Beauty, Hair

T3 Whirl Trio Review

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Hair curled using T3 1.5′ straight barrel| Floral Blazer – Dynamite

Hair curled using T3 1′ straight barrel|Dress – Suzy Shier| Purse – Nordstrom

Hair curled using T3 1.25-0.75′ tapered barrel|Purse

 

If you’ve been following my blog posts in the last little while you’ve probably noticed that I’ve had curly or wavy hair in some of my photos 🙂 I received the T3 Whirl Trio curling iron for my birthday and I’ve been experimenting with different looks. After using it for about a month and a half I thought it would be good to provide a review since there’s so much buzz surrounding this product.

The Product

The T3 curling iron has an expensive look to it. It’s actually quite lovely to look at and comes in an off-white colour with rose gold details. The power base has 5 settings and LED lights behind each setting (I usually keep the heat low at setting 2 or 3). The curling iron heats up fast and can get very hot! This product travels well and is dual voltage compatible. I took my T3 with me on my trip to Dubai and was able to use it by adding in a converter plug for the prongs.

The Barrels

The Trio comes with a power base and 3 different types of interchangeable barrels. The 1.25-0.75 inch tapered barrel allows you to create soft tousled waves. The 1′ straight barrel is used for undone waves and the 1.5′ straight barrel creates loose waves.

The power base and the barrels are made of ceramic. One of the distinguishing features of the T3 trio is that the barrels are all clipless, unlike many other curling iron barrels. This takes a little getting used to so there’s a bit of a learning curve with this product. You basically wrap your hair around the barrels and hold it in place. The T3 does come with a heat resistant glove which can be used for extra protection.

The Price

T3 products are definitely more expensive than other brands. The trio costs around $350 CAD depending on where you buy it. I believe mine was ordered online from the Bay.

The Verdict

I’ve used many different ranges of curling irons from the Conair Clip Irons to the Curl Secret however I was never happy with the results from these products. I always struggled with the clip irons as I could never get both sides of my hair to look even and the curl would come apart throughout the day. I tried the Curl Secret which essentially does the work for you but it’s time consuming as you can only curl a small portion of hair at a time. This is a limitation of the product as the barrel chamber is fairly narrow. I found the curls lasted longer with the Curl Secret but the process was too tedious.

I have to say I’m extremely happy with the T3 trio. I use the iron on a weekly basis (at least once a week). I tend to use the 1.5′ barrel the most as I like the look of loose waves. This barrel also allows you to curl more hair as it’s wider. I would definitely recommend the T3 trio to someone who is looking to invest in a good curling iron. I like the option of having the 3 different barrels, it’s essentially 3 different curling irons in one package. I definitely think the product is on the expensive side but I’d look at it as an investment. It’s really about finding a product that works best for you and your hair type and the T3 works well for me 🙂

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Fashion

Printed Bell Sleeve Top

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I don’t know about you but I’m loving all the new Spring florals and pastels that are out in stores right now (even though I can’t wear them yet). If you follow my blog you probably noticed that I shop at Suzy Shier – a lot! I’m thrilled to share another fab Suzy find. I found the cutest printed bell sleeve top in Suzy Shier’s Eastern Airs collection.

This top comes in pastel green, a classic Spring colour with splashes of pink and creme in the print. The design on this top is reminiscent of the Chinoiserie chic trend that was all the rage last year. I love the feminine print of cranes and flowers on this top. The double bell sleeves are a fun frilly accent and give the top a light and airy feel. Goes perfectly with the crane print don’t you think? This top also has a tie in the back to keep it in place. You can adjust the back tie to your linking for a loose or tighter fit.

For a fun frilly Spring look I paired this top with a pair of white jeans (a Spring must-have) and some taupe ankle boots. I also found the perfect earrings for this top at Suzy Shier. If you haven’t checked out their accessories yet you’re missing out! They have many adorable styles to choose from at very reasonable prices!

I wore this Spring outfit to the pop-up flower market at the Rideau Centre. I thought it matched the the setting perfectly 🙂

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Fashion, Weekend Style

Beaded Boho Bag

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Is it Spring yet? It certainly doesn’t seem that way but I’ve been shopping with warmer weather in mind and just had to share one of my fave pieces for Spring 2018! I picked up this bright and colourful beaded boho bag at a market in Dubai and I think it’s just perfect for Spring and Summer. If you’re new to my blog you can read all about my Dubai adventures in my Dubai Diairies series.

