Rêve Noir

Save Me Glitter Gradient

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hoooooly cow...I think it's been months since I painted my nails! It's tough, now, because I work the serving job in the evenings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so I can only really wear polish Sunday through Wednesday. And on Sunday (my only day off during the week), I'm either too lazy to paint my nails, or am too busy running errands to do so.

That all being said...Monday of last week (yes, I'm late posting this), I painted my nails. I had picked up Save Me from the Nikki Minaj OPI collection the weekend before, and wanted to take it for a test drive without fully covering my nails in glitter (which is a giant pain to take off).

This manicure is two coats of China Glaze's Shower Together, with a coat of Seche Vite, then three graduated coats of Save Me, and a final coat of Seche Vite. I like the way it looks...makes me think of winter!

And a close up of the fingers for good measure...

So what do you think? I like this glitter! It's pretty unique with the holographic (and seemingly blue) bar glitter that's incorporated. Next polish splurge will be the whole Finger Paints Special Effects collection...if my Sally Beauty store ever gets it in!

Marcelle's BB Cream on Global News Toronto

2012-01-25T14:44:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to take a quick minute to share the following video...Global News Toronto did a piece on BB's cream and Marcelle's introduction of the first one to the Canadian market. Our friendly, neighborhood Marcelle/Annabelle PR rep, Isabel, also makes an appearance!

#YEG: Winter Wonderlands

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

(#YEG is the Twitter has tag for the city of Edmonton...it's also Edmonton's airport code. I'm using it when I post about Edmonton-specific events or highlights that I happen to talk about. Not sure how often it'll happen, but it should be fun!)

Last Wednesday I headed out with my roommate to see the pre-screening of the movie Shame, starring Michael Fassbender. While I'm not sure whether I liked the movie or not (it was quite slow and seemed kind of pointless), the roomie and I had some fun perusing some ice and snow sculptures beforehand.

The initial plan was to visit Ice On Whyte, however it was pretty cold that day (-30*C or colder with the windchill), so when we arrived at the location, it was closed. The Government of Alberta was holding its own winter festival at the same time (to celebrate the 30th anniversary twinning of Alberta with the Chinese province of Heilongjiang), so we decided to trek across the river to check it out.

The place was pretty much deserted, but the ice and snow sculptors were still out, and there were a few ice and snow sculptures to see!

A broad view of the area near the Alberta Legislature buildings

Snow sculpture of a tiger...while hard to photograph, it was one of my favorites, as according to Chinese astrology, I was born in the year of the tiger

An icy recreation of the Alberta Legislature building

Ice panda munching on some ice bamboo

Ferocious ice dinosaur!

My favorite, carved by the winner of the ice sculpting competition (roomie and I couldn't figure out what it was at first, haha)

Overall, it was a pretty good time. There was also a stop at Coney Island Candy (for some sweet treats!) between ice sculptures and the movie.

It's a LUSH Bomb! (or Three)

2012-01-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

What could be in the pretty little LUSH baggies?!

Before Christmas, I went on a bit of a shopping spree - I got some much-needed t-shirts, some (faux) gold jewelry, a pair of comfortable/fuzzy pants, and a couple of other things. Within that haul were a few goodies from LUSH that I wanted to try. I'm a big fan of their bath bombs and bubble bars, and had heard that there were some new varieties (both for Christmas and newly permanent ones), so I took a trip to the store itself and walked out with these three bath bombs.

Dragon's Egg

LUSH Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb (CAD$5.95)

Dragon's Egg is, according to the LUSH website, supposedly be a "vibrant citrus awakening". While I don't find the lemon scent undesirable, it is quite strong, and stunk up my bedroom (where I was storing it), prior to being used in the bath. I wouldn't recommend you use this bath bomb before trying to sleep, since its strong scent really does wake you up.

The neat thing about Dragon's Egg (and, admittedly, most of the reason I got it), is that it changes color throughout your bathtime. It goes from its unassuming white color to orange, and then as it continues to dissolve, a golden centre with glitter. It's like a surprise in the tub!

Dragon's Egg making pretty swirlies in the tub.

From unassuming white bath bomb, to glittery golden centre!

Cinders

LUSH Cinders Bath Bomb (CAD$4.95)

Cinders, as you can see, is a gorgeous orange color with bit of colored "sugar" on the top of it. It smells of cinnamon, and I'm a sucker for that scent (and vanilla). It's a nice "warming" bath bomb, so you should probably have this in your "bath time arsenal" during the winter months.

Phoenix Rising

LUSH Phoenix Rising Bath Bomb (CAD$5.95)

Phoenix Rising smells of apple cinnamon...so maybe more along the lines of apple pie or apple crisp than I'd like. Though I like the smell, I'm not sure yet how I feel about my bath smelling like the kitchen. That being said, I think it's the most gorgeous bath bomb I've ever seen. I commented when I saw it in-store that it looks like Peacock Ore, a rock that I have in my rock collection. And no kidding, it does, right down to the shimmery gold on top!

(Image from Google Image Search)

So that's it - my most recent LUSH purchases! Be sure to let me know what your thoughts are if you try any of these yourself...or any other delicious goodies that you think we shouldn't go without.

China Glaze ElectroPop Collection - Spring 2012

2012-01-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Got this press release on Friday (sorry it took me a couple days to get up). I asked the PR rep, and there will likely be more info on China Glaze Magnetix and the Colors from the Capitol coming soon!

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Los Angeles, CA - (January 2012): Where heavy metal meets rocker chic, China Glaze® introduces the Spring 2012 collection, ElectroPop. Inspired by all things girly, edgy and fun, the 12 shades of ElectroPop bring out the inner rock star in all. For flash and glam this spring, China Glaze® hits the stage in style!

ElectroPop Shades include:
Kinetic Candy – Touch the sky in light blue crème
Electric Beat – Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance
Aquadelic – Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun
Gaga For Green – Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight
Sunshine Pop – Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow
Make Some Noise – Rock the mic in tangerine
Wicked Style – Party cocktail tropical punch
Fuchsia Fanatic – Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all
Gothic Lolita – Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple
Dance Baby – Hit center stage in cotton candy pink
Sweet Hook – Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac
Techno – Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

ElectroPop is also available in:
- 6 Piece Collection of “Brights”: Techno, Aquadelic, Sunshine Pop, Gaga for Green, Make Some Noise and Wicked Style
- 6 Piece Collection of “Lights”: Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook and Gothic Lolita
- 12 Piece 3D Counter Display
- 36 Piece Rack

Lights Collection, left to right: Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook and Gothic Lolita

Brights Collection, left to right: Techno, Aquadelic, Sunshine Pop, Gaga for Green, Make Some Noise and Wicked Style

ElectroPop will be available February 2012. Individual shades retail for US$7; 6 piece collections retail for US$42.

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Are you guys excited for this collection? I like a lot of the colors, but at the same time already have similar polishes in my collection. I think I might be more excited for Colors from the Capitol...or some China Glaze flakies if they ever come out with some!

BB Cream – Coming to Canada Thanks to Marcelle Cosmetics!

2012-01-16T10:51:00.001-07:00

Marcelle Cosmetics has officially announced that it will be introducing the first Canadian-made BB Cream to Canada, available in stores on February 6, 2012.

The BB in BB Cream stands for “beauty balm”, but has also been referred to as “blemish base”, “blemish balm” and “beauty base”. If you’re not familiar with BB creams, they’re a trend that started in Asia (as many things do!) and grew in popularity to the point that they’ve started making their way overseas. Basically, a BB cream is a multi-purpose cream that helps perfect and hydrate the skin.

A few things the Marcelle BB Cream does are:
- Minimizes the appearance of imperfections and pores
- Evens out skin tone
- Acts as a makeup base and replaces primers
- Mattifies skin and controls shine
- Offers immediate and long-term hydration
- Sooths and calms skin
- Protects from premature aging and environmental stresses
- Promote skins regeneration

The Marcelle BB Cream will be available in two shades that adapt to each person’s individual skin tone, and is perfect for any age and suitable for all skin types. The BB Cream will have a suggested retail price of CAD$22.95 (for 45ml) and will be sold in pharmacies, drugstores and mass retail stores across Canada starting February 6, 2012.

Now, on to the fun part for you guys! You’re able to order Marcelle’s BB Cream before it even hits store shelves, starting TODAY! It’s available for its regular price of CAD$22.95 at shop.marcelle.com in limited quantities, so if you want to get your hands on this stuff early, act quickly. Shipping is also free for any purchase over CAD$25 (before taxes), so now’s a great time to pick up any other Marcelle goodies that you may have had your eye on.

If you’d rather wait for a review before trying out this new product, I should be getting my hands on my own tube of BB Cream shortly, so stay tuned for that!

So, who’s excited about BB Creams finally arriving in Canada?

(information for this post provided by Marcelle Cosmetics)

China Glaze Has Magnetic Polishes?!

2012-01-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was watching a few videos on YouTube this morning while I ate my breakfast and this was one that popped up in my subscription box...

I'm amused by these - might get one or two. Not really sure though, since I'm lazy and can't really be bothered to sit there that long with a magnet. That being said, these are definitely at a better price point than, say, Nails Inc. Might be worth checking out!

A Look to End 2011

2012-01-11T10:00:00.001-07:00

Okay...so this is the makeup I wore to ring in 2012! Or at least I planned to ring in 2012. I actually wasn't even awake for the clock to strike midnight, because I made myself sick.

I've had adverse reactions to protein powders before, but most of the time I just get an itchy mouth or an upset stomach. This time, at about 3:30pm, I tried some Visalis powder in a shake, and by about 5:00pm I was feeling quite nauseous. I figured it'd go away like before, so I went on with my New Year's plans and headed out to a friend's place for 8:00pm. By 9:00pm, I had locked myself in their downstairs bathroom, and puked my guts out (among other things) off and on between sleeping until 7:00am the next day. I was finally able to get some sleep till 11:00am, and then spent the next seven hours dozing off and on at their place, afraid to drive home. The next two days, I barely ate anything. Needless to say, my 2012 did not get off to a good start.

But I'm feeling better, and am able to post about my look from that night! At least I looked kinda cute, even though I didn't feel it!

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
Annabelle Zebra Bronze in Haute Gold
Bobbi Brown Face Highlighter Pen in Opal

Eyes:
MAC Pigment in Silver Fog on inner half of lid and inner half of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Knight Divine on outer half of lid and outer half of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Black Tied to darken crease and on outer third of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Parfait Amour just above crease, blended into the grey
MAC Eyeshadow in Seedy Pearl as highlight
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Lustering
MAC Dazzleglass in Pleasure Principle

Oh, and did I mentioned I curled my hair a bit for something different?

You may also have noticed I dyed my hair dark(er) again...what do you think? It looks black, but it's more of a dark brown!

Frosty Pink and a Touch of Brown

2012-01-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Long time no makeup post!

This look was from this past Saturday - I tend to have more time to do my makeup all nice on Saturdays before I work at the restaurant. That, and it's nice to look extra nice for the peeps coming in (even though my uniform is a t-shirt with the restaurant's logo and a pair of jeans). I actually had someone ask for my phone number for the first time since working there...so we'll see where that goes!

I was inspired for this makeup by a random picture I found on Google by searching "sophisticated makeup" or something of the like. Sadly, I didn't keep the picture, because it wasn't really a great one to begin with...the eyeshadow in it just made me try something new, is all!

I have pictures from my New Year's makeup and have yet to post it...will do so soon!

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in On A Mission
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Pink Freeze on inner quarter of lid
MAC Eyeshadow in Swish on middle of lid and inner third of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Corduroy on outer third of lid and outer bit of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Bronze on outer third of lid (on top of Corduroy), outer two thirds of lower lash line, and into crease
MAC Eyeshadow in Black Tied in outer V and on outer third of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Seedy Pearl on lower brow bone
MAC Eyeshadow in Orb as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Corrupt on upper lash line
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Lips:
MAC Lipgelee in Shift to Pink

Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say...

Stormy Blue

2011-12-31T11:00:00.002-07:00

Again, this is another Saturday look that was done prior to heading into the restaurant for work. This is yet another one using my "new" Inglot eyeshadows. I seem to reach for them more often than not when I'm trying to do something different. Maybe it's the novelty of them...or maybe it's because I just love the colors and how they go on. Either way, they're in my store of favorite makeup things right now!

Face:
Lise Watier Portofolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Fun & Games

Eyes:
Inglot Eyeshadow in P434 all over lid
Inglot Eyeshadow in P428 in outer V and into crease
Inglot Eyeshadow in M328 as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Binge on lower lash line
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Lips:
Marcelle Rouge Xpressions Lipstick in Attitude

Aaaand, since I can't decide which full face picture I like the best, you get both...

Electric Peacock Eyes

2011-12-28T13:00:00.001-07:00

Saturdays are typically when I have more time to play around with my makeup, not to mention there's a little bit more leniency when I'm only working at a restaurant versus an office environment. I try to keep things tame for the bank ;) Anyways, as such, I tend to come up with more unique and elaborate makeup looks on Saturday than any other day. This was one of them...

I wanted something colorful, and therefore decided to play with the teal color that was part of my Inglot haul back in October. It's quite bright in the pan, but paired with the right color can be rather wearable...but still fun! I got numerous compliments on this look from staff and customers alike, so I think I achieved my goal! ;)

I didn't take a full face picture, though I can't remember why. Either way, you only get to see pics of the eye look.

Eyes:
Inglot Eyeshadow in DS504 all over lid
Inglot Eyeshadow in DS482 in outer V and into crease
Inglot Eyeshadow in DS463 as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Electric on upper and lower inner corner of eye
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Ransom on outer three quarters of lower lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Asphyxia on lower lash line, blending Electric and Ransom into each other
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2011!

2011-12-25T10:00:00.002-07:00

I know I haven't been around much for the past few months, but I still wanted to take this opporunity to say thanks to those of you who read on a regular basis. It's been a pleasure being a part of the blogging community, especially the beauty-centric part of it!

I also would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays wherever you are in the world!

A Golden Wing and the Moulin Rouge

2011-12-23T14:00:00.001-07:00

I went to work at the restaurant a couple of Fridays ago, and one of the girls that works in the kitchen was rocking a red lip and some winged eye liner. I was inspired by her look, and told her I really enjoyed it...and that maybe I'd wear red lipstick the next day.

So that's what I did! I took it up a notch a bit and added some gold eyeshadow...but I wasn't overly happy with the way the black liner turned out. It seems that my pot of MAC Blacktrack is drying out a bit, and as such started flaking once dry after being applied. Not to mention the line I made was way too thick, and in close up pictures make my eyes look quite small - and I can rock dark eye makeup with the best of them! I think I mostly just don't like the look on me because of my hooded eyes. Ahh well...I did love the red lipstick and overall effect!

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Fun & Games

Eyes:
Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadow in Goldilux all over lid
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack on upper lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon on lower lash line
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Lips:
Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Moulin Rouge

I also like the full face shot!

My New Reading Buddy

2011-12-21T12:49:00.001-07:00

After extensive thought and consideration, I decided it would be a good investment to purchase an eReader for my daily trips on public transit (to and from work). I have a tendency to enjoy reading large, cumbersome books that take up valuable space in my purse/bag, and it was getting tiring to always have to lug those suckers around.

After discovering that the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) loans out eBooks in addition to regular books, I did a bit more research into which eReader I would get, since there are quite a few options, the (seemingly) most popular being the Sony eReader, Kindle and Kobo.

I played with the Sony version at Best Buy and really didn't enjoy the interface, and discovered that the Kobo Touch was much more user friendly (at least for me). Being that I love Amazon.ca, I wanted to check out the Kindle, but discovered that it isn't compatible with the eBook system that the EPL uses, so that idea was scrapped. So it was in that manner that I decided I'd get the Kobo Touch.

The Kobo Touch in box with its cute case that I got for it.

I picked up my Kobo from Indigo (a Chapters/Coles affiliate store), since it's the same price everywhere right now (CAD$119 until December 24), and Indigo seemed to have the best selection of affordable cases. My case is a purple leather-like one, and it fits the Kobo nicely without being bulky...and it still protects it pretty good.

My Kobo in its lovely purple case, safe and sound!

I've only had my Kobo for a few days, and I cannot express how happy I am with it! With the eInk technology, it's just like reading a book...but much, much smaller. And as far as purchasing books, it's about the same price if not cheaper than regular paperbacks. And there's always the option of borrowing from the library!

Hmm...instead of singing its praises, why don't I show you what I mean?

Phsyical book (Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey) versus the Kobo version (front of "book").

Phsyical book (Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey) versus the Kobo version (spine of "book").

Now you see why I'm so taken with this thing! Highly recommended to anyone that's an avid reader like I am! :)

My First Attempt at Decorated Cookies!

2011-12-21T12:33:00.002-07:00

Look! Cute Christmas cookies! (and excess alliteration)

I've been following the Sweet Sugar Belle blog for a while now, and I never cease to be amazed by some of the things she comes up with for her cookies. No kidding guys - these things are works of art!

