Wednesday 29 August 2012

THE NAKED TRUTH

Alright ladies, it's time to speak frankly about waxing. Today as I was driving to the salon, anxiety mounting about my impending date with a pot of hot wax, I started to seriously consider the naked truth about waxing. As a devoted waxee for years now, I repeatedly put myself through significant pain ... ahem... down there... for a smooth, hair free bikini line. While some would call me crazy, I'm about to explain how to take the 'scary' out of waxing!

I've heard all sorts of philosophical explanations for why some women chose to go bare down there, but, quite frankly, I like the way that it looks. I don't do it because it's trendy and I certainly don't do it for boys; it's purely aesthetic. Maybe I'm part seal, but whatever the reason, there are some things that I wish I'd been told before my first wax. So, in the pursuit of clearing the air around waxing, I will reveal the naked truth (pun intended). Here's what you need to know before taking the plunge...
1. It hurts. There's no getting around the fact that waxing your... erm... parts... is not pleasant. But it's also not as scary as everyone makes it out to be. Just like with tweezing or threading or laser hair removal, the more you do it, the thinner your hair grows back and the less painful it becomes. It's also quite quick (think 15-30 min), so the pain is short-lived. It's a good thing to keep in mind that some areas are more sensitive than others. For instance, right below your pelvic bone is particularly ouchy, while the bottoms of your cheeks barely hurt. So just when you feel like it might be too painful, the esthetician will move on and it'll be over.

2. About your hair. There are a couple of steps that you should take before you go to the salon. Firstly, the hair needs to be about 1/4" to 1/2" long in order for the wax to stick properly. Too short and it won't work, too long and it will pull more than it should. Secondly, the type of hair that you have matters. Thick hair pulls more (read: hurts more) and usually needs to be a bit longer, but it won't leave you with residual darkness/stubble like shaving will. You'll also want to have a shower and make sure that everything is neat and tidy for the esthetician.

3. How it's done. Every salon and esthetician has a slightly different method, but there are certain steps that are more or less adhered to. First things first, you'll be asked to hop up onto the table and remove your bottoms (I like to wear dresses so that I can just slip my panties off without struggling with buttons or zippers). Next, your hair will be inspected (inspected is too harsh a word...maybe looked over?) to see which way it grows and to verify that it's the right length. Don't worry if she pulls out the scissors - she's just trimming it to the most effective length. Next, the esthetician will usually dust some baby powder over your lady parts. This helps absorb moisture and keeps the wax from sticking to your skin. Then the waxing begins. A good waxer will move quickly and in little sections, for maximum hair removal and minimal pain. If it's too painful, ask her to do smaller sections. Remember - the quicker she goes, the quicker it'll be over. Last but not least, the esthetician will pluck any strays before applying a soothing oil or lotion. This will also take away any leftover stickiness. Then you're all done :)

4. It's gonna get fresh. Don't be embarrassed about your body during a bikini/brazilian wax. Your esthetician is a professional and, quite frankly, she's seen it all. Be prepared to get up close and personal with her. She's going to have to move things around, hold things apart and get a closer look at all sorts of things. Yes, she'll wax your treasure trail. Yes, she'll wax in all the nooks and crannies. And yes. She'll wax your bum crack. Don't be shy. It's her job and, unless it makes you uncomfortable, you might as well get everything taken care of while she's down there ;)

5. Don't forget to tip. At most salons, it's appropriate to tip your esthetician. In this case, it's mandatory. Not mandatory in the you-have-to-do-it-because-it's-the-law sense, but more in the you-have-to-do-it-because-she-controls-the-hot-wax-near-your-kooka sense. Tip her often and tip her well. You don't want an angry lady near your bits.
1. Be specific. Tell your esthetician exactly what you want before you start. There are so many types of bikini/brazilian waxes that you need to let her know which kind you want. Do you want everything gone? A landing strip? What shape? Is there anywhere you don't want her to go? Are there any lotions that you're allergic to? Don't be shy to have a chat with your waxer and ask any questions that you might have. The first time that I got one, I pelted the esthetician (Patricia) with questions and she walked me through it step by step. In the end, you should feel comfortable at the salon. Waxes don't have to be scary!

2. Pop a Tylenol an hour ahead of time. Although the pain is inevitable, there are certain things that you can do to significantly reduce the ouch factor. An hour or so before you hit your appointment, pop a Tylenol. This will help numb the pain and make the wax less unpleasant.

3. Time your visit. The best time to get a wax is a week after your period. Since your body is more sensitive (especially in that general region) during your period and while you ovulate, it makes a waxing appointment more painful than it needs to be.

