the Hellcat

Leopard Inside Cupcakes: An Experiment

2016-01-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

You've probably seen the videos circulating Facebook about how simple it is to make cake pops, cakes with leopard print inside, etc. I know from my personal experience with cake pops that if you did exactly as the video does, your cake pops are going to fall right off the stick. There's a few important steps missing. I figured it would be the same with these leopard print cakes. (Crumb-coating, anyone?) I also noticed a few cupcakes being made with this same leopard-inside method. There are reasons why I thought this method would work better with a cake than a cupcake, but I won't get into that right now. I decided I was going to try it. I also decided that it might be beneficial to make a video of exactly what I was doing. I realize I don't have the great lighting and beautiful kitchen setup, so bare with me... Here were my results from using the "Bullseye" pattern to create a leopard effect inside cupcakes.

So right off the bat I made the mistake of cutting the cupcake in half to check out the inside. What was visible was straight lines from the ring pattern. If the cupcake is being eaten, rather than sliced, it will be more spotty in appearance. My results were okay... but I thought I could try another idea and get even better results.

I thought, if layered rings work, why wouldn't piping actual leopard spots into the batter work just as well? You could choose exactly where you want them, make them a very specific shape... It should work... It wouldn't be as quick or easy as the ring method, but if you like to take your time and get things right like I do, then the following is the method I would use.

Here are my tips: Some of which I noted in the videos Prepare your cake batter using room temperature ingredients for better mixing. Do not over-mix. Beat your eggs separately and add them to your mix to help avoid over mixing and ensure an even consistency. Separate your batter, colour it, and transfer it into three separate piping bags... Now let it chill in the fridge for a bit. Why? Because your pattern will hold it's shape a little better rather than using room temperature batter, which will want to sink down and level out. Also, rather than just laying your coloured batter over the black, I like to insert the tip of the piping bag into the black spot and "inject" the coloured batter. You want your coloured batter application to be thicker than your black batter, which you should do as thinly as you possibly can.

I feel with both videos I don't need to do a ton of explaining and frankly I've been waiting for three days to have the time to make this post- so I'm anxious to just get it up for those who have been waiting. If you have any questions just leave them in the comments.

Here are a few photos I took throughout the process. I did decorate a few of the cupcakes with Merckin candy melts, which I painted leopard spots on with coloured icing.

Bullseye Method:

Step 1 (well, sort of. The thin plain layer is technically step 1, but you get it...)

Step two.

Step three.

Step four, and then repeat the pattern. Try not to fill more than 2/3rds of the cup.

This was not as leopardly (tm) as I'd hoped, so I thought I could improve upon it...


If bitten, rather than cut, the design does look more random and spotty.

Improved Method:

After a thin plain base layer, lay down some thin black spots.
Inject a thicker spot of colour inside your black batter.
Cover over your coloured batter with a final layer of thin black.
Trace around your spots with plain batter and fill over them.
Repeat the pattern one more time.

More leopardly in appearance than the bullseye/ring pattern,
don't you think?

I hope this post inspires you to do some experimenting of your own. Let me know how it goes in the comments!

I have a batch of around 80 cake pops to prepare, ordered for a wedding on Friday so tomorrow if I have time I may write about some of those. The flavors I'm making are Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Devil's Food (Chocolate), and Red Velvet! I've been dying to make some Red Velvet, so that's good news!

-H.Cat.

Beautify Your Cake Pops with Basic Embellishments

2016-01-15T19:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight I finally got around to whipping up my second batch of cake pops. I'd planned to do this yesterday but was too busy. I wondered if the cake being two days old (with the potential to be stale) would make a difference, but it didn't seem to. Then again, the cake wasn't exactly stale, either.

So I had originally hoped to gift a bouquet of cake pops from my last batch to a little boy who's birthday my son is invited to tomorrow. The problem being, my fiance and children ate pretty much all of them. My fiance, who told me before I made them that he was not going to be interested in them at all (guess they were THAT good!) kept creeping back to the fridge for more. As did my daughter, who stole several and ate them underneath a sheet while I was in the shower. It was no big deal, though. I knew I'd be making more.

You won't find the actual recipe on this page (but keep reading because there is a link). What you will find on this specific page are some simple "toppings" that when sprinkled on a cake pop, look surprisingly decadent. You might even find that you already possess most of these among your baking goodies.

Click here for my Cake Pop Tutorial

I apologize that these pictures were taken in my refrigerator, cake pops cramped together and somewhat difficult to see. I tried to capture most of the different 'styles' in the photos and I may be able to update tomorrow with a better presentation.

So here's what I whipped up in my first batch:

And pictured below are the ones I finished tonight. Since they're kind of staggered, it would be difficult to explain what each is topped with from a left-to-right order, so I'll put my faith in your ability to tell by looking, and present you with a list.

I used white Mercken Candy Wafers to make the white coating. I used a lot of sprinkles, as you'll see. I had basic white long sprinkles, rainbow long sprinkles, rainbow ball sprinkles in various sizes mixed together because I like the effect, silver pearl candies- like you see on shortbread cookies, crushed candy cane, blue decorating sugar, coconut- flaked and shredded mixed together, rainbow candy coated chocolate chips, Skor Chipits, and one of them adorns a pair of Wilton's brand candy eyes (adorned with fabulous glamour lashes!). I just mixed it all up to get a variety of looks. I thought I really liked the blue and pink ones I made with white sprinkles, but now I'm not sure which I prefer. The white look just as appetizing and adorable.

Until next time!
-h.Cat

Recipe: Cake Pops; A Success Story

2016-01-13T19:33:00.001-05:00

Only another parent will recognize the feeling you experience when you gaze down at that tiny little person for the first time, and you find yourself saying "I can't believe I made you..." Well, I felt that again with these cake pops.

Maybe it was beginners luck, or maybe I just expected these to be more difficult after reading all of the horror stories and the complaints of hard work involved. Maybe those people aren't used to cranking out Gourmet Caramel Apples on a weekly basis, so they have no idea that these cake pops are literally a cakewalk by comparison. Whatever it was, I found these simple and delightful to make- and they're oh so cute so you get the satisfaction of a job well done. Bonus!

This was my first time making these. Actually, last night was. They turned out so well that I'm in the process of making a second batch as I type this. I am literally waiting for the cake to cool. The kids just had to bring a couple of these to their teachers at school today, and we are planning on bringing these as a special treat for classmates to celebrate my son's upcoming birthday.

It really surprised me is that these are made of crumbled cake, glued together and shaped into balls with a bit of icing. I never would have thought! Therefore, you have to option of making this a "no-bake" project by simply using a store-bought cake. I didn't have a ton of time, so I used a rainbow-chip Betty Crocker cake mix and a jar of prepared vanilla icing.

Ingredients:

one cake- store bought, made from scratch, or whip one up from a box (yields 22-25 'pops)
icing- home made or store bought- you only need a few table spoons
candy melts- I used Merckens and mixed white with either pink or blue to achieve my colours
sprinkles- I used white
coconut oil- just a bit

Tools:

cake pop sticks
medium-large mixing bowl
tall, narrow glass for melting candy wafers
pot of water to use as a double boiler
styrofoam block or whatever you can rig up to hold the cake pops

Now here's what to do...

If you're baking your cake from a box, then go ahead and bake according to the directions on the box. I used slightly less milk and slightly less oil to reduce the moisture so the cake pop wouldn't have a gross gooey texture. While your cake is baking, clear some room in your fridge and freezer.

When your cake is finished baking, let it cool. I actually baked mine the night before. Once it's room temperature, you're good to go. Crumble the cake into your mixing bowl Literally crumble the life out of it until it's completely smashed into itty-bitty bits. There should be no big pieces of cake left. Add no more than two tablespoons of icing to your crumbled cake. It's best to mix it by hand so you can get a feel for it. You want to use just enough icing to make it form together and stick. Too much icing would be a mistake.

While you are mixing your cake crumbs and icing, put your candy melts into your tall, narrow glass cup and melt them in your pot of water, double boiler style. If your candy melts seem too thick to work with, you can add a few drops of coconut oil to thin it out. You don't want it too thick, nor too thin.

Form your cake/icing mix into small balls. Most people will form the balls into the size they want the finished cake pop to be, but you need to remember that there will be a layer of candy coating also and you do not want it to be too heavy for your stick. Make it slightly smaller than your finished 'pop should be. Once your balls are formed (sorry, I had to laugh)... take one of your cake pop sticks and insert it into the center of your ball carefully, then remove it. Dip the tip of the stick into your melted coating, then insert it into the hole you made previously. This should "glue" the stick to the ball. As a tip, insert the stick half way into the ball.

