Carlina Springbok VVA Handbags

February 2, 2017

WEARING: VVA CARLINA YELLOW LEATHER HANDBAG

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VVA HANDBAGS BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Functional versatility is the driving force behind VVA Handbags. Made in Britain, the collection evokes both versatility and elegance, and are individually produced and crafted by hand, using the finest British and Italian leathers. Each VVA bag can be carried and styled in several ways. The new arrivals, like this Carlina Yellow Leather Handbag, which I'm totally obsessed with its uniqueness and vibrant color!

The Carlina shoulder bag is a handbag with attitude - a showstopper, in your face statement handbag that will certainly catch the eyes of many! What makes this bag ultra-special to me is the leather is Springbok (South African antelope) which has beautiful markings and a rich "punk" effect on the front and is paired with Italian black leather on the back, along with the handles and interior trimming. It even has a signature pink interior!

Designed to be your go-to handbag the roomy interior provides space for your technology, magazines, work documents, and other daily essentials. There's an additional inner handbag in Springbok attached with press studs making it easy to remove and can be used as a separate shoulder or clutch bag. Hand finished with silver nickel details, VVA Handbags are standout investment pieces to your wardrobe. I definitely can say my new bag will come in handy during NYFW! I'm getting excited for next week, how about you guys?

PHOTOS © // GILLES DECAMPS | CREATIVE DIRECTOR // SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Haircare

January 9, 2017

EXTRAORDINARY CLAY, SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES, JANUARY 7TH, 2017.

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY L'ORÉAL HAIR & INFLUENSTER.

When you think of washing your hair, clay is probably not the first ingredient that comes to mind. But thanks to L'Oréal #ExtraordinaryClay, a hair care trio that includes a 30% clay hair mask, this treatment has become a popular trend. So I was delighted to try these products, especially on my newly-do mane.

You first begin with the pre-shampoo mask, which is what is in this self-portrait series. Please note this treatment is meant for your entire head of hair, from root to end. But because I felt like thinking outside the box creatively within the self-portraits the mask is only shown on the top of my head, though I did do a full treatment after the photos. I'm thinking of doing a lot more work on self-portraiture this year, what do you guys think? Would you like to see more of these photos? Back to the lecture at hand (lol), what does the clay mask do? It rids of oils from the roots and moisturizes the ends, even purifying the scalp.

After shampoo & conditioner, my hair felt ultra-fresh and lightweight. And what's also amazing about the products is it absorbs enough scalp sebum where you won't even need to be using dry shampoo a couple days later, even with bangs! Even a few days later, my hair was still bouncy as ever. This trio line is the real deal. Find more L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay hair care info here. You can also shop the products down below. Happy Monday! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask

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Eva Hair NYC

December 7, 2016

EVA HAIR NYC ❤️ OLD NAVY TRAVEL - SIZE COLLECTION: CLEAN UP SHAMPOO | 
SOFTEN UP CONDITIONER | THERAPY SESSION HAIR MASK | ROCK-A-WAVE CURL CREAM |
 FRESHEN UP DRY SHAMPOO | SURF'S UP! TEXTURE SPRAY | MINI-STRAIGHTENER

This post is brought to you by Eva Hair NYC

Happy Hump Day and Happy last month of 2016! Get ready to ring in the New Year with a terrific haircare brand, Eva Hair NYC, based in Brooklyn, New York. Can I just start by commenting on the vibrant and boho chillax feel in their packaging?! This was the first thing I noticed when I received their travel kit sized collection. It includes shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, curl cream, dry shampoo, texture spray, and even an adorable cute mini-straightener.

1. CLEAN UP SHAMPOO

The Clean It Up Shampoo is a daily shampoo that gently cleanses, restores and nourishes hair. With Keravis™ Protein Complex it is scientifically proven for 3X stronger hair. Also containing Argan oil, this feeds hair with Vitamins A & E, Omegas 3, 6, 9, keeping your hair healthy, shiny and smooth.

2. SOFTEN UP CONDITIONER

The Soften Up Conditioner is a daily conditioner that gently moisturizes, detangles and repairs hair. This conditioner also contains Keravis™ Protein Complex and Argan Oil. And the smell of both the shampoo and conditioner are amazing!

