Jenny's Lust

Okay, it's Lolita's Lust and we all shared a bunch of things for dinner, but the standout dish was the Crespelle Lemon Scented Crepes Filled With Feta & Spinach Topped With Basil Rose Sauce. So utterly perfect was this dish that I couldn't even snap a photo before it was eaten. It's been a long time since something at a restaurant made me so happy.

I've eaten at Lolita's Lust before and been quite satisfied with my meal. However, I've usually eschewed the vegetarian offerings in favour of their Osso Bucco or the delicious Lamb Shank. After piling all the shared food on my plate and biting into the Crespelle, I was in rapture. The spinach was cooked to perfection and the addition of Feta instead of the usually bland ricotta was a stellar trip for the senses. All of this was blanketed in a silky tomato cream sauce that sent us all straight to heaven. We actually ordered another and I would have licked the plate if I could have.

Service was fabulous and also incredible was the featured entree of Ostrich Tenderloin. Ruby- rare strips of lean ostrich meat accompanied by earthy cocoa sauce. Simply fantastic!

$$$

****

513 Danforth Ave

Toronto

416.465.1751

Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

With the cold weather, snow, ice and slush approaching, you might be looking for a tropical escape. Allow me to let you in on the highest rated and well priced resort in the Mayan Riviera: The Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal located just 80 kms south of Cancun in Mexico's Mayan Riviera.

I know there's been a lot of controversy concerning Mexico as a travel destination. Drug wars and exploding resorts aside, I think it's a fabulous destination. The Tucan/Quetzal is located in the Playacar complex, a safe gated community adjacent to the charming town of Playa del Carmen. Safety is not a problem and it's the perfect place to walk a bustling beach and do some great shopping.

This resort is a lush jungle paradise with waterfalls between the buffet restaurants, strutting peacocks on the way to the pool and howler monkeys in the trees outside your room. It's lovely to see all the nature interacting with resort guests and vice versa, making it a great vacation pick for families and couples alike. The winding trails and dim lighting at night might make this resort a bad choice for those suffering from mobility issues, but the resort did have motorized carts to help out. I found all the walking to be a great way to work off those afternoon guacamole binges!

The ITQ has one of the most gorgeous beaches on the Mayan Riviera. Sparking crystal waters, sand like white sugar, and lots of thatched palapas to lounge under. Until recently, the beaches were being reclaimed and that meant unsightly black bags of sand at many beaches a long the coast. Playa del Carmen has now been finished and I believe the beaches at Tulum and Akumal (20 km south) now have the sandbags. Servers will come and get you drinks on the beach but I found it faster to get my own since the bar was not that far. Yes, boys, there are topless sunbathers.

The rooms are very basic, sporting busy bedspreads and hard mattresses, but sleeping was never a problem. The showers are fabulous with perfect water pressure, lots of clean fluffy towels and a terry robe to wrap yourself in after your scrub. Mini bar is stocked with beer, sparking water and pop and there was a welcome bottle of Silver tequila in the room when we arrived.

A la carte restaurants were decent. Some of them still had self serve areas for the appetizers. the Japanese was the least authentic, but the teppanyaki tables were a blast to sit at. Mexican was delicious, Italian featured great decor and the service was stellar. Food was typical restaurant Italian. The buffets were staggering and always had a fresh selection of food. Breakfast was as international or traditionally Mexican as you like. A few of the highlights included roast suckling pig Tacos on mexican night, Grilled Habernero peppers that blew my mind with heat, lightly seasoned and grilled shrimp on the lunch buffet, fabulous guacamole and pic de gallo with fresh tortilla chips down by the beach, and the paella on the beach was simply fantastic. Being greeted with champagne and orange juice or tequila spiked coffee on your way to the breakfast buffet was also a nice touch. My glass was never empty and service staff were always smiling helpful.

Drinks are as strong as you like them. If you want more booze, ask for it and they will pour. The only down side to this resort is the quality of booze. Although I asked for Jose Cuervo, may of the bars didn't have it and what they did pour gave me a screaming hangover. Drinks are made with pre mixed syrups and not with fresh fruit. I was surprised and a bit disappointed at this, but I understand that it is common at many four and even five star resorts along the Mayan Riviera.

The lobby bar on the Quetzal side was a great place to lounge and have a cocktail after dinner and the Tucan lobby bar was where we met many new friends and congregated for drinks before dinner reservations.

Yes, the pools are cold. I prefer the word refreshing as I question why the pool is so warm if it is. Catch my drift?

Entertainment was actually not bad and the productions were quite elaborate. Staff did a great job overall.

