I Know all the Words

Review: MAC Soft and Gentle MSF

2012-02-10T19:37:00.001-05:00

Oh MSFs how I've come to love thee. I wasn't one to bother with highlighting, but ever since I got Laura Mercier's Illuminator I've become a bit obsessed. The natural progression led me to MAC's Mineralize Skinfinishes. While there are many many MSFs, most are limited edition. There are two in the core collection, one of which being Soft and Gentle.

MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish

Soft and Gentle is described as a 'gilded peach bronze' which is a pretty good description. This looks a bit dark in the pan, but it applies to be a beautiful light peachy bronze. The texture is smooth and refined, no large glitter here. That said, you can easily over do it with this, so go easy. I think that this particular MSF could suit anyone as the colour is light and natural. When applied correctly it gives skin a glowing, beautiful 'je ne c'est quoi'.

I know that at $33.50 CAD they are a bit pricey, but they're large, and will last you forever. Plus, it is fun to be able to splurge on a little something every now and then. Do you have a fave MSF? Which one?

January Faves

2012-02-10T00:33:00.000-05:00

Another month closer to warmer weather! I really shouldn't complain, as our winter hasn't been nearly as cold and terrible as it usually is, but still a bit of early spring would be nice. I didn't have too many new faves this month, but I did try to use up a few older items to make way for new ones I'm itching to get to.

Urban Decay Naked Palette
With all of the excitement over the new naked palette (Naked 2, very aptly named) I thought maybe I should get a bit more use out of my original. I do love this palette, but I got away from using it for a while. Over the past month I used Sin, Buck, Darkhorse and Virgin (the best highlight shade since...ever?) pretty exclusively. Sin is just about my favourite shadow of all time for use on the inner lid area; it makes my eyes look so bright and big. I'm still on the fence about Naked 2, but chances are it will make it's way to me in the long run.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Peaceful
I recently reorganized my makeup and realized the almost disgusting amount of blush I have... I didn't realize I was a blush hoarder. That said, I've really been trying to use a bit of everything in my collection, starting with blushes that I love, but don't use enough. Peaceful is a peachy-pink blush with a fine glowing shimmer. The shade was exclusive to QVC, but may be available elsewhere by now.

MAC Perfect Topping Mineralize Skin Finish
I recently got hooked on highlighters, and have been filling in my lacking collection with LE MSFs. My favourite out of my new crop is Perfect Topping from the Sugarsweet collection. Perfect Topping is a shimmering light peachy, golden shade. It is quite refined and while still shimmering, does not have any oversized glitter. I like to apply this (and other powder highlighters) with my Smashbox Fan Brush (#22) for a precise, soft glow.

Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in Pout
Quite possibly the best pink lipstick ever? I'll keep this short as I have a post in the works that will be more in depth, but do pick this up if you happen to see it. It is said to be a dupe of MAC Angel, but I don't have it so I can't confirm.

MAC Kissable Lipcolour in EnChantee
I picked this up when it came out with the Peacocky collection, but it is available again now, as it was repromoted in the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection. I was set to get a few more shades since they are available now, but I used the few brain cells that haven't been obliterated by nail polish and acetone fumes, to realize I really don't need more lip gloss. This is a really great product though, the creamy colour with a bit of shine that wears so well. Defiantly pick one up if you haven't tried them yet.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Roll On Perfume
I love this scent! It is the perfect blend of delicate coconut and vanilla. Soft and not too sweet. I loved the roll on so much I also picked up the full size spray. Ugh, it is so different from the roll on, and in the worst possible ways. The spray has a powdery floral note that the roll does not. I could probably get used to it but I am disappointed. Stick to the roll on for an amazing scent.

Cover Girl Line Exact Liquid Eyeliner
So this isn't exactly a "fave" but I am trying to use it up. I bought it when I couldn't find my beloved Marcelle liquid liner. I figured I'd give this on a chance. It's okay overall, but the black is a bit weak, the product doesn't flow into the tip properly and the pen is so short it's awkward to hold. I have a Lancome Art Liner to use next, even though I prefer the pen style as opposed to ones that need to be dipped ink well style.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
Full review here. This was hard to get my hands on, but so worth it. Great coverage and spot on colour match.

OPI Steady as She Rose
This came out with the Pirates of the Carribean 'Stranger Tides' collection, but I passed on most of them (I did review the minis here). I took a chance on SASR when I spotted it on clearance, and am very happy I did. This polish is a pale, dusty pink tinged lavender. It's slightly Spring like, but dusty enough to be a Winter shade as well. Very flattering and quite pretty on.

YSL Toning and Cleansing Micellar Water Nude Make-up
This is a huuuge sample bottle that I got in a recent Sephora order. This is a pretty standard micellar water, it does not remove eye makeup very well even though it says it can, but it is great on the rest of my face. I have a so many micellear waters that I wouldn't buy this one, but for a freebie it is great. Plus, the bottle will be great to decant other micellars for travel.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream

Full review here. I've had this moisturizer kicking around for a bit... I initially really liked it, but then found it wasn't enough for my prone to being dry skin. I recently started using it again to use it up, and found that I kind of like it, again. I while I wouldn't purchase this again, as it turns out it has alcohol in it (soo lame) it does make my skin feel pretty great.

Figs & Rouge CocoVanilla Organic Balm

Full review here. I think that this little wonder balm is pretty swell. Yup, I said swell. A definite must try.

Bonus Faves!

French Chocolate Caramels

I was gifted a nice little stash of my favourite French caramels. They're coated in dark chocolate and are soo good. They now live in a little mirrored box on my desk.

Colourful Leather

Now, I love a good leather purse, but when it comes to the colour I usually play it safe and choose more neutral and safe shades. I threw caution to the wind and am now the happy owner of two boldly hued leather bags. The first being an unbranded kelly green satchel, which happens to look an awful lot like that other satchel brand *cough* and a blurple (blue in some lights, purple in others) Sam and Kate Pebble Leather Crossbody. Now which to use first...

