If you were given the opportunity to spend a glamorous evening being pampered would you say “maybe later”?  Recently I was invited to attend a Glam Night event at Salon Gloss in Coquitlam.  (If the idea of going outside Vancouver proper is a turn-off, consider that it is a convenient jaunt down Lougheed highway just before Coquitlam Centre. You’ll be there before you know it.) I’ll admit that I had heard about the opportunity previously and thought, at the time, that it would be a nice event to attend at a later day.  In all likelihood that later date might never have happened if the invite hadn’t arrived. It can be so easy to put something off when it’s about yourself.

Glam Night at Salon Gloss started out as an opportunity for women’s networks to meet up for an evening of fun, networking and glamour.  The staff at Salon Gloss, photographer Anita Alberto and independent make-up consultants with Mary Kay brought together the people they know to enjoy an evening of appetizers, a makeup session, hair styling and professional photography.  The evenings have become an opportunity for women in the Lower Mainland to spend some time pampering themselves and enjoying a personal re-boot.

As soon as I arrived for the Glam Night, I was welcomed by Viviana who was the hostess for the evening.   Viviana explained how the event would progress and invited me to sign up for the door prize draw (worth $250) and to enjoy the appetizers. I also met two glamorous women – approximately 20 years older than me – who had finished attending the event.  Their make-up and hair styling looked elegant.  They had clearly enjoyed the evening and shared friendly comments as they left the salon.

My first stop was a sitting with a Haydee Skeet, who is an independent Sales Director with Mary Kay. She has worked with the company for many years and is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their product line.  As is the case with the major direct sales companies, Mary Kay provides an integrated product line, backed by high quality research and production methods, that is available at a competitive price.  Their blush and eye shadow products are mineral based, have a deep pigment (a little goes a long way) and last for hours. If you have the chance to sit down with a consultant, it is a good opportunity to try a somewhat different colour scheme or look, or ask about products they have that can be helpful for specific issues.  The two other consultants who were there included Jennifer Levers (Senior Sales Director) and Miranda Motion.

Following my makeup styling I sat down with Salon Gloss stylist Dani.  (Tip: I washed my hair just before going and didn’t put any product in it.) While Dani styled my hair she introduced me to some of the interesting products that are available at the salon.  The KMS Free Shape Hot Flex spray is heat activated and works perfectly with a curling iron. My favourite discovery was the Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It product. It is perfect for fine hair that could use some lift without being traumatized by hair styling devices. You apply a small amount of Dust It to your fingers and gently rub it in concentrated areas on your scalp and presto – instant lift and volume.

All portrait photos shown above are by Anita Alberto Photography
(except for the photo on the top right, which is a self-portrait.)

My evening concluded with a mini photo shoot outside.  Anita Alberto gave me advice about how to pose as she shot many photos from different angles. A week later digital copies of the photos arrived in my E-mail inbox. It is a good idea to try out different outfits before going to the Glam Night. You might look great in an outfit that doesn’t photograph well. Take snapshots with your camera and see if your piece works in terms of the fit, outline and colour against your complexion.  Will the top you chose work for a professional photo on LinkedIn?  Will it look too serious for a casual social media profile page? When you look at the competitive rate charged for the Glam Night (see comment section below), compare this amount to what it would cost for separate make-up, hair styling and professional photography sessions.

Glam Nights are a perfect opportunity for you to get together with a sibling, mother, family member, niece, daughter, friend, colleague or to attend by yourself.  It’s also not just for women.  Men have taken part too.  For more information about an upcoming Glam Night, contact Salon Gloss for more details.  If you are looking for a salon that provides high quality hair and skincare services at competitive prices, you might want to check them out for those services too. You can easily reach the salon by car, West Coast Express train or bus and a combination of Sky Train and/or bus to Coquitlam Centre.  If you haven’t been to Coquitlam Centre, it has attractive wood finishing inside and a number of stores that you won’t find anywhere else.  There are also a number of restaurants in the region.

Isn’t it time to step outside your busy 9 to 5, 24/7 schedule and do something for yourself? Even if you have little ones at home and you usually direct the evening routine, take a break, step away for a few hours, while your husband looks after dinner and PJs, and enjoy an evening that’s all about you.

We’d love to hear from you so don’t be shy! You can comment about this posting using the comment function below or visit us at our Facebook page.

Related

Glam Night June 2012

Glam Night July 2012

Glam Night August 2012

Salon Gloss on Facebook and Twitter.

