by Annette Quinet | Sep 3, 2016 | Fashion, Five Questions, Giveaway, My Blog |
#amalified was an expression I came up with several years ago when I would leave the salon after Amal Abi Farah would blow dry my hair. On a recent visit to Suite 13 Hair Design I took the opportunity to ask Amal the following 5 questions for this feature:
For your chance to be #amalified see below on how you can enter to win a Blow Dry Gift Certificate from Suite 13 Hair Design
1- Is there a Hairstyle that is universal and all women can wear?
The LOB (combo of long and bob) …is a fabulous cut that not only flatters all face shapes but also works with all hair types. It is always fashionable . Women can personalise their LOB by introducing colour, adding highlights and or bangs and of course with this length there are many styling options to offer versatility.
2- In the last few years I have noticed an abundance of women forsaking their colour treatments and going natural. For someone who may be considering this change what is the best way to go about it?
Grey hair is now fashionable as well as a fast-growing trend. No longer is it exclusive to those who are naturally grey, prematurely or otherwise, due to many younger women adopting the grey hair colour trend by using a colour application. Kelly Osbourne was one of several young celebrity women to start this movement. The transition process will depend on your hair length and how fast your hair grows. Most Professional Salon companies now carry advanced grey colour formula’s so my suggestion would be to apply highlights in a grey shade (as close to your natural grey colour as possible) for a smoother transition. Another important consideration will be to use a shampoo specifically for grey hair, these “purple shampoos” are clarifying shampoos which can eliminate the product build-up on your hair that causes that undesirable yellow casting. We have seen a lot of great results with the UNITE
Amal Suite Thirteen Hair Design
BLONDA shampoo and conditioner (of course fabulous with blonde shades too!).
3- Why should we be using salon products versus drugstore products?
When it comes to drugstore shampoo & conditioners, many contain chemicals, which can strip your hair of its natural oils, essentially drying it out. Many also use fillers to dilute their products thus causing that soft silky feeling but instead of penetrating the hair it’s coating. Salon products have less filler,sulphates and are more concentrated with better ingredients that are good for your hair such as mineral, oils & vitamins. Due to its concentration, you require less product and while salon products are initially more expensive they last longer, therefore the costs between drugstore and salon products are quite similar. I always recommend salon products and show my clients which products are right for their hair and how to use it properly.
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UNITE Product Line
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UNITE 7SECONDS Refresher
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UNITE BLONDA
*There is also an advantage to having your hair professionally colour treated because the stylist is able to create a specific formula based on your hair type and colour to get the best results. This is difficult to achieve with drug store brands as illustrated in this article .
4-How often should we wash our hair?
Generally speaking, for most people I recommend every 2-3 days. You want your hair to produce its natural oil (sebum)which prevents hair from drying out and breakage. Some people are uncomfortable going this long between shampoos and may want to consider using a “dry shampoo” these products act as a hair refresher. They come in an aerosol formula which works very well on fine hair (use it all over your head and it will add body) and powder formulas which work great when you want to target an area, this product can also be used as a styling tool. In our salon, we carry products from UNITE and Aveda both lines have a dry shampoo and a hair refresher where we have seen great results.
5-Final question…What is trending for hair this fall?
Lately, we have been getting lots of requests for “Balayage” which is basically a softer version of “Ombre” click here for a comparison. As a stylist, my goal is to help my clients achieve the most flattering hairstyle for their face shape, hair type and lifestyle. When someone likes their hair and style they exude confidence and that in my opinion is the best trend.
Amal Abi Farah has been a hairstylist for 15 years. She is knowledgeable, talented and passionate about hair and her clients. You can contact Amal here. For your chance to win a Blow Dry GC from Suite 13 Hair Design and be #amalified subscribe to this blog here & share this blog post on your FB page .Contest closes on Friday, September 9th,2016 and winner will be notified by email
by Annette Quinet | Aug 28, 2016 | Family, Mont Tremblant, summer |
Family has been front and center this last week! As I mentioned in my last blog post F-words 4 August we were looking forward to a family vacay. Mont Tremblant ,Quebec is a popular year-round destination and it fit our criteria:
- Car ride max 2 hours (Are we here yet has been a constant question all summer long in fact for 24 summers now…enough already!)
- Pool
- AC
- Internet
- Activities
- Space
We have been to Tremblant before (winter & summer) and really enjoy the area. In the past we have stayed with friends and in hotels. A friend recommended Tremblant Elysium as an alternate option to staying in a hotel. They manage a variety of properties which looked very appealing. We chose Tremblant Elysium Les-eaux, close to the mountain (10 minute walk and/or shuttle service) 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, internet, AC and pool! Criteria met!
