Author: Jessica Moy

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

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Berlin was a grand ol’ time but onwards we went to our next European location, Vienna, Austria. As we entered the sophisticated city once home to Mozart, Beethoven, and Sigmund Freud, I traded my litre of German beer for a fancy bottle of peach schnapps. It was Christmas evening when we arrived in Vienna and what better way to spend Christmas than at a Mozart & Strauss Concert at Vienna Kursalon. The orchestra was phenomenal and included extraordinary opera singers and enchanting ballet dancers. The splendid Italian Renaissance styled venue was built between the years 1865 and 1867 and felt like an imperial palace. Maybe it is an imperial palace. I’m not quite sure, I was too busy staring at the chandeliers than listening to my tour guide. The next day we made our way to the Old Viennese Scnapsmuseum. In use since 1902, the Fischer family have owned and operated this place for six generations. We got a tour of how the liqueur is made and even a tasting for ourselves. I personally loved the Apfelstrudel …

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

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Auf wiedersehen Berlin and ahoj to one of the most romantic places in the world, Prague, Czech Republic! Prague was the reason why I wanted to go to Europe in the first place. After seeing it in the movie Chasing Liberty with Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode, I told myself one day, I WILL MAKE IT TO PRAGUE AND SWIM NAKED IN THE DANUBE! Ok, I didn’t do the latter but I did turn my dream into reality by finally setting foot onto the magical city of a hundred spires. It was Christmas Eve when we got into Prague and the market at the Old Town Square was insanely busy. Live music filled our ears, scent of hot chocolate swarmed our noses, and the most beautiful Christmas tree stood tall in the middle of the bustle, beautifully lighting up the evening. Before leaving on my trip, my mom raved about Charles Bridge. I suppose it’s with good reason. The gothic-looking bridge connects the Old Town and Lesser Town, with religious statues on both side. Construction of the bridge began after King Charles IV commissioned it …

BERLIN, GERMANY

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After touring the wonderfully entertaining city of Amsterdam we made our way to Germany’s capital city, Berlin. The city is best known for their rich culture, endless amounts of beer, sauerkraut, pretzels, and (tone change) a deep dark history. When you first enter the city you immediately witness the reminisce of the Berlin Wall. The walls are mostly torn or have graffiti to cover every inch but some of the wall still stands and is one of the most powerful symbols of the Cold War. Everywhere you look in the Berlin you witness a piece of history. Look up and you’ll see dim, eerie government buildings Hitler once ruled. Look down at the ground and see tiles representing tunnels that once connected East to West. I’ve only ever learned about the Cold War and World War II in history classes and to see it all in person is a powerful experience. During our walking tour of Berlin we stopped at The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This memorial honours the 6,000,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust. …

HOW TO FIND THE BEST BAR SOAP (yup, you read that right) FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE

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Question of the day: Do you prefer bar or liquid soap? While both effectively wash dirt, bacteria and oil off your skin, bar soap is the reigning champion when it comes to being more environmentally friendly, concentrated and generally cheaper in price. Why else are bar soaps oh so good? They are typically made with fats, oils and require less energy to produce, while liquid soaps are watered down, contain detergents and produce 20 times (!) more packaging. If that doesn’t convert you to team bar soap, we don’t know what will. Before you start stacking any ol’ bar soap into your cart, note that not all are made the same. There are different types for dry, sensitive, acne, aging and oily skin. We’ve rounded up five types of bar soaps that uniquely target various skin conditions so you can find the right one for you. Sensitive skin: Beauty bars For those with sensitive skin, beauty bars are formulated without lye (a common ingredient in bar soap), meaning they’re extra gentle and packed with hyaluronic acid. …

