personally speaking – since when did a bad haircut become CHIC?

I DON’T UNDERSTAND why some women pay good money to look like she gave herself a BAD HAIRCUT!

Eva Herzigova in Prada Ad from last Spring.
Eva Herzigova in Prada Ad from last Spring.

I don’t know about everyone else but I’m thinking that when you go to the hairdresser you should leave feeling better than when you first walked in.  For me that means taking off an inch or two to help tidy up split ends, some layers that fall nicely around the face and a blow dry that lasts for a minimum of three days.  A good haircut should make you feel sexier don’t you agree?  Well as it so happens not everyone’s idea of sexy is the same….

bangs1THE BAD BANG THEORY:

Herzigova is beautiful but maybe she wants to distract people with bangs that look like they were cut with safety scissors in the dark.

Weirdly enough, there seems to be a lot of deliberately bad hair around these days.  Uneven bangs, lopsided looks, scissor marks & seemingly haphazard haircuts.  Case in point: a stylist who created a cut for a story in W magazine of a model wearing a Dior Haute Couture dress.  She may have been wearing haute couture but the effect the hair stylist (Malcolm Edwards) was going for with his zigzag coif was that of a kid who cut her hair with the kitchen scissors.  But of course for that shoot, the model wore a wig.  However the idea is for the reader to deliberately witness a crazy cut.  As if Dior needs something to distract you from a beautiful dress?

Lena Durham in Girls - season finale
Lena Durham in Girls – season finale

Also, in the dramatic season finale of Girls, Lena Dunham hacks away recklessly at her tresses but in the end miraculously ends up with a sassy, cute little pixie cut – which suits her quirky style.

Lena Durham's cute pixie cut.
Lena Durham’s cute pixie cut.

No longer is cutting your own hair considered a desperate cry for help (Britney??)

Erin Anderson has handled the hair of Mila Jovovich and Chloë  Sevigny.  She works out of Woodley & Bunny in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn (a part of town where the girls who look like they cut their hair themselves probably live).  “The DIY haircut has been around for some time,” insists Anderson.  She recalls a time when a client of hers went so far as to ask her to cut his hair with her eyes closed.  Anderson’s strict rule:  Never cut your own hair while under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.  “Everything tends to look good if you’re drunk or stoned,” she says.

A hairdresser who goes by the name of Duffy (he’s also a classically trained stylist from the Vidal Sassoon school) has a request for a bad haircut…..he understands exactly what the customer is asking for.  “We have a painting at home by an artist called Alistair Frost – a canvas with a squiggle in it,” he says.  “The kid was 26 and had the confidence to make this gesture and turn around and say, ‘This is my work.’  That’s what this haircut is about.  The uninfluenced gesture.”  Still, it’s a hell of a lot easier said than done.  “For me to forget all I’ve learned and cut your hair like a kid did it is 10 times harder than if I were just to simply give you a graduated bob,” Duffy says.  He tells this customer that if she had fine blonde hair, he could make her hair look like it was chewed by a rat in six minutes but with her curly hair even if he hacked the crap out of it, it would be hard to see the damage.  So the good & bad news for this customer is that it would be difficult to give her a bad haircut.

As seen in W Magazine

Lesson – a GOOD STYLIST trying to give you a bad haircut is different from a BAD STYLIST trying to give you a good haircut.

What do you think?  Is the Hatchet Haircut for you?

Beauty with Benefits – Best of the BB Creams

bb7This post comes a bit after the fact because unless you’ve been living under a rock (or you’re a man) you might still be confused over which of the supposedly one-step wonder BEAUTY BALMS really works.

Never mind the new crop of “CC” creams which claims to offer color & correction to boot – we’ll get to them another time.  I haven’t even finished sampling the multitudes of BB creams yet, so give me another year & hopefully by that time they will not have introduced a ‘DD’ cream too.  After all, how much can one tube really offer?  Unless you’re 12 years old or have a perfectly perfect complexion my opinion is that none will put the beauty company face primers, powders or foundations out of business anytime soon.  In the meantime they will help cover up a few skin concerns.

