Category: Beauty

Out & About #1074 | Bliss Head Spa + Scarborough Roaming

2/17/2025

Towards the end of last fall, I booked a trip to Asia - the birthplace of K-Pop and GOT7, to be exact. Ironing out the logistics, comparing accommodations, and evaluating the individual transit/tourist attraction options hasn't been the most entertaining, but this is not the time and place to explaining the grueling process.

Whilst preparing the "fun" itinerary for my upcoming trip, my search landed upon scalp treatments. The session was offered by most foreigner-friendly (ie. English-speaking) salons, with the session spanning 80-90 minutes of a before-treatment analysis (complete with photos of the hair follicle), scalp and neck massage, and post-treatment review. I quickly made a deposit for a salon in Myeongdong, only to discover the availability of such a treatment closer to home.

With the promising review of foodrealm and an ongoing Spring Festival/Valentine's Day promotion, I was persuaded into securing an appointment at Bliss Head Spa immediately. It also helped that the promotional offer was priced at essentially half of my anticipated treatment abroad. The allure intensified with a two-person discount on the Facial and Scalp Massage bundle. Initially, I had requested the Aqua Oxygen Treatment, but was told that the machine was out of service. I reverted to the basic Facial as a result, then booked the bundle for both my browsing partner and I.

It had worked in our favour that the spa operated on statutory holidays and that the final day of Family Day long weekend was, thankfully, free of heavy snowfall. Caution was nevertheless exercised during navigation, for not all roads nor parking lots had been fully cleared.

Bliss Head Spa was located on the outskirts of Scarborough/Markham, between 14th Avenue and Steeles on Markham Road. The commute was an exhaustive sixty minutes, but featured distinctly lower levels of congestion than the usual weekend morning. Perhaps it was the threat of snow squalls or the lingering aftermath of the snowstorm from the past two days, but the 54 kilometre drive was largely devoid of other vehicles at the early hour of 10 AM.

We pulled into a decidedly snowy lot just short of 10:30 AM, spotting the spa's logo from Karachi Drive. Turning into the closest asphalt lot would reveal a plaza with as much surface parking as mounds of piled snow. Amidst insane gustiness, snow would be gathered from their pile and tossed into the atmosphere, slamming into the faces of those that dared trek across the vast expanse of asphalt. Weaving our way to Bliss involved determination and resilience - an act not for the weak and unwilling.

The door immediately revealed the waiting area and reception desk. Positioned adjacent to the entrance were a handful of shoe trays - not enough to support their steady inflow of customers - and a shelf with refreshments of tea, crispy milk crackers, and the signature Chinese grocery guava hard candy.

With the reception desk being unmanned for the first few minutes of our arrival, I hesitated not in plopping my belongings down into the nearest of the two chairs, unveiling my personal pair of plastic slippers, and zooming straight towards the washroom. The single accessible stall was found past a hair-drying bar and treatment room, immediately across from a series of lockers. Having called beforehand, I confirmed that the cubbies would be available on-site. That said, we eventually took all of our belongings with us into the treatment room, then later shifted to the hair-drying room, with no use for lockers at all.

0 Comments

Vancouver Ventures | DAY 7: (Pt. 1): Permanent Ahgase + East Van Roasters

6/8/2024

Saturday morning summoned forth a mix of sensations. I had planned for this appointment months, if not years, in advance, yet my mind swirled with apprehension, anxiety, and fear.

The decision to become a lifelong ahgase had not come easy.
In early 2022, I had stumbled upon Kettle's designs. As per Instagram's algorithm, I was shown images of similar styles in subsequent browsing sessions, though none had spoken to me nearly as strongly. Towards the end of last year, I had succeeded in securing an appointment with her (and even funded a deposit tacked with heavy PayPal fees). It was with much regret that those plans fell through, and the deposit refunded consequentially.

Just a few months prior to departing for Vancouver, my eyes glazed another guest work post from her. This time, the destination was Vancouver.

As promised, the design was discussed and settled two days prior. Nevertheless, this hadn't eradicated the restlessness I'd be experiencing in advance of the procedure.

