I.dare.you.

This weekend, I dare you to...

...eat carbs and gluten and sugar.

...call someone you love. Tell that person you love him/her.

...let the person in the back of you in the grocery line go ahead of you. 
...compliment a stranger. 
...wear no makeup for a whole day. 
...read a book you've always wanted to read.

...turn your phone off for the day.
...take a risk. 
...forgive. And even forget. 

Have a happy weekend lovers.

MTV

Hi everyone!

So did anyone watch the MTV yesterday? Okay, I really have to do a post on this.

Ohh JT I love you! It was a big night for Justin Timberlake.... and well, it finally happened! Yes, NSYNC was reunited. 

Miley Cyrus! Seriously, I'm sure she is a nice girl but what was she thinking??! I'm still traumatized by her performance. People, this is Hannah Montana we're talking about! She twerked to her song "We Can't Stop" (okay, I kinda of like the song ah!). She changed into a nude bikini, ran a fan's foam finger along her privates as Robin Thicke appeared on stage... 

As for lady Gaga... She kicked off the awards show in a less dramatic fashion. She did change her clothes at least 4 times while dancing and singing her new hit, Applause. She finished in a thong. 

Go watch the performances on mtv.com

Fill in the blank Friday {travel edition}

Guess what? It's Friday!!

I hope you have fab weekend plans. If you want to fill in some blanks, head over to the little things we do and join in on the fun. 

1.   My favorite place I've ever traveled to is  Barcelona and Tokyo. 

2.    South Africa     is somewhere I’d love to go someday.

3.  I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by     listening to music and/or reading magazines

4.  My three must-haves when I travel are     my Galaxy Note    ,    snacks   and     a cozy blanket   

5.  My favorite travel companion is    my friend Angie  .

6.  The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is    I was in Paris-Charles-de-Gaulles  and just when I was about to board the plane, my flight was cancelled! The pilots decided to go on strike. Yeah, on strike. Just three minutes before boarding!!!  Ah, those french people... I had to spent 6 hours in a train to get to Bordeaux... Really, merci! 

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is    Seriously, I had no clue what I ate in Tokyo. 

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in    San Francisco (or anywhere on the West Coast). 

9. I have been to 

  four  

states in the U.S. 

New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.

Happy weekend, friends!

A to Z Bookish Survey!

I'm a total book lover. 

Yup, I'm a bookworm and a nerd - and I'm proud of it. Give me a book (a good one) and you won't see me until it is done. So I've been seeing the A to Z Survey (created by Jaime from The Perpetual Page), everywhere. I just had to participate! 

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Sophie Kinsella. Definitely guilty pleasures. I've read 10 of her books. Second place, Charlaine Harris. I've read 9 of the True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse books. 

Best Sequel Ever:

Hands down, Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan.  Absolutely loved it, can't wait for the final installment.

Currently Reading:

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Drink of Choice While Reading:

If I'm at Starbucks, I love drinking a Soya Chai Latte. If at home, usually a tea.  

E-reader or Physical Book?

I love my Kobo, but I still prefer the feel of an actual book in my hands. 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Cam from Wait for you. He is perfection!

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer. 

Hidden Gem Book:

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. I adore this book so much it hurts.

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Discovering Goodreads.com 
Seriously, Goodreads is just the site for all bookworm to be. Goodreads is like Facebook for books. It is a social media site for readers that allows you to add, rate, review, and share your reading experiences with others. You see, thanks to Goodreads, I went from a horrible, sloppy reading habit of one or two books a year to over forty. Yup, 40!!

Just Finished:

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I'll read almost anything, but religious non-fiction does not appeal to me at all. 

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1037 pages)
When I was little, I was completely obsessed with the movie. 
Scarlett O'Hara. Gone with the Wind. Classic. Timeless.

Major book hangover because of:

Consequences by Aleatha Romig 

When I finished it, it was just a wtf-do-I-with-my-life-now moment. I couldn't pick up another book for at least a week after reading it and I couldn't stop tearing up at random moments.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Two bookcases. Oh just look at this library (I'm in love!).

This is Diane Von Furstenberg's library!!

Photo: elledecor.com

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

I hardly ever reread books! I just feel like there are so many amazing books out there, I need to get through them all. 

Preferred Place To Read:

In bed. 

