My Experience at New York's New Year's Eve Ball Drop 2013

So I was in New York during the Christmas season, and I had an amazing time. The vibe is so different from Western Canada, and there is just so much to do!! We were there for seven days (overlapping Christmas and New Year's Eve). I was surprised by how busy the streets of New York was on Christmas day! Needless to say, the streets of my hometown would have been a ghost town.

So with being in New York during New Year's Eve (NYE), you would think the "MUST DO" is to see the ball drop, right? Answer: Sort of.

If you pre-purchased tickets to a restaurant in Times Square close to the Ball Drop. I would say 'hell yes!!' However, we were indecisive about dishing out $300 for a most likely mediocre dinner just to see the Ball Drop, so what did we do? We decided to go line up and wait for hours on end like everyone else. Was it fun? Sort of. Was it a once in a lifetime experience? Yes! Would I do it again? Hells no! Only if I have pre-purchased tickets.

Why?
1. It's a huge waste of time - So over-rated! If you want to see it, watch it on TV. It's pretty much the same.
2. It's f-ing cold
3. You literally have nothing to do
4. Once you're in, you cannot leave to go to the bathroom. How does ANYONE expect to defy a natural human process for 10 hours?! I am not a doctor, but I can tell you right now that is not healthy.
5. It is hugely disorganized and inconsistent/hypocritical

Now let me elaborate on #5, and before anyone corrects me, this was my experience and my observation. I am not in any way "bashing" the history of the Ball Drop or the people involved in the production/management of the event.

So here are my issues:
1. Poor communication - We got to Times Squares at roughly 2 p.m. in the afternoon. There were thousands of police officers standing around waiting for their orders. Cool. So we proceed to find a spot we were prepared to wait at for 10 hours. Good to go. When 2:45 p.m. rolls around, the police decided to kick into action by clearing everyone OUT of Times Square so that they can re-enter after they've been searched. Okay, that sounds reasonable. Slowly everyone files out. What was confusing next was WHERE to re-enter. No one knew! There seemed to be a lot of confusion from everyone. We waited in what everyone thought to be the line for re-entry but apparently was not. So we walked some more and finally one of the officer confirmed this to be "the line".

2.Inconsistency/hypocrisy - As we were being filed out of Times Square. Multiple police officers were saying: "If you have a bag or backpack, you are not getting in." Okay. That's expected. I had previously read this online, so I was prepared. I had the absolute essentials - money, passport, granola bars, hand-warmers, etc. The whole time we were in line, the police officers were pulling people out of the line for their bags and backpacks. Some "street vendors" outside Times Square were selling small camping chairs guaranteeing that they are allowed in. "We've been selling these for seven years, and they've never been confiscated, right officer?" With a tag line like that, how can you NOT believe them? The police officer acknowledged what they said! My boyfriend was sold, so he bought one for $20. I was still skeptical, so I didn't want one. GOOD THING I DIDN'T, because what happened when we were getting searched? They weren't allowed in. New York and this hustling business. Why am I not surprised?
What pissed me off the most wasn't the waste of $20. It's the fact that other people were able to get in with the chair AND a backpack! Are you serious? Now with me being the social justice/fairness type person, I pointed this out to the officer. "I thought backpacks weren't allowed inside." Response? "No, they're allowed." My rebuttal? "Had I known that exceptions were being made, I probably would have brought one." No response. Thank you, NYPD for being so selective.
When you're finally "in," it's even worse! Backpacks, bags, chairs, blankets, etc. - ALL INSIDE. This is all sh*t that are not supposed to be "inside." Can you imagine how annoying this is?

Long story short:
While I had fun in New York, the NYE Ball Drop "experience" (if you want to call it that) definitely dampened how much fun I had. I would not recommend lining up for the Ball Drop. It is a complete waste of time. Do something more fun on NYE rather than wait in line all day. It is not a great as it is made up to be. Save yourself the freezing hands and feet by enjoying it elsewhere.

REVIEW: Heroine Make Impact Frame & Curl Masacara

Excuse me while I wipe away the cob webs and sweep the dust off my blog, because it has been for awhile!! I have the same excuse that everyone always uses.. "I've been busy."

So to kick things off again for the fall season. I have another mascara review!!

I purchased the Heroine Make Impact Frame & Curl Mascara from Hong Kong at one of the many drug/beauty stores (SaSa, I think?).

This brand is quite popular in Asia for giving you those "doll eyes."

In my opinion, what is unique about this mascara, aside form the formula, is

REVIEW: L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara

I've been obsessed with mascara lately!! Hence mascara review #2... the cult favourite, L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara.

After my Fairy Drops masacara (review here) had dried out, I was on the market again for a new masacara. To be honest, this masacara was purchased for its price - only $6.99!! As a bonus, a lot of beauty bloggers also LOVE this masacara, so I figured, why not?