 Here’s what the buzz is all about:

 The “it” beauty product has everyone from MAC to Maybelline adding one to their line – nobody wants to miss out.  But why all the fuss over these quirky named creams?  Two words – quick and easy.  A BB cream works as a moisturizer, foundation, and sunscreen all in one.  Yes, that’s right!  A good one will do all that.  They deliver the lightweight feel of a tinted moisturizer with the complexion-evening powers of a foundation and help to conceal oiliness.  These creams might be new to us but they actually originated in Germany in the 60’s and then became a Korean phenomenon.  There, women used BBs to give their skin a smooth, porcelain-like quality.  However those formulas were too heavy and their shade range too limiting for North American women, so they were slightly re-worked for the U.S./Cdn market, with an emphasis on sheerness,  shade variety & SPF.

They are regarded as an ultimate multi-tasker.  For now, the  bounty of BBs out there means lots of options, but subtleties of formulations can be the difference between a product that’s your new skin saviour and just another tube hogging space on your bathroom shelf.

 So to help, here are a few recommended for different skin types:

bb1Combination – Garnier Skin Renew BB Miracle Skin Perfector (SPF 15) is an all-in-one skin care that hydrates, corrects imperfections, protects, evens and brightens skin tone.  It offers anti-shine, minimizes pores & evens skin tone.  Comes in 2 shades, light/medium, and medium/dark.  For the price you can’t beat this one.

bb2Sensitive – Clinique Age Defense BB cream (SPF 30) with skin calming ingredients like caffeine and a licorice extract to help minimize redness and inflammation.  If you’re susceptible to rosacea it could be your salve-ation.

bb3Oily – Smashbox camera ready (SFP 35) contains silica which helps absorb oil throughout the day.  It has a cream-to-powder finish which creates a beautiful soft-focus effect.

bb5Mature – Hydroxatone Anti-Aging BB (SPF 40) contains ceramides & glycerine to keep complexion hydrated through the day.  It contains peptides to help promote collagen production.                                                                        **Side note:  I tried this one & honestly as nice as it was, the Garnier (with less SPF – but good for winter) & less money worked out just as well for me.

bb6Young (I also refer to this category as ‘Normal’) – Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (SPF 30) is more of a gel than cream.  It has subtle coverage but is also oil-free, making it excellent for teens and 20-somethings prone to blemishes.

bb8Dark Skin – IMAN Cosmetics Skin Tone Evener BB (SPF 15) has a luminous quality which keeps complexions from looking ashy.  Because dark skin is prone to hyper-pigmentation, this cream packs ascorbic acid, which improves texture, and licorice-root extracts to suppress melanin production.

esteeDry Skin – Estee Lauder Day Wear Antioxidant BB (SPF 35) is a combo of intense hydrators which keep complexion from flaking.  Contains hyaluronic acid to draw water to skin and glycerine to prevent moisture from escaping.  It’s featherweight & soothing.  Comes in 2 shades so you may need to layer on something else over it.

Any other recommendations?

 

Timeless Trends – the MOTO Jacket

cropped-moto1.jpgWhat can we say about the Motorcycle jacket that’s new? moto6

Hardly a trend but the Fall runway introduced fresh colors and feminine touches.  This season’s versions haven’t lost an ounce of coolness with their intricate network of zippers, still keeping the bad-ass vibe.moto10

Even though, the look is more deliberate than in the past.  You can toss one over a silky dress, casual denim or even pair them with coordinating bottoms (often made of leather) for a dressier feel.  Jackets were also worn zipped, functioning more as a top.moto3

Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde

A big trend this Fall is contrasting sleeves and to mix it with luxurious fabrics like brocade or velvet for a different take.

Kate the great
Kate the great
Gwyneth, Angelina, Jessica
Gwyneth, Angelina, Jessica

moto5moto4frontrowmagazineWhich style is your favorite?

