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.
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 a batch of gingerbread cookies that have been smeared with vanilla icing (now I’m hungry). My bottle of shimmer lotion is 60ml and fits perfectly inside my evening purse, ideal to for holiday and New Years Eve parties.
These little beauty treats make the perfect holiday gift/stocking stuffer for your BFF, or for yourself (you deserve it!). But hurry, they are a limited edition scent so get them while they last!
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 sitting behind the mom reading a book, daughter texting while sitting on her brother’s lap facing sideways. What a sight.
The sound of mopeds do echo throughout the entire city (day & night) so if you’re not into constant loud noises, perhaps Taipei wouldn’t be for you.
The first night in Taipei we went to the Liaoning Street Night Market. It was an overwhelming experience. There was so much going on – shopping, food, people, music and to think, THEY HAVE THIS EVERY NIGHT! So, they just close down the streets and casually turn it into a bustling market? Awesome.
To be honest I felt anxious and didn’t know what to do with my hands, other than fill them with food. The first dish I indulged in was a large bowl of mango ice cream with shaved ice. It was divine, especially on a muggy evening. Also, helllllooooo photobomb.
The next morning we took the subway where you only pay for how far you go. If you only go a few stops it could be as little as $0.35 CDN, if it’s a longer ride it could be as much as $3 CDN, plus the subway is easy to navigate, thank goodness.
As I was saying, we took the subway to the Maokong Gondola, which was one of the highlights of my trip to Taiwan. You HAVE to do this if you ever go to Taipei. It’s only $4 (round trip) and you have the most scenic ride up the mountain that overlooks the entire city. We rode in a Crystal Cabin which means, glass floor so, take someone who is afraid of heights and watch them squirm, haha I’m just kidding that’s mean.. do it.
When you get to the top, the view is incredible and there’s so much to do! You can go have a patio lunch, strap on your runners for a nature walk, or visit the temples. Honestly, this place is a genius date idea, I mean, you’re in a gondola where you can be alone and chit chat, plus have the most beautiful view of the city. Also, if you squint you can see the Taipei 101 building below.
Another travel vlog for ya! I eat throughout this entire video. The night market is no joke when it comes to the variety of food – grilled seafood, fresh spring rolls, bubble tea, pork on a stick, etc. We went there for dinner each night and didn’t spend more than $10, each. Food in Taiwan is cheap and deeeeeelicious.
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 current products and trends that will change your beauty routine.
Water mists DHC is one of Japan’s top skincare companies, and their Q10 Water Mist is the perfect travel companion (thank you for the tip, handsome Japanese man). Mists are handy when you need a quick refresh whether traveling, at work or the gym. You want to have as little finger to face contact as possible since germs on your hands can quickly cause breakouts so, mists would be better than moisturizers for this reason. You can also check out Lush Eau Roma Water ($11, lush.ca) and Pure Anada’s Marine Mineral Toner ($20, thepureboutique.com) for great, natural mists closer to home.
Horse oil
An older Japanese man introduced me to horse oil while I was browsing through a beauty store in Osaka (it seems like Japanese men have a high caliber of beauty knowledge). He purchases horse oil every winter and told me it comes from horse fat, extracted from under the horse mane and refined down to oil. It is widely used for dry and chapped skin. I would have bought a jar for myself but the Pure BA-YU Cream ($128,nagisa.com) has a steep price point. Horse oil is popular for its fatty acids that treat your skin beautifully, especially if you have eczema. I tried it out at the store and found the unscented oil-based cream left my hand a little greasy but undoubtedly soft.
Gold flakes
Every high-end Japanese beauty store had a plethora of products featuring tiny gold flakes. As a luxurious product, the Alsian Gold Leaf Bright Lotion ($180, rakuten.com) is one of Japan’s best sellers and features gold particles that become invisible as you blend into your skin. Gold flakes supposedly aid with brightening skin, as it helps reflect light luminously. Japanese men and women love white, bright, clear skin and gold flakes seem to do just the trick. If you want to look for a product a little closer to home, Tatcha Gold Camellia Beauty Oil ($144,sephora.ca) is a good 24-karat gold option.
Hot cleansing
If you’re searching for the perfect winter cleanser, look no further than hot cleansers. I stumbled upon Shiseido Benefique Hot Cleansing ($49,amazon.com) while in the Ginza district, Japan’s high-end shopping area. Essentially, it provides a thermal cleansing that is ideal if you want to open those pores to get a deep clean and moisturize simultaneously. It is recommended you indulge yourself in a facial massage (very popular in Japan) with this product, and who would say no after a long day in cold? No one. That is who.
Japan’s #1 selling exfoliator
One bottle of Cure Natural Aqua Gel ($39, amazon.com) is apparently sold every 12 seconds. This stuff has to be good. When you exfoliate with this gel, it comes out as a clear liquid but as you rub it into your skin, it formulates little tiny particles that look like dead skin rolling off your face. It seems a little odd, but those particles are not actually your skin, they are formed from the ingredients in the gel rubbing together and help with the exfoliation process, leaving skin squeaky clean without harsh chemicals or alcohol. Best used 2-3 a week.