This one in particular is the curved brush, which I quite like, actually.

REVIEW: L'Occitane Repairing Mask for Dry and Damaged Hair/Shine Mask

Hair. We all have it to a more or lesser degree. In my case, I got lots. It's long. It's dark, and it's coarse, which means it can dry out pretty quick.
I use the hair mask below approximately once every two weeks to keep my hair looking shoft and healthy. It is a little bit on the pricey side, but I've yet to find a more cost-effective product thati s comparable.

REVIEW: Fairy Drops Mascara

I am going to venture into (in my opinion, at least) the most subjective area of makeup - MASCARA! Having said that, I do notice slight differences between brands and formulas, but for the most part, I am not one to really play into the hype until I've tried it and am fully convinced. It just turns out that this masacara was given to me as a souvenir from Taiwan back in December. I have no idea how much this mascara is or where you can get this, but the person who gave this to me mentioned that it is quite popular in Asia and does not come cheap. Should I mention someone famous also wears this?

REVIEW: MAC Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation

Mac Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation is the newest addition to Mac's already large range of foundation. This foundation claims to last for up to 15 hours in any type of weather!!

Comparison: Origins Quick, Hide! Long-wearing Concealer VS. Easy Blend Concealer

Happy Valentine's Day!! Hope all of you, whether single or not, have an amazing Tuesday filled with love and happiness!

The concealer pictured above depicts an old version and the new, revamped version of the same concealer. Origins Quick, Hide! Easy Blend Concealer is the old, and the Quick, Hide! Long-wearing Concealer is the new.

Before I begin,

REVIEW: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

There has been lots of talk amongst bloggers about this product. The general consensus seems to declare Bioderma's Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution as their "HG" (for those who don't know.. Holy Grail) makeup remover. It all started with famed beauty blogger, Lisa Eldridge, and then the Pixiwoo sisters, Sam and Nic. With such high-profile supporters, I obviously had to try it!

I purchased this product at

Easy Breakfast Recipe: Eggs au gratin on whole wheat bread

Happy 2012!!!
To start off a busy new year, I believe a quick and easy breakfast idea is at order! This is the time of the year where everyone occupies themselves with "new year's resolutions." If you're like me, my ongoing resolution is to treat my body better. I try to always eat breakfast every morning within one hour of waking up. Since that is not always possible, I try to prepare parts of my breakfast ahead of time.

HOW TO: Remove Glitter Nail Polish with ease!

With the holiday season just a couple days away, I figure this would be the perfect timing to tackle one of our love/hate relationship. Glitter nail polish. It looks amazing on the nails, but it's a bitch to get off.

Here is an incredibly easy way to remove glitter nail polish.

DIY Honey, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Mask

Given the economy nowadays, I'm all for saving money anywhere I can. While perusing through my daily blog-reads a month ago, I stumbled upon this mask for all those DIYers and "natural" lovers. It claimed amazing things, so I obviosuly HAD to try it (it doesn't hurt that I coincedentially had all the ingredients in my kitchen already. I don't know about you, but that NEVER happens to me).

REVIEW: Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Concealer is my best friend! If you asked me what one superficial beauty product I'd take with me to a deserted island, I would say concealer without a doubt! But being canadian means I also have to deal with our cold and dry winters. I found that the previous eye cream (Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream) I was using just didn't cut it anymore. My concealer looked HORRIBLE. Every dry surface under my eyes were being emphasized by a sucky eye cream (but then again, it was most for anti-aging).

(INSERT Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream)

RECIPE: Pumpkin Bread

As the usual Halloween protocol goes, you buy a pumpkin, you draw all over it, and then you carve it and let it sit on your porch for all to see on Halloween night. But what happens to that pumpkin after it's served its decorative purpose? Well, you bake with it, of course! I've always thought that simply throwing it away was such a waste of a perfectly good pumpkin!

Toasting pumkin seeds with a little bit of olive oil and salt makes a delicious snack!

Anyway, the pumpkin bread turned out perfect! It tastes a bit like carrot cake, but still delicious none the less!

Please see recipe here. I followed the recipe to a tee with no modifications.

2011 Fall Trend: Orange

This summer, we saw the rise of the orange lip, so it only makes sense for the colour to transition into the fall, right? Well, you are correct!

I've been obsessed with orange this fall. It's a warm, glowing hue that adds a delightful pop of colour to any outfit!

Orange goes great with neutral colours, white, black, or as I've discovered, colbalt blue (a colour which I do not own unfortunately).
I loved pairing orange with a neutral colour, as you will see below.