Simply Satisfying – stuffed Portabello mushrooms

grilled stuffed portabello
grilled stuffed portabello

This can almost suffice as a meal on its own, but giant portabello mushrooms are terrific as a side dish for grilled fish or steak, or as a vegetarian main dish because they have that meaty ‘steak like’ texture.  They’re healthy, filling and so satisfying.  Here is a recipe that’s not really a recipe.

How-to:

Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve for another use, such as stock. Hollow out a bit of the mushroom taking care not to cut through the whole thing – just scoop out some of the flesh to make room for stuffing. Brush mushrooms all over with oil.

Prepare quinoa or rice (I recommend wild rice if you don’t want to use quinoa) ahead of time.  Wash 1 ½ cups of quinoa or rice & place in pot with 3 cups of water/stock (I like chicken or veggie ‘better than’ bouillon).  You’ll have more than enough – but more is always better.

In a separate pan with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil sauté the following vegetables (although you can improvise using whatever veggies you prefer).

I used what was on hand:

1 chopped onion, 1 chopped red pepper, french-cut green beans, sundried tomatoes & a few mushrooms (you can also use the stems which you must remove from the Portabello).  Just sauté with s+p (plus other spices) until tender but still slightly crisp. I then added cuban-style black beans, corn, peas & quinoa (you decide how much)  to the mix.

Place mushrooms, cut side down, on greased cookie sheet (or pyrex) in a 350F oven just until juices start to release, about 4 minutes.  Take out of oven.

Turn mushrooms and spoon filling.  At this point I added sliced green onions & feta on top (although parmesan would be nice too), drizzle with a bit more olive oil and cook mushrooms until tender, about 15 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Weekend – Whistler in the Rain

Spirit Run & Just Plain Fun

whistler3It may have rained all weekend long but it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits. 

Overall View - from images
Overall View – from images
Room with a View - from balcony
Room with a View – from my balcony

I enjoyed a fabulous girls weekend with my sister & a friend where we stayed at the Pan Pacific Village Centre (right in the heart), a sponsor for the Whistler Spirit Run.

Nothing wrong with a little relaxation, a little shopping, lots of laughs, fabulous food, wine,  live music & finishing off with a relay run on Sunday afternoon which took place at Whistler Olympic Park, the real reason we went up in the first place.

That's the Spirit!
That’s the Spirit!

Since its inception 6 years ago, The Whistler Spirit Run has attracted people of all ages and built strong relationships. The run, part of the Vancouver Sun Run Series and Lower Mainland Cross Country Series, is a Cross Country and Trail running event featuring something for everyone. It is the realization of the late coach Frank Reynolds’ vision to have a mass participation cross country event while encouraging and supporting British Columbia high school and University athletes through charitable donations and scholarship programs.whistler5

It consists of cross country events of various distances for school and club teams, a fun 4x2KM team relay and individual competitive races with substantial prize money.

Sign me up again next  year!

Dee, Lisa, Deb, Tamara
Dee, Lisa, Deb, Tamara

IMG_20130929_121611Rogers Radio was also a sponsor so I ran as part of my sisters JackFM team – hence the vibrant orange t + jacket.

I must recommend Sushi Sen in Squamish for fresh + unique rolls.
I must recommend Sushi Sen in Squamish for the most delicious, fresh + unique rolls.
Two coneheads - at Sushi Sen
Two cone heads – at Sushi Sen

 

Vintage Words

Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a woman and loose enough to show you’re a lady. – Edith Head, legendary costume designer

2chicevents.com
2chicevents.com

Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress. – Coco Chanel

“A woman’s dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.” – Sophia Loren

“What I really love about them…is the fact that they contain someone’s personal  history…I find myself wondering about their lives. I can never look at a garment…without thinking about the woman who owned it.  How old was she?  Did she work?  Was she married?  Was she happy? When you buy a piece of vintage clothing you’re not just buying a fabric and thread – you’re buying a piece of someone’s past.” – Isabel Wolff, A Vintage Affair 

Fall in love with our new “VINTAGE” board on Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/intrigueimports/v-i-n-t-a-g-e/

B well – be particular with the CARBS you eat

Little healthful tidbits that go a long way…the good, the bad & the plain ugly truth:

carbs2Don’t we know it by now! While carbs tend to get a lot of bad press (think the Atkins diet), they are an essential part of any diet if you expect to have energy and function at an optimal level. “Your body definitely needs carbs,” says nutritionist Kelly Aronica, who believes that they should make up at least 50-60% of the calories you consume daily. Why? Because glucose, the simplest type of carbohydrate, is the only thing that can be used to meet the energy needs of the body, support the brain and nervous system, and maintain a well-functioning digestive system.

