May 22, 2012

Waxing Lyrical: Madame Tussaud’s in Sydney, Australia.

I’ve boycotted every Madame Tussaud establishment around the world – it’s not really my thing, standing around with tourists all day gettingthisclose to a wax figure of a celebrity I can’t remember- but recently I visited the two month old Madame Tussaud’s in Sydney which opened in April 2012.

There are nine themed zones ranging from Who the hell is that?  to How the hell did you get his measurements, he’s been dead for 200 years? Not really, the zones are far more politically correct. In the Celebrity, Political Figures and Music zones, the wax figures included Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, Angelina Jolie, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Johnny Depp, Nelson Mandela, Oprah, Michael Jackson, Brad Pitt and Leonardi DiCaprio to name a few. As you walk around the famous, there is always a faux paparazzi employee running around like a TMZ drop out trying to take your photos. I don’t want my photo taken but I would love a cup of tea.

There were Aussies littered through out, albeit mainly in the sporting and movie section and included Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Dawn Fraser, Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt and Rod Laver, Kathy Freeman, Keith Urban, Paul Hogan (ha!) Olivia Newton John, Elle McPherson, and Michael Hutchence (INXS). For those really familiar with OZ, the Flaming Galah himself, Alf Stewart is present and looks royally pissed off.

According to a well placed source who has been to London, LA and Sydney Madame Tussaud’s, Sydney is the smallest with 70 wax figures over 1,800sqm but it is one of the most interactive and has no photographic limitations on guests.

Sydney is an expensive city and entrance fees hover around $30-$40 per attraction which can quickly eat away at your budget. If you book your tickets online you can save  10%. My suggestion if you intend on visiting 2 or more of the attractions at Darling Harbour buy a combo pass online. If you pay in person for both  Madame Tussaud’s and the Sydney Aquarium you will pay $35 for each totalling $70 for one adult. An online combo ticket will give you entry to both for $49.50 saving you $20.50 per adult. Note: The attraction you buy the combo pass from is the attraction you must enter first. Also, if you cannot visit all  attractions on your combo pass, after the first one you have three months to use the others.

Have you been to any of the Madame Tussaud’s? What did you think?

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May 19, 2012

A Backstage Pass to the Sydney Opera House

“To me it is a great joy to know how much the building is loved, by Australians in general and by Sydneysiders in particular”

Jørn Utzon

There are very few things that get me excited these days aside from pistachio macaroons, but my inner 10-year-old self insisted I do something I’ve always wanted to do –  tour the inside of the Sydney Opera House.  

Every time I venture into Circular Quay, I swear another 300,000 people have relocated there and are coincidently in line for everything I need. If they aren’t in front of me they are running past me; when I see people running in areas like a ferry terminal, I do not think of exercise, I think, who the hell are the running from? Annoyances aside, I walked the 3 minute route from Circular Quay ferry terminal to the Sydney Opera House for an inside tour of the world heritage listed building.

The tour meeting point was at the lower level, and a bubbly middle-aged woman who sounded suspiciously like Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks, walked up and introduced herself while handing out audio headsets. The tour started with a short climb of stairs and an introductory video that outlined the history of the building – in short, that there was an international competition for architects to design a new opera house. The Dane, Jørn Utzon, won in 1957.

For those living under a rock and are not aware, (while I applaud you for living green, living under a rock is limiting your Vitamin D intake and  your chances with the opposite sex) the Opera House is directly across from the Harbour Bridge and the tour offers panoramic views of the Harbour. The Opera House holds 1600+ performances a year and is one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world.

The Concert Hall is, without an ounce of hesitation, breathtaking. It is one of the most intimate stage settings I have seen, and with the size of the seats, no bigger than on a  plane, you might have to get intimate to get comfortable. It has the Grand Organ, one of, if not the largest mechanical tracker action organs in the world with over 10,000 pipes. It is here that we were able to sit and listen to the Sydney Orchestra practice the ‘Tribute to Gershwin.’

At the Opera Hall, I watched (with much interest)  the male counterparts of the Australian Ballet flex some serious gluteus maximus while simultaneously falling in love with Christopher Rodgers-Wilson. For those trying to avoid flexing their own gluteus maximus, the tour consists of around 200 steps (though thankfully for those with ‘no-thankyou exercisus’ a notable few are descending.)

The tour duration was roughly 1.5 hours though I previously saw it advertised for 1 hour. My group was full of teenage American girls asking politely but not too subtly to stay at the Ballet. When the tour guide started talking about how hard it was for men to do the splits we called it a wrap. The ticket for an adult is $29, online concessions for Australian seniors and students. Family discounts available.

There are many, many things to do in Sydney as this is only one of them but to be honest, it should be in your top 3. It is quintessentially Sydney.

Have you toured inside of the Sydney Opera House? What did you think?

