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Curiously Carmen

Bed Head Hair Waver

May 14, 2017

I believe this is my first time writing about a hair appliance on the blog! Let me tell you why… it’s because I absolutely SUCK at curling my hair. Like, I can not do it for the life of me. Well, I can, but it doesn’t look good!

Last year, I curled my bangs and ended up burning my forehead and walked around with a burn mark. For that week, it was a constant reminder that I should not attempt to use a curling iron anymore. Now, I just leave it to my hair stylist or I would ask a friend to help me if I needed my hair curled for a special occasion!

Anyways, because of my lack of skills in the hair curling department, the next best thing for me was to get a hair waver! You can also call it a hair crimper, but I don’t like that term as I don’t really like the look of tight, crimped hair on myself. I like my hair to look wavy instead.

I bought the Bed Head hair waver at least 5 years ago on a whim at London Drugs. I used it semi-frequently for the first two years, but then kind of just forgot about it after. It was only until I started seeing girls with beautiful, voluminous hair on Instagram again that I remembered I owned this.

I actually didn’t realize that it was the travel size until I looked it up online for this review. It explains why it is so compact, making it ideal for storage. Despite the small size, it packs a good punch and does a really good job at waving your hair!

This is what my hair looks like, after six hours? I am not wearing any product with it (including pre-and post treatment). I love waving my hair because it lasts until the next day. I love my hair curled as well, but it doesn’t last as long unless I use lots of hairspray.

My only complaint about this hair waver is the handle is too small. I did mention above that the small size makes it great for travel and storage, but my hand cramps up after using it every time. In fact, that’s the reason why I stopped using it for a few years.

Imagine using a pair of small child scissors or something – the repetitive movement of the clamp cramped up my knuckles. I also found that you had to clamp pretty hard, which added to the soreness in your hand afterwards.

Although it has done me well, I did not want a sore hand after each use. So, I ended up buying a replacement one with a longer handle, the Vidal Sassoon Ceramic Adjustable Waver instead. I’ve only had the chance to use that one once so far, but perhaps I will write a review on that? It would be nice to have some more hair-related products here too!

Yay!

 


Filed Under: Beauty, hair

Yuji’s From Japan

May 10, 2017

The boyfriend turned a year older and wiser last month! Happy birthday! To celebrate, I utilized the trusty Yelp and Zomato to help me find a restaurant to take him to.

I know he wanted an authentic Japanese dinner, but nothing too busy or popular because we both hate crowds. After half an hour, I came across Yuji’s From Japan and knew it was exactly the restaurant we wanted to go to!

Yuji’s From Japan is located in Kitsilano, just before the stretch of road to UBC. It is unassuming, simple, and run by Yuji, who was our sushi chef that night.

We decided to try their omakase because we wanted to cross it off our list, and where better than from an authentic Japanese restaurant with an intimate atmosphere?

For those who don’t know, omakase translates to ‘I’ll leave it up to you’. Your dinner is left completely in the chef’s hands, and they usually come up with very interesting and unique plates that are change depending on the day and season.

I was hesitant to try omakase at first, due to my dairy restriction. But the service here was so awesome, and I was told nothing has dairy except for the dessert. If you have restrictions like me, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind changing it to suit your health needs.

We left very impressed with our omakase! We ordered the $40/person omakase, which is the smaller omakase. The other one is $60/person.

We also ordered the sashimi omakase which was $15/person.

Since the omakase dishes change daily, please keep in mind that you might not get the same dishes as us! After reading other reviews, our omakase dishes were different from other customers.

The $40 omakase came with 6 mini appetizers and 6 pieces of nigiri. The appetizers came in a very cool black shell thing that had two levels.

Cooked hamachi in vinagrette, with mushrooms and tobiko: The cooked hamachi was soaked in the vinagrette and served cold, just like an ebi sunomo. I’ve never had fish prepared like this but it was very refreshing. The tobiko gave it a nice crunch and more texture.

Mashed seabream: This was very interesting! Seabream is a type of fish. It had a very strong umami taste. They somehow mashed the seabream with gelatin that give it a very light and fun texture. If you’ve had fish maw soup before, that’s what the texture was like.

Egg tofu pudding with sea urchin: Again, this was very interesting and also unlike anything we have had before! The tofu pudding was salty with a strong umami taste. I was expecting it to be sweet like tofu pudding so I was surprised when it was salty! The sea urchin was refreshing and balanced the saltiness very well.

Miso marinated bamboo shoots: Sweet and slightly crunchy. Slight umami taste from the glazed miso droplet on top.

Panko breaded daikon: We thought this was meat, turns out it was daikon haha! The daikon was cooked and very tender.