Facial fitness
I was in a department store in Japan when I passed a photo of Christino Ronaldo. I asked myself, “what is Ronaldo doing in a women’s beauty section?” Then I discovered, PAO Facial Fitness ($170, shlab.com). This is probably the weirdest beauty contraption I’ve ever discovered and after you watch this YouTube video, you’ll know what I mean. You hold the PAO in your mouth and rhythmically shake it up and down to exercise the muscles in your face to enhance facial muscle tone. Who needs contouring when you can PAO it out? Oh Japan, you cease to amaze me.
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 literally in the clouds/it was absolutely breathtaking/didn’t seem real/the world is beautiful/I got light headed while I was there/the temperature on top of the mountain was below zero/the black vest I wore did NOT do any mercy/I still love you Japan/Mount Fuji is bomb diggity/lol at the phrase bomb diggity.
That evening we stayed in the town of Fujikawaguchiko at a traditional Japanese hotel which means, no beds (I give you a tour in my travel vlog below). Despite sleeping on the ground our room had a balcony that looked over a lovely lake with numerous mountains as a backdrop. Not a bad sight for when you wake up plus, it was a nice little getaway from the big city.
The next day we made our way to Kyoto. Kyoto was the cutest city I came across on my entire trip to Asia. It once served at Japan’s capital but is now the country’s seventh largest city and one with deep history.
Despite its modern aesthetic with coffee shops and restaurants at every corner, not to mention the gorgeous layout (literally picture perfect), Kyoto was actually destroyed over centuries by countless wars and fires. Since Kyoto has so much historic value it was dropped as a target city for the atomic bomb during WWII and thus, temples and historic sites such as the Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) have survived. Well, technically Kinkakuji has been burned down numerous times and part of it destroyed by the civil war but, it’s been re-built and continues to stand ’till this day.
We had the chance to walk around Kinkakuji and yes, I saw geishas. Real life geishas!! CAN I HANG OUT WITH YOU?! #SquadGoals
I wasn’t invited to the geisha party so I bought this key chain to commemorate my lovely stay in Kyoto, and for my love for geishas.
That evening we made it to Osaka, right as the sun was going down. There was plenty of shopping and trendy restaurants in the Dotonbori Area, filled with neon lights and bright signs that blinked in the reflection of the canals seen throughout the streets. I loved the vibe of this city!
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 we made our way to the Tokyo Imperial Palace, built in 1888 and the residence of Japan’s imperial family. I’ve been told that the Emperor will sometimes stand on the bridge and wave to his people. Konnichiwa!
Seeing the city from the observation room of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building was breathtaking. The landscape sort of resembles NYC with the park in the middle of the city. Tokyo, ya lookin’ gooooood, and you have the cleanest streets I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I don’t think I saw one piece of garbage on the ground, anywhere.
You can’t go to Japan without experiencing their exquisite cuisine. Exquisite meaning ramen, one of my favourite dishes EVER. No one in the restaurant spoke English so I pointed to a picture (bless photos on menus in foreign counties). Also, it is legal to smoke in most restaurants in Japan. The meal was delicious, the smoke was not.
There’s A LOT more we did in Tokyo such as indulging in Japanese baked goods, high-end shopping, and explored the red light district. I even found a menu of men and how much (Borat style) for an hour or night.. ifyouknowwhatImean. Needless to say, things got weird. It’s all in my travel vlog below. 😉
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 = 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 the batter, coat, then transfer to bread crumbs until covered. Lay out chips on a sheet pan. In a large skillet, add oil and using a thermometer bring temperature up to 350 degrees. Fry chip on each side until golden brown in colour. Transfer to a paper towel.
In a mixing bowl add mayo, lemon juice and saffron spice. Stir to combine.
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 of your city and to their nearest thrift store. You’ll more likely to hit the jackpot. PRO TIP: Go as early as possible since the store will stock up the night before, and there will be fresh items you can snag before those sneaky boutique owners do.
Keep your eyes on the prize
Thrift stores can be an anxiety attack waiting to happen. Piles of clothing, everywhere. Before you go shopping, have a general idea of what you want to purchase. For example, if you’re looking for a black dress and a white long sleeve thermal, keep those items in mind. It makes it easier on yourself when sifting through the countless racks of clothing. PRO TIP: Don’t simply go to one thrift store, hit up two to three in a day since it will increase your chances of finding what you need. Go ahead, make a day out of it.
Know your colour palette
I typically wear items that are either black, white, grey or blue. That is my style palette. When you walk down an aisle, keep your colour palette in mind. Typically the store will colour coordinate their clothing but if not, knowing your colour palette helps in narrowing down the selection. PRO TIP: Look at your closet before heading out, which colours do you reach for the most? Knowing your palette will aid in the selection process and you’ll likely pick items that compliment the rest of your wardrobe.
Check tags
Don’t spend your money on items of low quality, such as cheap material and terrible stitching. PRO TIP: Stay away from items from fast fashion retailers such as H&M, Forever 21, Urban Behaviour, etc. These items have a life expectancy of less than a year, if they were gently worn. You’re better off leaving the item behind.