What were your faves last month?

February Julep Maven

2012-02-09T01:06:00.001-05:00

The first of my February subscription items arrived today: Julep Maven. I was considering quitting, but my 'style' has been updated from "It Girl" to "Polish Lover" so I no longer get filler items (aka Julep hand cream, hand scrub, hand whatever...) just polish. I like that. That was the whole reason I signed up. Go figure.

Julep Rachel, Oscar, and Elizabeth

The Polishes this month are okay, not really anything I haven't seen before. I'm almost wishing I had skipped this moth's box. I thought that maybe they would have gone for a Valentine's theme, but they went the with the Oscars...

Rachel is a "warm, rich, copper shimmer" I also see a fair amount of red in this. While I like copper, this one isn't really my cup of tea.

Oscar is an "Ultra chic, multidimensional gold glitter." I'm not one for golds, but this one is simple and actually quite pretty. I was able to get it opaque in two thick coats. This was a very thick, polish as well, not fun to apply.

Elizabeth is a "Midnight blue with a hint of shimmer." The shimmer in this is quite hidden and the blue is nothing you haven't seen a million times. Pretty though. I might do a NOTD with Elizabeth and Oscar as an accent. I think that might look sharp.

Do you subscribe to the Maven program? What did you get this month?

P.S If you'd like to enter to win a Konad Nail Stamping Kit you have one day left! Enter Here.

Review: Jillian Dempsey for Avon Professional Perfect Eye Kit

2012-02-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

When I first noticed these I was taken in by the eye shape of the shadows, but I should have known better than to actually buy one. These have been introduced by Avon before, and I know that the quality of their shadow has gone down (way down) in recent years. I used to love their singles, and duos, but when they made the switch to quads (that are packaged to look a lot like Chanel's) they were so not worth the time.

Closed Palette

Back of Palette

Shadows

I tossed my better judgement aside, and decided to try the Smoky Eye kit. I normally would pick browns or something super practical, so I thought that this would be a change of pace. As you can see in the photos above, the palette is black, but has a semi-transparent lid so you can sort of see the eye staring up at you even when this is closed. On the back, you've got your basic info and a handy illustration showing you how to use your shadows.

L-R: inner eye shade, lid shade, highlight shade, crease/liner shade

Inner Eye Shade: a cool glittery silver. While they don't show up in the photo, the glitter is too large in this and the shade is so sheer. The swatch is multiple passes.

Lid Shade: a glittery, gilded taupe. Again, the glitter is larger than I would have liked, but the shade does have promise.

Highlight Shade: a shimmery vanilla shade. I quite like this shade for a highlight/blending shade. This is the one shadow that I could see myself using.

Crease/ Liner Shade: black with silver glitter. Again, large glitter. This one is chalky and rather patchy to apply.

Applied as shown on palette

As I had assumed, the quality of the shadow is not so great. Apart from the sections of the palette being on the small side, specifically the inner eye shade, the pigmentation just wasn't there. When I swatched the shadows, I had a glimmer of hope that once I applied them on my eyes, over primer, they could look pretty good. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden as my base, and that primer alone makes almost any shadow look great, but between texture issues (the black shade was the worst offender) and weak pigmentation, the overall look was lackluster. I followed the application directions on the palette, which shows a linear application and skips any crease definition. I'd like to say switching the application works wonders, but I'm no miracle worker.

While the overall look, does look not bad, it lacks any of the deep smoldering sex appeal you'd likely look for in a smoky eye, it does look okay. I's a 9-5, office safe take on smoky. All I added was mascara, but you could (and I would) defiantly add a bit of black liner to up the ante a bit.

Overall, I say pass on these. That said, have you tried them? What did you think?

Review: Figs & Rouge Organic Balms

2012-02-06T02:37:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted one product to do everything?

I don't think I ever have actually... when it comes to product I'm sort of a "more is more" type of gal. Putting that aside, I am quite taken with Figs & Rouge's little wonder balms that do pretty much everything and smell amazing while they do it.

Figs & Rouge Balms come in handful of scents, but I chose the ChocoVanilla and Pomegranate. The scents of these are amazing. The ChocoVanilla is just that, a burst of fresh dark coco with a slightly sweet true vanilla finish. The Pomegranate has a bright, fresh scent of a tart pomegranate. It has the citrusy tones of the real thing and is luckily not the syrupy take that I was expecting. I love how each sent is housed in a differently designed tin. The vintage styling is adorable and reminds me of the balms and ointments my nan always had.

When I first opened the tins, I noticed that the product was not smooth looking like I expected. It almost looked curdled. I dipped my finger into the product to find that it has a soft, but gritty texture, not unlike sugar that has been creamed with butter. I did initially wonder if this would make it a terrible texture for use as lip balm, but I quickly realized the grittiness melts away on contact with your skin. The balms absorb quite quickly on skin, and leave only the slightest greasy residue when initially applied. Within a minute or two you are left with nothing but seriously soft skin and a sweet scent. On lips, they are light feeling, non sticky, with a glossy shine. They are not oily feeling and last for a few hours. I like them for use with drier formulas of lipstick as they both protect and moisturize but also add a bit of shine.

I know I've stated this already but these balms do everything! The obvious use being for lips, and a great balm this is for dry, chapped, winter lips, but you can also use this for dry skin on any part of your body. Now, I was a bit hesitant to use it on my face, but as a reviewer it is my duty to test, so test I did. I started off by just using a bit on my nose (always a dry spot) and when I had nothing but good results, I started using it on other dry facial areas. I can proudly state that I suffered no ill effects what so ever. The balm is great on feet, cuticles, as a eyebrow groomer, as aromatherapy (dabbed on pulse points) as a cleanser to remove makeup, and you can even dab it on dry areas throughout the day and it won't disturb makeup. I have yet to try that, but I will keep it in mind as my chin/mouth area and nose often get dry throughout the day.

I am so glad that I took a chance on these little balms. At $8 each they are defiantly worth trying out. They are available from a variety of retailers but I ordered mine from Hip Apotheca. Have you tried these?