Once all of your sticks are "glued" into your balls with your melted candy coating, and perfectly formed, place them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. I kept a plate in the freezer and put them in one by one, after I'd inserted the stick.

If your balls should accidentally become frozen solid (giggling again... this recipe is loaded with double-entendre!) you will need to bring them down closer to room temperature before dipping them in your candy coating, otherwise as they thaw after they are finished,they may expand and crack your coating. Only one of mine cracked, and I assume this was why. I have read that an alternative to putting them in the freezer is to place them in the fridge overnight, or for several hours.

Make sure your candy coating is melted properly, without burning it. Make sure it is deep enough to dunk your 'pop down into it and completely submerge it. Because it is oil based, so much as a drop of water will ruin it. That said, I remind you not to use water based food colouring! It will cause your candy coating to seize. So if you've noticed your candy coating has thickened, add a drop or two of coconut oil. If it is too thin, throw in a few more candy melts. As I mentioned, I bought white, blue, and red Merckens candy wafers. I added white to each colour to make my pink and blue.

Get your Styrofoam block ready, because after you dip your cake pop in the candy coating you're going to need something to hold it while you work on the others. I couldn't find Styrofoam until after they were finished, so I used an orange crate with a sheet of craft foam, as well as a sheet of craft foam over a popsicle mold, I transferred them to a piece of styrofoam after. Also, have your sprinkles handy because the coating dries fast.

Our goal is to dunk the pop just once, in one motion. Pick up your uncoated cake pop by the stick and dunk it into the candy coating deep enough to cover the point where the stick enters the cake ball. Pull the cake ball out of the candy coating, turning slowly. Tap your wrist firmly while rotating the stick to knock off any excess and round things out. You really don't have much time so sprinkle your sprinkles onto the pop before it dries. You now have a finished cake pop. You'll be tempted to eat it, but what you should really do is stick it into your Styrofoam and place it in the fridge. After all, you have 20 or more of these to finish!

Like the gourmet apples, these are about a million different ways to change these up. After the cake balls have set in the freezer, you can re-shape them a bit if desired. As an idea, I'd like to try a red velvet cake mixed with cream cheese icing, with a white coating sprinkled in coconut with two candy eyes. The kids fashioned this idea after the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti.

They double as an adorable prop for photos!

Recap:
I know I tend to ramble, and the recipes on my blog aren't as practical as those found on actual recipe sites... soooo I'll finish up with a summary.

bake the cake, let it cool
crumble the cake, mix with less than 2 tbsp icing, form into balls
melt candy coating, insert sticks- cemented with candy coating, and chill in freezer for 30 minutes
let cake balls defrost if frozen, and dunk swiftly into candy coating. Tap wrist and turn cake pop to drip off the excess and smooth it out
throw on a pinch of sprinkles before candy coating hardens
stick into styrofoam and put in fridge to set
nom nom nom nom!!!

These are amazing. They turned out really well, and my children agree that they taste better than their previous favorite, which was the cake pops from Starbucks. I have no idea why people find these so difficult to make. Try them out for yourself and let me know how they turned out in the comments!

Update: Check out this post for more simply adorable decorating ideas.

-H.Cat

Recipe: Coconut Skor Gourmet Caramel Apples (Contains Nuts!)

2016-01-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

Finished product, waiting to be cut into sweet heavenly slices!

So it doesn't exactly fit with the theme of the blog- but I'm hoping to change that. This is the first recipe I've posted, I think... and hopefully I'll add a few more. Maybe I'll get the hang of it and streamline future recipes so they aren't one big impossibly long ramble like this one! :P

This gourmet caramel apple recipe is specific and is finely tuned to my family's tastes. I could give you an infinite list of potential topping possibilities- but I'm going to give my readers the credit you deserve and assume that you could figure out how to substitute things like peanuts for yourselves. I've tried many different toppings. I'm kind of an expert of sorts now... I recently made my partner one with white chocolate coating the caramel, rolled in smashed Oreo's at the base, and drizzled in a melted cookies and cream chocolate bar. However, this Skor one remains my absolute favorite.

What I love about these apples is that we really don't have to deal in exact measurements. I just wing it. Try to have extra ingredients on hand just in case! If you're a person who takes comfort in measurements, I'm sorry. I'll try to offer you some numbers but I've been eyeballing these and haven't a head for measurements. My recipe may be a mess- and that means it's something children are sure to enjoy helping with!

You will need:

6 small-medium sized Granny Smith apples (I usually end up with about 4 finished caramel apples- but that can vary...)
2 packages of individually wrapped caramels (around 180g a package)
1-2 tbsp milk or milk substitute (I use table cream usually)
1 package of Hershey's Skor Chipits
1 1/2 cups of coconut (I use a mixture of 1/2 flaked and 1/2 sweetened shaved coconut)
1/2 cup of peanuts, smashed (I use salted because I like the salt with the caramel)
a couple pinches of pecan pieces to mix in the with peanuts
a couple pinches of mini candy covered chocolate chips - rainbow to mix with peanut pecan blend
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips
sprinkles

Your tools:

A medium-large microwave safe bowl
popsicle sticks
a brand new green dish scrubbie
a pot for boiling water, large enough to fit a few apples
2 glass cups for melting chocolate chips inside the pot of water
a couple of spoons
a couple large plates
a small bowl (I sometimes use a 1 cup measuring cup)
some wax or parchment paper

Awaiting it's chocolate-drizzled destiny

So I begin by enlisting my mini-people to wash their hands thoroughly and remove the wrappers from the caramels... It is essential that you make children do this for you because: it's tedious work that you will grow to despise when you find yourself making these caramel apples constantly... because they are so delicious. *Breathes*

While the kids "shuck" the caramel wrappers and place the caramels into my microwave safe Betty Crocker mixing bowl, I boil a pot of water and once it's ready I dunk two apples at a time into the pot and turn them. You don't want to cook the apple so you have to work quickly. (I accidentally cooked the apple once. My daughter actually preferred it... but maybe that's another recipe.) After a couple rotations when the wax is sure to have softened, remove the apple with tongs. Take the new, clean green dish scrubbie and scrub as much wax off of the green apple as possible. Even when you think there is no wax- there is always wax! So scrub it off or your caramel won't coat properly. I then rinse the apples in cool water and ~~throw~~ gently place them in the freezer for a few minutes to cool them down. Leave that pot of water. You'll need it later.

I clear off the counter and lay out a plate with a sheet of wax paper over it for the apples after they've been dipped. I also lay out a plate for toppings as well as a small bowl or 1 cup measuring cup, also for toppings. I find excuses to nibble on said toppings... Checking the freshness, quality control, etc.

Add a drizzle of milk or milk substitute onto the caramels. Maybe 2 tablespoons at the most. Microwave this at 1 minute increments, stirring frequently, until the caramel is melted and smooth. You may see some bubbles. That's okay. I let it hang out in the microwave to cool off slightly- but you don't want it too cool. In fact, I will re-nuke it for 30 seconds between apples just to keep it flowing.


Apple bottom dressed in peanut, pecan, mini rainbow chip mixture

Take your broken peanuts, pecans, and mini rainbow candy coated chocolate chips (what a mouthful!) and mix them up in either a small bowl or a 1 cup measuring cup. If you're using small apples the measuring cup should be perfect. If they're larger, opt for the bowl. This bowl is where you will dip the end of the apple opposite of the stick. I call it the bottom. It could be the top. I initially added the rainbow chips for colour but realized the chocolate bits is a nice way to break up the monotony of nuts- and it will compliment the chocolate drizzle at the other end of the apple. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

So your bowl is ready with your bottom toppings (bottom.. toppings... Kind of funny, no?) Now take a plate (not paper!) and lay out a thick line of coconut across the plate, and an equally thick line of Skor Chipits (try not to eat yet. Just try! I dare you!) either below or above your coconut line. Depends on how you want your apple dressed.

Make sure your apples are cool and dry and insert the sticks into the bottom. Make sure the stem and stickers are removed- duh. If you want to be extra productive you can melt your chocolate chips for drizzling at this point you can, but I typically roll my apples and then drizzle the chocolate later, after a cooling/Netflix period- so you'll find details on that chocolate drizzle step below.

Your toppings are ready, you've cleared room in the fridge for your plate of freshly dipped and rolled apples, your caramel is not too hot and not too cool, Goldilocks. Your apples have been impaled and you are ready to go!!

I hold my mixing bowl of caramel on a slight angle (this is probably usually information) so the caramel kind of pools to one side, and I dunk my apple into that deep caramelly goodness and I turn it slowly- but not like stupid slow. The slow turning helps evenly coat and apple and reduce the risk of bubbles in your caramel. I turn the apple as I bring it up out of the caramel. Sometimes you will need to gently remove excess from the bottom with a spoon. I then turn the apple upside-down (or apple side up) for a moment to help the caramel settle.

