Jarn? Jamjar? - Commercial Drive

I'm starting to think this industrial look doesn't spell out unique anymore. Every new hip place I go in Vancouver must use the same interior designing company. Anywho Ryan and I were on the Drive and noticed this new Lebanese restaurant. Pardon us for our ignorance, but we were both huh? Lebanese? And so us Lebanese food virgins decided it to give it a try. And it was really cold outside that particular night. 

The place was packed and the host asked us if we are okay with communal table - which was a-okay for us. We ordered their "dine out" menu as our server recommended it having variety of food items on a shard plate. 

Crackle Crème | Gourmet Crème Brûlée

We only chose to go to Crackle Creme because it was one of the few places that was open at 7 PM on Sunday evening. It actually started out quite alright when I realized one kind driver had already fed my parking meter for hour & 38 minutes! Yay! 

Creme Brulee is my favorite kind of dessert (along with many others) and it was quite a delight to learn there is a man with such a passion to create many flavoured creme brulees as a specialty shop. And wow! it really was. 

Burger & Lobster, Knightsbridge, London

This American-style franchise restaurant is loved by both locals and tourists. My friend insisted she prefers the Knightsbridge location to that of Soho's. I was told some locations are given waiting time of hour & half depends on how busy they are! I know B&L has a location in NYC too now so suppose we don't need to travel this far.

I've read reviews previously they've had terrible service or staff gave people that arrived later a table first etc but it was quite alright for us. It really is a serious bargain to get a combo meal for 20 Pounds in the heart of London! The photos speak louder than my mere words... so enjoy!

Coffee Monster Coquitlam Review

Lougheed area was always missing something major - a local coffee shop. You can only find Starbucks inside the Lougheed Mall which is always crowded with mall visitors... and that was it! Coffee Monster only opened late December of 2014 (or so I think...) and it's become super popular right away meeting the needs of Coquitlam residents and other visitors. In fact, when I went to check out the recent craze, there were no seats for us. It was again quite busy upon my first actual visit today.

Although I totally missed out on taking photos of their interior - I can tell the new owner has put in lots of time/effort in creating the atmosphere with industrial look. They also specialize in cold brewed coffees (similar to that of Revolver...I presume) but I'll save trying it until a hot summer day. 

  

Coffee Monster does have quite a selection for coffee/tea/dessert menus. Ryan and I both had Affogato and Vivian & her Ryan had two different teas: Herbal fruit & Earl Grey. I thought it was quite sensible they had an hourglass to for tea's brewing time. I am not an avid coffee drinker and do drink very rarely but I could tell their espresso was very smooth. I noticed their Italian sodas are flavoured with real fruits instead of artificial syrups and is creatively rimmed with pop rock candy. I shall try it next time!

Vancity Foodie: Coast Review (...where we are not going back?)

As a former Torontonian, I am a Dine Outs craze (= summerlicious or winterlicious for Torontonians by the way), where I get to pamper myself with pretentious small portion food at Fixed Price menus offered by big brand named high end restaurants. My girlfriends and I got together (including Vivian & Alexa) for this opportunity. We set a date for an evening all three of us were available and made a reservation with Coast.

It was last Thursday, January 15th that we all got together. Walked into the restaurant wet and cold, and asked our lovely waiter Alex for a dine-outs menu. Alex looked positively flustered why he has forgotten to bring dine-outs menu and revealed the fact that it does not start until tomorrow! ....which we all knew it starts on 16th! So there we were. :-)

We had 3 main plates with deep-fried oysters on the side and couple desserts to satisfy all of our tastebuds. 

Vivian had White Miso Glazed Sablefish ($38.95) found under signature dish & was beautifully cooked! You can never go wrong with the soft texture of sablefish - however as much as I love the dish, I found it rather salty. It is definitely flavourful and we had no problem finishing the dish as it was the best one of the three.

Sushi Mori - Langley

In downtown or vicinity where there are abundant consumers, it is somewhat manageable for so-so restaurants or other small businesses to survive due to their demand. On the contrary, it probably is somewhat more challenging for other locations of Vancouver including Langley. I have been observing with interest lately and there are too many Japanese Restaurants in this small city on the outskirts of GVA. 

I thought I'd introduce one that has been accepted to my liking: Sushi Mori. 

