Author: Jessica Moy

SLATHER YOUR BODY WITH SUGAR & SPICE

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If you’re a last minute shopper, and you don’t quite know what to get your secret santa who a) loves the holidays b) has a personality that is both sweet & spicy and c) likes to support made in Canada products.. you can end your search here. Rocky Mountain Co’s limited edition Vanilla Ginger Hand & Body Wash, Vanilla Ginger Shimmer Lotion & Vanilla Ginger Deodorant are all under $15 each, 100% natural and toxin-free (no parabens or sulfates found here!). The shimmer lotion surprised me the most since shimmer/glitter/sparkles of any kind on my body can be a scary situation. However, my New Years resolution is to try something new every day so, I gave it a go. I spread the lotion on my décolleté when I went out with my friends the other night and was left pleasantly surprised. The lotion is not shimmery to the point where it looks like a pixie ran into me, it simply left a subtle, healthy glow with a lingering scent. Speaking of scent, WATCH OUT! The scent is super strong, like …

TAIWAN | PART 1

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Fresh off a gloomy flight from Japan (part 1&part 2), the sun was luckily shining to greet us in Taipei, Taiwan! It was 30 degrees, breezy, and beauuutiful. We checked into the Liz Hotel, which had fantastic taste in headboards. The entire hotel was extremely colourful, our doors were a bright shade of fuchsia for goodness sakes! I felt like I was living in a dollhouse. The front desk ladies were English speaking and helpful when it came to questions about navigating the city, except for when they told us to take a cab to the grocery store, which was a seven minute walk away, the driver definitely judged us. I wish we would have taken a motor bike to the grocery store since they seem to be part of the culture in Taipei. I saw every type of person riding a moped – business men, ladies in flip flops and (my favourite) entire families. The dad would be driving, mom would be behind the dad eating a bowl of wontons, dog at their feet, son …

6 JAPANESE TRENDS & BEAUTY PRODUCTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

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After 10 excruciating hours on plane from Vancouver to Tokyo, I can feel the recycled air drying my dull, tired-looking skin. Not a cute look, especially since I was sitting beside a young, handsome Japanese lad. Just my luck. I found myself envying his thick black hair and dewy skin. He looks more put together than I do, on a good day. #goals. Upon landing in Tokyo, he shuffled through his Tom Ford toiletry bag (ugh he would, right?) and pulled out a bottle that he spritzed all over his face. “Excuse me?” I asked quietly. “May I ask what you’re using?” pointing to the spray. He didn’t speak much English, but showed me a turquoise bottle that read, DHC Q10 Water Mist ($29, dhccare.com). If this was his secret to his healthy glowing skin, sign me up! We all know Asia is on the forefront of beauty innovation, and my mission is to find the latest trends and products from different parts of the continent. Read on as I tour Japan and round up …

JAPAN | PART 2

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On the second day of arriving to Japan we said sayonara to the bustling city of Tokyo, even though we sadly didn’t party with robots or go to Hello Kitty Town. So much to do, so little time. Sigh. But, onwards we went and hopped on a bus toward Japan’s highest mountain, MOUNT FUJI! The mountain stands at 3,776 metres and is actually an active volcano. No need to worry, the last time Mount Fuji erupted was the year 1708. Even if it did erupt while we were there, HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?! Destructive, yes, but to see a volcano erupt in front of you would be the cat’s pyjamas. Did I really just say cat’s pyjamas.. It’s currently 4:30AM and I’m jet lagged AF so let’s not judge my lack of better word choices. We took the bus up Mount Fuji, which was a couple hours of consistently going around in circles but the view the entire trip was spectacular. Mountains and clouds swarmed my sight, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Our heads were …

JAPAN | PART 1

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Earlier this month I boarded a plane with my dad, uncle, and aunt to fly 15 hours from Toronto, Canada to Toyko, Japan! It was the first time I’ve crossed the ocean to the other side of the planet (big things happening in the world of Jessica Moy)! Asia has always been my top travel destination, especially after taking an Introductory to Global Asia course in university. It opened my mind to the cultural diversity of the continent and their unique influences on the world. I told myself one day, I will travel to this wondrous place of historical significance and because, you know, I wouldn’t hate an endless supply of Hello Kitty paraphernalia and xiao long boa. First destination on my Asia trip = Tokyo! The morning after we arrived in Tokyo we made our way to the Sensoji Temple, a Buddist temple in Tokyo known to be the oldest, built in 645 C.E., and one of the most colourful. It was quite wonderful and home to every tourist who owns a selfie stick. Later in the afternoon …

I’M MOVING?

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BRB, will explain more in detail (re: moving) when I get back from Asia in December. Until then, the below vlog are the only details I can provide for you at this time. 😉 Also in the vlog I eat cheesecake for breakfast, create a custom necklace at Anice Jewellery (Melissa’s b-day gift for me, so sweet) and went trick-or-treating with little kids/used them as bait so I can receive all of the candy. P.S. expect to see my Asia travel vlogs very, very soon.