My rad diagram skills

Take the freshly coated apple and dunk it into the peanut-pecan-candy-coated-choco-chip mixture. If there's room in your bowl, kind of roll/tip the bottom edge of the apple for a good coating of toppings. Pull the apple straight out of the bowl. Voila! Now work quickly before your caramel sets. Roll it back and fourth all the way across the plate so it picks up your two lines of Skor & coconut. If you're not a rockstar in the '90s and the thought of doing two lines at once scares you, you can space the lines out and roll the apple over each topping line one at a time. Make sure there are no bald spots. You can press some toppings into an area that isn't well covered. Just work quickly!

Now your apple has been dunked and rolled, pop it onto the plate you prepared with wax or parchment paper and put it in the fridge while you work on the others. If you messed up a bit and you think there might be too much caramel and it's going to slip down the apple, try putting it in the freezer to slow that slippage down. Just don't leave it so long that the apple freezes! ~~Oops.. That reminds me... BRB.~~ Looks like I will be adding a recipe for both cooked and frozen caramel apples later!

Now you can wait as long as you want (or skip this step entirely) but when and if you are ready you can put 1/3 cup of chocolate chips into one glass cup and 1/3 cup of white chocolate chips into another glass cup. Put them into your pot of boiling water. Add a tiny amount of milk... Let'em melt and stir them. I stir them with extra popsicle sticks because chocolate drizzle is a pain in the butt to scrub off of spoons.

Once your melted chocolate is nice and smooth and to a consistency that will drip, but isn't thin or watery, you are ready. I use a tablespoon with a slightly narrow end for each cup of chocolate. I've tried drizzling white on brown or brown on white and usually I opt for brown, then white. Don't forget to have your rainbow sprinkles ready. K... So I take a spoonful of chocolate and I pour it into the apple where the stick is inserted. It will drip down the apple naturally and you can guide it with careful pouring. I tend to do like an X pattern with the stick being in the center, then when I pour the white on I will do a Cross pattern, so basically alternating drips of brown chocolate and white chocolate. I scatter a pinch or two of sprinkles over that and I put them back in the fridge.


Yum. Just... so much yum.

Annnd we are FINISHED! It is hard work, especially if you wanted to whip some up quickly on a whim. If you're anything like me you might consider it a labor of love. Take your time and take care and I promise you'll have something to be really proud of. They make great gifts- just make sure that person isn't allergic to any of the topping.

As a tip, I never eat these off of the stick. I cut them in slices- that way you're getting everything you're supposed to be tasting in each slice, as opposed to eating around the apple and only getting the coconut section, etc. Also, it's easier for the kids to manage slices, and that way they can share one, rather than eating the whole thing- because, let's face it- there's nothing healthy about an apple with this much bling on it.

Also, I have finally put the label maker Will got me to good use! I have always wanted one, for obvious reasons (the biggest one being that I'm freaking nuts) so I'm surprised it took me this long to play with it. This was my first mission:

Newly labeled baking goodies & photobombing ratty

Feel free to comment on what topping combinations you would try instead, eg. My kids like to use Reese's Pieces Minis instead of the rainbow chocolate chips on their apples. Also, come back after trying the recipe and tell me if you loved them as much as I do!

Here's a quick recap: Scrub the wax off your green apples. Dunk and roll them in the melted caramel. Roll freshly coated apple through your toppings before the caramel hardens. Refrigerate to set. Melt chocolate and drizzle it over the apple. Add sprinkles. Refrigerate. Eat & become addicted. Blame me for your love handles :P

Tips: Use no name chocolate chips for better melting. You can break up whole nuts by putting them in a ziplock bag, pressing out air and sealing it, then carefully pounding (oxymoron!) the nuts to bits with practically anything heavy. I've successfully used a bacon press, a can opener, and a wine bottle (desperate times... ;) Note: Don't try the bottle- It may break in your hands!)

Until next time,

-H.Cat

Fact or Fiction: Magical Pills for Hair, Skin, & Nails

2015-02-09T16:10:00.001-05:00

You can walk into any drugstore these days and find several bottles of pills- even gummies, that claim they will help your hair and nails grow and give you a beautiful complexion. It sounds too good to be true, and yet we know a good diet can aid in all of these areas- so why not give it a shot?

I looked at several brands. The most appealing one contained coconut oil and various other "buzz word" ingredients that did appeal to me. A girl working at Rexall told me she uses something called Biotin. She swore that she has seen an obvious improvement in the growth of her hair.

I located a bottle of Jamieson brand Biotin. The bottle states that it "converts cards, proteins, fats to energy." Nothing about the growth of hair or nails. Perhaps that's just a pleasant side effect... and if it really converts these things to energy, all the better! Had I located a miracle pill?

For around $8.00 CAD I could have a bottle with 100 tablets of Biotin, each 250 mcg. I looked at some other brands that boast that they contain biotin and many other appealing ingredients, but the amount of biotin in those tablets was significantly less than the bottle of just-plain-biotin.

The reason biotin works to help hair grow stronger and longer, is because it helps the body produce keratin, which is what hair and nails are made of. It's water soluble and pretty easy to swallow, even for me. The bottle says to take two tablets daily with a meal. I rarely eat meals so I take them on an empty stomach mostly. I started to take three pills a day after I realized they were working, and I thought there were no nasty side effects.

As I researched biotin, I realized some other people had reported acne along their jaw line and cheeks. I had an "aha-moment" because I'd been breaking out regularly along my cheeks and jaw for months... always one or two blemishes at any given time- and that wasn't really like my skin. So I do believe the biotin is breaking me out. However, in my mind- It's totally worth it!

You have to understand how slowly my hair grows... It's thick, coarse, and curly. I had a black woman tell me she doesn't understand how my hair is so nappy or how I manage to make it look so good, given the texture of it. I colour my hair a lot, so I see exactly the rate at which it grows. I'm lucky to have a cm of regrowth after about 6 months.

Hairvolution 2014 left me with a very similar, copper coloured version of Yolandi's trademark microbanged' 'do.

I started taking biotin around the time I modeled in the Goldwell/KMS Hairvolution 2014 Toronto show, which happened to be in August, I think. A month after my July abdominal surgery. My hair was already shaved on one side, and I was feeling equal parts scared and liberated when my stylist decided to shave a small section out of the front of the other side as well. The front of my hair was cut into Yolandi Vi$$er style micro bangs, which I have since grown out but did trim into Bettie bangs, twice,Once off of the runway, I decided to rocked the look for a while. I didn't have much choice, really, and no surprise- I received tons of compliments. I did decide to grow out one newly shaved side immediately, though. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of what was done to my hair for the show accessible at this point.

So my hair was shaved in August, and four months later it had grown to this length:


	It's not the most glam picture, but it demonstrates my point.

I know to the rest of the world this doesn't seem like much growth, but to me it is significant! I will continue to take biotin and deal with the acne I assume it has caused. It is mildly unpleasant, but I have found nothing else that helps my hair to grow so quickly. My nails have always growth beautifully, and continue to do so, so unfortunately I can't tell you of any difference there.

Like anything else, even vitamins can cause adverse effects in people with certain health conditions or on specific medications, so if you decide to take biotin based on my recommendation, it may be wise to check with your doctor or pharmacist.

I am back to stay, so look forward to regular updates! I would love to provide you with more information on biotin or alternatives, but unfortunately I have a nasty headache at the moment. Perhaps I will edit and update later!

xoxo,
-h. Cat

Bloggy Make-Over

2014-02-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

*Update*
My personal computer has crashed and we've been grieving the loss of my mother as of last August. I apolgize for the delay in my plans to have us up and running again.

Hey Readers,

I'm attempting to make this blog lighter and brighter. Bear with me while I monkey around with the settings and try a few different things. Everything isn't *quite* how I want it yet, but I've been working on it day and night. I have tons of content waiting to be finished; Some reviews of some really great products, just for you! I apologize for having posted so little lately, but I have been drafting some content- I haven't forgotten you! It's been an incredibly difficult year, personally... I'm ready to heal up and put 110% into this blog. I'll have this place booming with product reviews, tutorials, and spotlights on top notch brands and blogs. I will be keeping you up to date with the most current trends and sneak peeks at the latest launches from our favorite brands and some really terrific up-and-coming's.

Anyway, I better get back to face-lifting this blog. I've got HTML to write and graphics to customize and create. Thus far, I've discovered some very cute elements from Shabby Blogs to pretty us up while I finish creating a totally original design. Just wanted to let you know what's going on with the look of the blog and to assure you that it'll be tidied up in no time. If you have any input/suggestions for the finished product, feel free to leave a comment.

