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Curiously Carmen

KORRES Castanea Acadia Line

September 23, 2016

The boyfriend is currently watching football so I thought I would do one of my favourite hobbies as well – writing and talking about makeup! Summer has officially ended, and I am equal parts sad/happy. I am looking forward to wearing cozy warm clothes, the leaves in the fall, and of course, Christmas and my birthday!

This review seems fitting for this time of the year. The KORRES Castanea Acadia line just launched this past August exclusively at Shoppers. Why do I say it seems fitting? Well, the key ingredient in these creams something found in the Arcadian chestnut tree, as I’ll explain below. Chestnuts seem very autumn to me, especially warm roasted chestnuts… no? Yes?
korres-castanea-acadia-3I love trying to explain beauty products in simpler terms here on my blog. The term ‘Castanea Arcadia’ is very fancy sounding, isn’t it? I have to admit I didn’t know what either of those two words meant until I started writing this post!

Castanea is a plant family (genus if you want to be very scientifically specific), which chestnuts belong to. Arcadia is a province in Greece, and the chestnuts used in this cream are harvested specifically from that region.

The special ingredient in these creams are lupeol. Lupeol is a powerful natural ingredient from the Arcadian chestnut tree, that contains incredible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and skin-regenerative properties.

korres-castanea-acadiaThe night cream is very rich, and has a thick texture to it. After I wash my face at night, my skin is a bit on the drier side. I apply this cream right before I sleep and give myself a mini massage and rub it into my face.

My skin loves this cream and absorbs it very quickly, and I fall asleep with the beautiful scent of this. When I wake up, my face feels very supple and plump.
korres-castanea-acadia-2The day cream has a texture that is a lot lighter than the night cream. Since both the jars look the same minus the wording, I accidentally used the night cream one time and it felt too thick for a day time moisturizer.

During the day, I like using a lighter cream because my face produces a lot of oil already. A couple dabs on my face keeps it very hydrated. On some mornings, my skin is still very moisturized from the night cream and I skip the day cream because I don’t want my face to become too oily. Perhaps those nights I move around less or my skin doesn’t need as much quenching?
korres-castanea-acadia-4You can see the difference in texture in the picture above. The one on the left is the night cream, which looks and feels thicker.

I have been using both creams for almost a month now, and have been really loving them! They both leave my skin very supple and moisturized. I look forward to putting these on because of how great they smell!

This is the second product I’ve tried from Korres, the first being the rose oil. I absolutely LOVEDDD the rose oil and I’ve been really enjoying this product too! Their products really work well with my skin and do a great job in moisturizing!

The day cream retails for $65, while the night cream retails for $80. So yes, they are expensive creams but have very great quality ingredients! If anything, you could use the creams as an intense moisturizing treatment only when your skin is very dry so the product lasts longer!

yay-nay-or-meh

Yay!

Press product featured. Opinions are own. 


Filed Under: Beauty, face Tagged: beauty, beauty blog, beauty blogger, beauty community, beauty event, beauty junkie, greek, korres, skincare, skincare routine

Olive & Anchor

September 20, 2016

During the last week of summer, the boyfriend and I went to a bunch of different outdoor places around the Lower Mainland to savour what was left of the season. One of these places was the beautiful Whytecliff Park, which is a bit past West Vancouver and by the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.

After enjoying an afternoon at Whytecliff Park, we decided to venture to Horseshoe Bay. Four minutes drive later, we arrived into the small but lively village and decided to try Olive & Anchor after I found it on Yelp!

I am really glad we tried this place because everything about it was spectacular!
Olive & Anchor RestaurantSince we had already quickly looked at the menu on Yelp, we knew we wanted to try their happy hour. I also really wanted to try this place because most of their happy hour items were dairy free! Olive & Anchor has some Asian influences in their dishes, which explains why there wasn’t dairy in a number of their plates.
Olive & Anchor Horseshoe BayEbi mayo, $6: We started off with the ebi mayo, which was a shrimp and green bean tempura. After seeing this at another table, it looked kinda small and we were kinda doubtful that it was worth $6.

However, the tempura was fried really nicely and had a lovely crunch to it. It came with Japanese mayo, which we both love a lot. If you haven’t tried Japanese mayo before, I urge you to try it out!
Olive & Anchor VancouverKFC (Korean Fried Chicken) Wings, $6: The chicken wings came in a delicious sweet chili glaze, topped with crunchy cashews and sesame seeds.

The wings were juicy and full of flavour. Just like the ebi mayo, the fried batter on these wings tasted really fresh as well.
Olive & Anchor Horseshoe Bay VancouverCrispy cod taco, $6: I am normally not a fan of tacos (cue GASPS) but I was feeling adventurous that day and ordered this. BOY, am I GLAD I did because this was delicious. This taco right here is starting to convert me into a taco person!