My suburban bus route transported me to the Brighouse terminal once more, and I began my trip into downtown. Upon boarding the SkyTrain, I was overwhelmed by early weekend morning commuter volumes. The incredulous number of travellers spanned either tourists with large backpacks or locals in groups of friends. Already a somewhat toasty morning, the boisterous, sardine-style format persisted for majority of the trip and was hardly appreciated.

At Vancouver City Centre, I'd transfer to the 14 bus into Hastings, and braced myself for the sights to come. Surely enough, we passed several flashing police cruisers along the way.

The doors opened to reveal more residents of the streets. Lovely.

Pigeon Park was not the delightful urban green space one would anticipate. Infested with goons of all ages, shapes, and sizes, I brazenly weaved through towards the doors of 369 Carrall Street, averting eye contact at all cost and camouflaging trembling pupils underneath blue hair and artificial assurance.

Thankful to have looked up the address prior, I had no issues locating the entrance. The Millennium building was beautiful; the homeless-flooded territory and those with their heads planted at the base of tree roots, butt cracks on full display, were not.

Source: Google Maps, 2022

I hurried entered the access code as Kettle had informed me, chancing across a thin Korean girl gnawing on an apple at the entrance. We then both took the elevator to the third floor, with "Is that Kettle?" running through my mind the entire time. As it would turn out, my suspicions were correct. As we both stepped into the third floor waiting area, we turned to face each other.
"Are you Kettle?" My eyes bright with anticipation.
"Yes, are you <insert Quirky name here>?"
"Yes!" I replied with an ecstatic nod.

Inside La Maison was a world utterly unlike the one beyond its heritage façade. Bright, welcoming, and with plenty of shrubbery to complement the rustic décor, instant relief, and temporary disregard for the horrors of Hastings, would be achieved.
Kettle navigated towards one of the salon beds to prepare, gesturing for me to complete the salon's QR code-based waiver in the meantime. Conditions of receiving a tattoo included, but were not limited to, being free of alcohol/drugs, pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema, and acknowledging that the permanent physical change would not entitle one to sue the studio due to potential occupational restrictions. The liability waiver also required upload of ID for record, making the process was more stringent than expected.

Vancouver Ventures | DAY 3: New Hair, Bubble Waffle Takeout + BGM First Impressions

6/4/2024

Over the past decade, I've gradually found myself inching away from Toronto hairstylists. No matter the amount of faith (and funding) instilled, the results were passable at best. Cuts can be variable, but colour is non-negotiable.

It was decided that, after two years, I'd shed my signature purple inner layer for an entirely new look. Mere maintenance snips entail a fairly steep price to start; consequently, it was concluded that incorporation of a dye job would justify investment on the bases of time and cost. So'o Salon would emerge as the singly best option, simply due to their vast experience with stylized colour application.

On my third day, I awoke to dull, rainy skies once more. Nearing 10 AM though, the clouds parted to reveal sunshine and even a rainbow in the distance.

Following a breakfast of dried cranberry-topped oatmeal and chilled pour over, the riverside trek commenced. Few others were spotted along this stretch of the gravel pathway, unsurprising given the early hour.

In a matter of minutes, I'd arrive at the Olympic Oval. Undetected previously were ridges along the pillars of the building, which connected to grooves in the walkway and drains in the boulevard.

T&T Ora was explored briefly. There, I confirmed the availability of My Beauty Diary masks at a reasonable price.

Out & About #988 | Oomomo Don Mills, Dal Pilates Session #4 + Pizza Maru

3/24/2024

0 Comments

Alternating at-home recovery and errand-running has proven somewhat sustainable for my Sunday schedule, particularly since sleeping early always seems ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ to be denied.

The first half of the weekend had been allocated towards chores, including cleaning until nearly midnight. Perpetually perplexing to me is how even the grandest efforts appear to bring about few physical improvements to the area, but I digress!

My forever helper is not attuned to operating on EST, which usually results in delayed arrivals, and further delays due to my lack of punctuality.

Shops at Don Mills had been designated as the first destination on the itinerary. We arrived at the asphalt lot just before 2:30 PM, at which point I exited from the vehicle to find surprisingly mild conditions and close to no residual ice masses after the previous day's heavy snowfall.

The two objectives of the visit had been The Body Shop's liquidation sale and Hazukido x Daan Go's collaboration space. When the fair trade beauty giant was discovered shuttered and vacated, we ventured along the other corridors within the retail plaza, noting new openings and persistent presences.

