Closet REMIX Re-Cap

Last week I posted about Closet REMIX, where Vancouverites were invited to "shop the closets" of local fashionistas. Well, the event was yesterday and, as expected, it was lots of fun!

Sara and I had a ridiculous amount of clothing, shoes, and accessories for people to purchase at dirt-cheap prices. (Embarassingly enough), this picture only shows half of what we had!

The next Closet REMIX should be in a few months, and hopefully we'll be able to get even more people to come. Anyone in Vancouver should pencil this into their calendars -- there are some really great deals to be had!

Military Chic

I've always loved the military look, especially for key Fall pieces like outerwear and boots. So it's no surprise that I couldn't stop myself from snapping up the following:

Community Wool Cadet Coat with Removable Fur Collar (via Aritzia)

Mizz Mooz "Hannah" Boots (via Spank Shoes)

If you couldn't tell already, I've been awaiting the cooler weather with great anticipation! (I actually bought the coat in August -- talk about being a tad over-eager, HAHA!)

VANCOUVER SHOPPING EVENT: "Closet REMIX" on Oct. 30

Being the shopaholic that I am, I've amassed more clothing, shoes, and accessories than I know what to do with. That's why my friend Sara and I will be hosting a table at the upcoming Closet REMIX event, where people can essentially "shop the closets" of local fashionistas (like us!). What a cool idea, right?

If you're in Vancouver on Saturday, Oct. 30 or know anyone who will be, please stop by or help  spread the word. See the Facebook Event Page for more info!

American Apparel Factory Grey

I've finally gotten around to trying out American Apparel's line of nail polish, which I believe they came out with at the beginning of this year. The polishes are fairly reasonably priced -- $7.50 each or 3 for $18 (CAN), and there is a wide range of colours available.

This is Factory Grey, a lovely grey creme. The formula reminds me a lot of Joe Fresh Style nail polish (see some of my reviews here, here, and here).

It applies very smoothly and is opaque in only two coats. I've heard good things about AA nail polish, and I can now attest that all those raves about the stellar application are true.

The only thing I'm not loving is the bottles. They're quite slim and seem rather unsteady... anytime I re-dipped my brush I was afraid I was going to accidentally tip the bottle over and spill nail polish everywhere! The glass also seems quite fragile, although AA did recall the original bottles because they were prone to breaking. So I guess these "new" bottles shouldn't be as fragile as they feel?

Essie Fall 2010: Little Brown Dress

The Essie Fall 2010 collection features a lot of really great cool weather colours, and I know Sew Psyched (a sage green) and Merino Cool (similar to Sephora by OPI's Metro Chic) have been at the top of many people's "to-buy" lists. Aside from these more popular colours, however, I think one of the most standout polishes in the collection is Little Brown Dress.

LBD is a dark chocolate creme - a polish colour I've never actually worn before. There's something about brown, especially a shade like this, that has always seemed a little odd to me. Nonetheless, dark nails are a Fall staple of mine so I decided it was time to branch out a bit.

With LBD, what you get is a colour so dark it's almost black, yet still remains distinctly brown. It's kind of vampy, kind of sexy, and kind of classy all at the same time.

I was also quite impressed with the formula, considering Essie polishes tend to be hit or miss. LBD is richly pigmented and was opaque in only two coats. The polish is super glossy so you can even skip the top coat.

A perfect alternative to black or dark purples and burgundies! I will definitely be inserting this into regular rotation.

Rainy Long Weekend & FOTD

Trench Coat: Talula Babaton (featured here) / Pants: 7 For All Mankind

Boots: Steve Madden / Flower Headband: Forever 21

Unfortunately Thanksgiving Weekend here in Vancouver looks like it's going to be very rainy (annoying but not surprising). I am, however, looking forward to all the yummy turkey dinners I've got lined up! Mmm...

I also thought I'd do a FOTD "just because". Nothing super crazy - just a variation of my everyday makeup. I always find it extremely hard to smile without teeth so I invariably end up looking a little silly, haha!

Face:

- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer 

- Everyday Minerals Foundation in Golden Medium

Eyes:

- Urban Decay Naked Palette: Sin, Sidecar, Toasted, Darkhorse

- Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero

- MAC Carbon Eyeshadow

- Maybelline The Falsies Mascara (reviewed here)

Cheeks:

- MAC Dollymix Blush
- NARS The Multiple in Copacabana

Lips:

- MAC Blankety Lipstick

The Italian Kitchen

The Italian Kitchen is part of the Glowbal restaurant chain (see my previous review of Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar here), and is located right in the heart of downtown Vancouver. I've been wanting to try this place for ages since I've heard a lot of good things so I was super happy when my bf said he'd take me there for dinner.

Obviously the restaurant serves Italian food, but they do it with a bit of a twist. There are sharing platters like at Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar, as well as lots of pizza and pasta. I opted for their signature Spaghetti with Spicy Kobe Meatballs ($24), which features truffle cream sauce, tomato garlic confit, and herb ricotta. The meatballs are HUGE and super tasty but the best part was definitely the cream sauce on the spaghetti. So good!

For dessert, my bf and I decided to split the tiramisu. Presentation maybe not the best but it was delicious!

Our server was really nice and knowledgeable, but the restaurant was very busy so there was some wait time to order. I suppose when you're doing the whole "fine dining" thing, the wait is to be expected and even wanted. No big deal on that front.

One thing that I wasn't too fond of, however, was how close the tables were to each other. I understand that from a business point of view you want to get as many people in as you can, but as a customer, it's not ideal to be able to hear the intimate conversations of those around you and vice versa. As such, I don't think The Italian Kitchen would be my pick for a super romantic and intimate meal, but I'd definitely go under other circumstances for the delicious food.

Address: 1037 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC

Website: http://www.theitaliankitchen.ca/