FEELING ILL? ESCENTS WILL BE YOUR RELIEF

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When I arrived back from Europe a couple weeks ago, Escents invited me to an amazing launch event in Toronto. I was looking forward to it all week but unfortunately, got extremely ill and couldn’t attend. Bummed and bedridden, I laid on my bed, too sick to even turn on Netflix (that’s when you know it’s bad). Little to my knowledge, the Vancouver-based company came to my rescue! Here I thought Escents was simply a natural perfume but NOPE, I was wrong. The 100 per cent natural products use aromatherapy to reduce stress, combat cold & flu and increase energy. Escents was super generous and sent over a care package (THANK YOU!), talk about great timing, eh? As I previously mentioned, Escents uses aromatherapy which is the science of smell and the use of essences and oils to heal the body, mind and spirit. For example, you can spray Escents Immune Boost ($20) above your head or on a pillow, and the tea tree & thyme ingredients help stimulate circulation to get your body back in order. Plus, …

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

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After my stay in London I hopped on a boat, passed the White Cliffs of Dover, and made my way toward the land of cheese, tulips, and clogs. Hallo Amsterdam! My group and I got to the city late at night and our tour guide mentioned we should go to Theatre Cassa Rosso for some erotic entertainment. I thought it would be a strip club, but it was definitely performers having wild sexual intercourse on stage. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and of course it was awkward at first but as time went on you giggled and accepted the fun (and weirdness) of it all. For one of the acts a police officer waltzed into the audience and said he needed four female volunteers. I took a swig of champagne and shot up my hand (when in Amsterdam…). I walked nervously onto the stage and faced the audience with a man dressed (barely) as a sexy police officer. What happens next is up to your imagination (I explain more in my vlog below).  The next …

LONDON, ENGLAND

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I touched down at Gatwick Airport in the early morning and my first thought was, “OMG I AM IN THE LAND OF SPICE GIRLS!” Embarrassing truth: The day I found out Geri Halliwell was leaving the most iconic pop group of the 90’s was the first time I experienced heartbreak. 💔 Just picture an 8 year old Jessica singing Viva Forever while crying on her bedroom floor clutching onto all five of the Spice Girl dolls. Anyway, back to my trip to London (lol). After a 6 hour flight from Toronto I checked into The Royal National Hotel, a HUGE hostel near Russell Square Station. I was a little nervous to stay at the hostel since I had no idea who my roommates would be and had to share a room with them, whether I liked it or not. In my two nights I got to know two wonderful ladies. One who was embarking on a European adventure (like myself!) and one who just finished. Sharing a room with a stranger isn’t as awkward as you …

HONG KONG

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Hong Kong is incredibly unique. It has the bustle of The Big Apple, a dash of British influence with double decker buses (makes sense since Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841-1997), and historic Chinese culture intertwined throughout the city. I thoroughly enjoyed the lively streets, yummy food, easy-to-get-around subway system, night market shopping, and unique cafes. My first stop? Cat Store Cafe. Yes, I have fulfilled my lifelong dream of going to a cat cafe. First off, CUTE KITTY MILKSHAKES! Secondly, cats. EVERYWHERE! They roam freely throughout the room and are all calm, friendly and adorable. The kitty below was my favourite. I named her Snowball and we fell in love. IT’S SO FLUFFY!!! When I wasn’t obsessing over cats, I did touristy things such as climbed the 200+ steps to Tian Tan Buddha. When you reach the top, you get a gorgeous view of the sea, mountain tops and Big Buddha himself. Did you know Big Buddha faces north toward mainland China? And the statue costs roughly $60 million HK dollars (which is about $11 million CDN)? The more …

GUANGZHOU, CHINA

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I made it to the motherland, a place where my ancestry began many moons ago: CHINA! I did not experience culture shock in Japan nor Taiwan, it wasn’t until we got to Guangzhou, China that it slapped me right in the face. The best way I can put it is, anything goes in China. Annnyyyttthinnnngg. You can do whatever you please. Want to smoke indoors even though the sign says you will be fined? Sure! Want to spit at other humans? Yup! Want to sell illegal merchandise because you DGAF? Heck yes! China certainly has its quirks (to put it nicely) but there were parts I did like, such as Shangxiajiu Shopping Street, which stretched for ages (so many stores, so little time). The best part is that no cars are allowed on these roads so it’s a place to enjoy a wee bit of space to walk around. I picked up Miniso Rose Water and Olive Oil Serum from the shopping strip, both under $5 CDN. Rose Water (with real rose pedals inside the bottle) is …