3. THERAPY SESSION HAIR MASK

The Therapy Session Hair Mask is a daily or weekly treatment that deeply conditions, repairs and strengthens dry and damaged hair. It is a wonderful weekly hair mask to use and has been keeping my hair moisturized and silky!

4. ROCK-A-WAVE CURL CREAM

The Rock-A-Wave Curl Cream is a moisturizing leave-in treatment that lightly sculpts and defines curls while taming frizz and fly-aways. I simply love this cream because it really helps with my wavy hair. It texturizes but not overkill. Simply smells delicious and keeps those locks hydrated!

5. FRESHEN UP DRY SHAMPOO

The Freshen Up Dry Shampoo is a weightless spray that cleans without water, absorbs excess oil, and adds instant volume - with no white residue (which is kind of annoying, am I right ladies?) The natural rice starch absorbs excess oil and is a gentle alternative to harsh talc or aluminum. Containing Vitamin C & Omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9 all enhance shine while moisturizing and strengthening the hair.

6. SURF'S UP! TEXTURE SPRAY

The Surf's Up! Texture Spray is a weightless spray that creates instant texture and volume, with a dry, matte finish. With zeolite - a natural mineral that builds texture without salt I found it to be very effective in giving lovely beach waves to my hair.

7. MINI-STRAIGHTENER

The mini-straightener is a small but powerful travel iron perfect for touch-ups and styling on-the-go. The 100% ceramic and titanium plates radiate far-infrared heat and lock in moisture for a smooth, frizz-free finish. The added cosmetic bag and dual voltage feature make these the ideal travel companion for instant beautification. And how cute is the pouch?! I love anything iridescent.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Try the World - Michelin Curated Holiday Box

November 15, 2016

Interested in having gourmet ingredients from countries around the world delivered straight to your door? Try the World does just that, and right now they’re featuring their special Michelin Curated Box! Please Note: Try the World sent me their Michelin box in exchange for my honest Try the World Review.

Try the World - Michelin Curated Holiday Box

WHAT IS 'TRY THE WORLD'?

Try the World is an international food delivery service that sends out subscription boxes with food from different countries. It's definitely going to save you the trouble and time at many grocery stores pondering over what to get let alone if it's even in English. Most well known for their mint 'Signature Box', the Signature Box is country-specific (for example, last month's Italy Box), and comes with 7-8 gourmet-quality food items. They also offer a less expensive, non-country-specific snack box and pantry box, and an online store to let you restock on the goodies you've tried and now love.

Every once in a while though, Try the World offers a specialty box. And this special edition I received is completely curated by Michelin – the food-curating, gourmet-loving company that keeps chefs all over the world competing for excellence. This holiday box includes 8 items: Mexican hot chocolate disks, Israeli date spread, South African salted toffee, French spice cake mix, British lemon curd, Taiwan pineapple cakes, Italian truffle sauce, and Canadian Maple shortbread cookies. Today I'll be sharing with you my ideas on what to make with each item.

1. KEKUA MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

What I loved about this particular hot chocolate is that it did not come in powder but rather, more like cookies! Perfectly designed for easy melting and incorporating the chocolate into other chocolates or sweets. Great pairings with this is of course, milk, but given I'm such a coffee fanatic lately, I'd also try making a mocha. Imagine the richness of a chocolate frosting/icing when using this!

2. YOFFI DATE SPREAD

The sweetness of the date would go wonderfully in a batch of traditional cinnamon rolls. I don't know about you folks, but given this time of the year when the weather starts to get colder, I love to hunker down and enjoy a rich snack/dessert. Besides cinnamon rolls, cookies or any kind of bread/cake would also be splendid with the Israeli date spread. The smell is intoxicating just by itself!

3. DARLING SWEET TOFFEE

The South African toffee is simply delicious on its own, but even dropping a couple of them in a hot cocoa and letting them melt with their oooey-gooey wonderfulness would also be pretty amazing. And if you're a fan of Christmas brittle/bark, these little cuties will definitely help achieve the most awesome snack/dessert.