I’ve noticed that the boho chic trend is totally in this Spring and this bag fits the bill perfectly. I love how the bright beading adds a pop of colour to my outfit. The bag comes with a removable strap which allows for it to be worn as a shoulder bag, a cross body or a clutch. I opted for a more casual weekend look and paired the bag with white jeans and a soft sage coloured t-shirt. I liked the bold colours int he bag and I wanted to reflect that in my jewelry so I added a pair of purple beaded earrings which I picked up at H&M. Not only are these earring so in right now but the beading in the earrings goes perfectly with the beading on the bag.

As I mentioned earlier I picked up this bag at the Old Souk in Dubai. I had to negotiate the price a bit but it cost be around $30 CAD which I thought was a steal! If you’re a fan of beaded bags too I’ve added links to some similar pieces below 🙂

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Lifestyle, Recipes, Wine & Dine

Hummingbird Cake

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So I guess it’s back to Winter again in Ottawa, even though it is technically Spring. Easter is one of my favourite times of the year. I love cooking a big Easter dinner for everyone. This year I was invited out to dinner so I decided to bring dessert. I wanted to try a new recipe so I opted for some southern comfort food and chose a Hummingbird Cake. This cake is full of flavour and excellent for  a Spring picnic or Summer BBQ. I was really pleased with how it turned out and everyone at the dinner loved it!

Here’s how to make it

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • A few pinches of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking power
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if you want more of a cinnamon flavour add a full teaspoon)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans (divided)
  • 1 cup of ripe banana (mashed)
  • 1/2 can crushed pineapple (undrained)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3 cups powered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 package  of Philadelphia Cream cheese

Instructions

Heat it up and prep the pans

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 2 9-inche round cake pans

Mix the dry ingredients

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, 1 cup of sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon

Add the wet ingredients

  • Add in vegetable oil, vanila extract and eggs. Stir until the dry ingredients are moist

Bring in the tropics

  • Stir in the banana, pineapple and 1/2 cup of pecans until evenly mixed

Bake it!

  • Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 mins and them move them to wire racks to cool.

Ice ice baby

  • To make the cream cheese frosting: beat the butter with an electric mixer until softened and add powdered sugar gradually.
  • Add vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth
  • Turn your mixer setting to Medium and add the cream cheese in 1 piece at a time. Mix until all the cream cheese has been incorporated.
  • Once the cakes have cooled spread the frosting between the layers of cake and cover the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the other half of the chopped pecans over the top of the cake

ENJOY!

 

 

Fashion

My Favourite Spring Dresses from Suzy Shier

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Tropical Print Shirt Dress

Floral Wrap Front Dress

 

Red Floral Wrap Dress

In case you haven’t noticed or you’re new to my blog, Suzy Shier is one of my favourite places to shop. I make it a point to shop a lot of Canadian retailers and Suzy is definitely at the top of my list. I always end up leaving with something whenever I visit one of their stores. I’m totally loving their Spring collection this year especially their Spring dresses. I’ve put together a collection of some of my favourite Spring dresses from Suzy Shier

1. Tropical Print Shirt Dress

The first dress I came across was an immediate favourite. This tropical printed shirt dress is perfect for an early Spring getaway or a Summer Saturday. Palm print is one of my all time favourite prints, go figure I’m from an island right?! I love the tropical feel of this dress it’s like an instant vacation and makes me so happy! I paired it with theses bright yellow earrings and a straw bag from Forever 21. This bag is a must have for Spring and Summer. It’s only $25 and can transition from a shoulder bag to a clutch so you get 2 bags in one 🙂 My dress was also reasonably priced at just $39.

2. Floral Wrap Front Dress

I found a cute and comfy floral wrap front dress that works well for the office and after hours cocktails. I like the muted green and pink pastels in this dress. This dress has a bit of spandex blend in it so it stretches to fit your body but is comfortable enough to wear throughout a workday. I also found a matching necklace and earrings in-store at Suzy Shier. The green and pink jewels on the necklace complement the colours on the dress perfectly, it’s almost like these pieces were made for each other 🙂 The necklace is $18 and the earrings are just $10! The dress is a steal at $39.

