Outfit of the Day: Winter Colours with some Summer

 

Yay an “Outfit of the Day’ post! Yesterday I was glad to finally meet up with Justin from Mr Walk N  Talk and reconnect over Asian food, spontaneous shopping, and taking pictures of our clothes! He has been a bit blue lately but I’m glad that my corny jokes helped him focus on how much fun we had (I hope!)

It was extremely sunny and warm in Vancouver for the past week, but this week it was a bit chillier and windier. I wore an oversized sweater I bought in Hong Kong and a pair of jeggings from Urban Behaviour. I kind of look like I was wearing winter clothing, but the sweater was light enough for this type of chilly but kind of warm weather.

 

I bought this Aldo bag last summer and this week is the first time I brought it out again for the summer season. The bag is a on the heavy side, but I love the size,  colour, style, and gold detailing.

 

I didn’t feel like wearing flats, so I chose to wear a pair of booties. I bought these when I was in Hong Kong in December. I’m a huge fan of the colour khaki or anything that is a shade of military green. The small stud detailing with the buckle detail at the back makes these boots a bit less plain.

 

It’s been a while since we took pictures and it was oodles of fun! It was an unexpected day and I hope there will be more like these when we have another blogger adventure! We were also near some fence with “No Trespassing” signs all over it…spooky…

 

Nail Polish of the Summer: Essie’s 2013 Resort Collection Come Here

Poppy colour? Coral colour? Or is it a blood orange shade? The shade, Come Here, part of Essie’s 2013 Resort Collection is currently my favourite summer colour (second being Essie’s Mint Candy Apple.) I don’t own bright nail polish, especially shades of red. This pick was on a whim and something I do not regret.

Come Here is a blend of pinks and reds that look like it can be a coral or a poppy hue under different lighting. One coat can pass as an opaque colour as it is extremely pigmented. To me, it’s my perfect red colour in my collection because normally I am skeptical with wearing red. This is my summer go to colour. The creamy glossy finish makes me feel like I went to a manicure.

Have you had a chance to look at the 2013 Resort Collection? What’s your go to red colour?

Foodie Visit: Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante

When you have a group of more than 20 people in a restaurant, there’s a lot of food around. Also, there’s a lot of people’s food you can take pictures of. This post is extremely overdue…but a while ago the Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Society (I was a co-secretary) went to Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante for a three course dinner ($27/person.)

There were three appetizers (primi) to chose from:

1) Caesar Salad: A classic favourite with our creamy roasted garlic dressing.

2) Giardino Salad: Mixed seasonal greens with tomato, cucumber, and shaved carrots

3) Caprese Salad: Bocconcini, roma tomatoes drizzled with a balsamic reduction and basil oil

I decided to try something new this time and ordered the Caprese salad. I didn’t know the slices of cheese were that huge, so I shared most of it. Either than huge chunks of cheese, the blend of basil oil and balsamic reduction fitted nicely with the refreshing taste of tomatoes. It made a good palette cleanser to start off the meal.

I tried some of the ceaser salad as well, the lettuce tasted fresh and the sauce was very creamy.

For the entree (entrata) there were three choices:

1) Penne Alfredo: cracked black pepper, garlic and butter in a Parmesan cream sauce with a hint of nutmeg

2) Spaghetti Bolognese: tender beef with herbs braised in pomodoro sauce

3) Margherita, Capriciosa or Vegetariana Pizza 

I chose the Margherita pizza. I haven’t had a real Margherita pizza since I went to Italy in ’09 and I was excited. However, when it arrived on my table, the pizza wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. It wasn’t a true Margherita pizza- there wasn’t dispersed bits of basil and not enough tomato sauce. On the other hand, it was a really delicious cheese pizza- being it was steamy hot and a rich cheesy flavour. The crust was a bit tough to chew as my jaw hurt after a while.

Capriciosa pizza

Vegetariana pizza

Penne Alfredo

For dessert- there was a choice between traditional New York style cheesecake or Tiramisu. I opted for the tiramisu. I thought the tiramisu had too much cream compared to the lady fingers so I had to dig deep until I got to reach the cake part. If it didn’t have too much cream, the tiramisu would’ve been much better. The portion was quite big and I could not finish it.

