Best Black Polish Ever

One of my biggest nail polish inspirations is the opening scene from Suburban Girl starring Sarah Michelle Gellar -- an ultraglossy and ultrapigmented black on a short, squoval nail.  Check out the video here or below.  I just love how clean and neat this looks -- it looks even cleaner than some nude manicures I've seen.

For years (and I do mean years)I've searched tirelessly for a good black nail polish.  When I started painting my nails regularly six or seven years ago, I noticed immediately that all black nail polishes pulled brown on my skin.  Maybe it's because my hair is so dark?  I don't know.

Needless to say, I trawled through literally hundreds of reviews of the best black nail polishes on nail polish blogs, Makeupalley and nail polish-dedicated Flickr accounts (they exist), and still nothing.  I gave up and pretended Chanel Blue Satin was black.

I happened to pick Nails Inc Black Taxi off a clearance shelf in my local Shoppers Drug Mart, and my life was forever changed.  This is the only black polish that has ever looked properly black on me. I later found out that this was marketed as a one-coat black; that's almost true! There are very few polishes that I consider one-coaters, and this might be on someone else -- on my skin though, I need two coats to get that blackest black depth.

I've also heard fab things about Givenchy's new black -- check out this full review on Sunny's blog.

NOTE: I'm going away on vacation until November 9, so the comments section might be a little quiet.  I'll try to upload as much as I can to Instagram, so follow me there @procrastinatingpretty!

Review | Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I'm obsessed with honey.  It started after a stint on a Slovakian family's apiary in 2012, after tasting the freshest, most incredible honey directly from the hive, I couldn't be without.

I use  honey in place of all regular sweeteners in my coffee/tea/oatmeal/everything else.  I've even used it directly on my face and hair, but that can get really messy.  I don't remember who recommended the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask to me, but it's made its way around the blogosphere at least two or three times now.

This mask squeezes out of a coated metal tube as a pale yellow gel-like cream.  The product spreads easily without being too oily -- you only need about a nickel-size squeeze to cover your face in a thin layer.  I typically apply after cleansing and leave it on all night.  When I wash it off in the morning, my skin feels clean, hydrated and frickin' radiant.  This mask is an all-rounder, calming blemishes, evening out the complexion and adding a healthy dose of hydration.

I picked mine up from Whole Foods, but I've seen it at The Big Carrot as well.  The price ranges from $34 - $40, so it's not cheap, but it's definitely earned a place in my regular rotation.

Repurchase? Check.

Wardrobe Staple: Opaque Black Tights

I have a few rules when it comes to buying black tights.

1) They must be 100% opaque and flat black.  None of this sheer gloss business.

2) They can't make me itchy.  Scratching in public is embarrassing, but scratching anywhere tights-related?

3) They can't do that supremely awkward thing where the control top ends up between your knees, leaving you -- the wearer -- to helplessly perform lunges while pulling up at the waistband to make sure they don't become MC Hammer tights.

Calvin Klein Ultra Opaque Hosiery in 120 Denier, I will never be without you.  Not only do they completely satisfy the above three conditions, the tops are ultra-controlling and create a completely smooth, svelte silhouette under all clothes.

Layer under pants in the winter for an extra layer of warmth or under your favourite summer outfit to make it fall-appropriate. These typically run $20/pair at full retail, so I always stock up on 2-packs at the Calvin Klein outlets.

Edit: These legs belong to Tod.  She has much better core strength than I do.

New Thing: Turkish Towels

I think there's quite a few names for this genre of towel. In my research I've come across peshtemal, fouta, hammam towel, among a few others. If anyone has more background on this type of cloth, please do share!

I purchased these at the end of the summer for a day out at the island to use as a beach towel -- I don't love the way regular beach towels hold water and stay damp.  Bevause the cotton is so lightweight and the fabric is relatively stiff, sand never gets caught in them and the drying time is much less than any other towel I've previously used.

You have to wash these before your first use (I mean, you should do that anyway for all new towels), otherwise they won't absorb water.  I've seen these recommended as beach coverups as well, and I totally get it -- these wrap/fold/tuck way better than regular towels.  I managed to roll mine down to the size of a small Thermos.

I got mine at Au Lit (midtown, near Yonge and Eglinton), but I've seen a few Etsy sellers who say they'll happily ship theirs to Canada.  So far we've been mixing prints, but the colours are so subtle and subdued that I'm not too concerned with matching future towel purchases.

Have you tried these?  Which are your favourite?