Style Profile: GlassesUSA.com

2012-02-05T17:41:00.001-05:00

"GlassesUSA.com is the premier place to buy discount prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Our mission is to guarantee the highest quality optical products at the most affordable prices in the fastest time span possible – all across the world. We guarantee our customers the highest quality - yet affordable - prescription eyeglasses because we partner with the best laboratories in the industry, saving our customers on every order! Our savings gets passed on to you! It’s a win-win situation!"

Did you know that 60% of adults require glasses or contacts? I was quite surprised that the number was that high. I happen to be one of those people, and while I have tried contacts (unsuccessfully...) I've come to love my glasses. In the past couple of years frames have really become fashion statements and it is much easier to find affordable, cute, eyeglass frames.

I live in a smaller city, and while there are a few places to find frames, getting glasses online allows me to find exactly what I want and know that there aren't 50 people in my area with the same frames. Luckily GlassesUSA a huge selection of cute frames and their prices are great. Anyone who has ever bought glasses knows how fast you can spend a couple hundred dollars on one pair of glasses... ouch. I've compiled a few of my favourite frames, and most cash in at under $100 and that's including the lenses!

Adam Black $47.69

Masyn Tortise $37.76

Reese Jakob 6000 Blue $58.62

Masyen Gray $37.76

iSee 706 Black $77.50

Taylor Gray Marble $48.69

The cherry on top? GlassesUSA also has a great selection of prescription sunglasses. Yes, prescription! No more having to pick out regular old frames and paying a fortune to have the lenses tinted. I have transition lenses on my current glasses (the lenses darken in sunlight) but I would love to have a cute pair of sunglasses. I know where I'll be ordering from, from now on...

Lacoste 2652 Green $148.05

iSee 026 Black $104.33

Rikki Brown $108.30

The awesome people at GlassesUSA have a few special offers for all you, my equally awesome readers: Take 20% off your entire order of $80 or more and get free US shipping with the code FS20 or Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with the code Blog10. Additionally, you can stay up-to-date on all GlassesUSA happenings through their Facebook page and their Twitter feed (@GlassesUSA).

Did you spot any glasses you liked? Which ones?

Swatches: Zoya Intimate Collection

2012-02-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

Recently I undertook what ended up being a huge organization project involving my polish collection. Stashed away, I found the Zoya Intimate Collection that I picked up.... well a while ago. Unlike most nail polish brands Zoya's collections are available in prepackaged sets. What initially drew me to the Intimate Collection was the fact that it looked like it could be a three season collection. The shades cover Spring, Fall, and Winter easily (and fashionably!)

Zoya Dove

I love gray in general and Dove is no exception. Dove is a pale gray cream that applies easily with two coats. The finish is super glossy and shiny even before top coat. This is not the most unique shade, but the formula is spot on. If you don't have a gray in your collection, this one is worth snagging.

Zoya Marley

On first glance, Marley looks like just another pale lavender polish, but it has a little bit of hidden flair. Marley has a touch of pink to it and a kiss of blueish shimmer that really pops in the light. This shade is quintessentially Spring and very pretty. Formula on this was a bit thinner than the others, but still was opaque in two coats.

Zoya Caitlin

Caitlin is one popular shade. I would say that this was the stand out of the collection, and it is highly likely that you've already seen a million swatches. Give or take, of course. Caitlin is a dusty gray-violet love child. I love this colour. Like all the polishes in this collection, the formula was great, and only two coats were necessary.

Zoya Dannii

Okay, I missed the second 'i' when I was editing my photos, I think you'll live. Now that that's settled, Dannii is a vivid pink tinted purple packed with gold and pink shimmer. I love that this has more of a foiled look and applied so easily. No streaking or brush strokes! The formula is a bit thicker with this one, but still easy to apply.

Zoya Gemma

Gemma is one of my favourites out of this collection. On First glance. Gemma just looks like another dusty olive toned green, but it has a hidden glow. Gemma has a good dose of blue-purple duo chrome shimmer that pops in the light. This shade is totally unique to anything I have/seen. Green lovers will want this one for sure.

Zoya Jules

Jules is my favourite shade out of this collection, which is saying a lot, because I quite like every shade. Jules is a taupey champagne shade with a major dose of gold shimmer. Gold polishes are usually not my thing, but this one has a dustiness to it that makes is so much more unique. I love it!

Zoya's Intimate Collection is a hit with me. It isn't all that often that I really like every shade in a collection, but this one just gets it right. Do you have any of the shades from this collection? Which Zoya shade is your fave?

Review: MAC Narcissus Creamsheen Glass

2012-02-02T21:16:00.001-05:00

A fast little review of one of my new favourite glosses. I ordered Narcissus a few weeks ago when the Daphne Guinness collection came out. MAC's Creamsheen formula is my preferred MAC gloss, so I tend to keep an eye out for new shades. I should apologize for the above photo as well... I don't know what I was drinking, but none of my tube photos were very good, and at present my camera batteries are charging. Chances are you know what the tube looks like anyway. Right?

Bare Lips

MAC Narcissus Creamsheen Gloss

Narcissus is described as being a "dirty eggplant" but that really doesn't describe this very well at all. The shade is more like a slightly dirty magenta purple. I love a good purple gloss so this one was a no brainer for me. The gloss is fairly opaque for a Creamsheen and wears easily, meaning it is neither too thick or too thin or too sticky. The colours looks quite intense in the tube, but is a very wearable raspberry purple. I love that this shade doesn't settle into lip lines either.

Have you tried this gloss? Which Creamsheen shade is your fave?

I Finally Freaking Did It!

2012-02-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

source

I paid off my MasterCard!

Woot Woot!

Okay, so I do have two more... but still. I look so forward to seeing my next statement show $0. Anyone else have an exciting day?

Review: Marcelle BB Cream

2012-01-27T16:21:00.000-05:00

This post has taken me forever to get finished. I've been coming back to it for four days, and until now have yet to get further than the title. I've had a few freelance projects, I started what ended up being a huge nail polish organization project (I'll share soon) and this weekend is full of birthdays, so I spent most of yesterday baking coconut vanilla cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting (soo good!)

