Nicole by OPI Selena || Manicure Weekend

Happy October everyone!

Fall is finally here! Loving the crisp morning air and the leaves that are starting to change colours. It's been a busy past month; back working at the school and volunteering more at the church has really limited my time to do some of things that I enjoy which includes this blog. Been thinking about all the different things I could be posting but never having the time to do it has been a bummer. At least I haven't forgotten about you guys :)

I was perusing through the aisles of Walmart the other day and I had to go to the make-up section just to see if there was anything new and exciting. I wanted to see if Essie's new fall line had arrived in stores but, unfortunately, none of it was on the shelves. Maybe they had already sold out? Anyways, I was about to leave when I spotted the Selena Gomez OPI line. They were discounted and I held myself back and only chose one. It was an easy choice; I wanted an almost-salmon shade and Selena was just that!

The colour in the bottle already caught my attention but when I applied the first layer on my nails, I was in love with it. I'm not much of a pink person but this was right up my alley. It's a really nice peachy pink and it just adds that touch of sweetness to any outfit. And it you look really closely, you can find tiny specks of sparkle. This is definitely more suitable for the spring/summer but if you want something to brighten up your outfit, this would be the colour.

The polish isn't too thick but not runny; it glides on beautifully. My only problem with it is the brush. I like to have longer bristles on my applicators and the ones on the Nicole by OPI is stubby. But how the bristles fans when applying the polish eliminates my negative feelings towards the stubbiness. I had to apply three-four coats in order to get a semi-solid coat; it turned out to be a little streaky but it's not too noticeable. However, good thing is that I didn't have to wait long for each layer to dry! Overall, I'm happy with it.

And that's a wrap! I have a few go-to fall colours and I will, hopefully, start reviewing them soon!

Looking forward to getting started on this blog again!

Stay Beautiful!

- V

Revlon Bare Bones || Manicure Weekend

I can't believe it's September! Summer has passed by so fast and now I'm back at work and having a blast with the kids that I'm working with. Now that I'm back at my workplace, I have to look "professional" and put together. I thought I'd start off my year with a very basic and neutral colour for my nails.

I love my Revlon Colorstay polishes and I decided to go for Bare Bones. Bare Bones is a really nice nude colour; it's a cool tone nude and reminds me of the colour of a latte. Mmmm a latte sounds really good right now. This colour definitely would match any outfit you pick out of your closet. So far, I've been wearing neutral colours like navy, blacks, whites and one bright colour and the nude nails just ties it all together.

Check here for my last Revlon review and how it applies on nails. It took two coats of polish (some three) to make the streaks disappear but the waiting it time for it to dry is worth it. Sometimes I'm super lazy and don't apply a top coat; with Revlon, no need!

What were you wearing for your first day of school (or in my case back to work)?


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Essie The More The Merrier || Manicure Weekend

Green Nail Polish??

This particular colour is something that not everyone can pull off. I, personally, get scared when I see green nail polish. My skin colour definitely has yellow/olive undertones and I thought that green would make me look like I have jaundice (in most cases it does). I remember standing there picking it up and putting it back down over and over again. But this summer is all about taking chances and I decided to go for it. In the end, it landed in my basket.

The first swipe of the brush and I shivered. The green reminded me of something radioactive but I kept going. After the first layer, I was starting to get disappointed; it was super streaky and the colour payoff was so-so. But after the second layer, I was much happier with the results. I did a third coat on some of my nails just to get rid of the streaks. So, yes, you definitely will need at least two coats. Make sure you use a base coat! I forgot to layer on a base coat and now my nails are dyed green :( The colour almost reminds me of Kermit the Frog or the Sanrio character Keroppi. Personally, I think this is more of for the fingers and keep the toes away.

If you like loud colours and want to show it off, I would definitely recommend this colour for you. If you wanted to pair it up with an accent nail colour, go for a metallic like silver, gold or something with holographic shimmer. Today, I wore a black maxi skirt, black and white stripped tank, and a chambray button up shirt and the green just popped! But you can always mix in fun colours like pink, yellow, mints, etc.