Fave: Fusion Illumicover Concealer

I've been dying to do an empties post for a while -- I really wanted it to be a video so my YouTube channel wouldn't be completely dead but...such is life. The other requirement that's been holding me back is that I wanted to include a makeup product.  We know how I am about makeup -- I just don't finish things.  Skincare I'll run through rather regularly, but colour products are just...we'll see.

My first makeup product I've finished in legitimate ages: Fusion Illumicover Concealer -- I can't even count the number of times I've mentioned this in passing on the blog, on YouTube, on every other form of social media, but I bloody adore this stuff.  I've tried YSL Touche Eclat, Clinique Airbrush (although in the wrong colour, so that may be worth revisiting), a couple of drugstore imitations, but nothing comes close.  This is where it's at.

I have to mentally repress the urge to use this all over my face as a foundation -- it is skin-matching, glowy perfection.  I use the colour Medium all over my face and it removes just enough blemish/dark circle/scar to be fake even skin tone, but leaves enough skin showing through so you don't look like you're wearing a mask.

Repurchase?  Absolutely.  Backed up twice already, because I'm a little afraid they're going to discontinue it.

Note: In the image above, the Lower Left colour from the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda palette is the absolute closest to my skin colour -- it looks super green compared to the rest of the swatches and my arm, but I really am that olive-toned. All other concealer tones work on my skin because they kind of neutralize any scarring and match very well to my most-used foundations.

Paula Dorf Smokie Lid Brush

I've got quite a list of makeup graveyard stories. everything from weeping over a discontinued shade to the more recent fiendish eBay hunts.

The worst of them has to be discovering a product that you absolutely know in your gut that would be perfect for you, only to find out that you heard about it a few months too late.  

Enter: Paula Dorf Smokie Lid brush -- I mentioned I'd be telling this story earlier this week.

I'm a typically Asian person with very little eye definition -- the flesh of my eye is quite flat from my brownbone to my lash line, so I need a little colour to help define my eye area and help me look more awake and less puffy.  The way most people need to put on their brows or apply mascara -- I need eye contour.

Til now I haven't been that picky with my eye brushes.  If you've been with me long enough, you'll recall very old videos where I could do everything I needed with an old Aveda flat shader brush.  It was a simpler time.  Now it's almost embarrassing to admit exactly how many brushes I have that are almost-not-quite the same as each other -- every size of crease/lash/liner/shader/blending brush that I've never imagined anyone needing.  Spoiler alert: you don't need all the brushes.  Save yourselves and your wallets.

After a Lisa Eldridge Marathon one day where she highly recommended the Paula Dorf Smokie Lid brush, I knew I had to have it.  Never mind the extensive Google Image search that came after, even just seeing it in the video made me absolutely certain beyond all else that I needed it in my life.  It was like no other eye brush I'd seen before -- short, stubby bristles that didn't look like they could cover much ground.

I found a tester in a random beauty store in Toronto. After two sessions of negotiating and pleading, they wouldn't sell it to me.  Maybe I tried too hard?  And having used it for a few months now, how could I not -- it is exactly dense enough to pick up an intense, but workable amount of colour, yet just tapered enough to really focus the pigment in the lashline and diffuse it.  I've used it to thicken up eyeliner, contour underneath the eye, for my inner-corner highlight, contour my outer V, everything I've ever needed to alter my eye shape.

Anyway, Tod gave it to me for Christmas.  I don't ask questions, but mine actually has the word Tester engraved into it.

Image: Paula Dorf Smokie Lid brush pictured with the eye products I've been using lately.  Ain't no texture this baby can't handle.

Review: Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium

Just look at that colour.  Do you know what colour that is?  Find any random object that casts a shadow and tell me that Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium is not the exact faded combination of gray, brown, purple, and black that makes up a shadow.

Don't bother.  This is that colour.

One of my favourite finds I think ever in the history of my makeup collection.  I honestly don't recall ever having used anything so consistently since the day I purchased it.  It was love at first review search, and I haven't looked back since.

I've never been particularly obsessed with contouring on myself -- my face just didn't seem like the right candidate for contouring.  I love contouring other people, don't get me wrong, but when it came to my own face, I had a hard time placing the exact location of where I wanted my cheekbones to be, and how far I wanted them to extend.  Let me tell you, getting both the colour and the placement wrong?  Lindsay can tell you about that..

I briefly dabbled in a world of MAC Emote, Benefit Hoola and Chanel Bronze Universel, but none of them were ever quite right.  I've come a long way since the days of hopelessly trying to carve out a cheekbone with the considerably shimmery NARS Casino, or trying to keep NYX Taupe from turning pink on my extremely olive skin.  I can't even photograph it correctly because it just looks like a shadow on my arm.  This is it.  I've found it.