RECIPE: Cranberry Orange Scones

I baked these scones friday for a friend's BBQ on saturday. It was my first time baking scones EVER!! And they were delicious! But be warned, if you do not have the paddle attachment for your mixer, it'll gonna be difficult. I learned that hard way... I thought I could get by with the standard attachment, but that was a complete fail! The dough will get trapped in the beaters and slow the machine down, SO I had to do the rest of it by hand with a spatula! Just like medieval times probably!!
Anyway, here's the final result. (I chose to make them into wedges instead of circles. Obviously that wasn't the best idea...)

For the recipe, click here.

Please note that I did modify the recipe a little bit. The following are my modifications:

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoon baking powder

- 2 tablespoon grated orange zest

Happy Baking! :)

REVIEW: Moroccan Oil

Moroccan Oil seems to be THE hair product must have at the moment. Bloggers and youtubers alike have been raving about how soft and silky their hair feels after using this product. It provides long-term moisturization without the product-buildup. I purchased this myself in July at an authorized dealer (hair salon), and at almost $17 CAD for 25 mL of product. It better be working miracles!

REVIEW: Mac Blogger's Obsessions

No one <3's Mac more than a beauty blogger! (But apparently fans of beauty bloggers love them both more!!)

Look what came in the mail on June 29th! My Mac order!! It took roughly 5 business days to arrive, and I ordered over the telephone (which I have never done before). All in all, ordering over the phone is pretty hassle-free, but I did feel like the person I dealt with over the phone wasn't very knowledgeable about Mac products. I find that quite surprising. 

Anyway, I ordered Caqui lipglass, Sonoran Rain lipglass and Hocus Pocus Eyeshadow (Brun eyeshadow and Posey cremeblend blush are also pictured above, but those will be featured in separate posts). I also wanted to get Jealousy Wakes eyeshadow, but it literally sold out instantly. I woke up extra early to order online on the launch date, but it still wasn't up. The soft launch was available, but somwhere between me adding the items in the cart and checking out, they removed it right away. WTF, right?!
Good thing Jealousy Wakes is back online, and I did order it, so now I'm just waiting for it to arrive. In the meantime, here are the three:

Easy & Delicious Berry Smoothie

I cannot think of a better way to cool down on a hot summer day than treating yourself to a healthy fruit smoothie! It is so incredibly easy and healthy (especially for those who hate drinking milk)!

Here is what you'll need:

-frozen berries (today I used blueberries and raspberries. If you're not into sour tastes, then I suggest using fruits that are naturally sweet)

-One cup of milk

And that's it! Blend them altogether in a blender, and there you have it!
Defnitely add more fruit if you find there isn't much taste. I didn't use any type of sugars to sweeten it, since I enjoy tasting the fruit more than added sugars. So refreshing!
What are your suggestions to stay cool during the hot summers months? Let me know!

Mac Superslick Liquid Eyeliner vs. Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

Left: MUFE Aqua Liner #13 (black)

Right: Mac Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Smoky Heir

You have no idea how hard it is to find a liquid liner that will stay on my oily lids!! These are my top 2 choices for liquid liner. MUFE has a HUGE range of colors (15 shades to be exact), and Mac Superslick is limited to only 9 shades. This post is simply a comparison.

Hong Kong At A Glance!.. in a blogpost

La Vie Au Ralenti's Hong Kong survival tips:
-If you don't want to take a taxi, GET AN OCTOPUS CARD! You can use it to take the MTR, the bus or the street car/tram (whatever they call it). For the 2.5 weeks that I was there, I spent roughly $300 HKD (about $36 CAD) on transportation. I mostly took the MTR, which is more expensive than the bus but so easy to figure out and so convenient!
-Relating to the point above, if you need to sit down on a bus or the MTR, TAKE IT! If you hesitate even for a split-second, someone else will have already taken your seat without asking you, even if you are standing in front of it.
-If someone is cutting in line or talking smack about you or your family/friends, stand up for yourself! The majority of Canadians are courteous and really polite, so I am almost never put these types of situations. However, in Hong Kong, people are more aggressive and less concerned with the idea of what's fair and what isn't, so if something doesn't sit well with you. Voice it. I am usually a pretty passive person, and even I found myself, telling a few people off Hong Kong. They won't hesitate to do it, so you shouldn't either.
-With the exception of boutiques and stores, always try to bargain. Items in the street markets or small local businesses are always trying to make a profit off tourists. If you want an exceptionally good deal, you may have to spend a good 10-15 minutes talking the price down, but do keep in mind that if you are in an area like the Ladies Market, there are 10 other stalls selling the exact same thing. So if the owner doesn't want to give you your desired price, go somewhere else.
-In crowded areas, keep your bags/purses close to you. Ideally, it should be in front of you. Carry your backpack on the front of your body. Pick pockets = not cool and completely preventable.

Best places to shop in Hong Kong (in my opinion):