China Glaze Channelesque vs. Sephora by OPI Metro Chic

This now discontinued China Glaze polish has been getting a bit of attention lately, and I can definitely understand why.


China Glaze Channelesque
It's a beautiful dark grey-mauve colour that applies smoothly and perfectly opaque in 2 coats.

If you don't already have it, this may be a bit hard to find because of the fact it's discontinued. Luckily, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic is a great dupe.


Sephora By OPI Metro Chic, China Glaze Channelesque


(top to bottom)
Channelesque, Metro Chic, Channelesque, Metro Chic

You can see that they're quite similar. Channelesque leans a bit more mauve, and Metro Chic more grey. Love them both!

Do you have either of these?

OPI Miami Beet

Miami Beet came out with the OPI South Beach collection about a year ago. I only picked this up recently though. I am glad I was able to find it, I had been wanting it for a while.


OPI Miami Beet
It's a gorgeous dark creme colour that is actually a couple of shades darker in person than I was able to capture in pictures. Application was a breeze, very smooth. This is 2 coats here.

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Moroccan Oil Review

My hair can be a real pain to deal with. I’ve got dry, damaged, curly hair that’s incredibly frizzy most of the time. I put it up in a bun most days when I go to work, and when I do wear it down, I always straighten it with a flat iron. I’ve never quite mastered how to make it look nice curly, but that’s another story.

I’ve recently been hearing a lot of hype about Moroccan Oil. It claims to strengthen and condition as well as restore shine. I figured I’d give it a go. The price of this stuff is a bit steep. I was able to find a mini 25ml bottle of it and decided to buy that to see if I liked it enough to purchase a full size bottle.



I apply this on my damp hair and then blow dry and straighten. I noticed an immediate difference in the appearance of my hair after the first time I used it. It had more shine, the split ends were less noticeable and there was a bit of extra body to my hair. An added bonus is that it smells great! Sort of like vanilla mixed with something else maybe? I can't quite put my finger on the scent. My boyfriend kept complimenting me on my yummy smelling hair last time I used it.

Moroccanoil also makes an Intense Curl Cream that I may try at some point, as well as some of their other products.

I would definitely buy this again, though I will shop around and see where I can find the cheapest price on it. A little does go a long way, I only used about a pea sized amount. The full sized bottle would probably last me a long time.

Have you tried Moroccan Oil?

China Glaze Joy

I've been wearing a lot of pastels lately and decided to switch things up and go a little bit darker. This lovely colour had been sitting in my pile of new and untried nail polishes for a little while now, and I'm glad I finally decided to do a mani with it.


China Glaze Joy
This came out with the Romantique collection released in the Spring of last year. It's a beautiful plum with pink iridescence. I couldn't stop staring at my nails today at work, it's just such a pretty colour! It applied wonderfully in 2 coats.

MAC Liberty of London Haul, Swatches and Review

The Liberty of London collection came out last week, and of course I couldn't resist picking up some things. I wasn't sure about the packaging of this collection at first, but it has grown on me and I really like it now.


I got all of the lipsticks, Bough Grey and Birds & Berries eye shadows and Prim & Proper blush. I already have Shell Pearl from when it was first released with the Sundressing collection in 2006, but it's not pictured here.


Bough Grey, Prim & Proper, Birds & Berries
Here you can see that each of the eye shadows has a different colour flower on it, and the blush has a design with flowers and a bird on it as well.


Here they are opened.


Bough Grey
Bough Grey is unique because it's a grey with a greenish undertone. I was excited to pick this up, but unfortunately the colour payoff isn't that great and it was really hard to build up the colour for a good swatch of it. I'm hoping that it'll be a little easier to use on my eyes when I use a base and everything. It may take a little work, but I do like this colour.


Birds & Berries
This was the stand out eye shadow in the collection to me. So vibrant and pretty and it has great pigmentation. I've heard it looks amazing with Delft paint pot underneath, and I can just picture how hot that'd be and am tempted to pick up Delft as well!


Prim & Proper blush
A nice, natural blush that has a smooth texture and subtle shimmer. It will look great with Shell Pearl over top of it for an extra "glow from within" look.


Shell Pearl Beauty Powder
I got this ages ago with the Sundressing collection, so it isn't in the special Liberty Of London packaging. I'll admit, it has been sitting in my makeup drawers neglected for the last while because I keep getting new products, but I am determined to give it more love. It makes a great highlight colour.


Shell Pearl, Prim & Proper, Birds & Berries, Bough Grey


Petals & Peacocks, Blooming Lovely, Peachstock, Ever Hip


Petals & Peacocks, Blooming Lovely, Peachstock, Ever Hip

Petals & Peacocks - For some reason, I always seem to be drawn to bright pinks like this one despite the fact that I rarely wear such bold lips out. This is an Amplified finish lipstick, so it is smooth and has great pigmentation.