Taro and kombucha squash tempura with chicken sauce: Was pleasantly surprised at this! The taro and kombucha squash were savoury, complete with the chicken pieces on top!

Nigiri: Big eye (ahi), hamachi, striped jack, seabream, sea bass, amber jack. All were very, very, very fresh and tasty. The tuna pieces were incredibly soft, buttery, and melted in your mouth.

Bluefin tuna nigiri, $7.50: Can you spot the additional piece of tuna on the red plate? The boyfriend ordered this a la carte, because it is not commonly found in restaurants. At $7.50 per piece, it was the most expensive piece of nigiri I’ve had. But it was a special occasion and so tasty.

The omakase ended off with a dessert, which was a green tea panna cotta!

Yuji’s From Japan  was an impeccable elevated dining experience for us both. Although our dishes were smaller than we were used to, we left feeling very satisfied because the experience was great and the food was very well executed.

It was a memorable night and a great first experience with omakase. At $40/person, it is decently priced compared to other omakase places in Vancouver.

If you’re craving something new but thoughtfully crafted and intimate, give the omakase here a try! You won’t regret it.

Yay!

Yuji's from Japan Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: food & drink, japanese

Paul and Joe Nail Polish

April 22, 2017

Although I gush over how cute Paul and Joe products are, I have yet to sit down and write a review on any of their products! Is that bad of me? Oh well, I’m finally writing one today and it is on their nail polish!

As some background, I would describe Paul and Joe as a girly brand that is both cute and classic. It was created by French designer Sophie Albou, and named after her two sons. Paul and Joe has Japanese beauty influences, married with classic and luxurious French beauty. Japanese beauty tends to be more on the sheer, natural and cute side which is exactly what Paul and Joe products are like.

But, there is also that romantic, luxurious classic feel with their products that is evident in French culture. In addition, their products are made in Japan and the packaging/website are in Japanese, French, and English.

The nail polish I am reviewing today is the shade 27, I didn’t find a name attached to the number. When I first saw the nail polish at the ACI event, it reminded me of the Anna Sui nail polishes due to the intricate detailing on the bottle and lid.

I would describe shade 27 as a pearly, nude pink.

With one coat, it was a bit too sheer for my liking and you could see the brush lines when it dried. Two coats was the perfect amount, as pictured above. Two coats will give you the same colour as the bottle!

In certain lights, the pearliness of the shade will shine more. I was also quite impressed with the wear time without a top coat! I usually like to test polishes without a top coat first, just to see how good the formula is. Most polishes do not last over 24 hours with me, but this one actually did!

Unfortunately, at work I was doing some filing and shelf sorting so one of the metal hanger folders chipped a couple of my nails. It probably would have lasted longer if I wasn’t using my hands as much!

Overall, I am quite satisfied with this polish and will be continuing to use it when I want a nice nude pink nail. I am quite the glitter lover so I love how this is slightly shiny. The hint of pearl is lovely!

  • Beautiful pearl pink colour
  • Does not chip easily
  • Lasts 24+ hours without top coat, which is rare for me
  • Applies evenly, does not have a watery/goopey consistency
  • Very pretty and detailed packaging

  • A bit more expensive than your average drugstore polish, at $16 CAD (But at least it’s actually worth the price unlike the disappointing $40 CAD Chanel polish that barely lasted a day *cough*)

Yay!

Edit: After checking the PR information, shade 27 actually does have a name – Pink Pearl! I was close in describing it 😉

Press product featured. Opinions are own.


Filed Under: Beauty, nails

Sura Korean Cuisine

April 18, 2017

Have you ever tried a restaurant that was so delicious, that you couldn’t stop thinking about it for the following few days afterwards? Well, that’s what Sura was like for me!

Maki had suggested this place after coming here, and I agreed because I’ve always heard great things about it! I’ve just been reluctant to go because of the long waits, and plus I’m rarely in this area.

 It was a double date dinner, following the night before when Maki and Nigiri got ENGAGED!!! I am still buzzing with happiness and so excited for them! 

We love dining with Maki and Nigiri because they enjoy eating early, like us! And with Sura, you must go early or you will have to wait over a hour. With all the Yelp reviews I read beforehand, almost everyone mentioned the 1+ hour wait. They opened for dinner at 5, and we got there at 5:30. However, the restaurant was already full with two names before us! The waiter quoted 45 minutes, which was shocking to us… but we decided to stay since it didn’t seem like it would have taken 45 minutes.

