Beauty & Style Reviews

{Review} HANA Professional Flat Iron

January 4, 2012 – 5:23 pm

Last month, I received the HANA Professional 1″ flat iron to review– I was super excited! Not only do I love trying new flat irons {I’ve tried/owned so many!}, but this particular flat iron was voted to be the best flat iron out there ;)

I’ve been using my HANA professional flat iron for over a month now, and omg you guys… I absolutely love it! Until I received the HANA flat iron, I was using an Amika flat iron that I bought at Sephora in September {because my beloved Paul Mitchell flat iron blew up in Russia *sniff sniff*}. While my Amika flat iron did the job and I liked it, I never use it anymore. It’s actually sitting at the bottom of my closet right now. The HANA professional flat iron is just so so much better!

“Dedicated to high ceramic content and top of the line components, Hana’s pursuit of high tech styling without hype led to the Hana Professional Flat Iron – Advanced Fusion Molding delivers glass-smooth ceramic-tourmaline plates while acccelerated negative ion output repairs hair follicles, sealing in natural oils for a conditioned, sleek, salon shine that lasts all day.

With professional features like damp-to-dry styling, floating plates that self adjust to different textures and adjustable temperature, the Hana Professional hair straightener is engineered to deliver luxury at a down to earth price.”

HANA 1″ Professional Flat Iron Features:

  • Advanced Tourmaline Ceramic Plates for Accelerated Ion Generation and Maximum Frizz-Free, Conditioning Shine
  • Ceramic is naturally hygienic, protects color & retards fading
  • Floating 1″ Plates Auto-Adjust To Glide Over Any Hair Texture
  • Curved Plate Edges For Versatile Styling – Curl, Flip or Straighten!
  • Adjustable Temperature Dial – 5 Settings from 140-450° F for All Hair Types
  • Flash Heats in Seconds with Instant Compensation for Heat Loss
  • Ergonomic Handle Design with No-Slip Grip
  • Smooth Grooves Keep Hair Strands Separate and Snag-Free
  • Tangle-Free Salon Quality Cord Swivels 360°; Convenient Hanging Loop
  • Energy Efficient at 38 Watts
  • Independent On/Off Switch
  • Includes Luxe Heat Proof Storage Pouch, Heat Proof Silicone Mat, & Special Edition Tin Case
  • Two Year Warranty

This baby heats up extremely quickly and trust me, it gets super hot {so hot, that I use a flat iron heating pad}. Whether i’m straightening my hair or curling it, I only have to go over my hair once to get my desired look. With my Amika and Chi flat irons, I had to go over the same piece of hair multiple times :/

In all honesty, I don’t have anything bad to say about this product. It is a really really good flat iron! It heats up super quickly, it goes up to 450 degrees, it makes my hair shiny, and it does the trick! …All of the time. I rank this particular flat iron way above Amika flat irons and even above a Chi. It actually comes pretty close to the love I had for my Paul Mitchell flat iron and that’s saying something ;)

If you’re looking for a great flat iron girls, give HANA’s 1″ Professional flat iron a try! You’ll love it. Misikko also sells quality hair dryers if you need one of those as well :)

Overall rating: 5/5

 


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Daily Life

Hey 2012, this is what I expect from you ;)

January 3, 2012 – 5:18 pm

I usually don’t do the whole New Year’s resolutions thing. I rarely ever keep them, so why do it? Haha. I do have goals for 2012, but they are not the kind that starts on January 1ST and end on December 31ST, lol. Without further adieu, let me share a few expectations/goals I have for 2012. I’ve also posted a few photos of my NYE spread and New Year’s day dinner ;)

Our little New Year’s Day dinner :)

  • I expect to be a much healthier person in 2012. For me, this doesn’t mean going to the gym 5x a week, eating healthy, etc. for the whole year. I plan on going to the gym when I can {I’m aiming for 3X a week – 1 hour, 20 minutes each time}, drinking 3-5 glasses of water a day {I’ve been doing this a lot lately}, and just avoiding take-out {I’m actually pretty good with this now}.
  • I expect to have completed my M.A degree by June. I swear to God, I am going to be one grumpy girl if I have to go through the summer semester and not convocate until October. The ball is in my court though. I just have to write my thesis and I’m done… let’s see if I can do it in time @__@

