happy holidays!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very

Merry Christmas and a

super fabulous New Year!

it's done!

W00T! It took some time and research, because I really wanted a palette of colours that I would actually use on a daily basis, but it's finally done! There are some that I've had for years and years (Nocturnelle and Motif) and have yet to use up. I've bought some new ones that I absolutely adore and pretty much wear every day (looking at you Woodwinked!). I've already hit pan on Schroom, which is the one in the very top left corner. I'm definitely going to restock that colour, since it's what I wear as a base eyeshadow for everything. Even if it's the weekend and I'm going out with a very casual makeup look, I still apply Schroom.

I also have a list of eyeshadow colours that I want to try once I've used up some of the colours. I especially like the Veluxe Pearl finish because of the colour payoff and the staying power. Who knows, I might start another palette!

From left to right:
Top row: Schroom, Woodwinked, Tempting, Shale, Nocturnelle
Middle row: Motif, Romp, Knight Divine, Satin Taupe, Florabundance (limited edition)
Bottom row: Honeylust, Amber Lights, Typographic, Sable, Expensive Pink

It first started with the NARS lipstick in Roman Holiday (on the right) that I purchased a few days ago and than I got the Sephora Glam Lip Attitude lipstick in Rose Frivol today. NARS Roman Holiday is a sheer delicate pastel pink and Sephora Rose Frivol is a sheer magenta. Generally, I'm not a lipstick person. I prefer lipgloss over lipstick any day as I find lipstick can zap the moisture from your lips and you end up with chapped, peeling lips. Very attracture. But, both of them are sheer glossy lipsticks that have a tint of colour that you can build up, which I like a lot. I especially like the Sephora brand, since it's cheaper than NARS ($30 for a lipstick?! It's a good thing I had a gift voucher) and I might have found a dupe for Roman Holiday in Sephora's Poetic Pink, a sheer bright cool pink Only time will tell...

when I RSVP to a party, I make it my business to come

As per the above quote (from Sex and the City), today was a super busy day for me as I had three events to attend, including the Lady Gaga Monster Ball concert (!!!) and once I RSVP, I make it my personal mission to attend the event, even if I'm fashionably late by half and hour... or more.

Up first was the Noir Lash lounge for their Haus of Klaus event. We snacked on appetizers from Society (I'll be going there for a dinner with a friend next week). The food from Society was amazing, especially the aha tuna cracker with quail eggs and the fried macaroni balls with cocktail sauce. I can't wait til next week when I'll be at Society for dinner; I'm expecting good things from this place! Never too far from the food, we maneuvered our way to a couch within an arm's length from the mini pizzas, sipped on bubbly and Red Bull (for me) and caught up with a friend who has been recently MIA as she had given birth to a beautiful baby boy this year. We also oohed and aahed over the Sublime jewellery (one friend was pining after a gorgeous pair of sterling silver oval hooped earrings with pearls) and had our picture taken by the lovely Ellen Ho.

Next, we made our way downtown to do some serious shopping at the Tommy Hilfiger and Fashion Magazine Holiday event. Not only were all tops in the store 40% off the last ticketed price, but you also received an additional 25% off the grand total at the til! With purchase, you also received a gift bag: a leather Tommy Hilfiger tote (in black or brown), a silk scarf and a copy of Fashion magazine, all valued at over $200!

 My new bag that I'm loving. It holds everything I need and more and I actually like the brown colour. It's a departure from all the black bags that I have. You can't tell in the picture, but the silk scarf has a handbag print. How perfect is that?

So, of course, I had to take advantage of this awesome deal and bought myself a lovely thick black sweater wrap that I'll be cozying up to this winter season. The event was catered by C Catering (delicious mini burgers and mushroom mousse tarts and accompanied by white wine) and the DJ was showing some love to Rihanna by turning up the bass to the point where the store was literally vibrating (I thought my ears would blow out!). Got out of there with our purchases and gift bags in tow (and our hearing intact) and made our way to the Lady Gaga concert.

Lady Gaga was freaking fabulous. The crazy costume changes, the light show that gave me ADD for an hour afterward, the whole show totally blew my mind. The girl knows how to P-E-R-F-O-R-M!

helping hands

When it comes to makeup, I'm a huge product junkie. I have lipglosses in every shade of pink, stacks of eyeshadows, several bottles of foundation and mini makeup palettes that I take with me when I travel. I have now added another palette to my collection:

It's the CARGO Hands for Hope Eyeshadow palette and I love it! The texture is silky soft with great colour pay-off, so it's wise not to be too heavy-handed in application. The shadow will eventually crease if you put too much colour on. But with a primer, the colour lasts the whole day.

 A close-up of the hand design imprinted on each eyeshadow pan. 