ZUCCHINI CHIPS & SAFFRON SPICE DIP

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Zucchini = favourite vegetable, ever (see: Zucchini & Grape Tomato recipe). Grill it, season it, dip it and now CHIP it. Yup. Chip it. Move over kale chips (but don’t move too far, you’re still delicious), zucchini chips are all the rage. They’re simple to make and a great way to impress dinner guests to the point where you’ll be saying, “oh this recipe? I just whipped it up.” Try out my zucchini chip recipe below, featuring a saffron spice dip. HOO-HAA! Excuse me and I wipe up drool off my keyboard. Ingredients: 2 large zucchini 1 cup all purpose flour 2 cups seltzer water 1/4 cup corn starch Panko bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 cups olive oil (or vegetable oil) Dip ingredients: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon of saffron spice Directions: Cut zucchini into half inch slices. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and seltzer water (this is your batter). Place panko bread crumbs in a separate large bowl. Add zucchini in …

5 TIPS FOR THRIFT SHOPPING ROOKIES

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Thrift shopping is not for the faint of heart. If you can handle finding mothballs in a trench coat, immune to musty stenches, and find amusement in discovering denim with bus transfers from 1995 in the pocket, you are well on your way! A thrift shopping veteran will know exactly where to look when searching for trendy pieces in a large pile of clothing. It’s a talent, I swear. If you don’t know where to begin (rookie status), I’ve created five tips that will hopefully make you feel less overwhelmed, help curate which pieces to splurge on and which to leave behind and give you an idea on how to put an outfit together that looks like you spent way more than you actually did. Don’t worry, it will be our little secret. Location, location, location Where you shop, matters! Those who donate their clothing will drop it off at their nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army. If you want to find brand name items like Chanel, Marc Jacobs or Burberry, go to the ritzy part …

THE SWEET LIFE & WHY NOT ME?

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The best gift you can ever give me is the gift of friendship, followed closely by Chipotle, sheet masks from Sephora and of course, books. Combine all four into one gift and I’m never leaving you, ever. I celebrated my 25th birthday last month and humbly received, “The Sweet Life” by Dulce Candy Ruiz from my dear friends Katie and Nicole & “Why Not Me” by Mindy Kaling from my lovely co-worker Kathleen. Both were unexpected surprises and were read cover to cover in a matter of a week because when you have a long commute to work, Candy Crush can only entertain you for so long. Real talk, books make the greatest presents (they actually do!). You REALLY have to love a person to willingly stand in a book store, browse through hundreds of titles, get sidetracked by the Kate Spade stationary and still have the patience to pick a novel you know they are going to love/actually read. You don’t want to spend $35 on a hardcover to find out they only use it as a coaster for their morning …

I’M OFFICIALLY 25 – HERE’S EVERYTHING I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR

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I’ve made it to a quarter of a century. I can now legally rent a car. However, I am no longer eligible to pay VIA rail youth rates. But, who needs youth rates when I can rent a Mercedes, AMIRITE?! Why this is the first thing I’m bringing up on my 25th birthday, I have no idea.. Moving right along, the below are goals I set for myself on my last birthday (aka, all I wanted to accomplish at 24), here is how I did: 1. I WILL become more confident. This was a rocky road but, I whole heartily believe I am far more confident than I was a year ago. I have more to learn about confidence (obvs) but I notice my head is held higher and I listen/trust myself with less second guessing. Confidence is not about being center of attention or being extremely extroverted, which a lot of people mistake is the definition. Confidence is believing in yourself, thinking positive thoughts and trusting your decisions. When someone says, “you need more confidence,” it’s gut-wrenching to hear. …

RUNNING THROUGH THE SIX

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For your Sunday evening entertainment: Melissa and I shop at INLAND, Kathleen and I help throw an event for NYX cosmetics, and I celebrate my 25th birthday with Emily, Katie, Ashley & Nicole. Also, I’M ON TV! Or, was on TV. I chat with Channel 12 news about the All Abilities soccer program and the importance of volunteering! Forward to 1:47 and ignore the hideous thumbnail. ALSO, LOL JESSICA MAY LOL.

HILLARY CLINTON X REFINERY 29

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Loved this interview with Secretary Hillary Clinton on Refinery 29. I also respect the fact that she has Instagram (and she, or a member of her team, posts regularly). Hillary is strong, intelligent, genuine, and I’ve always looked up to her as a person and as a woman in power. I want to be Hillary Clinton when I grow up. On equal pay: “Believe in yourself, believe in who you are. You have a unique contribution to make to the world…and it is scary but be specific, ‘here’s what I’ve done, here is the feedback I’ve gotten I really believe that I am the best person to continue this project and I want to be sure that I’m paid accordingly.’ On self-confidence: “Like any other woman I grew up with, this has been a journey…I didn’t have a smooth path. The first time I was seriously thinking of running for office, I was an adult. It was 1998 I had never thought about doing this before and I really was reluctant in fact resistant, but people kept …