How Carbs Can Help You Lose Weight

Though the body has a backup plan if no carbohydrates are eaten, it’s not perfect (hence why it’s meant as a backup plan). As Aronica explains it, if there’s a lack of carbohydrates, the body essentially converts protein and fat into glucose, which is what the body converts into fuel so we have energy. The problem is that this system is less efficient and slower than just consuming carbohydrates and, depending on your sensitivity level, it often leads to low energy and light-headedness. But that’s not the only reason to eat carbs.

As Aronica puts it, carbs are also needed because their presence lets the body know to release insulin, which is necessary to use the glucose to build muscle, energy storage, and even fat (if you have excess glucose). Now if the mention of fat made you start to believe all those anti-carb rants, then you need to remember that there’s a big difference between carbs that provide fiber, nutrients, and vitamins and ones that only supply sugar. Don’t believe us? Aronica points out that a recent study from the New England Journal of Medicine “showed that eating refined potato products, sweetened drinks, sweets and desserts, fruit juice, and other refined grains were linked to weight gain where high-fiber carbs were linked to long term weight loss.” So instead of banishing carbs from your diet, be more particular about the ones you eat.

Avoid refined carbohydrates (like white bread) and opt for the carbs that have high-fiber levels and a bounty of nutrients and vitamins, like folate and heart healthy omega-3’s. While most of the fibers in food aren’t actually digestible, they provide a lot of other important health benefits to keep you operating at your best and are a necessary part of any diet. To help you make better choices, we put together a list of the carbs that are best for your body.

Carbs with Lots of Folate

Lentils, 1 cup Cooked: 1 cup, 358 milligrams
Beets, Cooked, 1 cup: 136 milligrams
Brussels Sprouts, Cooked: 1 cup, 157 milligrams
Black-eyed Peas: 1 cup, canned, 358 milligrams
Chickpeas, Cooked: 1 cup, 282 milligrams
Okra, Cooked: 1 cup, 269 milligrams

Carbs High in Protein

Buckwheat Flour: 1 cup, 15.14 grams
Rice, Long-Grain, Dry: 1 cup, 15.00 grams
Soybeans, Boiled: 1 cup, 28.62 grams
Couscous, Dry: 1 cup, 22.07 grams
White Beans, Canned: 1 cup, 19.02 grams
Black Beans, Cooked: 1 cup, 15.24 grams

Carbs High in Vitamin C

Peaches: 1 cup, 235.5 milligrams
Red Peppers, Cooked: 1 cup, 232.6 milligrams
1 Papaya: 187.9 milligrams
Grape Juice, 6-fluid-ounce can: 179.5 milligrams
Brussels Sprouts: 1 cup, 96.7 milligrams
Peas, Cooked: 1 cup, 76.6 milligrams

Carbs High in Iron

Soybeans: 1 cup, 8.84 milligrams
Cream of Wheat Cereal: 1 packet cooked, 8.09 milligrams
Lentils, Cooked: 1 cup, 6.59 milligrams
Spinach, Cooked: 1 cup, 6.43 milligrams

 As seen on Yahoo shine!carb1

Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America.

Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health

Personally speaking, what could be better than combining Art with Fashion?

making the best impression
making the best impression

Moving forward as we look back

Combining art & fashion with ‘Dior Impressions’ – a new design book about the ‘Master.’

