Lipstick & Leather

Something about me is that I usually NEVER wear lipstick. My lips are fairly large, and I've always thought that dark colours just draw way too much attention to them, making me look like I just got back from one too many collagen injections. Whenever I saw girls pulling off bright fun colours, I would feel a pang of jealousy, knowing that I would be forever stuck with my nudes and soft pinks. I felt like I was really missing out. I mean a classic red lip can really pull an outfit together, giving it that extra polish. Or you can get an instant splash of pizzazz with a pretty coral.

But I've had some pretty nasty experiences in the past where I got (really bad) lipstick put on me, making me look horrible. It's one of the main reasons why I'm against/afraid of having my makeup done by other people. Seems like I always end up coming out with a clown face, or looking very drag queen-esque.

Anyways, lately I've been mulling over the idea of giving lipstick another chance, and finally got the guts to actually do it!

One of the looks I've really been dying to try is the vampy, dark and bold trend.





I wore my new tuxedo black leather vest with a sheer blouse underneath. Paired it with some black tights and some basic heels. I wanted to keep it very monochromatic, with just a few touches of gold.



Because of my prior phobia, I don't own too many good lipsticks at home, let alone the exact shade I wanted. And I didn't want to risk an expensive new purchase in case this was a total disaster. So I just used one of my old (barely touched) reds, and rubbed some dark brown eyeshadow into it. It turned out great, and I find that this way you can really control the colour, giving it a more red or brown tinge depending on the look you're going for.

I found that the trick is to really pay attention to the application. For me, I can't have the lipstick all over, it has to go slightly within my natural lip line. I also like to give them a little bit of extra definition, really accentuating the bow shape.

I was fairly pleased with the results, and I think I'll be trying out more in the future. Have I just freed myself from a lifelong aversion to lipsticks?... Perhaps! Hah :)

Do you guys have any favorite lipstick looks?

P.S. What are you guys wearing for tonight aka NYE??

Luxe Box: Winter Edition 2012

It finally arrived!

That's the downside of having only a quarterly beauty box subscription.. the waiting period seems so much more dragged out as you only receive 4 boxes a year, as opposed to the standard 12. Though to be fair, this did arrive before Christmas. I just haven't had the time to really check it out with all the holiday madness.



I always love the packaging/presentation that Loose Button does. This month's arrived in a nice white oblong box, with a creamy silk satchel inside. The personal monogrammed seal on the envelope was a nice touch.

*All the sample values are only estimates based on the full size prices*

EYEKO MINI SKINNY BRUSH MASCARA (Value: ~$9)

I was excited about this mascara as I LOVED the Eyeko liquid eyeliner pen that came in my last box. Such control and stay power.

CHINA GLAZE- ALWAYS A LADY (Value: $8)

I already have a solid set of pinks in my polish collection, so wasn't too thrilled about this. But then I read the bottle, and I am a bit intrigued by the "hardeners" that this supposedly contains. I have the world's most brittle nails, and am unfortunate to have them break on me ALL the time. So this could potentially be useful, and it's a pretty shade as well. Something nice and neutral for daily wear.

BLUE LAGOON SKIN CARE ALGAE MASK (Value: ~$20)

This is a very premium face mask; a 100ml jar costs $100. Claims to be like a "revitalizing skin bath" that immediately brings back moisture and firmness. I guess I'll save this for a night of pampering.

KERATASE CRISTALLISTE LUMIERE LIQUIDE (Value: ~$3)

I'm already happy with my Moroccan Oil as party of my daily hair routine, but I'll give this a shot sometime this week and see how it compares.

PRADA INFUSION D’IRIS EUA DE TOILETTE (Value: ~$10)

This was the product I chose as part of Loose Button's first-in-line program. For those of you that don't know, I am a scent fiend.It's one of the few things that I justify splurging on myself, and I have amassed quite the collection over the years. The description sounded so enticing, so me. I knew I had to try it. This is a fresh and floral infusion combining delicate lily of the valley, powdery violet, sensual cedar and the Italian memories of clean, ironed linen. Devine.

DERMALOGICA PRECLEANSE (Value: $3.50)

Precleanse? I have never heard of cleaning your face, before you clean your face.. but okay. It's supposed to gently dispose of sebum and oil-based debris from your skin.

ELIZABETH GRANT 3-IN-1 EYE TREATMENT(Value: $30)

The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and most sensitive of your whole body. Mine does tend to get irritated and inflamed often, creating blotchiness or dark circles when I wake up. Definitely excited to try this.

LOOSE BUTTON KABUKI BRUSH (Value: unknown)

This has soft bristles and worked great when I tried it this morning. I've been in need for a kabuki brush, so this was kind of perfect.

6 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO FLARE MAGAZINE (Value $7)

I don't usually read Flare Magazine, but this promises it has no hidden costs, or automatic renewals (which I hate) so I'll try it out.

Overall, the box was a little meh for me. I was disappointed I barely receive any full sized products (besides the nail polish). I was definitely more satisfied with the fall edition, and hope the next one is better. However, the value of the box technically makes the price worth it. Around $90 worth of products (plus a make-up brush!) for $26 is not bad, especially since it's delivered right to your door with no effort made on your part.

Do any of you subscribe to monthly or quarterly beauty boxes? If so, how do they compare?

Ballet & Thierry

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to go see a real live ballet rendition of The Nutcracker. It's just such a classic.