This trip cost us $2200 for 2 people for a week. The Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal is only one of four all inclusives in the Mayan Riviera that has received over 90% in ratings from travelers and also the one with the best price point. If you're looking for fantastic value, a dreamy beach, great food and an overall amazing vacation, check this place out!!!

****

$$$$

Trip Advisor Reviews

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150812-d214254-Reviews-Iberostar_Tucan_Hotel-Playa_del_Carmen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Iberostar Website

www.iberostar.com

Gold Stone = Go There Stoned

I eat at Gold Stone, when I've partied too hard to make it to King Noodle. Gold Stone is open super late and perfect for loading up on your MSG with your GHB or MDMA or whatever else you or your friends have popped that night.

Perhaps I'm not being fair. It is entirely possible that I resent the cheaply upholstered booths and I secretly long for the cramped communal dining tables of King Noodle. Or maybe it's just the grease; I find this place to be super greasy, to the point that no matter what I order, it comes with grease.

Spring Rolls are fat and covered in hot oil. Shrimp and Eggplant stir Fry is gloopy and over starched. Won ton soup is, again... greasy.

For the price, this place also seems to be more expensive than it's late night competition. I've never spent less than $30 here and I'm not sure where it all goes because when I arrive home, I have no foam take out container sleeping beside me. Admittedly, there are worse things to wake up next to. Okay... perhaps I'm never in the most critical or even sober state of mind when I come to Gold Stone. It does serve the purpose of getting some late night Chinese into you. It's kinda the Mc Donalds of Chinatown, complete with French Fries on the menu.

In it's defense, the service is usually efficient and speedy and the place looks pretty clean.

R.I.P Mr. Pong's

$$

**

• (416) 596-9053
• 266 Spadina Avenue Toronto, ON M5T 2E4

Update: Perfect Pout Predicament

After writing a few weeks ago about the discontinuation of my dearly beloved Revlon Colourstay Frankly Scarlet, I leaned that Maybelline is coming out with a 24 hour lipcolour.

I entered a contest to win a free sample and guess what? I WON! But... they sent me the e-mail over the X-mas break and I didn't receive it until today.

Bah Humbug!

Here's what they wrote:

You're the lucky winner of Maybelline's new SuperStay 24 lipcolour.
Thanks for entering the 24H Challenge on Facebook.

To claim your prize, click the lower right button to enter your information. Don't forget your home address so we can send you the SuperStay 24!

Please note that you have two (2) days from the receipt of this email to claim your prize.

We hope you love the SuperStay 24 lipcolour, and we invite you to visit
our Facebook page to tell us what you think about the lipstick!

Thanks for being a fan!

The Maybelline New York team.

I wrote them back to sweet talk them for another chance at a sample. I will wait to hear, hoping for my perfect red pout!!

My bags are in the hands of Dior

Possibly my biggest beauty problem is covering the dark circles that heredity plopped under my eyes. On a good day, without concealer, I look like a raccoon who's been in a bar fight. Hopefully this helps you to understand how important a good concealer is to my makeup regime. With the holidays upon us, bags of all sorts are a pressing issue, indeed.

For years, I've ben using Dior's Long Wearing Moisturizing Concealer and it hasn't let me down yet. Even on those mornings when I've tossed and turned all night, or had a few too many glasses of Chardonnay, this concealer helps to diminish the look of fatigue and covers that excess baggage better than anything I've tried.

What I love the most about this product it's not your typical pasty concealer that dries into the creases under your eyes. Dior's formula is a thick liquid that can be easily applied with a few pats to the under eye area. My trick is to lay it on a bit thick and let it dry while I make a coffee. Once the formula has dried in it's place, it blends without wiping off and stays put for the whole day.

At $32 CAD, t's a little on the pricey side, but a tube of this stuff will last me over a year.

Available in Toronto at Sears, The Bay, or Sephora.

****
$$$$

Added Bliss

A few months ago I reviewed a couple of my favourite products from Bliss. They make beauty products that give super fantastic results and are worth every penny. I won't lie to you: since turning 35, aging is a concern for me, but I still tend to break out and can't use those thick aging creams. I found this trio of Bliss Products at Sephora for $103 CAD and thought it was high time I tried out the wrinkle goo thing.

Oh Baby, Baby... my skin looks positively radiant, soft and smells delicious! I'm not sure what exactly they put in this stuff, it says collagenso I'm crediting that for the youthful glow, but like all Bliss products, you smell squeaky clean after sudsing and slathering. I don't have a lot of pronounced wrinkles, but I definitely notice a firmer more youthful quality to my skin. The eye cream is the only product that has ever done a thing to fade my dark circles even a little. I don't know how, but it's nothing short of a miracle!

