One of my all-time favorite bakeries is the Jean Philippe Patisserie (at Aria Hotel). During my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I stayed at the Bellagio Hotel. Although there is a Jean Philippe at the Bellagio, I slightly prefer the one next door at the Aria Hotel. If you’ve never seen a Jean Philippe bakery, trust me, you would be amazed. It’s hard to imagine how spectacular the items on display are unless you see it with your own eyes.
One of my favorite items is the chocolate croissant, but there are dozens of items that are incredible. So, if you’re ever in Las Vegas and are anywhere near the Aria or the Bellagio, be sure to seek out the Jean Philippe Patisserie. Even if you don’t eat anything there just looking at the baked goods and desserts is a great experience.
Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Aria HotelJean Philippe PatisserieDesserts made for HalloweenMore dessert made for HalloweenChocolate dragon
During my most recent trip to Las Vegas I ate dinner at the Circo restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel. Overall I was very impressed. When I update my list of Top Ten Restaurants in Las Vegas, I’m pretty sure Circo will be on the list.
The evening began in the small bar near the entrance of the restaurant. There were three or four small tables and an intimate bar with about 10 tall chairs. The bartender was very friendly and suggested a Raspberry Fizz, one of their house specialties. It was very tasty and the next time I’m at Circo, I’ll probably order it again.
I was seated at a window overlooking so-called Lake Bellagio and had an excellent view of their world famous water fountain show. The waiter was friendly and helpful. For an appetizer, he suggested the lobster salad. The great evening got better when I found it was the best lobster salad I’ve ever had. My friend had a 20 vegetable soup that was fantastic too.
The waiter suggested one of Circo’s signature dishes, a lamb entree, but I decided on an elegant duck ravioli instead. My meal was excellent but be honest I think the duck ravioli would be better as a shared appetizer or shared plate with a group of people. My friend had a New York Steak that was excellent but it’s hard to distinguish between excellent steaks so I can’t really compare it to other steaks I’ve had in Vegas.
For dessert, I had “Zabaglione” – made with raspberry sorbet, champagne, and poached peach. It was perfect – not too sweet, not too heavy – just right. If you’re at or near the Bellagio, and want a good selection with items that are different, but not too different, I recommend that you check out Circo.
FRANTOIANA-Tuscan twenty-vegetable and bean soupINSALATO D’ARAGOSTA-Chilled Maine lobster & avocado saladPANSOTTI-Braised duck filled ravioliZABAGLIONE-raspberry sorbet, champagne, and poached peach
There are so many fabulous wool coats available for this fall. Here are my top ten picks.
Alice + Olivia-Mariska Wool Trenchcoat – This classic wool coat is a timeless piece to add to anyone’s wardrobe.
Badgley Mischka ‘Madeline’ Coat – Scalloped eyelash fringe with lace makes the already classic coat even more elegant.
Burberry Brit Double-Breasted Wool-Blend coat – This ladylike wool and cashmere coat is modern and edgy! It goes well with both dresses and skinny jeans.
Calvin Klein Faux Fur Trim Duffle Coat – The wool duffle coat with detachable hood and faux-fur ruff trimming. It’s a versatile coat with its own style.
Elie Tahari Shawl Collar Wrap Coat – A classic coat with stylish shawl collar transforms the traditional coat to a different kind of elegance.
Helene Berman Single Breasted Reefer Coat – “A fit-and-flare silhouette lends feminine polish to a bright-colored coat crafted in a wool blend softened with cashmere.”
JCrew Toggle coat in wool-cashmere with Thinsulate® – This traditional coat made in cashmere is simple but timeless. It will keep you warm and stylish year after year.
Kate Spade New York Faux Fur & Wool Coat – The faux-fur collar and hemline on the bright color wool make it a must-have fun coat for the season.
Mackage “Sohie” Belted Coat – The removable belt highlights the already chic style in an eye-catching bright color.