Since I've been on a baking kick, I baked up some chocolate roll-out cookies to decorate and bring into the restaurant I work for (so I wouldn't eat them all myself). I decorated the cookies in stages, and did a bunch of different kinds for variety (though I only used about six colors of icing total). The icing was mint-flavorerd, by the way...yes, I'm a fan of mint + chocolate.

I drew inspiration from numerous sources, and this is what I cam up with...

Snowflakes of varying colors, with sanding sugar on the second layer to add some sparkle.

Stars, snowmen, random candies/Christmas-y things and candy canes.

Christmas trees (some with sparkly garlands) and holly leaves.

I also decided to do something extra special for the owners of the Mexican restaurant...and since I had some gingerbread men that I didn't really want to make into gingerbread men, they became luchadores.

Aren't they cute?! I'm especially proud of these little guys!

I must say, decorating cookies is not for the faint of heart or anyone that doesn't have a bit of time to spare. I did these over a couple of days near the beginning of December, since I had some time off. I baked the cookies on the Sunday, and decorated them (in three stages) on Monday afternoon/evening. All in all, there was probably a few hours put into them.

And just for fun, here are some "in process" pictures of the cookies!

Oh, and Krista's (my roommate) messed up dalmation I made for her out of the extra gingerbread man...

Anyways, hope that brought a bit of holiday cheer to your day...and maybe some inspiration to do some Christmas baking!

More Chocolate Goodies!

2011-11-30T16:38:00.001-07:00

Yes, I've been baking again! I wanted to wait to bake until I received the cookie/baking books that I ordered from Amazon.ca, since I wanted to make sure I was baking something that I really wanted to try! Now, I'm on a "diet" (I hate that word...), so I can't really eat much of my baking, but I got to try some on Sunday when I baked it, as it was my free day. The rest went to the roomie and my fellow co-workers at the Mexican restaurant.

The first thing I made was some double chocolate cookies. They're basically a chocolate-based cookie with white chocolate chips (supposed to be chocolate chunks, but I couldn't find any). The white chocolate adds a nice "break" to the regular chocolate, so it's not overbearingly rich.

Double chocolate chunk cookies (sorry for the filthy plate, I swear it's clean, it just looks gross!)

The other thing I made is something that I enjoyed more than the cookies, as good as they were, because I'm a huge fan of chocolate and mint: peppermint cream bites. They're basically a layer of Oreo cookie crust, a layer of peppermint cream filling (essentially a less buttery buttercream) and finally topped off with some semi-sweet baking chocolate. Though delicious, they definitely didn't cut neatly like I wanted them to, beceause of how hard the crust ended up being. I think next time, I'll just try making mint nanaimo bars...I like the crust better on those!

Peppermint cream bites

I'm really in the mood to bake lately, and I have some cookie/icing supplies now for decorating roll-out cookies. I have a couple extra days off this weekend (using up holiday days!) so I might bake and ice some cookies and see how that goes. Oh, and I have a baking surprise for someone that might be reading this...so I might do that this weekend, too, and ship it out to her!

Anyways, gotta run...stay tuned for more baking stuff! And hopefully some makeup type stuff, too!

Sharing Some Random Looks

2011-11-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

Though my blog seems to be focusing on other things, I still periodically take pictures of the makeup I do when I'm inspired, or doing something that you haven't seen too many times before. That being said, I haven't really dedicated the time to editing the pictures and posting them on here for all of you to see. I'm taking this opportunity to share a couple of looks I've done (semi) recently!

The first one is a quick eye of the day I did using my Inglot shadows. I don't really remember which ones, so just take a peek and see how pretty the blurple shade is (I'm pretty sure it's DS482).

The next look is a full-face look that I did because I wanted to play with AMC19 (the neat duochromey green). I think it was DS498 that I used to darken the outer bits of the eyes, and some random lip colors (a Quo lipstick pencil?) to get the look I had on the lips.

Anyhoo, those are the couple things I wanted to share with you...hope you enjoyed! And I know I keep saying this, but hopefully I'll be able to share more frequently!

Homemade Chocolate Meringue Cookies

2011-11-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

After my foray into ice cream making last week, I had some egg whites left over (four, to be exact). I didn't want to make an egg white omelette, so I did some research and decided to make some homemade meringue cookies - especially since my roomie had expressed that she really likes them.

I didn't want them to be boring meringues, though, so I researched how to add flavor by more than just adding extract...and my chocolate meringues were born!

This is a pretty basic recipe - I won't share the whole thing, but you basically beat some egg whites (I enlisted Rubi Woo's help), add some sugar, vanilla, a bit of cornstarch and your flavor (in this case, it was cocoa). It mentioned that you should add cream of tartar as well, but I didn't have any, so I ignored that and they turned out okay. I also folded in some chocolate chips for an extra little "surprise", although I'd probably leave them out next time.

You essentially pipe the meringues onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper - or if you're being lazy like me, just plop them on using a spoon.

See? They're still cute!

Aaaand, then you bake them in a fairly "cool" oven for an hour, and you have meringues! They're nice and crunchy on the outside, but moist and gooey on the inside (they're cooked, don't worry). Tasty!

I can't wait to experiment with other flavors. Mint chocolate anyone?

Review – PMD (Personal MicroDerm)

2011-11-15T13:36:00.003-07:00

Packaging:

The Personal MicroDerm (PMD) comes in a cardboard box with the tool and its attachments fitted snugly into cutouts in carboard – there’s no moving around for these parts! Once you have the PMD out of the packaging, though, it becomes kind of unimportant, since it’d be impossible to get it all back in there – and who wants to dig a tool like this out every time they want to use it?

The PMD comes with the tool itself, that has a clear plastic “guard” surrounding the disc that performs the microdermabrasion (the guard also helps the tool obtain suction). There are also replacement discs included – a couple of the green (medium) and a couple of the blue (sensitive) in both the face and body sizes. There is also an electric cord so that you can power the tool and asecond “guard” that will fit the body-sized discs. Finally, there is an instructional CD and brochure.

Product:

Rather than writing a long-winded explanation of what exactly the PMD is and what it does, I figured I’d share with you the video put together by PMD to show how to use the tool. This is actually the video that is included on the CD, so if you get the PMD and happen to lose the CD, you’ll still have access to this. Anyways, take a peek – I’ll provide my experience with the tool below.

The first time I used the PMD I was a little surprised...it almost looked like someone had taken a bit of sandpaper to my skin and my skin looked dusty. But I rinsed off the “extra skin” and my face looked great, albeit slightly red. I moisturized, went on my merry way, and my face was fine the next morning.

The second time I used the PMD, about a week and a half later, I didn’t have quite the same result, so the exfoliation from the first time must have helped. My skin wasn’t quite as sensitive as the first time.

The third time I used the PMD, again with a week and a half break in between uses, it was about the same as the second time.

Swatches:

There are no swatches, as this is not a color cosmetics product.

Price:

This product was provided to me for review purposes, therefore I did not purchase it myself. The system can be purchased on the PMD website for US$179.00, and replacement discs cost US$14.99.

Overall:

While I believe that this tool would have value for someone that has more problematic skin than I do, I’m not 100% sold on the fact that it’s overly beneficial for me. My skin has always been relatively well-behaved, and I don’t feel that performing a microdermabrasion treatment once a week has made it much better, if at all. After a few weeks, my skin does feel slightly softer, but there isn’t a noticeable difference besides that, as I’m still getting the small bumps/acne on my forehead and around my temples that I’ve been experiencing as of late.

Overall, I likely wouldn’t purchase this for myself, since I don’t feel there’s payoff for me. However, if someone suffers from problematic skin, or has age spots, scars, etc. that they want to reduce, I think this might be a good investment for them – especially if they don’t want to shell out the money for regular microdermabrasion treatments at the spa.

Homemade Smartie Ice Cream FTW!

2011-11-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

This is my first bit of fun I've had with my new mixer - which I've decided to call Rubi Woo, after some consulting with friends.

I had bought the ice cream attachment for the KitchenAid as well, as I'm sure you know, and was just itching to use it. So, I took the French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from the KitchenAid cookbook, and made it. Then I added some crushed up Smartie pieces (they were a little too crushed, unfortunately), and it made it into Smartie ice cream!

While it was delicious, I found it was a bit too rich for my taste, as the recipe called for equal parts half-and-half and whipping cream. You know that filmy feeling that you get in your mouth when you ingest cream? I got that when I ate this ice cream, and didn't like it. So I'll have to research for more gelato-ish or ice milk recipes, and keep experimenting from there. I also have some neat ideas for some sorbets!

Anyways, that's it for now - until next time!

My Latest Toy!

2011-11-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned that I have a new roommate, as of October 15. She’s not really “new” anymore, as it’s been a few weeks, but we’ve had a great time getting to know each other. She’s a great girl, and as much as I do love living alone, it’s nice having someone around to chat to for even a few minutes a day, or do grocery runs together.

She works at Bed Bath and Beyond (like me, she has a couple jobs), and she invited me to a special shopping event where employees and friends/family members they invite receive 30% their purchases for one night only. This happened last night, and was quite fun! I had planned ahead of time what I was going to get, so I wanted to share with you what that is, since you’ll probably be seeing the fruits of it on here relatively frequently.

My KitchenAid Artisan Mixer with ice cream maker attachment, fresh in the box!

Yes, that’s a KitchenAid mixer. Yes, they’re expensive. But, here’s the thing – it was 30% off, something I’ve never seen before, and I’ve been keeping my eyes on these guys for a couple of years, as that’s how long I’ve been wanting one for. I splurged and got the ice cream maker attachment as well, since homemade ice cream will be tons of fun, and I can make healthier things like sorbet!

Freshly unboxed with all the nifty parts...

Even for the past week that I’ve been thinking about buying this baby, making sure that I want to get it, I’ve been thinking about all the neat things that I want to do with it. I’ve actually been inspired by a lot of food blogs, specifically Sweet Sugar Belle [http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/] and her cookie decorating, that I want to start doing little “kitchen projects” when I can. And of course, will try to keep some of them healthy...

KitchenAid Mixer in its new home on my butcher block, beside the microwave.

So now I have a dilemma...I can’t go on calling KitchenAid Mixer something so boring! It needs a name, so please help me think of one! If it’s any help, it’s an Artisan mixer, the color is Empire Red, and I like foreign languages. Haha...let’s see what we can all come up with!

THIS is Why I Like Blogging

2011-11-03T13:13:00.001-06:00

Less than a week ago, a few bloggers and I were going on (on Twitter) about how awesome a particular brand's PR rep is. She refers to us as "her" beauty bloggers, and we all think that's pretty neat, as she's a very sweet individual and is always fun to talk to. At one point, it was suggested that we should have a badge to put on our blogs, indicating that we're "hers". Everyone thought it was a neat idea, so a badge was made up by the brand and sent out to us this week. The below is the accompanying email from the (mysterious) PR rep...published with her permission of course!

Dearest, dearest, DEAREST Beauty Bloggers,

The attached badge was created further to many of the loveliest tweets I ever read in my life. Feel free to display it on your blog.

THANK YOU for being the quality person you are and for being a beauty blogger with a passion. You make my job fun and worthwhile. You gave me the chance to develop strengths and talents I didn’t know I had.

There is a reason why I call you “MY” Beauty Bloggers. It is not with any pretention. It’s isn’t vanity. I guess it may be comparable to the maternal instinct a lot of the mommy bloggers I deal with must have: it is the innate feeling to protect what is precious.

I first started using the expression “MY” Beauty Bloggers with colleagues at the office. “Isabel, maybe I could ask a blogger for this or that?” The protective mother instinct arose. You want to do what with MY Beauty Bloggers? They are not to be treated as such! I always feel it is my role to be protective and cherish those whom I feel are dear to my heart.

A brand or a PR person is nothing without a relationship between an employee and a person who connects in return. And when I connect, you are in my heart. Hence the expression “MY Beauty Bloggers”.

With all my appreciation and respect for your are MINE always,
Isabel

Isabel is such a sweetheart, and I for one really appreciate her words and "motherly" protection! I'm so glad I got the chance to meet her in Montreal!

So if you're wondering what's with the new badge on the right-hand side of the blog, this is it! Thanks, Isabel!

El Dia de los Muertos

2011-11-02T21:15:00.000-06:00

Since I didn't post anything for Halloween – even a Happy Halloween post – I figured I'd do something a little different and post for Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos, if you're being technical...it's actually supposed to have accents, but I have a new desktop and haven't set up the Spanish keyboard on here yet).

I wanted to be a sugar skull/calavera for Halloween this year, since I have a typical Mexican dress, but I didn't end up going out anywhere. Partially due to the fact that I worked the Saturday night, and partially due to apathy. Anyways, I had taken the day off on Monday (randomly), and was slightly bored so decided to paint my face. This is what came out:

Overall, I'm quite pleased with it, considering that it was my first attempt at truly painting my face...ever. I think what I'm disappointed with is that some of the cheap face paints I bought didn't perform as I would've wanted them to. Namely, the white (I used my Manic Panic foundation instead), and the blue and purple (swirlies). The yellow had the best payoff, but that's no surprise since it's the only face paint I splurged on ($5 versus $2), and is Mehron.

Anyways, enough rambling...let me know what you think of the calavera face!

Montreal Picture Show and Tell

2011-10-25T14:00:00.000-06:00

I wanted to write a quick post sharing some of the pictures I took while in Montreal. I didn’t take nearly as many as I thought I would...I guess I was too busy shopping, enjoying the sites in person, and meeting lots of new people! So, I won’t bore you with lots of blabbing – take a look at my pics!

I hit up Rue Ste-Catherine the first afternoon/evening I arrived...and spent a bit of money, haha!

Friday night I took the metro to the “west” side of town to check out the Le Château outlet store, where I didn’t end up buying anything. The métro in Montréal is really cool, though, because it`s all on rubber tires (not rails like in Edmonton).

It was still “early” when I was done at Le Château (around 8:30pm), so I headed to the Vieux-Port/Old Port part of town to take a look around and get something to eat. I ended up at Montreal Poutine where I had some bacon poutine (ended up picking the bacon off – was better without) and some white sangria.

On my way “home”, I stumbled upon the Festival of Lights, which are all these spotlights that swivel around and light up the sky. I’m not really sure what they were about/for, but they looked pretty cool, and I actually got a decent picture.

Saturday I returned to the Vieux-Port in the daytime since I didn’t get much of a chance to look around on Friday, since it was dark and rainy. It’s so neat that the old part of town is cobblestoned streets and European buildings, while the financial district/downtown is all modern high rises.

My friend Andrea (whom I met up with) and I went to the “And then there was light” presentation at the Basilique de Notre-Dame/Notre-Dame Basilica. This is the inside of the basilica – one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen.

This is a close up of some of the details and painting on one of the columns in the Notre-Dame Basilica.

On Sunday, after brunch, Isabel brought me to the best bagel shop in town (Montreal bagels compete with New York bagels). This is the oven the use to bake all the different kinds.

This is the guy making the bagels, all by hand. The neat thing about them is that they’re not all absolutely perfect like the bagels you buy in the grocery store here.

This is a shot of the dozen bagels I bought – they were sooo good! Nom!

That’s about it! I really want to move to Montreal one day, as I’ve always wanted to end up out east in either Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal. Now that I’ve visited Montreal for more than a few hours, I really feel I need to be in that city...so we’ll see what happens in the next few years!

Has anyone else ever been to Montreal? What did you think?

Annabelle/Marcelle Blogger Brunch

2011-10-22T11:30:00.000-06:00

Another of the super fun things I got to do in Montreal was meet up with a couple of gals from the beauty blogosphere. I met with Isabel of the Groupe Marcelle (of Annabelle and Marcelle cosmetics fame) on the Thursday night for dinner, and we had a great time and she gave me a tour of the city – which was really nice of her! On the Sunday, she picked me up where we headed out to Saint-Eustache to meet Melanie (of A Little Purple Folie...) for brunch.

The restaurant was quite busy, but we got a table in not too much time. It was a buffet style brunch, and while I normally don’t like buffets, this one was AMAZING!!! It had a crèpe station, complete with flambé and crème anglaise...an omelette station with lots of fresh fixings...a chocolate fountain...and your typical breakfast foods like bacon, fruit, potatoes, etc. So delicious! I’m now regretting that I didn’t take pictures of my food, because the berry-filled crèpes I had got eaten up pretty quickly!

I did get some pics with the ladies, though...here’s one of me and Melanie:

Me, and Melanie, of A Little Purple Folie

And of course, one of all three of us!

Isabel, of Groupe Marcelle, me, and Melanie of A Little Purple Folie

Overall, it was great food with even greater company (that didn’t laugh at my rusty French), and it was indescribably AWESOME to meet some fellow cosmetic lovers from the other side of the country. Un jour, mes amies, je vais vous joindre à Montréal, et nous pourrons faire du brunch beaucoup plus souvent!

Inglot Haul!

2011-10-21T11:00:00.003-06:00

You have no idea how excited I am to share this with you! I’ve been craving some Inglot products ever since YouTube personalities like xSparkage have been posting their hauls and looks, and raving about how great this brand is. Unfortunately, there aren’t any Inglot stores in western Canada, and I’m not one to purchase things like makeup sight unseen, so I didn’t order anything via phone (the only option for out-of-towners).