For the record, I am no individual with impeccable palate or anything in that regard, however I choose my sushi selectively. Sushi Mori's ambiance is quite different to the usual bright fluorescent light, no decorated interior - maybe just a few oriental objects on the wall etc, as you are walking into a hall filled with Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree). I do wonder if they dust the artificial trees here and then though. 

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Stained Gloss: New Wave

(Sarah Hyland wearing OCC Lip Tar Nylon - Nylon Magazine)

Queen of pigmentation has joined my vanity at last. Every review I have read praised of their amazing long lasting pigmentation but also found lots of cons (staining teeth??? or difficulty fixing or reapplying after initial application). I am all about long lasting and bright pigmentation so... I still had to try it out myself.

It has not been very long I've noticed OCC section newly presented from Sephora. Amazingly various color selection - I thought! Plus 100% Vegan / Cruelty-Free sign is something that draws more attention these days. I picked out the New Wave Stained Gloss and Anime Matte at Sephora to see the color on my skin tone. I have more white (than yellowy) Asian skin tone and I actually liked both of them on my face. New Wave is more red/slightly fuchsia color with glossy effect. Anime is the perfect barbie pink that's more neon color. As you can tell what I look for in lipsticks and other makeup products, I am focused on more creamy or glossy texture. For instance, I love the pigmentation of Benefit Tints - but they always sit too dry on my lips to the extent I get the tingly sensation. So I ended up purchasing New Wave Stained Gloss only for now.

Mary Poppins

We've got to race back to our childhood hearts to diagnose our worldliness once in a while. For me, and probably to most of us, Disney's animations and movies are where our childhood memories are kept. I used to dance and sing after the sing-a-longs of the films. I especially enjoyed Mary Poppins and I still remember most of the songs to this day.

Every year during Christmas and New Years season, Mary Poppins returns to Vancouver. I've always wanted to go but was never able to due to other engagements or another reason that pops up... :-( Plus, I guess I never really spent Christmas in Vancouver all that much. For that reason, I was super determined to go see the musical where Natalie and her Ryan were also able to join us. Yey! 

We bought a $79.99 voucher from CostCo which included two $50 credits to purchase tickets. Then we simply called their Ticket Office helpline to reserve seats, which usually requires extra payments depending on the seats of your choice.

My seat was right in the middle of row 4 which usually is considered the best seat for live musical shows. However, since the theatre isn't too big and also the set consisted of a two storey home, I actually think the seats in the second floor might have been great too. 

Very very close to the stage! This is the only picture I took at the theatre since taking photos during the show is (of course) strictly prohibited. 

NYE in New York

New Years Eve / Christmas Holiday in New York, New York - Still! :-P
Plus little bit of Boston!!

For my previous posting on this beautiful city:
http://natalieskirakira.blogspot.ca/2014/12/christmas-in-manhattan.html

Enjoy!!

Chanel Rouge Allure 138 Fougueuse

One of my new favorite lipsticks! I'm 50/50 on this Chanel vs my YSL Volupte #12 (my previous review: http://natalieskirakira.blogspot.ca/2014/11/ysl-rouge-volupte-shine-12-coral.html?m=1)... Maybe more so 60/40 since I find YSL bit more creamy than Chanel's. 

Until recently though, I hadn't learned that Sephora Canada doesn't carry Chanel - kind of a shock for me, really. This Classic French brand probably is a statement piece by its packaging and the brand name itself. It is almost to the extent that it's all about "I'm wearing Chanel." 

Chanel Rouge Allure is a formula of lasting wear that is hydrating and easy to reapply. This #138 is also a color that could be worn all year around: bright pink /bit of strawberry/slight coral mix with subtle satin finish. Great pigmentation too - I normally apply 2-3 layers max and it stays on 3+ hours (until lunch time, really!). It is never heavy on your lips either. Like I mentioned earlier though, in comparing to YSL Volupte Shine lines, Chanel is not as creamy as YSL's - not to the extent that it feels dry on your lips still! 

 The left is after 3 times of application vs. 1 time on the right

Lancome Eau Fraiche Douceur

Out of all the oil cleansers I've used including Lancome, Shu Uemura, Bobby Brown - I loved Lancome the most. It had the thickest oil and I enjoyed giving myself a massage every evening. As the oil moist my skin thoroughly, the dead skin would peel away along with the makeup residues of the day. A lot of my girlfriends vote for Shu Uemura and would purchase 2-3 bottles every time we go through duty frees, but I did not find it thick enough.