Review: Suqqu Cheek Brush

It's one of those things you can't quite explain.

How do you communicate a sensation?  I can tell you something's pebbly, smooth, sharp or rough but I can't really explain the degree to which they are those things.  Normally at this point, I'd compare it to something similar, but in this case...there really isn't anything similar.

Except mink.  Go feel a mink.

That's the closest thing to which I can compare the Suqqu Cheek Brush. This wonderfully soft (what an inadequate word) marvel is the most beautiful, sleek concoction of grey squirrel and ebony.  It's smaller than anyone would expect, but the perfectly weighted handle offers a balance that comes only with several years of manufacturing expertise.

Getting back to how soft and plushy this brush is, I think it's most evident when you press it into your cheek.  The moment you sweep the bristles on your face, they bend and give in a way that no other brush ever has.  Where occasionally I find that even my higher end brushes feel as though they're pushing my skin a little, there is not a doubt in my mind that the Suqqu Cheek Brush uses only the most accommodating of bristles.

Because the bristles are so soft, they deliver the sheerest wash of colour.  Even the most pigmented of blushes (I'm looking at you, Tarte Tipsy and NYX Red) become a light flush of colour, so light and feathery that barely any of the pigment rests on your skin.  And once again, because the bristles are so silky, you won't see any irritation from building up softer colours.  In fact, the more you buff, the more natural the colours become.

I can't quite put into words how much I love this brush, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Availability: Mine was purchased off eBay for $132 + shipping.  These are available for online ordering at Selfridges.co.uk, but are rarely in stock.  Suqqu also has counters available in Japan and Thailand.

A Bit of Bronze

I'm one of those people who's never burned a day in my life.  I'm waiting for the pain-free hours of lying out in the sun to catch up with me, but until that day, I've always been able to tan easily and not worry about burning, peeling or maintaining.  If anything, my skin tone is one of those that won't let the colour go -- I never go back to the level of paleness that I was.  I joke regularly with my friends that my skin colour is an amalgamation of a lifetime of sun exposure.

That said, when I heard about Caudalie's Divine Legs Body Moisturizer*, I had to see what it was all about.  Since I'm no longer privileged enough to have summers off, I'm much paler than I've ever been.  I didn't realize how pale my legs start off!

My other issue with self-tanner is that they're often a weird colour.  Even extremely famous versions that are famed for leaving you properly bronzed go a little wonky on me.  My skin is quite olive so I tan a strange taupe-y gray colour, and Caudalie's Divine Legs is the perfect marriage between the colour I would like to be and a colour I can pull off naturally.

The product takes your legs down a few shades, but you can definitely control the depth of your tan by putting more on.  I've also used this on my stomach whenever I wear a crop top -- instant abs.  It's marketed as a body moisturizer so it leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

I enlisted Tod's help for this post -- she's much lighter than me so she's tried a number of self-tanners.  Here's what she had to say:

"It's a pleasant consistency.  I find a lot of them gross -- like, greasy.  At least the ones I've used in the past.  It's one of the more natural-looking fake tans I've had in a while.  It's kind of nice that it's not permanent, that it washes off in the shower.  It's less of a commitment; in case you make a mistake or something.  The other ones that are more permanent that last a few days, if you forget to avoid your knees, then you're stuck with dark knees for four days.  At least if you mess this one up, it's only one day."

For the swatch below, I took one single pump of the product and rubbed it into my thigh -- please bear in mind that I'm 5'10 and my thighs are longer than most people's.

Left: One pump of Caudalie Divine Bronze, Right: bare skin

*PR Sample

Ode to the Clarins Lip Perfector

It was inevitable that I would write about this.

After mentioning this product here, here, here and here, it was time for a real review.  Never mind that, I have one of these in my bag, on my vanity, and at the office.  If I drove, I'm sure I'd keep one in my car.

This lip product is -- hands down -- my most used lip product of 2013 so far.  I first purchased 01 Rose and 02 Apricot in a duty-free shop, and happily went about glossing my lips with what felt like cake frosting.  I can't even decide which part of this product I love the most: its hydrating ability, the scent or the texture.  The last product I felt so strongly about was the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint.  This is exactly like that, but a thousand times more hydrating.  Worth. Every. Penny.