Some themes I've pondered are red and white like candy stripe, retro seafoam-baby pink-baby blue, white-pink-black, shades of purple, white-chartreuse-navy (or teal), or a leopard print using any of those colour schemes. At first I was thinking of a really cute 1950's design using the second colour scheme mentioned. I drafted it up, and it was totally adorable; I'm sure most of you would have loved it... but it lacked that certain element of my personality. The twist of attitude; the spice; the the element that is uniquely mine. I can't think of a word to describe it, except maybe "soul." I want to incorporate my soul- the essence of me, into this blog. It's my pride and joy and I've got big plans for it.

See you soon!

PS: I wanted to show you this pretty cute hair idea. At first I thought it was dyed, but later I found this add, showing that it's a clip in. It looks awesome, and the clip in might be a bit more convenient, as you'd have to keep your hair perfectly straight if it were coloured in such a way, otherwise it may look a little strange. When I was in high school I wanted to shave a section of my hair and have my head tattoo'd leopard print. Nowadays girls are actually doing this- It's become mainstream! I recently shaved the left side of my head and coloured the hair leopard print, but since I've been doing some modeling (including walking the runway for hair shows) I decided to colour my hair closer to one colour and am currently growing out the shaved side.

IMG Address

While I was searching for a URL for the picture of the leopard print hair (and I didn't seem to find the original source, but that image is watermarked anyway) I stumbled across several photos of babies wearing headpieces. Headpieces that are so freaking ridiculous that they're the most adorable thing ever. Hope you love'em! I've linked'em in the captions. As a side note, I always have the worst time trying to position these pictures. It's not as simple as drag and drop, and I haven''t grasped it yet- not when there are so many images. I apologize if it's somewhat messy on your screen. I'll leave you now with these little rays of sunshine.

-H.Cat

Ritzy Baby once again

Also Ritzy Baby

Also Beautiful Bows Boutique

Abby's Bowtique (Cute name!)

Haul: NYX Products

2013-04-23T15:45:00.004-04:00

Target's display was a little sparse, not like this! :(

I am excited let you know, Dear Readers, that I've finally had a chance to try NYX brand products. My city carries this brand at Rexall, but I don't live anywhere near a Rexall and ended up indulging in Kiss brand nail art supplies and passing up NYX last time I was there. They opened the first Target in London right near my house, so I decided to check it out while I was waiting to transfer buses. I saw a lot of old familiar brands, and then I noticed NYX! I spent the entire bus ride home talking incessantly to Chad about how I was just dying to try the Jumbo Eye Pencils, especially "Milk."

A few days pass, and NYX products have not slipped my mind. I'm still obsessing. Chad was on his way to my place and called me from the mall, "I have a surprise for you..." I didn't have to guess. I knew. I mean, I thought I knew, and I was kind of right. I expected him to present me with NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk," which he did... Along with the shade Purple Velvet; He said this would match the new purple tips I'd "dip dyed" into my hair. Keen observation, Chad ;) But that's not all... He had more! NYX Studio Liquid Liners in shades Extreme Green and Extreme purple, followed by Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gun Metal. Last but not least, NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Plush Red- a beautiful blue based classic pinup red.

I need more time to test these products... Probably about a week. What I can tell you so far is that the lip pencil applied like a cream and could be worn alone as lip colour. In addition to that, "Milk" made for a beautiful base which helped to blend my eyeshadow like never before. I applied the Purple Velvet eye pencil last night and ended up sleeping in it... All of the makeup around it was smudged or missing, but the pencil hadn't budged. It looked exactly as I did when I applied it! So far I'm quite happy with each product. I still need to see how Extreme Green and Crystal Gun Metal wear. I did try on the Plush Red lip pencil but needed to remove it for bed... So while it applied well and looked great, I'm not sure how it wears or what effect, if any, it may have on the lips. I think this was a good haul to begin with and I'm looking forward to trying more of the Jumbo Eye Pencils especially! Hopefully I'll get my hands on a camera so I can post some swatches and pictures of looks I've created.

-H.Cat

Review: Make Up For Ever - Smoky Lash Mascara

2013-04-23T15:11:00.001-04:00

Allow me to introduce to you, my favorite new mascara! Make Up For Ever never disappoints!

I opened my email a month or two ago to find that Sephora was offering a very cool 500 point reward to their VIBs. I recently cashed in 500 points for the Tarte mini kit that I reviewed right here. The products were hit or miss. Actually, the only thing I really couldn't stand was the eyeliner. Anyhoo, I would give serious consideration to purchasing every single item in this MUFE mini kit. The kit included a primer sample, a mini eyeliner, mini gloss, the mascara this review is based upon, and a finishing powder. The products are packaged in a simple but sophisticated clear zipper case with black piping.

This mascara is so sooo great! I'm kind of at loss for words that accurately describe why I love it so much. It does everything a mascara should do and my lashes have never looked better. They look flawless. Soon I'll have pictures to illustrate this point. It lasts, it "performs," it's not uncomfortable, nor does it have an unpleasant smell.

What does MUFE have to say?

"This ultra-pigmented mascara was specially designed to give the lashes an exceptional volume-enhancing effect with infinite lengthening and immediate curling."

First of all; This mascara is blackest black. We're talking, like, black like my soul before I had children! I don't have any issues with the length or thickness of my lashes (though it would never hurt to be longer!) but this mascara really seemed to fill them in and bring them out. I must admit that this may in part be because it's so freaking black. It lifted my lashes nice and high, where they stayed all day with no smudging or flaking. No raccoon eyes!

The formula applies well but it will start to clump a bit if you overwork it. That said, I was easily able to build it up with multiple coats and did remark to Chad that the mascara made it appear as though I was wearing a gorgeous and dramatic set of false lashes. Something about the formula seems somewhat "drier" than others, and I did notice that my mini-tube dried out pretty quickly, which was disappointing not just because I adored the product, but also because I no longer have the product on hand to finish this review (I began drafting this months ago) and so I'm unable to comment on some of the things I don't quite remember.

The photo above gives you an idea of what the brush looks like. I found it easy to use and comfortable to apply. Despite having a somewhat dry formula, the wand didn't catch or drag on my lashes. I definitely intend to repurchase this mascara just as soon as I can, and when I do I will repost an updated version of this review.

You can find Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara at your local Sephora for around $23.00 or order it online. I would certainly recommend it. It's hands down the first mascara I've used that I truly loved and was excited about.

-H.Cat

Review: Revlon Moon Candy in Orbit (280)

2013-04-23T14:55:00.001-04:00

I have returned from my hiatus and I've got a ton of product reviews just waiting to be written. Apparently I have a half finished draft of a mascara review that's been waiting to be polished and published for a few months. Coming shortly! Next on the docket is a special haul. My first chance to try NYX products! Are you as excited as I am? Probably not... ;)

Orbit’s base coat is a cream finish which applies well and is opaque in just one coat. The formula is thin but not watery or runny, and it spreads well across the nail for a flawlessly smooth finish. The base coat has your typical polish smell, and slightly perfumed. The odor is relatively faint.

The brush pleased me.… I noted that it appeared somewhat small, without being too small, and was not at all tedious to work with. The bristles were laid in such a way that you could paint a thin line with the “edge” of the brush, or quickly coat your nails with the wider, flatter side. The bristles struck me as being somewhat shorter than those included in some other bottles, which allowed for good control. While there’s really nothing special about the brush itself, it performs well, and I appreciate that!

Immediately as I painted the first streak onto my nail, the words “richly pigmented” came to mind. This base coat seemed to be dry to the touch in a short amount of time. I did read that the top coat tends to “eat” or melt the base coat if not completely dry, leaving unsightly bald spots. I took this into consideration while electing to lay down only one coat of base colour. After the application, I attempted to let the base coat dry thoroughly. This is damn near impossible for me. I’m impatient with my nails and for that reason; I cannot live without Seche Vite.

The base colour itself is a blackened plumy purple. My crappy cell phone camera does this polish no justice so I've "borrowed" pictures from a blog I've linked below. Imagine! A beauty blogger without a digital camera… Call me a starving artist; I sold my camera for groceries months ago. I must make it a priority to purchase one soon. Anyway! The base colour is something I would consider wearing on its own without the flakie top coat. (Keep reading to understand why I may skip the top coat!) In store, the top coat is what caught my eye; It seemed to be glowing! It really stood out under those bright white lights. Well played, Target, well played…

I ended up distracting myself with The Following and Bates Motel (Monday night TV kind of rocks) so I managed to leave the base coat to dry on my nails for about an hour and twenty minutes; A record for me. As far as I could tell, it was completely dry… Then I attempted to apply the top coat. Like most glittery things, this flakie coat had a stronger odor than the base coat It was thick and gloopy. I tried to apply thin layers with precision but it did indeed melt the base coat and cause some balding/streaking. To make the most of this polish (and it’s really the only option I can see that wouldn't destroy the base coat I had to gather a thick bead of top coat onto the tip of the brush and quickly slick it across my nail in just one or two strokes. The flakie application was uneven and because the pieces are jagged, some of the edges stick up and are impossible to lay flat... Unruly little devils. It was definitely not a smooth application. Some gurus have used a product called “Gelous” over top of this and a coat or two of Seche Vite to make it smooth. This gives the look a beautiful glassy finish. I am not fortunate enough to have a bottle of Gelous, but if anyone knows where I might be able to purchase it, please leave a comment.