Hazukido and Daan Go's collaboration space was discovered far more compact than envisioned. The location was supposedly a dedicated facility for workshops and special events, though the limited number of tables, stacks of boxes along the perimeter of the seating area, and nonexistent selection of exclusive items deterred from a longer stay.

With little else of interest, we continued on our way following use of their indoor plumbing services.

Although a logistically odd choice, the Barber Greene Plaza had intentionally been planned as the second stop, in fear that my browsing partner would exceed my anticipated browsing period.

0 Comments

Out & About #739 | Pacific Mall, Sum Pilates Session #7 Recap + LINE Friends Pop-Up

8/28/2021

0 Comments

For the past two weekends, I had filled my body with lessons from Studio Bon. Yet, a total of four classes remained at Sum Pilates. With an unavailability of instructors, continuation of my package was delayed. The seventh session resumed on August 28th, preceded by a highly anticipated massage and realized with a new instructor.

I awoke to the familiar chime of my work alarm around 8:15 AM. The first five minutes had gone by unnoticed, but steadily, my senses began to depart from deep slumber. The weekend would start earlier than most, marking my foray onto the 401 before the 9:30 AM mark. Impressively enough, traffic levels had already begun to pick up for the day.

The early appointment led me to Scarborough, just a few blocks from the neighbourhood traversed for the sake of jokbal and juice. It proceeded as planned, with the exception of makeup application taking place in my driver's seat of the vehicle (behold the glitter dust!) rather than within the air-conditioned establishment. Despite full comprehension of the masking rule for indoor spaces, it hadn't occurred to me that makeup application would not be permitted within.

In the immediate vicinity were as many Chinese eateries and bubble tea outposts as one could possibly fathom. I yearned for none. Recalling an unredeemed Dak Lak stamp card, I opted to head northbound to Pacific Mall.
Once inside the parking garage, I quickly learned the status of the shopping centre's repairs. Both escalators and elevators had been reinstated, nixing the need for freight elevator rides and dust bunny-loaded alternate routes.

0 Comments

Out & About #456 | Part 1: Koreatown Adventures Feat. Rustle & Still

6/5/2018

I've recently been graced with orangecane's migration to the realm of all things alluring, addicting, and majestic - she has stepped foot into the world of fangirlism.
As days progress, no longer does she merely assume the role of a fellow blogger and munching companion, but an effusive comrade demonstrating never-ending commitment to her beloved K-Pop group of calling. In this case, it's BTS, which I fully approve, even if GOT7 doesn't even fall close in the equation.

This revelation has paved the way for combined eating-and-fangirling excursions. In dire need of a mane clean-up, I reached out to her to schedule a Koreatown trip following my appointment.

The commenced early, prompting a caffeine pit stop upon subway disembarkment. Put A Cone On It, my initial intended destination, happened to be operating at special hours during the week (3 PM instead of their regular 11 AM). It was apparent that Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies were not in the cards.
I stumbled onwards, eastbound towards Rustle & Still. The café was situated on the upper level of the property, just above Hancook.

As its name suggested, the interior of the establishment was serene with heavy emphasis on shrubbery. Pale wooden panels, a plethora of leafy green species (faux or possibly not), and an abundance of natural illumination filled the café. Seating adopted the form of stools and small tables near the windows, along with high stools and booth arrangements in the dimmer compartments. A pillar near the cashier laid out the (likely) fixed drink menu, while a transparent display listed banh mi varieties and other light lunch fixes, such as Asian slaw.

Unique to Rustle & Still are the Matcha Pandan Latte and Purple Sweet Potato Latte, which supposedly bears a lovely lilac finish. An avid consumer of the finely-ground Japanese green tea, I couldn't resist the appeal of pandan's complex tropical properties. It is a rare ingredient to surface outside the Malaysia/Singapore region, and our last encounter was probably Kiin's decorative Iced Tea.

Baked goods also seem a keen pick. Pastries, priced at $1.90 and beyond, were encased in display pedestals near the cashier. Cookies rang in at $2.00, and croissants at $2.70.
A Sesame Coconut Cookie and hot Matcha Pandan Latte were appointed as the to-go duo of choice. The cookie was handed to me in a paper bag; either a result of gluten-free stabilizer or an excessive dry-to-wet-ingredient ratio, it was found to crumble upon touch. By no means did this negatively impact its taste, though. Black sesame seeds provided subtle hints of crunch and nutty fragrance, while an ample amount of shredded coconut contributed an exotic sweetness paired with chewiness.