The cod was fried perfectly, while the fish was juicy and flaked off nicely. The taco came with a generous amount of fresh veggies and a slice of avocado. I was seriously considering ordering another one but stopped myself.
Olive & Anchor Horseshoe Bay 1Fish poppers, $6: These were like mini fish fillets. Again, the fish was juicy and flaky with a very fresh and crunchy batter. So good!

Olive & Anchor really wowed us not only with their food, but with their service as well. Our server was really friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. I wish that all servers were this amazing.
Olive & Anchor Take outI have nothing but good words to say about Olive & Anchor. I wish we discovered this place at the beginning of summer, so we could take advantage of the outdoor seating and ferry view more. But, I know that we will definitely be back!
yay-nay-or-meh

Yay!

Olive & Anchor Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: food & drink, happy hour, japanese, korean, seafood Tagged: chicken, ebi mayo, fish, fish taco, food, food blogger, food review, foodie, happy hour, korean, seafood, vancouver, vancouver dining, vancouver eats

Estee Lauder Fall Preview 2016

September 17, 2016

Ah, how I love thee, Estee Lauder. I am back again with a preview of the upcoming Estee Lauder products, this time for the Fall 2016 season!
Estee Lauder Foundation I’ll start off with the Estee Lauder foundation bar, which features five of their different foundations. How pretty is this table? I seriously LOVE it, and the flowers make me so happy.

Four of the foundations pictured here have already been released, but I’ll be talking about the one launching this season below.
Estee Lauder Pressed PowderJust a close up of one of their foundations, because I found this so aesthetically pleasing!
estee-lauder-beauty-blenderOkay, now back to actual information hahaha! This is the Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick. What’s cool about this product is that there is a sponge applicator at the top, as you can see.

Having the sponge applicator, which feels the same as a Beauty Blender, makes it very travel friendly and easy to use. You don’t have to worry about finding a brush or sponge to blend your foundation!

The foundation itself gives a nice warm and radiant glow, while moisturizing your skin. I would say this is a light-medium finish. It also has a nice and clean scent!
estee-lauder-re-nutrivThis is the luxury line for Estee Lauder, Re-Nutriv. We all oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over the scent, texture, and ingredients of these luxury products.

In particular, I really liked the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Serum. It looks really cool and when we tested it on our skin, I liked how there was a little shimmery glow on my hand!
estee-lauder-lipstickHere are the new shades for the Pure Color Envy line! Inside these lipsticks are a new Optical Pearl Blend, which transforms lip shape with a unique prismatic optic blend for amplified lips.

In addition, the lipsticks include an Exclusive Time Release Encapsulated Moisture Complex with Hyaluronic Acid! This basically means that lips are kept moisturized and smooth due to the timed release of the hyaluronic acid.

I really love Estee Lauder lipsticks for their creaminess, pigmentation, and magnetic caps. The lipstick cap snaps nicely together with the magnet and I love playing with it sometimes, hehe. You can really see and feel the quality of their lipsticks, which is why I love them so much!
estee-lauder-modern-muse-rougeThis season comes the Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss! This is a sexy, fierce, and bold take on the previous Modern Muse perfumes. It really does smell sexy, if that makes any sense? LOL.

The scent is best described as fruity, spicy, and woody with woody being the most noticeable. I noticed a fruity scent as first, and then it turns into a more spicy and woody scent.

The notes are: BLACK CHERRY, CARROT SEED, MANDARIN, ROSE CENTIFOLIA, PINK PEPPER, JASMINE ABSOLUTE, VINYL ACCORD, STYRAX, SAFFRON, LABDANUM, VANILLA, and PATCHOULI. (Notes taken from Estee Lauder website).
estee-lauder-aerin-perfumeThe second perfume launching this fall is by AERIN. AERIN is a line created by Estee Lauder’s granddaughter. This is the AERIN Tangier Vanille. As the name suggests, there is a strong vanilla scent, which I found very warm and comforting. Is it strange that I want to describe it as a delicious scent due to the vanilla and chocolate scents that I detected? Haha!

It is named Tangier Vanille because this perfume is created from Morrocan vanilla,one of the finest vanillas in the world, and Tangier is a city in Morroco. It also just sounds very lovely!

Other notes of this floral, amber, sandalwood, and soft musk. As you can tell, it is a wonderful scent for the colder seasons, where we could use some warmth.
estee-lauder-pink-ribbonLast but definitely not least, is the Pink Ribbon collection. The Pink Ribbon Collection is a breast cancer research foundation founded by Estee Lauder. Each of the products in this collection have a pink ribbon to signify that part of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research.

Well, there you have it 🙂 What product did you like most in this preview? Keep an eye out for these products on shelves in the upcoming months!