The only thing that I felt was a little lacking was the colour.  No more!  Earlier this year, Clarins released a few more shades to suit a greater variety of skin tones.  I received 04 Petal* and 06 Rosewood* and instantly set to swatching.  While 04 is far too light for me (it's an extremely pale nude on Tod -- great for blanking out lips for a dramatic eye looks), 06 is my perfect nude.  The colour is close to my skin tone without looking like, ...skin.  There's enough pink to bring a little life back into my face while containing enough brown to nude out my lip.  The natural colour makes application almost painfully forgiving -- no mirror required!

The texture is that of a traditional gloss, but instead of sitting on top of your lips, it sinks in and leaves them comfortably hydrated.  It smells beautifully of caramel and all I want to do is reapply.  I've never finished a lip product this quickly, and given the 10 ml of product you get, that's especially impressive.  Note: a MAC Lip Glass is only 5 ml.  I've only finished a couple of those in the 10 years I've been using MAC.  I only discovered Clarins a year ago, and I'm almost done with my second one.  

At $20 a pop, these aren't the cheapest lip colour or lip balm.  But for both?  Think of it as two products that are $10 each.

*PR Sample

Tom Ford

Narcotic Rouge.  As though red lipstick wasn't addictive enough on its own, the inspiring and completely dashing Mr. Tom Ford had to go and raise the bar on lip addiction.

It's taken me over three years to finally, finally succumb to a Tom Ford lip product.  People are fairly divided on whether the formula is really that good, and isn't that other brand's lipstick just as good for a fraction of the price?  It's all a matter of opinion, but I think we can all agree that Mr. Ford raised the bar when it came to luxe lipsticks.  Some people might even say that after a decade of Lip Glass, Juicy Tubes, and Lip Glazes, he made lipstick cool again.

And how could you not be?  Picture pulling this divine, black-lacquered (or if you were lucky enough to hop onto the bandwagon during the bone white packaging, kudos!) case out of your clutch.  I've never been one to condone applying lipstick in public, but imagine yourself, casually leaning on a cocktail table, popping off the cap to expose a beautiful gold case.  Then the base twists up to reveal the most perfectly rich red.  It's just pink enough to add a pop of brightness, but the extremely high pigment will finish your lip look with just one swipe.  Then it disappears back into your bag as though it had never been.  That flash ebony, gold and scarlet will have people taking a second look.  Where did it come from?  Where did it go?

The colour is perfect for the summer.  It's different than my regular blue or orange-based reds -- this reminds me of my first MAC lipstick ever -- Brave Red.  I don't have that one to compare for you, but Narcotic Rouge starts off with a bright hot-pink base.  It's the ultimate Marilyn Monroe colour -- even the finish is glossy, just the way she liked it.

Tom Ford is available at Holt Renfrew for $55 CAD.

Dior DiorSkin Nude Tan Paradise Duo 001

I've been on the hunt for a new blush for some time now.  My current blush collection is filled with one of two extremes:  aggressively pigmented orange/red/hot pink or dusty rosy-pink.  Time to branch out.

Before we get started, I have to address the issue of coral.  How is it exactly different from peach?  I'm never sure, but every once in a while, I'll point at a colour and say, "You.  You are peach."  Then I'll point at one that's a smidge darker/lighter/coral-er and name it coral.  How do you know?

For the purposes of all future blog references, I'm going to define peach as a combination of orange and pink with more yellow in it.  That is, it'll be more orange than pink.  Anything that leans more pink will be safely ensconced in its coral kingdom.  For example, Tarte Tipsy is a vibrant peach, whereas this beauty above...is coral.

This insanely beautiful chrome-quilted compact is a blush/bronzer duo from Dior's Summer 2013 line, the Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in 001.  One one side, we get two shades of bronzer -- a medium brown on top which mixes beautifully with darker, cool-toned brown to give an extremely realistic tan.  The key to a believable bronze is the amount of red in the pigment -- since a tan is glorified burned skin, there will always be red pigment, so even the most olive of skins will need a tiny hint of pink in their tan.

The other side is made up of two blush colours, one shimmery, one matte.  The shimmery quadrant is a shimmery coral and matte quadrant leans darker and more pink.  When mixed together they render a bright, medium-pink blush.  The magic happens when you mix all four shades together, they give you the most perfect coral.

I can't tell you how it happens or why it happens, but I have a very strong feeling that it's got something to do with the rosy shimmer mixing in with the peach-toned bronzer and all four shades amalgamating into a beautifully complex combination.  The colours lay down on your cheek in an almost imperceptible texture -- I rubbed my fingertips into the bronze side and double checked to make sure there was pigment there.  It's that smooth.  The shimmer in the pink is delightfully creamy, and even before blending out the product, the texture will have already disappeared, leaving you with nothing but your newly-blushed and bronzed skin.