To get a stronger flakie effect I applied two coats of the top coat, which was thick and sticky, somewhat difficult to work with. I finished it off with a generous coat of Seche Vite. I think if I’d been prepared for an application that requires patience, I could have pulled this off a little better. It’s a bit tricky in the application, given the sticky-uppy flakie edges and unevenness that the top coat causes to the base coat. If you didn't have a product to accelerate drying time, I imagine it would take forever with the thickness required to get a good effect from the top coat. The two thick coats of top coat used in this one manicure left a noticeable dent in the bottle. By this, I mean, it used up a lot of the product. I’d guess that you could get about 7-8 decent manicures with this top coat, and then you’d have some of the base left over. Despite all of this, the end result is beautiful, if not a bit lumpy! I didn't have the skills or product required to get an application quite as striking as the picture below. For the most part it looks the same, but mine is nowhere close to smooth.

Narcissistic Nails has applied Orbit beautifully

The price was about $12 CAD when I purchased this at our new Target store. (I was so excited to see NYX in Target! I picked up a few things I hope to review.) I wish the top coat had performed a little better for the money I spent on it, but that’s a standard price where I live. I’m seriously jealous of American cosmetic prices. American ladies can pick up products for just a few dollars, which we Canadians often have to pay three times as much, at least! I definitely do intend to purchase most of the other colours in this line. I’m somewhat infatuated. I’m dying to get my hands on that brick red with gold flakies!

Because my cell phone camera pictures were virtually useless, I had to do a Google Image Search to find suitable pictures for this blog entry. I made sure to find pictures that were appropriately watermarked with the source and in no way take credit for these. Do yourself a favor and check out Narcissistic Nails. :D

(I will add an update about any troubles I may encounter while removing this polish, as it is a flakie and most glittery polishes tend to require foiling or some serious elbow grease.)

-H.Cat

I Really Haven't Forgotten You... Promise!

2012-08-30T01:29:00.001-04:00

I've been slacking. I've been slacking on everything. The other morning, I looked into my pot of MAC Blacktrack Fluidline and realized it was almost empty. The bottom was bare and I was scraping the sides. Never before have I run so low without having a replacement on hand. I also use Dark Diversion Fluidline...

It's less brown and more burgundy than the photo, or maybe it'a just my monitor.

It's limited edition, but it's been re-launched with at least 3 collections. It would look gorgeous with blue eyes. It looks pretty awesome with mine. I can't rely on it completely, though, as it matches most things but not everything. It's pretty similar to one of my favorite shadows, Sketch. Regardless, I need a black liner. Below is a picture of Sketch, BTW.

The photo doesn't really do it justice. I find it darker, plummier ... closer to the photo of Dark Diversion. Again, maybe my monitor.

The other thing that happened, that proves I've been slacking, is that I ran completely out of my MAC eyebrow pencil, in Stud. I looove these eyebrow pencils. I have no idea why... I just do! They always look perfect. When I had darker hair I used the MAC brow pencil is Spiked. I think those are the only two colours I've tried, but I loved them both. I'd been filling my brows in for a week with MAC eyeshadow in Mystery. It looks good, but I prefer the look of the pencils. I used to use Embark shadow to fill in my brows, but it pulls slightly too red (unless you have dark red hair) and Mystery is perfect.

Mystery, which is the cooler of the two. Not too cool for my warm complexion.

Embark, which is the perfect brow and liner colour for dark red hair.

Sooo needless to say I decided a trip to MAC was in order, and the empty brow pencil (it's mechanical) made for 7 empty MAC containers. You only need 6 to "Back2MAC" for a free lipstick, or if you go to the MAC store rather than counter, you can choose a lipstick or an eyeshadow. I ended up getting a lipstick anyway, but I went to the MAC store because I wasn't completely sure what I wanted. I ended up getting Blacktrack Fluidline, Stud eyebrow pencil, and Girl About Town lipstick. I really, really love this lipstick. I'm actually psyched to wear it tomorrow and plan my face and outfit around it. I wore it tonight and it held up for an impressive 6 hours (I didn't eat, but earlier today I ate ice cream with Candy Yum-Yum + Morange to create a coral colour that matched my sweater. The lipstick survived the day and the ice cream. The miracle of the apply-blot-powder-apply-blot formula.) I will probably photograph this lipstick on myself tomorrow... but I hate my lips, so I can't say for sure that the pictures will make it to the blog.

MAC's Girl About Town

Rumor has it, Kim Kardashian is wearing Girl About Town in this picture. The makeup look itself is actually pretty hot. I think the fuchsia is a more fun look than the nudes she usually wears. Photograph is not my property.

The lipstick is so popular that when MAC recently launched matching lipglosses and nail polishes to match their bestselling lipsticks, Girl About Town was included. It's one of those products that makes me want to kick myself for not buying it sooner.

This post should have been called "Things I Love From MAC." heh heh. I need to go to bed.

-H. Cat

(As a side note, none of the pictures I used on this blog are my own property. As I get around to taking photos I will gradually phase out the ones I do not own.)

Bow Hair Tutorial, Sort Of.

2012-08-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

I have a minor obsession with bows and most things cute and feminine. If you can twist it into something darker, even better. So of course I liked Lady Gaga's bow hair and all the variations circulating the internet after.

This works best with at least shoulder length hair, I'd assume. If your hair is super long you may have more work to do in hiding/tucking your ends in. I used unwashed hair, because believe it or not- that nappy brillo-esque hair I have is too silky to style after washing and ironing.

Of the 3 times I have attempted this, the 2nd time was my favorite. This is a picture of that attempt.

I don't have a webcam and it's kind of dodgy trying to take pictures while styling your hair. I also wrote this with the assumption that everyone knows how to properly use bobbypins and backcomb, so if you don't- I'm sorry!

The first thing I did is not mandatory, but if you want to pop up the front of your hair like I did, it may make it easier.

My bangs had a weird kink in them because I had a stiff hairband in to keep my hair out of the way while I showered, etc. I sectioned off the front of my hair and put it into a ponytail, but farther down the hair. Basically you'll hold the hair tight and try to pop up the front to suit your taste and figure out how far down to place the elastic.

Grab all of your hair and gather it into a ponytail. It should be placed really high at the top of your head... You could attempt a bow at the back of your head but you'd need some awesome mirror to mirror navigation skills. I'm too impatient for perfection, as you'll see.

So this is the ponytail I ended up with. It also doubles as my imitation of a shrunken head.

Next you'll need to pull a section from the very front of the ponytail. Nothing too small or too big. This will be the "knot" of your bow. Don't worry. You don't really have to tie your hair.

Clip that section from the front of the ponytail aside.

Divide the remaining ponytail into two sections. You'll only be working with one at a time, so pin the other aside for now.

Using a brush for teasing or a comb, take the unpinned section and tease it from the base down. You want a lot of volume.

It'll look all messy and crazy like this. But then you'll brush over it very lightly, smoothing it out, but not overworking it, as to ruin the volume. After, it should resemble the picture below.

You'll fluff that part up and tuck the end under and hide it with a bobby pin.

That's what it'll look like pinned in place. I didn't get a really clear shot, but here's another, this one from the back:

In this picture I've already repeated the steps with the second section. You have probably figured out that it's exactly the same for both sides.

Now take the smaller section that you would have separated and clipped aside first

Wrap it around each end of the bow and across the middle if you can. You can experiment a bit with how you wrap it to make it look better. This is my 3rd attempt, and I much prefer the way I wrapped the center in my second attempt, which was the very first picture

When you've got it all wrapped it, hide the ends and pin it securely.

All done!

Just a wee bit messy!

Whatevs!
-H.Cat<3>

I'm Still Alive!

2012-07-21T00:24:00.000-04:00

I'm around. Tough times, but I am hoping to direct more creative energy towards the blog. I just added a small section to my Eyeshadow Application 101 page about primers. My preferences, why we use them. etc. It's brief, but I thought I should put in some more work on the page. Feel free to leave anything I may have overlooked about basic eyeshadow application in the comments, or anything else you may want to see.
-H.Cat<3

Hellcat's Hiatus

2012-06-15T00:40:00.001-04:00

Some of you know what's going on with my life, and some of you don't. Something horrible and gut wrenching tore my whole life apart and left me brokenhearted. I've been completely unmotivated and unable to function, but I'm coming around.