Let me know, down below, what your favourite summer polish is!


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Collective Summer Beauty Haul || Beauty Treat

Hello guys!

I've been meaning to do this for awhile now. FIRST HAUL POST! This is a collection of all the things that I've gotten over the whole summer that are beauty related: hair products, make up, body products, etc. Most of the things below are drugstore items but I did pick up a few things from Sephora. I unfortunately don't have the prices for each product. If you want me to post prices on my next haul (which is probably going to be in the fall sometime) then let me know down in the comments section. I do, however, know where I bought them from :)

Walmart

Essie Polishes: I love me some nail polish. Every time I'm at Walmart, I have to check out their nail polish selections. I decided to go out of my comfort zone and picked out some risky colours. I already review Bikini So Teeny awhile back and I love it. The next two are from 2013 collections. From the Summer 2013, I picked out The More The Merrier; it's bright almost neon yellow-green and definitely reminds of summer. From the Neons 2013, I got Shake Your $$ Maker and I almost returned it but I'm glad I didn't. It's not your typical neon highlighter green but more of emerald green. I don't know if I would use this during the summer but I'm definitely going to use this up during the Christmas season. I also picked up Essie's Millionails; I was running out of my nail strengthener and decided to give this a try.

Freeman Facial Masks: I already own two of Freeman's Facial Masks. I decided to get these travel size mask to test out the different forumals. I got an anti-stress mask in Dead Sea Minerals, purifying Clay Mask in Açai, and clay masks in Mint and Lemon and Avocado and Oatmeal. I'm most excited for the avocado and oatmeal because I've read reviews that both of these ingredients are really good for those who have sensitive skin. I'll be doing a separate product review post on these masks.

Simple Face Wipes and Cleanser: I first found out about this UK brand through Youtuber Ingrid Nilson or popularly known as missglamorazzi. I've been following her for a long time and she introduced her audience to Simple's cleansing wipes. I'm not particularly fond of shortcuts when it comes to skincare but I had to give this a shot and I LOVE THEM! I wasn't sure if they sold them up in Canada; I was down in the States and found the wipes in a local Walmart. I was camping during this time and I used them during the entire trip and it left my skin squeaky clean. I eventually found out that Simple had their products up in Canada. I found a coupon for their products the other day; I bought the exfoliating cleanser and got another package of wipes for FREE!

Rimmel Lipstick: Jen from From Head to Toe introduced the Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in her back-to-school video and I was very intrigued. I had to just boughten Urban Decay lipstick and wasn't thinking of getting another one. But then I remembered I had a coupon for any Rimmel product! I headed straight for the Rimmel Lipstick and was able to find a colour liked. I picked up the colour 109 and it's a really nice coral almost orange lipstick. I think this would be a very flattering hue on any skin colour. Jen is so right when it comes to this lipstick; a creamy formula and leaves a nice matte finish that doesn't dry out super fast. One funny thing about this lipstick: it smells fruity! Lots of lipsticks that I own have this really weird 'plastic' smell but this one smells almost like candy. More the reason to wear this over and over again.

Real Canadian Superstore

Hawaiian Tropic Sun Care Package: Sun Sun Sun! The top thing that everyone is looking forward to during the summer season. But with the sun comes sun burns. I'm lucky enough to not burn as badly as other people but I still tan like crazy. Even though you don't burn, you still need to slap on that sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. I love the Hawaiian Tropic line; I'm all for tropical coconut smell and their formula isn't greasy. And the aftercare not only smells amazing but it's also very soothing especially when you've been out in the sun all day. I got this box package at the beginning of the summer season and I was surprised to see so much product for just $30! The set included full sized Silk Hydration Sunscreen SPF 30, Silk Hydration Aftersun Care, small travel sizes in the same sunscreen and aftersun, and four razors that are Hawaiian Tropic scented. Good deal right?