  • I expect to have a job of some sort. Full-time “big girl” job or part-time shit job, I don’t care. I just need a job by May or June. I plan on taking a year off from school {to prepare for law school and phD applications}, so I’ll need money to actually live here.
  • I expect to be in Ottawa. I love Ottawa and so does Ken. I don’t want to move back to Newfoundland or anywhere else, so we are doing all that we can to stay here… which is directly linked to the need-to-find-a-job thing ;)

  • I expect to pay off most of my credit card debt. Ugggh. This one will probably be the hardest for me since A) I’m broke, B) I love to shop a little too much. But paying off my huge credit card bills is something I have to do this year. They are outrageous and have been haunting me for years now. I plan on using some of my money {from university} to pay `em off.

  • I will try new recipes for dinner and not stick to the norm. I’ve already been doing this lately and just received a new cookbook for Christmas, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.
  • I want to buy a chair and new futon for the apartment. Our current futon is pretty much ready for the garbage and we need more “sitting space” in our little living room. Ken and I have been talking about buying two new pieces of furniture for a while, so I think we will be doing this next month. It won’t hurt our budget either… yanno, since we will be shopping at Wal-mart and Ikea ;)

  • I want to write down my thoughts more often. In Russia, I wrote in a travel journal daily. It really helped me relieve some of my frustrations and document super-cool moments. I already blog here, but I would like to buy a notebook and just jot down a few things every once in a while.

Questions: What are your expectations for 2012?


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Daily Life Russia 2011

A tribute to 2011

January 2, 2012 – 11:20 pm

For me, 2011 was a year of surprises, a year of growth, and a year of love. In the first week of 2011, I started my second semester {of year one} of graduate school. After battling a series of “oh, I’m way too stupid for grad school” thoughts the semester prior, I finally felt a little more confident in my work and abilities. After spending four months in a new city {a new province!}, I felt more comfortable. I knew where things were and I was starting to like Ottawa a lot. What else happened in 2011? Well…

I traveled to the United States for the very first time. This trip included many firsts: first time in Florida, first time swimming in a warm ocean, and lastly, it was my first time visiting Disney World! Haha yes, at the age of 24 :3

I traveled to Russia and lived there for two months. This was probably the biggest surprise of 2011 since I ended up getting funded by my university to go there. Not only did I experience a totally different culture, language, and cuisine, but I also made several new friends and got to visit Moscow for a weekend. Ahhh, red square <3.

Outside of the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia

Red Square, Moscow, Russia

I spent a week in London, UK. After leaving Russia {and before I departed for Canada}, I decided to spend a week in London. I got to see all of my favourite museums again, walk through my favourite parks, and shop on Oxford Street. My good friend– from Australia– ended up meeting me in London before she also departed for Canada. I really enjoyed everything about that week!

Me, feeding a squirrel chocolate {oops!} in London

I got engaged! Spending two months in Russia did not take a toll on my relationship at all. Actually, it made it much stronger. I think we both ended up growing a lot– as individuals and as a couple– during the summer. On October 18, Ken asked me to, you know, marry him *gush*, lol.

Ahhh, 2011– you were a good year! I am praying that 2012 will be similar ;) …No ph meters needed :P

Question: What were your 2011 highlights?


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Beauty & Style

Hi there, Christmas loot!

January 1, 2012 – 5:43 pm

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous and safe NYE! Ken was working until 12AM {how sucky, right?}, so I just stayed home and made a few NYE treats– I’ll post about that later ;) Right now, I wanted to share my Christmas loot, ha. I know many bloggers who are uncomfortable, I guess, in showing what they received for Christmas… but I actually like seeing what others got! Hopefully you’re the same ;) So here I go…

  • Flight to Newfoundland for 9 days {from my parents}
  • A long winter coat from AE {from my parents}
  • A pair of black pants and 3 tops {from my parents} — shown below

  • Black & gold jacket from Dynamite {also from the parents} — shown below
  • Hoodie and Yoga pants from AE {parents}

  • Two sets of PJs from Le Senza {parents} — One set pictured below
  • Bra from Le Senza {parents}
  • Comfy slippers {Ken’s mom} — Pictured below

  • Naked palette <3 {Ken} — Pictured below
  • Bracelet {parents}

  • Soaps from the Body Shop {parents}
  • Sweet vanilla body wash/bubble bath {Ken’s mom}– shown below