For some incomprehensible reason, Lancome's Oil Cleanser (Huile Douceur) has been out of production and I could not purchase it for some time everywhere! Seriously devastating...! I've heard amazing things about Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil but I decided to stay loyal to Lancome and try their fresh water cleanser.

Paula's Choice had warned me about the water cleanser and the exact words were: "why bother?"

A fancy French name with scientific claims and a spa personality cannot change the fact that this toner is a great big “why bother?” of a product. For your money, you’re getting mostly water, slip agents, fragrance, and preservatives. Any alcohol- and menthol-free toner from the drugstore would beat this product by a long shot, and save you a good deal of money to boot.

(www.paulaschoice.com)

Read more after the jump!! :-)

Skinny Nail / 100% Nail Strips Review

I declare to the world I no longer will be visiting nail salons!!! I have seriously fallen in love with Skinny Nail Strips.

Nail strips can be easily found at any drugstore/shopping centres now including Sally Hansen. I had purchased Incoco previously via their online website and I liked the quality and durability. The only trouble I had with Incoco was very strong nail polish smell that we're all familiar with from wearing nail polish. I also remember being extremely disappointed with Sally Hansen's nail strips as it was not water resistant as they claimed. It was not durable at ALL quite frankly. In very harsh terms, they were pretty band-aids and felt very bothersome on my fingertips - they did not last on my nails more than couple days. However - Skinny Nail Strips are a huge hit in South Korea now, and knowing what a picky consumer market it can be, I decided to give it a try.

Currently sold exclusively online at www.nailistic.com, I was thrilled to find FREE SHIPPING SIGN! Nailistic offers more than 20 patterns to satisfy everyone's different taste. I chose Modern Boy (CA$12.99 after 15% Opening Sale!) but I'm already eyeing on few other patterns. 

Christmas in Manhattan

Holiday Vacation in New York, New York! 

Coach's New Floral Print Collection

On my last visit to Metrotown, boldly accepted the challenge to finally finish my Christmas shopping for once and for all, I came across the new prints at Coach!

I am in no way commenting on originality of the design but I am inferring certain brand names to explain the texture and other features (that I love of this new line!). The embossed leather is like that of Prada and the perfect square size resembles Tod's crossbody bag: combination of fashion and function! Most importantly the floral print which seized my attention right away along the glass show window, reminds me of Max Ernst's Shell Flower hung at Pompidou (...pretentious enough?)

Shell Flower by Max Ernst

Festival of Lights - VanDusen Botanical Garden (Video)

Gorgeous sparkles and twinkles decorating the winter garden! This really is a magical walk in the park when you make a visit to VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver every Holiday season. To be honest, I was not expecting MUCH and did not even bring my camera. On top of that, my phone decided to die after a few minutes entering the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden.

Ryan thinks it is a blessing when I don't have a camera/phone on me though - so that we can truly enjoy the scenery and carry on the appreciative thoughts. Anywho, I only have few photos to share but please consider them a preview! The virtual experience is nowhere comparable to the actual visit with hot cocoa in your hands and the cold wind tickling your cheeks! :-P

Osaka Day 3: Tempozan Ferris Wheel

We also got on the giant ferris wheel called Tempozan which was almost the highlight of the trip. It literally is the largest in size in Asia and second to London Eye in the world. You can have the panoramic view of the sea as it's right by the strait shore, the mountains, and the whole city. They only offer 2 transparent passenger cars so we took the time to claim it! It was set up very cleverly with transparent stickers to help you understand and give guidance to different buildings and part of the city. 

Open Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM (Ticket sales until 9:30 PM) 

Transportation: 5 minute walk from Osakako Station (Chuo Subway Line) 

Admission Fee: JPY700 

Address: 〒552-0022 1-1-10 Kaigandori Minato-ku, Osaka City

Osaka Day 2: Osaka-Jo, Kita, & Amerika-Mura

The second day of my Osaka trip stretched for the full day from morning to finish. Osaka Castle or Osaka-Jo is one of very historic sites that you can find in Osaka. We happened to go on a day where kindergartners (so i presume) had their field trip. It was very grand and very well maintained considering it goes back to year 1597. Then we walked around Minami's Amerika-Mura area for bit of shopping and visit to a cafe. My friend SJ insisted we wait for sunset to go up the Floating Garden of Umeda City and then onto Hep Five Ferris Wheel to finish!

More details of the trip after the jump! :-)