Here is what worked for us:
Travelling with a 6 & 21 yr old has its challenges so the space was fabulous!. Not only indoor space but there were 3 private small decks too. Bathrooms (2) well stocked with towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner (hairdryer too). Kitchen was well stocked (we brought groceries with us) with everything you needed to make meals (microwave, stove,dishwasher, full size fridge, coffee maker (filters incl) and a cappuccino maker! There was also a washer and dryer (detergent incl). Our unit had at least 2 pull-out sofas one in the master and the other in the living area. Internet worked well, parking for 2 vehicles and vouchers for the gondola. We really enjoyed the pool area (2minute walk from unit) which is open10am-10pm daily (lifeguards). There is 1 large pool, 1 lap pool, 1 warm spa with waterfall (my fave) and another spa (jetted and hot) . This area also had a changing facility that contained washrooms, steam room, sauna and lockers.
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lap pool
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warm spa
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swimming pool
As always there is room for improvement and this is what did not work for us:
We were under the impression the unit had AC; however it was only on the main floor which meant the master bedroom (top floor) was really hot; however there were fans in each bedroom. The master had no closet, the bed was kingsize but the mattress is in need of replacing. One design flaw in our opinion, sliding panels above the bed in the master bedroom which opens to the main living space below. This could potentially be dangerous (falling hazard) with young children. These panels also offered no insulation from the main floor noise (despite being closed) therefore if the tv was on and you were trying to sleep good luck! Not fun if let’s say someone with you is an insomniac. This could be a pro or con but there is no daily housekeeping. Bring your own pool towels and swim/beach toys (noodles, water sprayers, diving batons etc) this made the world of difference for Isabelle, she had several instant BFF’s aka playmates.
Mont Tremblant offers a variety of activities. Most are a fee for service so it can get expensive. We enjoyed the mountain village where we did the luge, trapeze, rock climbing wall & gondola. Another way the mountain village likes to separate you from your money are the shops, Place BonBon and Univers Toutou were Isabelle’s favorite!
Of course, there are ample hiking and biking trails, beach ($) and climbing the mountain on foot is free!
by Annette Quinet | Aug 13, 2016 | Capelet, Fashion, Giveaway, My Blog, summer |
Are you going to be the fortunate one to win this fabulous summer essential , this Capelet in Black?
It’s easy all you need to do to enter is one of the following:
Share and like this blog on your FB page
Follow me on twitter and Retweet
Or follow me on Instagram and Re-gram (Yes, you can Re-gram using this free app)
First featured in this July blog post , The F-word Paradox is offering you another chance to win a Black Capelet. This versatile piece can be worn several ways and will become a favorite summer essential (great for early fall too!). The draw will take place in 5 days ( all about the F-words here) Thursday, August 18th. The Winner will be notified by email.
Good Luck, Bonne chance!
by Annette Quinet | Aug 9, 2016 | Family, Fashion, Fitness, Five Questions, Food & Drink, My Blog, Shopping, summer |
Most people in Ottawa eagerly await our summer season. It is relatively short and before you know it , it will be September with Fall just around the corner. So for the remainder of August, my 4 featured F-words will be:
Fitness, Food, Family and Focus
Fitness at the beginning of this summer was my nemesis. I injured my Achilles at the end of June and was unable to run for a month. Since I started running , over 20 years ago, I have been fortunate with only a few minor injuries. Running has been mentally therapeutic for me and it was frustrating when I was unable to run. After a month off, I have finally been able to get out there and pound the pavement but it has not been easy. After time off it almost feels like you are starting over, your cardio/stamina has diminished and breathing has been more difficult,…perhaps the hot humid temps have also been a factor. So as most people, I turn to the internet for tips, pointers, and motivators. This is a great article on shortness of breath while exercising. I also find running to music helps and use the Rock my Run app that I have on my phone which allows me ($) to download or stream music …nothing like running to an awesome playlist, it’s totally motivating. I also have my four legged friend, Oscar, that accompanies me and with this fabulous leash… our
runs have been so much more enjoyable (for runs, I wrap it around my waist=handsfree yippee) Isabelle also now joins us now that she has mastered riding her bike (thank you Pedalheads) This has been freeing and I really like that feeling. Here’s hoping I have run far enough away from any more injuries.
Food is synonymous with summer. We are fortunate to be able to purchase lots of local produce whether it be at one of the areas farmers market or at our local grocery store. It’s a great way to incorporate fresh produce into our meals while supporting local growers. Recently, our household has become “mostly” gluten free and I am continuously searching for websites that offer healthy,easy and fast recipes to try.