Nanette Lepore Lord & Lady Coat – Military inspired design with defined shoulders and goldtone studs make it perfect for both casual and elegant occasions.
Facial serum is one of the essential elements of skin care regimen. It penetrates into the deeper layers of skin and provides the necessary nutrient to keep your skin healthy. It should be used right after the toner and followed by moisturizer to hydrate your skin.
After trying many serums throughout years, I have five favorite picks (see below).
L’Or de Vie Serum – Dior
This is the most expensive serum out of my favorite ones. It’s designed to use during the day to shield the skin from environment damages, especially from the sun. It keeps my skin well hydrated.
Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Serum – Dior
It hydrates my skin and helps to prevent wrinkles. I love it because it keeps my skin soft!
Visionnaire – Lancome
Lancome’s 1st advanced skin corrector; designed to reduce wrinkles, reduce pores, and evens skin ton.
Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex – Estee Lauder
It’s designed to use at night. It helps skin to repair and rejuvenate while I sleep.
Acai Damage-Minimizing Serum – Kiehl’s
Organic damage-repairing formulations made with acal berry to help detoxify skin. It’s not as hydrating as the other four serums listed above. But I can see my skin ton brighten with daily uses.
The diptyque brand is a French perfume and home fragrance line of product that has been around since 1961. I didn’t know about this line until it recently became available at the Nordstrom fragrance department. The fragrance representative, Richard, stopped me when I walked by his counter and introduced me to the line. I wasn’t very impressed with this line when I first saw the bottles. It has more than 10 fragrances, but all packaged in containers with the exact same shape. It kind of reminds me of Jo Malone London. Jo Malone has many great fragrances, but I am fond of lines that make unique bottles for each scent (such as Gucci’s Floral and Guilty)-not “one container fits all”. In my opinion each fragrance should be contained in a distinctive bottle that matches its unique scent. To me, choosing a perfume is more than just buying a beauty product, such as facial toner or serum. When I finish with a beauty product I recycle the empty container. But with perfumes I like to use different scents based on my daily mood and keep all the bottles for my fragrance collection.
Although I wasn’t so impressed with the fragrance containers, I stayed because I am always interested in learning about beauty and fragrance. Richard showed me a couple of his favorite scents, including Do Son Eau de Toilette (reminds me of Michael Kors’s fragrance), Volutes (new and inspired by voyage of dreams), L’Ombre dans L’Eau Eau de Toilette (reminds me of Dolce&Gabbana-Rose the One Eau de Perfume which is one of my favorites). Then he showed me Ofresia Eau de Toilette (white freesia and black pepper; two distinct scents combined to create a pleasant and refreshing fragrnace). The moment I smelled it I knew I was going to get it. The scent is so unique; it reminds me of a flower I had when I was little. I don’t remember the name but I recognize the scent. I was so glad that I finally found a fragrance I could associate with a childhood memory.
Out of my list for top ten restaurants in Las Vegas, Sinatra at Encore property is the BEST. I am a fan of Frank Sinatra music. I love the decoration and Sinatra’s music they play in the restaurant, not to mention the delicious Italian food, cocktail drinks, and great services they have.
For starter, I recommend Polpettina (housemade meatball and polenta fries). For entrée, I recommend Lasagna Bolognese (fresh pasta layered with veal, pork and beef). It’s served in a little hot metal pan. I always wondered how they keep the handle so cool while the pan itself was hot. I finally asked them on my most recent visit. It turned out that the lasagna is baked in the little pan in the oven and they cooled the handle with ice before they serve the dish. If you like rib eye, try Tagliata (bone-in rib eye grilled with cherry tomatoes, capers, and basil). I am usually a filet mignon person, but the Tagliata I had in Sinatra last time was so juicy and tender; I really like it.
If you drink cocktails, try Sinatra Smash; it’s mixed of whiskey and blackberries. It’s fruity and refreshing. If you have room for dessert, try the tiramisu. The tiramisu is made of mascarpone cream and espresso soaked ladyfinger biscuits, served in a martini glass. The texture is so smooth; it melts in the mouth with every bite.