Oooh, what could be inside those Inglot boxes?!

You may have seen my post about the Inglot Canada/US price discrepancy, and it therefore will probably surprise you a bit that I actually purchased something on my first visit to an Inglot store – in Canada. The 10-pan palettes were on promotion while I was there for $79/each (the 20-pan palette was $175, go figure), so while it was still higher than the US pricing, I decided to just go for it since I didn’t want to be bothered messing around with shipping from the US, etc. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe, but I saw how beautiful the product was and wanted it in my hands to take home with me. We’ll see what I do in the future, though.

I ended up getting two of the 10-pan palettes, since they were cheaper than one 20-pan palette, and are a better size to store. So, drumroll please...here they are!

The Inglot 10-pan palettes, closed. You can still see the colors peeking through!

My “neutral” palette.
Top, left to right: DS463, DS461, M344, M326, DS459
Bottom, left to right: M328, DS501, M387, M339, M376

My “colourful” palette.
Top, left to right: P402, P444, P434, M392, DS471
Bottom, left to right: AMC19, DS504, P428, DS482, DS498

DS = Double Sparkle, M = Matte, P = Pearl, AMCS = AMC Shine. There’s also a regular AMC (Advanced Makeup Component) finish I believe, but it seems I didn’t end up getting any of those.

I’ll hopefully be able to get you swatches of them all in the near future – it will likely be something I do over the coming weekend...so stay tuned!

My Inglot Store Experience

2011-10-20T15:05:00.000-06:00

During my recent trip to Montreal, I made it a point to visit one of the Inglot stores, as they can only be found in Montreal and surrounding areas. The rest of us Canadians can call the head office and have products shipped to us, but there is something to be said about visiting a physical store, playing with the product, and getting the entire retail experience.

The “front” of the Inglot store in Place Montreal Trust (the entrance is actually to the right).

The store I visited was the one in Place Montreal Trust, just off of Rue Ste-Catherine. I hadn’t necessarily planned on going to the store the day/time that I did, but I happened to see it as I was heading downstairs to the food court (I was starving after arriving!) so I figured “hey, why not!” and spent about an hour in the store.

My initial reaction was speechlessness – I’m not often at a loss for words when it comes to makeup products, but I looked at the selection of eyeshadow, lipstick, nail polish, etc. and was totally blown away by the beautiful colors and the sheer number of them. I didn’t really know where to start, but knew I wanted to focus on eyeshadows, so headed there and started swatching.

Just one shot of the extensive selection of Inglot nail polishes and Freedom System eyeshadows.

Something unique that Inglot does to make keeping track of the colors you want to purchase is give you a magnetized “palette” of sorts to stick the shadows to. Basically, you see a shadow you like, take it out of its spot on the display, and plop it on the palette. That way, you don’t have to worry about writing things down, trying to remember which color corresponds to which number, etc.

The “choosing palette” makes it easy to keep track of the colors you like.

I swatched so many shadows that I was thinking my arm was going to be permanently stained by all the pretty colors! I think I had to wipe off my arm about three times before I got to the end of all the eyeshadows on display.

One of the numerous “rounds” of eyeshadows I swatched on my poor arm.

I know I focussed on the eyeshadows, but there was also an extensive array of blushes, lipsticks, pigments, eyeliners, foundations, glitter...you name it, it was there!

A quick peek at part of the lipstick collection.

Inglot also has loose pigments, single eyeshadows, blushes, and more.

I was rather impressed with the customer service of the store, as well. I was dealing with the manager, and when I went to choose my colors, it turns out that one of the ones I wanted the most wasn’t in stock in that particular store. She called another location in the Montreal area, and while they did have the eyeshadow in stock, they weren’t sure if they’d be able to get it there before I left. So she arranged with Lesley (the gal you’ll recognize from the Inglot Canada contact email) to ship the eyeshadow to me at home free of charge when they received it. But it didn’t stop there – they ended up getting the eyeshadow in on the Friday (I was in the store on Wednesday) and called me to let me know that I could either pick it up or ship it like we had planned. I, of course, went to pick it up since I’m so into instant gratification, haha. But the service was definitely impressive!

Overall, it was a great experience, especially since I spent an extended period of time in the store and was never rushed. I asked a lot of questions, too, and was never made to feel like I was being annoying (though I surely was!) I’d recommend anyone to visit the Inglot store at Place Montreal Trust!

First (Ever!!!) Inglot Face of the Day

2011-10-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday I found the time to actually do my makeup and take a picture of it, so you all benefited from that – you get to see my first ever Inglot face of the day! I’m still wearing my house coat in the picture since I took it before I got all dressed, and I’m not wearing any earrings, but you get the idea!

I’m not going to do my usual “this is what’s happening in my life” blurb, since I’m working on a bunch of posts regarding my trip to Montreal for work (and a bit of pleasure), and I don’t want to overload you with hearing from me since it’s been a while! ;)

Face:
MAC Blush in Melba

Eyes:
Inglot Eyeshadow in Matte 344 all over lid and on inner half of lower lash line
Inglot Eyeshadow in Matte 326 on outer half of lid, into crease a bit and on outer half of lower lash line
Inglot Eyeshadow in Matte 328 as highlight
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara in Black

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl

China Glaze Let It Snow Collection – Winter 2011

2011-10-19T09:28:00.003-06:00

I received the following press release the day before yesterday, regarding the China Glaze winter/Christmas collection. It looks like there will be a ton of gift sets, so if you have a nail polish addict that you need to buy presents for, this might give you some ideas!

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HO HO HOLIDAY 2011!

Spend the Holiday season with glittering, shimmering, ravishing color in the Let it Snow Collection from China Glaze.

The China Glaze Let It Snow single polish display rack.

Los Angeles, CA – (October 2011): Spend the holidays in style with the new Let It Snow collection from China Glaze! Introducing 12 festive shades sure to get anyone in the holiday sprit this season. Specifically created with the wintery season in mind, Let It Snow will have even the biggest Grinch feeling jolly all winter long. Not only a must-have for a holiday manicure and pedicure, Let It Snow is available in 12 seasonal inspired gift sets perfect for stocking stuffers, Hanukah gifts, Secret Santa, co-workers and Teacher’s gifts. China Glaze Let It Snow collection will be available at fine salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide!

Shades include:
Poinsettia – Ruby red crème inspired by the traditional holiday plant.
Ring In The Red – No Holiday season would be exact without this glittering red polish for holiday gatherings.
Winter Berry – Creamy, cranberry-red perfect for sipping hot cocoa by the fire.
Velvet Bow – Rich red crème color inspired by your favorite red wine.
Glittering Garland – A dazzling glittery green to match the holiday greens of pine trees, garland, and mistletoe.
Holly-Day – Looking for a bold color without the glitz? Holly-Day is a rich hunter green without the sparkle.
Champagne Bubbles – Sophisticated gold metallic with a golden shimmer.
Twinkle Lights – A mix of glittery shades to emblemize twinkling tree lights.
Snow Globe – Frosty white polish with flecks of snowy color.
Icicle – Smooth silver shimmer with a hint of flash and ice.
Tinsel Town – Bold silver, metallic glitter and the perfect match for sparkling night on the town.
Blue Year’s Eve – Ring in the New Year with this lustrous, shimmering blue.

The Let It Snow Collection is available in a 12 piece counter display, 24 Piece Lil’ Stuffers Display and a 36 Piece Polish Rack. Gift sets include:

Belle of the Ball: Champagne Bubbles and Tinsel Town with a Festive Ornament.

Seasonal Sparkles: Poinsettia, Twinkle Lights and Holly-Day.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe: Ring In The Red, Velvet Bow and Glittering Garland with Lip Lacquer.

Santa’s Little Helpers: Ring In The Red, Holly-Day, Twinkle Lights and Velvet Bow.

Let It Snow: Blue Year’s Eve and Snow Globe with a Mini Snow Globe.

Holiday Spirits: Icicle, Champagne Bubbles and Glittering Garland with a Pewter Bottle Stopper.

Berry Sweet: Velvet Bow and Ring In The Red with a Holiday Berry Moisturizing Lotion.

Baby It’s Cold Outside: Icicle, Blue Year’s Eve and Poinsettia with Fingerless Gloves.

Deck the Halls: Glittering Garland and Champagne Bubbles with Limited Edition Holiday Berry Cuticle Oil.

Winter Ice: Blue Year’s Eve, Tinsel Town, Icicle and Snow Globe with a Snowflake Charm Necklace.

Holly Bear-y: Holly-Day and Winter Berry with “Holly Bear” Plush.

Carry Me Away for the Holidays: Tinsel Town, Poinsettia, Velvet Bow and Icicle with a Manicure Carrying Case with Nail File.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter at http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze.

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries
For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women. Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

Beginning of October Update!

2011-10-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone!

I thought I'd write a bit of an update post, since it seems again that I've lost momentum on posting...so maybe this update will help explain where I am, and maybe touch base on some things that were never finished!

Brown Bag Challenge and Health
I only posted a few times about what I had brought for my lunches, which was way less than I had planned. I just didn't feel that my lunches were interesting enough to warrant posting about...or I'd eat basically the same things for three or four days at a time. I'm happy to say that I almost made it through the whole month bringing my lunches, but lost steam and ended up buying lunch out on September 29th (and eating the leftovers from that on the 30th). Unfortunately, though I was trying to eat healthy, I didn't have as much luck with losing weight like so many of the other participants seemed to...I actually gained around seven pounds. Sooo...it'll be back to being extremely diligent shortly.

Work
Things at the "new" job are going great! Though it's not really all that new anymore, as I've been there for three months. As time goes on, I'm gradually getting more and more things to do, which is great. The bank is also sending me to Montreal mid-October, and I'm extending the trip over the weekend, so that'll be a great time, too. Work at the taco joint (my part-time job) is fun, too. I get to use my Spanish a lot, since there are quite a few latino people that come in to eat, so I'm getting a bit of practice and am not nearly as rusty as I was.

Personal Life
I haven't had a lot of spare time to be social, since between the two jobs, I'm working around sixty hours a week sometimes. The most prevalent thing right now, I suppose, is my hunt for a new roommate - the current one is moving to Scotland in the middle of the month. I've known since August, and have been looking since then, but I either seem to have a bunch of guys over thirty-five wanting to move in (umm...why do they not own a place?) or just people that I don't think would work out. Soo...I'm still looking, and hope I find someone soon.

The Blog
As for this thing...I've been putting a lot of guilt on myself to post more, but I just can't seem to find the motivation to do so, or things to post about. I haven't had time to play with makeup hardly at all, and the blog almost seems like a job now. So after a lot of thinking and consideration, I've come to the conclusion that instead of having some kind of schedule in my head, I'm just going to post when I feel like it. That way, it'll stay fun, and it'll be a nice surprise when a new post pops up in your reader!

So that's basically the long and short of everything. Needless to say, you can probably tell I'm quite busy...so hopefully the blog posts won't come few and far between. If you need to get a hold of me, you can always do so on Twitter or Facebook!

PS - I just installed a Wibiya toolbar, let me know how you like it!

Edmonton Shopping News (Namely, West Edmonton Mall)

2011-09-27T11:00:00.001-06:00

I was reading the Edmonton Journal a week or two ago and was excited to learn about some awesome new stores that are coming to the Edmonton area in the next year or so. I haven’t heard anything about any of the other malls, mostly because they don’t publicize a ton, so all of the news I’ve got today are about West Edmonton Mall.

I have mixed feelings about the mall that Edmonton is famous for...it’s a great shopping destination, since it’s home to the first Canadian locations of stores like Victoria’s Secret and 7 for All Mankind, and tons of other higher-end retailers that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in good old Edmonton. There are also more affordable stores like Forever XXI and Ricki’s that makes their home in the mall. But the downside to the mall appealing to all different demographics – even those that want to play in the waterpark or amusement park before/after shopping – is the amount of foot traffic that you have to contend with to get anywhere.

That being said, there are stores that I will brave West Edmonton Mall for, especially since they’re the only location in Edmonton. Currently, Victoria’s Secret is one of those (now, if only they’d carry more pretty colored bras in my size). The following stores will be opening up in WEM in the not-so-distant future (or at least the ones I’m excited about):

Simon’s (August 2012) – I’ve never been to a Simon’s, but due to my allegedly impending trip to Montreal, I’ve been cruising the store’s website. It seems to carry a multitude of fashions in different prices ranges...and some of the “cheaper” stuff is pretty neat! I’ll let you know if my opinion changes when I finally do make it to a store during my trip.

Forever XXI expansion (Fall 2012) – I’m not sure why Forever XXI needs an expansion, since the store is already huge and is extremely disorganized. That being said, it’ll give me more to pore over to find some fun, cheap pieces.

Steve Madden (Spring 2012) – For those of you who know me well, Steve Madden is pretty much my favourite brand of shoes. Why? Because he does fun, funky styles that fit my feet. I don’t have to play around with heel grips or anything to get a nice, non-slippy fit for shoes that I can actually walk in without feeling like I’m going to die. I think this is the store that I’m the most excited about, and I have a feeling I should start saving up now.

That’s pretty much all that I’m excited about, but if you want to read more about all the stores opening, you can view the West Edmonton Mall press release from July 2011.

Oh, and the mall might be a bit more tolerable as far as design in the future (the 80s brass and aging marble was getting old). Rather than celebrating the mall’s 30th birthday with a lavish party or something of the like, the owners are putting millions of dollars into updating the mall’s look to a more modern and relevant one.

So check out the new stores once they open (if you’re interested) – maybe I’ll see you there! And if you are not from Edmonton and want to learn more about the mall, visit its official site.

Review - Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

2011-09-26T16:04:00.000-06:00

Preface: I’m comparing this to MAC’s Plushlash Mascara because that’s the mascara I most like prior to using Annabelle's Le Big Show.

Tube of Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

The back of the Annabelle Le Big Show packaging

Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara in its cardboard and plastic package

Packaging:
The Le Big Show mascara comes in typical drug store mascara packaging: a cardboard back attached to a clear plastic front that is molded around the tube of mascara itself. While I’m not crazy about the way it’s packaged, since I always seem to destroy the cardboard in the process of getting the tube out of the plastic, I accept it since that’s how 99.9% of drugstore brands package their mascara. That being said, I’m not crazy about the way the cardboard was essentially glued to the tube of mascara itself (to keep it in place during packaging?) and wish there was a way to get this eyesore off.

Can you see the white paper stuff stuck to the tube?

The tube itself is a typical tube of mascara, though not as flashy as, say, Maybelline’s colored plastic and fancy-shaped tube. The tube is a plain cylinder of black plastic, with the labeling printed directly on the tube in hot pink and white. It’s actually quite similar to the MAC Plushlash tube, if not a little flashier and funky (MAC is plain black with sparse white lettering). Overall, it’s a fine tube of mascara as far as packaging goes.

Product:
I’m addressing the brush in the product section because I believe the brush that applies the mascara is as much a part of the product as the mascara itself. After all, there are mascaras that I won’t used based simply upon the fact that I hate the brush (Cover Girl Lashblast, I’m looking at you).

So, brush-wise, I actually don’t mind Le Big Show. It’s not one of those weird plastic brushes, but what I think of as “old school” mascara brushes. The brush isn’t quite as full as the MAC Plushlash brush, and the fibers on it are shorter, so if you’re trying to get the edges of your lashes or just touch up a small portion, it’s easier to control. Unfortunately, I sometimes get too much product on the brush, and since the fibers aren’t there to “spread it out”, I get a lot more product on my lashes that I like. If I’m careful, though, it works great!

The mascara itself – yes, the black gloopy stuff – is pretty good, as well. It’s long wearing, and doesn’t flake when it dries like so many mascaras do. That, and it’s pretty darn black, which is something I like (not a fan of brown mascara). It doesn’t get too crunchy on my lashes (they still feel somewhat natural).

Swatches:
No swatches, as this isn’t a color cosmetics product.

Price:
The suggested retail price for this on the Annabelle website is CAD$9.95. I picked my tube up at Shoppers Drug Mart, and I believe I paid CAD$12 and change after taxes – which means it was priced higher than suggested. That being said, Shoppers often has sales on its cosmetics, so you could probably get this for a lower price.

Overall:
For a drugstore mascara, I think Annabelle Le Big Show is pretty darn good! I like to think of it as MAC Plushlash’s little sister that still has a teensy bit to learn…the only beef I really have with it is the brush carries too much product sometimes. Otherwise, this definitely gets two thumbs up, and I’ll be interchanging it with my regular mascara (if not replacing)!

Un Peu de Folie

2011-09-15T16:38:00.000-06:00

This is the look I did on Wednesday of this week...I wanted something more neutral (ie: from my “Browns” palette), and I wanted it to be easy. I’ve been suffering from a lack of sleep, lately, and it’s starting to get frustrating. It’s not because I don’t have time to sleep or because I stay up late, either...it’s because I wake up multiple times throughout the night and, though I fall right back asleep, my sleep has been interrupted and I just feel so tired the next day (and the day after that, and so on and so forth). I’m hoping it’ll get better soon...otherwise Sundays might turn into “the day that I sleep all day”.

