In winter 2011, my friends and I travelled to Sin City- Las Vegas! We stayed for 4 nights, 5 days. It’s probably my second time going and it’s been over a decade since I went back. I don’t remember anything from my last trip, so going to Vegas in 2011 was a whole new experience. Fortunately, the weather was great in Vegas and shopping was good. It got a little chilly at night, but during the day there was sunshine and blue sky! It was definitely a lot of fun and I want to give a quick guide for people going to Vegas and a review of my hotel. I stayed at Vdara, which is located at City Centre. Here is a breakdown of Vegas:
Take 5 Cafe @ Richmond Centre
Coming back from UBC late today, I was hungry and decided to try Take 5 Cafe at Richmond Centre Mall today. I’ve only had their drinks before and gelato. Their mango frappe and cafe mocha is extremely delicious.
I called up my mom who was at work and we shared the:
1) Chicken Parmesan Pasta ($7.99)
The person who worked there heated it up for us. At first glance, the tub of pasta didn’t look like there was enough. But when you scoop to the bottom, there were several giant pieces of fried chicken. The pasta and the sauce was tasty. However, the cheese was parmesan powder, and I usually like my cheese stringy and melted. I had to dip my chicken in the pasta sauce to taste the yumminess of it, otherwise it would be like normal, frozen chicken. Of course, it wasn’t enough to feed two, but I think for one person, it is a decent size.
I do think it’s a tad expensive. Other pasta places (such as at UBC) is cheaper.
Rating: 3.8/5
2) Tiramisu ($5)
“lady fingers soaked in espresso coffee with Marsala & topped with marscapone cheese filling.”
I always love a good dessert and tiramisu is always at the top of my list. I was craving something sweet so I got this as well. Take 5’s tiramisu had the right amount of sweetness, but there was more marscapone than the cake. I enjoyed the cake part if the tiramisu, but the marscapone was okay for me, it felt like I was biting into sweet cheese instead of tasting all layers if the cake combined. I also like my tiramisu coated with chocolate powder, so I was sad they didn’t coat the whole topping.
Rating: 3.5/5
I recommend the tiramisu from Anna’s Cake House at Lansdowne Centre.
Because my mom worked in the mall, we got a 10% discount! The total came to $13.09.
Where’s the link in Translink? Frustrations of a UBC – Richmond commuter
Buses and skytrains were built for convenience and encourage people to start taking public transit and not use our cars. Buses linked us to our destinations and offered ways to save gas and get rid of traffic frustrations. However, since the construction of the Canada Line, I feel that busing is now more inconvenient than ever, and I know other Richmond- UBC commuters can agree with me on this.
How ridiculous is it that I need 2 transfers to get to UBC? I take a bus – > Canada line – > bus (480). That is 1.5 hours of travelling time to and from my house.Fine, take away 491, 496, 490 and make loads of people’s lives miserable. But then, they had to make the 480 commence and terminate at Bridgeport station! I reminisce the days when it took me 50 minutes to bus to UBC.
It’s not like most students are opting to transfer and take the 49, 43, 41 either. The lineups for the 480 are still equally long, but triple the inconvenience. I pretty much have to bolt off the Canada Line at Bridgeport and fight to get to the lineup, hoping I can get a seat. We all take 480 because it’s convenient. We want to sit down for such a long ride up to campus.
It really isn’t advantageous of making 480 end at Bridgeport. In my opinion, Translink is trying to make it look like everyone takes the Canada line. Look at all the people! Yeah, they built two cars for the tracks and everyone gets on and off Bridgeport with 30 seconds to do so. The trains are half packed with adults and half packed with students, and sometimes people have to stand outside and wait for the next train cause there’s no space. For those going back to Richmond Brighouse, they have to wait double the time, since the useless YVR train comes every second time.
All this excess traveling time actually has a profound impact on my education. I have to wake up extra early if I had an exam in the morning, and it takes me forever to go home so my studying time is reduced.Many more Richmond students are driving now, since Translink seems to purposely force us to.
Additionally, Canada Line is not trustworthy. Last Monday there was a problem/delay for 20 minutes. Every station was packed with people, and I was in a hurry to get to class. If Translink still had the other buses going straight from Richmond Center to Vancouver, the crowd would be so much smaller. 100’s of people were in line for the 403 to hopefully get to Bridgeport, but the bus obviously could not fit everyone. Needless to say, Canada Line failed on me. And this isn’t the first time either.
I’m a tweeter as well, and I have tweeted them many times about complaints. And what do they respond every time?
“Here’s the link to Customer relations!”
That doesn’t make me feel better. Ruining my morning and then telling me to tell others who don’t care, doesn’t make anything better. Unfortunately at the time being, there is nothing we can do. Unless all of us band together or something and rally against Translink and demand change.
Who’s with me?