  • Giftcards to Wal-mart {Ken’s aunts, family friends}
  • Giftcard to Second Cup {my brother}
  • Chocolates and body spray from Bath & Body Works {God mother}
  • Candles {one from my mom, another from Ken’s mom}– Pictured below

  • Two books on Chechnya/Internal Conflicts {my parents}
  • A super cute singing xmas dog {my parents}– Pictured below

  • Hello Kitty PJs {Ken’s mom}
  • Wall deocration for the apartment {Ken’s mom}
  • Peeler and Knife set {Ken’s mom}
  • The Ultimate Casseroles recipe book {Ken’s aunt}– Pictured below

  • Spice rack {Ken’s sister}– Pictured below

  • Crock pot {Ken’s mom}– Pictured below
  • Nail polish set {Parents}
  • Dior Extase mascara, my favourite! {Grandmother}
  • MAC  eye brow pencil {Grandmother}

  • Silver earrings {parents}– See below

But the most memorable moment this Christmas was seeing my family and friends in Newfoundland, watching Dateline Mysteries with my dad {haha, I’m lame, I know}, and enjoying a early Christmas dinner with my parents, brother, SIL, aunts, etc. :)

Also, if you’re getting married this year {congrats!}, check out wedding bands for men :)

Question(s): What was your favourite gift this Christmas? What was your favourite holiday moment this year?


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Daily Life

Christmas 2011 Recap

December 31, 2011 – 6:46 pm

This Christmas, I was lucky. Lucky in the sense that I got to spend a part of Christmas back home, in Newfoundland, with my family and then a few days with Ken, the pup, and his family near Toronto. Although the time I spent back home in Newfoundland was perfect and I got to see most of my friends, this Christmas wasn’t very enjoyable. Is it just me or did it not feel like Christmas this year? *shrug*

Anyway, I left bright and early on December 10TH to visit my home province, Newfoundland…

When I arrived, I was so incredibly excited about my mom’s Christmas decorating. You see, she decorates every inch of the house and I’ve grown to love and anticipate it! The majority of my time back home was spent relaxing/being a total homebody. My parents don’t have the internet, so I watched a lot of Sex & the City reruns {I own a few seasons}, Facebook creeped on my iPhone, napped, cleaned, and cooked.

It was actually quite relaxing.  Just to be away from everything and to be finished another semester of graduate school. A few times, while home, I got to see my friends whom I’ve missed terribly! We did the usual wing night, library dates {since I was finishing up a paper}, and another dinner + drinks followed by downtown night. Ahh, it was wonderful!

I got to see a fair bit of my grandmother as well {who is getting up there in age and hasn’t been the greatest in the last few years}, which was nice. I also got to spend some quality time with my dad, which meant a lot to me.

Another thing I did quite a bit while back home? EAT. Ughhh, I ate so many cookies and Christmas goodies! Good thing my parents have a gym in their house or I’m sure I would have gained even more :X

By the time December 21ST rolled around, I was back in Ottawa {briefly} and on my way to Barrie– a city near Toronto– where Ken’s mom lives. In all honesty, I didn’t want to go and told Ken I would be perfectly fine spending Christmas day, in Ottawa, with just the pup {and I totally would be fine with that!}. But he refused and made me go, haha.

The main reason as to why I didn’t really want to go was Pepper, our boxer dog. He isn’t the friendliest towards other dogs {something we are constantly working on} and Ken’s mom owns a small {aggressive} dog. Not to mention, we’re pretty tight on money and driving to Barrie ended up costing us a pretty penny.

I’m not going to really get into the details of my time there, but it wasn’t really enjoyable and it certainly didn’t feel like Christmas :/ I did, however, stumble across a “Newfie Store” in Barrie and picked up Pineapple Crush Soda, aka, the best-super-sugary soda out there! FYI, you can only buy this stuff from Newfoundland! How cool is that? Totally worth the $1.75 :3

Although this Christmas wasn’t my favourite {which was a bummer because I’m obsessed with the holiday!}, I am very grateful that I got to fly home and spend time with my family and friends. I’m glad that I got to spend the holidays with Ken and the pup too, even if it was under frustrating conditions, lol.

PS: Keep an eye out for another blog post later today! I know some bloggers are against doing this, but I want to show you guys a few things I received for Christmas {nope, no retirement gifts :P}.

Questions: Did you enjoy Christmas this year? Did you do anything or go anywhere special?


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