Oh! And I wore a head band for the first time in forever, and it looked kinda cute! What do you think of my hair this day?

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters all over lid and inner half of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Folie on outer V, into crease slightly, and on outer half of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara in Black

Lips:
Marcelle Rouge Xpressions Lipstick in Romanesque

China Glaze - Westside Warrior

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

I was super excited to share yesterday's Crackle Mania manicure, so instead of posting the new base color first, I wanted to post that. Now you get to see the beautiful, unique color that I used as a base coat: Westside Warrior by China Glaze.

This was two coats of Westside Warrior, and to be honest, I almost achieved opacity with one. This polish was a bit thicker than China Glaze normally is for me, but not less manageable. As this is a cream finish, it goes on nice and smooth - and is gorgeous and shiny when dry, especially with a top coat!

Yes, my middle finger's nail is bent - it grows like that! Weird, huh?

Anyways, I don't have anything like this polish in my collection, and am so glad I got it...can't wait to wear it on its own!

Crackle Mania - Bronzed Olive

2011-09-14T16:23:00.000-06:00

This crackle manicure features two polishes that are brand new to me...I'll follow up with a post later today or tomorrow showcasing the base color on its own. But for now, here's the crackle manicure!

This is two coats of China Glaze Westside Warrior with one coat of China Glaze's Cracked Medallion over top. I think the olive/army green goes really well with the sparkly bronze. And the bronze is actually a little multi-faceted - sometimes you pick up a more bronzey color, but other times it's laced with gold.

And no, the picture wasn't taken against my normal background. I painted my nails at work on my lunch break, and wanted to get pics before they chipped, so the pics were taken at work as well.

Oh, and here's a full hand shot, just 'cause it's purdy!

Yay for sparkly and sophisticated nails!

China Glaze Haunting Collection - Halloween 2011

2011-09-13T11:23:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! Got this yesterday afternoon. Let me know what you think of this collection compared with previous China Glaze Hallloween releases!

-----

HAUNTING BEAUTY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

China Glaze Introduces a Daringly Dark Collection of Purely Pigmented Crèmes and High Coverage Glitters for Halloween 2011

Special “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” Halloween Set

Los Angeles, CA – (July 2011): Halloween is all about over-the-top style and China Glaze has just what every girl and ghoul needs to complete their costume. Put the finishing touches on any look with the new China Glaze HAUNTING collection – a six-piece set of mysterious colors and effects perfect for All Hallows Eve, including a glow-in-the-dark Top Coat and a ‘crackling’ top coat for a cobweb effect.

China Glaze captures the spirits lurking in the dark in six sexy, sophisticated shades that are on trend, exciting and will be on every costume crafter’s “must have” list. Whether a look is dark and mysterious, or bold and dramatic, China Glaze’s HAUNTING collection pulls together any ensemble and will undoubtedly make heads turn – just like China Glaze’s celebrity followers (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicole Ritchie and Dita Von Teese, to name a few)! Colors in this collection include:

- Haunting: Shadowy black with shimmering silver glitter
- Crimson: Deep purple crème with a hint of blood red
- Near Dark: Rich mossy green crème
- It’s Alive: Vibrant green glitter
- Ghoulish Glow: Glow-in-the-Dark top coat
- Black Mesh: Crackle Glaze top coat for a cobweb-like crackle effect

From left to right: Haunting, Crimson, Near Dark, It’s Alive, Ghoulish Glow, Black Mesh

The China Glaze HAUNTING collection will be available as open stock colors, 18 piece counter display, and as part of a special “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” set featuring China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat.

#BrownBag Challenge Day 9 – Repeat Again

2011-09-13T11:19:00.000-06:00

With these lunches, I seem to do the same thing for a couple days before getting “sick” of it and moving on. Therefore, today is day two of VH Steamers (just a different kind). I actually bought enough to last all week since I was feeling lazy. The snacks and what not are all the same as yesterday, though. Those should be changing tomorrow, however.

Since I don’t have anything new to share with you, I thought I’d chat a bit about how I carry my lunch to work. Normally, I have a cute, red portfolio that I haul my work-related stuff in. Not that I’m carrying work back and forth to the office, more like I carry my bus pass, iPod, iPhone, book to read, umbrella, etc. I just choose not to carry it all in a purse (the portfolio affords me a bit more room if I need to bring something else). That being said, it doesn’t leave much room for a lunch.

Usually what I end up doing for my lunch is take a small lululemon re-usable bag and putting it in there. That’s not foolproof for leaks, though, so depending what I’m bringing I’ll either stick it in a plastic bag from groceries in the lululemon bag, or just use a plastic grocery bag period.

I know, I know...I’m super sophisticated. But I have yet to find a decent-priced, decent-sized lunch bag that I think is cute enough to haul to work with me. Anyone have any ideas?

Frosted Blue and Purple

2011-09-12T15:18:00.000-06:00

As mentioned in today’s Brown Bag Challenge post today, it’s getting quite chilly in Edmonton. It’s kind of disheartening, since we didn’t really have a summer, but fall brings with it some fun things...namely Halloween! You know that Halloween is a makeup enthusiast’s favourite time of year, too. Now I just need to figure out what to be, and what I should do as far as plans are concerned! I’m hoping that going to the Spirit Halloween store after work today will help with that a bit. I’m also going to go to Ikea and see about getting a set of bright green sheets (since I love Ikea sheets and think bright green would look great with the deep purple I have on my wall).

Wow, I’m rambling...maybe I should stop that...

I think this is the first full face look that I’ve posted in a few months. I’m not sure why, but I really haven’t been inspired with my makeup in a good long while, and don’t want to show you things I’ve done before. You might also notice that my hair is a) darker and b) longer. I dyed it while I was in Fort St. John last week, and actually haven’t had a hair cut since January. The waiting-a-long-time-to-cut-my-hair has actually worked quite well, since I’ve got some decent length now. I’m thinking I’ll grow it out a bit longer...and in the meantime get a trim from the Hair Whisperer before my Montreal trip (whenever that might be).

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
MAC Minrealize Blush in In the Groove

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Tilt on inner two thirds of lid and inner third of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Satellite Dreams on outer third of lid and outer two thirds of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
MAC Kohl Power Liner in Feline on waterline
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
Anabelle Le Big Show Mascara in Black

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Bombshell

Not sure I love this full face pic, but the other one I had taken didn't upload with the rest of them (stupid Photobucket), and I had to run out the door, so maybe I'll add it later...

#BrownBag Challenge Day 8 – VH Steamer and Healthy Snacks!

2011-09-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already Day 8 of the Brown Bag Challenge...and that September is nearly half over. It’s getting quite chilly in Edmonton – it was only 4*C this morning and I could see my breath as I walked to the transit center. Hopefully winter will hold off for a while longer, but seeing as how the summer went, I’m not sure how likely that is.

Today’s lunch is a tasty assortment of healthy things: a Chicken Teriyaki VH Steamer, two small containers of cottage cheese (full fat, I can’t stand the low fat stuff), a plum, a can of Diet Orange Crush and a Jell-o Mousse cup.

The mousse cup is only 60 calories, so it’s a low-calorie option to get my sweet fix. I’ve never tried them before, so I’m hoping they’re tasty, as I love chocolate mousse! The VH Steamers are, as far as I can tell, all under 300 calories each, so they’re not too “big” of a lunch...and I find them filling.

I also have a bit of Smart Foods White Cheddar Popcorn left over from last week that I’ll be snacking on a bit throughout the day.

Overall, it seems a bit healthier than I have been the last little while (I ate an entire bag of Smarties yesterday), so I’m going to try and continue that all through the week!

We’re teaming up with fellow food bloggers to host a Brown-Bag Challenge, a month-long initiative to eat consciously and save money by packing a lunch each weekday instead of eating out. Join us here and share what you're eating on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #brownbag.

#BrownBag Challenge Days 5 and 6 - Healthy Choice Steamers

2011-09-09T12:12:00.000-06:00

You may have noticed that I haven't posted about the Brown Bag Challenge since last week. This isn't because I'm slacking - it's because I was out of town visiting my parents for a few days, and just didn't have the time to post! Therefore, for Tuesday and Wednesday (days 3 and 4 of the challenge), I had delicious homemade food for lunch...one day it was chicken tetrazini leftovers, the other it was pork tenderloin with mashed cauliflower and veggies (again, leftovers). I also had snacks such as cheddar and crackers and cut up cucumber. For lunch, at least, I was relatively healthy.

I'm back to packing my lunches since I'm back at work again, and since I didn't get into town until 8pm or so on Wednesday night, I picked up some Healthy Choice Steamers for lunches on Thursday and Friday...I really don't have time to really make a lunch!

The above is a picture of the Steamer I took in my lunch yesterday - Grilled Basil Chicken flavor. It was quite tasty, like most of the Healthy Choice Steamers are, but it wasn't my favorite. Today I have a different flavor, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is (and I'm not near my own desk as I write this).

The Steamers are actually decent as far as frozen lunch choices are concerned. Check it out:

Yesterday's lunch, in addition to the Steamer, was comprised of a whole orange pepper (that I cut into strips and snacked on), a fruit cup and a Fibre One granola bar. Today's has a cucumber (that I'll also cut up), a Fibre One bar, and some Smart Foods White Cheddar Popcorn.

While I've been sticking to the brown bag/healthy lunches, I haven't been doing too good with dinners and snacks outside of work, so on Sunday when I get my grocery list together, I'll really be figuring out more healthy options. Staying healthy for one meal a day is not going to help me lose weight or feel better!

#BrownBag Challenge Day 2 - Repeat!

2011-09-02T14:53:00.001-06:00

Today's lunch was pretty much the same as yesterday, comprised of a Greek Chicken Wrap, a Fibre One bar and a diet soda. I did throw in some Miss Vickie's Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar chips (I had a weak moment at the grocery store earlier in the week)...figured it was "allowable" since it's Friday and all. So while I did bring my lunch from home, I don't have anything exciting to share with you all beyond that.

That being said, I figured I'd take this opportunity to talk about health, weight, etc. I'm not someone who would be defined as a "fat" person, but I know that I can improve immensely on my eating habits, and end up looking much better physically as a result. I've been struggling with eating healthily lately - I'm a huge fan of sweets, snacks, etc. and for some reason I've been devouring them more frequently. It's beginning to frustrate me a lot, because I stepped on the scale this morning...and I weigh 164 pounds.

Now, I'm 5'7", and this normally wouldn't bother me that much, but I've gained about five pounds in the last week. That's a lot. Given, it's that "girl time" of the month, so it could be bloating and what not, but I still believe this really has to change.

I'm headed to visit my family for a few days, but after I'm back, in addition to the Brown Bag Challenge, I'm going to commit myself to eating healthier and losing weight. Not necessarily with the goal of being "skinny", but more with the goal of looking good, feeling good, and overall just feeling better about myself. I've got some books that I think can really help me with diet and exercise, so hopefully those will help as well. My ideal weight would be about 143 to 145 pounds (just so there's a goal).

I know this is really putting myself out there, and I'm not even sure you guys want to hear about this, but I don't feel good about myself, I'm tired all the time, and I just feel blah. So something has to change, and hopefully posting this will help with that.

Thanks for listening/reading!

Crackle Mania - Teal for a Cause

2011-09-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

The Beauty Blogazons are wearing teal today on their fingers, toes and faces to bring awareness to ovarian cancer. Considering that there is a lifetime risk of 1 in 70 that, as a woman, you will develop ovarian cancer, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms that something might be wrong. You can read more at the Ovarian Cancer Canada website.

My teal support is coming in the form of a manicure. This is two coats of China Glaze’s Turned Up Turquoise, with one coat of China Glaze Oxidized Aqua (a crackle polish from the Crackle Metals collection). It results in a slightly toned down turquoise, and a neat blue on blue look.

If you want to see more of the Beauty Blogazons’ teal beauty creations, use the Linky Tool below:

#BrownBag Challenge Day 1 – Greek Chicken Wrap

2011-09-01T15:48:00.007-06:00

Today’s the first day of Healthy Eats’ Brown Bag Challenge that I told you about in an earlier post. I’m going to try to share with you what I bring for lunch each day, but I might also eat the same thing two days in a row, so don’t fret if there isn’t a new post. I also might be working a 13 hour day and not be able to post until after, either.

Anyways, today’s lunch is what I refer to as a Greek Chicken Wrap. It’s basically a whole wheat tortilla that has some hummus swiped on it, then topped with cooked chicken, black olives, feta and spinach/lettuce. It’s actually really tasty!

To supplement my wrap, I also added a Fibre One Oats & Chocolate bar, and a medium-sized container of freshly sliced strawberries. I of course also drank as much water as I could, and allowed myself a diet Orange Crush pop with my lunch (I won’t drink regular pop anymore, but love the taste/carbonation of pop, so I’ll drink diet from time to time).

So that’s today’s lunch...stay tuned for the next one!

Beauty Blogazon Link Round-Up - August 21 to 27, 2011

2011-08-29T16:29:00.002-06:00

Cosmetically Challenged Big Calves Need Love Too!

Beauty Thesis Featured On: WiseCurls

Kewtified Nails OPI Miss Universe 2011

Painted Pixie Slithering onto the snakeskin bandwagon

Polish Insomniac Dusty Week: OPI Peel Me a Gobi Grape

The Nail Network Julep Maven Box!

Midnight Manicures Nfu-Oh Aqua Base...Worth it? Necessary?

Rêve Noir Crackle Mania - Lapis Lazuli

Red Hair and Black Nail Polish Zipper Zebra Nail Art Tutorial

Daily Polish Daily Polish thinks she's found the closest polish to a Minx finish in existence, what do you think?

Nailderella Nfu Oh's headquarter

GlitterGlossGarbage What Fashion Fair Needs

Addicted To All Things Pretty Six Red Lip Color Swatches

Crackle Mania - Lapis Lazuli

2011-08-26T13:44:00.000-06:00

I got to do my first manicure this week with my new crackle polishes. Usually I can get in two or three different polish changes during a week, but since I'm working a second job in a restaurant and the owners would prefer I don't have "crazy looking" nails, my polish-wearing days are cut down to four days a week (and half the time I'm too tired to anything other than get my butt to the gym, then sit on the couch)>

Anyways, I've been dreaming about doing this particular color combination for a while, ever since I decided I wanted a blue crackle. It's inspired by a stone called lapis lazuli, which is one of my favorites. It's a bright/royal blue "base" with gold-colored (or pyrite) veining. I have a number of these in my rock collection, and it's a stone that brings the word "rich" to mind.

What I used to accomplish this manicure was two coats of Orly's Luxe from the Foil FX collection, topped off with a coat of Color Club's crackle polish in Splitting Image.

This didn't turn out exactly as I expected, since I was hoping Splitting Image would be a bit darker blue. Maybe more along the lines of Sally Hansen's Crackle Overcoat in Distressed Denim (which I may still pick up...we'll see). Without the flash, though, it does look a little closer to what I had in mind.

Still not perfect, however. That being said, it was still quite a fun/bright manicure!

First (and Probably Last) 2011 Nail Polish Haul

2011-08-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

Since I’m now in a better place financially (read: not unemployed, and in fact working two jobs) and haven’t treated myself to anything in a good, long while, I decided sometime in July to treat myself to some nail polish. Alas, the polish that I wanted to order wasn’t available at that point, so I ended up placing my order at the beginning of August.

I was actually really impressed with the amount of time it took for the order to get all the way up to Canada this time! I ordered from TransDesignon August 5, as they’re the only place I know of that still ships to Canada. A lot of people hate TransDesign, but I've placed four orders now and never had an issue. Anyways, the attempted delivery of the package was August 17...so twelve days, amazing! Especially considering it has taken upwards of three weeks before. It didn’t even get delayed in Canadian Customs! I wasn’t able to pick the package up until August 20 because I worked during the post office’s hours until then, though. I was dying to get my paws on it!

Now that I finally have it, though, here’s a shot of what I got:

Top row, left to right: China Glaze Westside Warrior, China Glaze Crushed Candy, China Glaze Fault Line, Orly Old School Orange, Orly Retro Red, Burst Crackle Rolling Hills, Color Club Splitting Image
Bottom row, left to right: China Glaze Oxidized Aqua, China Glaze Tarnished Gold, China Glaze Cracked Medallion, China Glaze Haute Metal, China Glaze Latticed Lilac, China Glaze Platinum Pieces

As you can see, the vast majority of what I ordered are crackle polishes! I’m really excited for all the awesome color combinations I’ll be able to do – with relatively little effort. I’m hoping to find time to paint my nails (and toes) sometime tonight, so stay tuned for the crackle mania to begin!

(Hmm...Crackle Mania...good name for a “series” of nail posts, maybe?)

Bitter Glitter

2011-08-22T16:23:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share a quick eye of the day I did for work on Saturday. Mélanie and I had been chatting on Twitter about our collection of Lise Watier glitter eyeliners we have, so I had an itch to do a look with glitter. But then I wanted to use some bright colors, too. This is what was born...