3. Red Floral Wrap Dress

Red is a colour that is totally on trend this Spring and I’m so thrilled to have found this red floral wrap dress. This dress is so feminine and frilly that you’ll love being the lady in red. This is a versatile dress that can be styled as a formal or casual piece. I opted for a casual look and paired it with a straw pom pom clutch. The dress and clutch also went perfectly with my wooden watch from JORD (don’t forget to enter my giveaway ;)). Keeping with the muted nude tones of my accessories I added a pair of wedge heels from Lucky Brand. My dress again cost just $35!

Three dresses for under $40 each!  I was so pleased to find these three dresses and the best part is they were on sale! Suzy Shier regularly has 30% and 40% off sales and offers a great loyalty program – the Prestige Card. If you haven’t signed up yet you should as prestige card members save an additional 10% off on every purchase! Have you been to Suzy Shier lately? If so what are some of your favourite Spring pieces?

 

Fashion

Floral Bodysuit and Jogger Pant Combo

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Nothing says Spring like pastels and florals right? How cute is this bodysuit and jogger pant combo? I found the sweetest floral bodysuit at Dynamite! I love the muted colour of this bodysuit. It’s so soft and feminine. The wrap front gives it a dressier look and I would even wear this bodysuit to work. I also found a pair of super comfy jogger pants. I’m liking the comfortable chic trend that’s emerging this Spring and this jogger pant (also from Dynamite) fits the bill perfectly. What I liked about this pant is that it’s a pull on, there’s no drawstrings or zippers to worry about. The pant has some stretch to it so it fit well over the bodysuit. I paired this combo with a pair of super cute sling back kitten heels. These shoes are so comfortable, and stylish. This reminded me of a perfect Spring outfit that could go from workweek to weekend 🙂

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Fashion

Wooden Watches: This Spring’s Must-Have Accessory

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It’s officially the first day of Spring! I don’t know about you but I’m ready for Winter to be done! In hopes of better weather, I’ve already started shopping for my Spring wardrobe. I love all the spring accessories I’m seeing in-stores lately. I’m currently loving this wooden watch from JORD.

My watch is part of the Frankie Series by JORD and I chose the Zebrawood and Champagne combo. I love the warm tone of the Champage face and the markings on the Zebrawood band and links. The best part about this watch is how lightweight it is. The wood is so light and smooth that you barely realize it’s on your wrist, unlike stainless steel or metal watches than can weight your wrist down and even cause skin irritation. This timepiece is a truly unique and functional piece of jewelry. It’s also a great conversation starter and statement piece. You’ll definitely stand out from the crowd with this accessory.

If you loved the wooden and bamboo bags that were all the rage last Spring and you’ve alreayd picked up some straw bags for this Spring well then the only item you’re missing is a wooden watch from JORD. With its minimalistic design and wooden links this watch goes so well with any Spring bags or shoes. It’s subtle enough to blend in yet novel enough to get noticed – so you can really pair it with anything, which is one of the features I love about this watch. I wore my watch with a floral blazer from Dynamite that’s just perfect for Spring. I paired the blazer with a pink cami and light jeans to give my outfit a muted pastel look. My watch fitted right in with this on trend outfit and matched perfectly with this circle bag I picked up at Simons.

If you love the wooden watch trend as much as I do I’ve got great news for you! I’ve teamed up with JORD to give one lucky winner $100 off their very own JORD watch! You can enter the contest using the link below. If you follow me on Instagram you can also find the link in my bio You’ll also get a promo code for 10% off your order just for entering 🙂

JORD GIVEAWAY


Luxury Wooden Watch

Travel

Dubai Diaries Part 5: High Tea at Burj Al Arab

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Tallest atrium in the world

Selfie before heading up to the Skyview Lounge

Welcome bubbles and dates

Shrimp salad

Quiche

Savoury sandwiches

Lemon sorbet

Sweet treats

Burj Royale – signature cocktail

View from the top

My trip Dubai was probably one of the most memorable adventures I’ve been on. The last post in my Dubai Diairies series is all about my High Tea experience at the most world’s most luxurious hotel the Burj Al Arab.

High tea at the Burj Al Arab was quite an experience. This hotel is probably the most opulent and luxurious place I’ve ever seen. In order to get inside the hotel you either need to stay there for a cool price of $1900 CAD a night (based on booking.com) or have a reservation at one of their restaurants. There’s security at the gate to verify your reservation, so sneaking in is not an option 😉 Once inside you can take some time to admire the lobby and the gold detailing on practically everything. If you wait long enough you can see the fountain show – the hotel has a large fountain on the second floor of the lobby which keeps a beat and periodically shoots a huge stream of water up the at ceiling. This ceiling is probably the highest I’ve seen in my life and the hotel is said to have the world’s tallest atrium.

