Review: Maybelline 24-Hour Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows (LE + Permanent line)

Hey there, remember me? Now I know its been a hell of a long time since I've written a blog post, but hopefully you can forgive my procrastination since I've got about a million posts lined up! Unfortunately, school has been killer this semester but I just wrapped up midterms and had halloween weekend to celebrate so hopefully I can quickly get back in the frequent-blogging swing.

Today I bring you an extremely overdue mini-haul and review of the Maybelline 24-Hour Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows. About a year ago, I was thrilled when I found out Maybelline was launching an affordable line of cream eyeshadows. Being a longtime fan of the MAC paint pot cream bases, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to experiment with more pigmented cream eyeshadows and spice up my collection. The permanent line that launched featured a range of dramatic colours, but I boringly opted for the more neutral shades, including Pomegranate Punk (burgundy maroon), Bad to the Bronze, Bold Gold and Tough as Taupe (only matte).

Packaging of Maybelline 24-Hour Colour Tattoo by Eyestudio

Recently, Maybelline launched a limited edition eight-piece 24-Hour Colour Tattoos for Fall that included four neutral shades, and four colourful shades. As per usual, this collection made a very delayed arrival to my lovely Northern habitat, and only included the neutral half of the shades (which didn't bother me that much at all). I was lucky enough to snap Barely Beige, Gold Shimmer, and Rich Mahogany, and have since gotten much use out of all of them!

Clockwise from top left: Pomegranate Punk, Bad to the Bronze, Tough as Taupe,
Bold Gold, Rich Mahogany, Gold Shimmer, Barely Beige

Limited Edition Shades: Barely Beige, Gold Shimmer, Rich Mahogany

Below are the swatches of all seven shades that  own. Take note of how crazy pigmented these cream eyeshadows are! Each shade is completely wearable on its own, or as a base to any eyeshadow. And shout-out to their amazing staying power - I had to vigorously rub these off my arm with a makeup removing wipe.

From left to right: Pomegranate Punk, Bad to the Bronze, Tough as Taupe,
Bold Gold, Barely Beige, Gold Shimmer, Rich Mahogany

After having owned and used the limited edition shades for three weeks (and the permanent ones for almost a year), I think I'm qualified to deliver a very accurate review of this product. The verdict is in: and these are a god-send. Its very hard to convey how much I freaking love the shadows and abuse the crap out of them. I know they're suppose to be multi-purpose and can be used as bases for powder eyeshadows, but I almost always wear them alone, all over the lid, or combine two shades and blend one into the outer edge of my eye and crease. The shadows all have amazing colour payoff, and really last all day on my eye (often key for college students doing our makeup in the morning).

The best part about these shadows has to be the simplicity of applying them. I always simply use my fingers, even if I'm trying to combine two colours (i.e. Barely Beige on my lid and Bad to the Bronze in the crease). When I have a bit more time, I'll use a shading brush to just blend out in the crease, and voila, a little eyeliner and mascara and I'm out the door. I must warn that the colours do tend to set quickly on the eyelid, so immediate blending is essential. I would try to pick favourites but its difficult considering their quality level - though Bad to the Bronze, Tough as Taupe, and Barely Beige definitely get the most love since they're the most versatile and can each work so well on their own.

All in all, I'd say Maybelline really hit it out of the park with this one. The 24-Hour Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows can found at your local drugstore in America and the UK, though you might have to do a bit of searching before finding the limited edition shades (I went on a hunt for Barely Beige). These retail for around $8.99 CA in Canada, though prices will vary depending on your country or specific local promotions. There are an amazing range of colours to choose from, I just hope that in the future they add more matte shades. Now run out and get the Fall collection before its too late. You can thank me later.

Wishing everyone the best and much safety during these hurricaneous times,

Megan

MeganEats: Le Comptoir (Montreal, QC)

Let's make this clear: I'm definitely a foodie. I try to maintain a balanced lifestyle and fortunately I thoroughly enjoy many healthy foods such as fruits (my favourite), vegetables, fish and yoghurt. On the other hand, I happen to have quite the sweet tooth, and I'm a big believer in dessert and self-indulgence.  Another central aspect of my food philosophy is exploration and experimentation. I believe (almost) every food deserves to be tried at least once, if not many times, and that exploring the foods of different cultures is one of the most effective ways of becoming cultured and expanding your palette.

That being said, today I bring you a restaurant review. One of my favourite Montreal (Canadian) cultural traditions is the concept of "brunch", which is now becoming increasingly popular all over the world. There's something about communal breakfast foods with good friends on relaxing weekend mornings that makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

I periodically explore Montreal's diverse and expanding brunch offerings with two fellow food connoisseurs that seek similar things in restaurants as myself. That being: unique food pairings, satisfying portion sizes, good value for the price, something that couldn't be mimicked at home, and most importantly - a yummy taste! One of our favourite brunch spots we frequent is Lawrence located on Saint-Laurent at Fairmount. As great as Lawrence can be, there's ALWAYS such a long line! So what did three hungry foodlovers do? Headed on down the road to try somewhere new, and thus we ended up at Le Comptoir

View from outside, make sure you don't miss it!