Anyhow, during my business, I also got my Marcelle order which contained their new BB Cream. Over the past few days I've been testing it out. My general rating: okay. Not bad per-say, but not great either.

I don't know if this still needs saying, does everyone know what a BB cream is by now? I'd say yes, but to be nice to those who don't, I'll give you a quick 411. BB cream aka Blemish or Beauty Balm is an all in one skin care/makeup. It is meant to be your moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, foundation and concealer all in one.

Marcelle claims that their BB Cream provides 8 functions. Not too bad, but it is lacking any SPF. I have yet to come across any true BB Creams that don't have SPF. Out of my collection, none have a level lower than 20 and PA++. While I won't title myself as a BB cream expert, I have used a few brands and have used them regularly enough to know what I like in a BB Cream. That said, I find the Marcelle BB Cream to be more like a tinted moisturizer than a BB Cream.

Marcelle BB Cream thick (left) and lightly blended (right)

Marcelle BB Cream fully blended

The Marcelle BB Cream is not as thick as others I've used (all the BB Creams I've used are of Asian origin, all made in Korea to be exact) and is much more yellow toned. I applied this just like I would any of my other BB Creams; by prepping my skin with a facial mist, dabbed on some BB with a foundation brush, then finished blending it in with my fingers. I was a bit worried about the shade (I have light to medium) being too yellow. I seriously looked a bit jaundiced when I first applied it. Luckily the more you blend the more the colour evens out. While I didn't see it on the box, Marcelle's web site claims that this product has "self adjusting pigments that adapt to skin tone". In the end there was so little colour left I considered applying another round. I found that like many tinted moisturizers I've used, the more I blended the product onto my skin, the less colour/coverage I got. I set my BB cream with my usual powder and went about my day.

Aside from coverage being lighter than other BB creams, I found this to be really moisturizing (more so than my other BB creams) a definite plus, and my skin felt amazingly soft, but I did find that my t-zone got oily throughout the day, which is not normal for me.

Skin 79 The Prestige BB Cream, Dr. Jart Premium BB Cream, Marcelle BB Cream, Skin Food Good Afternoon Peach Green Tea BB Cream

As you can see in the comparison, the Asian BB Creams all lean more neutral in tone and have a thicker texture. While I don't mind the Marcelle BB Cream, I won't reach for it as often as I do my other BB Creams. I'll most likely use it on days where I just want to even out my skin tone, and am not concerned about coverage (of course a dab or two of concealer can help as well).

Marcelle's BB Cream won't be available in stores until Feb. 6th, but can be purchased from their website now, for $22.95 and comes in two shades: light to medium and medium to dark.

Will you be trying it out?

Buyer Beware: Kobo Vox

2012-01-19T01:28:00.001-05:00

I know this isn't a typical type of post for IKATW, but, my blog, my rules! I kid; I'll have a beauty related review up in a bit. Hold tight, and read this while you wait.

I initially had this titled as a review, but I think I'll end up going off on a tagent of sorts somewhere through this post. If I leave anything out that you'd like to know more about, be sure to leave me a comment.

Before I decided that the Kobo Vox was the e-reader for me, I did a bit of poking around. Sure there are reviews up the wazoo, but they're all written by the super techie "I review crap for a living type" who tell you everything but what you really want to know. Where are the reviews for the every~~man~~ woman?

source

Kobo Vox is great for reading, and a little Fruit Ninja break every now and then as well.

I initially loved my Kobo, it wasn't perfect (more on that later) but, it did it's main function very well and it was easy to set up- after the first three failed start-up attempts. When you first start up you have to update the software, and mine just did not want to co-operate. After three tries I was successful. Based on my readings, some buyers never get past setup and end up having to exchange for a new unit. Past the start up snare, I did notice that the touch screen is a bit sluggish and often requires a heavy hand for my movements to register. This wasn't a huge issue most of the time, as it seemed to subside when turning pages in books. It is however a bit annoying during a tense game of Fruit Ninja. I love me some Fruit Ninja.

source

Along with being able to download apps (from the Android Marketplace) you can obviously use this for ebooks. Kobo Vox uses epub files, which you can purchase from their estore, or if you're crafty, you can find online from various epub sites. I was amazed at all the new titles I was able to find for free. After I downloaded the books to my computer, all I had to do was plug in my Vox via it's USB and turn on mass storage. From there a little drag and drop, and the files were good to go. All that was left was to use the sync function from my bookshelf and they appeared like magic. I haven't gone into amazing technical details here, so if you's like the specs see this.

source

I know what you're thinking... sounds kind of like I like it, why the whole beware thing? Good question, friend. Because after a mere 28 days of use my Vox seems to be catatonic and customer service seems to want to do little to get to the bottom of it. Glad my one year warranty is there for protection. It all started last Thursday. I was reading and turned it off like normal ( if you don't turn it full on off, sleep mode eats up your battery like wow) but when I went to use it a few hours later, I got nothing but a blinking light. Odd. It was about 80% charged so I couldn't see what the issue would be. Now, I'm pretty good with electronics and don't mind getting in there to fix things, so I headed online to see what I could do to get that bad boy online. I tried the reset with no luck. I didn't want to (as it would wipe out all my stuff/info) but I tried the factory reset- with no luck. I figured this was a good time to email the Kobo help line and went to bed. The following afternoon when I still couldn't get the thing to turn on, and one pointless email from the Kobo folks telling me to do exactly what I had told them I already did, I decided to get my hands dirty. Luckily, it seems like a lot of others have had issues with their unit and I was able to find a few other fixes. I'll save you the details, but let's just say that they didn't work.