At first, I was a little skeptical about some of the colour choices: Midnight blue? Fern green? Aqua? But for only $29, who cares? It's a great deal and a good introduction to the brand if you haven't tried it before.

r.i.p

It's so tragic, she was only 20 years old... My heart goes out to her family during this difficult time.

Photo coutesy of the Cut.

skoah turns 8!

And to celebrate, Skoah had a birthday bash at their Yaletown flagship store today (you have to RSVP to get on the guest list!). There was wine from Strut, appetizers and a preview of their holiday collection which is out now. Me and a coworker hit up the birthday party after our midterm (ugh), and I was a little too fond of the Well-Heeled White wine and was feeling a little tipsy. They really didn't have enough appetizers to soak up the alcohol. I bought myself the Naughty and Nice superglosses duo and got a free goody bag filled with coupons, a water bottle from Mavi, and a sample of Skoah's Smooth Talk Body Lotion. After much sipping and rambling and giggling, we decided it was probably a good idea to call it a night and headed home with our purchases and goody bags in tow.

it's a quarter of a century

It's Aritzia's 25th Anniversary and they're celebrating by having a massive sale. Now until Sunday, November 22, 2009, everything is on sale! Discounts range from 10-30% off, and some special items are discounted up to 50% off. I happened to stop by and snagged myself a really cute Ines dress for $39.99!

Image courtesy of aritzia.com

a-choo!

What a girl will do for shoes...

Like line up at 7:20 in the morning to wait for the launch of Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. Yep, I was one of many sleep-deprived fashionistas in the city (as well as some fashion misters), who stood in line for 3 hours in the freezing cold (it was 5 degrees out!) for a pair of shoes. As my toes lost all feeling and my nose was running a mile a minute, I wondered if it was really worth all this trouble for a pair of Choos. The answer: Yes!

There were shopping guidelines in place, in order to prevent cat-fights from occurring: The shoes, accessories and bags were sectioned off (a store within a store) and the first 160 people in line received a coloured wristbands with a time shift written on it. They were allowed into the designated area in groups of 20 with 10 minutes to shop for what they wanted. After two hours, the mini store was opened up to the rest of the public and you had to wait in line for a chance to shop the shoes, bags and accessories. The men's and women's collection were available to everyone with no time restraints. There was a limit of one item of each style per person, as they want as many people as possible to shop the collection (and to prevent scam artists from buying everything and selling it on ebay with a 200% markup).

There was a mad grab for all the clothes and by the time it was my turn, there were no more leather jackets on the racks. So I made my way upstairs to meet up with my shopping buddy, and he was able to grab something, although he didn't have any luck with the shoes. As he was trying stuff on in the changing room, I managed to snag myself a leather jacket in a size 6 and traded it up for a size 8! After paying for the jacket (I wasn't going to let it out of my hands!), I proceeded to wait in line for two hours by the designated section, in the hopes of getting a pair of Jimmy Choos. I ended up making some shopping friends (Hi Sonya and Raminder!), as we slowly inched our way up the line. As my turn came up at 1:30PM, I was surprised that they still had shoes left. I managed to grab a necklace, 2 bracelets, a long wraparound belt, a bag and a pair of leather high heels (4 inches!). Since you only have 10 minutes to shop with a personal shopper by your side at all times, you really don't have any time to actually try stuff on. It's more like, "I'll have one of those, and one of those, and that one... " and you make your way to the cashier. I'm going to do some returns in the end, because I don't know if I want all this stuff, so if you're lucky, you might find something in the stores later on!

I love this necklace, but what I didn't realize how heavy it was. I wore it out to a friend's birthday dinner and got lots of compliments on it. Definitely a keeper. :)

I returned the first bracelet, the rhinestone one, since it didn't really suit me. I like the chain bracelet much better.

I'm going to return this belt because it's just way too long. I feel like I'm lassoing myself with it.

As much as it breaks my heart, I did end up returning the bag. It looks really cute on the website, but it was massive in real life! You can literally fit everything and the kitchen sink in that bag and still have room to spare!

These are the crazy 4-inch heels that I bought. I have to practice walking in them. The most I can handle is 3-inches, so this will be quite the challenge. I have 30 days to return them, but I'm determined to make it work!

 Love my Jimmy Choo leather jacket! After losing my first leather jacket, I've been pining for another one. You don't realize how much you miss something until it's gone. I'm quite happy with this replacement, although I wish the collar was a little more substantial, but that's me being picky. You can't tell, but there are two hidden interior pockets.

can you tell me how to get to, how to get to sesame street?

This year marks the 40th birthday of the children television show, Sesame Street! I remember watching the show when I was a kid and counting along with Count von Count, wanting to play with Big Bird and Snuffleupagus and laughing at the antics of Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, Grover, Bert and Ernie (and his Rubber Duckie!).