Cheesecake

Given the price I had to pay for the meal, I would say it’s worth it- but I wouldn’t pay full price for it. The main course was definitely most enjoyable even though it didn’t have a true Italian feel to it. I loved that it was fresh out of the oven, and would definitely consider this place again if I wanted pizza in a classy fashion.

Review of Dior Addict Gloss’ Bed of Roses

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately guys. I just finished my undergraduate degree several weeks ago and I’ve been just taking my time doing other stuff and I have been a bit behind on blogging! When Sephora had the 15% off VIB sale, the first thing that came to my mind was getting one of Dior’s Addict Glosses that just came out for the Spring 2013 collection. I was so excited to check out what colours they had!

A volumizing lip gloss with superb shine in a dizzying array of colors and finishes. Addict Gloss delivers brilliant shine and a volumizing effect in two-dozen dazzling shades. The smoothing and hydrating formula comes in three finishes: sparkling, pearly, or pure. Wear it alone or pair it with your favorite Dior Lipstick for an instant pop of color and shine!

I wanted a colour that didn’t have excessive glitter and something that would look great with any outfit, so I got Dior 576- Bed of Roses. Bed of Roses is  a beautiful, pearly pink colour with micro silver shimmer in it. The packaging of the gloss is luxurious- with a clear body and a silver top, embossed with CD on top. It does have more product compared to Dior’s Lip Maximizer or Lip Polish.

 

At first I thought I would be thrown back with the silver particles in it, but once it was applied, it was barely noticeable. Don’t be fooled in thinking it’s a sheer gloss; Bed of Roses provides true pink pigment that will give you the perfect pink lip. Additionally, the scent is almost negligible, so if you have a finicky nose, don’t worry!

The lip gloss wand had brush tip and it was easy to apply evenly on the lips, although sometimes you get a little more product than you want on the wand. The formula is extremely hydrating and it covers any dry flakiness. It also lasted around 3-4 hours. Even after drinking and eating- the gloss may have disappeared, but my lips retain that moisturized feeling and a pink tint is left.

Have you had a chance to snatch any great lip glosses?

Face of the Day from Shiseido’s Makeup Class at The Bay

My friend had signed me up for Shiseido makeup seminar to go with her, but she ended up being out of town the day it was held at The Bay Richmond Center, so I went alone. It was a “No Makeup Makeup” seminar where some Shisiedo specialists taught you some basic makeup skills to looking natural. I never actually been to any sort of class before, I usually learn from self-experiment, blogs, and YouTube.  Those who participated in the class also received a free book, a Translucent Powder and a Perfect Rouge lipstick. After the class I purchased  the Lacquer Rouge in RD203.

 

In the beginning of the class we were matched with our foundation colour. In the class, we were given headbands and a personal set of tools (Q-tips, disposable lip brush, disposable mascara wand, etc) to use. The Shiseido trainer showed us the basics – primer, foundation (using the Shiseido foundation brush), concealer, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick. Luckily, I did not need to fill in my eyebrows!

Basically, a trainer had a model and showed us how she applied the makeup on the model. Students are given supplies and makeup to use on themselves in front of a mirror. The class had approximately 10 people. During each step, other Shiseido specialists gave us the makeup to use.

The foundation I used was the Perfect Refining Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in B20 (Natural Light Beige.)  I thought it gave me quite a good airbrush finish to my skin when applied over their primer. The foundation wasn’t heavy and I noticed that most of my pores, especially on my cheek were covered. For the eyes, I used the Luminizing Sating Eye Color Trio of purple eyeshadow and brown eyeliner.

We also got a disposable mascara wand and they dipped it in their mascara to try. This is the only portion I have a complaint of. I never smelt a bad mascara until now. It was obviously expired because the mascara smelled of chemicals and age. I wish I spoke up but I didn’t.