I made my reservation for tea at the Skyview Bar but there’s also a high tea serving at a restaurant called Sahn Eddar which is located in the atrium of the hotel. The Skyview Bar is located on the 27th floor of the hotel. I’d highly recommend the Skyview Bar over the atrium restaurant as the view is spectacular. However there is a minimum age requirement and you have to be 21 to enter the bar.

The high tea consisted of 7 courses (pictured above) and came with glass of sparkling wine. I was happy to get a window table which needs to be reserved in advance. Aside from the food and tea offerings the Skyview Bar also has a list of signature cocktails. I opted for the Burj Royale as it was reminiscent of my favourite cocktail the Kir Royale. I really enjoyed my high tea at Skyview Bar and it was truly a unique experience. It’s definitely a once (or twice) in a lifetime thing and I would strongly recommend it 🙂

 

 

 

Travel

Dubai Diaries Part 4: Desert Safari

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You can’t go to Dubai without going on a desert safari! On my fourth day in Dubai I decided to be really adventurous and go out to the desert! This excursion was so much fun! There are many different safari companies to choose from and you can easily book your excursion ahead of time, in fact I’d highly recommend it. I booked mine through a personal contact but you can find desert safari packages online.

My excursion started around 3pm in the afternoon, typically a desert safari can last about 6-8 hours depending on what activities you select. We were picked up at our hotel in a range rover and drove about a 45 mins to an hour to get to the desert. Our first stop was a well known tourist stop where you could try out some ATVs, buy a souvenir or get dressed in a traditional Arabian headdress. I decided against the ATVs as it was raining a bit the afternoon of my excursion so the sand was a bit wet. Can you believe it, I actually saw the rain in the desert?!

Following the ATV stop we headed in to the desert for some dune bashing! This was the scariest and most fun part of the excursion. Dune bashing is like being on a roller coaster ride that lasts 30 mins or more! Here’s the part where your seat belt really keeps you from being thrown around the SUV. If you have a back injury or are prone to motion sickness then dune bashing may not be the best activity for you and you can choose to opt out of it when you book your excursion and choose a package that doesn’t include it. I typically never get motion sick or dizzy on roller coasters but this experience left me feeling a little disoriented. As some of my friends were feeling a little dizzy we decided to stop and take some photos in the desert. The fresh air really helped alleviate any discomfort brought on by the dune bashing. After that it was time to head to a nearby Bedouin camp for dinner.

Our third and final stop was the desert camp. There were a number of different activities at the camp including camel riding, dressing up in traditional clothing, shopping for souvenirs and henna tattoos. We settled in for a desert BBQ dinner followed by a Tonoura Show and Belly Dancing.

I really enjoyed my afternoon out in the desert and would recommend the desert safari excursion to anyone.

Pro Tip: You can opt for a private or shared safari excursion. I chose the private package and it was $300 USD which we split between 3 people. This price included pick and drop off at the hotel in a private SUV, dune bashing, camel rides and dinner.

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Travel

Dubai Diaries Part 3: Old Souk

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I’d heard that the markets in Dubai were something I should not miss! On day three in Dubai I decided to check out the Old Souk or old market. I stayed at the Radisson Blu Deira Creek which is located across the street from the creek itself.  I went for a walk in Creek Park and noticed that there were water taxis going across the creek. On a whim I decided to grab a water taxi (called an Abra) and visit the Old Souk. The taxis are very inexpensive and the ride is very pleasant. The trip over to Old Souk reminded me a bit of a water taxi ride along the grand canal in Venice. I enjoyed the architecture and the older buildings in Dubai.

Once I got the to my stop it was time to explore the market. Old Souk is truly an experience. There are so many people walking along the narrow streets lined with vendors and shops. It’s a busy place with many vendors calling out to tourists to come see their wares. You certainly get hawked at and shouted at but it’s all part of the experience. The market has many different kinds of shops ranging from spice and sweet shops to souvenir and clothing stalls. There’s also a few places to grab a quick bite to eat.

I decided to dress more conservatively on the whole while in Dubai. For my day at the market I chose a black jumpsuit from Forever 21 paired with this trendy pom pom bag. I found these cute block heels at The Bay which complemented the jumpsuit perfectly. Although it was the Winter in Dubai the sun was still out and rather strong so I decided to bring a sunhat with me 🙂

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