Friday, May 23, 2014

Amber's 25th Birthday




I decided to organize a small surprise party for my sister's 25th birthday. I didn't invite too many people and some weren't able to make it. We were about 15 people altogether (including the birthday girl and myself).

Want to know what I wore? Check out my blog post: OOTN: Amber's Birthday Dinner
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RSVP


I normally create a Facebook event page but since it was a surprise, I couldn't take the chance of my sister finding out because it usually comes up on newsfeed. 

That's when I searched online and found splash. I created a page listing all the information and people were able to RSVP there as well. You can password protect the page and then simply send out the link to the guests along with password. 

Header of the page
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VENUE


I'm so happy that we did it at Zyara. The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated but their private room is a hidden gem. Aside from its beautiful decor, it's a perfect space for private dining.

Menu was fixed for everyone. However, their Lebanese Menu had a variety of items that pleased everyone. I was also happy to know that everything except lamb shank was halal. The food was overall very good and the presentation was well done.


Their service was fast and impeccable. The waiters were very nice and helpful. Click here to read my full review on the private room. 

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CAKE


I ordered the cake from Les Glaceurs (Quartier Dix30):
  • 6" cake (12-15 portions)
  • Small LV Bag & Christian Louboutin shoe
  • Golden LV logo around the cake
I originally wanted the cake to be in shape of LV handbag but they said that aside from the LV logo, the rest of the design would have to be done manually and cost more. I wasn't sure if they would have done a great job, so I asked them to make mini bag and shoe.



I actually wanted golden pearls around it but I guess there was some miscommunication and she put golden pearls on the bottom.  

I've never had a problem with any of my orders from downtown or old port Les Glaceurs but for some reason, Dix 30 one just doesn't live up to my expectations. However, I haven't really had a terrible experience either.

Nonetheless, the cake still turned out nice. The mini LV bag was so cute! It was perfect for the present my dad and I got for my sister: Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette Accessoires. 


I actually thought it would be too small for everyone, so my bestie brought assorted mini cupcakes from Les Glaceurs but surprisingly no one ate the mini cupcakes and there was a lot of cake left. Well, better to have more than less! We gave some mini cupcakes to the staff (least we can do for the amazing job they've done) and took home the rest. 

Click here to read my review of Les Glaceurs and see pictures of some of the cakes that my friends and I have ordered in the past.

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FAVORS

Each guest received a favor box and a plastic bag filled with goodies.


Plastic Bag

The plastic bag had the following items: 
    • Perfume Postcard: I actually got these from my online purchases. There was a promotion going on and I got about 15 postcards in total (5 different perfume brands per order). I had no clue I was going to get these while I was ordering and I got lucky because I got enough for all my guests.

      List of perfume samples received per order:

    • Urban Decay Sample: For orders of $25 USD and more (about $35 CAD), you get to choose a deluxe sample, so I got 2 deluxe samples of Urban Decay. Each of them included 7 different eyeshadow and primer samples, so 16 samples in total. The people who got a primer got Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder sample.

      Click here to check out their current beauty deals.
Sephora.com, Inc.
    • Samples: Samples of primers, cleansers, moisturizers and more from various brands (Too Faced, Make Up For Ever, Sephora Collection, Algenist, etc).  
    • Crossword Puzzle & Pen  

How did I get all these samples? 
I have VIB Rouge, so one of the advantages is that I get free shipping on each order, so I made about 3 orders and got a bunch of samples (including deluxe samples). I also stocked up on several samples especially during Sephora Chic Week Sale.
I would suggest you to join their Beauty Insider program if you live in Canada/USA. 
It's free and has few advantages: 
  • Each year around your birthday, you get a little present (deluxe samples). 
  • Earn points on each purchase that can be redeemed for deluxe samples.
  • Have access to their yearly sales (usually 2 sales where you can get 15 to 20% off).  
Click here to read my blog post about how their Beauty Insider program works.  

BI-Relaunch 

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Favor Box
The favor boxes had following items: 
    • Chocolates (Ferrero Rocher, Lindt) 
    • Thank You cards with the Louis Vuitton pattern
    • Keep Calm and Carry on Buying Shoes with a picture of Christian Louboutin Shoe



I simple used photo editor program for the Thank You cards, while the "Keep Calm" photo, I found it on google. I simply printed them out and used a paper trimmer, which is much easier and faster to cut paper.


I placed the favors on the table before most of the guests arrived. Everyone loved it! 




CROSSWORD PUZZLE


Each guest received a crossword puzzle about my sister. I used a free online tool that generates it for you: Edtools. It was so easy to make! I used to make them manually and then make copies for birthday parties when I was 13-14 years old. I wish this tool was available back then. 

