Sushi Double Take: Cocoro Restaurant

While still on my sushi binge, the bf and I decided to explore another restaurant that caters to Japanese cuisine called Cocoro. The restaurant is located at the Mayfair Hotel here in Kingston and it has a quaint setting that allows persons to choose either outdoor or indoor dining. The decor isn't much to talk about, on their website they describe it as 'modern' but I beg to differ, it's very lacklustre and outdated and far from modern. On the other hand, the atmosphere was cozy and serene and the staff is very attentive. The food was a stark contrast to the decor, the presentation of the dishes gets an A in my book and everything tasted fantastic; some of the menu items, however, bear a striking similarity to those served at East Japanese - is it a coincidence? I think not .... I heard that the chef Mr. Tomohisa Natsume was previously a part of the East team of chefs until he decided to go solo, hence the similarity.

I must admit that since our initial visit to Cocoro, we have actually been back about three times... I just love it! Whenever I go out to dinner with the bf I prefer a more quiet and private setting and at Cocoro I get just that, and to be brutally honest, unlike some other restaurants they don't slap your bill with a mandatory gratuity percentage so you can tip the waitress/waiter at your own free will, which we always do. The cost of dining is reasonable IMO, based on the fact that it is a specialty restaurant. Dinner for two runs us around JMD$4000 - $5000.

Here are just a few pictures, I was too hungry to take anymore ;)

Cocoro Set

Chicken Teriyaki

Salmon Skin Roll

excuse the picture quality guys... I used my BB phone ;)

Until next time folks!!
Debbie

Tribal Minted Nails

After Debbie's Minted Polka Dots fashion blog post (go check it out!!!), I started to develop an obsession with the mint green colour since it's so perfect for spring and summer. You can only imagine my excitement when I came across this mint green nail polish in Cotton On, I just had to have it!!

I decided to jazz it up by creating a tribal signature design on my ring finger.  I did the tribal nail design with toothpicks! I love the way it came out. This is my way of incorporating this mint green into my life...and I am loving it!!!

Have a great day
Shannon

Pops of Colours

This season's trends are bold, bright and daring; from bright red pants to neon orange crop tops, colour is definitely in. If you're on a budget, you can incorporate some colour by buying smaller pieces of clothing to add to your pre-existing wardrobe. I made a recent purchase at American Eagle and I got some simple pieces such as airy v neck t-shirts in gorgeous pastel coral and grape shades and lacy bandeaux and corset tops in hot, bright neons; these items will definitely add a splash of colour and femininity to any look and the best part was that they were all on sale!! (t-shirt & corset USD$10 each  and bandeau top USD$7.50 each) take a look.

I will show you guys how I style each of these items in my upcoming Eight Days... Eight Looks series .

Looking good or keeping up with trends doesn't mean that you should break the bank.... instead try to be practical and creative and I'm sure you could come up with some really fabulous outfits.


See you next time guys
Debbie

Mini Makeup Haul & Initial Review

My younger brother went to Florida recently so of course I had to ask him to pick up a couple of makeup items that I had my eye on for some time.

The Naked 2 palette is the newest addition to the Urban Decay line of eyeshadow palettes; I already own the first Naked palette so quiet naturally I had to go for the second edition since I am a makeup junkie. Side by side, both palettes look pretty similar but honestly when you take a closer look there are slight variations.... the Naked 2 palette has a matte black shade and it's a mixture of both cool and warm tones; they do however have an overlapping colour which is Half Baked (a shimmery golden colour). The palette rings in at USD$50 so it is on the pricey side, but remember that you are getting 12 full size eyeshadows which would normally run for USD$17 a piece. This palette is sturdier than its predecessor and also comes with an even larger mirror, a dual ended eyeshadow brush and a mini lipgloss in the shade Naked (a mid tone rosy colour). If your the type of person that loves to wear neutral/natural eye looks you will definitely love this, take a look!!

 

Here's a side by side shot of the Naked and Naked 2 palettes

The MAC Matchmaster (MM) foundation or as I call it 'the Smart Foundation' is a great liquid foundation which has translucent pigments that adjust to perfectly match your skin tone. Unlike typical MAC foundations which either come in an NC or NW shade, the MM comes in shades from 1 to 10; my shade is 8.5 and for reference I'm an NW47 in the Studio Fix Fluid (SFF). The foundation looked a little redder and darker than my SFF, but I was pleasantly surprised when I applied it, it blended in very well into my skin, it has a natural semi matte finish, it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin and best of all it has its own pump so you don't have to buy one separately... the first day I wore it to work everyone commented on how nice I looked. The only negatives are that it's not full coverage so some of my post acne marks were visible even though I layered on the foundation, it has a strange smell... similar to the SFF but the scent does wear off, it made my face look very oily by the end of the day and it runs for USD$33 but you do get a lot more foundation for your money. Nevertheless it's a great foundation, and I would give it an A-.

Here's a side by side shot of the MM and SFF

 (If you want to figure out your ideal shade use this CHART courtesy of Temptalia.)

The MAC Watch Me Simmer lipstick comes from the recent Shop MAC Cook MAC collection. I unfortunately couldn't get the other shades of lipstick because they did sell out pretty quickly; I was very luck to even get this shade. It's a very bright pink orange and it's a great colour for the upcoming carnival and spring/summer looks... it just screams Look at ME!!! If you're bold and love to wear colourful lipsticks I say go for this one if you can get you hands on it.

  

I've never purchased any Avon products before, but an Avon rep here in Jamaica had a few products on sale so I of course had to purchase something right?! I was a little sceptical though so I opted to get the single eyeshadow in Midnight Plum for the whopping price of JMD$150 ;) which was a great deal IMO. It's a deep blue with dark purple undertones and its unlike anything that I have. After testing it, the biggest downfall is that it's not very pigmented at all, but I made it work by really packing it into my makeup brush and then applying it. Here's how it looks.

If you guys check out any of these products let us know how you liked them.

See you later!!
Debbie

Collective Haul: Herbs, Oils & Butters

Hey guys check out this video I made on a couple of skincare/haircare products that I've purchased.

From left to right:                                        Center:

Illipe Butter                                                 Fragrance Oils
Dead Sea Mud
Kokum Butter
Organic Babassu Oil
Olive Butter

 





















From left to right:

Essential Oils:
Lemon                                   Patchouli
Rose Absolute                       Eucalyptus
Lemongrass                           Rosemary
Lavender                                Jasmine
Tea Tree                                 Peppermint

From Left to Right:

Neem Oil
Monoi De Tahiti Oil
Organic Sunflower Oil
Hazelnut Oil
Argan Nut Oil

From left to right:

Calendula flowers
Lavender flowers
Rose buds
German Chamomile flowers
Hibiscus flowers
Rosemary
Witch Hazel


Here's the vid...Enjoy!!!

Stay tuned for more vids on how you can make your own body butters, cuticle oil, lip balms and a whole lot more using all these things.In the mean time you can check out From Nature With Love if you're in the market for some of these products.

Until next time friends
Debbie

Rocking the trend

I recently came across a photo of Kendall Jenner and thought her outfit was really cute and simple. I loved the way she rocked the bow tie trend without looking like a waitress. I have seen many versions of the bow tie trend but this one looks so feminine...I had to try it out. Please forgive the sloppiness of my bow tie, I made it myself.

Bow-tie - DIY
Shirt - H&M
Skirt - Bershka
Bag - Jam

...Shannon

Brighter Days

Spring is here and the sun is out, so that means the colours have to come out!!!