Happy 2016!

Dear lovely readers! I wish you all the best for the new year, and may your wishes come true! I personally do not really set any real new years resolutions, because I make new resolutions every week, hehe. BUT, if I had to choose one I definitely want this year to be all about personal development ánd my career, which are intertwined. Of course this includes the things I am most passionate about: being creative! Done through writing, filming, taking pictures, applying make-up, styling outfits, whatevs! Do you boo!

Contour for beginners (review Max&More Contour stick)

Before I stumbled upon affordable contour sticks, I always used a mat bronzer to shape my face a bit. I still use a bronzer every time I apply make-up, even over my cream contouring. (And no, I do not always use a contouring stick, although I included it in my everyday make-up tutorial, lol.) In my opinion the best way to start playing around w/ shaping is by using a powder. Also, affordable contour sticks are still hardly available here in NL!

Wholesale make-up (review Gabrini + Rapsodi matte lipsticks)

When I was in Turkey a few months ago, I went HAM at on buying make-up. I was so excited to spot budget matte lipsticks, so I bought some in my favorite shades (pinky nudes). I scored these lippies by the brands Gabrini and Rapsodi for about 6TL (€1,80). Maybe a bit too cheap to expect good quality lipstick for, looking back. But then again, I really enjoy my €1,99 Lidl lipstick too...

Zakjes-dieet (Weight Care minikuur review)

Nee hoor, ik ben niet overgewicht. Maar net als ieder ander meisje ben ik de slechtste niet om te zeggen dat een paar cm's eraf te werken geen kwaad kan. Scheelt toch wat bezoekjes aan de Kalverstraat om een nieuwe garderobe aan te schaffen in een maatje groter dan gewend.

Hardly any progress at all (review II Wagamama)

A few weeks ago I went out for a quick dinner w/ my cousin Varishta Shireen, before we parted our ways at the Amsterdam Central Station. Looking for a place somewhat convenient to dine at that would not cost us too much, our choice fell on Wagamama. It had been a few years since I visited the restaurant, because my previous experiences did not leave the best impression on me. I found the food to be overpriced and not too impressive.

Crayon XL (review Golden Rose Matte Lipstick Crayon)

When I went on a vacation to Turkey last month, I made sure I left the country w/ a stash of new makeup products. For my previous review, I first tried out the Flormar Waterproof Lipliner. Today's brand is one that is unfortunately not for sale in NL (at least not that I know off)!

Jazzed up meat (review Roezemoes)

Some time ago I went out for dinner on a datenight, and we decided to stop by a restaurant named Roezemoes on our way to the movies. For only €19,95, the restaurant offers a three course menu that includes a range of choices.

Wrong souvenir (Flormar waterproof lipliner review)

During my vacation in Turkey last month, I of course did a teensy-weensy bit of shopping. Being the make-up hoarder that I am, I mostly scored some budget lipproducts from brands that I had never seen before or are not available for purchase back home.

Marhaba Alanya '15

You might remember from last year that I had a somewhat disastrous vacation, because I was sick the entire trip! This year when I went to Turkey on a holiday, I made sure to prepare myself fully by abstaining from "dangerous foods" the week before, and loading my suitcase w/ lactase pills and painkillers.

Quick healthy snack (recipe tortilla pizza)

Looking for a tasty and semi-healthy snack you can quickly whip up? All you need are some corn tortilla's, tomato puree from a can, any cheese you like, and whatever toppings you can find in your fridge!

Subtle shade (Kiko contouring pencil review)

My favorite products to contour w/ are just the regular ol' powdered bronzer and highlighter, my current fav being the Sleek Face Form palette. I really wanted to try out some contouring pencils after I saw them in a video by itsjudytime. She made shading seem so effortless w/ her Smashbox contour sticks!

Raw shock-alate (review Love it raw chocolate)

Washi tape, thigh-high boots, faux furs, nude lipsticks... When I really like an item, you can pretty much consider me a hoarder. Looking at the paper bag near my desk stuffed w/ organic sweets, I nowadays am too a raw chocolate (bar) hoarder! I have tried out many brands so far, from Lovechock to Ombar to Conscious, which all come w/ a pretty hefty pricetag. They are also mainly available in organic supermarkets, and not your local grocery store.