I made a call to the help line- what would be the first of many- and got great service. The woman I spoke to actually listened to me and didn't treat me like an moron. She stated that I could try returning it to Chapters/Indigo, and if they wouldn't accept it, phone back and they'd go about my replacement. Flash forward to now, a week later, and countless calls and emails, and I still have a $200+ paperweight (my Vox) and no answer as to how to fix it or go about exchanging it. Fun, Fun. You would think at least one person at the company would have had computer repair training.

Do you have an e-reader? What do you think of it?

China Glaze ElectroPop Collection: Electric Beat and Comparison

2012-01-17T22:51:00.001-05:00

Spring collections are finally arriving!
The makeup colour artists who have attended accredited online colleges for cosmetology have been busy creating new colours. Now, I do love fall/winter collections with their deep saturated tones, but I also really love the fresh, clean colours that emerge for spring. Really though, who am I kidding? There really aren't many colours I don't love.

The ElectroPop Collection consists of twelve polishes that can be split into two sets: The Brights and The Lights. I would say that the Brights look more like Summer shades, but oh well. I like most of the colours, but really, don't they (for the most part) look a bit... well, like they've already been done? The glitter top coat- Techno has, it's a repromote, but a lot of these shades look like polishes from the Something Sweet Collection or at the very least very dupable. For that reason, I only picked up one shade from this collection.

China Glaze Electric Beat

Electric Beat is a dusty light blue that is almost cornflower/ periwinkle but not exactly. Not the easiest to describe, but very pretty. Formulation is perfect; two coats and not issues what so ever. Is it unique though...

click for full size
Joe Fresh Powder Blue, OPI What's With the Cattitude?,Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue, China Glaze Electric Beat, Essie Lapis of Luxury, Essie Coat Azure

Joe Fresh Powder Blue, OPI What's With the Cattitude?,Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue, China Glaze Electric Beat, Essie Lapis of Luxury, Essie Coat Azure

Ummm, not exactly.

I'm slightly ashamed of how many blues I gathered upon a quick inspection of my polish collection. I have pales, mediums, deeps, brights, shimmers, glitters... you name it and I probably have it. For this comparison though, I stuck with the lights and dusty lights-mediums. The first three shades are not dupes at all, but they serve as a sort of comparison to the comparison, if you will. It is interesting to see how much green is in What's With the Cattitude and "Baby" Blue compared to a true light blue- Joe's Powder Blue.

As for Electric Beat, the closest match (and a very close one at that) is Essie's Lapis of Luxury. The slight difference lies in the fact that Lapis has a touch more of a periwinkle hue. Now, I love Lapis of Luxury, like really love it. I wore it to my Dad's funeral to honour his love of blue. That said if you have Lapis, you really don't need Electric Beat; they are that close. Essie's Coat Azure is in the same colour family, but it has fine shimmer and is less dusty and a truer blue.

Which shades from this collection are you interested in?

NOTD: A Greener Shade of Pale - a Comparison

2012-01-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

OPI Gargantuan Green Grape

The other evening I had a massive swatch fest consisting of a bunch of polishes that didn't fit any collection- the loners. When it came to OPI Gargantuan Green Grape, a polish I'd wanted for a while, I had a bit of a deja vu moment...

I don't (normally) feel the need to have multiple varieties of really similar colours. It just ends up being a waste of money, time and space. Redundancy is for the birds. Buuut, when it comes to pale greens/turquoises I totally broke my own rules.

OPI Gargantuan Green Grape

Gargantuan Green Grape is a pale green, but it isn't as dusty as other minty green shades. I thought that it would be more of a pale apple green and was a bit disappointed that the shade was not more unique. More disappointing than the shade, was the formula. I'd say that this is the worst formulated OPI that I have; it's sooo thin. It took three coats to reach opacity and even then I think it still could have used a fourth to cover up the patchy areas. Not cool OPI.

L-R: China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint, OPI Gargantuan Green Grape, Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver, China Glaze For Audrey, Essie Turquoise and Caicos

A fast peek in my collection and I found a complete little family of pale greens/turquoises. I know, there is a difference between green and turquoise, but they do look pretty good all snuggled up together on a colour wheel.

While there are definite similarities here there are no dupes. Re-Fresh Mint is lighter and has slightly less yellow than Gargantuan Green Grape. My Lifesaver is quite close to For Audrey, but isn't quite dark enough to fit the bill, and Turquoise and Caicos, while close, isn't dusty enough and a touch too light to be a dupe.

Which pale green has a place in your heart?

As for this posts title... I wracked my brain trying to think of a cute, creative green themed title, with no avail. When I started trying to think of pale, it came to me. This song has always been a favourite of mine, so it was a good excuse to give it another listen (even if it made me cry, again.)

January Top Box

2012-01-17T02:21:00.002-05:00

I had a relatively crappy day today. Pretty much everything I looked at made me ~~want~~ to cry. Ugh, at least today was a pretty good mail day. My Top Box arrived- in it's neat round tube (see here.) I have to wonder if it costs more for them to ship it that way...

This month's selection is pretty great, no wimpy samples here and a Hands & Hair theme. Well, they don't officially state that, but it fits, so I'll use it.

Cake 'It's A Slice' Velveteen Hand Cream

The first item from "Hands" is a full size tube of Cake 'It's A Slice' Velveteen Hand Cream ($18). I have had great luck with all the Cake products I've used, and I am especially fond of their "Slice" scent- think orange creamsicles! This hand cream not only smells delish, it moisturizes quickly. It is a touch greasy, but I found it didn't linger too long and I could get back to business pretty quickly.

Lilly Pilly Tea Tree with Rosewood Hand & Body Creme

The second "Hand" item is Lilly Pilly Tea Tree with Rosewood Hand & Body Creme. I have never heard of this brand but that's the whole point, try something new. This is a thicker hand cream then the Cake one, but it doesn't leave a greasy feel. It does however have a bit of the signature tea tree scent... one I'm not that fond of, but we'll see how it goes as I get used to it.

Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo

In the "Hair" department we have Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo. This is a very generous sample. I've yet to use it, so I really can't say too much, but it does smell quite nice; light and fresh.