Lip Balm Reviews galore! Maybelline, Blistex, Nivea, and more! (That rhymed…)
The one product that I buy like crazy is lip balm. I pretty much have one in every corner in my room. I keep one in my backpack, one in my purse, one in my pencil case, one in my jacket…. Why do I buy so much lip balm? I really don’t wear much makeup (for some reason I have a lot of makeup though…) and my lips are dry literally 24/7. Winter, summer, spring, fall…my lips are always no matter how much water I drink. I’ve bought lip balms from a range of prices and a range of brands.
I have way too many and I think it’s time to go through what I have today!
1) Nivea Pearly Shine: This is Nivea’s lip balm that’s infused with pearl and silk extracts. If your lips are dry and cracked and you put a layer of this, it does NOT look good (on me anyway). It is quite frosty so it looks like you just stuffed your face in a giant bowl of silver paint and it got stuck on your lips. It looks (a bit) better if you put a layer of regular lip balm under. I do not use this on a regular basis a a lip balm. Instead, I use it to highlight my cupid’s bow (the upside down triangle on your upper lip.) It also stands out if you wear red lip tint/lip stick, and put some shine in the middle of your lips for a fuller pout.
Rating: 2.5/5
Buy Nivea Pearly Shine here.
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2) Maybelline Baby Lips (Quenched) : This is one of Maybelline’s newest products I got at Super Store awhile ago for $4. Shoppers Drug Mart sells it for $6.49, so be sure to check the Canadian Super Store!! I definitely got partially sucked in by the packaging. I love big bold colors. There are 4 other tinted colors + Peppermint (also clear.) I got the “Quenched” balm, which is your everyday basic balm. It’s supposed to last 8 hours, but really, when all ads say that, take off 2-4 hours from it. I have to reapply maybe every 2-3 hours, but maybe because my lips suck in moisture quickly.
It does glide on very smoothly. It has a very generic smell, so nothing special. The one downside I noticed is the white dead skin that appears on my lips after a while. Not very flattering. So I have to be careful when I apply this and check the mirror after an hour! I also forgot to mention, it has SPF 20! After I’m done this balm, I think I want to try the other flavours. Overall, it is a fairly nice smooth balm.
Rating: 3.5/5
Buy Maybelline Baby Lips here.
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3) Nivea Soothing Care : This lip balm has wheat germ oil. There are many benefits of wheat germ oil, check it out here. (I think I got a bunch of Nivea products from Shoppers one day since they were all on sale one time.) However, I didn’t find anything special about this lip balm. If I lose it, I won’t fret over it. The smell is a bit different from other balms, and it glides smoothly. Not something I would buy again.
Rating: 3/5
4) Nivea Hydro Care: One of my favourites! This is my second tube. It has “pure water” and aloe vera in it. My lips feel hydrated after a layer of this balm. It’s also very affordable everywhere ($2-$3 in drug stores). It also makes a good base before applying lipstick. Will buy again (after I finish my other million balms.) However, it doesn’t last very long, and I probably apply it every 1-1.5 hours.
Rating: 4.5/5
Buy Nivea Hydro Care here.
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5) Lipice Moisturizing Lip Balm (Apple flavoured I think..) This is an Asian brand, designed by The Mentholatum Company. I bought this from Hong Kong, but you can also get these here in Candyland (Aberdeen), or Smart N’ Save (Lansdowne), or Osaka Supermarket (Yaohan.) It costs around $4.99. I also enjoy this product very much because it has a mint, tingly feeling. My mom bought a bunch of flavours from Hong Kong that I’m itching to smell/try – lemon and strawberry. It also smells delicious!
Rating: 5/5
Buy Lipice here
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6) Blistex Complete Moisture: This is one of my favourite lip balms. It has a cool minty, tingly feeling when you apply it to your lips. I love that feeling because it tells me it’s working! It also has SPF 15 to it. My lips feel completely moisturized and quenched. It’s inexpensive, and does the job.Sometimes the skin around my lips feel dry as well, so I dab a bit of this onto my skin, and it pretty much saved my life.
Rating: 5/5
7) Espie Lip Care: My mom got this for me from Hong Kong’s Sasa. It has Vitamin E in it. It’s very very moisturizing, and it also makes your lip shiny. However, I wonder if it’s just making the top layers of my lips moisturized, or is it actually sinking in. After wearing it for half an hour, my lips still feel “wet.” It does remove traces of dryness on my lips, so I can’t argue about it.
Rating: 4/5
8) Sony Cp B&C Apple Lip Cream: This was expensive, and I admit, I bought it fully for the packaging. I buy anything that has an apple shape and pattern to it.
It’s adorable! It smells adorable! It contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and apple extract. It is a tub full of lip cream, and it makes me want to eat the whole jar. It looks very waxy, but when applied, it’s smooth enough. And it smells wonderfully fruity!! I wear this at night (alternating with Blistex Lip Medex sometimes) and my lips feel smooth in the morning. Did I mention the smell?! And the extremely cute packaging?!