The blush for contouring is their new blush- OR308 Starfish. It was finely  milled and easy to blend on the skin. It looked similar to Nars Orgasm with it’s peach colour tone. I could see the natural sun kissed look it gave me. For the lips, I used the Lacquer Rouge in RD203, which is a nude -coral colour.

 

Really loved the clean look of my skin! However, I didn’t want to purchase it as I almost never use foundation. The only item I purchased (hooray for Bay giftcards!) was the Lacquer Rouge. It was very moisturizing and the Shiseido trainer said that it has powder so it doesn’t smudge. Addtionally, it is like a lipstick/lipgloss hybrid, but better lasting power. It had great pigmentation and moisturizing as well. I will do a full review soon!

As for joining the class, I got these two lovely freebies, a review on each one will also come after I try them!

 

The Lacquer Rouge in RD203.

 

 

I never use Shiseido makeup so this was something new! I cannot find Shiseido makeup in stores, but it seems like you can purchase it online at Sephora or at The Bay. I will do a full review on each item soon to let you know what I think! Have you tried Shiseido makeup before?

Earth Day 2013: Bel Cafe,David’s Tea, Matcha goodies, Ramen, and a new dress!

Happy Earth Day Earthlings! I did a post last year and realized I got a load of shopping done on my last earth day! Oddly enough, I hung out with my civil engineering bestie again on Earth Day 2013! I haven’t done a journal-type of post for a while and thought today would be a good day for my to just put all my thoughts down via blog! What sorta fun things did I do today?

We started off looking around at Sephora since she wanted to get the Hourglass finishing powder and I picked up a Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Blackcurrant.

Afterwards, we went to David’s Tea. Since it was Earth Day, they were giving a free tea refill if you bring in your personal travel mug. I got a mug full of Green Rooibos tea! Because I cannot resist anything in that store, I picked up Coco Rooibos Chai Tea, Organic Cream of Earl Grey (tastes like liquid GOLD , no joke,) and Bollywood Chai. I really love my tea. I will do some tea reviews soon!

(Sorry, SUPER bad picture today)

I had three meals within four hours today, no idea how. I had some pizza bred from Foodwares Market, which was delicious- tasted like a hybrid of pizza and greek salad, but it wasn’t heated enough for me. After, my friend and I went to Bel Cafe for some macarons and tea. I had a chill tea (chamomile and citrus) with a dark chocolate macaron and a strawberry lemon macaron.

After, we bought some matcha goodies to share from the Pocky-Japanese snack shop on Robson. I LOVE my Green Tea Kit Kat bars and I also picked up Matcha pocky as well. The kit kat wins by far.

We were still hungry, so we walked down to Santouka Ramen for a snack. Yes, ramen for snack. As a foodie, I seem to have two stomachs  We each got a Shio Ramen- the soup is creamy and mouthwatering. I love the fat bit on their cha-shu (bbq pork) meat!

And I thought I would be done for the day, with all the food and food shopping, we went to Club Monaco and I was surfing the sale section and my eyes laid on this blue-black dress. I love the royal colour of cobalt blue and I had to try it on…… and buy it.

The weather in Vancouver was perfect today! I hope you all had a wonderful Earth Day and let me know what you guys were up to!

 

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NOOTD: Perfect sheen with Dior’s Nail Glow

Awhile ago, I did a review on Dior’s Lip Glow. Dior has applied the similar effect to a nail polish, which they called Nail Glow. This us supposed to give  you the instant French Manicure effect. The Nail Glow is part of the Spring 2013 line. It is supposed to enhance the natural pink in nails and brighten them as well. I was a bit skeptical at first, since I find that Dior nail polishes are ridiculously overpriced (even though Sephora has a 15% off going on right now.) However, I always get that problem of having flaky and stained nails when I remove darker nail polish, even though I only had it on for 1-2 days. Would Nail Glow be my problem solver?

I was wearing Avon’s pearl shine when I wandered in the store with my friend who loves Dior products. She showed me this Nail Glow and I was still unsure whether it would be worth its price of $24. Since Sephora had a tester I swiped a coat on all ten nails to see if any magic happened. About 20 seconds later, my nails turned into a light lavender-pink. When I walked into the sunlight, it was a very natural looking, sheeny pink. The polish also dried very quickly and it felt very durable on my nails. Next thing you know, this was at the check out counter.