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“Darling, when things go wrong in life, you lift your chin, put on a ravishing smile, mix yourself a little cocktail...” ― Sophie Kinsella

Reading Regret:

I’m very selective with what I will read because it’s a big time commitment. If I start a book and I’m not connecting with it, I don’t mind moving on to the next. I know there are many people that have to finish if they start… but I am not one of those people. 

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The true blood series

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

- The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo 

- Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth

- Convicted (Consequences, #3)  by Aleatha Romig 

-  Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Worst Bookish Habit:

It's so hard for me to decide what to read next. I have to find the perfect book fitting my mood of the moment.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Perfect Manhattan by Leanne Shear and  Tracey Toomey. 

Your latest book purchase:

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Shadowfever (Fever #5) by Karen Marie Moning I was going to put it down before bed but was like “what’s one more chapter?” and then uh oh…it’s 3am.

Wish List

One day if when I have entirely way too much money...

Here are some of the things I shall splurge on... 

Matte Black Maserati? Um, absolutely! 

Rolex + Cartier? Hell yeah!

Celine bag Luggage Tote‏

Hermes Birkin

Love Diane Von Furstenberg home collection

photo: http://www.midwesthomemag.com

Imac

A girl can dream, right?

Homemade Vitamin Water

I'm a lazy water drinker. 

Eight glasses of water every day? Blah... No matter how you pour them, that's a lot of liquid!!! So I've been trying to find a way to drink more water: herbal tea, water with lemon and now, vitamin water. Yup, I've tried the homemade vitamin water (thanks A!!) and wow, this is so cool. 

Okay, so you all know the Vitamin Water, right? They come in all sorts of colors and flavors and Coca-Cola (who owns Vitamin Water) claims a whole list of health benefits and so on... Well, there's been a controversy over those claims ~ overpriced bottle of colored sugar water. Ah! Nothing healthy about that. Instead of buying those bottles, try making you own vitamin water at home. This is a great way to have a cool, refreshing and flavorful drink. I'm really want to avoid sugary drinks so this is a good way to decrease your sugar intake and total calories in your day. 

Try this simple recipe. 

You need:

Mash the strawberries. 

Add all the ingredients in a mason jar or bottle and mix. 

Other recipes:

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

I know I don't have wrinkles yet, but prevention is key. 

Now, I know what you're thinking... Anti-aging at 27? Well... Yes!! I don't have wrinkles but I would rather start preventing it now than cry later. So let's start with removing makeup... Many woman don't even realize they are not removing their makeup off properly. Or some are too lazy. I know i know... You've been dancing all night long, had too much to drink and now you're in the taxi and all you can think of is your bed. You get home and just decide to quickly remove your makeup. Really? Imagine all the makeup, oils, dirt, and pollution that collect on your skin during the day! By not removing the makeup (or not even properly) before bed, you're allowing bacteria to get trapped inside of the skin which can lead to clogged pore and breakouts. 

Everyone knows that a healthy lifestyle includes a good nights sleep, but it's also the key to great skin. If you have a good skincare regimen, your skin will be able to breathe and regenerate itself during the whole night while you sleep. 

When it comes time to take off my makeup, I usually follow this routine: 

I really love Neutrogena products. I usually remove all my makeup with wipes and then use a cotton pad for the eyes. Neutrogena Oil-free makeup remover is my favorite. It is amazing at removing waterproof mascara with no effort. 

If you don't know about Clarisonic, go read my review now!! click here. So I use two different cleansers (one gentle and one for more deep cleansing). I interchange them each two weeks (why? I don't want my skin to get used to one product). I really like Purity because it is gentle, fresh, and it cleans really, really well. I use it with my Clarisonic and it really does miracles!

Maybe your skin still feels oily after you wash it, or you wish your skin and pores could be a little tighter? Toning is an important step. After cleansing, what your skin needs is a range of ingredients that restore and repair its surface. This will help balance the PH on your skin and preps for your skincare products. Toners also help to remove the last trace of makeup, dirt and dead cells that your cleanser has left behind. 

I use the Clinique toner 3 and Bioré Triple Action Astrigent. Please note that those products are for my skin type (combination/oily skin). The Clinique toner is strong and smells very much of alcohol. This is a good toner for clearing up acnes, blackheads. It makes my T zone smooth and clear. As for the Bioré toner, it thoroughly cleans your face, taking off all the oil residues, dirt, etc... It also help clear your face and stop pimples.