Only for the Gyu Don (review Genroku)

♡ Rainbow maki + Genroku maki

Long time no food review, huh?! Today's review is one that is long overdue, but probably still useful seen as the concept is still offered. Loyal readers of mine know that I am very familiar w/ the AYCE (all you can eat) concept of Japanese styled restaurants, and have thus become quite picky.

Supermarket swag (review Cien lipstick)

Hi loves! Yes, I am still here! My apologies for not posting, I was enjoying myself being on a vacation to Turkey! More about that later this week, for today I want to write about some cheap lippies I scored at the Lidl supermarket a few weeks ago! I purchased a frosty pink lip color from this line in the past, and although I did not use it a lot (no clue as to where it is at this moment), the quality was not too bad for the price of €1,99. So when I spotted some new colors, whilst waiting in line being bored AF, I chose two of them to take home w/ me!

Eyelash lotion (review Catrice Luxury Lashes waterproof)

As part of my latest Kiko haul, I reviewed some mascara's I bought with a discount. Unfortunately, I was not too impressed by them! So when I spotted Catrice's new line of mascara's called "Luxury Lashes" on a 1+1 sale, I decided to purchase two.

Stuffed scalloped potatoes (recipe)

Usually when I whip something up in the kitchen, I do so without really sticking to a recipe. I actually cook without a recipe very often, and just improvise with whatever I can find in my fridge and/or cupboard.

Lactose-free latte (review Primark: Sunkissed Intense Color)

In my last post I reviewed some low budget lipliners I found at Primark for €1,50. That same shopping spree I noticed that Primark now sells another brand of make-up products, aside from the PS line. This line called 'Sunkissed' offers make-up that will help you getting a bronzed look. I decided to try out an Intense Colour chubby lip pencil/lipstick in the color 'caffé latte' (€2,50). Seen as I also picked out a brown lip pencil by PS to review, I thought these colors could possibly complement each other well.

On a hunt (review Primark: PS lip liner pencil)

Lipsticks and lipliners are my weaknesses. However, I do not like to spend too much on them, especially not on the latter! Passively I am thus always on the hunt for the best budget liplipers I can find, in a selection of nude/mauve/light pink colors. When I saw these PS lipliners for only €1,50 each at Primark I once again caved in. I only saw four colors available (pink, mauve, brown, and red). Aside from the pink one, named 'light pink', the pencils are nameless.

Universal clip lens (review)

Vandaag voor de verandering eens een artikel in het Nederlands! Ik scoorde dit speeltje voor mijn telefoon bij de Action voor €2,95. Het is een klemmetje waarop je een lens kan schroeven, waarmee je vervolgens hele toffe foto's kan schieten met je mobiele telefoon.

Kiko haul/review (pt. 2: Unforgettable mascara, False lash concentrate)

In my previous post I reviewed some of the face products I purchased at Kiko. Today I will be reviewing my Kiko eye products! I bought them with a discount, because Kiko was (and still is at this point) having a sale on mascara's. Because of the low price I figured, why not try out two? I really wanted a waterproof variant, because it usually lasts longer on my lashes. And so my first choice fell on the Unforgettable waterproof mascara, which promises you longlasting curled lashes (€7,20).

Kiko haul/review (pt. 1: Unlimited foundation, Dark circle concealer)

The first time I visited a Kiko shop was in Amstelveen, where I bought three lipliners and a BB cream on sale. Two out of the three liners quickly became my new budget favorite, but unfortunately the BB cream was a tad bit too dark for me. My second visit was at the new shop in Amsterdam, in search of a lipscrub in lipstick form. So many other things caught my attention that day! On the brand's website I saw a nice color selection in foundations and concealers, but unfortunately I could hardly find any reviews/swatches online to determine what my color would be. So I decided to refrain from online shopping and to just visit the store to pick out the right shades!

Perks of food intolerance (raw chocolate haul/review)

If you are a loyal reader of my blog or happen to know me in person, there is a big chance you are aware of my dietary habits and misfortunes. Not only am I a true foodie by heart, maybe even slightly abusing my access to food, I also struggle with a lactose intolerance and suffer from IBS. I always try my hardest to find the silver lining to any situation I find myself in, in order to keep my head up. And despite the dietary restrictions imposed on me, courtesy of my own body, I have managed to find a few positive things about this bad luck!

