A couple weeks ago, I received an invitation from my local MAC store to preview their upcoming holiday collection, Glitter & Ice.

This particular holiday collection is inspired by Olympic skater Johnny Weir, hence lots of glitter, and of course the ice! What really attracted me to the collection though was the white packaging. I looove white. Especially electronics wise. Anyone else like me? White phone, white laptop, white headphones, etc.



The idea of canapes and frosty drinks lured me in as well, so with my best friend in tow we headed to the mall on Tuesday night.

Stepping into the store, we were provided with cards containing all products from the collection, and then we were immediately handed yummy drinks - milk with kahlua & vodka over ice with marshmallows! It actually tasted pretty good. Surprised they weren't checking for IDs though ;) What? Sometimes people think I'm 16!



The store itself isn't really that big, and it got crowded pretty fast. The store was bustling full of customers, with lovely ladies dressed like the models in the press pictures throughout, handing out appetizers. The appetizers were quite delicious, with the event catered by the Century Hospitality Group (Lux, Century Grill, Delux, Hundred, etc.) They had an assortment of about 5-6 appetizers! I wanted to stick around just to eat!


lemon shortbread cookie sandwich filled with pink buttercream


Beef tenderloin w/ fresh salsa, cheese & edible silver atop a baguette slice


White chocolate truffle w/ coconut & dark chocolate interior

But lets get down to business. Each year, MAC's holiday collection features a variety of single makeup items, but also brush sets, and lip & eye palettes. I'm working really hard to curb my makeup hoarding tendencies, and most of the makeup didn't really appeal to me much *phew*. The mineralize eyeshadows, however, were a little too pretty to pass up.


Mineralize Eyeshadows in Frozen Blue & Fresh Ice






Fresh Ice

Fresh ice is a very pale icy pink shadow with a strong white frost finish. The formula is very soft and rather powdery, giving a sheer to opaque finish depending on
the amount of layering of the product onto the eyelids. When applied wet, the formula is much smoother and achieves opacity. I didn't experience too much fallout with this one, but as with most of my mineralize eyeshadow shades, I use them as a highlight for the browbone or the inner corner of the eyes.


Mineralize Eyeshadow in Frozen Blue

Frozen Blue is a blueish grey shade with a frosty finish, and just like Fresh Ice, it can be applied sheer or opaque depending on the application and look you're trying to achieve. Applied wet, the formula is more smooth than powdery, and becomes relatively opaque. I envision myself applying this in the inner corner of eyes, or on the lower lash line for certain eye looks.



Sometimes I really need to question my makeup buys when I really don't wear that much. I think it's moreso the appeal and look of the product itself that draws me in. I tend not to like mineralize eyeshadows, or use coloured eyeshadows to be honest, but I think these two shades will be versatile enough to work with any range of colours. They're both nice neutrals to pair with anything, but I really wish they weren't so powdery. I definitely recommend application with water or mixing medium to bring out the colour in these shadows, and just to make them easier to use.

Each of these shadows retails for $25, and the Glitter & Ice collection is slated to hit stores on October 27th! :)

Another brush review for you today! My collection is steadily growing again.. augh. I picked up this kabuki brush with my recent Sephora order back in August because the reviews were decent and it was on sale. This brush is still available online for the sale price and I would highly recommend you pick it up!

The name of the brush is derived from it's useful applications - the brush can be used as a powder or blush brush. There are two different conformations the brush can be used in, which is open or closed. The flexibility of the brush makes it as though you are getting two brushes for the price of one, but I really would recommend using it for either powder or blush, not both at the same time.



The reason being that .. I find the brush is most useful when closed, resembling a regular kabuki brush. When in the open position, the brush can cover a huge area, but it's almost the size of my face. Sephora designed this brush to be used for blush in the open position, and powder in the closed position, but I'm not a fan of mixing products onto one brush simultaneously. In the closed position, it is angled, and can nicely reach the areas around the nose and apply powder evenly over the entire face.



The hot pink bristles against the black handle of the brush are so eye catching as well. The bristles on this brush are natural goat hairs, so the brush is very soft! The bristles are not densely packed together, but there are enough there to make application easy and effortless. I haven't had any issues with fall out at all!



The only thing I would caution you about before using the brush is to make sure to wash it. When I first washed my brush, the water was pink! A lot of the dye in the brush seemed to be loose, so it was good to get that washed out instead of applied on my face. The size of the brush is perfect for travelling, or keeping in your makeup bag for on the go touch ups.

You can purchase the brush here on Sephora's website. Original price of the brush was $26, and at the sale price of $9, this brush is a steal! :)

I got a sample of this tinted moisturizer back when I made my last purchase with Sephora, and never got around to trying it! I haven't personally tried any of the products from Hourglass, but this was definitely a nice product to try out and ease me into the brand.

The great thing about this tinted moisturizer is that it is oil free, and includes SPF. SPF is so important for everyday use, even in the winter time. Believe it or not, the harsh rays from the sun can actually be worse in the winter than the summer, since the snow reflects the rays and amplifies the long term damage that can be done to our skin. Bottom line, wear SPF all year round please!



When I first squirted the product out of the package, it was much thicker than I thought it would be. To me, a moisturizer is usually thinner in consistency and relatively light in comparison to a cream. This moisturizer is actually on the thicker side, and very high coverage. It's to the point that I would rather call it a foundation.



The sample I got was in ivory, which was a very close match to my skintone - my face is lighter than the rest of my body.. which is why it looks so light on my hand! In the summer months, I am darker, but once the tan fades, this shade will be perfect for me.



I did like that this product had very high coverage, but since it is thicker, it has a slight stickiness to it that I'm not too fond of. It leaves a nice dewy finish to my skin, but overtime (5 hours) it does make me a bit oily. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with oily skin, but combination to dry skin will probably take this product very well. This product will also work well for anyone who experiences drier skin in the winter months, as the moisturizer will keep your skin hydrated!



Available for purchase at Sephora.