If you and your children are keen on art and creative activities, there will be a prime opportunity this weekend, June  16 & 17, 2012 to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery and take part in their Family Fuse event.

On June 14 and 15th, 2012 there will be a giveaway notice on the BCFamily.ca Facebook page including a FUSE Family pass with two adult tickets and tickets for up to four children. If you would like to be considered for the giveaway please leave a comment on the BC Family Facebook webpage by 12 Noon, Friday, June 15th. A person will be chosen at random and contacted via his/her Facebook account.  If your profile doesn’t have a message button for non-contacts, please leave an E-mail address in the comments.  (If you are unreachable by 4 PM, another name will be confirmed.)

If you have friends with children who would like to visit, do let them know!

Throughout the day your family will be able to tour the art gallery and take part in events that are directly related to the artwork on display, with an additional focus on music, theatre and dance.  The current exhibition entitled Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters presents works from the art collection of the Cone sisters of Baltimore who befriend Henri Matisse and collected many of the top art pieces of the day – including Impressionist works.

Here is information about the events, provided by the Vancouver Art Gallery:

FAMILY FUSE WEEKEND Schedule for Saturday and Sunday:

1. Travel Journal (10:00am-4:00pm):  Before you go into the gallery, create you own travel journal where you can keep notes and draw picture about your visit to the gallery today.

2. Drawing “En plein air”, Outside Robson Street Doors (10:30am- 4:00pm): Artists Matisse and Picasso took time to paint and draw in the open air in order to capture changing scenes and light. Join artist and educator Jessica Jang in this creative activity.

3. Travel through Strings, 1st Floor Rotunda (10:30am and 11:30am (Sat); 2:30pm and 3:30pm (Sun) ): Listen and learn from string music ensemble Infinitus as they take you on a journey through the world of music, including classic rock, hip–hop and TV theme songs. If there is something you’d like to hear, just ask – they also take requests!

4. Bhangra Dance Performance- ­ South Asian Arts Society

1st Floor rotunda

12:00pm, 1:00pm and 3:00pm

Come watch a performance of this high-energy, infectious dance style! Members of the South Asian Arts Society competitive teams give you a taste of the Bhangra flavour!

5. Bhangra Dance & Music Workshop – South Asian Arts Society, Room 302 annex (1:30pm): Join in this South Asian Arts’ hands-on dance and music workshop and learn the hard-hitting beats and energy found in the dance style called Bhangra. Learn basic Bhangra dance steps, play the dhol drum and sing Punjabi songs together.


6. What really happened in the woods that day?, 1st Floor rotunda (12:30pm and 2:00pm): See Kim and Dean tell the classic tale Hansel and Gretel with their own special flair.

7. Wish you were here!, 3rd Floor Rotunda (10.00am-4.30pm) Design a postcard based on your visit to the Gallery and then have it mailed!

8. Sketch Station, 3rd Floor Gallery (10.30 am-4.30pm): Find art educator Kate Dawson in the Gallery and join her in making sketches and drawings inspired by the artist in the Again and Again and Again exhibition.

9. Art Agents, 4th Floor Galleries (10:00am – 4:00pm): Explore the exhibition Emily Carr and the Theatre of Transcendence with our Art Agents. See how these different artists share their experience of travel.

10. A Journey in Shadow, 4th Floor East (10.30-4.00pm): Join Montreal-based Mere Phantoms to the city of your wildest imagination. Build a 3D shadow puppet to add to the collaborative installation, use handheld lights to cast shadows large and small, and venture on A Journey in Shadow.

11. Making Place, 4th Floor – Pavilion (10.30-4.00pm): Experiment with a range of materials and techniques, make a map of an imaginary place, craft a collage exploring pattern and texture, and work with others to make a drawing of space.

12. Family Film Lounge- Programmed by Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth, 1st floor (10:00-4:30pm): Take a break and relax in our film lounge. Eat your lunch or a snack while watching a selection of animated and live action films.

Gallery Members and children age–12–and–under are free when accompanied by an adult. Regular Admission Rates apply. $20 Adults, $15 Senior (65+), $15 Student (with valid ID). For more information about Family FUSE Weekend call 604.662.4700.
(All prices subject to a 12% Harmonized Sales Tax)

We’d love to hear from you so don’t be shy! You can comment about this posting using the comment function below or visit us at our Facebook page.

Related

Two Sisters, by Marcia Talley* is available as a Kindle Book and would be a great short story to read before visiting the exhibition.

Collecting Matisse: Two Sisters Ahead of Their Time.

