Salad in a Jar!

Yes, I'm a little behind this trend but,  hey, better late than never. 

From soup to homemade vitamin water to oatmeal, mason jars have become ubiquitous across the blogosphere. Look at the latest in-jar meal I'm crazy about: Salad. Yes, salad in a jar! 

Utterly brilliant, people. 

Most important rule: dressing at the bottom, greens at the top. Keep them as far away from one another as possible. If you do that, your greens will stay crispy and fresh.

Place items that will soak up and marinade in the dressing as the next layer for the best salad flavor. Cooked grains, tofu, meats, mushrooms -anything that is spongy.

image: backtoherroots.com 

image: krystaslifeinfood.com

For more recipes, visit: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/

I've Been a Bad, Bad Girl (part 1)

Dear Journal, 

Ah do you feel like I've been giving you the silent treatment? My sincerest apologies. I have been so busy with work lately. 

Confession time...

I haven't work out since... a month or two? Gee, I feel like I've gained 40 pounds..

I still buy my Starbucks coffee. Okay not every morning but 2-3 times a week.

I went shopping. Yes, I still have this overwhelming urge to buy unnecessary things.

I haven't packed a lunch in weeks (bleh, eating out).

Ice cream: Crème brulée + Fleur de sel  @Jean Talon Market 

Steak + fries @L'entrecote St-Jean

Salmon lasagna @Jardin de Nelson

Cupcakes @theoffice

English breakfast @Lawrence

Korean soup @Atti

Duck magret and confit @L'aromathe bistro

Bottom line, I've been a bad, bad girl. Can somebody spank me.

I've been dining out for the last few weeks and this is not good. like at all. 
one. I'm far from bringing sexy back.
second. my poor wallet. 
third. my poor wallet. 

I have to exercise and eat healthy. I KNOW! But why is it so hard? 

I did my grocery yesterday and you know what's really sad? When you look down at your groceries and everything seems to be reduced fat or 100 calories. 

So instead of going to pay my stuff like a good girl, I walked down the snack aisle. Potato chips. Cheetos. Reese's Minis. Skittles. Sigh. 

Bless me Jillian Michaels, for I have sinned. 

I think someone's groceries tell a lot of about who they are, and by the looks of mine, I appear to be a conflicted girl. 

Did I mention I'm single?

It's okay

It's okay to not stick to your diet. 
It's okay to love carbs more than any other food groups.

It's okay to listen to a song over, and over, and over. 
And over. 
It's okay to feel weak. Don't push yourself too hard. 
It's okay to change your mind. 
It's okay to feel beautiful, confident, and strong. 
But it's also okay to feel insecure sometimes.
It's okay to not know what you're doing with your life. Does anyone, really?
It's okay to be single. 

It's okay to eat cereals for dinner. 
It's okay to not always be okay. 
It's okay to not do things just because you feel your supposed to. 

Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese

Hello everyone!

So this morning, I decided to make a blueberry grilled cheese -  I saw this on pinterest from Fit from conception. I knew I had to try it. Let me just say... nomz. Sweet and fruity, surrounded by crunchy toast... SO. GOOD. Okay folks, this is not the healthiest breakfast option. It's not. Hellooo... it's a grilled cheese. But still, you have to try this :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 2 slices bread
• 1 Tablespoon butter 
• Handful of fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Spread 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese on each clice of bread.
2. Sprinkle creamm cheese with sugar.
3. Add blueberries on one side of each bread and place butter side down on the pan.
4. Butter outside of bread.
5. Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes and then turn. 
6. Continue to cook until bread is golden brown.

Voilà!

The result: 

Check out the recipe from Fit from conception: 

Flawless Face: Contour + Highlight

One celebrity who has her beauty routine down to a tee is Kim Kardashian. 

Love her or hate her, your have to admit that when it comes to her makeup, Kim has it together. Her secret? Serious contouring and highlighting! Okay, so what's highlighting and contouring you may ask? It's a technique used by nearly every celebrity, model, and industry professional designed to bring light to certain features on your face while creating a shadow effect on others. 

Highlighter is a light colored or iridescent product with a bit of a sheen. Highlighter is applied the features you want to accentuate or bring out. 
Contouring is done with a dark color, and applied to the areas of your face that you want to recede. 

Queen of contouring, Kim Kardashian, looks like an average when bare faced. 

See the difference?

Before you can start to highlight and contour, you'll need the proper makeup to do the right job. Here are some suggestions:
1. Brightening primer. (Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hr Brightening primer, MakeupForever HD primer or Benefit That Gal Face Brightening primer).
2. Full coverage foundation that matches your skin tone well. (MakeupForever HD Foundation).
3. Highlighting concealer. (Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer or Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch).
4. Cream contour or a foundation several shades darker than you skin.
5. Setting powder. (MakeupForever HD Microfinish Powder or Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder).
6. Matte bronzer. (MAC or Too Faced bronzer).
7. Highlighter. (NARS illuminator Coppacabana).
8. A basic foundation brush
9. A damp sponge

Okay, now you are ready!! 
- First, apply your brightening primer and your foundation as usual. 
- Then, apply the highlighter and the contour product. Check the picture. These are the correct areas you should be applying your contour product and your highlight product. (Dark is the contour and the light is the highlight). 
- After applying as shown, the key is to blend, blend, blend it all in!! 

