With summer coming up (finally, finally!), I’m looking to cut down on makeup. I have hyperpigmentation and acne marks that are taking a long while to heal, so I always feel the need to cover them up before stepping out of the house. I hear vitamin C is great for fading marks and just evening skin tone out overall, so I’ve been looking to add it in some way into my routine. I have the Ole Henriksen serum at home right now so I will try and finish that one up before looking into other options, but the Philosophy powder and the Mario Badescu serum both look interesting and have great reviews. Many reviews for both products mention using L-ascorbic acid instead but I don’t trust my chemistry skills enough to do that.

I would still feel more comfortable wearing a little bit of makeup for the time being, and while I’ve been consistently wearing the NARS tinted moisturizer, the newly-released BB cream from Clarins caught my eye. I’ll have to see if I can get a sample of it at one of the counters. The new NARS loose powder is also quite attractive, but I still have a lot of Laura Mercier powder left. With summer comes the need to glow, and so the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector has been really high on my wishlist.

Have you tried any of these products?

I knew I wanted a simple pair of black pumps, but I didn’t really know what characteristics I wanted them to have. My preference for suede and a d’Orsay cut are recent, and when I saw these pumps on the Aldo website, I had to put aside my disdain for Aldo for a little bit. It took me months to commit to the purchase and once I decided I really wanted them, they were sold out online. At the store, I had to deal with snooty and pushy salespeople, have the shoes ordered multiple times, and then never getting a call back, thus reminding me why I disliked shopping there so much. I finally purchased the shoes online once I saw they came back in stock and they are thankfully perfect, elegant and versatile. I just need to have the plastic heel tip replaced for a rubber one (and for the snow to melt!) and they’ll be ready to be walked in.

I had a simple pair of black leather ballerinas, but I needed a slightly dressier flat for when I didn’t feel like wearing heels for work or presentations. I first really noticed the Vara by Salvatore Ferragamo on Shini Park — it was the first time I thought the shoe looked anything other than matronly. I’ve since seen them on many stylish people and my desire to have them grew, but it’s only last year that I’ve made the decision that they would be right for me. Unfortunately, the current retail version in calf leather has a pewter ornament, not gold, like I would have wanted, and they are also very expensive for a student on a limited budget. I scoured eBay for pre-owned styles, had a really hard time with finding the right size (Salvatore Ferragamo make their shoes in nine widths!) but I finally found a great-looking pair on Yahoo! Auctions Japan. They cost me a fraction of the retail price and are in great condition.

The chase for these two shoes reminded how much trouble I go through when I really, really want something and wait too long to get it. I have to say, however, that it is quite worth it if it means getting something that really integrates well into my wardrobe and that I won’t regret getting.

My favourite and most fulfilling purchase of the year was probably my Coach Court bag, which fits all my necessities including my Nexus 7 tablet (a much loved birthday gift), but still remains compact and comfortable enough for me to carry around without any strain thanks to its crossbody strap. I’ve acquired it from eBay because I insisted on getting an older iteration of the bag, which is not only cheaper but also made in the U.S.A. and of thick leather, as opposed to the newer version currently in stores which is manufactured in China with thinner, lower-quality material. This particular one is from 1997, not quite vintage yet. It was pre-loved and needed a little bit of TLC upon receiving it, but I love, love it!

Purchasing things that I really liked and at (mostly) better quality was successful in that I didn’t have to get rid of too many pieces during the year. I did, however, spend just about the same amount of money due to higher individual prices. So my purchases will go through a much harsher decision-making process in 2013. This would apply to clothing purchases, but also makeup and beauty products, on which I splurged a lot last year. The following are habits I need to adopt in the new year.

1. Assess wants vs. needs The most obvious aspect I should take into consideration is whether an item is a want or a need. Pretty simple and quite often repeated over and over by just about anyone discussing shopping habits, and yet I always forget about it. Often I give myself excuses like, Oh I could use an extra top for work or I got a good grade on my assignment I should reward myself with something fun. It’s so, so easy to make excuses for any action, so I really need to focus on whether I need a particular thing. I keep a concise list of fashion needs that are required to achieve a more streamlined, easy to coordinate wardrobe, without falling into the OMG she wore the same outfit three times this week category. When I look at that list of needs, I need to tell myself that anything else would not be worth it.
   
