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TIFF 2017: Beauty and Gifting Lounges


TIFF can be a pretty stressful time for the media covering the festival, which is why the various beauty and gifting lounges are so helpful during that time – it’s a one-stop shop to get pampered and treated like a celeb when you’re feeling anything but. This year, I was able to visit three of them in between my TIFF appointments, and month-end at work.

1. The Stylist Suite

The Stylist Suite is a celebrity styling and gifting lounge focused on bringing Canadian fashion to TIFF red carpets. Over the past five years, The Stylist Suite has gifted and dressed over 300 celebrities and personalities, including the likes of the Olsen twins, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta, Tatiana Maslany, Kiesza, and many more. The suite had an extensive selection of red carpet pieces from both established and up-and-coming Canadian designers including Andrew Majtenyi, Christopher Paunil, Hendrixroe, Hilary MacMillan, Ryan Alexander, WRKDEPT, among others. I tried on some cool clothes, learned about new Canadian designers (Patricia Wong Jewellery had some really awesome rings!), and had my portrait taken at The Pull Magazine’s Portrait Studio with celebrity photographer Matthew Lyn in support of WE Charity, an international charity that empowers domestic and international change. 

2. beautyBOUTIQUE  by Shoppers Drug Mart TIFF Suite

There are lots of fun parties to attend during TIFF so when beautyBOUTIQUE by Shoppers Drug Mart TIFF Suite offers to get me party-ready, I always jump at the chance. This year, I had my makeup done by a Stila makeup artist, and had my best Star Wars hair dreams realized by PHYTO. By the time I was done, I felt like one of the celebs – glam and ready to hit the red carpet. Oh, and I ran into Judy Greer in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel, so obviously it was an awesome day.

3. Bask-It-Style

Bask-It-Style is an annual TIFF gifting suite that welcomes media and Canadian celebs to check out the latest offerings from various brands and get a mean swag bag in the process. Bask-it Style gift bags are also delivered directly to various celebs at their hotel rooms. While visiting the lounge, I got to try the delicious beet iced tea from DAVIDs TEA, learned all about the new HP Sproket Photo Printer (perfect for wedding photo booths and for actually printing out your Instagram pics), met author Adrienne Kress (who was promoting her new book The Explorers: The Door in the Alley), and listened to Mindy Kaling’s audio book while wearing VR goggles at the Rakuten Kobo station. The gift bag also included goodies from Pureology, Studio1098, Sharp Magazine, as well as a bunch of snacks (like the yummy Toronto Popcorn Company popcorn and Hungry Buddha coconut chips) that came in really handy on days when there was no time for a proper sit-down meal. And as a random bonus, later on I found out that the girls in my time slot (see first pic in this post) were from Degrassi. Do you know which one of them is the next Drake?

TIFF 2016: Favourite Moments

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Another TIFF has come and gone, and all I’m left with is residual fatigue and lots of amazing memories. 30 minutes in the same room as Ryan Gosling? Check. Brunch with Sigourney Weaver? Check (well, kinda). Below are my most memorable moments from #TIFF16!

1. Variety Studio
Always a highlight of my TIFF, Variety Studio is usually located in a pretty small room with a handful of famous people going in and out, where you have to act cool, even when you really want to fangirl like you’ve never fangirled before. I’ve visited Variety Studio as a guest of Moroccanoil for the last few years, and I always walk away with lots of juicy star observations. This year, I breathed the same air as Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, John Legend, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gerard Butler, Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy, Sam Claflin, Miranda Cynthia Nixon, and the cast of The Eagle Huntress.

Despite being in the same room as Ryan Gosling for nearly 30 minutes, I didn’t actually talk to the Canadian heartthrob. But I did watch him, like a creeper that I am. Ryan was shorter than I imagined, and looked very serious the entire time he was at the lounge (unlike Emma Stone, who was animated and smiled a lot). Strangely, I didn’t see the two interact very much – Emma was mostly with her people and Ryan with his. The only time we got to see Ryan’s warmer side, was when he spotted the star of The Eagle Huntress Aisholpan in her native garb, and went over to introduce himself. After a brief chat, he offered to take photos with Aisholpan and her family. I wasn’t quite sure whether the Kazakh family actually knew who Ryan was, but they were happy to snap a few photos with the actor. At the end of his visit, Ryan took some time to sign a postcard for Airbnb and Make-A-Wish foundation, and while waiting for the elevator, he stood right in front of me for nearly 5 minutes. It took all of my strength not to be that person and ask him for a photo; I played it cool instead…but those were the longest 5 minutes of my life. File this one under #TIFFregrets.

