NYC

In the 45mins before this photo was taken I was:
a. stuck on the tarmac for 20mins because there was no available gate for the plane to dock;
b. running from the arrival gate to collect my luggage which did not appear for another 15mins;
c. going through US customs behind a bunch of passengers from the Middle East;
d. running from US customs, dropping off my luggage, and going through airport security;
e. running from airport security to the boarding gates breaking my sandals in the process; or
f. all of the above.

Our first meal in NYC with Labbit and Domo. Do not underestimate this pizza for it cost me $25 T.T

Domo claimed that the pizzas were too big for her Domozilla stomach. She thought she'd be smart and order a panini instead. When the panini arrived it was 2x the size of her head.

We visited Labbit's work place where we acquired books with Not Suitable For Life content.

We went into a CVS located inside an old bank. It was odd to say the least.

We acquired wing rings from Accessorize and formed the Wing Ring Club.

I made Tine2 go with me to the Museum of Natural History. We got charged student admission and Tine2 rolled her eyes a lot when I pointed and squealed at every dinosaur fossil. BTW that is the fossil of a Deinonychus - what Mr. Spielberg tried to pass off as a Velociraptor.

I think that little guy in the front is totally giving me Pucky face.

Because Springboks, Kudus and Wildebeest roam in my back yard.

Sushi in NYC.

Mr. Jobs passed away the second day we were in NYC. iSad.

Shake Shack Burger!!! Twas delicious!!!

Crazy Labbit eating her chips dipped in ice cream.

I was amused by the number of strip joints and sex shops in the Time Square area. A number of these establishments advertised "peep shows" involving "real girls" and a few of those had job offer signs. I was sorely tempted to walk in and ask how much did they pay and what did the work entail.

Domo presented us with 2 bottles of O Positives. They were extremely yummy. I subsequently lugged the empty bottle home much to the confusion of the airport screening people!

The temperature hit 30C for the last few days we were there. This resulted in numerous pit stops for bubble tea and froyo.

A very ironic shop placement. (For those who don't know, Jenny Craig is a celebrity endorsed weight loss program)

All Tine2 wanted to do on her birthday was visit MUJI. She wants it to be known that she almost fell to her death and became alligator feed taking this photo.

Tine2's birthday cakes from Tine1.

Our dinner from Wholepaychequefoods.

The "poof" is alive and well.

I got assaulted by 2 check patterned peacoat wearing neighbours inside Zara.

Our taxi would inevitably pull up next to taxis carrying signage like the above.

Proving how much of a cat lady I am, I made friends with the neighbourhood kittehs.

My last meal in NYC - Lobster roll from Chelsea Market. Omg it was so good!!

I took the above photo at Newark airport to remind Domo that she needs to send me cupcakes.

Deborah Lippmann Holiday 2011 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy and Adopt A Polish

Please read this post with this video on full blast. 

Nikki from Nail Polish Canada nonchalantly asked me the other day if I would like to review a polish from the new Deborah Lippmann Holiday collection. I sent back an email full of garbled expletives and exclamation marks. A week later, this little bottle of wonder arrived. (By the way, I am totally convinced they have a bunch of elves in their employment. How else can you explain polishes arriving 1 day after they've been mailed??!!)

From thumb: Deborah Lippmann Do Ya Think I'm Sexy; over China Glaze Frosty; over China Glaze Cleopatra; over NOX Twilight Black Tie; and over OPI Black Shatter and Cleopatra.

Damage:

$22 from NailPolishCanada

Review:

Named after Rod Stewart's 1978 hit, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy consists of medium sized red hexagon glitter suspended in a clear base. I don't know if this polish is intended to be worn alone or as a top coat, but in order to get complete coverage, I had to do 2 coats and then strategically blob more glitter particles where it looked a little bald. Layered, it looks best over a dark base as a light base tends to make the red glitter, to quote Justine, "look like measles". Layer it over a gold foil or glitter for a really festive look! Personally I prefer it alone, the scale like look of the glitter pieces makes me think of some glorious red reptile xD

This needed a good 2-3 coats of top coat for a smooth finish.

Wear time is surprisingly long for a glitter. Most glitters tend to chip off in chunks on the 2nd or 3rd day but this one wore for a solid 5 days before I removed it. Removal is a bitch so foil the heck out of it.