Products used:
MAC Eyeshadow in Bitter all over lid
MAC Eyeshadow in Club in outer V and into crease
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
MAC Eyeshadow in Crystal Avalanche on inner corners of eyes
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Corrupt on upper and lower lash lines
Lise Watier Eye Glitter Liner in Cognac on upper lash line
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

I just posted the eye of the day (and might do this more often) since I haven’t been wearing lip products as much for whatever reason...and sometimes it’s just fun to feature an eye look!

Sally Hansen - Crackle Overcoat in Cherry Smash

2011-08-19T14:00:00.002-06:00

I picked up this polish at Walmart a few weeks ago since I have some money to spare in my budget and it was only $5.97. That, and I had been waiting for a couple months to get it at Shoppers Drug Mart, but the girls there never knew what I was talking about, and clearly didn’t call me when it finally shipped to Canada. Anyways, I had just placed an order for the other crackle polishes I had my eyes on (China Glaze, Color Club, Burst Crackle), so this was the only color I was missing – red!
I decided to pair this with a bright silver base initially, just to see what the color could do. This is one coat of Cherry Smash over top of two coats of Orly’s Shine from the Foil FX collection.

This is my favorite crackled finger, I think (it's my pinkie!):

Cherry Smash is slightly transparent. For this particular manicure, that’s not a bad thing since it allows the silver to shine through. If I were to have used black, though, I’m not sure I would’ve been quite so happy. That being said, it cracks quite well!

Has anyone else tried the Crackle Overcoat by Sally Hansen? What were your thoughts?

Top 5 Favorite Pink Lipsticks

2011-08-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

MAC Lipstick in Rebel

Rebel is pretty much my favorite berry-colored lipstick in existence. It’s rich and vibrant, and has great pigmentation. This, like a lot of very “in your face” lipsticks, must be worn with a more subdued eyeshadow color. I usually end up using it with neutral eyes and winged eyeliner, and a fairly soft cheek color. That being said, you can play with the brightness of this lipstick by using a light pink gloss and smooshing your lips together, or even darkening it up with a black lip gloss. Rebel, thankfully, is a permanent shade.

MAC Lipstick in Lustering

Lusting is a permanent MAC lipstick and is very similar to See Sheer from the coral/orange lipstick post [http://www.reve-noir.ca/2011/08/top-5-favorite-coralorange-lipsticks.html], in that it’s a relatively sheer lipstick. That being said, Lustering, as you can see, is a much pinker version of that. The cool thing with these sheer lipsticks is that they can be built up (or not), and can therefore end up quite bright, if you want, or subdued if you want a slightly more natural look. Almost like a lip stain, but without the staying power.

MAC Lipstick in Bombshell

Bombshell (part of the permanent collection) is a pale pink without being too pale, and has a hint of gold shimmer to it that lends a bit of sophistication. It goes really well with blue and purple eyeshadow since, in my opinion, it adds a bit of warmth to the overall look with the gold that the blue/purple otherwise wouldn’t have. While this isn’t what I’d call a “neutral pink” like Angel, I find that I can wear bombshell with pretty much any shadow color and it doesn’t look out of place.

MAC Lipstick in Angel

This lipstick, Angel, is on the same end of the spectrum as Bombshell when it comes to pink – it’s quite light. I find it’s slightly lighter than Bombshell, though, and is clearly lacking the shimmer. It’s more of a creamy baby pink. I love wearing Angel with darker eyes, especially purple. However, if I’m tanned at all, I end up looking like an overdone bimbo with fake pinky lips. So I’m very careful when I wear this, haha! If you think you can pull it off, you’ll be able to find it at MAC, as it’s a permanent color.

MAC Lipstick in Show Orchid

Show Orchid has to be my favorite pink lipstick out of this whole bunch, because of its brightness and almost metallic/duochromatic features. That being said, it’s also probably the least wearable in the real world. Like most insane lip colors, I usually pair this with a neutral eye, although I’ll sometimes spice it up with a pop of color in my eyeliner…but that can also end up looking a little too 80s for my taste. Show Orchid is unfortunately not part of the permanent line, however it is available at MAC PRO stores.

Well, that wraps up the series about my Top 5 Favorite Lipstick Colors. Which were your favorites?

Month-Long Brown Bag Challenge

2011-08-17T17:00:00.001-06:00

I’m always looking for some kind of extra motivation to eat healthier and save money. Especially since I frequently get carried away eating out for lunch (I’ve gotten better, usually it’s restricted to once a week now).

Earlier today, I received my HealthyEats email newsletter (a blog done by the Food Network), and it mentioned something about a Brown Bag Challenge. The basic premise is that Healthy Eats is challenging bloggers (and I’m sure non-bloggers as well) to bring lunches from home for all weekdays in the month of September. You can read more about the challenge as a whole at the Healthy Eats blog.

In addition to challenging participants, the editors of the Healthy Eats blog will be motivating us with recipes and tips on how to brown bag it. They’re also going to be chatting on Twitter using the hashtag #brownbag and hosting a chat with a dietician on their Facebook page mid-month. It’s bound to be a really interesting September!

I’m excited about this challenge, and will figure out a way to incorporate it into my regular blogging. Do you think I should do a daily “this is my lunch” post (with photos, of course)? Or should I keep it to an every-second-day (or even weekly) schedule? Let me know!

Also, does anyone else want to join me?

Inglot Canada Responds

2011-08-17T15:33:00.000-06:00

Nearly a week after my post about the Inglot Canada/US pricing discrepancy, I basically thought that I wouldn’t be hearing anything from Inglot themselves regarding the issue, even though I placed a link to my post on Inglot Canada’s Facebook page. Imagine my surprise and delight when I received an email today from Inglot regarding my post.
After thanking me for blogging about Inglot, the representative offered the following explanation:

“Inglot Canada was already looking into the matter of the palette price discrepancies. For the past five and a half years our palette prices have never changed, except to decrease. The US opened two years ago with prices that were inconsistant [sic] with the rest of the Inglot stores globally, and because Canada is the country closest to the US, naturally we are the ones feeling the pressure. We welcome all feedback, good or bad, and this is something we are in the process of figuring out. I want to assure you that there will be some changes in the very near future. I hope you give us a chance :)”

I’m glad that they’re looking into things, and I’m hopeful that we’ll see some kind of solution to the big gap between Canada/US prices. My fingers are crossed that it’s not rectified by increasing the US prices to meet ours. And let’s hope the changes come to fruition sooner than later, so that I can buy some Inglot!

I must also say that in my (limited) dealings with the Inglot gals via email, Facebook, etc., they’ve never been anything but polite and friendly. Kudos to them for that!

Beauty Blogazon Link Round-Up - August 7 to 13, 2011

2011-08-15T09:50:00.000-06:00

Kewt-ified Nails Where's My Pinata? The Layering Combo You Didn't Know You Needed

Bookworm Nails NYC Colors Black Magic Halloween 2011 Review, Swatches, Pictures

Midnight Manicures Catrice - Dirty Berry

Beauty Thesis Review: Benefit They're Real Mascara

Beauty Info Zone Myrabelle Mascara Shield, does it make life easier?

Reve Noir Inglot Canada/US Pricing Discrepancy

Girly Bits Covered in Flowers Nail Art

Nails and Noms NOTD: L.A. Colors - Jewel Tone Over Black

Royal Beauty Designs Product Battles: Crown Brush C433 Pro Blending Fluff vs. M.A.C. #217

Daily Polish Love Mascara but hate applying and removing it every day? Ever tried semi-permanent mascara that lasts for 4 weeks? Daily Polish checks it out!

Addicted to All Things Pretty OPI Samoan Sand has a Dupe

Glitter Gloss Garbage Selling Swag? Nay or Yay?

Marcelle Cosmetics Now Available for Purchase...Online!

2011-08-15T08:52:00.000-06:00

I received notification Friday that as of now, Marcelle Cosmetics are now available for purchase online. The big announcement won’t be made until today, so if you want to be notified when everything’s good to go, register here.

The online store will periodically have special offers, great discounts, and sometimes, free shipping! You’ll also be able to find discontinued Marcelle items that you otherwise can’t get in stores anymore (provided it’s showing them as in stock in the store).

The Marcelle online store will also be shipping to the US, so for my American readers that have been wanting to get their hands on some of the Marcelle products I’ve reviewed – now you can!

Note: No Annabelle Cosmetic products are sold online as of yet, and you will not be able to purchase limited edition items.

To get started hauling, visit the new Marcelle Cosmetics online store!

Top 5 Favorite Coral/Orange Lipsticks

2011-08-12T09:51:00.000-06:00

Annabelle Rouge Velours Lipstick in Sienna (220)

This is one of my absolute favorite orange/coral lipsticks as far as color itself is concerned. It’s a bright, rich, slightly burnt orange that has an immense amount of golden shimmer mixed in. I feel that it really adds dimension to my lips, and makes them look fuller due to the fact that my lower lip automatically picks up the light (thanks to that gold shimmer). As with Morange (below), I feel it’s a bit bright to be worn out on a daily basis…but I might just try it sometime soon with toned-down eyes and cheeks so my lips can be the star of the look. Oh, and it would be remiss of me not to mention that this lipstick goes on quite smooth, and is of a lower price point than the rest of the ones on this list (and easily accessible in Canadian drug stores).

MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl

I came across this Cremesheen lipstick in August 2010. Tahnee was in from out of town for the Lady Gaga concert, and we had arranged to get our makeup done and raid the MAC store prior to the concert. While I wasn’t overly impressed with the application of the MAC artist, she did have some good ideas – one of which was this lipstick. It’s what I would consider more of a “coral-leaning-towards-nude”, so it’s a great lipstick when I want relatively neutral lips with a bit of color (so I don’t look dead). I pair this with pretty much any color, and it works! There’s also a MAC Plushglass that looks great over this to add a bit more shine, but I can’t remember it off the top of my head (though I want to say Big Baby). Anyways, as far as corals/oranges go, this is a very versatile one!

MAC Lipstick in See Sheer

See Sheer is one of the first lipsticks I bought, along with “O”, Capricious, Lustering, and another couple colors. What I was trying to do was get a good variety of colors to start with, and even a few years later, this is still a lipstick I like wearing when I want a pinky-coral lip. See Sheer is a luster finish, which I know most people don’t like, but this actually goes on very creamy and allows you to build the color the more you put on. I like pairing this color with greens.

MAC Lipstick in Morange

Morange is not a lipstick that I’d wear on a daily basis – it’s something I use when I play around with makeup and will not be leaving my house. That being said, bright orange lipstick has been making a comeback (along with bright pink), so with the right eyeshadow and blush combination (read: very minimal), I think I could rock this lipstick in public in the right situation. It’s an Amplified Cream finish, so it packs a lot of color, and it’s your plain, simple bright orange. This one’s only for the brave of heart, guys!

MAC Lipstick in Vegas Volt

If we’re talking about more wearable bright orange lipsticks, Vegas Volt would be one. It’s got a bit more pink tones to it than Morange, and is toned down enough that it can be worn to work, school, etc. without being too in-your-face (at least in my opinion). I usually end up pairing Vegas Volt with blues (clothes or makeup) and greys…but if you’re more creative than me, the possibilities are basically endless.

I’ve got one more of these “Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks” posts coming up – pinks! – and will hopefully have time to post it next week. Keep your eye out for it!

Annabelle Introduces the Black Box!

2011-08-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

Image from Annabelle press release

I received a press release today announcing that Annabelle will be launching five new black eye makeup products, which is super exciting as it’s reminiscent of MAC’s Style Black collection...and I tend to really like Annabelle products!

The products include a black Glitterama eyeliner in the shade Blast Off, black sparkle Liquid Eyeliner in Black Spark, a shimmering black Smoothliner in Metal Daze, and a black Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil called Licoriche. There will also be a new mascara called Le Big Show Mascara, which is meant to create insane, voluminous lashes. All of the black products should be in stores at the end of August.

Product descriptions! (image from Annabelle press release)

It doesn’t stop there, however, as Annabelle is also releasing a whole color range of their new product, Smudge Paint. These could be likened to MAC Paint Pots or Stila Smudge Pots. The Smudge Paints are allegedly crease-resistant, long lasting and waterproof, and will come with their own brush. They’ll come in five colors: Muddy (reddish brown/copper), Sludge (brown), Tar (black), Skyline (blue) and Plummed (purple). The Smudge Paints will be in stores in September.

Smudge Paints (image from Annabelle press release)

I have to say, I think I’m the most excited about the Smoothliner and the Smudge Paints. If I get my hands on any of these products (I think I may already have Black Spark Liquid Eyeliner and the Smoothliner), I’ll be sure to let you know how they are.

Are you lemming anything from these collections right now?

Inglot Canada/US Pricing Discrepancy

2011-08-10T11:26:00.001-06:00

Warning: This is going to be a long, text-heavy post...but I think people need to know this information. If you’re simply looking for a short Inglot Canada price list, please view my post about the Inglot Canada price list.

Image from Inglot Canada Facebook page

I recently contacted Inglot Canada via email requesting a Canadian price list for some key products that I might be interested in. I was curious about the Canadian prices, as I’ll be heading to Montreal at the end of September (tentatively) for a work trip, and will be extending my stay by a couple of days and fully intend to visit an Inglot store while I’m there. For those of you who don’t know, Inglot’s only three Canadian stores are located in the greater Montreal area, although they do ship throughout Canada.

Another reason I requested the Canadian prices is because I wanted to compare them with the American prices, as the price difference has been of great contention in the beauty community. I had heard rumors about the 10- and 20-palettes costing nearly double in Canada what they would in the US, which as a Canadian consumer, whose dollar is actually stronger than the American dollar currently, frustrates me to no end.

I received the Canadian price list today, and subsequently popped onto the Inglot USA website to do some pricing in US dollars. These are my findings.

(Note: For the sake of simplicity, I haven’t taken into account exchange rates...each price is in its native currency).

Gel Liner
Canadian price: $18
American price: $12
Difference (in dollars): $6
Difference (in percent): 50.0%

AMC Cream Blush
Canadian price: $19
American price: $12
Difference (in dollars): $7
Difference (in percent): 58.3%

Nail Enamel
Canadian price: $12
American price: $10
Difference (in dollars): $2
Difference (in percent): 20.0%

Liquid Liner
Canadian price: $16
American price: $10
Difference (in dollars): $6
Difference (in percent): 60.0%

Lipstick
Canadian price: $16
American price: $12
Difference (in dollars): $4
Difference (in percent): 33.3%

Slim Gel Lipstick
Canadian price: $17
American price: $12
Difference (in dollars): $5
Difference (in percent): 41.7%

Matte Collection AMC Lip Pencil
Canadian price: $16
American price: $11
Difference (in dollars): $5
Difference (in percent): 45.5%

The real fun comes when you compare the Freedom System palette prices...

Freedom System 5-Palette
Canadian price: $59
American price: $33
Difference (in dollars): $26
Difference (in percent): 78.8%

Freedom System 10-Palette
Canadian price: $89
American price: $60
Difference (in dollars): $29
Difference (in percent): 48.3%

Freedom System 20-Palette
Canadian price: $175
American price: $117
Difference (in dollars): $58
Difference (in percent): 49.5%

Freedom System 40-Palette
Canadian price: $335
American price: $229
Difference (in dollars): $106
Difference (in percent): 46.3%

Taking all percentage differences in price into account, Inglot products in Canada, on average, cost 48.3% more than Inglot products in the US. There is no conceivable way that, on average, costs to stock Inglot product in Canada versus costs to stock Inglot product in the US are 48.3.% higher...especially when both countries are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement and are part of the same land mass (really, how far is New York from Montreal?). It’s ridiculous enough that I will not be giving Inglot Canada my business...rather, I’ll order from the Inglot US website, pay less than posted prices since the Canadian dollar is stronger than the American dollar (as of today), and ship the product to a friend in the States, who will then ship it to me from their home. Even after the extra shipping, duty, etc., I still anticipate saving a significant amount of money versus simply purchasing the product in Canada.

So if anyone from Inglot Canada is reading this post, I have this message for you:
You need to seriously rethink what message you are sending your Canadian consumers with your pricing strategy. For those of us who are able to ship things from the States, you’re going to lose business, and overall it will affect Inglot Canada and the Canadian economy as a whole (to whatever small degree). Way to encourage purchasing within our borders, Inglot.

Simple Inglot Canada Price List

2011-08-10T11:21:00.001-06:00

Image from Inglot Canada Facebook page

I recently inquired about Canadian Inglot prices via email, and the nice girl wrote me back quite quickly with the prices (and special offers) for the products I had asked about. Here’s the information; all palettes are priced as full, and all prices are in Canadian dollars.

