Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Travels : Mykonos, Greece

TRAVELS : MYKONOS, GREECE

Are you looking for a picturesque vacation spot to relax and watch time slow and want something other than a resort? Then try the Greek Island of Mykonos. Stay at the (4 Star) Pelican Bay Art Hotel, where the décor is luxurious and the architecture is like a quaint boutique with wood beam ceilings and stone walls. The attention to detail is incredible, every fixture, every piece of furniture appears handpicked, even down to the classic elevator buttons. Take some time to look at the sculptures and paintings throughout the hotel. During the day you can lounge by the pool and in the evenings sit in your own private balcony.


The Pelican Bay is a five minute walk from a beautiful beach where the water is clear and the boardwalk is lined with restaurants. One for every day of the week. An entree to try is the lamb. It is not only tasty but a bargain, about half the price one would pay in Toronto.


There are many beaches to visit when in Mykonos. One of the more popular spots is Super Paradise Beach. However, if you are after something more  secluded, there are beaches all over the island. Stop off at Ano Mera, a small town for lunch, before heading for the beach in Fokos. A great thing to do is rent a car or a four wheeler and explore. The light house has a spectacular view and the windy roads are fun to whiz around on.

If you are looking for a bit of nightlife or shopping, head into the Town of Hora and get lost in the maze of narrow streets. There are boutique shops, name brand stores, art galleries and endless restaurants, from 2.50 Euro gyros to fine dining. Keep an eye out for the town’s two mascots, a pair of Pelican birds.


Bring a camera, because the cluster of white houses, stone streets and waterfront view is perfect for artistic interpretation. It’s all about taking it easy, having a drink because the view is awesome, taking a few pictures or setting up for that "postcard" shot, doing a little shopping, trying on some clothes, stopping and having some sweets to catch another view, spending some time people-watching and finally look for that special restaurant for dinner.



At some point, all this self-indulging lounging may get to you, in which case you can take a ferry boat to the archaeological Island of Delos. Visit the museum and spend the day hiking through the ruins. Climb atop the mountain for a spectacular view before heading back to the comfort of your hotel and private pool.


All in all, slow down and take in all that is around.

Words + Photos : Tobin Cheung

Friday, June 10, 2011

Beauty Product Review : Finipil Lait 50


Finipil : Lait 50 [31 ml]
Beauty Stars
: 4.5

Review : This is definitely an amazing product with a long list of uses.  It was mainly developed to be used in conjunction with Nufree Soy-Based Hair Removal.  When used after Nufree treatments, it’s supposed to slow down the hair regrowth process.  I’ve done the Nufree treatment a few times and did notice a reduction in the amount of hair in the areas treated.  The hairs that are growing back are definitely growing back a lot slower.  I’ve been told with regular treatments ie. 20-30 treatments once a month, is equivalent to laser hair removal. But I’ve been really busy to keep up regular treatments, but so far I have seen results with the few times I’ve gotten Nufree done and have used the Finipil afterwards.

Finipil is an anti-bacterial lotion. So I’ve used it as a great non-greasy/non-drying hand sanitizer/moisturizer. Much better than using the alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Other uses I haven’t explored but has known to work: great for rashes/scrapes/cuts if you don’t have Polysporin. When applied, it has a very cooling sensation, so it’s great for traveling ie. cools swelling feet or you can apply all over if there’s no AC!  It also prevents ingrown hairs if you don’t have time to exfoliate daily. Great as a makeup primer/base.  Great for pore tightening and disinfecting in the hot heat to prevent breakouts.  Great as a deordorant with cooling effects.  Some have used this product for Athlete’s Foot, chapped lips and cold sores.

It’s worth giving a try, but unfortunately it’s not sold in regular stores.  If you’re interested in purchasing one, please contact me directly : maggie@maggieng.com

Beauty Review : Maggie Ng

Note : For any beauty questions or product submissions, please email : maggie@maggieng.com

Short Story : In One Moment [Page 4]

IN ONE MOMENT by Tobin Cheung [Page 4]

I’ve tried putting my arms around her, but she claims it hurts her back. Once I opted for touching feet, to have some human contact, yet somehow that too hurt her back.

With my arm stretched out towards hers, I take hold of her hand. She stops and complains that my palm is all sweaty. 

“I’m actually kind of tired, Lizzy. We’ve been here most of the day. What do you say to a quiet evening at my place instead? We could order in, rent a movie and get out of this heat. I could use a shower.”

“What do you mean, you want to go? It’s Saturday night!?! People are just arriving.”

What she considers as 'people' are the young fashionable type, hip on all the latest trends, coming out only once the sun has set. “If you’re tired, why don’t you rest somewhere and I’ll come and get you later, in an hour or so.”

We’ve been here all afternoon at the jazz festival and I’ve hardly had a chance to watch a band play. All we’ve been doing is wandering around, people watching, lounging in café’s and outdoor patios.

“Yeah, ok.” I agree. “I’ll go see a band. I’ll hang out over at the main stage.”

“Where’s the main stage?”

“Right there,” I say pointing to the crew of people doing the sound check. “I’ll sit near that hotdog stand, to the right of the stage.”