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Just like in prior years, the British actors were my faves. They just seem to have a camaraderie that the Hollywood actors don’t seem to posses. This year, I watched the cast of Their Finest, including Sam Claflin, Gemma Arterton, and Bill Nighy, work the room and charm everyone in the vicinity. Bill Nighy made eye contact with anyone around him and said “hello”, which shouldn’t seem like a big deal, but it really is, because most of the stars don’t even make eye contact with the “civilians”. Gemma looked relaxed and beautiful, as did Sam, who seemed to be in a good mood and looked very friendly. Sam played the Holt Renfrew claw machine and had to try a couple of times before finally winning. It was cute to see how competitive he got. He also came by the Moroccanoil station to learn more about the products and walked away with a goodie bag of his own.

Other lucky guests who took home some Moroccanoil included John Legend (who chose to walk 6 flights of stairs down instead of waiting for the elevator), Cynthia Nixon (who came in looking a bit stern, but seemed to liven up at the sight of Moroccanoil…seriously!), Richard Gere (who popped in for a few minutes and was gone in a flash), and Gael Garcia Bernal (who was just as cute as I remember from back in 2007 when I met him at MTV, but didn’t spare a minute to sign the Airbnb/Make-A-Wish postcard, which was disappointing).

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2. Brunch at Brassaii
Stargazing is a pretty popular activity during TIFF. You can find throngs of fans camping out on King St, in front of theatres, and waiting outside of various hotels, but did you know that you can have brunch at Brassaii, where all sorts of movie stars arrive to attend the Hollywood Reporter Lounge? It’s true! My friend Al and I stopped by Brassaii to try their new brunch menu, and in just one hour, we watched Sigourney Weaver walk in and out (apparently she requested a special vegetarian soup), and saw Felicity Jones in a pretty striped outfit. Had we had more time to hang out, we would’ve also seen Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, Douglas Booth and Bill Nighy, Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, Pharrell and Taraji P. Henson (who was greeted with a banana cream tart, lemon meringue tart, a white chocolate/dark chocolate brownie, and a Happy Birthday song). It’s so easy – the stars literally come to you, and you don’t have to jockey for position, or stand in lines for hours – just enjoy delicious food like Oreo Pancakes and Fried Chicken and Waffles, while trying not to pass out when Ryan Gosling strolls by.

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More after the jump!
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TIFF 2014: Favourite Moments

Another TIFF came and went, and while I was only here to catch the first few days of the festival, this year’s celeb sightings were pretty memorable to say the least. Below are my top 5 TIFF experiences this year. Grab some snacks, it’s going to be a long one.

Variety Studio Presented By Moroccanoil At Holt Renfrew - Day 4 - 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

1. Variety Studio Presented By Moroccanoil At Holt Renfrew

Last year, Variety Studio was definitely a highlight, but this year…oh, this year was juicy! After enjoying my amazing Moroccanoil hand/arm massage just like the one celebs were getting (hey, Jemy!), I settled down on the couch to people celeb-watch, and let me tell you, being a fly on the wall at one of these things can be very insightful. While there was no Fassbender action this year, I did find myself in the eye of the Cumberbatch-Redmayne-Worthington-Goode-Knightley-Jones-Leech tornado…the Brits taking over the room in a loud, accented storm of hugs, compliments, and camaraderie. You could just tell that all those actors are truly fond of each other, and are definitely not “over it” all just yet.

For all the Cumberbatch fans out there, your beloved did seem to be genuinely nice and funny. Upon arrival, he checked out the Moroccanoil station, trying a bit of cream on his hands, before joining the rest of his group for a lively chat. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch were hugging right above me as I shrinked back into the leather couch, trying not to trip anyone with my feet and knees. That’s when I overheard Redmayne exclaiming post-hug “You smell…delicious!” to Cumberbatch. Must’ve been the Moroccanoil. Redmayne’s fiance Hannah Bagshaw was in the room too, looking lovely and normal, sharing a hug with Cumberbatch, not stuck to Eddie’s side, navigating the room on her own. But back to Cumberbatch…at one point, when the cameras were rolling for a Sam Worthington interview, and a Variety staffer yelled out: “WE ARE ROLLING! QUIET, PLEASE!”, Benedict cheekily and loudly quipped: “Rolling with Sam Worthington? Let’s talk louder then!”, before peeking behind the interview curtain to wink at Worthington.

Variety Studio Presented By Moroccanoil At Holt Renfrew - Day 3 - 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

Out of all the hot Brits in the room, Keira Knightley was actually the one I wanted to get close to (not in a creepy way, I promise!). She’s one of my favourite young actresses, and I was most definitely starstruck. I tried to summon the courage to ask her for a photo, but she was never alone – either chumming it up with her co-stars, or chatting with her hair and makeup people. She wore a beautiful Chanel dress, and I tried to inconspicuously sneak a few shots for my Instagram. She smiled a lot, laughed a lot, shared that she was tired, but definitely didn’t look it. She looked happy, thin, but not frail, healthy, and so very beautiful. Can you tell I have a bit of a crush?