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May 2, 2012

The Bucket List: Packing my bags to travel around the world. Again.

It’s probably not a shock that I am preparing to travel around the world again. What’s even less of a shock is I have no idea what to pack to visit the US, UK, Europe and Africa in one suitcase for three seasons.

In the US; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orléans, New York, and Chicago are booked. I’ve been to all of them before but there is always something I never got to see or do. (Such as Alcatraz)

After touring  the US, I am travelling to Europe again. London is the first stop, one of my favourite cities. From this prime location, I will be flying all over Europe trying to avoid places I have already been and the phone calls from my Russian friends trying to drag me back to Moscow.

After a couple of months and a possible trip back to Australia on one of the longest commercial flights in the world, it’s back to the USA. I was offered a scholarship to study on the East Coast a few miles away from some great medical centres and intern/fellowship opportunities. I’m under the impression the nucleus of the world is somewhere between Harrisburg and Philadelphia as I always end up there.

I am really the last person who needs one but I have started a bucket list. My top 5 cities to try my hardest to get to visit/revisit are;

  1. Morocco
  2. Cairo
  3. Delhi
  4. Cape Town
  5. Pompeii

Maybe it’s time I signed up for a frequent flyer scheme.

What top 5 places/things to do are on your bucket list? 

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May 2, 2012

The Travelling Beauty: Highlighting the Basics

Studying science and medicine takes the pleasure out of buying beauty products. It’s almost depressing – I can stand for hours looking at the ingredients of cosmetics. And while I do have good skin, I also know that as a living organism, it soaks up everything we put on it – chemicals and all.  This doesn’t mean I no longer shop –  I am just more selective about what I buy now.

For the true basics, all you need is a great cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen (Aesop is my go to brand) but there are two products I always spend more on – a good primer and highlighter. If I am being lazy, mascara and a bronzed highlighter in my moisturizer are all I use.

Prime Time

Most women I know don’t own any type of primer. Understandably with 7000 products already in the cupboard you hardly need another. But primers are the starting point in the make up process of having a flawless complexion. When used under your foundation, a primer creates an invisible layer between your skin and the foundation, acting as a buffer to outside elements. I often use Nars Pore Refining Primer $32. It’s oil free, refines the look of pores, regulates shine and mattifies the skin.

In terms of ingredients this isn’t too bad for a non organic product. It has pure lentil seed extract, butterbur root, Vitamins A, C and E, no alcohol, oil or synthetic-fragrances and is non-Comedogenic and Dermatologist tested.

I have been using Nars’ primer for about three months as I have been a devoted user of MAC’s primer for years $33. Laura Mercier has a great primer also for around $30. For a decent primer, I would expect to pay between $30 – $50 but it’s worth it.

Tip: Keep primer in the fridge. The coolness will reduce puffiness

 

An illuminator / Highlighter:

While I love St Tropez’s illuminators in Violet, I always rely on Nars Laguna highlighter. While a highlighter and illuminators are different, the Laguna is a bronzed highlighter so I mix it with my moisturizer and use it for an overall lightly bronzed finish. Nars are renowned around the world for their great highlighters from the cult classic Orgasm to the newer G-Spot (seriously!). Try asking for them with male company, guaranteed they will say wtf at least six times.

These highlighters can be used as either a highlighter or an illuminators and they have won accolades from InStyle magazine, among many others, as the “best overall highlighter’ (2011) Laguna was named best bronzer for fair skin in InStyle. They are quick and easy to apply, have multiple purposes, (bronzer, illuminators, highlighter or used on eyes and cheeks) are natural looking and enriched with vitamin E and açai.

If you are looking for a highlighter to define your cheekbones with, I would suggest Nars highlighter in Orgasm or one of my favourites, Benefit’s High Beam $26.

Do you use a primer or highlighter/illuminator?

All products listed have been personally used. These products work well for me – fair skin, green eyes and naturally light blonde hair.

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April 19, 2012

iProcrastinate: Upgrading to the MacBook Pro

My MacBook Pro

My last MacBook accompanied me to over 14 countries. It was scanned through so many airports it needed its own passport. It held my life – photos, emails, letters, memories, documents, reminders, favourite apps, TV shows, movies and my gigantic iTunes collection. I decided to give her to my brother and upgrade to the impressive MacBook Pro.

I purchased it for nearly $1500 (including a 3 year international warranty and I got a $100 iTunes voucher for free). One has to ask is it worth it for a four year life span? For me, most definitely.

The MacBook Pro was quick to seduce me. While not overly enthusiastic about the black keys (iSkins, where are you?) it includes so many features it would be impossible to find too many faults whether you use it for business, personal use, as a student or like my friend, as a very expensive storage system for her photos. I use it for all four.