Principessa Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo- for Darker Shades

Last, but not least, a product I almost bought a few weeks ago, Principessa Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo for Darker Shades. I'm excited to give this a try, as the full size is a bit pricier than I really care to spend on dry shampoo, but if it's worth than it's worth it, you know? I like that it's a Canadian brand as well.

Have you tried any of these product? Thoughts?

Deal: Julep Maven for...

2012-01-15T03:18:00.000-05:00

A penny!

Crazy, right? Now would be an awesome time to try Julep Maven out (even if you quit once you get the first one.) Each box is valued at about $40 and I will say that the quality of their polish is pretty fantastic. You know, I meant to post this... last week? I'm getting old and starting to forget things. So sad.

Use code NEWYEAR2012 to get yours!

NOTD: Nubar Gem

2012-01-15T02:24:00.001-05:00

This year, I was very restrained when it came to my Boxing Day shopping; I only did one order. Of nail polish. I so didn't need any more, but the prices were so very good that I just had to. Of course, now I have a little heap of polishes to swatch, and none of them are from the same collection...

Anyhow, the first I'll be sharing, is Gem from Nubar's Prisms Collection.

Nubar has had a lot of fame due to their dazzling holos ( I got Reclaim a while ago as well, very excited to try it out!) and this shade follows suit. Gem is a slightly lilac leaning taupe filled with holographic glitter. I found the formula a bit thin with this, and ended up needing three coats, which wasn't so terrible, as I found that this dries very quickly. You'll want to add a couple of coats of top coat with this one as well, as it dries to a rather gritty finish. I have a tendency to constantly rub/feel my nails when they aren't smooth...anyone else?

I love that this polish is a mix of a more sophisticated ladylike shade, but with a twist of fun holo thrown in. Have you tried this polish? Which Nubar shade is your fave?

Mini MAC Giveaway!

2012-01-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Not the biggest giveaway ever, but who wouldn't like to add another MAC lipstick to their collection?

A few MAC orders ago I ordered Snob, a lipstick I've wanted for ages, but always forgot about. When my order arrived, it was back-ordered. Since it looked like I had not been charged for it, I figured it was up to me to order it again when it was available. Which I did, buuut the long and short of it is that you do not have to re-order your back-ordered items. They'll send them off to you when they are available. That left me with two tubes of Snob. What is a good blogger to do with two MAC lipsticks? That's right, review one and give one away!

MAC Snob Lipstick (Satin)

MAC Snob Lipstick (Satin) topped with Boy Bait Creamsheen Glass

MAC describes Snob as 'a ladylike mauve' but really? Was the lipstick namer hung over that day, because this is not very mauve at all. It is a cool pink (on the verge of being a Barbie pink really...) with the slightest whisper of lilac and an almost matte finish. I say almost matte, since it is a satin it isn't as dry as a matte, it has more creaminess, but no shimmer or shine once applied. I find it to be a bit too dry to wear alone, so I either top it with gloss or use a good balm before applying it. The colour is very pretty and girlie without being garish or over the top.

But enough talk, lets get to the part you're really interested in. The giveaway portion! To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please note that this giveaway is open internationally and will end Feb.14th ( a little Valentine's gift from me!) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January Julep Maven

2012-01-12T01:23:00.000-05:00

This month's Julep Maven selection arrived really early this month (maybe to make up for how late last month's was?) and with it brought a bit of Summery cheer.

I received the 'It Girl' selection, and it seems Julep is finally getting it right, as it is all nail polish this month. No non- polish filler. There was actually supposed to be a fourth colour, but they were out of stock, so I received a code to choose another shade or redeem once the original shade is available.

Julep Megan, Leah and Hayden

My selection included:

Julep Nail Therapy

Megan

'A playful and sultry Mediterranean aquamarine shimmer' which leaked everywhere. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but the lids on the bottles are never on tight enough. One finally leaked. I lost a lot of polish. So far no response from Julep customer service. Anyhow, the shade is pretty, not super unique though... applied a bit streaky. It would be a good summer pedicure shade.

Leah

'A vivid and refreshing grass green with a hint of shimmer.' I LOVE this shade! I don't have any polishes like this and it applied super easily. I'm very excited to wear this one.

Hayden

'Bold and bright neon peach creme.' Did you know a shade could be neon and pastel at the same time? This looked a bit scary at first, but the shade has really grown on me. I think that this will be fun for the summer.

Did any of these shades interest you?

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

2012-01-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

This was one tricky product to get my hands on, but (as is obvious) I did and I couldn't be more pleased. Chances are you've seen one of the many positive reviews of this floating around. I'll elaborate as I go on, but I'll start by stating they were right. This is a pretty fantastic foundation!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation #52 Vanilla

Aside from having difficulties finding where to purchase this (I got mine from ASOS) I had a bit of trouble knowing which shade would work for me. I typically fall into the second lightest shade or NW20, so I took a chance on #52 Vanilla hoping it would be a useable shade. Luckily the shade turns out to be spot on. I'm not sure if the shades available are as limited everywhere- I tried to check the Bourjois UK site, but my anti-virus keeps registering a threat so I haven't been able to check. If the shades are as limited as it seems, this might be out of the question for darker skinned gals, which is a total shame.

The texture of this foundation is perfect, in my opinion- a medium consistency that feels almost weightless once on. The formula claims to use 'fruit therapy' and specific fruit complexes to mimic skincare properties, specifically apricot for radiance, melon for hydration, apple for anti-oxidants, and ginger for energy. All the 'fruit therapy' might be bogus, but it does give the product a very light, slightly floral-fruity scent. It dissipates quite quickly, but could be bothersome to the super sensitive.

To apply this I use a Sigma F80 that I lightly spray with Avene Thermal Water and I couldn't dream of a better finish. This applies so easily, and blends beautifully. I finish this off with powder, but it really isn't necessary as the finish once dry is so natural; it feels just like your skin, but better. The bottle makes claims of it having 16 hour wear, which I have not tested, but from the 8-10 hours I have worn it, it has stayed remarkably well. Even around my nose, where my glasses sit, it stays on my face (not smeared into the nose curve of my frames.) A most excellent thing.