While some might find Do Ya Think I'm Sexy to be more craft glitter mess than mullet shaking, Lycra clad sex god, I really love how it looks on its own and it's definitely going to make more than one appearance on my fingers this holiday season!

So, do ya think I'm sexy?

Adopt A Polish!!!

How would you like to take this family of four home with you?

Or how about her?

All these polishes and more are waiting for you to take them home with you!

Every day, thousands of nail polishes are abandoned or abused. They are not sticky, or old, they are fine, new polishes. They are stuck on a shelf, and all they desire is to be used, and maybe taken for a night on the town. 

You can help by applying to adopt an in-need polish. By doing nothing you are ensuring the agony continues. These are new polishes and there is no charge to adopt, all you need to give is your much needed love.

Tell Adopt A Polish why you'll be a good parents to these sad polishes and you could take them home! Visit adoptapolish.org for more info!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation review

Another day, another foundation review.

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation has a bit of a cult following in the UK where it has been available for quite a while. It never quite reached American shores but is available on ASOS for around $14 with free international shipping. The serum version came out in the UK sometime late last year and finally landed on the shelves of Shoppers Drug Mart about 2 months ago.

Damage:
CAN$27 from Shoppers Drug Mart
Promises:
Give your skin a radiance boost with Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation – made from a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula for an even complexion and an instant anti-fatigue result!
Its fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin’s radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours*. Made from an instant anti-fatigue vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula with litchi, goji berries and pomegranates. Available in 6 radiance-boosting shades. Tested for you:
69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use!** And…it’s good for my skin!

· Hypoallergenic, lets skin breathe

· Dermatologically tested

Tested for you** :

• Complexion is perfectly even => 97% agreed

• Skin looks rested => 94% agreed

• The complexion is radiant => 89% agreed

• The product feels light feel on the skin => 91% agreed

*Scientifically tested on 10 panellists.

**Tested on 100 consumers for 4 weeks

Review:
I got this foundation in shade 52 Vanille and it is a perfect match for my NC15-20 (Justine did an awesome job guessing my shade! <3). Ladies who are lighter than me will be happy to hear there is shade 51.
It is billed as a "gel foundation" but I don't find the formula very gel-like, instead I find it very similar to Diorskin Nude - light and slightly runnier than normal foundations. It blends beautifully and leaves a slightly dewy, natural looking finish. I do feel that my skin looks brighter when I have the foundation on.
Coverage is medium at best, it won't cover up dark scars but will cover up redness and uneven skin texture nicely.
Perhaps due to the runnier formula, the oil control and lasting abilities of this foundation are rather weak sauce. At around the 5th to 6th hour of wear I begin to notice shiny patches where the foundation has disappeared. Setting with a powder helps but that also takes away the lovely glow this foundation imparts.
As doggedly against fragranced products as I am, I find the light floral scent of this foundation rather pleasant and soothing. Yeah, soon I'm gonna like roses.
At $30 after tax for 30mls of product, I feel the price is a bit steep and definitely not drugstore budget friendly.
Has anyone else noticed that more and more foundations are now coming out in that size? I still remember days when foundations came in 50ml bottles...
I love this foundation, it gives a beautiful finish and my skin looks healthy and glowing when I wear it. I do wish it had better staying power and oil control. I would recommend this foundation to people with dry skin or those who live in regions with dry winters.

Swatchey swatch:

Without foundation:

With foundation:

Close up of finish:

 

7 Deadly Sins Challenge - Greed

Yasumi rounded up the troops recently for another makeup challenge. This time the theme was the 7 Deadly Sins.
Yasumi's Wrath:

Jian's Gluttony:

Yumeko's (snobby bitch) Pride:

Justine's Envy:

 Vicky's Sloth

Catharine's Lust

And finally, my take on Greed.
Justine gave me the idea of using Midas and his golden touch. Let's just say I went very happy with the gold dust and Photoshop filters.

"My precious, my precious Marygold!" cried he.
But Marygold made no answer.
Alas, what had he done? How fatal was the gift which the stranger bestowed?
The moment the lips of Midas touched Marygold's forehead, a change had taken place.
Her sweet rosy face, so full of affection as it had been, assumed a glittering yellow color, with yellow tear drops congealing on her cheeks.

Oh, terrible misfortune! The victim of his insatiable desire for wealth, little Marygold was a human child no longer, but a golden statue!