Another fabulous coffee table book.  Whether cut with ballooning bustles or embroidered with a multitude of chiffon petals, Christian Dior’s dresses evoked the light, color and fluidity in the work of the French Impressionists.  And it wasn’t by chance.  A lover of both art and flowers, Dior found tremendous inspiration in the plein air paintings of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  ‘Dior (Rizzoli), a new book published to accompany an exhibition at the Musee Christian Dior in Granville, France, explores the 19th-century art movement’s role in shaping the fashion house – from Dior’s very first designs to a Raf Simons (the current designer) 2012 couture gown, the pastel colors of which recall a Monet canvas.  K.N. for W Magazine.

Natalie Portman models for Dior
Natalie Portman models for Dior

A little bit of fashion history: “The future has arrived and it’s all about dreaming of the past” the essayist and novelist Kurt Anderson once wrote.  This was true of the 2013 Fall shows.  Ideas from decades old collections showed up on the runways and felt entirely au courant.  This was particularly central to Raf Simon’s second ready-to-wear collection for Dior.  With a passion for art similar to Monsieur Dior, Simons embroidered early Warhol fashion illustrations onto dresses and embossed them onto clutches.

Charlize Theron wears Dior
Charlize Theron wears Dior

It doesn’t take a student of fashion history to understand the allure of a coquettishly punk cocktail number, nipped in at the waist in the most feminine, flattering way.  Fashion’s tendency to sample and recycle is certainly nothing new.  So, when it comes to reinterpreting sartorial history, Simons says “it’s important to think of fashion as part of life. The past can inform, but nostalgia should not be a part of it.”

Taken from an article written by Karin Nelson – This Old Thing?

beauty cabinet essential – Geisha Inc.

A product review – with love from Vancouver, B.C.

001 (2)I’ve always held a fascination for all things Geisha.  In fact, I followed a few when visiting Kyoto many years ago & it was pretty obvious. I love the ancient tradition (their skill in dancing, singing and playing musical instruments such as the flute and shamisen), their alluring beauty and gracefulness. The white skin, the elaborate jet black hair, red painted lips & glorious silk kimonos.  They look like porcelain dolls.  I loved the book ‘memoirs of a geisha’ (couldn’t put in down) and the movie too.  But the closest I’ll ever get to a geisha now is by wearing Geisha Inc. liquid eyeliner.  Not the same, but a little bit goes a long way.

Liquid eyeliner is not the easiest makeup product to work with for us non-geisha type girls.  If you don’t have a steady hand it can get real messy real quick or can look way over the top. But then I discovered (okay I didn’t really discover it but I did find) a great liquid liner that delivers nice pigment with ease of use.  To be honest, the packaging is what sold me at first but the product happily delivers.  Bonus – the company is based in Vancouver, B.C.

 What is it?

Geisha Ink Liquid Eyeliner is a 24 Hour water and smudge-proof formula that delivers effortless and precise application with its revolutionary microfiber brush tip. This quick-drying formula helps create subtle to dramatic looks.  It comes in brown or black.

How to?

Shake liner a few times before use. Apply with enclosed micro-fiber brush to ensure precise application. Close cap tightly after each usage. Removes easily with warm water and/or regular eye makeup remover. For best result, use a eye primer or powder eye area prior to application.

Available at:

wish.list boutique
2811 West Broadway

Beauty Bar
2142 West 4th Avenue

 For more locations visit Website: http://www.geishaink.com

Style – putting the Passion back into Fashion

fun & flirty
fun & flirty

With ROMANTIC DRESSES

Some of the new selections offer easy volume, nipped-in waists and are covered in things we all love to receive…..flowers + baubles!

haute couture
haute couture
Jenny Packham
Jenny Packham

The dresses may be feminine and fanciful but the footwear is surprisingly utilitarian.   If Mary Janes or Ballet Flats are not your thing, opt for wearing heels or ankle booties.

Kate Spade
Kate Spade

To enhance the glamour, try wearing your hair off the face or pulled back into a chignon.  Hopefully these dresses will sweep you off your feet!dresses5Bella-Thorne-2013-Dance-Awards-Las-Vegas-portrait-cropped-230x338

Gwyneth Paltrow wears Isabel Marant - look at the shoes!
Gwyneth Paltrow wears Isabel Marant – look at the shoes!