Maybelline Colour Tattoo: This is another finding from Ingrid's channel! If you're someone who doesn't like to put on a lot of makeup but still want your eyes to stand out, you have to get this product! There are a whole bunch of different colours but I decided to be boring and stayed in the neutral family. I got the colour Bad to the Bronze since Ingrid recommended this colour several times. I love this colour! It looks bronze in the pot but once you but it on it's more of a rose gold colour but not yet copper. It's a cream based shadow and, therefore, you can also use this as a tinted primer! Highly recommend it.

London Drugs

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips: This is my first time purchasing these puppies. I've seen my friends use them and they said that it's easy to apply and it lasts longer than the recommended 10 days. I am going on a trip in Spring 2014 and I thought it would be a good idea to bring a set of these along with me. That way I don't have to worry about nail polish leaking everywhere. I got greedy and bought two sets :( 410 Love Letter is a white based strip with black cursive writing on it and I'm assuming that what is written on these strips are love related. The second one that I bought is the one that I'm bringing along with me on my trip (hint hint). 01 Don't Be Koi is a really funky design with black outlined fish scales with red koi fish. Cross your fingers that I don't screw up :)

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I've been looking for a good dry shampoo and I finally found something that I like. Listening to my hairdresser, I've been a good girl and washing my hair every other day but sometimes my hair feels greasy. I've tried Bumble and Bumble but it leaves my hair feeling semi-tacky and my hair ends up tangling. I was walking through the hair product aisle when I spotted Batiste's line of dry shampoo. Literally the day after buying it, I tried it out and it's magic! The powder formula definitely takes the grease out of the hair - leaving your hair shiny and a bit of volume. It comes in several different scents and I ended up choosing the tropical scent (mmm coconut).

TRESemmé Hair Protectant: I've seen multiple youtubers use TRESemmé's Thermal Creations protectant and it works wonders. I've been getting less split ends since switching to this and my hair feels healthier when straighten or curl. Some protectants smell funky when heat is applied but no smell from this guy. Affordable and it works!

Gilettte Satin Care Shave Gel: Anyone like passion fruit? I usually go for the sensitive skin but they had a ran out of stock. I saw that they had a new line of shave gels and decided to try Passionista Fruit and oh does it smell good. You just need a little bit of gel to get a whole bunch of foam. If you are a newbie to shaving and you want to start off with something works and smells good, I would say go for this one.

Sephora

Yves Saint Laurent Eau de Parfum: I usually spray on a light body mist in the morning before I go out for the day. But with the crazy summer we've been having in Vancouver, I definitely needed to care something on the go. I've been wanting a YSL EDP for a very long time and finally had a the guts to get one. My first whiff of Parisienne was heavenly; I thought it smelt like lychee fruit but I was completely wrong. It's primary scents are blackberry, rose and sandalwood; a crazy combination of the fruity, floral and woody and, somehow, it fits perfectly together. Tempted to get the full size. I will have to say this is more of a spring/summer scent and I may not wear it during the colder seasons.

Philosophy Face Cleanser: Months ago, I used up some of my BeautyInsider Points to get the sample version of Philosophy's Purity Made Simple face cleanser and it was pretty good. I used it all up and I love it so much I had to get the big version. It's a all-in-one formula that removes (most of) your makeup, cleanses and tones your skin. It's gentle to the skin but it gets rid of the gunk; I would recommend taking another go at your eyes with makeup remover because this cleanser does not like waterproof mascara.

Urban Decay Lip Products: Urban Decay recently came out with a new line of lipstick called Revolution Lipstick. It took me forever to choose a colour; the top of my hand had swatches of every colour. I never had a classic red lipstick before the colour F-bomb is definitely that and more. Not like other lipsticks, UD's lipstick glides on with easy and leaves a creamy finish. I paired F-bomb with their 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in 69 (slightly lighter in colour) since they don't make one in F-bomb. Left side of swatch is just F-bomb and the right side is with 69 underneath.

