On Tea, Dior, and Other Enchanting Things

"He said, if you allowed yourself to be enchanted by the beauty to be seen in even ordinary things, then all things proved to be extraordinary."- Dean Koontz, Breathless.

Bonjour all!


I know, its been quite a while since I last made a post, but the fact is, I was literally up my neck with the business of the scholarly academic life of papers and exams! However all is well now, as literally a window of opportunity of relaxation, being able to fulfill my list of things I would like to do this summer, and just let all the problems and stress out and live live live!



I was able to do a couple of things whenever I have free time, and as such, I've been sinking into a certain interest which definitely took a hold on recently but has always been around, and that is for the love of tea.
Of course we've tried all sorts of tea by now.
There's such a wide variety, often you really don't know where to start first: Jasmine, Earl Grey, Mint, Orange Pekoe, Raspberry, Green Tea, Black Tea, Oolong, and so much more.
I've also ventured to interesting Japanese stores as Utsuwa-No-Yakata, and bought this lovely mug with cover. Thought I might start to get more detailed and interesting mugs as I will most definitely be using them.


Then it got me thinking: there's got to be great tea shops around Toronto that house such interesting variety of teas, and tea accessories, with an interesting atmosphere to boot. So it was from there that I started to explore, and I would love to share it with you.
One of my favorite spots to go is The Tea Emporium (which have a variety of locations, but the one in Yorkville i've often stopped by) The picture below is the one at First Canadian Place (but it does not have the bar or lounge area within).


I love how there's such a wide array of choices in tea, and each would arose an aroma that swirls out from the cup, leaving you entranced and soothed in such a way, that often one might forget their troubles, if only for awhile! There is of course, an certain kind of tea which I absolutely adore, treasure, and will never get tired of are blooming teas.



I bought a couple of them from The Tea Emporium home and often they have such majestic names. Take for example, the two I chose, which were called:
"Ming Dynasty Rose"- A spectacular green tea with intense rose blossom flavor. It has high grade China green tea that's been formed by the hand.
"Emperor's Bloom"- Hand sewn artisan spring harvest tea with subtle floral aroma, which is soothing and complex.



What utter delight and pleasure to put these under water and see the spectacular change of this tiny little round ball unravel into something so beautiful! To watch it bloom right in front of your eyes, is definitely something you have to do try out in one's life!
Then it hit me: while I was looking at the vast list of teas while I was at the tea shop, I thought to myself, "Why not make a small little goal this summer to give a try at all the varieties of tea and share it with my fellow readers?"
So that is what I'm planning to set out, and to be honest, it's not a daunting task I'll dread over... it'll actually be fun!
So in the months to come, fellow tea lovers, I will be posting different tea shops/salons that I will venture and the teas that I'll be trying, giving you a review on it. Tune in!



In addition to the summer list of things that I'll be accomplishing, I will still continue to work on (and post excerpts) "Memories of an Evening"- the book that I'm still in the process of writing (and hopefully will get it published someday *fingers crossed*!)

I have a sparkling love for Dior and everything that it creates to inspire and illustrate the timeless elegance of all things. An addition spark of adoration and love increased when I saw the latest campaign with darling Marion Cotillard in part three of the Lady Dior series, the Lady Blue taken by Steven Klien. I love how it overlooks Shanghai, with the Pearl Tower and its surroundings.

There will be a 12 minute film directed by David Lynch which is also shot in Shanghai, and I'm excited to see how it goes. It debuts May 15th on LadyDior.com.

At the same time, I've also taken the time to focus more on "me" and seeing as I needed something of a pick-me-up, I headed to Sephora for a dewy and glowy look for my face. By the end of the trip, I ended up getting these:

Bright Prep FX- Which is a primer that really adds that extra emphasis needed. The brand is great as it was specially developed in Sunnybrook Hospital, right here in Toronto! It's products are specially formulated for cases like ultra-sensitive skin, and it's also perfect for those with Rosacea. I have sensitive skin, so this was a compatible product.
Laura Mercier- Of course, the perfect silk creme foundation that I was looking for. God bless Laura Mercier.
Sephora's Foundation Brush- Because the one I had magically disappeared somewhere...
Smashbox Blush in Chiffon- I really liked the color and it just gave a little something extra effect! :)
Also thrown in for samples were Cover FX setting mineral powder, and Miss Dior Cherie perfume...that perfume was actually one of my very first and ultimate favorite apart from Lola by Marc Jacobs and Voile de Jasmin by Bvlgari.

Well, that's all for now. Here's to a happy weekend filled with good weather!

Much love!

Note: other pictures apart from my own were courtesy of Tumblr.