The show has evolved over the years, since I've last watched it and now includes a large cast of Muppet characters of and more adventures for them all, but there are still very many familiar faces around Sesame Street. I'm happy to see the show is still popular with today's children and wish Sesame Street another 40 years of fun and laughter!


Photo courtesy of Mommy Reporter. 

guess who the pope is

I finally found the time to watch the documentary, "The September Issue," and I loved it! First off, I wasn't expecting this documentary to delve into the deep, dark world of fashion or to look behind the hard-as-nails facade of Vogue's famous, or infamous, editor Anna Wintour. I doubt you would be able to get anything out of Anna "Winter," other than the fact that she enjoys playing and watching tennis. So, with low expectations in mind, I found the documentary to be exactly what it was: a light, frothy look into the fashion industry and how Anna Wintour and Vogue's creative team prepares for the September issue which will dictate the latest trends and styles to be worn by fashionistas everywhere.

I loved watching the behind the scenes action and I especially enjoyed watching the cat-and-mouse relationship between Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington. I've always admired Grace's talent and creative direction to style the breathtaking, fantastical editorials for Vogue and after watching the movie, I admire her even more. Everyone knows that story of how Grace was appointed the Creative Director of Vogue on the same day that Anna became Editor-in-Chief, so they've always had a relationship from day one. But to be able to see how their relationship works is amusing to watch as they try to push each other to the limit (creatively speaking).

I'll be adding this film to my DVD collection when it comes out... hopefully in time for Christmas!

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

friends with benefits

Benefit's Grand Opening at Holt Renfrew today!

After class, I was cutting through Holt Renfrew with a friend and somehow managed to get my eyebrows waxed in the process...

Sales rep: Hello! Do you know that today is the grand opening of the Benefit Brow Bar?
Me: No, I didn't.
Sales rep: Would you like to sign up?
Me: Sure, why not?
Sales rep: Would you like a free gift bag?
Me: Yes, thank you!
Sales rep: Okay, now line-up over here for your free brow waxing.
Me: Oh... kay?

This was pretty much how I came to be at the Grand Opening of the Benefit Brow Bar at Holt Renfrew. Despite my concerns about having my brows waxed (images of searing pain, burnt skin and half my eyebrow gone kept popping up), it was actually a very pleasant experience (not that I enjoy any waxing of any type, but it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be).

 My friend getting her curly eyebrows tamed at the Benefit Brow Bar.

Inside the goody bag: the Benefit holiday guide, the Brow Bar services menu, a Benefit magnet, a white chocolate cream cookie, and samples of Some Kind-a Gorgeous (the foundation faker), eyecon (brightening eye cream) and b-spot by Benefit eau de toilette.

happy hallow's eve!

As part of my costume tonight, I bought two MAC lipglosses to complete my look (I was going as a hippie). Unfortunately, I ended up going as a zombie hippie since I was tired of redoing and fixing my makeup for the 4th time! But, I really like the lip-glosses that I picked out. Maybe because it's not the usual colours that I would generally gravitate towards.

 

 

 Baby Sparks is pale pink with violet pearl which is the perfect lip-gloss for my zombie hippie costume.

Ever So Rich is a sheer creamy lilac. It applies on with a very sheer hint of colour. I like it because it's a colour that I don't have in my vast lip-gloss collection.

do you happen to have a pair of birds that are... just friendly?

I was walking downtown today and just as a I turned the corner, I stopped in surprise. There was a girl with a falcon perched on her right arm, standing outside in front of the bank, waiting for her friend who was using the ATM (and also holding a falcon). Of course, with my trusty camera at my side at all times, I managed to take a few shots before she had to leave.

 

PS: the quote is from the famous Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds.

forever 21 = forever young?

I was standing in line at Forever 21 for what seemed like an hour to exchange something, only because all the kids and their BFF's thought it would be a good idea to skip last period to go to the mall. During the excruciating wait, I did some people watching, eavesdropped on a few typical teenage conversations (heavily sprinkled with the words "like" and "okay") and texted a few friends with updates on my lineup status. As my eyes wandered around the store, I couldn't help but notice a few um... more mature customers trying on some clothes amidst the crowded racks and mirrors. You can't go wrong with a $10 plain t-shirt but if you're over the age of 50 and trying this on, you have to wonder if they understand the concept of age-appropriate dressing.

For example: if you're under the age of 25 and wearing black leggings, they can look cute. If you're over the age of 50 and wearing black leggings without something to cover up your butt cellulite, it's not cute (unless you're a yoga practicing yummy mummy, but even than they might have had some tweaking done). Same thing goes with trendier pieces that were clearly designed for the teenage demographic. If age is nothing but a number, why are you trying so hard to look like a big fat zero?

it's all greek to me

In T-minus 24 hours, I will be on a plane, headphones firmly on my head, jetting off to paradise for a week of sun, shopping and beaches, while keeping myself hydrated with large quantities of ouzo. This blog will be on a short hiatus until I get back. But no worries, I will have my trusty digital camera with me to document the many adventures during my trip. Don't hate me, 'cause you love me!

fashion with flare

BCBG celebrated the 30th anniversary of Flare magazine with champagne and French macaroons as well as a special 20% discount of all regular merchandise for tonight only! West Coast Flare Fashion editor, Luisa Rino was also be in store to showcase the latest fall fashion trends as well.