Burberry Pink Azalea

Ladies (and some gentlemen?) -- I present you with my second Burberry product ever:  Lip Velvet No. 308 Pink Azalea.  Let's begin.

Beyond being a lip junkie, I'm a texture junkie.  As much as I'm obsessed with depth of colour, my favourite part of putting makeup on is the actual feeling of applying product, and feeling the textures and seeing how they translate onto skin.  The texture of this lipstick is phenomenal, especially for a matte.  I often find matte lipsticks fairly drying, with a tendency to cause the skin to pull and emphasize any rough patches.

When I first apply the product, the bullet glides smoothly over the lips, depositing a highly pigmented, thin layer of colour.  I can't even explain how impressed I am with the way this product lays down colour -- the colour is completely even in one swipe.  What I like most is that the texture will never feel cakey, simply because you would never need to pass the bullet enough to build up the colour.  As a result, the colour lasts for several hours on me (short of eating anything legitimately oily), since the colour doesn't collect and separate from your lips.

The colour itself is a browned raspberry -- at first I thought it would be an accidental dupe for Chanel #28 Romantic, but that's shinier, sheerer and cooler-toned; it pulls much more pink on my lips.  By comparison, Pink Azalea is reminiscent of the brown-toned lipsticks of the 90s, but in the best possible way.  It's incredibly versatile in that it can be a muted, office-appropriate lip, but with a couple more swipes, it turns into a beautifully dark, berry that gives your lips a vampy look without committing to a blackened lip colour.

The casing for the lipstick is matte plastic, and it's much lighter than its eye shadow counterpart.  The Burberry check covers the lid, which swooshes closed magnetically.  Incredibly satisfying.

Burberry lipsticks retail for $36/3.5g and are available at Holt Renfrew in Toronto and Vancouver.  Based on the comments in the last post, I need to try Pale Barley, Midnight Brown and a blush!  I was previously lusting Tangerine and now I'm also anxiously awaiting the arrival of Blossom.

Burberry Rosewood Eye Shadow

I've been craving me some Burberry cosmetics for a long time -- I'd say since Lisa Eldridge's review came
out.  A word of caution:  if you watch that video, you will just want it more.  I didn't end up getting anything from the video, but I'm extremely happy to have the Sheer Eye Shadow in No. 09 Rosewood.

The packaging is beyond gorgeous.  The box is made of thick cotton card, and it opens to reveal a velvet pouch embossed with the signature Burberry check.  A granite-coloured compact slides out -- more Burberry check -- which closes with the most satisfying snap.  It comes with a standard sponge-tip applicator that no one will ever use (except to swatch), and the mirror inside is full-size.

The actual texture of the product is fantastic. Thing is, I don't know if the Burberry texture was overhyped or what, but I was initially a little underwhelmed with the texture.  Don't get me wrong, it's smooth and evenly pigmented and soft (yet not too powdery), but I think I was expecting that smush that I usually acquaint with Urban Decay's shimmery shadows.  In fact, it's probably better that there's no smush, because I do find I tend to pick up too much product if that's the case.  To reiterate, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the beautiful texture of this product, I just had a weird moment of culture texture shock.

Which brings me to colour -- I didn't buy this myself so I didn't really get a chance to test it in person, but I am not regretting this colour in the least.  In the pan it's a cool, light taupe with the tiniest hint of shimmer running through it but on the eye it shows up as a smokey lavender-mauve, almost gray!  The shimmer is barely there on the lid, it just adds a bit of luminosity.

Lately I've been wearing this all over the lid, just blended out with a MAC 217 or my trusty Hakuhodo Kokutan T.  If I'm feeling fancy, I'll use my pinky finger to dab on a bit of Urban Decay Toasted on the centre of the lid, with a quick flick of Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner.  I like to pair this with a light, sheer wash of blush, usually MAC LoveCloud.  And on the lips...maybe another Burberry product I came across?  I'll show you later this week!

These are available at Holt Renfrew in Canada, I believe they're $33/2.5g .  What are your favourite Burberry products?  I'm desperate to try the Light Glow blush in Tangerine!

100 Point Perk

I (and I'm sure everyone who's reading this) recently got an email from Sephora about a few of their new 100-point perks.  It was exciting because Sephora Canada's perks can be pretty hit or miss. I've seen some fantastic perk packs in the States, but the ones up here are kind of lacking.   What do you mean you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider?  Get thee to a counter, pronto.