In short, I'm completely sold on Bliss products. For the price, they deliver uncompromising quality with a subtle uplifting citrus scent and now, I look younger, too!

Available at Sephora or on line at http://www.blissworld.com/

****
$$$

Dear Revlon Colorstay, You gone and took my colour away!

As a self confessed lipstick junkie, I could not even begin to tell you how many units of lip product that I have in my possession. My favourite colour? Bright, 1940's glam red. Believe me, I've tried 'em all and for years my number one was Revlon Colorstay in Frankly Scarlet. Everyone, and I mean everyone from snooty department store sales ladies to UPS delivery men would comment on my amazing red lips. A great shade of red is hard to find, but us ladies who wear red lipstick know that precise application is also key. You don't want smudging, creasy edges or fading in the middle. It needs to be 100% perfect. And this stuff is--or WAS until they discontinued the colour!
Revlon Colourstay has more lasting power than any other brand out there no matter what you pay. For about $14 CAD it even beats out MAC's Pro Longwear Lipcolour that is almost double the price.

What I love about Revlon's long lasting brand is that it stays put, has great clear colour and I can get through at least 6 hours of my shift at work (including a few snacks and lunch) with my lips still looking picture perfect. Other brands tend to get goopy and leave an unsightly white buildup of moisturizing ingredients at the inside of your lips. The whole point of wearing stay on lip colour is so that I don't have to check the mirror 10 times an hour to make sure I still look good.

I usually wear Frankly Scarlet in winter, as it looks fab on pale skin next to a black turtleneck, In warmer months, I prefer the more luminous, beachy colour of Constantly Coral. Imagine my dismay when fall came and my shade had been discontinued!

Why, Relvon, Why? This was my standby little beauty secret: kiss-proof, food-proof, smudge-proof perfection. The ideal colour, the perfect wear time and my most cherished product. PLEASE BRING BACK MY PERFECT RED LIPS!!!

For the last few months I have been suffering with the MAC brand in Lasting Lust but in comparison, it sucks. I do still wear Constantly Coral, but it's not as remarkable. I so also like Bare Maximum for a more neutral shade, but I think they may have discontinued that colour, too. The next option is Endless Spice, which I find too brown for me.

This product is absolutely the bomb. I still love it the best, but Revlon has to get hip with the shades and give us glam-loving girls our sexy red pouts back!

Muah!

Available at all leading drugstores (just not in the colour I want). $14 CAD

$$
***** (still a five star product despite the colour issue).

By Kilian

If I have two addictions where shopping is concerned, it's lipstick and fragrances. Often times, I'll spend a Saturday afternoon at Holt Renfrew sampling different scents and letting them sit on my skin to see which one really works for me. While out sniffing a few months ago, I came across the by Kilian line, designed by the grandson to the founder of Hennessy Congnac and the house of Louis Vuitton. This perfume line is first and foremost about luxury, but Kilian has a knack for creating fragrances that are born in the memory and live out a long life on the nape of your neck or the inside of the wrist. They are haunting, complex and reminiscent of all things sensual. One spray will begin with top notes and melt over time into a heavenly marriage of each essential oil in the fragrance.

The Kilian line is also environmentally conscious and although the perfumes seems to be expensive, ($250 CAD) you're paying for the bottle, which is exquisite and comes in its own box of velvet and silk, designed to be refilled on site when you're finished with the fragrance. The initial investment is in the hardware and the refills are much less expensive.

The better deal, is to purchase the lovely refillable travel atomizer that comes with four refills (pictured here) It's a bit easier on the pocketbook at $150 CAD. Four refills are $80, which is completely reasonable for a fragrance of this caliber.

My purchase was Don't Be Shy. A haunting gourmand blend inspired by the marshmallow, accented with bergamot, honeysuckle and musk. The most striking quality of this fragrance is the lingering essence of whipped egg white, you're instantly transported to your mother's kitchen, making a lemon meringue pie, beating the egg whites to stiff peaks and watching the sugary whites brown in the oven. This is an example of how Kilian's perfumes manage to capture not just a scent, but a moment.

Aphrodisiac is also a favourite, reminding me of a sticky stream of honey enveloped with spicy ginger and warm tobacco.

Make sure to get samples before you make a purchase and see how each scent sits on your skin and changes throughout the day. The sales people really stand behind these products and are happy to send you home with lots of those tiny spray samples, even a couple for your friends.

Available exclusively at Holt Renfrew or visit: http://www.bykilian.com/

$250 CAD for 50 ml. refillable spray
$150 CAD for 30 ml refillable travel spray

$$$$
****