Student snacks (review Maslow)

Today's post is a very brief review of some snacks I tried out at a (student) café in Amsterdam named Maslow. When the place just opened, I already tried out their home-made burger with fries and a side-salad (€8,50). I honestly cannot recall how good/bad the burger and fries tasted, but I do remember that I finished my plate aside from the salad!

Lipstick scam (review Max&More lipstick)

Ah, yes. Another (budget) lippie review! Today I will discuss the 'nude lips' and 'red lips' lipstick/lipliner sets by Max&More, a brand that is sold at one of my BFF stores ever; Action. What sold me were the included lipliners, and the bold red color. The choice for 'nude lips' is no more than obvious, seen as I am a big nude lipstick hoarder. And well, for the price of €0,89 or so each, they were kind of difficult to walk past.

What the pho (review Little V)

Growing up half Asian with lots of Asian friends, I have had many encounters with Asian cuisine. Chinese, Korean, Indian, you name it. I have either tried it, or have it written down on my bucket list. Cooking wise, I personally love to experiment with Filipino dishes in my little kitchen, because I think they are delish and because there are hardly any restaurants in the NL serving them.

Never attempted to cook at home, but have tried from scratch thanks to friends with a corresponding background, is Vietnamese food. Lots of fresh flavors, very light on the stomach, and very affordable! My favorites are the beef pho w/ thin slices of raw beef, the rice paper/salad rolls w/ prawns and grilled pork (gỏi cuốn), and those yummy savoury pancakes (bánh xèo).

When I discovered a new place called Little V where I could devour these dishes on a budget, I was thrilled. The interior was lovely (my guess is that it mimicks being in a city in Vietnam), the menu was exciting, and the prices were very budget friendly. I had a tough time choosing between the pancakes and soup, but I decided to stick to the 'pho'. Being used to having to choose between raw slices of beef, beef stew, and/or beef balls, I was pleasantly surprised to find all of them in my bowl.

To go with my soup, I ordered a rose flavored pink lemonade. My cousin went for the grilled prawns (tom nuong) with noodles.

The food was very tasty and the lemonade was my absolute favorite! Because we stopped by Little V only to have lunch, I was glad I did not go all out and only ordered the pho. I was so stuffed I could not even finish my bowl! The only negative about my dish, is the raw beef that was already cooked because of the hot soup, when it got to my table. Other than that, a definite winner for me! I would love to visit once again to try out their dinner menu as well. 

Unfortunately, the prices of the dishes are not mentioned on the website. But if my memory serves me right, I did not pay more than €11 for my pho and my drink was around €3. The prawn skewers were a bit more expensive, also due to the noodles surcharge, but still amounted to max €14.

Pros Little V

♡ Very affordable

♡ Good amount of food

♡ Nice flavors

♡ Unique and delicious homemade drinks

Cons Little V

♡ Not in Amsterdam!!! I had to visit the restaurant all the way in The Hague, meh. 

♡ I prefer only raw slices of beef for my pho, and on top of the soup so they are not fully cooked when they hit the table.

www.littlev.nl

Lobi,

So peaceful and serene (review MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer)

And the obsession continues... The other day I was strolling through the Kruidvat to buy some essentials, having absolutely no business in walking past the make-up section... But oh, I succumbed. I stopped at the Makeup Academy (MUA) wall and quickly browsed in hopes of spotting absolutely nothing of interest. As I was about to breath a sigh of relief, I spotted some lip products that caught my eye.

Garlic fries (recipe)

One very easy to make dish I have been loving the past few months, and have prepared in many different ways is garlic fries. I have tried them with homemade fries, sweet potato fries, frozen fries, regular parsley, flat parsley, chives, Grana Padano, Parmezan cheese, whatever you name it. Today I want to share with you my favorite recipe up until now!

Possible dupe? (review Sleek Matte Me vs Essence XXXL longlasting lipgloss)

Maybe you spotted these two matte nude lip products in my previous make-up review. Like I mentioned in there, I am particularly obsessed with nude colored lipsticks. I had been on the hunt for a longlasting matte product for a while, eagerly waiting for the much raved about NYX Soft Matte Lipcream to become available again at the Douglas store. Unfortunately they are still out of stock to this day, but luckily I came across the Sleek Matte Me lipcream a few weeks ago.