Among other fantastic perks, they are offering a Stila Convertible Colour.  I beelined.  I've heard mixed reviews about this product, so I was excited to try it.  I'm a die-hard fan of the Stila Lip Glazes, but I haven't tried much else from the line.  In case there are a few of you who adore these or are curious about trying them, I wanted to get a first impression out so you can grab them before they disappear!

This is a cream product meant for cheeks and lips.  The texture is fairly emollient; on the cheeks it dries down to a slightly tacky finish which could be remedied with a little powder (or just left alone if you want a more natural finish), and on lips, it feels exactly like cream lipsticks have always felt -- none of this newfangled (old person talking) balm-texture that's been going on lately.  I can see why some people find it drying, but so far it hasn't made my lips flake at all.

The colour they're giving away is Peony, and I knew right away it was right up my alley.  So up my alley that I immediately felt the need to compare it to a few other products in my collection.  It's a pink-brown that looks red-based on the skin, so it mimics a flush very well.  In certain lights, I can see a hint of peach creaminess, but it doesn't show up that well on me.  It would pull peachier on a cooler skin.  This colour is so up my alley that I've included comparison swatches -- of the four, it is the most neutral.  Make Up For Ever HD #8 is a close match, but with a little more red in its base. Tarte Matte Lipsurgence in Exposed is much darker and browner, and Fusion SculptDiva in Haute is nowhere close, being a brighter, blue-based pink.  Are these product names just getting longer and longer?

Normally these retail $33 for 0.15 oz (4.3 g), and the 100-point perk size is about half, at 0.17 oz (2.2g).  Would I repurchase this?  Right now, I'm glad I didn't, just because I have so many blushes that I love and have yet to use.  But for (essentially) free?  You know I love anything travel-size.

Laura Mercier Portfolio for Home and Away

 Pardon the photo overload -- can you tell I'm excited?  This is the Laura Mercier Portfolio for Home and Away that I showed in my last weekend update.  If there is one thing I love more than makeup, it is makeup storage itself.  I first saw this in a Wayne Goss video where he told me it was limited edition and I got so sad because I didn't think I'd ever see it again.  Cut to a week and a half ago when I came across it at Holt Refnrew and nearly shrieked.

This is a travel makeup case measuring 11.5 in x 9 in.  The hard outer shell unzips all the way around to reveal two magnetic covers.  On the first "page" there are two pouches of the same size that stick to the front cover.  With all of these mesh pouches, you can pull them out and use them as makeup bags alone.  The two on the back cover are different sizes -- one looks like it would be TSA compliant, and the other is a skinnier pouch suitable for pencil products.  The entire case is made of plastic which makes it really easy to wipe down with a baby wipe before and after each use.

The middle flap has seven slots for brushes, and here is where my first criticism arises.  There are two slots wide enough for standard face brushes (here I've shown the Cover FX Foundation Brush #160 and the Smashbox Blush Brush #16) but the eye slots are extremely snug.  I tried to fit a MAC 227 in one of them, and there was no way it was happening.  On the back of this flap, there is an elasticized compartment that could hold more brushes, but they might move around given that there's no protective dust cover or stitching to separate it into compartments.

The case also comes with two empty Laura Mercier palettes -- a six-pan and a three-pan.  I've never tried a Laura Mercier colour in my life, but these would be helpful if you'd already amassed a collection.  The mirrors inside these are large and take up the entire lid of the palette.  I've shown them here with a couple of my travel essentials.

Good makeup storage makes me want to make better use of my makeup.  I've never found something I liked for travelling -- if it had a hard shell, there weren't enough compartments and my products would knock into each other.  If it was a soft case, it wasn't protected from my other belongings in my carry-on.  Here, I'm not concerned that any of my products will explode and get all over my clothes, I don't think any of my glass bottles will break or even that my brushes will be crushed.  I'm officially a happy camper.

How do you pack your makeup for travel?

Clarisonic vs Neutrogena Wave, Re-Evaluated

The most popular post on this blog is my Clarisonic Mia vs Neutrogena Wave post.  I didn't know how popular that post would get -- if I did, I probably would have included my own photos instead of relying on the power of Google Images.

I think it's time that I update my experience with the Clarisonic.  My knowledge of skincare since that time has expanded so much, my skin needs different things, and I now have the power of hindsight.

First off: Don't buy the Neutrogena Wave.  It will do nothing good for your skin. Even when I thought it was exfoliating and helping my moisturiser sink in more, what it was probably doing was tearing up my skin matrix and the moisturiser was bleeding into the gaps.  Horrifying visual.  Throw in the cheap, skin-peeling cleanser they pre-soak the cotton refills with, and you'll spend more money trying to fix your skin afterwards.