* BCFamily.ca is a member of the Amazon Associates programme.

In 2011 BCFamily.ca was chosen as a top 30 mom blogger site in Vancouver.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend as I didn’t have support for my young toddler twins at the time.  A year later I’m finally able to attend the Fabulous: A Celebration of Mom Bloggers 2012 event where the 2012 successful bloggers will be celebrated.

Will you be there?  Please do let me know so I can watch out for you! My name tag will say Pamela Chan, BCFamily.ca.  (Here’s a photo showing what I look like. )

Are you a:

* PR Professional or journalist who is interested to meet bloggers?

* Aspiring blogger or active user of Twitter?

* Hoping to be a top blogger in the region?

* Publisher of a weblog?

If you answered yes to any of the questions listed above and you haven’t signed up for the VancouverMom.ca Top 30 Fabulous Blogger event on Wednesday, June 13th, it’s not too late.  Just in time tickets are still available. This ticket link (which does have an affiliate benefit for BCFamily.ca) will take you to a page where you can sign up for the event.  Here are the details:

Place:  Vancouver Museum

Address:  1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver (near Vanier Park)

Time:  6:30 – 9:00 PM

Transit: Public transit can be used by walking from Burrard Street or Cornwall Street.

Shuttle Service is available for attendees in Langley and the TriCities area on a first come, first serve basis.  Look for information when you sign up.

In 1980 Kit Williams published a book entitled “Masquerade” . This beautifully illustrated book included sixteen of the artist’s paintings containing clues to the puzzle of a hidden gold object. Prior to the publication of the book, the author created a gold filigree rabbit with a ruby eye and buried it in the English countryside. The quest for the golden hare drew worldwide attention as thousands of people sought to solve the puzzle and find the hare. Attempts to recreate the success and intrigue of this type of adventure have paled in comparison.

In a similar way the Vanishing Point game used an online website and clues from live events to solve the puzzle. This multi-participant quest was reminiscent of the Masquerade puzzle launched 25 years earlier. The first clue (prerecorded) and other live events could be found on The Vanishing Point website as well as on Youtube.com.

Until April 4th, 2010, Lindt is offering a cash reward of $10,000 for a “lost” gold bunny.  If you are hankering to play a game for fun and money, head on over to the Lindt website.  The game is a fun challenge for school aged students.  For Clue #1, for example, an adult could help a child figure out the location of the flags in the photo and look up any signs that may be in the picture.  Through some Google sleuthing and after thinking about geography, the adult and child will be able to figure out the clue.

“A whole new vocabulary of images made its way to Broadway thanks to Julie Taymor’s [Lion King].” (The New York Times, 1997)

This summer Broadway’s most financially successful and critically acclaimed show The Lion King will come to Vancouver. As you prepare to go to see The Lion King at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre- and hopefully you will – you can inform yourself about the creative visions and passion behind the show by learning more about creative director, designer and director Julie Taymor. As she inspires you, you in turn will feel inspired to share your new understanding with your children.

Taymor believes  that The Lion King is unique as a theatrical experience as the show tells a non human story through the oldest means of theatre – very sophisticated puppetry and music.  The story, emotions and music come through.  The roots of the show are in Africa and Asia but are put together as a piece of drama that transcends cultural boundaries musically and theatrically in a completely unique way.

While watching Julie Taymor in interviews it is immediately evident that she is a talented and confident director and designer. There are numerous highly talented women operating in North America, and sometimes – sometimes – we read about them in the mass media. Julie Taymor is a particularly high functioning woman in the creative and entertainment industries.  Her biography makes for an interesting read and mentions that her early education included studying Bunraku puppetry in Japan, masked dance drama and traditional shadow puppetry in Indonesia.

Taymor says she “does what she is passionate about, period.”  She believes that “everyone has the power” and explains that complacency is everyone’s worst enemy.  Comfort is also dangerous.  Youth can change the world around them and everybody has the ability to transform themselves and the world in which they live.   Even if their influence is a “teeny bit” it is still worth doing.  Taking responsibility does not have to be a chore.  Each of us can find our own way to effect change, whether by engaging in anything from puppetry to politics.

Image: Julie Taymor Playing With Fire (Hardcover)

Julie Taymor speaks with Rosie O’Donnell about The Lion King

Julie Taymor speaks about The Lion King in a Women in Broadway episode (28:30 – 33:40)

In the following video see how dance and movement is incorporated into the stage production of The Lion King.”


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