Check out this tutorial on oncewed: 

There are also a lot of videos on youtube. Check them out. 

 
 

For brown/dark skin:

Okay folks. MAYBE I'll post my own tutorial. We'll see. ;)

It's Britney B*tch!

Fest your ears on this greatness!!

Britney is back sounding amazing with her new hit song Work B**ch!, and we are sooo obsessed already. I just knew it! This song is going to be a hit, and you can judge for yourself because Work B**ch has leaked a day early!

Work B**ch! (written by Will.iam and Sebastian Ingorsso protégé DJ Otto Jettman, among others) is full-on club banger. " ou want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work bitch!" 

Mini Kiehl's Haul!

Ladies, the Kiehl's store in Montreal has a 20% off family and friend this weekend.

With the harsh winter weather approaching, we Canadians know how important it is to protect our skin! This Kiehl's sale came just in time. Shop Kiehl's in-store and online and take 20% off your purchase! Hurry though. This deal expires on September 15, 2013. 

My colleague and I did a mini haul at lunch time. Yeah so I decided to splurge because skincare products NEVER go on sale. I have a good reason right?

An Empire of her Own: Tory Burch

Okay, I LOVE Tory Burch. Both the brand and the woman. The label everyone wants to wear, and the woman everyone wants to be. 

Tory Burch's company produces handbags, sunglasses, tunics, jewelry, shoes, and much more. Her style has been called by some "preppy-bohemian". Burch worked at Harper's Bazaar Magazine, Polo Ralph Lauren and for Vera Wang. She began designing clothes in her kitchen table (oh and by the way, she never went to a design school!). And now it's worth billions. Literally. Whoa. 

Got this wallet last year @Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

Yeah so Tory Burch is one of my favorite designers. Although I can't quite say her pieces are very affordable for me right now (hello frugality), they are just amazing. 

My wishlist. 

Flashback: Celebrity Couples

Ah, the good ol' days. We all miss them. 

Let's kick things off with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. This was a couple made in pop-music heaven. Long before the melt down and the shaved head and the baggy tracksuit bottoms, Britney and Justin wore matching denim outfits and were oh.so.cute. The couple live on in our hearts. We will never really get over our first love for the 90's super couple. 

Johnny Depp and Kate Moss - They dated for four years and oh, how we wish they had never split. Moss said of their break-up: 'Years and years of crying. Oh, the tears!'

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe - These two gave everyone hope that Hollywood couples  had a chance! They had two children, were married for seven years and always seemed to be happy together. 

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman - Yeah, it's hard to remember sometimes that before Katie Holmes, there was Nicole Kidman. This supercouple was together for 10 years before splitting in 2001. 

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey - Another failed pop romance! Their vows lasted as long as the show, and three years after their wedding, Jessica filed for divorce. 

Talk about a trip down memory lane. 

What's new

Happy Monday everyone!

Check out Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball MV! So is it her goodbye to Liam Hemsworth? Honestly, I like the song. But I expected a better music video than her just sitting on a ball nude..



Thoughts?

Yogurt Cocktail

Sound gross? A yogurt cocktail might sound crazy but it's actually REALLY good. This is one of my favorites (most popular in Asia). 

Warning: it is so easy to drink that you're drunk before you know it. 

You need:

Soju 

Soju is the Korean equivalent of the Japanese sake. People often say that the taste reminds them of vodka, but most soju sold today has a sweeter and less aggressive flavor than vodka. 

Where to find soju? 

Anywhere outside Quebec! Ah seriously, it's a bit difficult to find soju in Montreal. 

I think SAQ does now carry soju - click here. If not, you can buy in any korean/japanese restaurants (Maison Bulgogi, Kagoga, Imadake...). Otherwise, it is available at the LCBO (Ontario's SAQ). 

Yogurt

Be forewarned: Asian yogurts are thinner than Canadian or U.S. brands. So if you're using Canadian yogurt, you may want to add a little bit of water or fruit juice to dilute it. 

Where to buy:

Korean grocery store

2109 Sainte-Catherine St W

Montreal, QC H3H 1M6 ‎

Montreal Korean & Japanese food

6151 Sherbrooke St W
Montreal QC H4B 1L9 ‎

Montreal Jangteu Korean grocery store

2116 Décarie Blvd

Montreal QC H4A 3J3

Sanpellegrino

Directions: 

Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour equal amounts of soju and yogurt drink (1/2 cup). Shake well and pour into a glass. Fill the glass about 1/3 way up and top off with the citrus soda. 

