Montreal Musts | Food

I have decided to do a little series of my 'Montreal Musts', or in other words, things that you must do if you ever get the change to visit this wonderful city!  

The first one on my list has to be food.... and boy did I do a lot of 'reserch' for this blogpost!

Montreal is an exorbitant mix of culture, language and rase, and this is very much seen and experienced in the food that can be found here. That being said, it would be truly impossible to pick a favourite, so here are my favourite few that the thought of make my mouth water!

Eggspectations

'yolk around the clock'

An egg-centered restaurant that originates in Montreal that is perfect for any time of day! The food here is reasonably priced and has always been amazing no matter what chain I have been to. There can sometimes be long waits to be seated and served, but this is the perfect brunch destination that will stuff you full until dinner! The sweet potato fries are also a must here!

Thai Express

A hangover/late night class essential. This Thai takeout can be found on most corners in Montreal, as well as other corners in the world. The food is addictive and the service is always fast! prices may vary from point to point and so does the quality but for $7-$10 you can easy get two meals out of this! 

Dunn's 

Another Montreal original, famed for it's Smoked meat (I'm a veggie so I never tried it) this 24h joint is my go to for hangover breakfast. The food is unbeatably CHEAP and with massive portions this place seems to do no wrong! I also visited the Ottawa branch first and fell in love and returned a few times for 'special occasion' breakfast. they even have HP sauce, a wee reminder of home. 

La Banquise 

You can't go to Montreal without trying poutine, and you haven't tried poutine until you have been to La Banquise. Another 24hour restaurant (Montreal is also a city that never seems to sleep) there is no excuse for to try this famous delicacy. They offer a hugh variety of types as well as veggie gravy so everyone can try it! A small tip, even the small portions are massive but you can get to take away at this restaurant.

3 Amigos

If you want a loud and busy atmosphere, look no further than 3 Amigos and their delicious drinks and mexican food. This mexican food chain has great deals on several days of the week and is a great place to start off the night if you are going to party!

 I hope you enjoyed this post... please comment if you have any of your own 'Montreal Musts' in the food department! 

Thats all for now

Sxx

Hola Chica | My week in the Cuban Sunshine

why hello there, yes it has been a while.

The last few months have been my last in Montreal, so have been filled with finals, friends, fun nights out and farewells :'(

Before packing my French Canadian bags two girlfriends and myself headed off to the Beach on Santa Lucia in Cuba for some much needed sun and girl time.

Enjoying the Sunrise

 The beach was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen... Unfortunately I had to spent most of the week in the shade as my Scottish skin would burn to a crisp in the harsh Cuban sun! We stayed in hotel 'Brisas'. It was by far the nicest resort hotel in this area, but holiday makes should note that a 4 star Cuban hotel is more like a 2 star hotel.

 To summarise, We drank lots of rum, ate desert with every mean, and ever tried a cigar or two. It was the ideal get away! 

Glaces & Cupcakes Les Glaceurs | Montreal

Hello all!!!!

I swear one of the best things about being an exchange student is eating all the time as if your on holiday, and here in Montreal there is so many amazing restaurants and cafes that you are spoilt for choice!

 A few weeks back some girlfriends and myself decided to go for a wander down by the old port and came across this little cupcake and icecream shop; 'Glaces & Cupcakes'!!

Glaces & Cupcakes | Montreal 

Red velvet, Lemon & Chocolate Brownie

With a choice of cupcakes, macaroons and Ice-cream, as well as one of the most delicious mochas I have had in Montreal (and i've consumed hundreds) This place is indubitably worth a visit if you fancy a quick bite when sight-seeing down in old Montreal!!

Thats all for now

Sxx

Biosphere Montreal | Facing Cuts, Just Like Our Deteriorating Rainforest!?

The Biosphere 

On no... there is a Nuclear Disaster... better go hide in a locker

Conducting Experiments 

My reaction to one super cool experiment... Can you guess what?

A few weeks ago, three friends and myself, headed across the water to Montreal Iconic Dome... The Biosphere. For Those who don't know, The Biosphere is Montreal's very own environmental Museum on the original site of The World Fair Expo '67 and a short metro ride from Downtown Montreal.

In our quest to go to all Montreal's major attraction we headed down there one glorious Friday afternoon for a day of education, culture and most importantly fun... and I was not disappointed. 

This museum, in my eyes, is excellent and one of Montreal's hidden gems! The staff were beyond friendly and helpful and really added something to the whole experience! They are a true credit to this Museum. Even if you are not eco or science mad there is an exhibition for everyone and we easily spent 3-4 hours here and I haven't laughed as much in ages! 

From the interactive machines in ten first hall, really showing the true value of water to the astounding collection of dressed made from recycled material and my personal favourite... getting to conduct our own experiments and dressing up, The Biosphere has perfectly blended education about a serious topic while enchanting its audience cohesively!!

This is why at the end of our trip I was devastated to hear that it was likely that the Museum was shortly to be closed during to Budget cuts!!! 