I promised a ton of new content and now that life is starting to calm down and I'm starting to feel a little less crazy, know that is it coming! I will probably work on finishing up my Eyeshadow Application page first. I just purchased Seche Vite and I am one of the many who LOVE it! My nails are like glass. It's almost orgasmic! Today I am wearing Seche Base, O.P.I. Red, and a generous coat is Seche Vite.

I am considering disclosing on my blog what has been going on but it's a really big decision. I'd be leaving myself open and exposed to a lot of stuff I'm maybe not ready for. So instead, while I decide, I'll leave you with some pictures.

Bye lovelies <3
-H.Cat

Looking lovely in my leopard "bag lady" attire.

Finally was able to cram my ass into my size 27 Parasuco jeans! Now to NEVER EAT AGAIN! :P

Cloverbaby looking beautiful in a single ponytail with side-swept bangs and tendrils in front of her ears, just like mommy <3

Cailum! My peanut. His hair is finally growing out. Just look at those ears! <3

Rhettski looking absolutely gorgeous! He needs a haircut <3

This is as close as I'm getting to the lace trend.

Nomnomnom. Ice Cap with a shot of Raspberry. So good <3

Always trashy, never classy. :D

My bestie and I!

*Air sucking noise*

Looks like Chad's wearing nail polish :D

The Fabulous Chloë!

2012-05-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple WCW's I hadn't gotten around to posting.
Chloë had two vaccinations today. She weighs almost 17lbs (which seemed small to me! I was expecting at least 20lbs) and is over 27 inches tall. She took her shots like a champ.

Also, if I have time later tonight I'm planning to do more work on my Eyeshadow Application 101 page.

Looking fierce, babydoll <3 Chloë is wearing an adorable lemon print H&M Tank with embroidered OshKosh skinny jeans.

I just thought her expression was too cute not to post. On her nails she is sporting Essie's "Orange, It's Obvious"

Rocking her new Carter's leopard print ruffled romper. This is size 12 months and the last snap on each leg is too snug to do up. She'll be 6 months old on the 8th. Chunkeroo!

Her new summer outfit from Bonnie Togs, It's either Carter's or OshKosh. Capris! Cutest EVER!!

My sweet diva baby in her Carter's polkadot ruffled romper with crochet flower accent. She has paired this with her pink and silvery gold RocaWear sandals and leopard print sunglasses. Note the faux pas. We've caught her in the same hairdo as the day before! *gasp*

Aww. Nothing cheers me up better than seeing my sweet princess peanut snickerdoodle love<3 She's too fabulous!

Rant: What's in Store for Humanity?

2012-04-28T22:15:00.000-04:00

Something threw my whole day out of whack today. Normally I can huff about something and move on, but this is truly haunting me.

I was taking my kids to the mall to pick up some new clothes, mainly for Rhett & Chloë, who are growing like weeds. We got on the bus and I stood in the stroller space, across from a young mom standing with a stroller, who had her 6 or 7 year old daughter perched on the lifted seat up against the window. That alone bothers me. It's kind of scary if you're as paranoid a mother as I am. I didn't realize how much more terrified I was going to be once this abomination opened her mouth.

She looked about 17, dressed like many other teenagers. Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, too much makeup, tights worn as pants, ballet flats, etc. Her daughter looked a bit... "gangsta." She was speaking to another teenager who was apparently not the father of any of her children. From the conversation I had no choice but to hear, she had at least 3 kids, and even used the term "my baby daddy!"

They were speaking obnoxiously loud about the drugs they do, the crimes and violent acts they commit, the people they know and the drama they're involved with. The first thing that caught my attention was the terrible grammar and language used. The second thing was when she told her child that she looked like she had "dipped her face in a big ol' pile 'a coke" (She had dusty residue from the jawbreaker she was chomping on on her chin.)

She went on to say "All my babies is brown 'cept one but I ain't never slept with no white guy never, he just came out white. It's crazy!" (She was white, herself, by the way.) It gets better! She speculated that "I don't hang out with any white people. By, like.. 2015... There will be no white people left earth. I'm serious! I don't know anyone with kids that's all white." (My 3 super white Irish Canadian kids were sitting 3 feet away from her, but whatever...) She started another anecdote with "A few years ago, when I was like 13---"

The language she was using so loudly was something I would have preferred my children not to hear, but there was no point in asking her to tone it down if she did not care for her own kid's sake. I can also admit that in times of stress I have been known to drop a few bombs in the presence of tiny ears. Her and her friend began to talk about their upbringings and discipline and lack of. Apparently the boy's mother used corporeal punishment (It didn't work, lady!) and the girl said "If my mom beat me I never woulda been like this. I woulda been so good!" ... Her daughter chimed in... ""IMMA TROUBLE MAKA, YO. I don't care if I be gettin' beat or not. It don't stop me. I get sent to the office like SOOO many times. I'm always in trouble" To which the "mother" just smirked.

They went on to talk about some father winning custody of his kid despite the fact that he's a drug addict, because the mother, another friend of theirs, has been known to take the child to hotels to witness her prostituting herself. Also something about driving a car naked with her daughter in it.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around this. There was so much more but I had to try my damnedest to tune it out because it made me want to scream. They listed a lot of acquaintances, and I bet each one of those names were people just like them! These trashy, super trashy people, several with children of their own. I knew kids these days were pretty stupid, but to this extent? Wow. Mind numbing. I seriously wanted to bleach my brain after getting off of the bus. Even scarier is the thought that my children will be in school with these mini hoodlums, especially my son Rhett- who at this point is completely non-verbal. These little pieces of shit will terrorize him and he won't be able to tell anyone that he needs help.

And if you're reading this, girl from the bus... Please get your shit together! Educate yourself. Realize that if you wanted to continue being a little girl you should have put your children up for adoption. It's time to grow up now. They deserve better and you're destroying their chances at living a productive life.

Fuck.
-H.Cat

PS: We shopped at H&M and Spencer Gifts, where I got pink silicone tunnels to stretch my ears to 5/8s (which I did, easily... BUT stretching with silicone is extremely dangerous, so look it up the risks if you're considering trying it and NEVER skip sizes!) and acrylic leopard print flares for when they are healed. Here's what I grabbed for my kiddies:

Full view of Chloë's new shirt, but the colour's way off.

This is a true representation of the colours. So cute!!

Right up Cail's alley. My boy loves sea life!

Dark pink shirt for Rhett to look ffffabulous in <3

New jeans for my super tall, super leggy Rhettski who is growing out of his all too quickly!

Shopping Day! WCW & Nail Polish!

2012-04-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

Chloë and I were on the go yet again today. We paid our bills and did some nail polish shopping, had lunch... You know how it is. I grabbed a few new polish brands to try- specifically Sinful Colors, and Barelements. They were about 3 bucks a piece and at that price, if they suck I'll just use them on Chloë's toes. They're too small to really chip or show streaking. I gotta say, I needed a little shopping trip. I could go again, actually... but I'm going to buy even more groceries first because I love nothing better than a house full of food. Except my kids, of course!

My daughter looking gorgeous in her pink and red Baby Phat embroidered tracksuit. (Look at those adorable quilted pockets!)

Chloë's new Carter's romper. I want a matching one! For whatever reason, this picture didn't save my rotate. I am too lazy to fix it :D

These are our new polishes. We've swatched them and we are very happy!

And for reasons unknown to myself, I decided to photograph what I could find of my growing nail art collections:

O.P.I, Sephora by O.P.I, Nicole by O.P.I

Random other good quality stuff- Gosh, Essie, MAC, Seche Base, various magnetics. I love those little Kiss paints

Some more "affordable" products. 3rd in on the bottom row is my "Frankenstein" polish that I made with clear polish, pigments, and glitter. I will say more about it in an upcoming post

Sally Hansen & Random other glitters

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. I love these so much! The quality is fantastic and the price is even better. These can often be found for about $2 CAD (and that says a lot, because they rape us on the price of cosmetics in this country)

Stick ons, glitters, stencils, rhinstones, dotting tools, nail art brushes galore!

Now I get to do something I've been putting off that I actually really enjoy. Budgeting! I rock with money. I get to figure out how much I have, my expenses, the balance, and the fun we can afford to have <3 I know two boys who are in need of some serious spoiling!

-H.Cat

NOTD

2012-04-26T21:03:00.001-04:00

Panda. 'Nuff said.

Note the obscene gesture. It wasn't intentional. Guess it just comes natural! Haha. Kiiidding.