Freedom System 5-Palette: $59
Freedom System 10-Palette: $89
Freedom System 20-Palette: $175
Freedom System 40-Palette: $335
Gel Liner: $18
AMC Cream Blush: $19
Nail Enamel: $12
Liquid Liner: $16
Lipstick: $16
Slim Gel Lipstick: $17
Matte Collection AMC Lip Pencil: $16

Current (as of August 10, 2011) promotions include:
- All nail treatments half price with the purchase of a nail polish
- Second lipstick (including Slim Gel Lipstick) is half price

The girl that emailed me back also mentioned that “we always have different promos, which can change weekly and/or monthly. We are looking to have an awesome palette event soon. All events and special promos are posted on our Facebook group and page, so keep checking there for anything that might excite you. We ship anywhere and the promotions are absolutely applicable to our out of town orders as well.”

The Inglot Canada Facebook page can be found here, which is also where the email is posted should you have any questions for Inglot yourself.

If you’re wondering about a Canadian/American price comparison for Inglot products, you can view my post about the pricing discrepancy.

Technical Difficulties

2011-08-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!

I wanted to give you guys a little heads up that I've run into some technical difficulties pertaining to photo editing, etc., so there might be a bit of a problem for a bit as far as the blog is concerned.

Last Wednesday morning I went to turn on my desktop computer and got the blue screen of death, indicating that there was an "unmountable boot volume". I did some online searching for some solutions, and none of them would work. My brother's also pretty into computer stuff (heck, he does IT stuff for a living), so I asked him about it as I was trying the different fixes. By the way the computer was reacting, he figures that my Windows OS is corrupt. I've ordered a Sata caddy so I can pull my hard drive out and move my files from my desktop's hard drive onto my laptop/external hard drive, and hopefully save my music, pictures, etc., but as of right now, the desktop is non-operative.

Since all my photo editing software is on the desktop and blog files, etc. are all on that currently inaccessible hard drive, I'm kind of stuck for right now. I have a few things that I can post in the meantime (photos already uploaded to my photo storage site), but I'll run out of those soon enough, at which point I won't be able to do much.

Until I get the laptop up to what I need it to be as far as photo editing programs and being able to upload from my camera to the laptop, blogging will be taking a backseat...especially since the last week or so has been ridiculously busy (I worked 70+ hours) and I need some time to recover.

So thanks for your patience, and cross your fingers I can reformat my desktop once I get my files off my hard drive, and that I won't have to buy a completely new computer.

Ciao for now!

China Glaze - Mummy May I

2011-07-29T16:18:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share this with you before I totally forgot...to think that this came out with China Glaze's Halloween collection last year! But you guys know I've been digging all sorts of stuff out of the vault lately, so no big surprise there.

I believe this was two coats of Mummy May I by China Glaze. I'm a big fan of purple, so I definitely like this polish...especially because it's unique in color. It's basically purple glitter in a dark purple (eggplant?) jelly base. Take a look!

I think this is a polish that could be worn year-round, despite the fact it came out with the Halloween collection. That being said, I've never really been someone to follow any kind of "color rules" for seasons, so what do I know? ;)

Top 5 Favorite Neutral Lipsticks

2011-07-29T16:12:00.000-06:00

MAC Lipstick in High Tea

High Tea is the first neutral lipstick I bought from MAC. It's a frosty finish that doesn't really lean toward a warm or cool color (though here it's reading a bit orange). The cool thing about it is that it's a permanent color, so you don't have to worry about not being able to get it. When I can't think of another lip color to wear, I generally reach for High Tea.

MAC Lipstick in Crème Cérise

Crème Cérise is a nice, warm, creamy caramel color. It goes onto my lips so smoothly, and looks great with a smoky blue or grey eye. When I want my lips to look like a caramel kiss, I wear this. Unfortunately, the lipstick is a limited edition one that came out with the Cult of Cherry collection, and I haven't seen it since.

MAC Lipstick in Blankety

Blankety is my go-to lipstick when I want to completely erase my lip color and do the true nude lip with no shimmer. It reads a bit pink on me compared to some people I've seen it on, but I'm okay with that as that way I don't end up looking dead. Blankety is a color I picked up on Saadeh's recommendation, and I'm glad I did. It's a permanent color.

MAC Lipstick in Quiet, Please

Quiet, Please is another frosty neutral à la High Tea, but it's less pigmented and leans more towards a pinky neutral as opposed to a true neutral. I like this lipstick when I don't want too much color on my lips, but I want a fair amount of shimmer that isn't glitter.

MAC Lipstick in Kraft

Kraft is a slightly darker version of Crème Cérise, with a teensy bit more brown to it. I'm thinking of Kraft as my replacement for Crème Cérise when I run out. This is also a limited edition lipstick, but I can't remember which collection it came out with.

Funky Summer Splatter Manicure

2011-07-24T17:37:00.000-06:00

I've been seeing quite a few blog posts lately (and even at least one YouTube video) about the "splatter" manicure. There are different variations, but the most popular seems to be a creme white base with blood-red polish splattered on top. Another variation is a white base with multiple colors of neon polish splattered. It's really neat effect and I wanted to try it for myself!

The process is pretty simple: paint a base coat on your nails as you would any other day, then use a drinking straw to splatter the polish. Just dip the tip of your straw in the polish color you want, and blow over your nail. It can sometimes be a little tricky to get it on as you want...sometimes my splatters went on a little thick, and one even covered the whole nail!

For my color combination, I used two coats of China Glaze Thataway, and then splattered in China Glaze Let's Groove. This is how it turned out:

Isn't it neat? I avoided having to do too much clean up by "bordering" my nails with tape, much like you would do for a water marble manicure. It worked quite well.

Since this is quite easy, and you can come up with so many different color combinations, I have a feeling I'll be doing this again.

Top 5 Favorite Red Lipsticks

2011-07-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

These are my Top 5 Favorite Red Lipsticks! Sometimes you can't quite tell the differences in pictures, and you can thank my camera flash for that...but I got the best results with the flash turned on.

MAC Lipstick in Queen's Sin

Queen's Sin is a limited edition lipstick from the Christmas collection a few years ago (Antiquitease, I think), and is my all time, hands down favorite red lipstick. It's the perfect shade of red - slightly deep, but still relatively bright - and has shimmer in it, which makes me think of the metallic finish of a red car. When I reach for a red lipstick, I automatically think of this one...but keep myself from wearing too much since I know that once it's gone, it's gone.

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Moulin Rouge

I haven't had this lipstick for long, and as of yet haven't worn it outside of the house, but it still comes out in my Top 5 Favorite Red Lipsticks. It's a bright, glossy true red that has great coverage and glides on like butter. I've worn it around my place a bit, and it doesn't seem to by drying and seems quite flattering for my skin tone (which is great for a lipstick I picked using swatches on the internet, as I ordered it from Sephora online). And who can resist the shade name of Moulin Rouge?

MAC Lipstick in Dare You

Dare You is a Cremesheen lipstick by MAC, and it's the red I reach for when I'm thinking deep, vampy red. You may not be able to tell too well (thanks, camera flash), but it's quite a deep red, almost bordering on burgundy (with less blue influence). To me, this screams "retro", but I could be wrong, haha.

Marcelle Rouge Xpressions Lipstick in Amour (901)

This lipstick is really very similar to the MUFE Moulin Rouge, but maybe a touch brighter. I decided to include it in this list since the Marcelle Rouge Xpressions are some of my favorite lipsticks for texture and application, and they're in a lower price point than MUFE or MAC (I think they're maximum $12 each). So yay for budget red!

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

What would a Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks list be without a matte finish lipstick? It's a true red that is slightly less blue, and is definitely matte. It's slightly drying, but I don't find it to be too bad, especially if I put a thin layer of lip balm on before I apply it. You can really make this look velvety as well if you put some red eyeshadow over top (a la Pixiwoo).

So that's it...I have more favorite lipsticks coming your way (categorized by color), so stay tuned!

Orly - Purple Pleather

2011-07-21T14:00:00.001-06:00

I actually wore this polish a good while ago...March or earlier if I recall correctly. I've had the pictures sitting around ready to use since then, and am finally getting around to posting them.

This is Orly's Purple Pleather, one of the "vinyl" texture polishes they put out a while back. I have two polishes from that collection, and love them both...I'm actually thinking about getting the other two that I don't have. We'll see, though...

This is two coats of Purple Pleather, just to make sure it was opaque.

It's such a unique color/finish combination. What do you guys think of the whole matte/vinyl/etc. polish finish trend?

Coral and Coral and Coral

2011-07-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is the look I did for Canada Day back at the beginning of the month. I wanted something to compliment the blue of the dress I was wearing, but also that was relatively neutral. This is what I settled on, since coral colors always look good with blue (they are complimentary on the color wheel, after all, since coral is just a version of orange).

Face:
MAC Blush in Springsheen
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Gold

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Tete-a-Tint all over lid and on lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown in outer V
MAC Eysehadow in Orb as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Corrupt on upper and lower lash lines
MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 on waterline
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Vegas Volt

Review - Urban Decay NAKED Palette

2011-07-20T12:00:00.001-06:00

Outer view of Urban Decay's NAKED palette

Inner view of Urban Decay's NAKED palette

Packaging:
The NAKED palette is made of sturdy cardboard, which is fairly typical of Urban Decay palettes. The outside of the palette is covered in a velvet-like texture, which in my opinion is kind of silly, since it will collect eyeshadow dust and eventually end up quite filthy. I've had the palette for almost a year, however, and this has never been an issue, so perhaps that's just a worry of mine. Inside the palette, the shadows (in their metal pans) are snugly secured within the cardboard. It doesn't feel like they're apt to fall out at all. There is also a small mirror secured on the "lid" of the palette. I personally don't use this, but it could come in handy if you're in a location where you don't have access to a mirror. Finally, the entire palette is secured close with a fairly strong magnet that is built into the palette itself. Is it possible for it to open if it's caught on something? Probably, but I highly doubt it will be opening on its own.

Shadows embedded in the palette, first half: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked

Shadows embedded in the palette, second half: Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Product:
I'm a big fan of a lot of Urban Decay products (especially the 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils), and the eyshadows in this palette are no exception. While the shadows fall mostly within the "neutral" category, there are some that take on a pinker hue, and ones that are dark enough to achieve a gorgeous smoky eye look. Mostly the shadows are some variation of brown, grey or nude shade. There are both shimmery and matte shades in the selection of twelve eyshadows included in the NAKED palette. Some of the shimmery shades contain glitter, so can have a bit of fall out, but others comparable to MAC's "veluxe pearl" finish are pretty much fall out free, and go on very smooth. The matte shadows go on like butter and are not chalky at all. I'm quite happy with the variety of shades and quality of the shadows in this palette!

Swatches:

Shadows without flash
Top, from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked
Bottom, from left to right: Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Shadows without flash
Top, from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked
Bottom, from left to right: Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Price:
The palette can be found at Sephora in Canada (and select Shopper's Drug Marts, I've heard). At Sephora it is sold for US$48, or CAD$58 (which is a better price difference than a lot of Urban Decay's products). If I were you, I'd still ship it to a friend in the States and have them send it to you, as I believe you'd still end up ahead money-wise.

Overall:
Value-for-money wise, even with the Canadian price hike, I'd say you're getting a really good deal, especially since the shadows in the palette are quite a good size. The color variety, while neutral, is diverse enough that you can create a very subtle day look to a smoky eye and everything in between. I especially like this palette for traveling, as I don't need to think much about which/how much makeup to pack (I always have the most trouble with eyeshadow!) and all my bases are covered. Even though Urban Decay has since replaced the included 24/7 double-ended liner (in my version) with a brush, I'd definitely recommend this palette!

Spring/Summer Look with Juicy Pink Lips

2011-07-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

I forget why I did this look...it was on the weekend and I was going somewhere, but I can't remember where. Either way, I had just been playing with a bunch of lipsticks for an upcoming project on the blog, and remembered how much I liked Lustering, so I worked it into this look!

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Correction in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Stark Naked

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Juxt all over lid and on lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Folie on outer half of lid, outer V, and outer half of lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Orb as highlight
MAC Eyeshadow in Crystal Avalanche on inner corners of eyes
MAC Chromagraphic Eye Pencil NC15/NW20 on waterline
Anastasia Perfect Brown Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Lustering

June Showers Bring July Flowers

2011-07-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

This is actually a manicure I did in June, but it rained here so much in June that I figured I'd take a different play on the regular quote and use it to my advantage! ;)

I wanted to do a multi-colored Konad stamp manicure for a really long time, but just never got around to it, whether it was lack of motivation or lack of time. Seems it was worth the wait!

This is two coats of China Glaze Exceptionally Gifted, and then I stamped with the flowers on Konad plate M57 in purple, blue, green and yellow (all special polish). There was no rhyme or reason to what I placed where, I just wanted a very random look to it.

Here's a close up of all my fingers...

...and my favorite finger!

I'm hoping to play around more with fun manicures since I've established that BDC isn't too strict about nail polish, makeup, etc. (mostly because I work behind the scenes and not with clients, so much)

Anyways, that's all for now...hope you enjoyed my first Konadicure in a while!

Delicious Homemade Pesto!

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

I had said a good while back that I was going to share with you something awesome that I made of the food variety, but I never did. That's the probably with getting distracted with life and lack of work, haha! Finally, finally, I bring to you: my homemade pesto!

This is a recipe I grabbed on YouTube of all places, and it turned out tasting just like the pesto I had when I was in La Spezia, in Cinque Terre, in Italy. Here's the video:

And of course, pesto wouldn't be super-delicious on pasta without a bit more parmesano reggiano cheese!

Pesto is apparently really good to freeze, too, so I have the leftovers in a baggie in my freezer! (this recipe makes quite a lot)

Job and Life Update - Finally, Some Good News!

2011-07-10T15:10:00.000-06:00

Most of you who follow me on a regular basis have a pretty good idea of why I haven't been posting on any kind of schedule. I've been neglecting the blog majorly lately, mostly because I've been semi-depressed and extremely worried. That being said, things have started to take a turn for the better!

After nearly three months of unemployment, I started a new job with BDC (the Business Development Bank of Canada) on July 4. My position is a Senior Underwriting Analyst, so I'll be the go-to girl for support, etc. for the Edmonton underwriting team. Eventually, I'll be able to start underwriting loans. I feel like there will be great opportunities with BDC, and am looking forward to a great future with the company - not to mention I'm ecstatic to be working again!

Due to my previous job slowing down prior to being laid off, and my own "unleashed" spending habits, I'm in a fair amount of debt - but I've worked out a payment plan with my parents, and am working on a balanced budget to pay them back and get myself an emergency fund, etc. all set up so I'll be in a better position financially. I'm feeling good about this, too.

I've also finished up my contract with my old gym (that I didn't like, partly due to my ex from almost two years ago being there), and have gotten everything set up with the City of Edmonton facilities so that I can not only lift weights/do cardio, but also take part in some of the offered classes, and - what I'm really excited about - start swimming! I was just taking last week to settle in at work (and get over being sick) and shortly I'll start going on a regular basis. I will also be eating healthier and attempting to reach 140lbs (I'm currently hovering around 157lbs) by October or November...maybe sooner, depending upon how things go. No more visits to Bulk Barn for me! (unless I'm getting quinoa or some other healthy thing)

Overall, I'm really feeling more at peace with myself and life - it's amazing how much better you feel once the great financial stress weight is lifted off of your shoulders. I'm going to actively work to continue getting better, and will hopefully still have time to blog between it all. If I can just get one post out a day (or at least a few a week), it'll be great!

Anyways, just wanted to let everyone know where I stand right now. Thanks again for bearing with me! *hugs*

China Glaze - Sour Apple

2011-07-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

One of the projects I'm attempting to do on the blog right now is to work my way through all my polishes and compile a list of each blog post here. Since Sour Apple wasn't complete on the list, the week before I started my new job I thought I'd tick at least one polish off my swatch list!

If you haven't guessed by now, this is China Glaze's Sour Apple. This is three coats of the jelly and sparkle polish. I did three coats because I thought it didn't look quite vibrant enough after two.

I only have one beef with these glitter polishes - they chip even before they've been on for a day. And they're big chunks of chips, not just little bits. So I usually only wear these when I know I'll have the time to take them off at the end of the day, or if I'm layering them over another polish.

China Glaze Metro Collection - Fall 2011

2011-07-10T14:47:00.000-06:00

Got the press release for this the other day...enjoy!

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Los Angeles, CA – (April 2011): City living boasts excitement, a cool, edginess and confidence that oozes from fashion forward women like none other. City loving celebs like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ivanka Trump, Rosario Dawson and Jaime King have style to spare and their fashion sense trickles down to everyone from working women to college kids. This Fall, China Glaze has captured the big city feel in 12 sexy, sophisticated shades that are on trend, exciting and will be on every fashion maven’s “must have” list. Whether you prefer downtown funk or uptown class, China Glaze’s METRO collection pulls together ensembles and will undoubtedly make heads turn! Colors in this collection include:

- Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.
- CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.
- Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town – rich purple crème.
- Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.
- City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.
- Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better.
- Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.
- Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.
- Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.
- Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.
- Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.
- Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.

Uptown box collection

Downtown box collection

Fall in the City is a magnificent time and China Glaze has interpreted the hues of the urban jungle into their limited edition METRO collection. Escape your everyday and indulge in the city life!

