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El Riad Mansour - A Moroccan Desert Rose!

maisiegirl — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:08:46 -0700

Upon arriving in Morocco, I had originally been booked to stay at Riad Monceau located in the Old Souk area, which had been booked via Expedia.com. However, after traveling more than 30 hours, we arrived at Monceau and were told they had no record of our reservation despite the fact that we had our confirmation in hand and I had email confirmation for dinner that evening (booked a month in advance). You can only imagine our panic and our exhaustion; this is not how we anticipated beginning our vacation!

The front desk at Monceau assured us they would take care of finding a suitable arrangement for our accommodations and that is how serendipity dropped us in the lap of luxury of Riad El Mansour!

Reception area at Riad El Mansour

Riad El Mansour sent their driver, Mustapha to pick us up and once the doors opened to the hidden beauty of this lovingly restored 200-year old riad we knew that fortune had smiled upon us.

Morocco is a country full of hidden secrets, which makes traveling through this magnificent country so intriguing. Riad El Mansour is a sparkling gem and once the doors open, you are whisked into the Moroccan imaginary of lush palms, scented roses, and a myriad of yellow, pink, fuchsia and orange bougainvillea, exquisite tile work, and rich, exotic textiles and tasteful antiques.

We were warmly greeted by Robert and Stephen the owners of Riad El Mansour, but also by their staff who offered a tour of the facilities and an explanation of the services available to us. Clearly, everyone who is associated with Mansour is proud to be an integral part of this well run, tastefully restored riad that provides subtle, yet incredible service intended to pamper their guests.

Courtyard

Riad El Mansour is ideally located a short walk from important sites such as the Jemaa El-Fna plaza, Les Jardins Marjorelle, Musee Marrakesh, the Guéliz (New Town), and the Ménara. Should you want to taken an outing to the High Atlas Mountains, camel/horseback riding, need guide services, dinner reservations, all you need to do is ask because your requests will be seamlessly arranged.

Marrakesh is a lively, cacophonous city, which is vibrant and exciting, so the serene and tranquil ambience of Riad El Mansour provides a refuge to recharge your soul and a place where you can reflect on the history and magic of your day. One can retreat to the comfort of beautiful rooms that feature local architectural style, as well as handcrafted Moroccan pieces that impart a distinctively old-world opulence. Or you can head to the rooftop terrace and take in the sounds of birds chirping and the views of the Atlas Mountains and sit amongst the plant-life that provides solitude.

Rooftop Terrace

Robert and Stephen have placed a high emphasis on attention to detail with rooms that feature fresh fruits and nuts, a sweets platter that highlights local Moroccan delicacies, bottled water to greet each guest daily, bathrooms equipped with robes, slippers, handcrafted Moroccan rose soaps, decanters of rose water and Argon oil, containers of le savon noir (black soap), as well as body soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc. Truly a home away from home, the room has Ipod/MP3 docks, TV/DVD player, safe, WIFI Internet access, A/C and heating--again no detail is spared!!!

The restaurant at El Mansour is magnifique! Once again, ensuring that only the finest ingredients are available to their guests, fresh fruits and vegetables are grown at the owners’ local farm and the in-house chef masterfully prepares delicious entries featuring traditional Moroccan cuisine that is delectable and will leave your palate desiring more of these incredible tastes! The local wine list is also exceptional.
Salon

Additionally, an array of facilities focusing on guests’ well-being are available such as massage services, a fitness room, a Jacuzzi, small pool, and a traditional Moroccan Hammam bath.

I cannot emphasis how incredible the hospitality that was provided to us by Robert and Stephen and their entire staff (Mustapha, Abness, Maoud, the cooks, maids, etc.) to ensure that we were well taken care of in their beautiful riad. On our first evening in Marrakesh, recognizing the distance we traveled and our exhaustion, we heard a subtle knock on our door informing us that dinner and wine was awaiting us downstairs. We didn’t have to ask, they instinctively provide service that will leave their guests more than satisfied.

Not only do I look forward to a return trip to El Riad Mansour, I have made new friends in Marrakesh and can honestly say that Robert and Stephen, you are the best! Your staff is incredible too! Beaucoup de merci sincère mes chers amis!

The Suite where we bunked!

LARS and the REAL girl

rosabelle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:26:45 -0700

Lars and the Real girl is probably the most insane movie i have ever seen but at least it was insanely original. I've never seen anything else like it. A guy in love with a sex doll. Refreshing. I can't say much because i know in these reviews i give too much away. I would recommend it to anyone that loves a truly heartbreaking comedy. And Ryan Gosling plays the ultimate delusional destitute Lars. Wasn't it nominated for an oscar or something?