The Kidlets

2012-04-26T19:39:00.002-04:00

There's a lot more going on behind these eyes than gooey black makeup buildup. I can't say I've ever felt so distracted before. For this reason I haven't really been in the headspace to create the content that I have on my chopping block. So, here, some WCW's I forgot to post (as usual!) and pictures of my boys snacking after daycare.

Chloë is wearing a little cotton H&M dress with a generous coat of drool... and apparently a dirty diaper. Ew! I'm sorry (I actually REMEMBER that diaper. It was pretty... mustardy.

On this day she wore her brother's old Ecko(?) shirt from Winners (I'm sorry but I think it's hilarious to dress my kids like little gangsters on occasion) and some cropped legging with flower detail from the spring line at Bonnie Togs.

Chloë and I were on the go today. She wore her purple H&M shoes and hat, along with her favorite leopard print H&M sweater and her Bonnie Tog skinny jeans with embroidered flowers. Underneath she was sporting her tattoo inspired Six Bunnies onesie (which we got at London Rock) ... Oh! And she accessorized with her fabulous pink purse.

Nomnomnom

Rhett dipped his apples in yogurt

Nomnomnom

Cailum dipped his cheese in yogurt

Nomnomnom

Until next time!

-H. Cat

EOTD: Bitter & Atlantic Blue + WCW

2012-04-20T16:55:00.003-04:00

Here's my eye of the day. I just got Atlantic Blue so I put it to the test with my old favorite, Bitter.
I also bought Chloe two new outfits for the warm weather, and I've included yesterday's outfit
I thought I would just throw this picture I made out there. It's supposed to go in my page about basic eyeshadow application. I don't suggest that you paint all of the areas a different colour (You could, I mean.. it would be fun!) but just to show you the areas that I often refer to.
You know the drill... For my eyes I used:

UDPP
MAC Blanc Type as a base
MAC Bitter on the inner half and inner lower lash line
MAC Atlantic Blue on the outer half and outer lower lash line
MAC Dazzlelight to blend out the Atlantic Blue
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline for the lash line
MAC Feline for the water line
MAC Nylon to highlight the brow bone and tearduct
MAC False Lashes Extreme Black

Nail + Shadow Coordination

Yesterday's "What's Chloë Wearing!?" picture that I never got around to! A Bonnie Togs romper with an H&M sweater. So sweet <3

Her new summer dress and matching dress from Bonnie Togs. Matching barrettes, also!

Adorable brown polkadot romper with crochet flower accent <3

Big smiles!

Sneak preview of the shadow application tutorial I'm working on.

That's all, folks. <3

-H.Cat

EOTD: Newly Minted & Rhettski!

2012-04-19T19:23:00.000-04:00

Today I used Newly Minted (for the first time, I think.) I primed with UDPP and applied...

Aspen Summit No. 23 (A frosty white) all over the lid, and up to the brow with a lighter hand
Newly Minted on the outer 3rd of each eyelid
Juxt, blended up slightly above the crease
Deep Truth, applied to the crease with a small angle brush and blended up and inward
Blacktrack Fluidline on the lash line
Feline on the waterline
Nylon on the inner water line & to highlight the brow bones
False Lashes Extreme Black mascara

I also snagged some pictures with my main man, Rhettski.<3

-H. Cat

NOTD: Blue & Silver Scale + W.C.W!

2012-04-18T18:19:00.000-04:00

I snapped a quick picture for another "Whats Chloë Wearing!?" entry the other day and forgot to post it, so I've got two here. Also, my nail of the day <3
Colour Club Magnetic Force in Electro Midnight, with silver paint detailing, topped with ORLY "Won't Chip"

Excuse my briefness. I'm spent from researching and writing up my Tarte Mega Review

What's Chloë Wearing!?

Here's the outfit from the forgotten edition of "What's Chloë Wearing?"

Chloë was going for a sloppy-chic look with basic black pigtals and an H&M knitted t-shirt dress with an adorable bow print.

And today we see saw Chloe in this adorable 2nd hand throw-together. A red corduroy miniskirt with built in undies and leopard piping around the pockets with button accents, paired with a leopard print turtle neck sweater and matching red hair elastics. So cute!

Until next time
<3
-H. Cat

Tarte Mega Review!

2012-04-18T17:58:00.000-04:00

I normally have a different system for my reviews, but since I got all of these products together in as my VIB 500 point perk at Sephora, I’m going to review them all in the same post. The reviews are kind of all over the place, but I’ve tried to include any helpful information I could think of. The kit contained 5 products. A primer, a finishing powder, a lip colour, an eyeliner, and a bronzer. Two of which were said to be full sized (the lip colour, and the bronzer, maybe? Perhaps the eyeliner. Not sure!) and only one of them was a major flop in my opinion. This was a good introduction to Tarte for me. I had swatched a few of the products before and I’ve always heard great things. The price point is a bit up there, and I find most of the packaging looks cheap and is all over the place (as opposed to MAC packaging, which has a standard appearance.)

So let’s see what we’re working with…

Emphaseyes Liner, Smooth Operator Powder, Amazonian Clay Bronzer, ReCreate Primer, LipSurgence Tint

ReCreate “Silicone-free primer with Wrinkle Rewind technology” $32

I couldn’t find what Tarte had to say about this product, because it seems that it’s no longer available. I’ll tell you what I know:

I’ve been wearing this daily for over two weeks, and most days I don’t see the point. I like the product, but it seems nothing more than a light weight moisturizer. It doesn’t change the application or appearance of my foundation, save for an added dewiness with drier, heavier foundations. I can see this may be problematic if you’ve got naturally oily skin. It does hydrate the skin and feels smooth to touch, but I honestly prefer silicone primers. I knowww- silicone is bad! But I love it. I love it on my face and in my hair. Uhh.. Anyway. Because this is silicone free it shouldn’t cause breakouts. I’m sure sure if it helps your makeup last longer because mine has always stayed on my face until I am ready to remove it. I am also not sure of the claim that it helps with wrinkles, as I thankfully have none!

Smooth Operator $28

What Tarte has to say:

“The breakthrough technology of this micronized clay finishing powder improves the production of keratin, a building block of skin synthesis, to promote the tightening of skin and effectively shrinking oversized pores.Amazonian clay, nature's most perfect ingredient, acts as a total skin balancer by reducing dryness and flakiness, improving clarity and texture and removing surface oil to mattify skin for a soft focus and flawless finish.

To apply, use a large fluffy brush and lightly dust colorless finishing powder over skin alone as a treatment or over concealer and foundation to keep makeup in place and add a natural finish. Smooth operator™ micronized clay finishing powder with PM20™ can also be used for targeted application; use your ring finger to gently pat finishing powder over undereye or blemish concealer to keep product from migrating into fine lines, wrinkles and dried, damaged skin.”

So what on earth is PM20? Tarte has an answer for that, too…
“PM20™: proprietary pore minimizing molecular compound clinically proven to reduce the number and size of pores by 20% after 4 weeks”

My beef is that the first ingredient listed on this stuff is Silica. What the hell? Does that sound like something you should be applying to your face? I looked it up, and apparently this isn’t the first product I’ve tried (and loved) to contain this ingredient. If you want to know more about Silica in makeup (particularly if you’re fearing Silicosis) The Beauty Brains has basically covered everything I discovered and wanted to share on the topic.

The good news is that it’s free of a bunch of other crap, which includes mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic fragrance, and it’s cruelty free. Now that we’ve got the tongue twisters out of the way, here’s why I love this stuff:

It’s a finely milled powder that is easy to use sparingly and doesn’t create a big mess. You can turn the packaging (your typical shaker) up side down, give it two firm taps, flip it up right, dip your brush, tap, and apply to your face. There should not be a cloud of powder floating through the air.

It’s virtually invisible on the face (I apply it with my MAC 187), it helps control shine, sets makeup well, and it does not look dry or powdery as it does all of this. It also doesn’t have a weird smell. I think MAC’s Prep + Prime translucent powder smells somewhat like ether.

Amazonian Clay Bronzer in “Park Ave Princess” $29

Tarte says: “Sweep on this lightweight mineral powder and reap all the benefits: the fragrance free, talc free formula allows skin to breathe and it won't clog your pores even on the hottest days (and steamiest nights!).”

It contains vitamins A, C, & E, Amazonian clay (which apparently balances skin, and mineral pigments. It does not contain parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, or synthetic fragrance. My hippie readers will appreciate that the packaging is recyclable and made with soy ink. To me the packaging looks cute but feels flimsy. I would hate to drop this.

The colour itself is, in my opinion, universally flattering. It’s got a bit too much glow for a contour colour. For paler girls like myself it’s a bit much for an all over look, but does a lovely job at “sunkissed.” It will be more versatile with darker skin tones. It does look way glittery in the pan, but when applied it becomes more of a sheen. A gorgeous sheen, actually. I recommend this be applied with a light hand and a big fluffy brush. You can always build it up to your taste. The texture is smooth and buttery and the pigmentation is great.

