Sequins

I'm in Calgary! It's crazy... one minute my move felt like it was still on the horizon and the next I was arriving in a new city with only one suitcase in tow (okay, two if you count my mini roll-on). Since I arrived a few days ago, I've been busy getting settled into my new apartment and starting work so unfortunately haven't had the chance to explore much yet.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few photos of what I wore to Cee's going-away dinner at Au Petit Chavignol last week. Unlike my own comparatively boring move one province over, she and her husband are off to Paris for a year (lucky ducks). It was great to see some of the blogger girls again; I will miss the Vancouver blogging community a ton while I'm away.

Tank: Wilfred (Aritzia) / Skirt: Club Monaco / Sweater: Delphine (Aritzia) / Headband: Primark

Boots: TopShop (similar) / Bag: Miu Miu (in black) / Bracelet: gift from Mexico

Me, Cee, Alicia, Lynn, Leonie, Sheryl, Randa, and Jen

Raw Canvas

Growing up, art was always an integral part of my life but unfortunately my creative pursuits were put on hold once I entered the world of academia. That's why I adore Raw Canvas, which is part wine bar and part art studio, allowing patrons a unique "art and social" experience.

Located in the heart of Yaletown, you can stop by Raw Canvas for just a drink, or also one of their signature tasting plates ($17). I particularly love the wild boar and rosemary and the smokehouse cheddar. Seriously drooling just thinking about them!

Once you've eaten, you can make your way down to the art studio where you're provided with all the equipment you'll need to make your very own masterpiece. Though I enjoy painting it's never been my favourite (pencil sketching is my specialty) because it can get messy pretty quickly... by coming to Raw Canvas, you don't have to worry about any of that! They provide you with brushes, buckets for water, easels, palettes, and a huge array of acrylic paints. And for those less artistically inclined, a resident artist is also available to provide tips and advice.

An evening painting at Raw Canvas is not the cheapest (prices start at $55 for a small canvas up to $170 for a large canvas), but I think it's a fun idea for a girls night or date. In fact, I had been to Raw Canvas last year with a friend and came back this time with my boyfriend.

I really wanted to make a companion piece to the one I painted last time and was pretty pleased with how it turned out (my first painting looks like this except it's blue-themed).

Can you believe my boyfriend has never painted before except in elementary school? I thought his storm painting turned out great!

Location: 1046 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC
Website: http://www.rawcanvas.com

Always Astoria

With only a few days left in Vancouver before my move to Calgary (mentioned here), my days have been a mix of enjoying the last bits of summer, spending time with friends, and... packing (ugh). Turns out it's incredibly difficult to condense an overflowing closet into only one suitcase!

In other unrelated news, this post features my first JewelMint purchase: the Always Astoria Necklace. I first saw it on Chelsea and then Rae, and figured I could use a silver-toned necklace since most of mine are gold. I love the industrial vibe and can see this necklace going with all sorts of different outfits.

Shirt: Zara / Silk Shorts: Wilfred (Aritzia) (similar) / Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs (here)

Wedges: Nine West / Necklace: JewelMint / Sunglasses: Vogue (here)

Rowenta Beauty Curl Active: Automatically Curls Hair at the Push of a Button!

As you guys know, I love curling my hair since it's really one of the only ways I can get volume and style with my pin straight hair (see, for example, my beachy waves tutorial). That's why I'm so grateful for tools like the Curl Active curling iron from Rowenta Beauty, which I was recently sent to try out.

Rowenta Beauty is a Canadian line of luxury hair styling tools, which released the Curl Active (and the Double Straight) earlier this year. The Curl Active is a ceramic curling iron equipped with a high tech curling system that automatically rotates your hair around the barrel at the push of a button. It essentially curls your hair for you!

The 1 1/4 inch barrel is slightly slimmer than my usual curling iron but isn't so small as to create tight ringlets. The iron heats up very quickly and you can choose from medium (for thin/fragile hair) or high (for thick hair) heat. The two left/right arrow buttons allow you to change the way the barrel rotates, allowing you to achieve a number of different styles.

Using the Curl Active is also as easy as it sounds! Simply section your hair, slip the ends under the clip, and press one of the arrow buttons to automatically wrap your hair around the iron. Once you release the button, the barrel rotates back a short distance for safety reasons. Hold for 10 seconds then press the rotation button in the reverse direction to release your hair.

To illustrate the auto curl function, I've created this handy gif image (not gonna lie, I was so excited when I figured out how to do this):

As a finishing touch, I always set my curls with hair spray. Lately I've been using hair rules Volumizing Hair Spray, which I received from Folica. hair rules actually caters to "textured, wavy, kinky, or curly locks" (a.k.a. not me) but this particular hair spray can be used on all hair textures. It works well to hold my style in place but perhaps because it has such a strong hold, it also has a very strong smell upon use which is almost unbearable if the room is not well-ventilated. Thankfully it's not noticeable once actually on the hair.

For an example of some light waves I did with the Rowenta Beauty Curl Active, check out my latest outfit post. The styler retails for $179.99 (CAD) and can be purchased online or in salons nationwide.

Breton & Quartz Crystal

For casual, easy-chic dressing, I just adore the look of Breton stripes. Paired with this clear quartz crystal necklace from local jewelry line, Charles and Grace Jewelry, I had the perfect outfit for a summer date night. I've been wearing this necklace with just about everything... isn't it gorgeous?

Top: T. Babaton (Aritzia) (similar) / Skirt: Forever 21 (similar in different colours) / Wedges: Naturalizer

Bag: Matt & Nat / Necklace: Charles & Grace (c/o) / Bangles: Lulu Frost for J. Crew

Summer in the City

This past weekend consisted of beaching, brunching, and BBQ-ing, as well as the Pride Parade (hence the rainbow nails). Not to mention the fact that I was in a particularly celebratory mood because remember those pesky Bar Exams I recently wrote? Well, I passed!!

I'm also gearing up for a big move at the end of this month... to Calgary, Alberta! It's only till the end of the year but I'm both nervous and excited since I've never been to Calgary before. If you guys have any tips for things I should do/see while I'm living there, let me know. And since there is really nothing better than summer in Vancouver, I'm hoping to soak in as much as I can before I leave. I will miss this city so much!

Striped Blouse: OASAP (c/o) / Tank: TNA (Aritzia) / Shorts: Rendez-Vous by Paul & Joe Sister

Sandals: Roberto Vianni (Sterling Shoes) / Sunglasses: Vogue (here) / Bracelets: Derng

Katy Perry Lashes by Eylure in "Darling"

Thanks to the Katy Perry Lashes from Eylure, false eye lash application is now a breeze! Katy Perry always has nice full lashes, so it's no surprise that her collection offers a great range of styles, from a bit more natural to the super dramatic.

I was sent the "Darling" lashes to try out, which are one of two new styles that were released last month.

The "Darling" lashes, like all the false lashes in the Eylure Katy Perry collection, are self-adhesive allowing for instant application, and can be re-applied for multiple wears. It was nice not to have to worry about lash glue as I always find that a bit tricky to deal with and it was also easy to re-adjust the lashes once on my lids.

These lashes aren't super crazy but I loved the final effect once on. This is what I wish my eye lashes naturally looked like! However, I did find them slightly uncomfortable since I'm not used to having such long and curly lashes (straight Asian eye lashes here, haha). I did eventually get used to the feeling, but still probably wouldn't wear these for an everyday look. Personally, I think they're more suited for a night out where you only have to wear them for a few hours.

Eylure's Katy Perry Lashes retail for only $6.99 (USD) and can be found at ULTA, CVS, and Claire's.