Blooming Lovely - This is also an Amplified finish. I was a bit worried that this might look horrible on me because I've heard talk of it making people look corpse like. With a light hand, I do like it. It's made even more wearable if I put a baby pink gloss over it. I'm going to experiment with lipliners and such as well. I think it's just not the kind of colour I'm used to, but I do like it.

Peachstock - I didn't even really pay much attention to this lipstick until I started seeing pictures of it on other people, and it looked amazing. I think this may be one of my favorite nudes in my whole collection now. It is a Pro product, so it will still be available at pro stores if you miss out on it with this collection. I'm really glad I picked this up.

Ever Hip - When seeing pictures of this online, I really didn't think I was going to get this, it kind of looks orange in the tube. I swatched it at the store and it's quite sheer on first swipe. You do have to build up the colour for it to be intense. That could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you were hoping this lipstick to be. Personally, I like that it's a bit on the sheer side. I don't usually wear colours like this because they don't suit my skintone, but this one works. You can of course put a lipliner under, maybe Mouth Off from the Too Fabulous collection and I'm sure that it would be brighter.

What did you think of this collection? Did you get anything?

China Glaze Light As Air

China Glaze Light As Air
Here's another great pastel shade from the China Glaze Up & Away collection. It's a beautiful lilac colour that applied pretty opaque in just one coat, however I did add a second coat to even everything out. The formula of this is quite thick, but manageable to work with. Love this!

I hope you all had a good weekend!

MAC Too Fabulous Lip Liner Swatches

MAC came out with another limited edition collection that came out a week ago called Too Fabulous. It features Mineralized Blushes, Cremesheen glasses and lip liners. There are a couple of Cremesheen glasses that I'd like to pick up, though it's nice to know I can wait a bit on those since they're permanent. The lip liners were what most caught my eye. I picked up 3 of them.


Naked Liner, In Synch, Trimmed in Pink


Naked Liner, In Synch, Trimmed in Pink


I went to a Bay counter the day after this collection launched, and these 3 were already sold out. The MA told me that they only got a few of each colour. I was able to get them at a MAC store nearby. To me, these apply creamier than other lip liners I've purchased from MAC.

Naked Liner - A totally nude colour that erases any colour from your lips, almost as if you had applied concealer to them. It will work great if you're going for a nude lip obviously, but also if you wanted to blank out your lip colour and intensify and bring out the true hue of any lip product you want.

In Synch - A milky pale pink. I seem to have many lipsticks and lipglosses that are of similar colour, so this will come in handy. I'd love to pair this with Fashion Scoop cremesheen glass.

Trimmed in Pink - This will go well with brighter pinks. I think it would go brilliantly with Loud and Lovely cremesheen glass, which I will be picking up at some point.

The mineralized blushes don't really interest me. I'm looking forward to getting a couple of the Cremesheen glasses, but will perhaps wait to trade in some empties for them. It's been overwhelming the number of limited edition collections MAC has been putting out lately, I'm trying to be pickier about what I purchase!

Did you pick up anything from this collection?

More Details On My MAC Warehouse Sale Haul

A few gals suggested I add more details on what I got from the MAC warehouse sale, so here you go!


Brushes - 272, 189, 165, 231, 180
Studio Moisture Tint SPF15 - This was $10! I just bought it at the store for $38 a couple weeks ago!
Skin Refined Zone Treatment


Stuff I got from $3 bins - mini mascaras, lashes, Clinique and Estee Lauder makeup removers, mascara wands, mini Fix+
Also pictured are some items from a gift set - Blacktrack fluidline, lashes, Blitzed glitter liner, a mini 209, mini Zoomlash.


Cleanse Off Oil
Blushes - Other Worldly, Fleurry, Notable
Mineralize SPF15 Foundation/Loose
Paint pots - Quite Natural, Moss Scape, Perky
Clinique brush on cream liner in Bronze
Fly By Blu Pearlglide
Mink brow set
Wonderwhite glitter liner
Molten Sol liquidlast liner


Spectacle! High-light powder from the Dame Edna collection.
Perfect Topping MSF
Just a Pinch gel blush - so excited to get this!
Glitters - Reflects Blackened Red, Reflects Transparent Teal, Reflects Antique Gold
Deep Blue Green pigment


Lipsticks - Semi-Annual, Lickable, Hipster, Brave New Bronze, Way to Love, Marquise D', Full Fuchsia, "Red" She Said, Kanga-Rouge, Lavender Whip, Hue
Lipglasses - C-Thru, Gold Rebel, Loving Touch See Thru Colour, Not So Shy See Thru Colour, Looks Like Sin cremesheen, Grenadine Slimshine, Identity monogram lipglass


Eye shadows - Bright Future, Pen N' Pink, Poison Pen, Newly Minted, Signed, Sealed, Silverthorn, Femme-Fi, Apres-Ski, Chill, Of Summer, Arctic Grey, Vellum, Et Tu, Bouquet?, Henna, Bold & Brazen, Glamour Check!, Star By Night, Lotusland

Looks like I need to have a depotting party soon!