5 CHINESE BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND TRENDS TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR ROUTINE

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If you ever go shopping in China, be weary of employees pulling you into their store and handing you every item you touch. These sales tactics took me by surprise, especially while I was browsing through beauty shops at the Shangxiajiu Shopping Street in Ghangzhou. Despite the aggressiveness of store employees, China has an extensive selection of beauty items that caught my attention. I learned how to keep nails shiny, why slathering bean sprouts all over your face is a good idea, and was introduced to an anti-pollution cleanser currently #trending throughout the country. Here is my round up of Chinese trends and beauty products you need to know about.   Anti-pollution solution Smog. In. Beijing. It’s a serious environmental concern, affecting the overall health of those who populate the city, or any city for that matter. If there is smog in the air, it’s likely hitting your face causing (among other health issues) skin to age faster. The Chinese cosmetics industry jumped on the opportunity to develop anti-pollution products that includes the fight against PM …

TAIWAN | PART 3

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I can’t believe my Taiwan trilogy is coming to an end (part 1 & part 2). The last few days of the trip were certainly my favourite, perhaps it was because I was getting used to the extreme heat and the I-don’t-know-what-meat-this-is meals. In all seriousness, I love Taiwan and would go back in a heartbeat. The final few days we spent in the south so temperatures rose to a scorching 35 degrees. The heat didn’t stop us as we ventured off to the Buddha Memorial Center, the most visited place in Taiwan (25,000 visitors daily!). The place was stunning and Buddha was looking as ravishing as ever. We entered the memorial and attended a ceremony led by a monk. The ceremony was not in English so I followed what everyone else was doing (hands together, hands apart, kneel down, stand up, etc). If everyone started breakdancing, I probably would have followed suit. The best part of blistering hot heat? Beaches! We went to Cijin Island, a five minute ferry ride from Kaohsiung Harbour. I …

5 TAIWANESE BEAUTY TRENDS AND PRODUCTS YOU NEED TO TRY NOW (like hangover-chic makeup)

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Two things will happen if you go to Taiwan: first, you will never be hungry thanks to the insane amount of street vendors on every corner (I recommend the ice cream spring roll) and second, beauty options will be bountiful. Whether you’re at Watsons, Cosmed or a larger beauty boutique, Taiwan does not disappoint in their selection of drugstore and high-end beauty picks. It’s no surprise since they are heavily influenced and geographically located near beauty giants such as Japan, South Korea and China. Unique ingredients make up some of Taiwan’s most popular beauty staples such as silk, ginger, pearl and even snail (don’t knock it ‘til you try it). So I knew I had to experience the wonderful world of Taiwanese beauty for myself. I traveled all over the country to seek the latest in beauty trends and products, and this is what I discovered. Hangover-chic With the help of different eyeliner shades in Taiwan, you can choose to look like you got eight hours of sleep, or eight minutes. A couple swipes of the …

TAIWAN | PART 2

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HAPPY FIRST POST OF 2016! I am aware that I’m running a fair bit behind on my blog posts but I’m back/hoping to catch up with my own life/I missed you. Have you read Taiwan part 1? Do it, do it now. This outfit below was one of the comfiest I wore in Taiwan. The sun was blazing each day (average 30 degrees) so there is nothing like a good pair of Nike sneaks and a breathable, cotton dress from Urban Outfitters. First thing in the morning we made our way to a little community called, Jiufen. It’s a small town in north Taiwan and features quaint streets and the best view of the Pacific Ocean. I also made some furry feline friends along the way. Next stop, Taipei 101! Not only is it the tallest building in Taiwan but it holds the Guinness World Record of the fastest elevator, ever. It’s no joke. It took approximately 40 seconds to get from ground level to the 89th floor and when you reach the top you have …