Stunningly Inappropriate Nails - Cheeky Monkey Polish - NOTD

Someone asked me "What polish is that?"... and I was a little embarrassed to reply. It's Tramp Stamp by Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics. Cheeky Monkey is a funky, fun, edgy brand, not to mention their 3-free formula. Moreover, browsing the website and reading names like Nail Me, Dirty Secret , and Spank Me are bound to make you giggle. 

I purchased this polish at the Blush Pretty Beauty Board for $10, a good discount from their regular price of $15. I bought this mainly because I don't have anything like this in my collection. 

I'm guessing because this polish is new for Spring 2013, the bottles do not have the names in the white graphics. The bottle size is that of a typical full sized polish (15mL). The lid is rubberized and the brush is thin near the handle, fanning out slightly (comparable to that of an Essie brush). The larger lid is attached to the brush which makes it a little more finicky to hold when applying the 

polish. 

The colour and formula of the polish stand out (even more so than the name). I'd describe the colour as a HOT red-toned purple with a cream finish. The formula is slightly watery but extremely pigmented. It's opaque in 2 coats and ultra-bold in 3. The lasting power is impressive at 4 days without chipping with Revlon's no-chip top coat. 

While the cheeky names are gimmicky yet hilarious, the actual formula, colour, and staying power of the polishes are beyond what I had expected and even surpass the price point. I'm also currently wearing this colour on my toes... it's amazing! It is said that you should live life with no regrets; if there's one thing I regret, it's that I should have bought more of these polishes. 

I'd highly suggest looking at the Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics website if you need a little pick-me-up and don't get offended easily. What's your "hottest" colour of polish for the summer? 

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Holt Renfrew Spring 2013 Beauty Bag - First Impressions

Holt Renfrew is intimidating. I always feel like they won't take me seriously because I look like an 8 year old lost at Bay and Bloor... I faced my fears and went on a mission to pick up the Holt Renfrew Beauty Bag. I haven't really dabbled in high end cosmetics or skincare, and I thought it'd be interesting to try a few things out. 

The Holts Beauty Bag is $35 and comes with 13 different products and a $10 off $25 voucher for anything beauty/skincare/haircare/fragrance related at Holt Renfrew that expires July 31, 2013. 

The bag itself is as big as an oversized clutch. I got mine in blue to white ombre. There were also grey and purple. The inside lining of the bag is a plastic material, which means it's easier to wash. There is also big pocket on the inside (convenient!). A mini wallet-sized zip-up pouch is included as well and the pattern matches the inside lining of the larger bag. 

The samples came sealed in a clear zip-lock bag. Every bag contains the exact same products so there's no need to worry about getting a different colour or product. What you see is what you get. 

Sisley Gentle Makeup Remover for Face and Eyes

Initial Thoughts - That's one pricey makeup remover! The brand doesn't sound familiar, but we'll see how it compares to my Bioderma. 

Full Size - 125mL // $65

Sample Size - 30mL // $15.60

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator 

Initial Thoughts - I opened this one up and it has an odd stick applicator. It's a shimmery cream, so I think I'll be using this as highlighter. I typically don't use highlighter, so I'll also try mixing it with a little liquid foundation and see how that turns out. 

Full Size - 30mL // $72.50

Sample Size - 7mL // $16.92

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus 

Initial Thoughts - Apparently the sun is the culprit of horrible skin. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have any prominent skin damage, but this seems similar to the "even-better" anti-darkness corrector so I could potentially use it like that.  

Full Size - 100mL // $100

Sample Size - 7mL // $7.20

Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion for Anti-Redness

Initial Thoughts - The name "Chantecaille" rings a bell. I believe Tanya Burr (pixi2woo) has raved about their products before. I actually tested this one out right away because I have an extremely red nose. Within 15 minutes the redness had diminished. This might be better than using foundation on my nose (I find it always looks cakey).

Full Size - 50mL // $145

Sample Size - 8mL // $23.20

NARS pro-prime smudge proof eyeshadow base

Initial Thoughts - This is a cult product. I'm excited. Enough said.

Full Size - 7.37g // $29

Sample Size - 2.8g // $11.01

Lancome Hypnose Drama in Excessive Black

Initial Thoughts - I've tried a sample of Hypnose Drama before and I liked it. Although I dislike mascara in general, I'll use this one anyways. 

Full Size - 6.51mL // $31

Sample Size - 4mL // $19.05

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder

Initial Thoughts - wooo setting powder. I really like the Rimmel Stay Matte powder for setting my makeup, but I wonder how this one would look for my under eyes....

Full Size - 11.34g // $44

Sample Size - 1g // $3.88

Laura Mercier Mini Fan Brush

Initial Thoughts - Everything in the bag is small sized so I feel like everything would get used up quickly. Since this one's a brush, it should last a lot longer. The bristles are soft but I tried using this with highlighter and I think I saw something fall out. I don't have a fan brush, so this is a cute little addition to my collection.

$5 (guess-timate)

Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Moisture Bath and Shower Gel

.Initial Thoughts - looks like the shower gel at a nice hotel. 