Well, the other night I finally got my chance! Got some tickets to see it performed by the GOH Ballet Acadamy at the The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts.



I took it as a chance to wear my new dress from Topshop, and topped it off with a classic high bun.

This was my first ballet, so I don't really have anything to compare it to.. but I thought the performance was fantastic. My favorite part was having the live orchestra present; it really makes the experience seem so much more alive, and they played all my favorite Nutcracker classics with such aplomb.


After the show, we decided to go for dessert at Thierry Chocolate Patisserie Café. The place was PACKED.

Couldn't get a table, so we just grabbed some goodies to go.





We ended up getting a chocolate eclair, a piece of tiramisu, and a six pack of macarons.





The tiramisu was pretty good, but quite pricy for the serving size. My favorite was the eclair. Nice light shell with a creamy thick chocolaty filling... mhm.

And of course, I had to get macarons (my favorite!). Because it was quite late into the evening already, they didn't have much selection left. We just got a couple of each; hazelnut, chocolate, and caramel.

They had a nice chewy texture, with just the right balance of sweetness.

However, I do still prefer the ones from Soirette Macarons & Tea; they always have a large selection to choose from, including my all time favorite- pistachio :)

Does anyone else feel like Vancouver goes through such sweeping dessert fads?

First it was cupcakes... then macarons... and now I'd say that the current focus is on doughnuts.

What do you think the next one will be?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope you're all having a great time relaxing, and spending time with loved ones.

Our tree finally got some presents underneath!



For my days off, I decided to tackle a tiramisu recipe from scratch. It's one of my favorite desserts, and I've always wondered how it was made.

It actually turned out really well, and got rave reviews at the dinner party that I brought it to!

Here's a quick recap of my little kitchen adventure :)



Decided to do dark chocolate shavings rather than cocoa powder dusting.



I was bringing this to a Christmas dinner so I really wanted the presentation to be on point. I knew from past trifles that it can be quite hard to make the layering look pretty, so I went with a ladyfinger fence instead.



Kinda just winged it from seeing pictures, but I think it turned out pretty well.





There's always time for a ribbon :)



I left it in the fridge overnight for all the espresso flavors to sink in, and voila!

Couldn't believe how easy this was to make, and how freaking delicious it was.

Seriously. Everyone needs to go and make this right now.

Christmas Lunch

Me and my girlfriends decided to celebrate Christmas with a lunch at Trattoria Italian Kitchen. We've been trying to coordinate a dinner for a while, but none of us have had time, so we settled for a little daytime get-together.

My outfit:



I wanted to go for a Christmasy feel. Something colorful and cute with a hit of preppy.

My secret santa gift:



Can you guess what it is ;)

When we got to Trattoria, I noticed right away that their lunch menu was a smaller condensed version of their dinner one.



I saw a nearby customer with a dish that was served in a cast iron skillet, and immediately knew that was what I wanted. I guessed- and was confirmed by the server, that it was the tagine.



Tomato poached eggs, chicken sausage, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, charred scallions.

It was delicious. Great combination of different textures, and the sausages had a nice kick. I used the bread to slop up the leftover saucy goodness.

Two of my friends decided to go with the classic eggs benedict. Served with crispy prosciutto, hollandaise sauce, and trattoria potatoes.



This was pretty standard. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave over either. I thought the prosciutto was a nice touch, and the potatoes were very crispy (I hate when they come soft/soggy).

One of my friends decided to order off the lunch menu and chose a pasta.



It was cooked al dente, and had a light refreshing sauce.

The last dish on the table was the lasagna, which I unfortunately forgot to snap a picture of. It was a passable dish, but I found it very mushy and one-noted. I have definitely had better lasagnas.

We had a great time catching up and exchanging gifts, and the staff were all good sports about taking pictures for us girls. I definitely want to come back on a Tuesday night for their 11$ pastas.

I'm actually attempting to make an authentic tiramisu today- wish me luck!

I'll be posting the results :)

Flowers & Fable

It was me and my boyfriend's 2 year anniversary on Monday, and it started off with a surprise delivery of my favorite flowers to my work :) so sweet!



Then, I came home to find two more sets of flowers waiting for me at the door.







This one is called The Guardian (according to the florist) so I'm going to keep it in my room.



Later in the evening, we went for dinner at Fable Kitchens. It's an open kitchen concept restaurant run by Top Chef Canada contender Trevor Bird.



I was dying to try their canned tuna that everyone was raving about. Albacore tuna with olive oil, fingerling potatoes and a hint of lemon served with crostinis and rock salt.

Was absolutely amazing. Love the subtle notes of flavors and texture.





More food!



This is their Spaghetti and Meat Balls; duck meat ball over tagliatelle and mushrooms. When it first came I thought it was an egg! But the white layer on top is actually cheese foam haha.

As we cut it open, juices and sauce slid out over the pasta. I think this was my favorite of the night; so flavorful!



For my main dish I had the special of the night which was potato crusted beef cheeks. My boyfriend had the flat iron steak.



And finally, dessert!

We shared the opera torte: hazelnut dacquoise, espresso ice cream, and the daily sweet bites: pear puree eclairs, in-house baked cookies and macarons.



It was an amazing day and a wonderful meal. I would definitely come back again, they have a unique and creative menu that's executed perfectly.

Have any of you tried any new restaurants lately?