2. More thrifting I’ve always quite admired and envied anyone who had the patience to scour through racks and racks of clothing at thrift stores, and finding something great only once in a while. But patience is a virtue, and I imagine that when you find a treasure for a bargain it must be a real treat. I want to thrift more this year, as it presents many advantages: inexpensive items (compared to retail stores), higher chances of finding something of good quality and reduction of carbon footprint. Boom.
3. Avoid sales I consider myself a savvy shopper who tries to find the best deal she can on a particular item. Seasonal sales, however, tend to lure me into making impulse purchases that are final sale and end up under my bed because I didn’t like what I bought so much after all. Unless I’m looking for a particular item, I really want to stay away from retail stores, both brick-and-mortar and online, during their seasonal sales. But if I didn’t purchase something at its full price, I probably didn’t want it that much.
4. Keep track of expenses It’s easy to lose track of how much you spend when you use debit or credit cards. I made it a goal this year to track each and every expense I make so that at the end of each month, I can look at which category of product I’ve spent the most on and thus need to set a budget for. I’ve done this for the whole month of January and it’s proven to be really useful in keeping me from spending the extra $2 on a coffee. I use the Toshl Finance application on my phone to do this.
5. Set up a budget for planned expenses In other words, save up for what I really want and forget about the rest.

Here’s to hoping I will stick to my newly-instated rules!

I have to say, Park Restaurant did not disappoint! I arrived there with sushi in mind, so the omakase menu of the night, though usually a recommendation for first-timers, did not appeal to me since the main meal was lamb. So my friend and I skipped right to the sushi and two other items on the menu.

We  started off with the Asian Salad (seen above). At first, we were a little disappointed since the salad looked and tasted a little bit like Vietnamese cabbage salads our moms would make. There were subtle ingredients that made all the difference though, notably the addition of walnuts. It was really yummy and we ate it all, but next time I would probably try something else.

Next was the Jap Chae with organic chicken. I normally don’t prefer jap chae because it tends to taste a little rich after awhile, and a few bites are usually enough for me. But this jap chae was light and easy to eat, and the addition of chicken was a good choice.

I was most excited about the Sashimi Moriawase, as one should be when coming here! Park Restaurant serves fish that is not available in most other sushi restaurants here in Montreal, so this was an exciting moment for me. I have to admit, however, that I am no fish expert and I am thus unable to differentiate fish solely based on taste. I can tell, however, when fish is fresh or not, and these definitely were. They were also cut the right way, not too small or too big, and each one of them as delicious as the other. We were served three dips with the sashimi: a balsamic and edamame sauce, a  carrot and onion sauce and chimichurri. The experience of trying each fish with each dip was quite eye-opening! I loved the carrot and onion one most.

Next up was the Seasonal Maki plate. If I am not mistaken, it was a salmon and hamachi tartare roll topped with torched salmon. DE-LI-CIOUS. I was a little overwhelmed at first look, since the roll was cut in rather big pieces, but I was pleasantly surprised when I put one in my mouth and it almost melted instantly. The rice was not too packed inside the maki, which made it not too dense nor too rich, just perfect. Just seeing this photo makes me want to eat some more…

We finished off with some homemade green tea ice cream. Underwhelming, yes, it’s just ice cream, everybody serves it! But I needed something to cleanse my palate and this did the trick. Plus, addition of crushed nuts made the ice cream a little more interesting.

The atmosphere as Park Restaurant is definitely upscale, but not intimidating. It’s a very small, dark place (hence the noisy photos) but we were not sitting on top of each other either, like at, say, Kazu. Still, reservations are an absolute must if you want to ensure the best experience. Service lacked a little bit of warmth but was courteous, prompt and professional.

As expected, the bill at the end of the night was a little steep. It cost $125 for two people who don’t eat that much. Though it was worth it for the sushi, I would probably skip any non-sushi meals next time.

Park Restaurant
378 Victoria Ave.
514-750-7534

There is no strict rule as to what a kimbap roll should contain, so we went with just about everything. Vegetables included cucumbers, carrots and perilla leaves. Apparently, perilla leaves are commonly used in Korean cuisine. I had never tried before, but they are quite flavourful and delicious. The protein components were tuna, sausage, crab sticks and eggs.

The mix of the several meats seemed off-putting at first — ‘What do you mean you’ll put all of them in each roll?!’ — but it actually didn’t taste so bad. I found out that I was not very good at making rolls with the bamboo mat, but I did quickly master the art of cutting them! We ended up with enough kimbap to feed 15 people, and since it’s better to eat them in the first 24 hours, a lot of them were given away to my boyfriend’s coworkers the next day.

Kimbap actually requires a lot more work than I thought. It’s not hard by any means, but for someone like me who takes about 20 minutes to cut a vegetable into strips, it’s time-consuming. Regardless, it was very fun to make something I’d never tried making before, and I did learn a little bit about Korean cuisine in the process.

By the way, we probably spent more money buying the ingredients for this meal than we would have eating out. Creativity, check. Frugality? Better luck next time.

As an end note, Bonus lounging cat photo to make this post worth of the internetz.