4. Take a look. Just like when you get a hair cut or a manicure, the esthetician will ask you if your wax looks okay once she's done. While the thought of holding a mirror up to your naughty bits might make you cringe like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes, take a deep breath and take a peek. Does it look the way you expected? Did she miss anything? Making sure that it's A-OK before you leave will ensure that the pain is worth the gain.

5. Wear something easy. I would not recommend wearing tight pants/tights to a waxing appointment. Especially your first waxing appointment. Since the area will be a little sore (and probably a little red too, so don't panic) after the fact, you'll want to wear something that's easy to get in and out of. I prefer dresses, but a good pair of comfy jeans will do too :)

6. Ask her name. Don't forget to ask your esthetician her name. Not only is it common courtesy (and you don't want to upset someone holding a steaming pot of hot wax near your knickers), you'll also want to remember it for next time. When you call the salon for your next appointment, you can specifically request the same (or heaven-forbid a different) esthetician so that you don't have to get nakie in front of another person.

I hope that this little tutorial helps take the sting out of waxing. Remember - a bikini/brazilian wax doesn't have to be scary!

Talk soon,
Vi

Monday 27 August 2012

REVIEW: TOO FACED NATURAL EYE COLLECTION

Hi everyone :) I hope that you all had a good weekend. This week I've been busy packing up all of my stuff and running a million errands trying to get ready for law school. I can't believe that I move on Saturday - it seems like time flew by!! I'm so excited to start a new chapter :)

Today I'm going to do a review on the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection (find it here). I got this palette from my friend Alex for my birthday last week and I've been using it everyday since. I really love the colours and the shimmery finish that the shadows have. Check out my review below :)
 
Pigmentation: The pigmentation in this set is really great. The shadows go on true to colour, although some are obviously more visible than others. I particularly like the pigmentation in Silk Teddy. The colour is so pretty and shimmery without being glittery and it lasts all day long.
Score (out of 10): 10

Application: For the most part, the application is smooth and even. Since most of the colours are very shimmery, they take a little more work to blend out, especially when compared to the matte colours in the palette. For instance, Honey Pot, Silk Teddy and Push-Up all take a little longer to blend than Heaven, but they all transfer evenly onto your eyelid after some gentle brushing.
Score (out of 10): 9

Colours: I LOVE the colours in this palette! Even though it's a natural eye colour set, there are more than enough colours to do both a day and evening look. I like to wear Heaven as a base coat all over my lid, with Velvet Revolver in the crease and Silk Teddy as a highlight under the brow and in the inside corners of my eyes. It's so shimmery and gorgeous without being too in-your-face.
Score (out of 10): 10

Packaging: I don't normally put much value in the packaging of a product so long as it's functional, but this Too Faced palette has particularly good packaging. Not only is the box adorable (point for cuteness!), but it comes with three little eye charts with suggested makeup looks. It's such a great way to experiment with the palette and get ideas for new looks. And then when you're all done with them, they slip back into the lid and out of the way. Genius!
Score (out of 10): 10

Total (out of 40): 30.00 - 98% wooo!!!

Wishing you fun makeup looks and shimmery eyes!
Talk soon,
Vi

Tuesday 21 August 2012

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Shorts: American Eagle (find a similar pair here)
Blazer: Twik, Simons (find a similar one here)
Shirt: Joe Fresh (find a similar one here)
Belt: My dad's (find a similar one here)

Hi everyone :) I thought that I'd do a quick OOTD post today since I haven't posted one in a while. This is what I wore yesterday to grab drinks with my friend. The weather was surprisingly cold (fall is coming!) and, in retrospect, I would have worn jeans instead. This outfit is almost exactly the same as the one I featured a couple of weeks ago (see it here), except that I have added some layers for warmer weather.

Blazers are a great way to transition from summer to fall. This grey version is from Simons, one of my favourite department stores in Montreal, and it's great for cooler weather because of the lightweight material and three-quarter length sleeves. It's not as heavy as a winter blazer or a more formal work-appropriate blazer, so it's perfect for autumn.

I really like the look of blue and white together with dark brown leather accents. It gives the outfit a kind of Ralph Lauren (dare I say Olympic...) feeling. Very 'All-American' (or All-North-American in my case). All I need is a buff gold medalist on my arm and I'm ready to go ;)

Talk soon,
Vi

Friday 17 August 2012

BIRTHDAY BLISS

Hi everyone :) Yesterday was my 23rd birthday - yay! To celebrate, I had my best girlfriends and my sister over for dinner. I really love hosting dinner parties because it combines all of the best social aspects - great friends, great food and great conversation!
 
