Wednesday, October 14, 2015

ViMeCa Video Message Card

This is my first time hearing of a video card and I love the idea! It retails for $40 and can be purchased online here
 
The packaging is in Japanese but I just referred to their site and the card itself is very easy to use, so I had no problem at all.
It's made out of construction paper, so you can decorate it however you like. 
It features a 4.3-inch LCD screen and 2 buttons: record and play. 
 
It's USB rechargeable and the charger does come with it. 
 
This video card is very easy to use. All you have to do is charge it and then record. You can record up to 4 minutes. 
 
All you have to do is press record. Make sure you do keep a certain distance because it really zooms in your face.
 
Since the card itself is plain, I'd recommend decorating it. Use your own creativity! I just added lipstick stains to mine.
 
You can also wrap it up and give it as a present. I gave it to my best friend for her birthday as a gift on the side and she loved it. I love the fact that it can be personalized to your own liking. You can do so much with it and it just adds a nice touch. I can picture myself giving one each to my future bridesmaids (not that I'm planning a wedding anytime soon lol).
 

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Alexandra Brows - Montreal Eyebrow Specialist

I've been getting my eyebrows threaded for years (mostly from Dees Beauty Salon). Yes it's fairly inexpensive (about $4-$5) and they get the job done fast but I've never really found anyone reliable there. Last year, I had a beauty consultation at Sephora and the beauty advisor there suggested Benefit Brow Bar. She also told me that I had extra eyebrow hair, which should be removed. At first I was okay with the idea but later I felt like I wasn't ready to take that step yet. Then I browsed YouTube videos in hope to determine my ideal brow shape but that was a fail. That's when I realized I needed professional help and then I got in touch with Alexandra from Alexandra Brows.
Services offered: Click here for full list of services with prices.
  • Eyebrow shape, wax, tutorial, tint, etc.
  • Eyelash tint
  • Waxing: Upper lip, chin, underarm, etc.  
Location: West Island but she can come to you (West Island, South Shore, Laval). Click here to see the prices and availability.  
Appointment: It's so easy to take an appointment! You can either call/text or email her. You can also book online on her website
  • Email: alexandrabrows@hotmail.com 
  • Call/Text: 514-501-7365
I went there on a Saturday with my best friend. She welcomed us in warmly and lead us to her work station, which was nice and clean.
There were different shades of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, which I personally use and love. She handed me out a form asking relevant health questions and my basic information (i.e. name, phone number) and I already felt like I was at the right place. 
I quickly took a photo before she started.
 

She started off by finding the ideal proportion for my face using a stick. Then she drew an outline and informed me that she would remove anything "outside" it. I'm glad she did that because I felt reassured. Finally, she filled them in with ABH Brow Wiz and I was quite happy with the end result.
Here's a side by side comparison and you can see how it looks much more groomed. She also filled them in with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and I simply love how my brows look so natural.

 I also took some photos in the daylight, so it's much more clear. I wish I had taken one in the daylight before I got them done.
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Final Thoughts
I'm quite impressed with Alexandra's work. She's very professional and knowledgeable. I actually asked her whether I should get Benefit Gimme Brow Gel and she told their current shades wouldn't work for me. She saved me money right there because I was planning on buying it, so I'm glad she was honest. Also, she takes her time to explain and you can tell she has a passion for it. She's really nice and genuine and I'm glad I got to know about her. I'd definitely recommend checking her out especially if you're looking for someone professional and reliable who offers a personalized service.
I asked her if she doesn't mind being in my vlog and she agreed (yay)! After a couple of takes, we managed to film together. It was hard to refrain ourselves from laughing but we did it. I can't wait for our next appointment, which should be at my place. She will also get to meet my dog (she loves dogs... can she more awesome haha). I will try my best to vlog again then. 


Monday, September 14, 2015

Vlog - September 11 to September 13

Summer is almost gone, so we're enjoying the weather as much as we can. Friday, my best friends and I wanted to go Kayaking but instead we just ended up going to our favorite Afghan restaurant: Fenetre Sur Kaboul. I spent all weekend with Anjali, which rarely happens. She also brought me some homemade lasagna on Sunday. Check out my vlog why she's my personal assistant lol
Saturday, I got my eyebrows done by the lovely Alexandra and it was a pleasure meeting her. If you're looking for an eyebrow specialist in Montreal, I'd definitely recommend her. Check out her website and follow her on her social media pages: Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Stay tuned for my blog post.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Vlog - Ramadan & Anjali's Birthday

I didn't vlog much during Ramadan but I did on the first day, so decided to include it in this vlog. It was also Anjali's birthday and some of us went out to eat 2 days in a row.

On Anjali's actual Birthday, it was at Moghel Tandoori (they have 2 locations but we went to Longueuil one. 
  • Address: 2770 Boul. Jacques-Cartier E., Longueuil, QC, J4N 1P8 
  • Cuisine: Indian
  • Halal: Yes 
I love their butter chicken! I haven't had good butter chicken in Montreal in awhile. I'd definitely recommend checking it out. Love their food and service! I'd definitely recommend this restaurant. I went back after 3-4 years and I remember it being good the first time as well. Oh and did I mention it was halal?! ;-)


Anjali is obsessed with the TV show "Devious Maids," so her sister ordered a cake that represents the show. Inside was red velvet (our favorite). As always, the cake was custom made by Les Glaceurs.
 