1. MAC Studio Sculpt NW20 2. Bourjois Healthy Mix #52 Vanilla 3. MAC Pro Longwear NC20

4. NARS Sheer Glow Light 4- Deauville, 5. Revlon ColourStay 180 Sand Beige 6. Maybelline Fit Me 120

1. MAC Studio Sculpt NW20 2. Bourjois Healthy Mix #52 Vanilla 3. MAC Pro Longwear NC20

4. NARS Sheer Glow Light 4- Deauville, 5. Revlon ColourStay 180 Sand Beige 6. Maybelline Fit Me 120

The comparison above might be helpful for those with a similar colouring to mine. Yes, all of those foundtions match me; odd how they all look so different when swatched side by side. Well, the MAC Pro Lonwear is a bit too yellow toned for my liking, but it can be blended out to match. Colour wise, the Bourjois #52 is closest to Revlon ColourStay 180 Sand Beige.

Overall, I am very pleased with this foundation and hopefully will be able to get my hands on more products from the range/brand. Have you tried this? What did you think?

Top 11 of 2011- Polish Edition

2012-01-10T02:19:00.000-05:00

When I made my Top 11 of 2011 post (here) I realized that there was no way I could choose just one or two nail polishes to sum up a whole year. So I didn't. That's right; my blog, my rules. That said, not every polish was released in 2011, these just represent my faves over the past year. To make things a bit more manageable, I divided my selections into creams and shimmer/glitter.

Onto the creams:

L-R: Essie Topless & Barefoot, Essie Nice in Nice, China Glaze Something Sweet, OPI Jade is the New Black, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Gray by Gray, OPI Road House Blues

Essie Topless & Barefoot and Essie Nice is Nice

Both of these shades are from the 'A French Affair' Collection, that I (without meaning to) ended up collecting almost the entire collection (minus the shade 'French Affair'... go figure.) Topless & Barefoot is described as a 'barely there soft beige pink' which is spot on. I love this shade, such a pretty take on nude. For swatches, see here. Nice is Nice is described as a 'whimsical light lavender'. It's not the most unique, as there are a ton of pastel purples around, but it's the one I ended up with and it is very pretty and soft for a demure pop of colour.

China Glaze Something Sweet

Something Sweet is a light, baby pink with a touch of lavender and happens to be one of my favourite pink polishes ever. Big statement, but so true. This is such a pretty shade, that is very wearable. Swatch available here.

OPI Jade is the New Black

I'm pretty sure I once stated that I'd marry this green if I could, and that still holds true. Jade is the New Black is a slightly dusty, yet vibrant jade green. Love. Swatches here.

Sally Hansen Gray by Gray

While I do love gray, this is not it. Gray by Gray is a gorgeous dusty slate blue. It is quite similar to MAC's Blue India which I missed out on.

OPI Road House Blues

Road House Blues was released with OPI's Touring America Collection, and is a deep navy creme with a slight twist of indigo. Swatched here.

The shimmers/glitters:

L-R: NYX Girls Buzz Worthy, OPI Designer de Better, Orly Rage, Butter London Wallis, L'Oreal Owl's Night

NYX Girls Buzz Worthy

Gold nail polishes usually aren't my thing, but this is a slightly taupey gold glitter that just has that something different to make it stand out.

OPI Desginer de Better

I had a hard time choosing between this and Warm & Fozzie as they are both gorgeous shades. There had to be just one victor though, so Designer de Better it is. Designer De Better is a dirty silver foil with micro copper flakes. It applies so smoothly that it looks like it should be a nail skin. A really unique shade that was perfect for the holidays. Swatched here

Orly Rage

Rage is the a perfect rose gold foil. Like the previous shade, this is one foil that puts most others to shame due to the fact that it applies like a dream. Very lovely. Swatches here.

Butter London Wallis

What can I say about Wallis... as soon as I saw the promo photos I knew that it had to be mine. It is a "tarnished, metallic olive gold, as mysterious and regal as its namesake" that is... well perfect! It applies wonderfully and catches the light and glows from within. Might just be my number one of the year. Swatched here.

L'Oreal Owl's Night

Last, but not least, Owl's Night. A very popular shade, and for good reason; this dirty green tinged taupe with coppery-golden glitter is so unique and like the previous shade glows from within. Gorgeous! Swatches here.

What polishes made your best of '11 list?

Giveaway: Konad Stamping Plate Kit!

2012-01-08T06:28:00.003-05:00

Calling all nail art lovers!

The awesome folks at Nail Polish Canada are sponsoring a pretty amazing Konad Giveaway. Want to know what is up for grabs? One lucky winner will win a Konad Stamping Plate Kit which includes two plates, three bottles of Konad Special polish, a stamper and a scraper. Plus, a Konad Plate of their choice!

Pretty sweet, right? It gets better! There are a few other blogs running this giveaway as well, and once all the winners have been drawn, a grand prize winner will be selected from to receive $200 of Konad products!

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. You'll notice that along with being a follower of I Know all the Words, you'll need to head over to Nail Polish Canada and select which Konad Plate you'd like to receive with the kit if you're chosen as the winner. Nail Polish Canada has a huuge selection of plates! Quite impressive. Here are a few to inspire you:

Plate #M24

Plate #M73

Plate #M56

Giveaway runs until February 10th 2012 and is open to Canadian and US residents only. Winner will be notified by email.

To all my international readers (hi there!) don't feel too bad, as I will be hosting another giveaway soon which everyone will be able to enter. Hold tight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTD: Cool Watercolours

2012-01-08T05:22:00.000-05:00

Tonight, while browsing around, I found an interesting photo of a watercolour like manicure. I have a soft spot for watercolour themed things, as I spent many years as a kid taking private art lessons, and my teacher specialized in watercolours. I immediately wondered how this was done. It looked simple enough, but would it actually be in practice?

my results

Yes and no. I found this video which shows the technique and gives a few tips. While the video was helpful, you kind of just have to go for it and adjust as you go along, and I think that the polishes you use can make difference in how they react as well.