One of my favourite parts of party prep (and I realize that this probably makes me a freak), is planning out a yummy menu. For my bday dinner my mama and I made chicken curry with naan, roasted cauliflower and salad with mixed berries and balsamic dressing (recipe post to come). Yum yum! I had such an amazing evening catching up with all of my favourite people :) I even got to have a little skype chat with my dad in Greece!
After dinner we indulged in chocolate and raspberry cake - which I convinced my begrudging boss to make for me haha - and coffee with Bailey's...mmmmmm.... Then I chatted the evening away with all of my loved ones. Perfection <3

While I usually steer clear of haul-type blogs (it always feels a little 'show-off-y'), I really love to read about what other bloggers buy on their shopping trips/receive as gifts, so I'm gonna give it a go. Let me just start with a little disclaimer to say that I am fully aware how generous and amazing my family and friends are and that I very very much appreciate their wonderful gifts!! That being said, I really got some amazing loot this time round hahah!!
My amazing friend Alyssa (read about our trip to Osheaga here) bought me a great Smashbox eyeshadow and highlight,which I tried this morning and absolutely loved! She also got me Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns). I'm sooo excited to read this - it looks hilarious!! We both love Tina Fey's Bossypants and she said that this was even funnier.
Another thank you goes out to Alex (read about our New York Adventure here), who bought me the Too Faced Natural Eye palette. We went to Sephora while we were in Montreal two weeks ago and I was drooling over the colours in the Too Faced palettes, so she got me one of my own! I used the creamy Day shadow this morning and it had the softest, most blendable texture.
Continuing with the makeup trend, my friend Lauren bought me the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay. Last time that we went makeup shopping together, we were debating which Naked palette that we liked more and I said that I loved the colours in the newer version but that I couldn't justify spending that much on myself. So that little minx went out and got it for my birthday! I can't wait to try doing a smoky eye with all of these colours!!
The other gifts that I got were all apartment-related. I'm gonna have the snazziest-looking apartment on the block with all of these great gifts! My good friend Allison, who I've known since we met at the babysitter's house when we were four, made me a beautiful decorative pillow. She's so crafty that she perfectly matched the colours to the headboard that I made for my bedroom!! Isn't it pretty!?
Last but not least, my sister took me to Chapters to pick out some fun home stuff for my new place. I chose this amazing glass water carafe (for future dinner parties!) with a wooden stopper, as well as a package of adorable birdie thank you cards! I love pretty stationary and I needed some new thank you cards for school next year.

And of course I wouldn't have such lovely blog pictures without the help of my amazing parents, who helped me buy my new Nikon D3100 camera for my birthday. I can't believe how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family. Days like this really make you stop and appreciate all of the people that you love. Thank you so much to everyone for making my bday so special! And happy birthday to all of the other birthday boys and girls out there ;)

Talk soon,
Vi

Wednesday 15 August 2012

OSHEAGA - DAY 2

Romper: Garage Clothing (find a similar version here)
Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban (find them here
Hat: Femme (find a similar one here)

Hi everyone:) Sorry it took me so long to gather all of the pictures from Day 2 of the festival, but here they are! Hope you enjoy. Since it was another scorcher (42 degree with the humidity), I reached for my floral romper - it's such an ol' faithful for hot days! I paired it with my olive green wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off my face and my Ray Ban sunglasses. Once it cooled off it the evening, I ditched my hat and pulled my hair up in a bun to keep it off my neck :)

The weather was soooo hot in the afternoon, that we spent a lot of time hanging out in the shade listening to music. We saw lots of great bands including The Sheepdogs, Feist, The Arkells and even the newly reincarnated Snoop Lion (reincarnation seems to have done nothing for his sense of timing, however. He was the only artist who took the stage late - a whopping 45min!).
Every little speck of shade was occupado :)
We also saw all sorts of people doing 'yarn graffiti'" - it was everywhere!
Once the sun went down and the weather started to cool off a bit, we were able to get closer to the mainstages. We met up with some old friends from university and got to spend the evening with them! It was so nice to catch up and listen to music and relax together :)
Old friends together again :)
The last concert of the night was The Sheepdogs and they were really amazing live! I had seen them once on an episode of Project Runway, where the challenge was to design outfits for the musicians that suited the band's sound. They came up with some crazy 70s'-style get-ups! Safe to say that the band looked much more relaxed in their own clothes, lol! They kinda reminded me of older versions of Hyde from That 70s Show (I'm not gonna lie I have a huge crush on that curly-haired rebel haha).