The Matcha Pandan Latte did not fail to wow either: swirled amidst the milky, grassy beverage were bursts of pandan, interwoven between layers in the most cohesive manner possible. At $4.90 before tax, it was not an economic form of indulgence, but for those craving the refined fragrance of Southeast Asia's "vanilla" leaf with a sizeable dose of antioxidants, this creation merges the gap smoothly.

A cup of caffeinated contents in hand, I trekked over to Hair Bank feeling rejuvenated.
I had not specified a stylist for this visit but was slightly surprised when the stylist that greeted me happened to be the same platform-sandal-donning female that I had dismounted the TTC with. She appeared relatively new to the industry, which was amplified through jittery tendencies, inconsistent hair-washing steps, and the constant need to adjust the alignment of my head. Eye cover cloths were forgotten during the second hair-washing; water inevitably entered ears as well.

In spite of this, along with not-yet-proficient English skills, she was extremely friendly and provided professional insight on my trim requests and fringe length adjustments, much like the salon boss who kept a watchful eye over her actions throughout the visit.

Snipping my frazzled ends only constituted half of the declared appointment time. From that point onwards, a hilarious contraption was secured onto my head for a hydrating Japanese hair treatment. It resembled a long, deflated hot air balloon, but, in reality, was a device that constantly pumped steam to enhance the effects of the repairing formula coating my tresses

Out & About #244 | Yogoberri, Pinoy Waffles, and Cha Me. Cha

6/22/2016

Warm weather and ice cream is a no-fail duo.
But even better than this classic combination is smooth, creamy frozen yogurt on top of crisp, eggy waffles, with a generous portion of freshly-sliced fruit on the side.

And when there's A/C, Wi-Fi, a free private parking lot, and a clean bathroom to boot? You can bet I'm staying here for a while.

I had vowed to return to Yogoberri on a mission to try out their infamous waffle and frozen yogurt combo since my initial visit earlier this month. Entering the premises with a vaguely empty stomach and an equally curious friend, I knew this day had finally arrived.

We pointed in unison to the fifteen dollar special scrawled in pink on the small chalkboard: the Yogoberri Waffle w/ two hot drinks.

Between hot Americanos and an expansive selection of "premium" teas, we opted for Raspberry Pomegranate and The Earl Grey (with a side of milk), both arriving in clean, white mugs and adorable tulip tea infusers.

Shortly after, the space filled with an ever-fragrant, vanilla-esque aroma, indicating the arrival of our waffle and froyo plate.

Each extremely crisp waffle halve was topped with a different type of frozen yogurt - Vanilla or Green Tea, though swirling the two flavours had also been an option - along with spoonfuls of chopped strawberries, kiwi fruit, and sliced bananas before finally being dusted with cocoa powder and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Its presentation was stunning to say in the least, especially considering the size of the cafe and the single staff member operating the cashier and kitchen.

My previous conclusion still held: Yogoberri's froyo was a superb blend of tart creaminess and semi-firm sweetness. Served with seasonal fruit and meticulously swirled atop a slightly warm, well-made waffle only proved to further enhance its flavour profile, engaging not only the sense of taste, but the sense of sight as well. Vanilla was a smidgen sweeter than its Green Tea counterpart, but both were enjoyable nonetheless!

Our dessert, which was consumed in conjunction with steamy cups of refreshing herbal and satisfying milk teas, was a fantastic mid-afternoon. In addition, the environment allowed for endless casual conversation and a consistently stable connection to the world of social media. The sole staff member of the establishment, who happened to be the same striped top-donning girl from my last visit, was also exceptionally friendly, attending to all of our needs in a timely manner.

I think it's proper to declare that I'll be trying their bingsoo next time.

View the full album HERE !

Our next destination was Pacific Mall, where we were hoping to walk off the fullness until dinnertime. As we began our descent from the upper level Korean cafe and proceeded across Steeles, we were hit with the sudden realization that rush hour traffic had imminently dominated the streets. Patiently inching forwards every few minutes, we found ourselves gradually developing a hankering for bubble tea - Hokkaido Milk Tea from Green Grotto it was!

