Home Sweet Home

for some people home is a white picket fence, a dog in the yard, 3 screaming children, and a husband staying late at the office again (read: going to the strip club to spend the family savings). for those of us who haven't been lobotomized or heavily medicated, home looks slightly different. as i prepare to pick up and leave, i'm taking a moment to reflect on some of the things that make this home to me: my stylist, tailor and shoemaker, etc...sigh.

so, to pay homage to the great city of montreal and my impending departure from it, i'm showcasing some of my favourite service providers (aka the secret to a femme's urban success):

Ongles Kim- 1904 Ste-Catherine W (btwn St Marc and du Fort)- this is my fave cheap nail shop in the city. i've been going to them for years. they're nice, they're good, they're clean, 'nuff said.

Elite Laser- 1359 Greene (in Westmount btwn Sherbrooke and Maisonneuve)- if you can deal with venturing into westmount (ya, it ain't pretty), this place is well worth the discomfort (in all senses). these goddesses have every laser i the book, though i can really only speak to their laser hair removal. oh, and of course they also have pam, the wonder of an electrolysis lady. check 'em out and tell them i sent you, they love me (how could they not, i've spent the equivalent of the GDP of a small country there).

Le Tailleur- 1331 Ontario E (btwn Panet and de la Visitation)- best tailor in the damn city. he's super nice, cheap and always does an amazing job, even with the most complicated alterations.

Cordonnerie Micho- 4631 Papineau (just north of Mont-Royal)- my friend tatiana just recently introduced me to this guy, aka the greatest shoe repair in the city. he fixed a pair of boots that i had long ago given up on and sat shiva for. well, i might be a catholic now, cause its easter and my boots have been resurrected!!!

Dreamboat du Jour: Tahar Rahim

the sexy french/algerian star of jacques audiard's a prophet...hello habibi!

Last Night's Adventure: Ghetto DIY French Manicure

yesterday i acquired one of those nail polish pens and decided to embark upon an adventure called 'ghetto diy french manicure.' after being on-call for work for a total of 48 hours this weekend, what else was there to do? no type of intoxication is permitted while on call :( so i made the best of my sunday evening. plus, i figured, why not try that whole 'living within your means' thing and stop wasting all the money i don't have at the nail salon.

now, the main problem (other than my complete ineptitude as a manicurist) had to do with the fact that the nail polish pen i bought- nic's sticks by OPI was sub-par. the bristles were crappy and allowed for little to no accuracy in drawing a line. also, the light pink i used to coat my whole nail is slightly too pink and has sullied my white tips.

tomorrow i plan to return to the store and get my damn money back for that piece of crap nail pen. but the rest is all me. maybe next time i will take an extra 90 seconds to use 'the google' and realize that most of the free world has already reviewed the pen and decided it sucks. maybe one day i will acquire some manual dexterity. sadly though, none of this will change the fact that this mission has been a total failure, but hey, at least i have something to blog about, right?

Nas and Damian Marley: Distant Relatives

i've spent a good part of the weekend getting to know this album, so i can tell you with good authority that it is divine. at once soft and tough, conscious and sexy, this afrocentric reggae-flavoured project is easy to listen to and will def enhance your summer listening. get on it.

Tipping in Beauty Land

i thought i might take a minute to discuss tipping because i don't think its ever properly addressed, in the beauty world, that is. in terms of restaurants 15% is generally an accepted percentage that most of us adhere to, but what about salons and other grooming services? here's what i think:

- tipping is for good service. 15% is a minimum, but i often tip a lot more. i don't like to fiddle around with coins in these scenarios, so i tend to tip in denominations of 5$.

- if you didn't like the service, you don't have to leave a good tip! or for that matter, one at all. however, in such cases, i am usually honest and vocal with the person about what displeased me. and of course, i don't intend to return to the establishment.

- good tipping is an excellent way to build a relationship with your stylist/manicurist/esthetician. you're happy with the service, you leave a good tip, they're happy with their tip, they continue to give you good service. its a beautiful little circle.

- remember to tip the shampoo girl in addition to your stylist (she works hard too!). also, if 2 different ladies do your mani and pedi, be sure to tip each of them individually.

- if you receive a free service i.e. bang trim or nail touch-up, i highly recommend leaving at least a few dollars to show that you are appreciative. you do as you will, but i think its kind and considerate, and again, builds relationship!! the more they like you, the more they are going to care about your hair/nails/brazilian wax ;)

- in my opinion, if you tip well all year long you are in no way obligated to gift around any particular holiday, unless you so choose.

- there are certain settings in which tips are not required, or are downright inappropriate. in my very humble opinion, these are medical or clinical type settings in which the services you receive are from a professional, i.e. registered massage therapist, electrologist, laser hair removal tech. however, please feel free to comment if you disagree!

Badass Feminist Femme du Jour: Feminist Frequency

thanks an amazing sister of mine, amy miller, i have had the pleasure of discovering Feminist Frequency!!! her commentary on women in pop culture is right-on, she is so very eloquent, and i can't get enough of her subtle/sexy lip piercing! you can also catch her on youtube as well as twitter. (wtf is twitter anyways?!?)

Fit for the Pit: L'Oréal Telescopic Explosion Masacara

alright, i've given this stuff many chances over several weeks. i'm finished. its clumpy, awkward, and my lashes don't look particularly long or defined, by any means. who decided that a regular mascara wand was no longer sufficient? its nonsense! this stuff is a sham! there, i said it.

now in the spirit of 1992 i cast it into the fiery pit, but by all means, you can do what you choose. just don't come crying to me when you've poked yourself in the eye with a goopy, spiked, rubbery sphere. ya, that won't be embarrassing at all.