Break out your DIY talents
If a piece of clothing is not in your size, work with what you got! This is where you can get a little crafty. PRO TIP: Jacket too big? Roll up the sleeves to make it look more fitted. T-shirt too big? Cut it and transform it into a flowy crop top. Pants or skirt too long? Nothing a little hemming can’t fix. You can snip and sew to your hearts desire, and if you mess up? You probably spent $3 on the item so go ahead and let your creativity run wild.
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” byDulce Candy Ruiz from my dear friends Katie and Nicole & “Why Not Me” byMindy 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 coffee. You may as well have gotten them the exceedingly over-priced yet, really cute Kate Spade coasters. Does Kate Spade even sell coasters? ..Upon research, yes she does, and it costs exactly $35 for a set of 4: Happy Hour Coasters. Now you know.
I’m not even in a bookstore and I’m getting distracted by Kate Spade..
Anyway, I read these books (both I highly recommend) and folded down pages of quotes I loved and thought I would share a few of them with you. I’m a sucker for cheesy, inspirational quotes so, love it or leave it.
“When you start to feel discouraged, just remember that every experience you have helps you grow, helps you learn, helps you become better.”
“Because I’m naturally shy, I used to always put up a veneer when meeting new people. I was constantly worried people would see my flaws and decide they didn’t want to associate with me. At my core I am friendly, but not hyper. I am curious but not especially talkative. I am kind but not over complimentary. I have a naturally shy disposition, and it takes a little while for me to ease up and settle in.”
“When you use money to drive all of your decisions, you lose sight of your purpose of who you are. If it’s only money that is driving you, you won’t find much joy in your job. You’ll probably do what you need to do to get by, but wont go above and beyond what’s expected because you just don’t care that much.”
“By staying in my comfort zone, I was denying myself happiness and, more importantly, growth.”
“I am one of the best people you could take to your ex-boyfriend’s birthday party that you were dreading going to. I am always up for a dessert. I am always up for skinny dipping. If you want to talk to any hot guy at any party, I will so be that girl who gets drunk and introduces us, then inches away so you can roll your eyes about me and sell me out so you can bond with him.”
“We forewent seeing any DC museums or national monuments to order cheeseburgers and watch Will & Grace in bed at our hotel, because we are real best friends, not lame fake best friends trying to impress each other with how fascinated we are with culture and learning.”
“If someone really wants to see you, they always find a way. Always. That hurt my heart, but I realized, unlike in past relationships when I was younger, it didn’t need to be dramatic. Spending a lot of time nursing a breakup is just not a good use of my time now.”
“If you believe in yourself and work hard, you have a fighting shot at having your dreams come true.”
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. You think something is wrong with you when in fact, nothing is wrong. Confidence is saying “yes I can,” and doing your best. Keep your head up and confidence will instill within naturally.
2. I WILL take on a leadership role.
Head coach for an All Abilities soccer program and promoted to an Account Executive role at work. Leadership roles on fleek.
3. I WILL push myself to achieve more than I ever thought possible.
I am slowly on my way to achieving a few long term goals. The path is officially in front of me, I simply need to skip along. Don’t stop, get it get it.
4. I WILL go to a foreign place I’ve never been before.
What about planning on going to foreign places.. I’m counting it because, I make the rules here. I leave for Japan in less than a month!!
5. I WILL be smarter with my money. Moving out would be great and all, but for the next year I’m giving up on this whole ‘moving out’ deal (sobs, so many sobs). It’s just not going to happen and I have to be real with my expectations. As a result, I’m being smart with my money and saving it.
I put enough in my piggy bank to be able to afford two months of travel. Plus the whole moving out deal, if the stars align and my birthday wish comes true, I will be moved out by February. Here’s hoping..
Now, onto NEW goals for 25-year old Jessica:
1. I WILL leave my comfort zone.
2. I WILL startliving a life that make ME happy, not one that will please someone else.
3. I WILL be more independent.
4. I WILL learn a new language.
5. I WILL start building my empire (LOL.. the time has come)
Oh hey, while I still have your attention, here is a video I created about the 25 things I’ve learned in 25 years. I hope you like it. 🙂 Thank you to my friends and family for all your birthday love and support, it’s much appreciated and never goes unnoticed. Cheers to 25!!
Katie, Andrea, momma Moy and myself went to go see Taylor Swift in Toronto on October 3, 2015. We sang, we danced, we disrupted strangers who sat near us (they weren’t as fun as we were). Great night. Watch my concert vlog below!
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.
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 pushing me to run for senate in New York and I said no…they wouldn’t give up they wanted me to run, they clearly saw something in me that I was not yet convinced of.”
On sexual assault:
“Culture plays a role in this, the messages that are sent to young men, the visual images that are seen all too often the lyrics of music, we know that there is pressure or expectations that are hurtful and we need to do more starting in high school to begin to change those signals and begin to change that culture.”
BTW, Hillary Clinton and I were pen pals back in the day. I think the “:p” beside my signature was a nice touch.
Jessica Moy Blog 