Full Size - 300mL // $34

Sample Size - 30mL // $3.40

Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum

Initial Thoughts - I don't wear perfume, plus this smells a little... mature 

Full Size - 30mL // $80

Sample Size - 1.2mL // $3.20

Deborah Lippmann Polish in Daytripper

Initial Thoughts - This is the product I was most excited for. The colour is so fun and bright. I can't wait to swatch it! I like mini polishes because I've only actually finished a mini-polish once. Regular sized ones are too big anyways.

Full Size - 15mL // $22

Sample Size - 8mL // $11.88

Oribe Supershine Light Moisturising Cream

Initial Thoughts - I recently dyed my hair for the very first time and it feels DEAD. I'll be looking forward to moisturising it in any way possible. The price is actually not bad considering you only need a dime sized amount for your hair. 

Full Size - 150mL // $39

Sample Size - 7mL // $1.82

Oribe Cream for Style

Initial Thoughts - Unlike the other cream, this might be useless. I don't style my hair. I did like how there were only two foil samples which means that HR didn't cheap out on curating these bags. 

Full Size - 150mL // $49

Sample Size - 7mL // $2.29

$10 off $25 Holt Renfrew Coupon

$0 - because I have to spend money to save money *?* I'll definitely be using this though!

TOTAL BAG VALUE: $124.45

I much prefer this to purchasing one product for $35. I find that I rarely stick to using one product, so it'll be nice to try a whole bunch of new things. This bag's offerings are pretty much what I wish all subscription beauty boxes had ... a variety of decently sized samples of recognizable luxe brands for a reasonable price. 

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the products that were inside this bag. Plus, I knew what I'd be getting before I purchased this bag and I am sure I will be putting more than half of these products to good use. There's a lot of variety... makeup, skin, hair, body and a pop of colour (the polish). 

There were tons of bags when I went (Bloor St.), so there's probably lots left if you're interested :)

Would you purchase a bag like this? What do you look for in a beauty bag? 

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FOOD: Mother's Day Brunch - Gallery Grill @ Hart House

Happy Mother's Day! Here's to all you mothers out there :) 

My brother, Dad and I took my Mom to a pre-celebration a couple weeks ago. 

We went to the Gallery Grill. Fabulous and delicious food in the perfect, serene setting of Hart House at University of Toronto. 

My typical Sunday consists of a homemade Sunday Brunch with savoury green onion waffles, poached eggs, smoked salmon, some random fruit and veg smoothie, and then a long afternoon slumber. Since I'm leaving for school in a week, my family and I decided to mix it up and go out for brunch instead. However, we wanted something a little more innovative than the typical brunch and opted for Gallery Grill at Hart House at the University of Toronto St. George Campus. 

They change the menu often in order to accommodate local produce and organic goods as well as naturally-raised foods, so I didn't really know what to expect going in.  

The Atmosphere. Hart House is a huge castle-esqe building. If you're familiar with Hogwarts, then this is what you might expect. We were seated on the second floor balcony looking over a large hall (kind of like the Hogwarts Great Hall). The photo (above) is the view from our seat. The tall glass windows were a nice touch. The restaurant reminded me a lot of Cafe Alcazar in St. Augustine, Florida, which is also located inside a historical building of similar architecture.

House-made Cheddar Drop Biscuits with Chive Butter || $3.95

Usually when I think of biscuits, I think of Popeye's. These biscuits reminded me a lot of Popeyes except they were 10x fluffier, 10x more buttery, and topped with a subtle amount of crisp cheese. They came slightly warm, seemingly right out of the oven. Not to mention, Popeye's doesn't have any whipped chive butter on the side.  Everywhere I looked (at other people's tables), I saw these cheddar drop biscuits. It's pretty obvious they're a popular favourite. I would probably go to Gallery Grill just for the biscuits.

bread || with meal 

The olive bread and wheat bread with olive oil were lacklustre compared to the biscuits. 

Grilled Beef Cheek with Mushroom Oats and  Pecan BBQ sauce || $17.95

Beef cheek is one of the most tender pieces of meat and Gallery Grill has paired it beautifully with a lightly dressed salad to cut the fattiness. The mushroom oats add a different dimension of texture. 

Roasted Pickerel with Pomelo Salad, Quinoa and Scallion Drizzle || $18.95

The two parts (salad and fish) tasted delicious together. However, after finishing the fish, the salad was way too acidic on its own. 

Okonomiyaki Pancake with Fried Egg, Nori, Japanese Mayo, and Okonomi Sauce || $15.95

This is what I ordered. I've had okonomiyaki at TNT and there's always hesitation to order Asian cuisine at a non-Asian restaurant, but this dish was delightful. Okonomiyaki is a cabbage + flour pancake and Gallery Grill topped it with an egg to make it more breakfast-like. If there's two things I love it's eggs cooked over-easy and cabbage (separately). The odd pairing of the two was something I had never thought (or dreamed) of. 

Warm Balsamic Apple Tart with Pistachio Gelato || $7.95

You can never go wrong with cooked apples and ice cream. There was no "tart" in this dessert, but I was expecting something doughy or flaky. After eating the dessert I found the "dough" was unnecessary, as the pistachio ice cream and cinnamon and sugar laced apples held their own.


This was no ordinary brunch. It was unique, delicious, and felt a lot like dinner rather than breakfast or lunch. Instead of my post-brunch nap, I took a stroll around the scenic U of T campus.
**9/10**


What are your Sunday rituals?





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