Yes, I made a mistake in the title. In my defence, I worked on it very late and I was sleepy lol

While we waited for my sister to arrive, all the girls completed the crossword puzzles and wrote their names before folding them. I collected them and made someone draw one out with their eyes closed of course. The winner got to go first to choose a prize...


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PRIZES

After the winner of the crossword puzzle draw had chosen her prize, each person got to draw a number out of a bag (1 to 13). The person who got number 1 got to go first and 13 last but each person got at least one prize. I had a variety of prizes...



Sephora Deluxe Samples
I redeemed some deluxe samples using my points:
During the VIB Early Access Event, I got several samples and the following deluxe sample:




Sephora Samples

Various samples I got from Sephora during my last month's purchases.



Accessories
I also got few items from the stores...



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Final Thoughts

I was so happy that everything turned out well! The hardest part was to choose a date but luckily many of our friends were able to make it. I wanted to do more things but I ran out of time. I'll save those ideas for future event. Hopefully, my sister's bridal shower! I've already got few things in mind... 




Sunday, May 4, 2014

Rouge Nail Bar (DIx30)



Rouge Nail Bar has few locations (St Denis, Crescent, Dix30, Fairmont) but since we live in Brossard, my sister and I decided to get manicures at Rouge Nail Bar (Dix30). We went there last Wednesday.


Services & Prices

They offer a range of services (nail, waxing and lashes). Click on each of the following for more information about their services and pricing:


They also offer party packages. Their booking fee starts off at $300Click here to find out more information about their private parties.


Nail Services

  • The Classic Rouge: Soak, Shape, Massage & Paint (extra charges with paraffin)
    • Manicure: $25 ($10 extra with paraffin)
    • Pedicure: $37 ($10 extra with paraffin)  
    • Mani/Pedi: $49 to $62 (depending on the time and day of the week; $15 extra with paraffin) 
  • Shellac: Mini manicure & Application of Coloured Shellac
    • Coloured Shellac Mani/Pedi$90
    • French Shellac Mani/Pedi: $95 
  • The Principessa: Soak, Scrub, Massage & Paint with principessa products
    • Mani/Pedi: $67
  • Madame La France: The Classic French Manicure - Soak, Shape, Scrub, Massage & Paint
    • Mani/Pedi: $62
  • CND: Soak, Exfoliation, Shape, Massage & Paint with CND products 
    • Mani/Pedi: $77

Click here to see full list of their services and prices.


We chose The Classic Rouge manicure (without paraffin).


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Appointment & Parking
We took our appointment over the phone for Wednesday at 7 PM. We parked outside but they do have indoor parking. 



Entrance
When we first walked in, we were greeted by the receptionist. 
The salon itself was nice and clean. There were few TV screens (the movie Mamma Mia! was playing in English). They had several stations in the open area for nail services but there was a small room reserved for waxing. 


Color Selection
There was a wide selection of nail polishes to choose from the collections by OPI, Essie and VINYLUX. The receptionist informed us that there were extra charges for VINYLUX.


I chose this Essie nail polish: 



Manicure Station
We were asked to be seated at the manicure station, which was very neat. There was a TV screen in front of us to keep us entertained. The movie playing on all TV screens was Mamma Mia in english.


Each manicure station had a set of metal tools and non-metal tools (wooden stick, nail file and buffer). The non-metal tools aren't reusable, so each client can bring these home.



Menu
We were each given a menu of drinks and snacks:

    • San Pellegrino
    • Smoothie (small fruits or mango)
    • Tea (green tea, earl grey, english breakfast) 
    • Cappuccino 
    • Expresso
    • Latte
    • Hummus and crackers 
    • Cheese Platter
    • Cake of the day
    • Dessert of the day



I took the small fruits smoothie, while my sister got green tea with chocolate. I liked my smoothie. It was so refreshing! 



The Classic Rouge Manicure
My sister and I each got The Classic Rouge manicure (Soak, Shape, Massage & Paint). My nail technician was really nice and she did a great job! 


Time to let it dry... 
We waited about 20 minutes after for our nails to dry. However, nails weren't completely dry. Make sure you stay a little longer to let your nails fully dry or you can leave but just be careful. I'm really clumpsy so when I was paying, my nail touched the zipper of my wallet and there was a small line. My nail technician fixed it but then I was very careful. The nails dried off completely after awhile. 

Nail Polish Chipping
It's been 4 days and I didn't notice much polish chipping. My nails grew since then, so they aren't fully coloured. 
Here's a picture of how my nails look now (after 4 days):


My Impression Overall

The nail salon is clean and relaxing. I would love to get mani/pedi next time. The prices are reasonable considering the fact that's it's much more clean than many salons out there. 
My nail technician was very nice, so we had a long conversation with her. Although my sister's nail technician wasn't very talkative, she still did a great job with my sister's nails.
If you are looking for a place to relax and catch up with a friend, this is definitely a great place to do so.