*Recipe from Honeysuckle Catering

Check out her video:

Morning Skincare Routine

Morning everyone. Rise and Shine!

Okay so I'm a bit obsessed when it comes to skincare. Do you know that you should have a different routine at night than the one you have in the morning? Yup, your skin has different needs at different times of day. At night, you should focus on products that help nourish your skin and also repair it. In the morning, you have to prepare your skin for the day. It is important to wash your face because while you're sleeping, the skin is in repair mode and will secrete toxins and sebum. So when you wash your face in the morning, you are removing not only the toxins and sebum, but also your nighttime products as well. This allows your daytime products to absorb into the skin better.

My morning routine is a much more simple than my evening skincare (click here for my nighttime skincare routine). Ah, since I'm not a morning person, my philosophy is that it has to be simple, quick and lightweight.

Here's my morning routine  (5 min).

Please note that the products are for my skin type which is a combination/oily skin. You have to find the right products for your skin type.

Cleanse.

I start by washing my face with Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser (I also use the Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser). Yes, I'm normally a drugstore product snob. A skincare snob to be precise. Yes, when it comes to skincare, I have a tendancy to turn my nose up at products that may be in a certain price bracket of low monetary value - shame on me!. But I've tried Bioré brand for some time and let me tell you… this is my all-time favorite drugstore facial cleanser.

Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser -  When they say "Ice Cleanser", they mean it. It really does make your skin feel icy cold, which is seriously the best feeling ever in the summer. Best used on hot days, or when you need a refreshing zing in the morning. It also contains salicylic acid which is effective in preventing acne and keeping pores clean. It is an oil free cleanser, so should NOT be used by those with dry skin types.

Note: Wash your face with warm (not hot) water to gently open pores. Then rinse thoroughly with cool water to close pores. 

Toner.

Many people tend to skip the toner in the morning. But it's actually a very important step because it balances the pH of your skin and preps it for moisturizing. Look for toners without alcohol, which can severely dry your skin. Also be sure to choose a toner for your skin type (sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, etc…)

I use Clinique toner 3 (and sometimes Bioré Triple Action Astrigent). I kind of love and hate this product. I use this toner mostly in summer. I can see the difference, less pimples, face looks smoother and less oily. CONS: It contains alcohol… Using an alcohol based toner can sometimes be beneficial for people with more oily or acne prone skin because it can be drying and will dry out any blemishes. But still, alcohol can be very drying to the skin. You can use it but be sure to follow with a really good facial moisturizer.

But yeah… I have to find another toner without alcohol. Any suggestions?

Moisturizer.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I've been using this since grade school.I like trying all kind of moisturizers and expensive ones but this is one that is simple and does the job. It's fragrance free. Very light weight and great to wear under your makeup. 

Choosing the right makeup.

After moisturizing, use a light foundation or a BB cream with SPF 15 or above to even out your skin tone and keep your skin protected. Treat your skin well by using quality cosmetics - something that won't clog pores...

Eating a good breakfast. 

- Treating your skin in the morning is also about your diet! Start the day with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. They all contain vitamin C & E which are good for your skin. They also make a perfect complement to cereal or yogurt. Or try a green smoothie (click here). 

- Staying hydrated is also important, so drink your water (at least 8 cups per day). Lazy water drinker? No problem. Try the vitamin homemade water recipes (click here). 

What I'm loving right now

breakfast - I love to eat breakfast on a weekend morning. I think it might just be my favorite meal. During the week, I don't really have time to prepare breakfast (yeah, I'm kind of lazy in the morning) so I just grab my green smoothie on my way to work and then, I eat a yogurt and some fruits. But on weekends, I love to have a nice breakfast at home...

the happiness project - I'm currently reading this book. Really, I've just started and it already inspires me to start my own happiness project. This book is a happiness project made by Gretchen Rubin, a former lawyer who abandoned her promising high-paying career to become a writer. She created a 12-month project, with different resolution in each one. She's now turned that experience into a best-selling book. 

blurred lines - Okay, yeah. I really, really like Robin Thicke's new album. I love the whole album, it puts me in such a good mood! My favorite tracks at the moment: Give it 2 U, Feel Good, For The Rest of My Life, Good Life. Oh people, just go by his album!

imadake - Just went there last week with my colleague and I might go this week as well for a friend's birthday. This is a great Japanese pub in Montreal. Imadake serves japanese tapas and has a pretty extensive alcohol list comprising of various sake and beer. Love the decor and the open concept kitchen. Lots of fun! 

pocky - My love of Pocky will never die. I ate it all the time as a kid. In case you don't know, Pocky is a candy biscuit snack. It's a long stick of biscuit usually coated with chocolate. It's popular all over the world. 

Have a nice week!