Of course, I had to go to the event since I'm still in hot pursuit of a party dress for my company's Christmas party. While I did try on a couple of dresses, and there were a few options for me to choose from, nothing really stood out as "the One" to buy.

 

 

 

But I did spy a lovely silver watch that, after some very little convincing from a friend, I quickly scooped up along with a feather rhinestone ring that I fell in love with immediately when I tried it on.

The feather rhinestone ring that I heart immensely. 

 

My brand new watch! Now, I don't have to search through my bag to look for my cellphone to see what time it is!

The 20% discount will continue til the end of the weekend, so if you're looking for a party dress or some accessories to dress up your LBD, then you might want to book it down to BCBG!

OMG, WTH GG?

Dear Gossip Girl,

Last night's episode of Gossip Girl was obviously a desperate, mad grab for ratings. There could be no other possible explanation for having two so-called thespians on the show as they overacted every single scene they were in. The scenes with doe-eyed, pouty lipped Olivia or "Kate" as Dan refers to her (played by Hilary Duff) and the mad, crazy eyes of Ursalla (overacted by Ms. Smile-with-your-eyes Tyra Banks) was laughable. While I will admit that Hilary Duff was the better actor on the show, Tyra Banks clearly stole every scene, but not in a good way.

If you really needed the high ratings, may I suggest you include more Blair/Chuck goodness? 'Cause let's face it, the pair are just too delicious not to watch.

xoxo,

Meow

faint over fashion

I had planned to go solo to the Jacqueline Conoir Fashion Show last night, but after a sudden change of plans and a last-minute text, my friend joined me for a night of free champagne and fashion. The Jacqueline Conoir show is the first show of BC Fashion Week, so the fashionistas in the city were out in full force tonight.

There was a sudden change in venue (good thing I checked my email before I left work!), so we ended up at the Fortune Sound Club where the fashion show and after party were being held. We arrived at the club, checked in and walked into a wall of people. Literally. The club was jam-packed with fashionistas and fashion misters jostling for prime viewing territory with the photogs since the club space was clearly not meant for a fashion show of this size, or for any fashion show for that matter. It was also getting really hot with all the warm bodies packing into the club.

After a quick detour to the bar to grab our free champagne, we managed to grab some seats in the back for a quick catch-up before the show started. Once the lights started to dim, we squeezed our way through the crowd and I maneuvered into a prime spot at the end of the runway. With camera in hand, I managed to snap pictures of all the models strutting their stuff, giving good face and posing on the runaway.

Some of them were clearly amateurs, looking like a dead fish out of water (in Tyra's words: they weren't smiling in the eyes). While black and sequins were popular with the viewing crowd last night, it was all about funky work wear to take you from day to night, psychedelic colours and elegant bridal gowns that walked down the runway for the spring/summer 2010 collection. During the fashion show, there was some activity to my left but I really didn't pay attention to it, since I was focused on taking pictures. My friend filled me in later and told me that one of the VIP attendees fainted from the heat and dehydration, but was all right in the end. Just a light dizzy spell from drinking too much champagne.

Sitting in the back of the club, enjoying the view.

I'm not keen with the idea of wearing a person's face on your chest, whether it's somebody famous, or your own (if your a self-centered narcissist with a massive ego aka Paris Hilton), but I really liked the peep-toe ankle boots.

This bitch gave good face.

I like the loose draping and tie-dye effect. There were several dresses made from this material, but I like this style the best.

Cute outfit that caused a lot of tittering amongst the audience as it became quite clear she wasn't wearing a bra underneath. Tee hee.

The multi-coloured psychedelic dresses that floated down the runway.

For the brides out there, planning a 2010 spring/summer wedding, some goddess-worthy gowns for your big day.


And the finale:


RoseMerie Cuevasthe, creator of the signature label Jacqueline Conoir Collection which she named as a tribute to her mother, taking a bow at the end of her show.

Celebrity sighting of the night: Stacey McKenzie, model and judge on Canada's Next Top Model, season one. She was very fashionably late, but looked super glamourous in her mini dress and funky headband. 
Also saw Jason Malto, the Vancouver fashion designer, although it was impossible not to spot him, dressed in his black sequined shirt and studded fingerless leather gloves. Dude looks awesome.

Inside Fortune Sound Club. Love the interior.