what love does ...

Being in love makes you realize crazy, random things.

It's true.

Last weekend I was sitting in my living room, minding my own bees-wax, watching Say Yes To The Dress on TLC when out of the blue - WHAM! BAM! It hit me. Total light bulb moment, followed by a major minor nervous breakdown.

"Ohmigosh, I totally can't get married anytime soon!!! I haven't found a Vancouver hairdresser yet! Who would do my hair for my wedding?"

I wish I was kidding, kids, but that exact thought really did cross my mind.

I've been living here over a year now, and I hadn't stepped foot in a hairdressing salon because, frankly, hairdressers terrify me. You know how some people are with doctors or dentists? That's how I am with hairdressers. I'm always worried they won't know how to handle my Caribbean curls (which, trust me, is usually the case) and that they'll do something stupid (like cut out huge chunks of hair) which will take me YEARS to grow out. It's not that I'm vain -OK, maybe just a bit - but in all fairness, curly hair is ... well ... it's unique. It's high-maintenance. And it requires love and care from somebody who knows what they're doing if you don't want to end up with a giant frizz ball on the top of your head.

Anyway, inspired by love I decided it was time to bite the bullet and find a hairdresser in my new city. I did A LOT of research online and got some referrals from friends, but in the end I decided to try a place right around the corner from me called The Room Hair Salon. It appealed to me because it's a smaller salon, which usually means the staff actually take the time to get to know you and offer you personalized service. Compared to some of the other salons I was considering, The Room's prices were pretty reasonable and they offered all of the services I was looking for. And, last but not least, they assured me that they could handle my curls. They were worth a shot.

I had my first appointment there this morning. I had only booked for a wash and blow-dry because I wanted to make sure they were good before I let them anywhere near my curls with a pair of scissors. My hairdresser, Danielle, turned out to be fantastic. She was friendly and professional, and the scalp massage she gave me was TO. DIE. FOR. I ended up making a second appointment to go see her for a trim and highlights at the end of the month. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful (no pun intended) friendship, folks.

So thank you, Boy, for unknowingly giving me the kick in the butt I needed to get out there and find a new hairdresser. I'm ready for a proposal now, you can proceed at any time. :)

Snooki Confessions

Let's begin this rainy Tuesday morning with a few confessions, shall we? I sometimes fall asleep with my makeup on. I'm on a mission to try and eat fruit for breakfast each morning, and have convinced myself that Strawberry Pop Tarts totally qualify. And, last but not least, I've got a bit of a soft spot for this crazy, fist-pumping, big-hoop-earring-wearing, self-proclaimed Guidette ~

Photo Credit - US Weekly

I don't watch her hit television show, Jersey Shore, although I've seen a few snippets of it here and there. I don't agree with very much that comes out of her mouth. I think it's a shame that she and her friends believe getting smash drunk and "hooking up" with random people is a fun way to spend a summer. And I definitely don't think that the show is an accurate portrayal of people from New Jersey. But, all that aside, I LOVE the poof.

"The what?" you ask. The poof, my friends ... Snooki's signature hairstyle. It's like a ballerina bun meets a 50s beehive meets a mountain of hairspray. I must be a child of the 80s, because I *LOVE* it. For the past few days, I've been trying my best to emulate the poof effect but, with my thick curls, the look is obviously different. (And by "different", I really mean epic fail. It just winds up looking like I've got a ball of tangles on the top of my head.)

OK, lovies. Your turn to 'fess up. Make me feel better about my makeup habit and my fruit delusion and my poof obsession by sharing your own random confessions.

♥ Stephanie xo

And the award goes to

If you're a makeup junkie like me - and yes, I've become quite the makeup junkie since moving to Vancouver - then you're probably aware that it's award time in the cosmetics industry. In Style magazine just released its 2010 Best Beauty Buys list and so did Allure Magazine. So, just for fun, I thought I'd give you all a peek into my makeup bag and let you know which products won my votes! :)

Best Makeup Bag:

Harajuku Lovers Solid Clutch Makeup Bag, $22 at Sephora

Best Mascara:

Quo Miraculous Lash, $20 only at Shopper's Drugmart

Best Powder Blush:

Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Original Rose, approx. $8 at any pharmacy

Best Eyeshadow:

MAC Eyeshadow (all colors), $18 at MAC stores

Best Facial Cleanser:

Derma E Papaya & Soy Milk Foaming Facial Cleanser, $20 at Fabove

Best Facial Moisturizer:

Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Moisturizer, $10 at any pharmacy

Best Lipstick:

Maybelline Moisture Extreme in "Born with It", approx. $6 at any pharmacy

Best Hair Styling Product:

Sebastian Trilliant Thermal Shimmer, $17 at Fabove

Best Kept Beauty Secret:

Parnevu Tea Tree Leave-In Conditioner, $10 at Shoppers Drugmart

I hope you're all having a beautiful (pardon the pun!) week! Tomorrow night I'll be getting all dolled up and going somewhere special, so stay tuned!

xoxo

The girl wears lipstick

I bought lipstick today. Maybelline Moisture Extreme in "Nude Blush" to be exact. The last time I purchased lipstick, I was twelve and on a cosmetics shopping spree with my Nana (a retired makeup artist and cosmetician). She told me that every girl needed red lipstick, so I bought one. I never wore it, though. I found lipstick (any color, any shade) made me look old, so for years my makeup bag was full of glosses and scented lip balms, but no lipstick. Just that one bottle of red Revlon lipstick from 1998 that I never wore and eventually threw out because it started to smell funny. I didn't even wear lipstick to prom, and EVERYBODY wears lipstick to prom.

Today, one of my co-workers was touching up her makeup at her desk and she asked me if I had any lipstick she could borrow. (Note to readers: that's a stupid thing to ask a girl with bronchitis. Don't try that at home.) I told her I didn't wear lipstick and she asked why.

The conversation went something like this:

"I tried it when I was twelve and it made me look old."

"Well, lipstick wasn't made for twelve year olds."

"Yeah but ..."

"Yeah but what? You're a grown up now. You should give it a second chance."

So after work, I went to London Drugs and bought lipstick. And then I skipped home like a giddy school girl and ran into my bathroom and tried it on. And you know what? It didn't make me look old. It didn't make me look like Cindy Crawford, either, but it did make me look a little more sophisticated and polished. As I puckered my lips together in front of the mirror, I decided that I kind of liked lipstick after all.

Just one more thing to add to the list of discoveries I'm making about the woman I'm becoming living here by the sea.

-xox-