Burnin' hot (review Teppanyakibar)

There is one thing that makes me a very happy person. Delicious food and grubbing on it! Exceptional fusions of spices and different cuisines are my absolute favorite, and I have grown very fond especially of Asian (fusion) food. When I spotted a new place in the center of Amsterdam, named Teppanyakibar, I bugged my so for a while to take me out to dinner there. The pictures on the menu card were mouthwatering, and the prices did not sound too bad.

When I finally got to visit the place I was glad we did so on an afternoon it was not too busy. The interior was nice and dark, and very Asian because of the bamboo stems on the walls. On one side of the room were a few tall diner type of booths, and the rest of the place was filled with long benches (like at Wagamama). My excitement to have entered with the place being half empty, was not only because less customers meant a shorter waiting time for food, but also because I got the opportunity to sit in one of the booths.

We ordered the ramen soup set menu with gyu yaki (beef), which includes ramen soup with pork, gyoza, and gyu yaki on the side (€15,50), and the reccommended sliced rib eye teppanyaki meal with white rice and teppanyaki sauce (€12,50).

We intended to share both meals, and hoped it would be enough to fill our stomachs. As soon as we spotted the bowl of ramen, however, we decided that we would probably have to order something extra afterwards. Despite our frame, we have a huge appetite and very flexible stomachs, lol.

The teppanyaki plate did not resemble the picture on the menu at all! The meat was drenched with sauce, which is a shame seen as it was raw and cut so thinly. The green beans did not do much for me and the fried garlic was a bit overload. Still, I enjoyed the dish because the flavors were there! The ramen broth was lovely and subtle, and the pork was a winner. The gyoza was no different than the gyoza they serve at AYCE restaurants (i.e. yummy), and the gyu yaki was dee-lish. 

We also ordered the Japanese chashu udon plate (€10,50), with a spicy sauce in which the taste of shrimp paste was very apparent. The plate was pretty full, and we almost did not finish it!

I enjoyed my evening at Teppanyakibar and left feeling very content! The teppanyaki special was not as exciting as I expected, but the other dishes definitely left a good impression on me! My winner of the evening was the gyu yaki, because the beef was tender and seasoned well, with an amazing sauce on top!

Pros

♡ Nice flavors

♡ Reasonable pricing

♡ Good location

♡ Modern interior

Cons

♡ Teppanyaki plate looked slightly unappealing compared to the menu picture

♡ Ramen set menu only includes a small bowl of ramen

♡ Not a fan of Wagamama style seating arrangments (i.e. long benches)

http://teppanyakibar.nl

Lobi,

Ready, Set, Go! (review L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paint)

I am a beauty hoarder, I will not deny that I am. My weakness is definitely lip products, especially (matte) lipsticks in neutral/nude/soft pink colors. Despite having a drawer full of make-up, including many un-opened lipsticks, I keep buying new ones!

AYCE fusion (review Miu)

If you have been a loyal reader of my blog from the jump or know me personally, you will know that I have had my fair share of all you can eat (AYCE) sushi experiences. Also, I have had dinner at authentic Japanese restaurants a few times, making me a very picky eater when it comes anything sushi related. So when I got an invitation to go out for sushi at a new AYCE place called Miu in Amsterdam, I immediately looked up the menu online.

Mamma mia (review Mamma Maria)

Last week I went on a trip down south to visit my beauty enthusiastic cousin for a few days. Whenever I am with her I worry less about my dietary issues (e.g. lactose intolerance), because she deals with pretty much the same headaches! We warn each other for possible lactose overdoses, but also admittedly usually indulge in guilty pleasures like icecream and creamy pasta sauces together. What better way to enjoy something you are not supposed to have, than with someone who is in the exact same position, lol.

Dans' oso

Sinds ik mij kan heugen, sleept mijn moeder me mee naar Surinaamse verjaardagen van kennissen en familieleden, uitbundig gevierd in een afgehuurde zaal met velen gasten, vanzelfsprekend veel eten en lekkers, en met als klapper op de vuurpijl natuurlijk een Surinaamse band om de voetjes mee van de vloer te halen. Trafassi, La Caz, La Rouge, Combinatie XVI en natuurlijk de klassieker onder de bands Sabakoe, ik heb ze allemaal meegemaakt. Met een lang gezicht trok mijn moeder me wel eens op de dansvloer om een dansje te doen.