What you'll need:

- a light colour polish for your "paper"

- colours for your "paint"

- small brush

- pure acetone

For my base colour I used Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Crinoline (Orly Pure Porcelain is a good dupe) The tutorial uses a pure white, but I wanted a creamier, softer looking base. If you are familiar with watercolor painting you'll know the paper usually isn't a stark white.

Apply a coat (or two) of your base coat, and while it dries pick out your "paint" colours. I decided I wanted a cooler look so I chose What's With the Cattitude?, Road House Blues, and Did It On 'Em, all by OPI.

Once your base coat is dry, apply small dabs of your colour. I started with my darkest blue. With a small brush, apply a drop of acetone on the wet polish. The acetone will make the polish spread out and should replicate the look of a wet bleed. I found that Road House Blues gave me the best effect as it was able to create the rings that are created when a bleed runs onto dry paper, while the lighter colours needed a bit of playing with to get the same look. That said, don't play with it too much, or the acetone will reach your base coat and you'll get bare spots. Not the look you're going for!

Once you're happy with your first colour, repeat the process with your others, working with one colour at a time. I only used three shades, but you could totally use more, or less. I think I might try this again with just my base coat and Road House Blues for a spilled ink look. Of course, once you have finished your tiny masterpieces, apply a layer of your favourite top coat.

Overall, I am pretty pleased with my results. I will say that this technique is much easier to do on paper though! Have you tried this look? Would you?

Review: MAC Naturally Collection: A Perfect Day Lipstick and Naked Space Lipglass

2012-01-08T02:10:00.001-05:00

As promised, today I have the lip portion of my MAC Naturally haul. For reviews of Redhead MSF and Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush see here.

MAC A Perfect Day Lipstick- Amplified

bare lips

MAC A Perfect Day Lipstick- Amplified

The Naturally lipsticks (like the entirety of the collection) all hinged on nude, neutral side. Now, I love a nude lip, but there are really only so many ways to achieve the look. That said, I was only drawn to one shade. A Perfect Day is described as a "light neutral pink" but that doesn't quite capture the actual colour. Yes, it's light, and it does have a pink lean, but also has a nude lean. I had doubts from the beginning as to how this shade would wear on me as it does start too look quite light when you start to apply it. Any lighter (I'm NW20 for reference) and I think this would make me look corpse-ish, but it has just enough pink to still be pretty. The finish wears quite well; creamy and opaque. Overall a nice shade but likely quite dupe-able.

MAC Naked Space Lipglass

MAC A Perfect Day Lipstick topped with MAC Naked Space Lipglass

MAC Naked Space is described as a "creamy mid-tone nude peach" and looked almost like a cross between two of my favourite lipglasses- Naked Frost (a shimmery nude) and Evolution Revolution (a pinky peach.) It wears like a nuded peach, with a light amount of shimmer. Obviously, this is a tad thick and on the sticky side, but it is a great shade to match up with nude lipsticks or on its own.

In the end neither shades are super unique, but are nice staples to have in your collection. Did you pick up any of the lip items? What did you think?

Review: MAC Naturally Collection: Redhead MSF and Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush

2012-01-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

My items from MAC's Naturally Collection arrived today, and I must say I am very pleased with everything. I usually only get one, two items max when new collections get released. Then, I totally regret not picking up other items when I had the chance. For now, I'll just be reviewing the face products. I'll follow up with the lip items next.

MAC Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish and MAC Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush

The stars of this collection were easy to pin point from the very beginning: Blonde and Redhead MSFs and Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush. The first, being re-promotes from the Brunette, Blonde, Redhead Collection.

MAC Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish

I wasn't much of a MAC collector when Redhead was available the first time around, but as a blog reader I was well aware of the fan base that adored it. That said, I was sure that I would get my (second) chance at it. Redhead is described as a "gold to salmon pink degrade" and is made up of four shades: a golden champagne, golden beige, peachy champagne, and a bronze tinted pink. Blended together you get a peachy champagne shade with a shimmering finish. I am a rather new MSF user, but I love the glow and radiance that they instantly give your face.

MAC Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush

I originally had this on my want list, then I saw early swatches of it, and it looked horrendously orange. Off the list it went. Buuut, at the last minute I decided I might regret not getting it, so I took a chance on it. I'm pretty happy that I did. Fresh Honey is described as a "warm apricot" but to me it isn't all that warm in the pan and really does have a good dose of orange to it. Orangeness aside, this is a very pretty shade. When sheered out it has a dirty peachy hue. This is a very, very soft blush and a it is super easy to pick up too much on your brush. I had read in other reviews that a duo fibre (aka skunk) brush was best for application- so as to not over do it- which is how I applied it, and it applied and wore beautifully. The mineralized aspect of this gives it a slight sheen, but nothing as shimmery as other mineralized blushes I've used in the past.

Did you pick up either of these items? What did you think?

December Julep Maven

2012-01-04T23:55:00.002-05:00

I think that at the end of my last Julep post I said that I wasn't planning on continuing my subscription, but that was before I got the preview email. What changed my mind? Julep Appliques!

I revived the "Rivets" design, which is pretty much what it sounds like, tiny silver studs on a black background. I'm looking forward to trying these. Of course you'll get a better look when I do. Also included in my selection was Julep 'Helena', Julep Top Coat and nail glitter as my holiday gift.

Julep Helena- no topcoat

Julep Helena and OPI Metallic 4 Life topped with Seche Vite

Helena is an " ultra saturated fuchsia" that dries to a semi-matte finish. It doesn't come across in photos as well as it does in person, but this fuchsia is a bit different than your average, as it is more blue based than the really true pink fuchsias you tend to see. I really like the difference. Also, this does cover opaquely, but flash photography makes nail line show through regardless of how many coats you layer on. The photos above are three coats, but two will do.

Have you tried Julep yet? Want to? Use code JANUARY and receive yours for just $5! Not too shabby.