EmphasEYES High Definition Inner Rim Eyeliner Pencil $18

Tarte says “This super-slim inner rim eyeliner pencil is a must when trying to achieve a sexy smokey eye. The result? That smoldering look that you see in all the magazines but aren't sure how to create - this is the finishing touch. “

Some of the ingredients include vitamins A & E, aloe leaf, and mineral pigments. It’s free of the aforementioned nasties (mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic fragrance) and is cruelty free and dermatologist tested. The packaging is environmentally friendly and made with soy ink

And knowing all that, I still wouldn’t pay a penny for this shitty product. I hate it! I hate it so much it pains me to waste my time telling you about it, but I’ll let you know why I hate it so hopefully I can prevent anyone from wasting their money on it.

The packaging is your basic twist up liner. A very thin stick of product, which initially excited me. I thought it would be fantastic for getting into small spaces… The second I swatched it on my hand I knew it was garbage. It was stiff, scratchy, the consistency of the product was uneven. It’s dry, it breaks and crumbles. It streaks. It’s kind of hard to get it to show up, especially evenly. If you manage to get past that and apply it (it looked garish, no matter what I did!) you’ll find that it smudges and has no lasting power.

I can say with 100% certainty that this is the absolute worst product I have ever tried. I am so glad it was free. I would pay someone to keep this crap away from my face.

LipSurgence “Natural Matte Lip Tint” in “Lively” $24

I saved the best for last.

This is a lip tint/stain that’s forumulated with jojoba seed oil, peppermint oil, and vitamins C & E. Like the other products reviewed, it does not contain mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic fragrance, petroleum, and is cruelty free.

Unfortunately the colour selection is small, but that isn’t to say that the choices aren’t top notch. They’ve got a nude, a baby pink, a berry, a hot pink, and a red. Perhaps another one or two. The colour I have is called “Lively” and it reminds me of a burnt raspberry with a hint if fuchsia.

The packaging is okay. Some might find it cute, but the aesthetic of it does not appeal to me. It looks teenybopperish. It’s a somewhat creamy jump lip crayon, twist up so you don’t have to fuss with a sharpener. The lid snaps on tightly, which I appreciate. Oddly, I also like the FEEL of the tube... but I can't explain it.

They are all matte finish, and I love a matte lip! In fact, I’m predicting that matte lips will be in for Spring/Summer 2012. The amazing thing about this product is that it does not FEEL like a matte. It’s slightly moisturizing (I’d apply over a balm, anyway.) It does not feel thick, stiff, or dry. It glides on smooth with a refreshing peppermint scent and taste. It’s not overpowering and dissipates after about 10 minutes of wear. Some people claim that it tingled their lips just slightly, but I didn’t experience that.

These have excellent pigmentation and are long lasting. I went out for coffee with a friend and the family last night wearing this, and it was still on my lips when I got home. That’s incredibly impressive because I am hard on lipstick. I drank lemonade with a straw, scarfed down a cookie, drank a mocha without a lid, kissed my kids faces, yapped, and whatever else I do that usually scares lipstick off my face in 30 minutes tops. Didn’t even require a touch up! (Which is good because I’m not so big on touchups. I put my makeup on in the morning, and I wash it off at night. Seldom anything in between.)

The only problem I could forsee is that when this does start to wear off, it’ll probably breakdown unevenly, so keep the tube on hand for touchups if you’re going to be out at any sort of function.

I WILL buy every single shade of these… It’s just going to take a while at $24 a pop!

And there you have it! I'll leave you with the Tarte swatches I took for my swatch gallery.

-H.Cat <3

NOTD: "Cloud" Manicure & Ramblings

2012-04-11T21:43:00.002-04:00

Okay. So I think the term "Cloud Manicure" only really applies to a certain colour scheme and certain way to hold your hand. Therefore, I think the name is stupid. But whatever. This is mine. The colour scheme has been done to death, but this was my first attempt and I'm pretty satisfied.

I used:

Seche Base
O.P.I Red
O.P.I Positive Energy
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Black Out"
O.P.I Drying Drops
ORLY "Won't Chip" topcoat

Now for the rambling!

I did it again, dear readers. I've been trying to look the other way and save face for someone for a very long time. My thought was that if it looked like I was by their side they'd have some credibility as a decent human being and maybe their friends would come back to them, eventually they'd see their kids again, and they could have some sort of normalcy. I sacrificed my own happiness for this. I always do. Annnd they burned me again. I was actually thinking for a second that maybe things could turn around for this person. I was seeing truthfulness for the first time. Even when it was ugly... and it was incredibly ugly. But I appreciated their honesty and the effort they were putting into keeping me in the loop, knowing full well I would be upset most of the time. I've been adamantly against what they do, and I've even tried to be supportive and take the "harm reduction stance." No matter what I do, this person is destined to suck the life out of everyone close to them.Oh well.

I'm rarely serious, and I don't like it. Here are some pictures of Chloe's little paws from the other day!

Happy Easter! FOTD + Chloe Pictures

2012-04-08T17:23:00.004-04:00

We did our Easter celebration yesterday, minus the big dinner- which is in the oven right now. Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and glazed carrots.
My holidays are notoriously shitty,and this one was no exception. The FOTD pictures were taken after tearing up on more than one occasion, so I suppose you could say this look was fairly waterproof. I may update this with more detail later, but the eye products used were all MAC, save UDPP:

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Blanc Type (all over base)
Tilt (over Blanc Type on lid for base)
Retro Speck (inner 3rd of eyelid)
Odalisque (LE Peacocky) (middle of lid)
Strike A Pose (LE, Starflash- I think!) (Outer 3rd of lid)
Humid (Crease cut, slightly blended out on outer 1/2 of crease)
Nylon (to highlight tear duct & brow bone)
Undercurrent & Feline Pencils
False Lashes Extreme Black mascara

And then dear daughter and I grabbed some pictures while the boys were napping.

And as a shout out to "What's Chloe Wearing?" She's got on a Hello Kitty by H&M outfit.Red capris with white polkadots and a white tank ruffle tank featuring Hello Kitty herself, riding a bicycle! She's accessorized this with a red rose headband and glittery black nail polish. And now she's down for her nap, and the boys are up and awaiting dinner. Until next time!

-H.Cat

FOTD & NOTD: Purple Crazy & Family Pictures!

2012-04-07T20:36:00.003-04:00

Today I was feeling a little purple-crazy. I did an eye showcasing my absolute favorite shadow in the world. MUFE's Purple 92. Gorgeous purple, richly pigmented, so easy to work with. I accompanied this super bold eye with a purple leopard print nail. Well, sort of purple. It was a pinky purple base with a red micro-pearl, dotted with a purpley blue with a red micro-pearl. I used Seche Base, and ORLY "Won't Chip" so I'll let you know how well they wear in a few days.

The kids and I went egg hunting at Citi Plaza. Rhett was not in the best shape after this outing. Sometimes he can handle crowds, sometimes he cannot. Today was the latter. After that we came home and had an egg hunt in the backyard with the boys' friend Conner.

To recreate this eye, you'll need:

Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Blanc Type (base)
MAC Crystal (lid wash)
MAC Vellum (inner half of lid, and to blend 93 up towards brow bone)
Make Up For Ever shade "92" (outer 3rd, use w/angle brush to cut inner crease)
MAC Sketch (use with angle brush to cut outer crease)
MAC Nylon (to highlight brow bone & tear duct)
MAC Fluidline in "Dark Diversion" (to line lash line, Sketch would substitute)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide liner in "Baked" (a golden shade, to line water line)
MAC Feline eyeliner, to (line inner 3rd of water line)
MAC False Lashes Extreme Black
MAC Embark to fill in my brows

For the lip I used:

Wet 'n Wild liner in shade 666, "Brandywine"
Rimmel London lipstick in "Asia"
MAC gloss in "Oversexed"

And on my face:

Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush makeup in "Vanilla"
Sally Hansen Inspired by Carmindy blush creme in "Ginger"
Tarte "Smooth Operator" translucent finishing powder

So without further rambling, I present you... More pictures of makeup, nails, kids.

Chloe looking fierce on her way to Citi Plaza

Rhett anxiously waiting for the bus

Cailum waiting patiently

Cailum at our own egg hunt after the one at Citi Plaza

I thought he was trying to play ball, but the Easter Bunny had placed an egg on top of the ball :D

"I found it!"

Rhett's made a discovery!

Some brotherly competition.

Rounding up the troops.

Something along the garden...

"Yaaay!"

That's all, folks <3
-H. Cat