Next day, we went to Fenêtre Sur Kaboul but I didn't vlog much but that's one of our favorite restaurants. 
  • Address: 901 Rachet Street East, Montreal 
  • Cuisine: Afghan
  • Halal: Yes 
We're obsessed with their Shir Yakh (homemade ice-cream).


I have a blog post on the restaurant and I also featured it in one of my other vlogs:


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Amber's Bridal Shower

I helped my sister plan her Tiffany themed bridal shower. This post includes pictures and details of the event. Many pictures were taken by my best friend, Anjali. She did an amazing job! Thanks Anjali! :D 

You can also check out my video on it:



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Stations

We set up a couple of stations and asked the guests to visit each station.
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Station 1 - Welcome bags
The first station had goodie bags filled makeup/perfume samples, crossword puzzles and pens. We asked them to complete the crossword puzzles to enter a chance to win a prize.

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Station 2 - Nail Polish
We also placed nail polishes and asked them to take one each.

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Station 3 - Lipstick Canvas
We placed a blank canvas and asked the guests to "kiss and sign." I love this idea, it's great for bridal showers!

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Refreshments
Before serving dinner, we had a fruit platter and cheese with crackers. 

Some of our friends helped us out serve food/drinks. We couldn't have done it without them!

We also served some non-alcoholic sparkling juice. 

We placed small bottles of water reading "Amber & Co." and date of bridal shower. I designed these using Google Docs.

When food was served, we added Coke and Sprite bottles along with paper straws and bottle opener. 



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Dessert Table



On the table, there was an iPad playing some of the pictures from my sister's Nikah (Islamic marriage ceremony). There were also some photos hanging from the ceiling along with balloons. 

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Cake

We ordered the cake from Les Glaceurs (Old Montreal). I love how it turned out! Inside was red velvet and the size was perfect (12-15 portions).

A photo posted by Nazra (@arzanblogs) on

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Macarons

We ordered macarons from Petit Delights. They were amazing and everyone loved them.  They were all gone! I really like their shop, which is located on 1853 St Catherine west.


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Candy
As for candy, there was cotton candy flavoured "Rock Candy."

Rock Candy
There were also Jordan Almonds and Jelly Beans.
Finally, there were cotton candy sticks, which were pink but we still decided to include it on the dessert table.
Cotton Candy Sticks
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Hershey's Bars
One of my friends designed Hershey's Bar wrappers. Thanks Amalan! :D You can contact him if you want him to design them for your event. He sent me the template and I simply printed them out and wrapped the Hershey's bars.
Photo Credit: Andrea
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Favor Boxes
We also had boxes with ribbon to mimic Tiffany & Co. boxes and they were filled with chocolates. We bought the boxes from our local store "Foret Mini Depot."



I also placed my sister's present there... The actual Tiffany & Co. box is so cute! I just realized I placed it upside down lol


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Drinks
We also served few more drinks on the dessert table. It was a non-alcoholic mojito that we found at Walmart. We included it on the table because of its color.


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Henna
Who doesn't love a henna party?! Moushomee from MouMakeup came over and did henna on each guest. She's a makeup artist and also does henna. She made our day even more memorable.
Not only is she talented but she's very sweet! I'm glad I met her! Even though it was my first time meeting her, we felt an instant connection and I honestly felt like I've known her for awhile. Needless to say, I will always contact her for any future henna parties!
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Photo Booth
I think the most fun part of the day was the photobooth. We actually set it up on our own. We bought a few props and made some on our own.
I bought a backdrop kit that I'm planning on using for my videos. I also had softboxes and Stellar ring light. 

Here's a picture of me (middle) and my besties.



Here's another one with Moushomee from MouMakeup (henna/makeup artist).


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Raffle
We also handed out raffle tickets and there were a couple of prizes. Prizes included Stila palette, Make Up For Ever Eyeliner set, drugstore products, deluxe samples, etc.

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Planning 

RSVP
I created a Facebook event and Splash page. I had a formal invitation on Splash 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. I used Facebook page to keep guests updated because most of us check regularly.

Itinerary 
I designed the itinerary using Drawing feature of Google Docs. I also added icons that I got from flaticon (all the Icons are made by Freepik).
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
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Crossword Puzzle
Each guest received a crossword puzzle about Amber in their goodie bag. I used a free online tool that generates it for you: Edtools. It was so easy to make!
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Station & Dessert Table Printouts

I used picmonkey.com to design the stations and dessert table printouts.
They're very easy to make! All you have to do is:
  1. Click on Edit and upload a background you'd like to use
  2. Play around with the features. You can add text, frames, overlays, etc. Many of the features are free to use but others do require you to be a "Royal member" but I only used the features that are free to use. 
I added a Victorian Label (it's under overlays).


For text, I used a couple of different fonts. Let's take the third one as an example:

3: Font "Black Jack"
PUCKER UP, DARLING:  Font "QUENTIN CAPS"
Kisses to the bride: Font "Lobster Two"

I also added lips found under overlays.

 

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Final Thoughts
We spent a whole week putting everything together and it was so hectic. Although we ran out of time, I'm still happy the way everything turned out especially the dessert table. Most importantly, we all had a great time. However, I don't think I want to plan bridal showers for awhile though.