Looks out for my post on our last day at the festival!
(Today's my birthday too, so I'll do a post on that as well - yay!)
Talk soon,
Vi

Friday 10 August 2012

OSHEAGA - DAY 1

 
 Dress: H&M (find them here)
Earring: Aldo Accessories (find a similar one here)
Ring: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar one here
Necklace: My mom's vintage belt (find a similar one here)
Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)
Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban (find them here
Hat: Femme (find a similar one here)

This past weekend, I took a four day mini vacation with my two girlfriends Alex and Alyssa. Thursday afternoon, we packed up my car and drove six hours to Montreal to attend the Osheaga music festival! I was sooo excited to finally get there after booking my tickets way back in March. I really miss living in Montreal - the city is so vibrant and interesting! It was such an amazing place to 'grow up' after high school :)

As part of our nostalgic tour, we decided to stay in our old university residence (more because of the cheap rates than because we missed it) for the weekend. It was so nice to be back in our old neighbourhood, that we dropped our stuff in our room and then went straight to our favourite pub, Ye Old Orchard (the rose cider is to die-for!). Yum yum!

The next morning dawned sunny and scorching hot as we made our way to the festival grounds. I decided to wear my white H&M dress to beat the heat. Even though it has 3/4-length sleeves, it's nice and cool because they're made of lace. I also wore my green Indiana Jones hat (that's what I call it in my head lol) to keep the sun off my face and head. Hats and sunglasses were weekend staples to avoid sunstroke! For a little bit of festival fun, I piled on the accessories. I wore one of my Aldo feather earrings, my chain-link necklace/belt and two rings (sadly you can only see one in the pictures). Accessories are a great way to add dimension to an outfit without getting bogged down in hot layers in the summertime :)
 Hiding from the summer sun
When we first got to Osheaga, we parked ourselves under the trees to relax and take in the festival. There was such good people watching with all the amazing fashion! Once we had cooled off, we walked around the park to explore the stages. There were five different stages spread out all over the grounds (side note: this would become a total pain in the butt when it came to traveling between far-away shows)!
 Of Monsters and Men
The first big show that we caught was Of Monsters and Men. It was sooo crowded, you could barely get a glimpse of the band. Thankfully, they had speakers broadcasting the music and big-screen televisions. Alex and I listened from under some shady trees, while Alyssa braved the crowd to get up-close and personal with the band.
 My I'm-excited-for-Florence face!
 
 Florence + The Machine
Day 1 of Osheaga, we saw a ton of great bands, including Fun. (so energetic and charismatic live), Sigur Ros (they went on just as the sun was setting - perfect ambiance!), Justice (last show of the night and well worth the wait) and many more. The highlight of that day - and probably of the whole festival - for me was definitely Florence + The Machine!! I was sooo excited to see her live and, despite performing in Toronto the night before, she was pitch-perfect!! She was also wearing an amazing ultramarine blue mini dress with a translucent full-length overlay and jeweled cuffs. It was to die-for! Safe to say that I have a Stage 5 Girl Crush.

That night we were so tired from the festival (and intensely-crowded subway ordeal), that we ordered pizza and watched the Olympics in the hotel before falling asleep. Perfect end to the perfect day lol! Stay tuned for my Day 2 and Day 3 posts!

Talk soon,
Vi

Tuesday 7 August 2012

FESTIVAL FASHION - OSHEAGA 2012

Hi everyone :)

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent this weekend at the Osheaga music festival in Montreal. The sun was shining and the music was playing as we caught up with some of our favourite bands. I'll post about my trip in more detail in the coming week, but here are some pictures of the awesome, outrageous, crazy festival fashion that I saw. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Talk soon,
Vi


Wednesday 1 August 2012

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Dress: Simons, Montreal (find a similar one here)
Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban (find them here

Hi everyone! Please excuse the lack of posting this past week - it's been super busy at the restaurant because of the sunny weather :) Only one more month until I move to Kingston and start law school! Today I went to one of my favourite restaurants, Mexico Lindo, to celebrate my friend's birthday. As I mentioned, the weather has been scorching hot and sunny, so I decided to keep my outfit as light as possible. I really love this floral shift dress from Simons because it keeps you cool on even the hottest of days. The bright, busy pattern balances out the super-simple shape and the empire waist is extra forgiving for those summer days when you've eaten one too many ice creams ;)

This weekend I will make up for my lack of posting, since I'm going to spend four days in Montreal for the Osheaga music festival! I'm sooo excited that it's finally here; it seems like I booked the tickets a million years ago! I can't wait to see all the crazy festival fashion. I've planned some fun outfits for myself too, so I'll share it all with you guys when I get back. Look out for Osheage posts early next week!

Have a great long weekend!
Talk soon,
Vi

**P.S. I just got my very first spray tan, so here's to hoping that I look like a bronzed goddess instead of an oompa-loompa!