 


Filed Under: Beauty, events, eyes, face, lips, makeup Tagged: beauty, beauty blog, beauty blogger, beauty blogging, estee lauder

ELF Tone Adjusting Face Primer

September 14, 2016

Since I’ve been jobless for the past few months and will continue to be while I strap on and focus on my FINAL semester of university, I’ve been cutting down on a lot of my spending. Lately, I’ve been really into looking at drugstore alternatives to alleviate costs!

I came across the ELF Tone Adjusting Face Primer while watching beauty videos on Youtube. One of my favourite beauty gurus, Weylie, really recommended this primer and said it kept her foundation locked in on a 40 degrees Celsius day picking berries in the California heat.

ELF Green Primer

For only $8, I was really intrigued and wondered if it would work just as well for me! I bought the primer a few weeks later at my local Superstore.
ELF Tone Adjusting Primer PackagingThe product is pretty straightforward and easy to use. It dispenses in a pump, and is green. Green helps cover up redness, which I tend to have.

I usually pump about one and a half pump for my full face. Once you put it on your face, it really smooths out your skin and creates a nice, lightweight and breathable film for your foundation to go on. It also blurs out your pores nicely.
ELF Primer SelfieTo give this primer the ultimate test, I wore it to Whytecliff Park on a super hot, 30 degree day. The sun was shining directly on me, no shade at all, and the perfect weather to climb the huge boulder (about a 10 minute steep trek up the boulder).

I was SUPER IMPRESSED when I got back home, and my foundation was just as nice as when I had put it on in the morning!
ELF PrimerHere is another picture with the primer, with no filter or photo editing. I am also wearing the L’Oreal true match foundation and Maybelline mineral powder. The two products work well with the primer and are really blendable!

I’ve been using this for about three weeks now, and I absolutely LOVE it and am so impressed! My makeup lasted a full day with this on. Even my blush did not budge at all, and stayed put at the end of the day. For only $8, it is definitely a steal!

yay-nay-or-mehYay!


Filed Under: Beauty, face Tagged: beauty, beauty blog, beauty blogger, beauty community, beauty review, canada, drugstore, drugstore makeup, drugstore product, ELF, eyes lip face, vancouver

Jia Plus Fusion Cafe

September 9, 2016

I don’t know about you, but I rarely venture out to Pitt Meadows. There hasn’t ever really been a reason to hang out in Pitt Meadows, until now! One of my friends opened up a cute little cafe in Pitt Meadows last year, in Osprey Village.

We were pretty surprised at how fast the drive was to Pitt Meadows! It was a bit under 30 minutes from Burnaby. Without traffic, the drive is really smooth and easy.
Jia Plus10 Osprey Village is a new development in Pitt Meadows right by the river. It reminded me of a quaint little seaside village, similar to Steveston but a lot more quieter, community focused, and no salt water smell.

There is one central street, which is lined with little boutique stores. There is also plenty of parking, and also a big parking lot for visitors!
Jia Plus9If you didn’t already guess by the name, Jia Plus serves Asian style beverage and snacks. All the syrups are made daily by Vicky, and the teas are brewed fresh! The price is really reasonable as well.

Jia Plus1The cafe has five tables inside and does not feel cramped at all. There are also a couple of patio seats, which are perfect for the summer! The high ceilings and warm lights makes it feel very comfortable.

The artwork inside the cafe is actually a partnership with a local art gallery down the block, and customers are able to purchase the original pieces.
Jia Plus5Passion fruit green tea w/ pearls: It had all the qualities that I looked for in a bubble tea, and more. The jasmine green tea and a really fragrant and floral flavour, which is my absolute favourite when it comes to green tea. I am very picky about my jasmine green tea and this one tasted absolutely perfect. In addition, the pearls had the perfect chewy consistency and tasted fresh.

Unfortunately, I don’t recall exactly what my friends ordered. However, they all also really enjoyed their drinks!
Jia Plus6Ramen: Apart from the drinks, Jia Plus also has some food items as well! The majority of us ordered the ramen. Vicky cooks the broth from scratch, and you can really taste the quality in it. The ramen also comes with a slice of tender pork, egg, and bamboo shoots. It was very comforting and filling, perfect for the cloudy day when we visited.
Jia Plus7BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl: I know, it doesn’t look like a rice bowl right? The rice was actually underneath the greens! Sadly, I didn’t get to try this because the dressing had dairy in it. However, my friends are also all foodies and I trust their opinion when they said it was really good!
Jia Plus8Jia Plus also offers cute little macaroons!

All in all, Jia Plus is a fantastic little cafe with one of the best green teas in the Vancouver area. Everything is made with quality, and you can definitely taste it.

yay-nay-or-meh

Yay!

JIA PLUS Fusion Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: coffee and tea, food & drink, japanese, taiwanese Tagged: asian fusion, bubble tea, cafe, coffee shop, food, food blog, food blogger, foodie, ramen

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