4. MARLETTE ARTISINAL FLOUR

The French spice cake mix would be lovely in bite-size form, such as mini-cakes or muffins! And a lil' date spread on top? A match made in heaven. The spices would also complement with pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon very well. Can anyone smell fall bread in the kitchen? Thanksgiving is right around the corner and this flour mix is the perfect starter for any meal, big or small!

5. FOX GOURMET FOOD LEMON CURD

What can I say about lemon curd? We get along like peas and carrots. I normally don't eat a lot of fish during the winter time, but it's so healthy to eat it once a week and I try to keep that a weekly habit. I'd use this curd in an easy-peasy white fish recipe I bake in the oven. It's fresh and light, and wonderful all year round. Let me know if you'd like a recipe up on the blog! Also, if you really want a challenge in cooking, try make some lemon soufflés with this curd. ;)

6. TAIWAN MINI PINEAPPLE CAKES

Are you a fan of banana pudding? Why not put a twist on those boring vanilla wafers and mix it up with mini pineapple cakes?! They're small in size and are packed with a full-crunch. The citrusy aftertaste will leave your tongue tingling and full of delight. Of course, if you're impatient like me, you'll quickly devour them before using it for any recipe. And how cute is the packaging of their box? Tropical and festive, I simply loved these mini cakes.

7. TARTUFATA TRUFFLE SAUCE

I'm not going to lie. When I saw this in the box, I squealed with excitement. There's no artificial flavor, it's the real deal! Yes, there's actual truffle inside! I'd fold this into an alfredo or any other kind of pasta your foodie heart can dream of. I mean, tell me someone who doesn't like Italian truffle! Oh so good, yum!

8. SPRUCEWOOD HANDMADE COOKIE CO. CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

I could eat these straight from the box. (Looking pretty cozy paired with the hot chocolate...) But these cookies can be crumbled onto a pie or cake as part of the topping. It'll bring an added flavor with its texture. And Canadian Maple?! I would even experiment this with pancakes or french toast, talk about a dreamy holiday breakfast.

Interested in trying this holiday box out for yourself? Start your journey with a FREE BOX when you subscribe! The Michelin curated holiday box is perfect for any food lover and such a lovely gift to give to someone who appreciates trying new things. Cheers to new experiences in your kitchen! You can also get $10 off a pantry box using promo code, 'EARLYADOPTER'.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Holiday Michelin Curated Try the World Box

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The Black and Orange

April 7, 2016

download recipe

The Black and Orange Cocktail

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Scotch
.5 oz. Amaro Meletti
.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
1.5 oz. fresh pressed carrot juice
Fresh ground black pepper for garnish

Directions:

Shake all together with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
Grind the black pepper on top to garnish.

It's Thirsty Thursday and I couldn't help but make another cocktail! Like I've mentioned before, I'm not even an occasional drinker. I might have a few drinks within an entire year, but I've been so into mixology as of late! Since the first couple of cocktails I created were mostly focused on Korean vodka, I wanted to change it up to a different kind of liquor and to make a cocktail fitted for the spring season. Created by Rob Krueger from Brooklyn's Extra Fancy, the Black and Orange pulls in lemon and carrot juice for a drink that's entirely refreshing. Also with a scotch base, this cocktail takes its cues from Yellow Chartreuse and Amaro Meletti, which lift up the brown spirit in a delightful way.

My favorite part of this drink? The fresh ground black pepper as a garnish! It really gives the drink a pleasant palette, along with a stimulating aftertaste. I received an Ozeri electronic pepper grinder and a set of 4 Curva Artisan Series Double Wall Beverage Glasses and Tumblers in order to facilitate a review of their products. The Ozeri pepper grinder is not only electronic but gives you 3 set ways to grind the pepper. From fine to coarse, all it takes is one push of the top button and voila! I wasn't a fan of picking up 6 batteries for the darn appliance, though! That was the only setback in my opinion. The cups I received as well are handmade, double-wall thermo glasses, each glass boasting a unique curvature that holds 8 ounces. They are small, but what's great about these beverage cups is that they can be used for both hot and cold drinks! I love kitchen products/appliances that can be used for more than one task. In this case, these are my new favorite drink cups! You can find both the cups and pepper grinder at Amazon. Next on MaQ + Suz? A brand spanking new Korean fusion recipe! Stay tuned...