Out & About #212 | Crepes, Bubble Tea, and K-Beauty at Pacific Mall

3/26/2016

Inter-city travel plans normally aren't executed without deciding upon some form of schedule beforehand.
But when a series of plans fell through with a less-than-communicative friend of mine, I ended up making the most of my day by stopping over at Pacific Mall for a short while prior to heading back.

Nicola's Cafe on the upper level food court has always been the strongest contender among the other food stalls. On this recent visit, I noticed that "Nicola's" has now become "Wanda's"; I assume that this simply means they are now operating one of "Wanda's" many franchise locations, as there have been no changes to the staff members.

A Savoury Chicken and Swiss Cheese Crepe was order to share. Despite the long lineup, the dish was delivered in roughly seven minutes, and made to perfection as always.

Looking to fill the small void in our stomachs, we headed back through the middle aisle of the second floor, recalling that a new stall had popped up.

Papa Chang's is no stranger to the Markham food scene - I've heard lots about them. And while I can't compare their newly-opened "Express" eatery to their physical location on the east end of Markham, it was quite refreshing to find budget-friendly night market-like eats in shopping centre. This express location even featured a series of chair for those looking to dine away from the chaos of the central eating area.

We took to ordering the trio of fish skewers, which were seemingly decked out takoyaki-style with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo, aonori bits, and katsuobushi (ie. bonito flakes).

The skewers were made to order, which ensured that the produce remained piping hot and crispy upon delivery. The battered fish was crunchy and flaky, with a fall-off-the-skewer-type tenderness that wowed and scalded our mouths as the same time. Complete with your standard array of tried-and-true toppings (plus a small amount of wasabi sauce), 棒棒魚 is likely to become my go-to snack on my next P-Mall adventure

[Out & About 16] Munching in Markham + More Korean Beauty Products?!

3/1/2014

After being welcomed back from reading week an incredulous amount of assignments and lab reports, in addition to one painfully depressing structures midterm, I took Saturday off to relax in Markham.

Well, not really.

Technically, it's not "relaxing"; it can be described more accurately as "going to physio and just eating lunch after".

As I finished my physio treatment much earlier than my mom (and yes, we both go to physio place but she has more frequent appointments than I do), I decided to go buy egg waffles to munch on before lunch.

Before having lunch, I requested a quick stop at Tony Moly. I had preordered the Panda's Dream So Cool cooling stick during my previous trip and had to retrieve it before the 2-week hold period was over. I also picked up two Baby Skin Heel Patches and a Peeling Liquid mask as I've noticed my heels have been cracking in a most disturbing way due to the harsh winter weather.

Reviews for the Shiny Foot Super Peeling Liquid and Panda's Dream So Cool Eye Stick are up on Review Junkie!

[Out & About 15] Reading Week (Part 3) / Korean Beauty Haul #2

2/16/2014

(Have you read Part 2 of my Reading Week yet? =])

I previously did a rather extensive haul on Korean beauty products back in September.

Walking around Pacific Mall, I also decided to include photos of the actual storefronts this time around.

<<Previous

Out & About #1074 | Bliss Head Spa + Scarborough Roaming

Vancouver Ventures | DAY 7: (Pt. 1): Permanent Ahgase + East Van Roasters

Vancouver Ventures | DAY 3: New Hair, Bubble Waffle Takeout + BGM First Impressions

Out & About #988 | Oomomo Don Mills, Dal Pilates Session #4 + Pizza Maru

Out & About #739 | Pacific Mall, Sum Pilates Session #7 Recap + LINE Friends Pop-Up

Out & About #456 | Part 1: Koreatown Adventures Feat. Rustle & Still

Out & About #244 | Yogoberri, Pinoy Waffles, and Cha Me. Cha

Out & About #212 | Crepes, Bubble Tea, and K-Beauty at Pacific Mall

[Out & About 16] Munching in Markham + More Korean Beauty Products?!

[Out & About 15] Reading Week (Part 3) / Korean Beauty Haul #2

Who Am I?

Archives

Categories

WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Contact ME

Subscribe

Who Am I?

Archives

Categories

WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Subscribe