The downside? It costs $11.99 for a lip cream, which is quite expensive. I got it from Shifeon (Downtown Vancouver/ Oakridge Mall.)
Rating: 4.5/5
9) Blistex Lip Medex: This is one of my God- sent, Holy Grail Products. I got it at Walmart for $1.99? Back then, I get cold sores from stress and not sleeping enough. It was painful, but Lip Medex solved those problems! It also gives lips a tingly feeling. This lip salve is meant to for cold sores, cracked and dried lips. Although you have to dip your finger in this one, it doesn’t matter because it’s so good! I have tried the balm version before, and it leaves a yellow residue on my lips. 🙁 I wear this lip salve before bed as well sometimes, and I wake up feeling great. It lasts long.
Rating: 6/5!!
10) Figs and Rouge 100% Organic Balm: This is an organic balm, made in U.K. and I had it ordered from feelunique. It was a bit expensive ( £5.00) but shipping is free on their site. Emma Watson( Hermione from Harry Potter) also talked about this lip balm too!
“I am obsessed with organic skincare and was overjoyed to see how beautifully packaged Figs & Rouge products are.”
Who doesn’t wish they’re not Emma Watson? As an anglophile and a lip balm lover, of course I had to try out this organic lip balm! The flavour I got was Rambling Rose and it has an amazing, light floral scent. What’s best is that this lip balm is organic! Check out the ingredients here. This balm can do ANYTHING. You can put it on cracked, dried skin. You can use it as cuticle balm or dried soles. Your skin is flaky somewhere? Put some figs and rouge on!
Rating: 5/5
Buy Figs and Rouge here
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Wow! That’s 10 lip balms I reviewed. Next time, I’ll share my review on Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments + Revlon Lip Butter!
What’s your favourite lip balm? Do you have any of the same ones, and what did you think? Feel free to comment below!!
Julep Maven February Box! + Get yours for $0.01!
Hi all!
I just received my first Julep Maven box a couple days ago and I want to write a review for it =)I had a code that I got it for $5, but now there’s a new code and you can get YOUR first Julep Maven box for $0.01! Read more to find out what’s it all about!
So What is Julep Maven?
From their site| “For just $19.99 a month, you’ll receive over $40 worth of trendsetting polish colors and cutting-edge treatment products each month customized in a gift-able Sneak Peek Box
Each Sneak Peek Box features new, never before released colors and treatments FIRST to you, before anyone else
Your box also includes hits and cult favorites – the products we like to keep on the top of editors’ minds
”
So you pay $19.99 for a box of nail polish + treatments every month. I was browsing the internet after reading too many beauty blogs, and I discovered this gem called Julep Maven. Sounded interesting, so I went to their site and gave it a look. It looked very eye-catchy, but as a student, I couldn’t see myself giving up $19.99 a month for it. Luckily, I found a coupon code and got my box for only $5 (So for $5, why not give it a try?)It is available for Canadians and residents of USA.
I received this cute, little simple black box in the mail.
What’s inside the box?
1) Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener: It is a hand cream to brighten hands and reduce aging. It has a nice clean smell and my hands do feel moisturized. I don’t see any changes in brightening yet. Hopefully if I wear it often enough maybe the scar I have at the back of my hand would fade. I received a full size (3 oz) and the original price is $32. Expensive? Indeed. I rather stick to my $5-$10 hand creams I can buy at Bath and Body Works/ Body Shop etc, but this was a nice addition to my box nonetheless.
2) A sample of Julep Maven hand cream. I haven’t tried it yet, since the full size (3 oz) costs $28, I’ll save it until I’m somewhere extremely dry and use it.
3) Finally! I can get to the nail polish colors!
Anne: It is a bright, violet shade. I tried 2 coats and I got a great color on my nail. It also has a bit of shine on it too. However, I don’t normally wear such bright purple nail polish, but it would be a good summer time color.
Maria: “A shimmering platinum rose” – I couldn’t have described it better myself from the site. I love love love this color! I prefer nail polishes that are nudes and pinks, but this one had the right amount of sparkle on it. Extremely rich and pigmented too! This color could go with any outfit for any event – dates, parties, dinners, and more!
Both Anne and Maria have amazing quality and they’re definitely eye catching colors. However, these nail polishes are worth a whopping $14 each! I don’t think I ever paid so much for a nail polish, nor will I ever will.
The total value of this box would be $60 (hand brightener+ nail polishes, not including the sample hand cream.) Pretty good deal that I got all of these for $5!!! I really do enjoy all the products I got as well. I do plan to cancel my subscription soon though, as I can’t see myself spending $20/ month on nail/hand related products, but it was great to try it for once!
Now, there is a code where YOU can get your first box for $0.01!
Coupon Code for $0.01: COLOR2012
Did you get a Julep Maven box too? Let me know what do you think about yours!