Other notable moments at the Variety Studio included: grabbing a photo with the delightful Bill Nighy, who was walking around with an apple in his hand, never having the moment to himself to actually take a bite, and who made eye contact with everyone in the room, instead of ducking his head and avoiding the normals; watching Richard Gere chatting up the hot tequila girls; realizing that the woman on the couch next to me is Elizabeth Banks, who changed out of her white pumps and into some Birkenstocks for comfort; observing the insanely handsome Matthew Goode and super-stylish Jena Malone light up the room with their larger than life personalities (on two different days) – definitely not wallflower types; sitting on the couch next to Downton Abbey’s Branson’s publicist, before Branson Allen Leech himself leaned over me to talk to her; sharing a serendipitous moment with Mark Ruffalo outside the Variety Studio’s bathroom – if life was a movie, that would’ve been our meet-cute.

More after the jump!

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Beauty: Wedding Makeup 101

Makeup Forever

When my Clinique-loving girlfriend and ex-bridesmaid told me that she wouldn’t be able to make it to my destination wedding after all, I was disappointed. Mostly because I really wanted her to celebrate with us, but also, because she was supposed to be my wedding makeup artist. I probably don’t need to explain to you why it’s important to have a trustworthy makeup artist on your big day, and obviously, I wasn’t just going to let some stranger do my makeup for me…So, what’s a bride-to-be to do? Learn how to DIY, of course!

To get myself started on the road to wedding makeup know-it-all-ness, I stopped by Sephora, and booked an application appointment with the lovely Flavia. The goal was to pick up some products that I would need on my wedding day, and learn a trick or two (or a dozen) to help me do my own makeup…ahem…better. Sephora makeup applications are free, but you do need to buy a $50 giftcard, that can be used to buy anything in the store.

Wedding Day Make up For ever

After years of using Clinique products (almost exclusively), I had to fess up to Flavia (and myself), that my makeup routine no longer worked for my skin. My foundation wore off after a couple of hours, making me look exhausted by 5pm. And considering how long an average wedding day is, that just wouldn’t do. So out with the old it was…and in with the new and improved.

1. To get me started, Flavia recommended a couple of good primers: Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Usually, I skip primers all-together, but in this case, more is actually more. A primer smoothed and enhanced my skin’s texture, while helping my foundation stay on longer. For my trial run at home, I used the Make Up For Ever primer…and I can’t express how much I loved it. Lightweight, and oil-free, it did wonders for my face.

Wedding Day Make Up For Ever

2. After all the priming and moisturizing, we got to the truly interesting part – concealers, foundations, and powders. In my early 20s, I got away with using tinted moisturizers…mostly because I’ve never been a fan of the cakey/overdone look, and my skin was youthful and free of imperfections. Now that I am nearing 30, I’ve realized that I need something more…substantial.

After the rave reviews from close friends, I told Flavia that I’d like to try Make Up For Ever concealer and foundation, and she agreed that their long-lasting HD line was one of the best, if I wanted staying power, and medium coverage.

Now that I’ve been using Make Up For Ever HD concealer and foundation for over a week, I cannot help but kick myself for not trying these products sooner. My friend has been raving about the company for years, so why was I the last to make the leap? The coverage is great, and it literally will not budge from your face until you’re ready to take it off, leaving your with a flawless-looking face. I could really get used to that. To set my makeup, I now use the brand’s HD Microfinish Powder – translucent and barely there.

More beauty tips after the jump!

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Beauty: Stila Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners

After searching what feels like forever for a perfect eye liner, I have finally found The One. We’re getting married in September. Thanks to the lovelies over at NKPR, my newfound eye liner for life is Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($20)!

What I loved about this liner in particular is how easy it was to apply. No more struggling with the tip, no more unsightly smudges, or worse yet, split lines. Stila liner does the job in one sweep – no fuss, no mess. Just as promised on Sephora’s website: “The thin, marker-like tip is easy to use, even for the beauty beginner, and delivers any look (from a thin line to a bold, dramatic stroke!). It goes on smoothly without skipping, smudging, or pulling, and lasts all day!” True story. Another great thing about this product is that even though it’s waterproof, it is not impossible to remove. I hate having dark make-up circles left over from waterproof mascaras, etc, but with this liner it’s not an issue.

I also tried Stila’s Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($22), which comes in 8 fun eye-candy shades – perfect for a night out. My current fave is definitely the Bora Bora, but next time I’m planning to pick up Curacao too. If you want just a hint of a sparkle, than Starry or Sequins shades are a way to go.

If you’re looking for an eyeliner, and haven’t had much luck, like me. I wholeheartedly recommend Stila products, because I know you won’t be disappointed…or your money back. Ok, not your money back, but if you hate it, you can yell at me on Twitter. Deal? Now go and try it already!

Photo Credits: Stila

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