MAC Warehouse Sale Haul

As some of you from the GTA may know, a few times a year, Estee Lauder Warehouse sales are held at Markham Fairgrounds. Brands there include Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Clinique and of course, MAC. You need an invite to attend, and these invites are given out to Estee Lauder company employees, I'm not sure exactly who gets them.

I've only been to this sale one time before this in December 2008, so I was very excited to go to this. I went yesterday afternoon, at what seemed like the perfect time, around 2pm. There was no line, I was able to walk right in. Some things were sold out already though, so it can pay to get there super early and line up.


A picture of the goodies I got.


One of my kitties giving me an earful for not being the centre of attention while I was trying to take pics.

There were a lot of good deals. I got Cleanse Off Oil for $12 each. I some goodies in the $3 bins - mini Fix+, lashes, mini mascaras, Clinique and Estee Lauder makeup removers, pack of mascara wands. Got some brushes, a bunch of eye shadows, a couple paint pots and some lipsticks and lipglasses. I'm happy with everything I got. Can't wait to play with all my new goodies!

Anyone else go to this or have been to these sales before?

OPI Hong Kong Collection Swatches

I recently picked up a few polishes from the new OPI Hong Kong collection.


Meet Me on the Star Ferry, Bling Dynasty, Jade is the New Black


Meet Me on the Star Ferry
I love this colour, it's a purple but has a pinkish sheen to it. It applied well, this is 2 coats here.


Bling Dynasty
Love the name. It certainly is very bling! Such a beautiful, rich gold colour that applied wonderfully in 2 coats. I've been wearing this as my manicure all week and couldn't stop staring at my nails!


Jade is the New Black
This seems to be the most talked about from the collection. I didn't even think I was that into green polishes, but when I saw this, I knew I had to get it. Boy, am I glad that I did. I don't have anything even close to this in my collection and I absolutely love it. It also applied like a dream, so smooth. This is 2 coats.

Did you get anything from this collection? What do you think of these polishes?

LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

A while ago, I noticed that the cold winter weather was taking a toll on my hands and cuticles, they were looking pretty dry and in need of moisture. Me constantly switching up my nail polish probably didn't help the problem, nail polish remover can be pretty harsh. I figured maybe it was time to get some kind of cuticle butter or oil to help with the problem.

After reading some reviews, I decided to try LUSH's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter. That along with the Oatifix face mask made up my first LUSH purchase.


LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I've been using this cuticle butter for a while now, and I really do like it. I usually put some on after I finish doing my nails when my polish has dried, and also before bed time. I wasn't too crazy about the smell at first, but it has grown on me. It moisturizes really well from the instant you apply it. No more dry cuticles here!

A bonus is that you can use it on any areas of your body that are dry, such as your elbows and it will help moisturize and soften the skin.

Have you tried Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter? Do you have any favorite LUSH products?

5 February Favorites

I've decided to try to make posts of 5 of my favorite beauty products each month.



1. Curel Extreme Care Intensive 24-hour Moisturizer - I keep a tube of this with me in my purse and use it on my hands often. I have a big bottle at home for my entire body. This stuff is a life saver in these dry winter months to help keep moisturized!

2. MAC Flowerosophy lustreglass - This came out a few years ago with the Culturebloom collection I believe. This is a rediscovered favorite that I've been using like crazy all month. I love light pink colours like this one.

3. Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express mascara - I always seem to have a few mascaras in rotation at all times, but I find I've been reaching for this one most often lately. It's a great volumizing formula that doesn't clump on me.

4. MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre - I have been in love with this since I first picked it up at the Spring Colour Forecast unveiling event. The way it goes from pink to purple is so pretty, not to mention how smooth the formula of this is. It's quickly become one of my staple cheek products.

5. MAC Nanogold eye shadow - I am so glad that I was given this accidentally when I went to purchase my Spring Colour Forecast haul, I wasn't planning on picking it up myself. I hate returning things though and decided to give it a try. So happy I did! It's become one of my favorite lid colours, and it also makes a great highlight.

Have you tried any of these products? What are some of your favorites this month?