It is questionable whether or not the Avon Pearl Shine I had on would affect the colour of the Nail Glow. The pearl shine is more of a base coat that gives a micro pearlescent shine to the nails. I’m not sure how the Nail Glow works on the chemicals of nail polish, but I seeing the big change in the after application, I know I am liking this product. I had a little chip on my index finger nail, so I applied the Nail Glow directly on to minimize the look of it, and it changed the colour of my nail to a similar pale pink immediately.

 

Taken indoors

Taken indoors near natural light

What do you think?

Handmade Jewelry Online Store- Pretty with Pliers

Since 2009, I’ve been selling my handmade jewelry via my old facebook account, and I went on a haitus for over a year because I had no time between school and work. Now that I am finished with my undergraduate studies, I want to get back into the business! My rose studs have been one of my best sellers, along with some other unique creations. Because my blog is called Wands and Pliers, I am calling my retail store Pretty with Pliers, to go along with my “Pliers” theme, they’re just so useful!

Check out or Like my Facebook Page for the albums of my previously and currently sold items.

Check out my new Shopify website- Pretty with Pliers !

Shipping across Canada/States  is $4 and international is $5 currently. Free meetups in Vancouver/Richmond area!

 

Please be sure to check my Facebook Page for updates! I will also continuously post up on my Instagram and Twitter too! I love to hear shoutouts from my readers!

Foodie Visit: Let’s Roll Custom Sushi Bar

After class one day my friend had some TastyGo coupons to Let’s Roll Custom Sushi Bar – 2 x $10 for $20 worth of rolls. Since it was expiring, we trekked to its location, near English Bay, to consume $40 worth of food.

Let’s Roll is a pretty unique place. Located at West End near English Bay, this sushi bar allows you to customize your own sushi. You choose what you want inside, and they make it for you! One sushi roll costs $8.50. The cook will choose his items and roll it into a sushi and slices it into 10 pieces. You get to choose

1. Your wrap: soy or seaweed
2. Your type of rice: white or mixed grain
3.  Two kinds of vegetables including avocado, tamago, red pepper, cucumber…
4. Two kinds of meats/seafood including tuna, grilled chicken, grilled beef..
5. Unlimited sauces (Wasabi Mayo, Japanese Mayo…)

Since we could eat $40 worth of food, we chose 2 rolls each, 2 cups of green tea ($1.50 per person) and 3 piece gyoza side dish ($3.95 if I recall correctly, or somewhere around that price range.)

For my first roll. I had avocado and red pepper stuffing, with smoked salmon and prawn tempura. The tempura was fried on spot when I ordered it. Lastly, to top that off, I chose seaweed salad and layered the sushi with Japanese Honey Mustard and wasabi mayo. The vegetable stuffing was fresh and I really enjoyed the seaweed salad topping!

For my second roll, I chose my vegetable fillings to be tamago and cucumber. For my meat fillings, I chose unagi and grilled chicken. They took the meat out of a small freezer and grilled it immediately. I  chose to top that off with crab meat and seaweed salad and added spicy mayo sauce. This dish was flavour explosion, and I finished all 10 pieces of this and only 3 of the other roll! The spicy mayo sauce gives a great kick and the unagi was so delicious!

Out of the two rolls, the second roll with the orange, spicy sauce was the winner!

These are the two rolls my friend ordered- pictures only, we forgot what we put in this roll.

He also ordered the gyoza side dish and it was done well he says!

Let’s Roll Custom Sushi Bar is a pretty fun concept, and I’m glad Vancouver got something like this! $8.50 seems a bit pricey at first, but the portion is quite large and I became full quite quickly. Additionally, the place there is very clean looking and the staff was very friendly. It seems kinda daunting to choose something you would never think of adding in a sushi, but this place really lets your creative side roll (pun intended!) I recommend this place if you like to make your own stuff and have some fun with your food!