taste. Each La Crème lipstick comes in a slim matted gold tube, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $26.

Taffy, Nude Beach, and Naughty Nude
Taffy, Nude Beach, and Naughty Nude

Taffy is a light warm-toned peachy pink with a luminous shine. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy, balm-like texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is warmer than MAC Angel, more pink than MAC Shy Girl, brighter than YSL 6 Rose Bergamasque, and lighter than Tom Ford Pink Dusk.

Nude Beach is a light warm pink nude with a luminous shine. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy, balm-like texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is pinker and more pigmented than MAC Peach Blossom, slightly more pink than MAC Pure Pout, slightly darker than YSL 10 Beige Tribute, and more pink than Urban Decay Naked2.

Naughty Nude is a light-medium warm peachy brown with a luminous shine. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy, balm-like texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is more peach than MAC Jubilee, more brown than MAC Freckletone, more brown than Chanel 89 Satisfaction, and more brown than NARS Raquel.

I am in love with these — so much so that La Crème has entered my Top 5 favourite lipstick formulas of all time. They're creamy and ultra-comfortable to wear with a glossy finish, but they have excellent colour pay-off. Unlike Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine, YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine, and MAC's Sheen Supreme, which are the most comparable in terms of finish and texture, these ones have a longer wear-time (around four hours), and they remain hydrating like an actual lip balm without getting overly creamy or "melty." These are an amazing option for those who tend to go for lipstick-lip balm hybrids, but want saturated colour pay-off. (Also, they have a most delightful lemon cake scent.) I got the nude shades to start, but you can be sure that I will be hoarding many, many more.

Sunday Video Love: Robbers

The Lungleys covering The 1975 song inspired by True Romance? So much win. I'm raping the replay button.

Friday Five: Extinction

Last week's Friday Five:

1. What's the coolest of the extinct animal species? Steller's sea cow. 'Cause, hello, sea cows. They were like manatees the size of whales!


2. What classification (however you want to define that) of human being seems to be an endangered species? Genuinely selfless, kind-hearted people. 


3. How do you feel about the disappearance of the neighbourhood video rental store? Kinda sad, but only for nostalgic reasons. I miss the adventure of going in the store, browsing all the new releases or old films that looked interesting. I don't miss rewinding tapes, though. Or paying the late fee (and I always paid that damn late fee). Realistically, they had to go. It's cheaper to buy DVDs these days than rent, and it's way more efficient to download movies or TV shows.


4. What's an older technology that you consider better than a newer technology that's replaced it? Books. I just like good ol' bound paper books. Fuck those fucking e-readers. 


5. What no-longer-available snack item do you miss most? Oh, god, there are so many. McDonald's Shake Shake Fries, Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars (apparently, these are still available in the US, but I haven't seen them here in quite some time), Flintstones Push Up Sherbet Pops, Rice Krispies Treats Cereal, Soda-Licious Soda Pop Fruit Snacks, Snapple Elements (my favourite flavour was Rain, a.k.a. Agave Cactus)... And, finally, Clearly Canadian! It was my favourite childhood drink and was discontinued years ago, but they put out an incentive to bring it back (if 25,000 cases are pre-ordered, it will be put back into production), and they're actually starting production this May (I myself pre-ordered a case each of Mountain Blackberry and Orchard Peach)!

Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer in Carrie & Big and Ross & Rachel

A couple months ago, Too Faced released a new and limited edition product called Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer. Too Faced describes it as "the power couple of beauty. A duo made in heaven to add warmth, contour, and a pop of colour for the radiant look of true love. Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer combines a shimmering, sun-kissed bronze and a brightening pop of blush that can be used separately or blended together for a healthy, beautiful flush." Soul Mates comes in two shade options: Carrie & Big and Ross & Rachel. Each Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer comes in a black heart-shaped mirrored compact, contains 18 grams of product, and retails for $42.

Carrie & Big
Carrie & Big

Carrie & Big (blush) is a medium warm peach coral with a soft sheen. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 brighter and more peach than Too Faced Peach Beach, brighter than MAC Melba, more coral than MAC Peaches, lighter and more peach than NARS Torrid, and more orange than Clinique Peach Pop.

Carrie & Big (bronzer) is a medium warm golden tan with a satin finish. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 less matte than Too Faced Milk Chocolate, more yellow than Too Faced Ross & Rachel, and darker and more yellow than MAC Golden.

Carrie & Big (mixed) is a medium warm golden apricot with a soft sheen. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 darker and more peach than Too Faced Peach Beach, more brown and more golden than MAC Sunbasque, slightly more brown than Becca Wild Honey, more peach than NARS Laguna, and darker and less shimmery than NARS Luster.

Ross & Rachel
Ross & Rachel

Ross & Rachel (blush) is a medium cool-toned cotton candy pink with a soft sheen. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 cooler and less shimmery than Too Faced Candy Glow, less cool-toned than MAC Peony Petal, and lighter and more muted than Clinique Plum Pop.

Ross & Rachel (bronzer) is a medium warm tan bronze with a satin finish. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 less matte than Too Faced Milk Chocolate, more bronze than Too Faced Carrie & Big, and similar to MAC Dark Tan Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

Ross & Rachel (mixed) is a medium warm rosy bronze with a satin finish. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and 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 more orange and less shimmery than Too Faced Pink Leopard, warmer and more brown than Becca Sweetpea, more golden than MAC Bronze, cooler and less orange than MAC Eternal Sun, and darker and more bronze than MAC Warm Soul.

Too Faced has always had a strong bronzer game, and these two are no exceptions. The texture is different from anything else that Too Faced has brought out before, but is familiar to a few other brands. It's very similar to the Clinique Cheek Pop or MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Blush formulas; it's that kind of liquid-powder hybrid that is extremely lightweight, but incredibly soft and silky, and applies like a dream. Because these are meant to give an "allover, natural-looking flush," they start off semi-sheer and are buildable to semi-opaque colour pay-off, and leave a softly illuminated sheen that sits naturally on the skin without veering into shimmery territory. My only complaint is that the blush portion of the powder is quite small, so if you want to use it on its own, you're going to have to get a smaller, denser face brush (something like MAC's #109). I personally love using the two shades blended together as gorgeous glowy, sun-kissed cheek colours, but both bronzer shades work beautifully on their own to add a believable warmth to the skin. Because of the texture, you can never really overdo these ones (e.g. no Oompa Loompa face). Plus, you get a lot of product for the price, and the heart-shaped compacts are adorable. (And how much do I freakin' love that they named them after two of the most iconic couples in modern-day television? Like, I would've gotten these for the names alone.) Now, the sad news: they're both limited edition. The good news: they're still available online and at many Sephora locations.