We are slowly killing our planet everyday and education on the matter is key if we want to slow down the effects... I find it fascinating that in this beautiful city, people will happily pay $100's for a hockey game yet there is not enough money to keep a beautiful Museum up and running!!!!

I would whole heartedly encourage residents and tourists to visit this amazing attraction while you still have the chance as you will really not regret it!!

Sarahxx

 

Review | Bite Beauty 'Colour + Shine to go'

Bite Lipsticks (L-R) | Tannin, Cin Cin

Swatches (L-R) | Cin Cin, Tannin, Champaign Pearl (gloss)

Ever on the hunt to find some more local beauty treats over here in Canada, on a recent trip to Sephora I can across the brand Bite Beauty. A Toronto based cosmetics company that a pretty decent selections of lipsticks that are of great quality... and even healthy enough for you to eat!!! A rather edgy brand and I love how they are binding fashion and lips sticks together! For me, as you may know if you have checked out my 'Lipstickoration' posts, Lipstick is one of THE most expressive cosmetic and can make a dull dreary day into something a little different!

I was keen to try out a few products from this all-lipstick brand and fortunately I came across this little on-the-go bag of goodies! for $15 there was two min lip sticks and a lip gloss

On swatching the testers in store I fell in love with both colours, and the lipsticks are perfect for even the tiniest handbag!! The pigment in both lipsticks is pretty decent and the smell is temptingly delicious... it does not surprise me that these were made safe to eat as i'll be licking my lips all day when wearing these! I can't wait to be get some creative outfits that have been inspired by these shades too!!!

Keep your eyes peeled for this brand some more... 

Sxx

Review | Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

Josie Maran | 100% Pure Argan Oil

15ml bottle with dropper $18/ £11.50

Okay.. First off I want to discuss the hot topic of argan oil

Todays Market seem to be saturated with argan oil products, from bottles costing $5 - $100+ but whats is all the fuss about and why do the products vary so much?

Argan oil ( also known as Natural Argania Spinosa Kernel oil) is a multi purpose wonder product that can be used to hair, face, nails, body.. you can even put it in that bath! Recently many products have come out that contain argan (including Moroccan oil) but recently there has been a bit of a back lash as these products contain lots of lots of fillers and non-water soluble sillocins. These silicones can build up in your hair if you use these products regularly and can be especially bad for curly hair! product that contain 100% Argan Oil are therefore seen as the most desirable, but this 'liquid gold' product can be pretty pricey to try and here is where Josie Maran comes in

The supermodel and business woman has created a line of skincare and cosmetics containing argan oil that are all organic and eco- friendly... Luxury with a conscience, as well as a reasonable price tag in my opinion.  

A 15ml bottle of 100% pure Argan oil is $18 (£11.50) a bargain compared to some other brands that contain the exact same ingredient! The product comes with a dropper and you only need a little amount as it goes a long way! for the past two weeks I have been using the oil on the ends of my hair (I have naturally frizzy/curly hair) and I have LOVED the results. My curls are sleeker and more defined. My end are sealed and have been splitting less. The product is very light and does not weigh down the hair and its always a plus that its an organic and made in an eco friendly environment too! 

I will defiantly be stalking up with the larger size bottle before my return to the UK this may and I have a feeling it's going to be a god send when the Summer heat hits ... or I go back to rainy, humid Scotland!!

Have any of you tried any other of her products?? 

Some of the facial creams smell amazing and could be next on my wish list!!

Thats all for now

Sxx

Review | Lush Fresh Face Mask ' Love Lettuce'

'Love Lettuce' Fresh Face Mask

Its pamper time here in the Miss Sajja household and so I thought I would review another Lush Fresh face mask. My skin, for once, has been pretty well behaved and I was looking for a mask just to brighten up the skin a little and didn't want anything too heavy that would break me out so I went for one of the most popular face masks.... 'Love Lettuce'!! 

This face mask claims to exfoliate and nourish your skin to leave it 'bright, fresh skin that glows inside and out' well what more could you want!!

As always applying these masks are a joy in themselves as they need to be kept in the fridge so they are cool and refreshing. After leaving that mask on for 10mins or so I rinsed off the mask in the shower and   this was just as enjoyable as putting on the mask. You can really feel it exfoliating the skin, but in a gentler way than some face scrubs. Even after an hour my skin felt very soft and I didn't even really feel the need to apply any moisturiser after using the mask. Within the next few days my skin stayed notably softer although I didn't really see and 'brightening' of the skin... but hey, it is Winter in Canada!!

Love Lettuce is a face mask I have used before and I will continue to use again. It perfect for most all skin types... especially combination as it really balances out your skin... it gives it what it needs most and the best part is it has never lead me to break out so it's perfect to use before a special occasion to give your skin a wee boost... without the fear of spots!!

Its around the $7 mark here in Canada but you get at least 4-6 uses out of each tub so it is very good value for money! One down side though, is that this mask is often so popular that it is often sold out so a little tip would be to find out by one of the shop assistants when they get more in/ make up the pots, we always know that they are happy to help in Lush!! :D

Thats All for Now

Sxx