The China Glaze METRO collection will be available in a “Downtown” 6 piece box collection (includes Skyscraper, Concrete Catwalk, Westside Warrior, Trendsetter, Loft-y Ambitions and Midtown Magic), an “Uptown” 6 piece box collection (includes CG in the City, Urban-Night, Traffic Jam, City Siren and Street Chic and Brownstone), a brand new, amazing 3D 12 piece counter display, a 36 piece rack display, and as open stock colors.

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I'm really enjoying the Uptown collection...what are you lemming?

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics – Lip Tar

2011-06-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

As seems to be my pattern as of late, we're going to go waaay back again and look at a purchase that I made in 2010 sometime, and didn't get around to posting. I had finally ordered some Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tars after hearing so many good things about them...and I still have yet to use them.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars in (from top of circle clockwise) Petty Beige, Tarred, Traffic, RX, Feathered, NSFW.

As you can probably tell from the colors I chose (besides Petty Beige), my whole plan was to get as few Lip Tars as possible while still being able to create any color I like from them. So back to basic color mixing theory of using red, yellow, blue, white, and black to accomplish anything!

OCC Lip Tar in NSFW, showing the applicator tip

The applicator on these probably wouldn't function to well to apply these to lips directly out of the tube, as I'd want a bit more precision seeing that they seem fairly pigmented. Just wanted to share with you what it looks like!

OCC Lip Tar swatches with no flash
Top: NSFW, RX, Traffic
Bottom: Tarred, Feathered, Petty Beige

OCC Lip Tar swatches with flash
Top: NSFW, RX, Traffic
Bottom: Tarred, Feathered, Petty Beige

I really need to get off my butt and start using these, as I think they'd be really neat to create totally unique lip colors! I also want to experiment with doing gradients on my lips or something of the like. What do you think I should try first?

Shop My Stash – MAC Lipstick in Radicchio

2011-06-27T19:27:00.000-06:00

MAC Lipstick in Radicchio

MAC Lipstick in Radicchio

Radicchio, a MAC Lipstick color, came out with the Spring Color Forecast collection in 2010. This is a prime example of me purchasing something great (or just in general) and not getting around to using it until six months (or more) later. I recently rediscovered this color in my stash when I was looking for a pink color that wasn't too intense, and also wasn't too “wussy”.

Radicchio has a bit of a lustre finish, but I really don't mind lustre lipsticks and rather enjoy the frostiness of Radicchio, as it's not too pronounced. I'm assuming this lipstick's namesake is the “real” radicchio, a lettuce-like vegetable that is a bright, saturated fuschia/red. The lipstick itself is less saturated than the vegetable color-wise, which I think is a good thing since I feel it turned out to be such a pleasing color.

MAC Lipstick in Radicchio with no flash

MAC Lipstick in Radicchio with flash

Seeing this lipstick and how well it turned out, I'm definitely curious to see if there are any other “veggie inspired” cosmetic products...have you heard of any?

Beauty Blogazon Roundup - June 19 to June 25, 2011

2011-06-27T19:21:00.000-06:00

Lip Tar and MAC Surf Baby Lipstick Give Away Winner on Cosmetically Challenged

Hard Candy Beetle on the Life and Polish blog

500 Follower Giveaway 6 winners on Midnight Manicures

Zoya Touch Swatches on Kewtified

Animal Manicure on Bright Lights Big Color

My First Nubar on A Day in the Life

PritiNYC Summer Day Kit Swatches on Polished to the Nines

Multidimensional Mani on Nailderella Nails

You're Moody, Bish on Lambchop Mobile

Home Laser Hair Removal Guide on Beauty and Fashion Tech

Review: Mary Kay Love Lash Mascara on Style Eyes

A rainbow tape mani from Let Them Have Polish

Are You Down With OCC? Polish Insomniac is.

Pink Glitter Mani on Bookworm Nails

Battle of brush cleaner on Purple Eye Diamond

Get to know JoElle Skincare on Creatively Yours By Ro

Continuing Education in Artistry on Royal Beauty Designs

Review: e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Plum Purple on Beauty Mamas

Essie Ruby Slippers on Nails and Noms

Walking the Plank on Polish Pauper

Get in the Mood for Friday with Tara's Nails

Real French Perfume from Fragonard on Reve Noir

Enter the Nicole By OPI Texture Giveaway on Addicted to All Things Pretty

Are you tired of the bandwagon trends? Glitter Gloss Garbage is.

Homemade Pore Strips

2011-06-24T11:00:00.001-06:00

Quite a while back, Michelle Phan on YouTube made a video showing a method to make pore strips in your own home – and avoid paying for the expensive pore strips you can buy at the drug store and elsewhere. I initially was skeptical, as the method seemed slightly out there, but I tried it anyways and was pleasantly surprised. I’ve done it a few times since, and this is going to be the only method I’ll be using from here on out for pore strips!

(Note: I took the pictures for this demonstration prior to showering so I could wash the remaining goop off my face when I showered; as a result I’m greasy and icky in the pictures…please disregard!)

You really don’t need much to make these pore strips, just some unflavored gelatin (I use the brand pictured below) and some milk.

Knox gelatin (available in Canada for sure)

Basically, you want to mix one part of gelatin to one part of milk – I usually do about one tablespoon of each, and I get more than enough goop to do around my nose and all over my chin. Once you mix the gelatin with the milk, throw it in the microwave for about ten seconds, and you get this:

The melted gelatin/milk mixture

I’d recommend using a bowl or container that you’re not overly attached to, or can easily clean “set” gelatin out of, because once this cools down it can be kind of tough to get rid of. Once you’re at this stage, use a paintbrush to apply it on the blackhead problem areas of your face. Again, the paintbrush should not be one you’re attached to, as it will never become fully clean.

The pore strip goop applied around my nose and on my chin. Yes, it looks super attractive…

You then let the goop fully dry…it usually takes about ten minutes for me, sometimes less and sometimes more depending on how thick I apply it. I find that doing a thicker coat works better, since you’ll be able to get it off in one piece easier later on.

You can tell it’s dry(ish) when it starts lifting slightly around the edges. It will also feel tight on your face.

Once the goop is dry, it’s as simple as peeling it off your face like you would a regular pore strip. It will, of course, be a bit more delicate, but I find with practice and some strategic peeling, you can get it off in one piece (or almost).

In the process of peeling off the pore strip

Now, if you didn’t believe me that this works, here are the results (I know they’re a bit gross, but we all deal with blackheads, right?!):

Check out the blackheads I got off my chin!

Couldn’t tell? Here’s a close up…yep, that stuff was in my face before…

It works well to get in all the crevasses around your nose, as well…better than store-bought pore strips! And this way, I can go around my nose ring, too.

So that’s basically the long and short of that! I do this maybe once a month, or whenever I remember. Do you think this is something you’d use?

Oh, and here’s Michelle’s original video if you want to check that out as well!

Ciao for now! ;)

Real French Perfume from Fragonard

2011-06-23T16:00:00.000-06:00

While I was on my Europe trip that encompassed Spain, France, Italy, Monaco and Vatican City, one of the stops/included tours that my Contiki Trip had was at the Fragonard Parfumeur in Grasse, France. We got to walk through the facility and learned how perfume is made, and about the “noses” that develop the delicious scents.

It was definitely a pleasant assault on the senses, and being in France and all, I couldn’t resist picking up some real eaux de parfum to add to my scent collection here in Canada. I ended up getting five bottles of parfum in four different scents, as it was a better deal, and ended up spending about CAD$300 on it all (I had also purchased some sample vials for friends back in Canada).

Just un Baiser, Miranda, Belle de Nuit, Diamante eaux de parfum, all from Fragonard Parfumeur

Below are descriptions of the scents I purchased, taken directly from the Fragonard website (the words in quotation marks are not mine!)

Juste un Baiser - “A fusion of mandarin, pear and violet on a heart of blackberry and wild strawberry, leaving behind an imprint of vanilla, amber and musk. Sweet, fruit and voluptuous, a fragrance imbued with charm and impertinence, poised between innocence and a bewildering femininity.” I wear this scent when I want something fruity and a little more playful.

Diamant - “Bursting with dazzling mystery, Diamant leaves a luminous trail of desire behind all those who wear it. Diamant is a sweet-oriental, with mandarin, orange and pepper as top notes, balanced by rose, jasmine and plum as middle notes, against a background of vanilla, patchouli, musk and caramel.” I wear Diamant when I want something mysterious and sexy.

Belle de Nuit - “Belle de Nuit is an original, deep rich harmony of flowers and fruit on a warm velvety bottom note of musk. A precious fragrance, as magical as an Arabian night!” This is a scent I wear when I want more floral notes…though I don’t like floral, so with the rest of the mix it still appeals to me.

Miranda - “Miranda has the gentle warmth of the trade winds, wafting sweet-smelling vanilla and smooth coconut from distant isles mixed with amber and an echo of brilliant flowers. A harmony with an exotic resonance, like the wide blue yonder beckoning.” Miranda is my favorite scent, and I wear it all the time! It’s the fragrance I bought two bottles of, lest I run out. I really can’t describe how much I love this smell!

The eaux de parfum also came with five smaller atomizers (one for each scent) that can be fit easily into a purse, so you can refresh your scent!

Also, if you didn’t notice, there’s a bit of a pattern to the scents I tend to chose – those with musk in them. I’m more attracted to the more “masculine” scents, so long as they’re still somewhat feminine. Maybe that’s why I like the smell of vanilla so much as well…and possibly why Miranda is my favorite since it’s the best of both words!

I’ve checked the Fragonard website, and they do ship their products to Canada and the United States (a complete list of countries can be found here)…so if you’re looking for your next favorite perfume, they’re a good source to check out! Their selection isn’t huge, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that appeals to you!

Homemade Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2011-06-23T14:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, it’s another food post! I hope I’m not tempting you guys toooooo much with all the food-related posts I’ve been making lately. I’ve really felt the inspiration/motivation to cook some different and new stuff recently!

This was made about a week and a half ago, and is a classic Italian pasta dish made up of spaghetti, egg, some pecorino romano cheese, and diced pieces of pancetta.

It was pretty good, but Carbonara is definitely not my favorite pasta dish (it’s a little bland for my tastes) – I made it mostly for my friend Fay. The one thing I’d change is that I’d dice the pancetta much smaller, since the larger pieces seemed way too salty for the rest of the dish.

Stay tuned for an authentically delicious pasta dish I made shortly after the Carbonara – you won’t want to miss it!

Check Out Beautezine!

2011-06-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take a brief moment to let you, my readers, know about another great blog/online magazine that I’ve been really impressed with. It’s called Beautezine, and this is what the home page looks like:

(Image a screen capture of Beautezine.com)

In addition to regularly updated blog content and features, the editor Jessica also releases a monthly online magazine (with functioning flip pages!) that encompasses the blog content and other neat features…and it’s all very well put together!

Jessica really involves Beautezine’s readers, too…recently, she held a contest for the next Beautezine covergirl. Not only did the winner receive a great prize pack, but they also appeared on the cover of June’s edition of the e-zine! I entered, but didn’t win…but do you recognize anyone in this spread?

Anyways, I won’t ramble on any longer…I highly recommend you check out Beautezine yourself!

Review - Paula's Choice Skin Care

2011-06-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

Paula’s Choice 1% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion, Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser and Skin Balancing Toner

Packaging:
The packaging of most of the core Paula’s Choice skin care products is a simple white bottle with lettering usually in blue or grey (depending on the skin “concern” the product pertains to). I find it very simple but still appealing in its simplicity – Paula certainly didn’t go overboard wasting money on fancy packaging. Most of the products I have are flip caps that open to reveal a small opening where the product comes out. However, the toner has a twist top that comes off, and the product comes out of a small hole from which you can squeeze the desired of product onto a cotton ball or pad (I prefer the latter). Overall, I’m satisfied with the packaging, as it gives me control over how much product I want to use (without wasting!) and is also quite simple and streamlined.

Paula’s Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser with its cap open

Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Toner with its lid off

Product:
Even though I’ve owned the full Paula’s Choice system for Normal/Combination skin for over a year, I must admit that I normally only use the Hyradlight cleanser (and on occasion the toner and other products, when I remember). That being said, I still see visible results now when using Paula’s Choice versus other products – even though my skin has never really been problematic. You may recall the Marcelle cleansing gel review I did a while back, and how my face developed tiny bumps all over my forehead and in my temple area while using that product. When I finished the tube of the Marcelle cleanser, I ordered more Paula’s Choice cleanser, and within a week my skin had nearly cleared up in its entirety. I still get the odd small blemish, but it’s definitely a lot better than it was. As far as the smell and appearance of the cleanser, etc. go, the smell is non-offensive and barely there (maybe a slightly soapy odor to it), and the products are clear and free of unnecessary coloring. Because of the results I’ve seen using Paula’s Choice skin care – and the speed at which they are attained – this definitely gets a good review. Oh, and did I mention that you can choose a skin care system that suits your particular skin type? The customer service reps at the 1-800 number or live chat will even help you with that if you’re not sure!

Swatches:
No swatches needed as this is skin care and not makeup product.

Price:
During my most recent purchase of the cleanser, I paid about CAD$30 after brokerage and handling fees (during a free shipping event) for the 16 ounce bottle, which I think is quite fair since the bottle lasts me around eight to nine months. When I initially purchased the whole system (cleanser, toner, moisturizer, BHA lotion and mattifying serum), it cost me about CAD$100. For a fairly “high end” line of skin care, I think this is plenty reasonable.

Overall:
Because the price point is affordable – you just have to watch for free shipping events and sales – and the product itself is so amazing, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone. I know it’s definitely my holy grail skin care product, and have friends who swear by it, too!

Smoky Taupe (Flattering and Wearable)

2011-06-22T11:11:00.000-06:00

This is last Friday’s look (from June 17). I wanted something flattering and relatively subdued as I had a job interview in the afternoon. I wasn’t sure what the rest of the day held as far as social functions, so I wanted something that would transition well into the evening as well. This is what I came up with!

I was initially going to do something more brown, but I saw Satin Taupe and figured that I may as well try it out, since it’s a color I rarely use (for no good reason). It worked out great, and I’m really happy with the final result! And the makeup look worked great for my transition from semi-blonde to redhead, too!

Face:
Lise Watier Portfolio Corrector in Light Complexion
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Stark Naked
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Vanilla on inner half of lid
MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe on outer half of lid and on lower lash line
MAC Eyeshadow in Folie to darken outer V
MAC Eyeshadow in Orb as highlight
MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon on browbone
MAC Kohl Power Liner in Feline on waterline
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

Lips:
MAC Lipglass in Lovechild

Oh Yeah...I'm a Redhead!

2011-06-20T23:02:00.000-06:00

Yes, I changed my hair color! I had registered to get a coupon for a free box of Natural Instincts/Natural Instincts Vibrant on the Clairol Facebook page a while back, and I finally received the coupon last week. Then it was a matter of getting somewhere to pick it up.

Friday afternoon, I finally dyed my hair! I went with a color in the new Natural Instincts Vibrant line of permanent dye. The color is called Fiery Cinnamon, which is described as a "medium reddish brown". It came out a bit redder than I had expected, but it's definitely growing on me!

I went from this...

...to this!

Those pictures are wearing all the same makeup, as well, with the exception of the red hair picture where my lip gloss had worn off.

The dye itself was your regular box dye, and I manage to do those on my own well enough. The cool thing is that the Natural Instincts Vibrant dye only has to stay on for about ten minutes, and it also comes with a "color revitalizer" that you use after two weeks to perk up your color.

Has anyone else used this dye? What's your favorite color to dye your hair?

Shop My Stash - Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold

2011-06-20T22:47:00.000-06:00

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold

I was sent this bronzer last summer season (so 2010) by Annabelle Cosmetics to try it out and perhaps review it for my blog. Initially, the design really stood out to me – it's striped like a zebra! Then, as I got to using the product itself more and more, I realized that this is a great bronzer because it's not too shimmery and seems to be the right tone for my skin.

Then winter came around, and I didn't use bronzer at all. I rediscovered this Shop My Stash feature product when I did my Estée Lauder Azurée look, and have been using it more and more to add a bit of sun-kissed glow to my face when I do full makeup.

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold with no flash

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold with flash

I'm pretty sure that this bronzer isn't available anymore, as it was a limited edition item for the Summer 2010 collection. That being said, you may still be able to find the Leopard Bronzer from the Jungle Belle collection, as it came out this year. Heck, I even want the Leopard Bronzer in addition to the Zebra Bronzer!

Recipe - White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

2011-06-20T11:14:00.000-06:00

Since I had some interest for the White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie recipe, here it is!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

(Taken from this recipe at Allrecipes.com)

A few notes:

I didn't use brandy in this recipe, I just used regular vanilla since I couldn't justify buying a whole bottle of alcohol for a tablespoon's worth of use. The cookies tasted just fine with vanilla!
The cooking time might initially seem a little short for these, as the cookies come out of the oven quite soft and doughy. They firm up after cooling a bit.

Let me know how your cookies turn out!