Luckily, we were right because the wait was only 25 minutes. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant, which has two long communal benches and is separated by some delicate and royal looking curtains. We joked that it felt like we were in the VIP section of Sura =P

Seafood pancake, $20: The seafood pancake came bursting with a generous amount of greens and seafood! There were clams, squid, and shrimp inside. It came on a sizzling hot plate and we could still hear the pancake being fried on it. The exterior was nice and crunchy, while the inside was filled with delicious ingredients. It was a great start to our dinner!

Royal rice cakes, $15: The boyfriend and Nigiri chose this dish, as they love rice cakes. And boy, was this delicious! It was slightly sweet and full of such amazing flavour. The beef was tender as well. I kept helping myself to this because it was so good. I probably wouldn’t have ordered it myself, so I’m glad that the others picked it.

Spicy tofu hotpot with seafood: This picture came out blurry because it was still bubbling ferociously when I took the picture. I asked for the egg to be cooked inside, because cracking a raw egg in there makes me feel uneasy. This bowl came with a decent amount of seafood, and an excellent amount of tofu! It had a good spicy kick to it, so I’m glad that we were sharing everything as to avoid spicy overload at the end of the meal.

Korean BBQ beef and pork, $25: We ordered two plates of BBQ meat, which was the perfect amount for us. This one was the beef and pork mix. There was a lot of freshly sliced onions on the bottom! The dish came sizzling hot and it was sooo delicious. Although the pork was pretty oily, so I had the least amount of this due to my sensitive stomach. Due to the crazy amount of sizzling on the hot plate, some of the oil bounced onto Maki’s napkin and there was a giant splat of oil!

Korean BBQ beef: OH MY GOODNESS, this was my FAVOURITE dish of the night, if not the best new food dish I have eaten all year. It was soooo amazing. The Grade AAA beef was INCREDIBLY tender, and marinated in a delicious Korean BBQ sauce…mixed with the grilled taste of the barbecue. UGH, sooo good. I’m the type of person that thinks Korean BBQ is only okay, like it wouldn’t be my first choice. BUT, after eating this, I want more Korean BBQ!

All in all, everything that came was so delicious and I didn’t expect it to get any better… UNTIL THE BEEF CAME. I can definitely see why Sura has such long line ups and crowds all the time. The food here is amazing… and I’m still thinking about that BBQ beef.

Yay! A million times!

 

Sura Korean Cuisine Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: food & drink, korean

KORRES Greek Yogurt Primer / Moisturizer

April 15, 2017

Greek yogurt has always been something I enjoyed eating. Compared to ice cream, it was a guilt free snack and I used to love drizzling honey and dark chocolate chips on it. But now that I can’t have dairy, I am quite sad to have parted ways with Greek yogurt.

At the Spring 2017 ACI Beauty event, we were introduced to the new Korres Greek yogurt primer/moisturizer. We were told that in Greece, a popular treatment for sunburns was Greek yogurt due to the proteins and cooling effect it has. I’m not surprised that Korres has taken this knowledge and created a primer/moisturizer with it!

I was quite excited to try this as I have really loved the two other Korres skincare products – the wild rose oil and Arcadia line!

What it says (taken from press release):
Greek Yoghurt Smoothie Priming Moisturizer is a weightless, multi-action priming moisturizer packed with probiotics, proteins, and minerals to deeply nourish and smooth skin, while also prepping it for flawless makeup application and all-day wear. Formulated with three types of hydrating hyaluronic acid and powerful skin-saving antioxidants and extracts, the smoothie gives skin inner strength for healthy look on the surface.

The product feels very sturdy but not heavy. It would be great to bring for travelling as it’s 30 ml and could take a bit of wear and tear tumbling about your makeup/luggage bag. As well, it doubles up as both a primer and moisturizer so you can pack lighter!

Application: The product is more on the light side and has a milky texture. It is very easy to spread onto your face and does not leave a sticky residue. There is also a slight scent but I can’t pinpoint what it smells like exactly!

Wear: Since this is also a primer and contains hyaluronic acid, this left my face feeling very smooth and soft! The scent also lingers and the boyfriend asked if I had put on perfume one night. My skin has been really sensitive this month and I normally don’t wear foundation, so I’ve just been using this as a moisturizer.

But, I could tell that this would work very well as a primer too. It gives your skin a hydrated and smooth base to work with. It also absorbs really quickly.

Korres products have worked tremendously well with my skin, and the Greek yogurt primer/moisturizer is no different!

  • Leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated
  • Has a bit of a cooling effect, I love applying this after my shower

  • Pricey at $55 CAD

Yay!

 

 


Filed Under: Beauty, skincare

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Hello!

Hi and welcome to Curiously Carmen! I am Carmen, the girl behind the blog. You can read more about me here!

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