I’ve been going to Sinatra every year since they opened (near the end of year 2007). I love the restaurant so much because of their food and the atmosphere. Frank Sinatra played an important part in the history of fabulous Vegas. What can be more classic than a restaurant tribute to his music and achievements!
Sinatra interior with special chandelierPolpettina-house made meatball and polenta friesLasagna Bolognese-fresh pasta layered with veal, pork and beefAgnello-lamb chops, goat cheese mashed potato, fagioliniTiramisu-mascarpone cream and espresso soaked ladyfinger biscuits
I watched Louis Vuitton Spring 2013 runway show a few days ago. I was very excited to see what LV offers for the upcoming spring and summer 2013. Damier (LV’s classic check print) was definitely the main theme of the show; you can see it on the handbags, clothes and even on the runway stage. I am sure any Damier lovers would love this collection very much.
A few minutes into the show I was a bit disappointed. I saw too much of Damier and wanted to see something else in the rest of the show. I do like Damier and have them in both Damier Azur Canvas and Ebene Canvas, but I was hoping this collection to be as sophisticated as the Cub from Louis Vuitton Spring 2011, or Kalahari from Louis Vuitton Spring 2009. Those collections definitely offered eye-catching handbags that I always love! Also, the color and shapes of some Spring 2013 bags reminds me of Spring 2012 bags. I wish there were more differences between them.
However, as I continued to watch the rest of Spring 2013 show I saw many nice handbags that I would love to have (see below images from Purseblog.com). Now, I am looking forward to see what will be available from the runway show next March.
Allegro at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas used to named Stratta and was classified as a casual Italian restaurant. After Chef Enzo Febrravo joined the Wynn he changed the name to Allegro, which debuted on Monday, August 6, 2012.
When I made a dinner reservation for Thursday, August 19, I expected Allegro to be a similar casual Italian restaurant like Stratta used to be. But I was surprised at how great and unique the food was at the new restaurant.
My friend and I had Osso Buco D’agnello, made with a bone-in lamb shank, vegetable stew, and Pappardelle pasta (freshly made), and Baked Lasagna Napoletana, made with Sunday meat ragu sauce, meatballs, and smoked mozzarella cheese. The stew with the lamb dish was tasty and the pasta was chewy. The lasagna was the best lasagna I ever had!
We told our server how much we loved the new Allegro food compared to the old restaurant. He came back with the manager and the Chef Enzo Febrravo to talk to us. The chef told us that he wants his restaurant to be unique with authentic Italian flavor. His dishes are crafted with an at-home cooking style.
I had such a great experience on my first visit to Allegro. I went back there again three days later with a different group of friends. I was surprised that the manager and the chef recognized me (given that they were packed with guests every night). The chef came to our table to greet us and offered his special sampling menu. We sat there, enjoyed our drinks, and were overwhelmed with appetizers, special dishes, and desserts. Everything was so great. My friends loved the food and the special treatment.
Although Allegro is categorized as casual dining at the Wynn hotel, it’s on my top ten best fine dining restaurant list and I will definitely go back to again. The next time you go to Vegas I encourage you to check out the Allegro restaurant at the Wynn.
Osso Buco D’agnello at Allegro, WynnBaked Lasagna Napoletana at Allegro, WynnSpecial Fish Dish by Chef at Allegro, WynnDesserts at Allegro, Wynn
I recently purchased a Yves Saint Laurent “Dare to Glow” Illuminator. It is a light gel highlighter with shimmering in a small tube. The shimmering is so subtle; it helps to enhance the face without adding too much shine. It is versatile; can be put on eye lids, blend on cheeks, or tab on lips as lip gloss. It is available in three colors: Tempting Gold, Fatal Red, and Naughty Pink. I like Fatal Red the best, because it has a hint of natural pink that blends into skin perfectly to create a natural effect-it’s like wearing makeup without feeling or looking like you have anything on your face!