Beauty Blogazon Roundup - June 5 to June 12, 2011

2011-06-13T09:48:00.000-06:00

Polish Insomniac is Crusin Nude

OHC Beauty is going to teach you how to Treat Tone and Moisturize

Midnight Manicures wants to take you Across the Universe

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage reviews L'Oreal Paris Double Extend Eye Illuminator

StyleEyes reviews a body was for Earth Lovers

Lambchop Mobile shows off her nail polish layering skills

Beauty by Kayla’s Rainbow Polka Dot NOTD

Beauty Mamas FOTD and Friday Favorites

Kewtified revisits Misa Paradise Shore

Killer Lipgloss is having a Father’s Day Giveaway

Creatively Yours introduces you to Danessa Myricks

Reve Noir has Glamour Doll swatches to share

Beauty Thesis reviews The Porefessional

Aquilah is having a massive Blog Sale

Royal Beauty Designs has a Target Haul

Let Them Have Polish lets Illamasqua grace her tips again

Painted Pixies swatches Zoya Casey

Purple Eye Diamond gives an update on Makeup School

Glamour Doll Eyes – Haul and Swatches

2011-06-09T10:00:00.001-06:00

A loooong time ago, I ordered some Glamour Doll Eyes (GDE) shadows. It was during the last half-price sale or something of the like...and I haven't done anything with the shadows since, besides swatch them.

(Note: I just logged into my Glamour Doll account...seems it was July 2010. I'm worse than I thought I was!)

So anyways, I thought I'd share with you guys the swatches I ended up doing...

Glamour Doll Eyes eyeshadow swatches, no flash
Top: Angel Wings, Victorian, Olive Green, Trend Setter
Middle: Juicy Mango, Trophy Wife, Immature, Dirty Jeans
Bottom:Veteran, Pistol Pistol, All Nighter, Aqua Foil, Brown Eyed Girl

Glamour Doll Eyes eyeshadow swatches, with flash
Top: Angel Wings, Victorian, Olive Green, Trend Setter
Middle: Juicy Mango, Trophy Wife, Immature, Dirty Jeans
Bottom:Veteran, Pistol Pistol, All Nighter, Aqua Foil, Brown Eyed Girl

They're all so pretty! That being said, I'm not just sharing the swatches with you because I think the shadows are gorgeous. I want you to suggest to me different looks that I can do using solely these GDE shadows! Leave your ideas in the comments, and when I have some time I'll see about doing one or more of them, and posting it here! (and maybe even do a video while I play around)

The A to Z of Rêve Noir

2011-06-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

I saw this tag on one of the blogs I read (I forget which), and thought it'd be fun to post!

A. Age: 25

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore you hate: Folding laundry

D. Day: Friday and Saturday (nights I can stay up late!)

F. Favourite colour: Black (yes, I still believe it’s a color), and red

G. Gold or Silver: Silver

H. Height: 5'7"

I. Instruments: I can play piano, but don’t do it normally. My favorite instrument to listen to is cello (yay, Apocalyptica!)

J. Job title: For day jobs, I’m currently unemployed. Though I have a part-time job as a banquet server at Northlands.

K. Kids: No, and no inclination to have any.

L. Live: Edmonton, Alberta

M. Mom’s name: Mara

N. Nicknames: Shay, Shay Shay

O. Overnight hospital stays: None

P. Pet peeve: Poor spelling/grammar (the blatantly obvious stuff). For example: they’re/there/their, its/it’s, too/to/two.

Q. Quote from a movie/tv show: "Lestat, you are not a god!" (Queen of the Damned)

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: One younger brother

T. Time you wake up: When I have a day job, usually 7am, unless I’m going to the gym, in which case it’s 5:30am. Right now, I’m usually up by 8am.

V. Vegetables you dislike: Tomatoes, though I’m working on eating them more.

W. What makes you run late: Exceptional circumstances, lol.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, right knee (from when I tore my ligament/meniscus).

Y. Yummy food you make: Cheese soufflé, crème brûlée, rice pudding, etc…so lots of stuff!

Z. Zoo: I don’t believe I’ve ever been…but the new roommate and I have a standing date to hit up the Calgary Zoo sometime this summer.

As far as who I tag to do this...anyone and everyone!

Beauty Blogazon Roundup - May 29 to June 4, 2011

2011-06-07T21:48:00.001-06:00

StylEyes reviews Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Midnight Manicure swatches her first ever Barielle Polish

Alex vs. Helmer? Polish Insomniac can’t decide!

Reve Noir has a Nautical Eye of the Day

Gloss and Sticks has Summer Makeup Tips!

Another battle from Royal Beauty Desgins- Neutrogena wipes vs. MAC wipes vs. Pond Wipes

Let Them Have Polish has a China Glaze Nail of the Day

Bright Lights Big Color has a few Nail of the Days she would like to share!

Creatively Yours reflects on Women in the Industry

Product Junkie shows off her Favorite Five Blushes

Beauty Thesis shows you her Five Favorites from the month of May

Glitter Gloss Garbage has a MAC Surf Baby Swatch to share

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

2011-06-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

These are just some cookies that I made after seeing Chrissy (a makeup friend on Facebook) post a picture of a fresh-baked batch. I didn’t grab the recipe from her, but was able to find one online, so I baked them up!

This is essentially a chocolate chip cookie dough base, but instead of the chocolate chips, a combination of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries are added.

I’ve been getting rave reviews across the board on these cookies (gave some away for a couple of housewarmings), so I’d highly recommend you try them – let me know if you want me to post the recipe!

Cygnes de Choux

2011-06-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the dinner I made when Kim and Liz were over, I decided to make some dessert to go with the Goat Cheese Quesadillas that were for dinner.

Now, I’m a big fan of dessert, so I really enjoy making dessert a big to-do. I’m not even sure how I thought that I’d like to make cream puffs for dessert, but I did. And then it progressed to “well, why not make them in the shape of swans?”…and then “why don’t I fill them with something different than regular almond crème?”…and finally “why don’t I add a different sauce than just chocolate?”.

What I arrived at was Cygnes de Choux (basically, swan-shaped cream puffs), filled with white chocolate whipped cream, sitting on a bed of raspberry sauce. Don’t they look adorable?

Yes, I made the choux pastry myself, and piped out the cute little swan heads and bodies. It’s actually quite easy to do (both the cooking and the assembly) – just a little time consuming.

Oh, and if you ever want to make white chocolate whipped cream, just melt about 100g of white chocolate (chips, chunks, whatever) per 250mL of heavy cream, and fold them in once your cream has been whipped. No need to flavor your cream beforehand with sugar/vanilla, either…the white chocolate makes it more than sweet enough. Mmmm!

April/May Favorites

2011-06-02T21:30:00.000-06:00

Note: This post is a little off-schedule...sorry!

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer

Annabelle Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold

In April/May, it started feeling like summer a bit (more and more as the months progressed, of course). When summer rolls around, I like to have a nice, sun-kissed complexion, so I turn to Annabelle’s Zebra Bronzer in Haute Gold. I haven’t used this as much as I like in April/May, mostly due to not having a ton of time to do my makeup, but it’s definitely my favorite bronzer product!

MAC Lovechild Lipglass

MAC Lipglass in Lovechild

I’ve posted about Lovechild before in a Shop My Stash post here[link], so I won’t go into too much detail about what the product is. But, I will tell you this: Lovechild has been my go to lipgloss when I want simple, not-too-in-your-face lips, especially during job interviews and meetings with potential employers. Thanks again for sending me this, Tamara! ;)

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in Blushing (top) and In the Buff (bottom)

As I’m otherwise unemployed (I’m talking “real” job, here), I’ve been picking up as many shifts at Northlands as I can (I’m a banquet server). The nature of the job doesn’t allow me to put lipstick on every time it fades, nor do I want to be packing a $16+ lipstick around in my pocket and chance losing it while running around serving food and clearing tables. My answer? Color Sensational Lipstain. It adds some color to my lips, and lasts a good while. I just top it off with some lip balm initially, and more if my lips get dry, and I’m good to go for the whole day.

MAC Eyeshadow in Vanilla

MAC Eyeshadow in Vanilla

Vanilla might seem like a pretty boring shade (matte cream eyeshadow with subtle sparkle), but it’s actually quite versatile for what it can be used for as far as eye looks. My favorite use for it lately is to put it on the inner half of my eyelid, with a darker color (grey, purple, etc.) on the outer half. It seems to open up my eye a fair amount, and it goes with any color!

China Glaze Seduce Me

China Glaze nail polish in Seduce Me

You may have noticed my toenail art post where I used Seduce Me on my toes. I had worn that pedicure/nail art for close to a month (I was too lazy to change it), and Seduce Me is such a gorgeous color that I’ve added it to this edition of my favorites. Note: neither this picture nor the one of the polish on my toes is color accurate. Seduce Me is more of a deep cranberry color, rather than red or bright(ish) pink.

Goat Cheese Quesadillas

2011-06-02T20:15:00.000-06:00

Last night I had a couple of friends over (Kim and Liz) for a miniature “potluck” dinner. I rarely have people over, since I live in a part of the city that most friends can’t be bothered to come visit – it’s really not that far from anywhere else! - so when I do have people over, I tend to get excited and my inner entertainer peeks out.

I had been cruising around the net for recipes (I stumble upon some really good ones, sometimes), and this is one I came across a couple of weeks ago. I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to try it out, since I know both ladies enjoy cheese as much as I do, and this was a different take on quesadillas.

Now, without further ado, what’s in these guys? It’s essentially “plain” goat cheese, with wilted spinach, sliced tomato and caramelized onion (I chose to go with red in this case), which is all piled into a whole-wheat tortilla and cooked for about two minutes per side.

You end up rich goat cheese deliciousness accented by the “veggies” and encased in a slightly crispy shell. Soooo good!

China Glaze Crackle Metals!

2011-06-02T07:49:00.000-06:00

You guys have probably already seen this explode across the internet, but I wanted to share just in case. And also, can I say: I WANT!

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(image from China Glaze press release)

THE HOTTEST METALS GET CRACKLED

China Glaze Introduces Six New Crackle Glaze Polishes in Sparkling Metallics for Summer 2011

Los Angeles, CA – (June 2011): Set your summer style to “sizzle” with China Glaze’s new Crackle Glaze Metals collection. The pioneer in crackle technology, China Glaze takes the beauty phenomenon to the next level with this second-generation polish that pairs the edgy innovation of crackle with the elegant beauty of metals. The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection features six sparkling metallic colors including:

Tarnished Gold: Warm, honeyed hue
Platinum Pieces: Shimmering silver
Haute Metal: Pale pink
Cracked Medallion: Bold bronze
Latticed Lilac: Soft lavender
Oxidized Aqua: Deep aquamarine blue

Create dramatically different looks with just one sweep of China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals. Layer over different base colors to create bold styles. Use a lighter coat to create a fine crackle, a thicker coat for a deep shatter effect. As versatile and edgy as China Glaze’s biggest celebrity fans (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicole Ritchie and Kelly Osbourne, to name a few), Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals is sure to be this summer’s hottest beauty trend!

The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection will be available as open stock colors and 12 piece counter display with a unique Crackle Glaze screen and including an instructional hang tag.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: http://www.chinaglaze.com/ or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

Nautical!

2011-06-01T22:21:00.000-06:00

I went out to do some running around today between job hunting and what not (yes, I'm still unemployed...) and decided I may as well get all put together, since I had some friends over later tonight for dinner and what not. I wanted to pair a not-so-tight shirt with my jean shorts, and settled upon the navy- and white-striped shirt that I had bought while in France - and had, until this point, not worn!

What ensued was nothing more than inspiration, as I had to pair nautical-inspired makeup with this shirt. Therefore, I settled on navy blue liner and red, red lips. Ahh, Queen's Sin...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I'll post more of a "life update" in the near-ish future if you guys are at all interested in hearing what's been going on in my life. Then again, I might post it anyways. ;)

Face:
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Sunbasque
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow in Vanilla all over lid
MAC Eyeshadow in Quarry on outer V
MAC Eyeshadow in Orb as highlight
MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon on browbown
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Binge on upper and lower lash lines
MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 on waterline
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette on brows
MAC Brow Set in Clear on brows
MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Queen's Sin

(Sorry for the not-so-great photo...)

To make up for the blurry eye photo, I'll give you two full face shots! :)

Beauty Blogazon Linkup - May 15 to May 21, 2011

2011-05-22T20:10:00.000-06:00

Time to get to know Nicole of Other Half Cosmetics a little better.

Pink with a twist! Beauty Thesis shares her Lip of the Day.

There’s a Battle of the Brands brewing on Royal Beauty Designs!

You gotta let Polish Insomniac fly with this fly blue color!

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage is giving away Nivea products!

From Mascara to Meatloaf answers 40 beauty questions.

Creatively Yours by Ro wants to know do you remember Fashion Fair?

Cult of Nails is releasing their second collection and Bright Lights Big Color has details.

Gimme That Glow has Bare Escentuals swatches.

Gloss and Sticks has swatches of the Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette.

Food Break! Reve Noir has an Angus Burger and veggies to share!

Addicted to All Things Pretty has a Jillian Reynolds tutorial!

Killer Lipgloss has the MAC Surf Baby swatches.

Angus Burger with Veggies

2011-05-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

I've got another food post for you today...the last week or so I haven't been cooking as much, but before that is when I made the Creamy Coconut Shrimp and this: a burger!

Now, I won't take the credit - the burger isn't homemade. It's actually a WalMart brand Angus burger that I barbecued. I was rather quite proud that I managed not to burn it, as I'm not the world's best barbecue-ist...but I'm getting better!

Anyways, I had the burgger with a Kraft Single, spinach, and ketchup on it, with a side of chopped up sweet peppers and cucumber. I must say, I'm really enjoying veggies with stuff like this, since it seems so summery!

So, tell me: how do you like to eat your burgers? Bacon, mushrooms, etc.? What do you like to eat with your bugers?

Review - Marcelle Essentials Purity Foaming Cleansing Gel

2011-05-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

Marcelle Essentials Purity Foaming Cleansing Gel close up

Marcelle Essentials Purity Foaming Cleansing Gel packaging

Packaging:
The Purity Foaming Cleansing Gel comes in your regular squeeze-able tube, made out of plastic and with a flip cap. It sits on the top of the cap (for storage). I really like the tube, since it allows you to control how much product you need/want – something that a lot of the pump-action cleansers (or other products) don’t allow.

Product:
Upon initial trials, I really liked this cleanser as it wasn’t creamy (I have something against creamy/greasy cleansers), and it didn’t have a really harsh smell – it was actually quite pleasant. Not long after starting to use it, though, I noticed that I started to get small bumps – what seemed to be the start of blemishes – all over my forehead and along my temples. I attributed this to an initial adjustment period after starting a new cleanser, and vowed to use the whole tube of product. As time went on (a month plus), the bumps didn’t get any better, and I actually started breaking out more frequently than when I had been using my Paula’s Choice cleanser. I unfortunately can’t give this cleanser a positive review for that reason, though it may work well for someone else. Oh, and for reference, my skin type is combination (oily in areas and dryer in others).

Swatches:
No swatches needed as this is a cleanser and not makeup product.

Price:
According to the Marcelle website, the suggested retail price for the Essentials Purity Foaming Cleansing Gel is CAD$14.50 for 6.2 ounces.

Overall:
While I liked the packaging and initial impression of the product, I unfortunately wouldn’t use this going forward as it “encouraged” breakouts on me. That being said, it could just not work well for me – I’ve heard of plenty of people that love the Marcelle skincare. I’d recommend that you at least create your own opinion about this cleanser.

Creamy Coconut Shrimp with Coconut Rice

2011-05-17T12:00:00.002-06:00

It's lunch time, so I thought I'd share with you a new dish I made recently.

I'm a huge fan of coconut rice - I mean obsessed! So every once in a while I make my own...but so I don't feel too guilty, I like to make something to go with the rice (most times). This time, I chose to mak a recipe for "creamy coconut shrimp". It's basically some coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, soya sauce, chili flakes, etc. mixed together and sauteed in a frying pan with shrimp. I didn't have an chili flakes at the time, so substituted some random cajun spice mix I had, and also accidentally used a little too much lime juice for my taste.

The dish turned out okay, so I'm going to try to make it again sometime, but properly. And the coconut rice was delicious, as usual! Here's what the meal looked like:

Let me know if you want the recipe for the shrimp!

Bonus Nera - Hiding Spot

2011-05-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

While I was cleaning out the spare room in my condo so I can rent it out, Nera found a new spot in my closet to hide (it's gone now due to re-organization - poor kitty).

Seduce Me Toes

2011-05-16T21:35:00.000-06:00

This is a pedicure I did early- to mid-April. I just took it off yesterday because it wore so well (no particular reason why) - usually polish on my toes lasts a long time.

This is two coats of China Glaze's Seduce Me, with some designs done using random nail art pens and stripers. One of these days I'll break out all the nail art goodies I got from DollarNailArt.com.

My hand got a little shaky on some parts, but not nearly as bad on my left toe. For some reason, I have a really hard time drawing fancy designs on my left toe! Here's a picture, just for a laugh ;)

I've now got a new pedicure/polish design on my toes, so I'll share that in the near future sometime!