This summer, I’ve enjoyed…

Going to Florida with my best friend — At the end of May, my best friend (of almost 20 years!) invited me to go on a trip to Orlando, FL with her and her family. Not one to usually prefer sun vacations, I still followed her for a week of sun, relaxation, swimming in the pool and at the beach and (lots of) shopping. In the end, I greatly enjoyed spending time with these people that I consider like my second family.

Relaxing at a cottage — A coworker of mine owns a cottage by the lake and she invited me and some other coworkers to spend a day with her over there. Swimming, relaxing, boating and eating were on the menu. The area is absolutely beautiful and peaceful, it was a perfect place to be on a Saturday.

Going on small photography excursions — My boyfriend is constantly looking for nice spots for photography, so we had fun going on small photography excursions. It was mostly him handling the camera, as I prefer shooting candids of people usually (as seen above!), but I did enjoy going to these places. Among them, the Parc-Nature de l’Ile-de-la-Visitation is a natural park located just 15 minutes from my house but had never noticed before. While it’s at really close proximity to the city, it’s still very quiet and offers beautiful views.

Having a picnic at a parc — Lots of unhealthy foods, but so much fun talking and hanging out with long-time friends.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Getting to see Wicked on Broadway — So, SO happy that they’ve been presenting Wicked here in Montreal. I’ve wanted to see this musical for a while now, and my dream has been fulfilled! I was sitting second row, too! The show met all my expectations; I could see it again, and again, and again…

Photo by Karissa H.

Seeing 2NE1 in concert and shopping in Manhattan — Three of my longest friends and I went to a tiny 1-day-and-a-half trip to New Jersey and New York. On the menu: attend a 2NE1 concert in Newark (which, by the way, was TOTALLY AWESOME!) and to spend the next day shopping in Manhattan before heading home by Greyhound at night. It was, in the end, sort of tiring, and frustrating at times (stuck for 3 hours at customs, and for 1 hour and a half in the Lincoln Tunnel), but ultimately fun and fulfilling. I was able to spend time with my closest girlfriends, eat good Scandinavian and Japanese food and shop for my new fall wardrobe.

Finding the perfect earrings — I’ve mentioned in a previous post how I was looking for the perfect herkimer stud earrings. I ended up going with these from LuaMae Jewelry. They are gold-filled and priced perfectly for my budget. I love, love wearing them every day. By the way, Lua offers amazing customer service and is just overall lovely to deal with!

These made me reminisce and miss summer already, but I will jump head first into fall, excited for once to start classes again. I’m taking a class called Food Marketing, how exciting does that sound?

But I will also make it a point to post more over here. I had a recent layout loss scare! I accidentally applied the update for the WordPress theme that I used as a framework for my blog layout and consequently overwrote all the coding I had done. I had no personal backup and was absolutely devastated. Thankfully, the host server did have a backup and was able to perform a rollback — phew! I truly was on the verge of crying. Always back up your work if you cherish it, people! And cherish this blog I will!

1. L’Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer I apply this a little bit on my cheekbones and a little under my brows before applying my foundation. I have the impression that it helps the powder highlight stand out more, but I am not quite sure if it really is that effective or how it fares by itself. I am reluctant to use this all over my face because I can get pretty oily.
2. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St Moritz Still loving this tinted moisturizer, a few months after my inital review. I had to buy it in one shade darker for summer, so I better not tan any more, hah! Because this TM has SPF 30 and PA++, I don’t feel the need to wear sunscreen underneath. It also has a perfect dewy finish.
3. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Sand 7 A new found love, this concealer is waterproof and stays put for hours. My previous concealer, the Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer, didn’t cake but it never really dried either, even with powder on top. I don’t have that problem with this MUFE concealer! A tiny pea-sized dot can be used to cover all my blemishes. I also put a little bit on the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up.
4. Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder This powder is so finely milled that it’ll never look cakey or chalky. I apply liberally on my T-zone and I touch up once during office hours.
5. NARS Highlighting Blush in Albatross My fling for this summer! There is a small amount of glitter in this, so it can look really bad if you put a bit too much, but a quick brushing on looks great. I use my Everyday Minerals Tapered Sculpting Face Brush to apply this on my cheekbones and an eyeshadow brush to highlight my brow bone. I love this so much that I just can’t wait to put it on in the morning.

It sounds like a lot for summer, especially with the risk of having the make-up melt off due to sweating, but unless there’s scorching heat — in which case I step out of the house with only moisturizer and sunscreen on my face, flawless-looking skin be damned — I have found this to be pretty low maintenance! I pat on a little bit of powder on the nose during the day and I am otherwise fine. I love it.

Does your summer make-up routine differ from your winter one?