Benefit Bronzer: Bronzers are always tricky; you don't want anything that will make you look like you went for a spray tan or anything too shimmery. Benefit's Hoola is a perfect matte bronzer that gives you that sun-kissed look that you want for the summer. I love that they included a brush but I'm, personally, against the cardboard packaging. I'm going to destroy the box.

Deborah Lippman Nail Polish: FREEBIE! I've been saving up my BeautyInsider points for something that I really really really want and finally it appeared! I've been waiting for a Deborah Lippman polish to become a freebie for the longest time. Happy Birthday is a clear polish with big chunks of multicoloured glitter. I haven't used it yet but I think it's look great on top of black or hot pink nails.

Funk 'N' Frost Beauty Bar

NYX concealer: Concealer is one of my best friends in my makeup collection; i've got huge dark circles under my eyes and if I don't cover it up, I can be mistaken as a zombie. NYX only has limited array of colours and I ended up buy two shades ( and ) and have to do some mixing to get the right colour.

Butter London Polish: I did a review on this polish but I'll go over it quickly. Starting to really love rose gold tones and this was colour that I hadn't seen yet. Picked it up, tried it, loved it - here is what I thought about it.

Bath and Body Works

Nail files: Since I started doing my polish reviews and nail art, I've been cleaning up my nails like crazy and filing my nails are a must in the grooming process. The ones I usually get are the standard files but I always wanted one for my purse. Whenever I go shopping, I someone how break a nail and it's so irritating to have a chipped nail. I found these cute fox files and they are a perfect size to quickly throw into my purse.

Body Lotion Hand Cream Duo: I work with kids at an elementary school and that means lots of hand washing. And when there is hand washing, dry hands become the result. I wanted something that was hydrating and non-greasy. BBW's Fresh Picked Wild Mint Hard Working Hand and Body Cream did what it says it would do. It's not too thick and yet it moisturizes; just give it some time to dry out :) And the mint! It's not like toothpaste minty but more of a sweet mint...mmm!

Whoo...all finished! That was a lot for one blog. I hope your eyes aren't all crossed by now :) Hope this helped you guys on some of the products that you may have an eye on.  Oh - what's been your favourite summer find? Comment below!

For those who are going back to school in the Fall, hope you all had an amazing summer break and spend your last week wisely. For those who aren't on vacation and reading this right now....hope you are reading this while you're working :)


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Café Medina || Eatz

Happy Thursday!

It's almost the end of August and I am so behind on my posts! Today, I'm taking you to one of my favorite eatz: Café Medina! Just off the Chinatown-Stadium Station in Downtown Vancouver, walk down Beatty Street and look for a storefront trimmed with black metal work and a robin egg blue sandwich border. I forgot to snap a photo of the front (again) but at least I got the sandwich board. This hole-in-the-wall café is a sister restaurant (and right next door) of the famous Chambar. Here you will find elevated café-inspired dishes combined with a rich twist of ethnic culture from countries like France, Italy and even Morocco!

The hours are tight: they only serve breakfast and lunch, and because of it's popularity, expect to wait in line for a table (no reservations). They are open 7 days a week: Monday to Friday at 8:00am, Weekends at 9:00 and, always, closes at 4:00pm. Today I had a brunch date at 11:00am with my good friend Mel; I placed my name on the list at 10:30 and, by the time she arrived, we were seated around 11:15. Yes it's that busy. When your name gets called, you will be led by the host into the dining room. Now don't be scared if they start leading you into a creepy hallway. The restaurant is long and narrow and they have an extended dining area in the back of the building. 

Now that we're seated, let's eat! Since we were seated before noon, we had to order from the breakfast menu (weekends you can order breakfast anytime) but that's okay because I like the breakfast menu better. On one side of the menu is the drinks; They served the wines, beers and teas but they are well-known for their espresso drinks (made with tender love and care). It doesn't say on the menu but they do offer milk alternatives like soy or almond so don't be scared to ask. I love my lattes and decided to get a lavender soy latte. This is not your typical Starbucks latte; Medina does it the traditional way where it is mostly espresso with a hint of milk. The lavender is not too strong but just enough to taste the floral notes. 