It comes with 4GB of memory, a display screen of 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, a user-friendly operating system, an Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost 2.0, an HD camera, 500GB of hard drive memory and up to seven hours of battery life on a single battery charge. The speakers come with subwoofers, an antiglare screen, 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy or optional antiglare widescreen display, multi-touch trackpad, and a built-in 77.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.

Shopping online has never been so much fun. (Or expensive)!

Do you own a MacBook Pro? What are your favourite programmes?

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April 14, 2012

A postcard from Toronto

One of my favourite areas in Canada is Kensington Market – a distinctive and multicultural neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. One of Toronto’s older and most famous areas is essentially a few blocks littered with cafes, bakeries, fruit stalls, vintage clothing and stores selling incense and weird stuff like voodoo supplies. There is an increasing Rastafarian vibe in the area with a small flea market to conveniently pick up some weed. Perhaps after eating your gluten-free crêpe, stock piling some voodoo supplies to unleash black magic onto the crouch of your ex, you can make your way over to the bong laden door of a Rastafarian store to brush up on your Jamaican creole and smoke some ganja. Just a thought.

Walking through Kensington Market there is evidence of a distinct smell. If it were a perfume the top notes would be nutella crepes, bananas and patchouli which fade into a wet wood aroma. The base notes that linger on your skin, layer scents of fresh lettuce, a hint of marijuana and citrus berries. The area is a bohemian eclectic hang out full of hipsters, vegan non fun-only students, and tourists walking around aimlessly trying to find out why it’s so hip and what the hell gluten is.

The reason I go to Kensington when I am in town is for the food. My favourite two stops are Wanda’s Pie in the Sky and Fresco’s Fish n Chips. Fresco’s have brilliant chips and moist fresh fish, and Wanda’s serves delicious fresh salads and super yummy Muskoka ginger ale. I have written about both of these places before, but for those new to the blog, Wanda’s Pie in the Sky is famous for it’s freshly prepared salads, quiche, sandwiches, muffins and divine gluten-free (of course) cup cakes. Afterwards, to wash it all down, head over to the Cloak and Dagger pub which has 18 different types of beer on tap.

In 2006, Kensington was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.

Have you been to Kensington Markets? What was your favourite thing to do?

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February 28, 2012

Travelling Beauty: Australian Products – Aesop

One thing I love about Australia is the abundance of organic skin products and emphasis on naturally cultivated ingredients. Big companies like Jurlique (the Rose-Water Balancing Mist is a fave), Kosmea (the rose hip oil used as an extra hydrating facial moisturizer is bliss), Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics (Recovery Gel Eye Cream is great) to my dedicated favourite, Aesop. What I love just as much is being told constantly that I look 7 (sometimes 10!) years younger than I am. Good genes? Maybe. But I like to think it’s because I take good care of my skin.

I grew up in Australia only 20 metres above sea level. A place where it’s 30 degrees on average most days and I have fair skin that tans well but is sensitive. It had taken me years to find a product that I loved and that worked for my skin no matter where I was – in sub tropical northern Australia, 10,000 feet above sea level in the US or in -40 degree weather in Russia. After much searching, drawers and drawers of useless products later and thousands of dollars I found Aesop.

I walked into Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall’s Aesop and spoke with a very smooth-faced gentleman (who I was convinced was wax). He reinforced that your skin type, environment where you live, and the climate need to be considered when choosing skin products. Aesop consultants are excellent at this. They do not recommend you buy anything they would not recommend for your skin type and based on their skin evaluation, if it does not work for you take it back with a receipt and get an exchange.

I love the Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream Complex (consisting of both Vitamin E and A) which is super hydrating (but not oily) moisturizer that is a blend of nut and plant extracts that’s absorbed quickly. I also love that it provides almost instant relief from dryness. No matter where I am, or what I am experiencing in terms of travelling, this nifty and quite frankly amazing moisturizer fixes my skin every time.

I also use the Fabulous Facial Cleanser religiously. It is a mild, olive-based cleanser enhanced with extracts of hydrating Aloe Leaf and anti-oxidant Green Tea. It lightly foams and leaves the skin bright, clean and feeling youthful and fresh.

Aesop Parsley Seed products are huge as well for their hydration and non greasiness. Aesop seem to fill the gap for people who have skin that is sensitive and needy. Those who skin is sensitive to the sun, burns easily but still needs moisture without over hydrating. Or those who skin is oily but dries out easily with the wrong soaps and products. Aesop is perfect.

Aesop has been around on Australian shores since 1987 and while I didn’t find them until a few years ago, they have demonstrated a keen committed to using proven and as organic ingredients as possible such as fine plant-based ingredients and non-botanical elements such as anti-oxidants. I love their company philosophy and brand,  ”We advocate the use of our products as part of a balanced life that includes a healthy diet, sensible exercise, a moderate intake of red wine, and a regular dose of good books.”

Have you used Aesop? What did you think?

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