Most of the seats were still empty. The band is not scheduled to play for another fifteen minutes.

“I can’t find you in there.”

“Just come by the hot dog stand when you’re done and I’ll keep an eye out for you. I’ll save you a seat.”

She gives me this dumb puzzled look.

“Yeah, whatever.”

I watch her turn her back and walk out towards the vendors. Her blonde and pink pigtails whip around and land just to the right and left of the butterfly she has tattooed at the base of her neck. It’s small, hardly noticeable and a cliché, but I told her that it was cute.

For the first time, I listened to the clicking of her heels. The tempo is that of a prance-like strut that could not be more fitting with her attire. She is sporting a pair of white cotton pants, so gripping that it appears to be sprayed on. Needless to say, they leave nothing to the imagination. She is one of those girls who wear a thong on a regular basis, regardless of her mood. It doesn’t mean she’s feeling sexy. It doesn’t mean she’s horny and it’s definitely not an invitation for me to approach with desires. She can be rather cold. I sometimes believe she knows exactly what she is doing and plays me like a puppet, all her actions premeditated and calculated. Other times, I accept her lack of sensitivity as unintentional and believe that I could be misunderstanding her entirely. Perhaps, I’m simply expecting too much.

“It’s a little too dry. Can we have the guitar strum a few more bars?”

The sun is setting and a cool breeze is blowing in off the lake. I am thirsty and badly in need of a sugar high that only a cola could fix. What can I say, I crave the fizzy sweet nectar and the boost of energy associated with a near fatal dose of caffeine. The closest food concession is jammed with people searching their pockets for bills, not coins, expecting to pay triple the fair rate. I shuffle through the crowd hoping to find a not so popular cotton candy or pretzel stand.

[To be continued...]

Friday, June 3, 2011

Contest : Lise Watier PROM'Tourage


Who is in your PROM’tourage?
 


The beloved Lise Watier DUO Shadow & Glitter now comes in two new shades (Pink Strass and Precious Gold), right in time for prom and will be a part of the prom package that two lucky winners will receive along with a few other glitter goodies. In addition, the two winners will be able to give $10 e-Boutique gift cards to 5 of their closest friends! All they have to do is send LW a picture of them and their entourage on Facebook (Girls only!) and let us know their best high school memory! The Lise Watier team will then decide in 4 weeks time who the winners are! 

To send Lise Watier your photos, please join the LW Facebook page :
http://www.facebook.com/LiseWatier


Luv Your Beauty Expert,

Maggie Ng

Monday, May 30, 2011

Giving Back : Weekend to End Cancer


Last year, Holly (a good friend of RAZ) walked 60km in the Weekend to End Women’s Cancer with her team, the Cougars Conquering Cancer.  Their small but mighty team of 12 walkers raised over $36,000 last year!

What did they do with it? They didn’t want to just throw the money into the “pot”, so they approached the foundation and asked if they could divert their funds raised to actually buy something for a hospital that was in need.  One of the Cougars is a nurse at a rural hospital – the Deep River & District Hospital. The hospital did not have a digital mammography machine. So the Cougars bought them one.

This means that mammogram images can be captured digitally and emails to the pathologist for interpretation (usually in distant, larger city centres), instead of having to physically mail the exposed films away.  They have directly impacted the care of the residents of the hospital’s catchment area to decrease the wait times for diagnosis of their patients.

The $20 Challenge

They will be walking again this year.  THIS WEEKEND, June 4th and 5th, 2011.

This year, Holly has issued a $20 challenge to her friends, family and work colleagues.  If everyone chipped in $20, they could continue to make a huge positive impact on the access to care and research needed to defeat cancer once and for all.
If you would like to support Holly for the walk this weekend, (I certainly did), you can click on the link below and then click “DONATE ONLINE“.

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Ottawa2011?px=3244113&pg=personal&fr_id=1450

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Beauty News : Lise Watier Wants to Hear From You!


Hooked on LW? 
Lise Watier wants to get to know you (their customers!) better...so talk to LW, they’re listening!


More news, contests and customized promo codes coming your way this summer!  

LW encourages you to check out their TumblR www.lisewatier.tumblr.com .
 
Questions, comments and notes are always welcome, so please share and don’t be shy!

Your Beauty Expert,

Maggie Ng

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Beauty Product Review : Neutrogena "Anti-Residue Shampoo"


Neutrogena : Anti-Residue Shampoo
Beauty Stars
: 4

Review : They say you should always change your shampoo every few months, so that your hair doesn’t become immune to the cleansing properties and benefits each has to offer.  Neutrogena’s Anti-Residue Shampoo states you should use it once a week to make your favourite shampoo work better.  But there are times I use it everyday. I have super oily hair, so I find it’s gentle enough for everyday use for me. It really cleans my scalp well.  The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the scent, it almost smells medicinal, but it works! If you buy the bigger bottle from Costco, it’s only $9.99 CAD and comes with a pump, (so very good value)!  It works great to clean out hair product build-up. When I feel my hair getting weighed down or extra oily, I’ll use this shampoo.

Beauty Review : Maggie Ng

Note : For any beauty questions or product submissions, please email : maggie@maggieng.com