Their main menu has a good selection of options and they will be more than willing to suggest dishes to fit your dietary needs (ie: vegetarian, vegan). They have main dishes but you can always drop in and order a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh fruit and pair it up with an espresso. But I'm not here to talk about yogurt; let's get on with what I ordered! I usually order the 'La Santa' but decided to switch things up and tried the 'Fricassé' and it was super tasty! I am not a huge meat eater but who can say no to short rib! It comes in a cast iron skillet and it's hot. The dish consists of 2 eggs sunny side up, short rib, potatoes, bitter greens and topped off with julienne apples; all of this is sitting in a steamy hot bath of delicious juices from the short rib. The short rib is braised to the point where it is tender and flaky. Comes with a small piece of toasted focaccia; I was stupid and left it for last and it got cold. Make sure you break open the yolk and let it drip into the juices because it makes a beautiful rich sauce for the short rib :) My only complaint is the peppercorn; I know that it's a must ingredient for short rib but I really don't like it when I bite into one. But overall, really good and I'm definitely going to order it again. I just need to watch out for those peppercorns :)

Café Medina is also really known for their waffles; I wish I had room for waffles but I was stuffed. Light fluffy belgium waffles with your choice of topping (ie. fruit, chocolate, sauces); a perfect way to round of your meal (if you're not yet full). The next time I stop by Medina, I will order waffles just for you. 

Before I end it off, I just want to quickly touch base on the overall look and feel of the place. Like I said, this café is long and narrow, so seating is going to be tight and the table space will just fit your plates. But that's typical with cafés. I am in love with the exposed brick walls, polished wood tables and the cute lightbulb fixtures that double up as an art installation :) It's warm and cozy yet it's light and airy with the high ceiling. It was super packed in the restaurant so I couldn't snap a shot of the interior.

Check out Medina's website for a full breakdown of their menu and take a look at their gallery to see how the place looks like.

Café Medina
556 Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC
Price: $$
★★★★✩


Good Eatz!
- V

Deception Pass Weekend || Travel

Hi Everyone!

I've been wanting to post up these pictures for weeks but was never able to edit them fast enough. After weeks of editing (and procrastinating) they are finally done! My family and I went south of the border and camped at Deception Pass State Park in the beautiful state of Washington. My parents and sister have never seen that area before but I have. A former roommate (who just became an Airmen) use to live in Coupeville, WA, which is just pass Deception Pass. The state park that we stayed at was absolutely amazing -- so many trees!

One of the highlights of the trip was watching the sun go down. Our first attempt to watch the sunset was (almost) a failure. We were late heading out to the beach and, as we were walking down, the sun began to set. Their was a small body of water by the road that we were walking down and the reflections were so clear! I wasn't able to capture a lot of it because we pretty much ran to see if we could chat it. By the time we were at the beach, the sun had pretty much set. But we were still able to witness the cotton candy pink skies. Oh, I had also forgotten my telephoto lens back at camp :(

We really wanted to see the sun physically dip under the horizon; we went down to the beach, for the second time, and I was able to capture some amazing shots of the sun. We drove down this time, and I had my telephoto lens! There were so many people on the beach that evening. Campers were parked all across the parking lot and families had already set up their lawn chairs waiting for the sun to go down. We were lucky enough to find a vacant picnic table to sit at! The sunset was gorgeous: the warm hues of yellows and reds gave me the fuzzies! And by the time the sun was about to set, two planes flew by (an air base is just another 15 minute drive from the state park) and you could clearly see their flight paths. Here are just a few of them.

The morning that we packed up was foggy! But that didn't stop us from stopping at Deception Pass to snap a few photos of their beautiful view of the Puget Sound and Juan de Fuca Strait. We were hoping that it would clear up but that didn't happen; it was super foggy to the point where you couldn't see the bottom when looking down from the bridge. But I was able to shoot a few pictures of the bridge.

I took a lot more photos during the weekend with my family but I'm not sure how appreciative they would be if they ever saw themselves up on my blog :)


Happy Travels!
- V