Here are 4 recipes that look tasty and worthy of trying this month:
Eating Bird Food -Almond Butter Chicken Salad
Detoxnista -Garden Vegetable Salad Rolls with “Peanut” dipping sauce (like those at Whole Foods)
Running with Spoons- Almond butter & jelly Banana Bread Bars
MBG – Vegan Banoffee Pie Cups (already made these last night-AWESOME!)
Family time is important and we have just planned a getaway to Mont Tremblant for a few days in hopes of some fun and R&R! Friends recommended a property that we are excited to try. It has the amenities that are important when travelling with kids (21 & 6) such as a swimming pool and internet I am so looking forward to sitting by the pool and being so much more relaxed now that Isabelle is swimming. Her fear of getting her head wet has totally dissipated thanks to a $4.49 swim mask and of course swimming lessons. Hiking, biking, exploring will also be on the agenda as will be a new summer read. I just finished my first summer read which no doubt will now be read by hubby. Nothing says summer like a good John Grisham novel.
Finally, with a focus or maybe just a glance towards fall, for now, I look forward to reading some of these fall Fashion magazines for inspiration. I also look forward to the day when I can wear what I consider a fabulous fashion find ,this pair of Mackage black leather stretch leggings . Another focus is writing more blog posts featuring five questions with Dr. Mamta Gautam, Catherine Ennis and Julie Nott, in addition to continuing regular blog posts with more F-words!
For now, I will be focusing on enjoying the remainder of summer and I hope you will too.
by Annette Quinet | Jul 29, 2016 | Fashion, Shopping, summer |
Fashion Finds – Focus on Ottawa
This weekend marks the midpoint of Summer 2016. In Ontario and 5 other provinces (AB, BC, SK, NB, NV) Monday, August 1st is a Civic Holiday which means a long weekend for many of us. Whether you are about to embark on a staycation or perhaps you are visiting the Nations Capital, the downtown core in Ottawa is a great destination for both residents and tourists alike. The Byward Market is a hub for restaurants , bars, galleries and of course a great place to shop. The CF Rideau Centre is a huge magnet for those who want to shop. Nordstroms, a big draw especially with their Anniversary sale, which offers brand new arrivals at sale prices. So popular is this sale it has it’s on hashtag #NSALE with over 60,000 tweets but venturing out of the mall is a must.To get a true sense of Ottawa’s character and flavor, shoppers & visitors will discover several independent boutiques that have flair, uniqueness, and personality which are worthy of a visit.
Schad…is described as a Fashion Haven by many local fashionistas. The store carries many coveted designer clothing lines for both men and women. Presently they are having their summer sale where you can find some great garments at awesome price points. You will also find new fall arrivals from such popular designers as Smythe, a line which has been worn by Kate Middleton and Kate Hudson…..another favorite is The Kooples and of course, local designer Krista Norris whose scarves were gifted to the Obama girls by the Trudeau’s on a recent visit. Men can find John Varvatos, Denham and much more. Also in store, WOLF & Zed, shoe counterpart to Schad, carrying several eclectic and trendy lines such as Camper (men and women) Coclico, Cole Haan (men).
STUNNING ! is another fabulous destination. This truly eclectic boutique carries many one of a kind accessory pieces that owner, Mandy, personally selects on buying trips in addition to sourcing out local talent and designing some of her own signature pieces. The store’s Instagram is true eye candy, highlighting many of these unique pieces but act fast as there usually is just one! When you visit you will find an enthusiastic style maven who is passionate about her boutique and her commitment to supporting local. Bonus , Stunning is also having its summer sale!
Amanda May Lingerie is an upscale lingerie store locally owned by Amanda Beaubien, carrying a wide assortment of lingerie pieces from such lines as Stella McCartney, Hanky Panky & Claudette, customers will find the emphasis is on customer service ensuring a great shopping experience . As Dolce and Gabbana said “Lingerie is the maximum expression of a woman’s feminity” and women will truly tune into their feminity wearing some of these pieces.
There are many other unique finds in the Byward Market to satisfy all tastes and budgets. With a fabulous weather forecast in- store do take advantage and venture to the Byward Market and take in all that if has to offer. Let me know what your favorites are. Wishing you a Safe and Happy long weekend.
More independent stores in the Byward Market to visit:
Trustfund
Roadtrip
Poised Boutique
Envied
Justine’s
For a more enhanced list of stores and restaurants click here Byward Market