Surinaams volkslied

Ik moet eerlijk bekennen dat ik alleen bekend ben met het tweede couplet, wat gezongen wordt in het Surinaams (m.a.w. Sranan Tongo). Maar dat mag de pret niet drukken. Het voelt toch veel authentieker aan om het volkslied met volle borst te zingen in een taal die zovelen van verschillende achtergronden verbindt, maar naar mijn mening internationaal gezien niet (genoeg) wordt erkend.

Een warm welkom

Waarom? Ik weet eerlijk gezegd niet precies hoe ik moet beginnen met deze inleidende post. Ik heb zoveel te vertellen, zoveel te schrijven. De reden achter deze blog column is heel simpel. Ik voel mij vereerd en meer dan trots om onderdeel te maken van de (creools) Surinaamse cultuur en hiermee opgegroeid te zijn. De persoon bij uitstek die ik hiervoor moet bedanken is mijn mentor, mijn lichtpuntje in het donker, mi ma. Als jonge vrouw haar moederland verlaten, some decades ago, in de voetsporen van haar oudere siblings die een nieuw bestaan hadden opgebouwd overzees. De jongste uit een gezin van maar liefst 13 kinderen, maar die volgens mij de meeste dans’oso ervaringen op haar naam heeft staan. Zij is het brein achter mijn culturele kennis!

Blogging in Toronto (week 8)

Tomorrow marks my 2 year anniversary of getting onto a plane to the city that stole my heart: Toronto! Now I am aware that I did not immigrate, nor stayed there for a very long period of time. But my short but fruitful study abroad experience in Canada in the summer of 2013 has been an unforgettable and live-changing experience which I will not shut up about anytime soon. Unless I find a way to get my butt out of Amsterdam to find another place to rave about that is. I cannot repeat enough how happy I am to have documented this journey, and how wonderful it is to be able to look back at those exciting days!

Today you can enjoy my last weekly recap (15 August - 18 August). Because I had my last day of school (exam) on Monday, I had the rest of the week off to enjoy myself tourist style. I really wanted to squeeze in a visit to the Toronto Islands and at least one day of foodin' around at the Canadian National Exhibition.

Blogging in Toronto (week 7)

Today's post about my seventh week (8 August - 14 August) in Toronto is somewhat shorter than usual, because I covered two extra days in the previous post! This week I definitely experienced one of my favorite days in Toronto so far, because I finally got to visit the CN tower!

Blogging in Toronto (week 6)

Seen as exams and also the end of my study abroad adventure were coming near, this week I tried my best to cram as many (tourist) activities possible into a few days. I got to visit a bunch of museums, "watch" the Caribana parade, and make a roadtrip to the U.S. border! Join me on my sixth week recap (1 August - 7 August)

Blogging in Toronto (week 5)

Hi loves! This entry of recapping features my fifth week (25 July - 31 July) in YYZ, in which I ate lots of Japanese food, strolled around Kensington market, and well pretty much had take-out or similar every single day!

Blogging in Toronto (week 4)

Another re-cap of my study abroad journey today! My fourth week (18 July - 24 July) in Toronto was pretty active! I walked around a lot, mainly in search of food lol.

Day 22: I attempted to get my tan on today at Lake Shore, but I ended up watching Kevin Hart movies in my bikini on the livingroom floor, lol.
Day 23: Today I went to the gym to swim and watched "The day after tomorrow" live from my bed (crazy storm outside, lol)

Day 24: FI-NAL-LY went tanning on a beach! On the way home I stopped by an Asian version of the Dutch Surinamese Kwakoe festival. Which was pretty torturous, seen as I was on a "diet" *ahum*.
Day 25 + 26 + 27: I crumbled and cheated. No more diet for me, I needed darn carbs, in the form of white tiny pearls, known as rice.
Day 28: You's just a windowshopper, hehe. Today I went strolling around Toronto's version of the PC Hooftstraat, which honestly cannot even slightly be compared. I was also told at Gucci that my purse's condition was hopeless. Then I strolled from Gucci to the damn ghetto to pick up some New Orleans soulfood.

Until next time!

X

Sefanja Rubina

Blogging in Toronto (week 3)

Today I will be recapping about my third week (11 July - 17 July) in Toronto! This week was a week loaded with drama, blessings ánd studying!

Day 15: I was really excited for today, because it was time for the Open Roof Film Festival! After watching Jerry Springer for a while I got ready and headed off to the beach to meet some new people. Unfortunately, the night went very different from what I expected it to be.