Okay so what the difference between a serum and a moisturizer? Moisturizers are formulated to keep the skin hydrated and serums are formulated to penetrate deeply into the skin to deliver key ingredients. 

I received the Elixir 7.9 as a gift - not a big fan of Yves Rocher products but I'm quite surprise with the result. My skin is much smoother and skin complexion more balanced. I use it before my moisturizer and while my skin is still sightly damp from cleansing. I usually use the Biotherm Skin Vivo Serum. It's perfect - it makes my face really soft and for once it is not dry or oily. Love it. 

* Please note that most of the serums are expensive. Expect to pay $40 to $90. 

I absolutely adore this moisturizer!! Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve is an anti-aging face moisturizer. It hydrates, brightens, and firms. The first night I used it, my skin loved it. It adsorbs and it's not greasy at all. It smells vaguely of cucumbers (in a refreshing way). I use it morning and night. I will definitely order this product again and again!

I am just sooo in love with Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with avocado!! This is the best stuff on the market. I can tell a huge difference when I use it. It provides great moisture to my eye area. It absorbs well, and is easy to apply (tapping method). Ah! This is the kind of product you want to tell everyone about. I apply a tiny bit just before bed every night and it's working like a gem! I don't expect wrinkle-reduction powers from eye creams, but hydration is always important in line reduction. I highly recommend this eye cream!

Extra steps. 

St.Ives Mineral Clay Mask - Okay so I'm normally a drugstore product snob. But I bought clay mask and I'm quite impressed (i like the price ~ on sale at $2.99). This is a standard mask for normal to oily skin. It reduces oil and helps to close pores. I use it once a week. 

C&F Cosmetics Cucumber Facial mask sheet - I cannot believe a product this inexpensive would yield such good results. I've used other sheet masks before, but they were very expensive. It's become a routine. Every Sunday night, I relax with a facial mask. They sell this mask in a pouch with 10 sheets for $10. Love this product! 

Success stories (part 2)

Don't judge a book by its cover. 

Don't judge a book by its cover. You have heard that expression so many times. I know.. But yet I'm pretty sure you are still doing it. Okay this story is a good one (told you I'm a sucker for a good success story). I came across this video on Youtube... and let me tell you that I was speechless. 

Meet Jonathan Antoine and Charlotte Jaconelli. When they walked onstage to audition for Britain's Got Talent, Simon Cowell whispered: "Just when you think things couldn't get worse..."  Really this is the same thought we all had about someone like Susan Boyle. As if! Riiight. Dream on, lady. 

Or Sung Bong Choi? The homeless boy...

And now this duo: Jonathan and Charlotte. (oh but he's fat). 

And for some, perhaps, that's all we see. How tragic. 

Then... Jonathan began to sing. 2 minutes later... all four judges were on their feet and the audience had risen as one to welcome a new star to the world. Their audition on Youtube has had over 35 million views to date. 

Check out the videos! Their friendship is amazing. Be stunned. Be inspired.

Summertime happiness.

I know, I have been MIA. Sorry guys... But I'm back in action!!

This past week has been a particularly good one. I took some time off from work (yikes!) and it was fantastic!!

Here's my week in pictures...

- Comfort food @ Deville Diner Bar. Oh please don't remind me... I know I know I'm supposed to bring sexy back! But... Fried pickles? Crispy mac & cheese stuffed wontons? Bacon weaved meat loaf? Hard to say "no".

- Love my Nike Dunk Sky Hi. Spent some time just strolling through the streets of Old Montreal. 

- Fill your Belly @ Le Gros Jambon. Oh my goodness. I think I've gained 50 pounds! Try the fried chicken and waffles. 

- Break time @ the office. I'm obsessed with Starbucks Cake Pops. Okay, this is so embarrassing! They know my order as soon as I walk in. "Pink cake pop?"

- I love Sephora. Hmm Okay I admit... I did a mini haul at Sephora on my lunchtime. Lucky me! I received a gift bag ~ with any purchase of $45 and more (for VIB only). 

- Green melon sangria @ Jardin Nelson. Really, I just go there for their sangria. 

- My new favorite coffee mug! :-)