The only thing left to consider is whether or not you need a Clarisonic.  I bought the Mia, which I'm fairly certain has gone down in price since I purchased mine.  Refills are $30 a pop in Canada, and you have to replace them every six months if you use it once a day.  And that's where the issues begin.

I first got a Clarisonic to help remedy my vengeful cystic acne.  It was as though bacteria and sebum had decided to band together and have a dirty, four-month-long orgy on my jawline, cheeks and chin.  Before one cyst had shrunk, three more would pop up to see it go -- they started multiplying on top of each other, and effectively changed the shape of my jawline because they were so swollen.

Twice a day, for six weeks, I diligently used the Clarisonic Mia with Lancome Creme Radiance foaming cleanser. In fact, I don't think I've been this careful about my skin before or since then.  After a while, I noticed that the acne started calming down.  Thrilled with the results, I continued with my routine.

Then it happened.  The acne started coming back.  After blaming everything I could -- my diet, my lack of exercise, hormones -- and changing all those things, the acne persisted.  It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that since I was using the brush twice a day, the suggested replacement time was effectively halved.  So take note of how often you're using your brush, and don't vibrate the bacteria back into your pores.

After figuring that out and properly maintaining my Clarisonic, I continued on.  I eventually graduated to a different kind of acne -- it wasn't cystic, it was a more human-sized pimple that would still scar.  It also took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that I was over-exfoliating, and that my skin was producing more oil in order to keep up with its twice-daily foaming torture.  After switching to a gentler cleanser and once a week use, my skin calmed down, and we arrive at my skin today.

I still break out.  And of course, whenever I do, I attack with my Clarisonic and its faithful army of treatments.  But on a regular basis, I almost never use it.  Every once in a while, I'll have been lazy about washing my face or been wearing especially heavy makeup and I'll do a pass with good ole Lancome Creme Radiance just to satisfy my neuroses.  I don't know that I actually need to do that, but I'm a firm believer of the placebo effect.

All in all, you only need one if you have acne, and the problem with your acne is that your skin is clogged and dirty.  Even then, know that this is a one-time fix for your acne -- after it goes away, you won't and shouldn't use it that often anymore.  That said, $139 CAD to rid me of 85% of my skin issues?  I don't regret a thing.

Dior Impressions Cuir

I made my first StrawberryNet order a few weeks ago -- I was nervous since I've been burned by brokerage fees before, but when I saw this item, I bit the bullet and ordered.  This is one of Lisa Eldridge's All-Time Favourites, something she keeps in her own makeup bag.  I didn't think much of it when I looked at it -- meh, another neutral shadow palette -- but then I started idly Googling swatches.  That's a risky little game, innit.

Now that I have it, it's even better than in Lisa's video.  The combination of a warm, chocolate brown, a    smoky, bronze-gold, and the minky highlight makes it the perfect, everyday trio.  These colours are pretty dupeable, but having them housed in one gorgeous compact and embossed so incredibly beautifully makes me glad I have it.  If you're new to my blog, I'm kind of travel-makeup obsessed; I adore anything multi-use, travel-size, travel-friendly, packing-friendly, all-in-one.  Packing for a trip is about 40% of the enjoyment for me.  Yup.

This is an older palette (limited edition from 2008), so the colours aren't quite as pigmented as what I usually expect from a Dior eye shadow.  They are still gorgeously creamy and easy to apply, so I don't mind.  In fact, this would be a great palette for beginners who can't manipulate too much pigment.

The packaging is the same size as a Dior Quint or their highlighters.  I don't think Dior packaging is especially sturdy, but I have yet to break one.  That's impressive because I break most things, as evidenced by the number of laptops I've had in the past eight years *cough*seven*cough*.

Bottom line:  Do you need this?  Not unless you're a vintage Dior collector.  You could also make do with MAC Mulch, Urban Decay Smog and... I don't think I own a colour quite like this one, but it looks like something Laura Mercier or Lancome would make.

Do you have any limited-edition loves?

Real Techniques Core Collection

Real Techniques, the baby of makeup genius Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo, made its way to the Great White North.  Actually our weather has been relatively precipitation-free, so...Great Grey North?  Gone are the days that I endlessly stalk the interwebs for iHerb.com coupon codes.  They are now readily available at Wal-Mart and www.farleyco.ca!