The interior design is very modern and industrial, including my architectural weakness, exposed brick. There aren't many available seating options, but since Le Comptoir opens at 10:30 on Sundays, the three of us were seated immediately on some tall stools around a centralized bar area. One of the most unique features at Le Comptoir was that the chefs were preparing the food behind the main bar, so customers are privy to view the hard-work and freshness of their orders. Craving something decadently sweet (shocking), I opted for the "brioche de mon arrière grand-mère, façon pain-perdu, pomme caramélisée, meringue à la vanille," which loosely translates into "my great-grandmother's brioche, french toast style, caramelized apple, vanilla meringue." Knowing I loved all of these elements, and curious as to how briche could taste after a nice egg-wash and toasting, this seemed like a safe and delicious choice, especially considering the substantially lower price when compared to other items on the menu.

French-toast style brioche - $8

When I was presented with my plate, I was happily surprised by the un-mentioned raspberry mousse piled atop the brioche, and the beautiful presentation of the food (after-all, we first eat with our eyes!). I must say, I was also slightly disappointed by the dish's measly size, since I had just walked quite a while and was pretty ravenous. Though once I combined all of the distinct flavours of the dish, I lost all reservations and went straight to sugar heaven. Seriously, this thing was deeelicious, and I slowly savoured every bite, trying to get a bit of meringue, mousse or apple. By the end, I definitely wasn't stuffed, but my sweet cravings were satisfied, and my tummy was all warm and comforted. Realistically, the dish was so rich and decadent that the portion size was perfectly suited to satisfy without inducing a sugar coma. My brunch-mates opted for more savoury breakfast options, and were equally satisfied by the quality and richness of their ingredients.

Croquette de pulled pork, salade haricots jaunes, radis, oeuf cuit dur, mayo pimentée - $14

Tarte de pdt confit, ricotta, oignon blond, coeur confit, sauge, oeuf mirroir - $14

Overall, Le Comptoir is definitely a repeat in my books! Though not recommended if you're starving, (to be honest, my hunger didn't stay at bay for long afterward) you can expect a wonderfully executed and unique dish full of powerful, distinct flavours. Le Comptoir is one of those places where you kind of feel hip and sophisticated just being there. The service was quick and attentive, they accepted all forms of payment, we were seated immediately, and most importantly - the food was delectable. Also note: there were several additional (and some less adventurous) options available on the blackboard behind the bar. Though the prices weren't cheap for a student budget, we all deserve the occasional foodie spurge, and Le Comptoir fits the bill perfectly. Next time I'll have to try their namesake "chacuteries et vins," or maybe just take some to go!

Verdict: definite must-try brunch for those that are adventurous with their palettes - make sure you hit it up if you're ever in the plateau. 9/10 (1 point deducted for just-too-small portion size)

Le Comptoir - charcuteries et vins

4807, boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, H2T 1R6

restaurant website

Nail of the Day: Maybelline Boho Gold

Today's post is a nail of the day featuring a new colour from Maybelline Color Show's limited edition collection for Fall 2012. The collection features six new metallic shades, which all retail for $3.99 CA at Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix, and other drugstores (I found mine at Uniprix).

The first thing that caught my eye with Boho Gold was its appeared resemblance to Chanel's Peridot shade that came out a couple of months ago. The second was that price: 3.99 for nail polish, these days? The only quality line that compares price-wise is the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear, which I'm also a huge fan of. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a Chanel Peridot dupe for a fraction of the price? Let's see how well Boho Gold turned out:

Look at that fancy duochrome!

Boho Gold had a thin consistency and required 3 thick coats to reach opacity. Fortunately, the thin brush applies really evenly and even after three coats I wasn't left with any thick, goopy feeling on my nails. The polish dried really quickly, though this might be a testament to my Revlon ColorStay base + top coat.

So is Boho Gold a dupe for Chanel's Peridot? From the looks of it, I'm saddened to say it isn't really. Though I don't have the funds to splurge on the actual Chanel shade (it must be what, thirty bucks?), I've spent my fair share of time checking swatches online. From the looks of it, Chanel Peridot seems far more green than gold, and has a much stronger duochrome. (See http://www.temptalia.com/chanel-peridot-le-vernis-nail-lacquer-review-photos-swatches-dupes for temptalia's swatches) In most lights, Boho Gold comes across as more of an antiqued gold and the duochrome is hardly noticeable. That being said, it truly is a beautiful gold colour, and for only $3.99, it definitely satisfied my trend craving!

Attempting to show off the duochrome as much as possible

It should also be noted that Boho Gold lasted insanely well on my nails! (outlasted many  OPI and Essie shades that I have). Though of course, this may also be a testament to the revlon base+top coat which i highly recommend. For any nail polish addicts such as myself, the whole ColorStay line is a no-brainer - cheap, fun colours, great staying-power. Obviously, my mom had me pick up the entire Limited Edition collection for her personal stash after I raved about this one quite a bit. And since these are available only for a limited time, I'd head on out and snatch them up while you can.

Best wishes,

Megan

New Girl in Town

The time has finally come. I have started a blog.

As much as this is an endeavour I've been considering since I discovered the global internet blogging community (and subsequently started wasting hours of my day), I have been way too lazy/nervous to start until I was assigned to create a blog for school - more on that later. And thus; Macarons, Mascara and Me is born.

This "blog" can be considered a scrapbook compilation of all my favourite aspects of life: food, friends, family, travel, cosmetics, fashion, television, and generally exploring growing up in Montreal, Canada. I hope I can bring a smile to someone's day, inspire people's creativity, share some knowledge, and provide some recommendations/reviews along the way.

So take a look around and hopefully you'll like what you see. Keep in mind I'm new to this so bear with me as I go along. Expect a minimum of four posts a month for October and November (assuming I adhere to my deadlines and achieve full marks).

Let the games begin!

Megan