Real Techniques bristles are made of synthetic Taklon fibres.  I have a ton of natural hair brushes which I love, but recently, synthetic brushes are getting better and better.  A lot of people ask me if I prefer natural or synthetic.  I say you need both.  I adore synthetic brushes for buffing --not for blending, but specifically for buffing.  I think if you want to diffuse colour and work it into your skin, you need the smoothness of a synthetic brush.  That said, because there is less texture in a synthetic brush, it's really easy to overblend and make colours look muddy.  Base products are where synthetics rule.  Also, they dry a million times faster than natural brushes.

Today I'm reviewing the Core Collection*, but I've done a review on other  Real Techniques brushes.

Contour Brush
This small, rounded brush of medium density works well with contour because it's less dense than the others.  It grabs product lightly so you don't end up with stripes of brown on your cheeks.  The small size also helps you control your placement.  This could also be a good foundation brush if you wanted light coverage, but my giant face takes too long to cover.

Pointed Foundation Brush
I was surprised at how small this brush is; the bristles are the same length  as the setting brush, which also surprised me with its minute size.  The bristles on this brush are very stiff -- if you flex the bristles, they'll bounce back very quickly.  This makes it great for waxy products like the Bobbi Brown correctors/concealers.  I do think it's a little too stiff to blend the delicate skin underneath the eye but it's great for getting around your nose or for applying eye shadow primer.

Detail Brush
This brush tapers to a point, something I find that a lot of other lip brushes lack.  I usually prefer an angle brush or a square brush to apply lipstick, but the tapered bristles on this brush give a nice enough line if you don't have an angle brush to spare.  This is also great for getting that inner corner highlight on your eyes, and for detailed application of brightener.  I usually use this to place my under-eye corrector and blend out with another brush.

Buffing Brush
By and far my favourite brush in the entire set.  I'll do a proper comparison with the Expert Face Brush, but here's a spoiler:  This brush kicks ass in terms of even foundation coverage.  The brushes splay out perfectly on your face, distributing product in an even layer, and the round shape is so conducive to product-swirling.  I might need a backup.

These sets come in a hard, black case to store your brushes.  Simply slip your brushes through the elastics and fold in half.  The other thing you can do with the case is to turn it into a stand: fold the case the opposite way and tighten the drawstring so it props up your brushes.  I personally store my brushes in jars, so I don't use these too often, but I keep them for travelling.  I've never found a brush roll I like, and travelling with them any other way feels like I might warp the hairs.

I'm giving away a set of Real Techniques brushes in my giveaway (along with two bottles of Batiste Dry Shampoo!).  Find out how you can win here.

*PR Sample

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector

BECCA SSP in Moonstone, Josie Maran Argan Luminizer, TheBalm Mary Lou-manizer, Dior Amber Diamond, YSL Touche Eclat 2, Benefit High Beam

Light in a bottle.  That is all I can say about this.  I have the colour Moonstone, a pale champagne colour that blends out to that perfectly dewy finish.  There's no multicoloured shimmer in this product, just sheeny glow.

A lot of people have trouble categorizing this product -- I think most people use it as a highlighter, but it's actually marketed as a moisturiser with SPF 25.  One way I use this product is under my makeup for full-out radiance. I mentioned in a comment on Sunny's review of this product that it made me look like a Nike model and I can't think of a better way to describe it.  You know how they have the most perfect lighting that highlights all their muscles?  That's what this gives you.

You can use it as a traditional highlighter, over your foundation on the tops of your cheekbones, brow bone, cupid's bow and down the nose and chin, which will give a lovely halo-like effect that never looks overdone, or layer it underneath foundation on the high points of your face for more subtle definition.  My favourite way to use this is mixed into my foundation -- it makes your skin look so...real.  It's perfected in the most natural, softly-lit way, and even my normally greasy face embraces the sheen.  On days that I don't wear full foundation, I like to mix this with my Josie Matchmaster Serum Foundation or just a primer for a healthy glow.

This product comes in 4 different shades, so you won't have a problem finding one that works with you -- I also have a generous sample of Topaz, the darkest shade available, which I use on my lids for that runway wet-eye look.  It's one of my favourite looks to pair with Le Metier de Beaute Bali (you can check out that lipstick here).  If you have oily skin you can skip a regular moisturiser and primer, but I use this over my moisturiser of the moment.  I apply this product with fingers because I find the lovely, liquidy texture wasted on a brush.  Highlight also looks better when it's not too neat.  Sculpting on the other hand...

In Canada these retail for $50 CAD for , and they're available at select Sephoras (I found mine at the Eaton Centre one).