Color Correcting Concealers

sofi — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:25:05 -0700

So last week after my horrible experience with that Mario Badescu toner (all is now well after being a bit raw and flaky for a few days), I needed a concealer for some redness around my nose and mouth- blah! I remembered this concealer palette I picked up last May from Sephora. I got it to cover up some redness from breakouts I had just as I was going to a friend's wedding the following day.
I had read great things about a Makeup Forever palette as well as a really cheap N.Y.C palette from the drugstore. After looking at a couple different ones in Sephora, I went with the Sephora brand palette below. I really liked the consistency and could use three of the four colors. The green tone did a pretty good job of neutralizing the redness from the breakouts last year and for the last week it has done a great job with the redness around my mouth and nose. For the last week I haven't used any other concealer actually. I use the green for the redness, the lighter yellowy-beige for undereye circles and even things out with the warmer beige. I've been working it in with clean fingers, but the brush is decent for more precision. I've got the Sephora description below as well as a list of the others I had looked into and seemed decent as well.
Anyone else use a palette like this before?

Concealer Palette  $20
What it is:  A pocket-sized palette containing four color-correcting concealers.  
What it does:  Instantly conceal under-eye darkness, blemishes, and other skin imperfections with this convenient palette. Mix and match the creamy concealers for customized coverage.  
What else you need to know:  Palette includes concealers in Nude (light beige), Leaf (green neutralizes redness), Sandy (warm medium beige), and Lilac (light mauve brightens dull yellow tones), plus a mini application brush.

Nuovo Roasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi Gluten Free

tdsollog — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:22:05 -0700

I had the pleasure of cooking a package of Nuovo's Roasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi last night (I have also bought the basil and the original). I followed the cooking instructions and topped it with a alfredo sauce with a little bit of "Jane's Crazy Mixed-up Salt". Yum-O!!!! (It's can be tough finding GF pasta.) The gnocchis were very similar to the flour/potato ones out there.

I bought them in the cheese/fresh pasta area of the Whole Foods Market, but they can likely be purchased in similar outlets. The price range is approx $4, and was so worth it!

Note: I reviewed the "sister flavor" Basil gnocchi on 4/17, which I loved: http://teamsugar.com/group/1038092/reviews/1558235

27 Dresses

Emma412 — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:33:02 -0700

I just saw '27 Dresses' with Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. It's about Jane (Heigl) who has been a bridesmaid 27 times, because she loves helping her friends plan their weddings and lets face it she has a hard time saying no. When she's about to be a bridesmaid for the 28th time, on her sister's wedding, her positive attitude starts to turn. Her sister is marrying Jane's boss George, the man Jane has been madly in love with since she started working for him, and keeping her feelings to herslef is harder than she expected.

It was pretty good. Predictable as every other romantic comedy I've ever seen, but still enjoyable. Though I can't really stand Malin Åkerman, who played Jane's sister in the movie. I don't think she's to good of an actress. But the other cast-members did a good job.

I found it! The MEGA SHINY and NON STICKY lip gloss!

Lelli — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:59:19 -0700

I am proud of myself, I found like, the worlds only shiny lipgloss which isn't gluey.

Get this in clear. It will work wonders.

Wow, what an odd colour my lips look.

Anyway, the gloss is better than that, but my little sister is not very good at taking pictures!

Anyway, I was rooting through my big makeup bag, throwing away all the stuff I'd gotten when I'd first started wearing makeup. Most of it was cheap rubbish, so I chucked it, but I happened to test this. It was a good gloss, and to my surprise it was not sticky! I'm annoyed I abandoned this for so long, just because it was cheap. I'll be heading off to Boots this weekend to re-unite myself with many colours of this fabulous lip gloss!

And the price! It is £1.99 ($3. 98) at Boots at the Wet n Wild counter.
You have to re-apply it quite a lot (but I always find I need to do that, my skin is draining so it may be just me) but because it is so cheap I don't mind.

Get one of these, it's worth it! *cheesy sales-person wink*

Leo

Emma412 — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:41:35 -0700

I started my day by watching Josef Fares' 'Leo'.

Leo and Amanda are walking home from a party, when they are attack by to men. Amanda dies and Leo's life falls apart. All he can think about is revenge. He takes help from his two friends, but everything doesn't go as planned...

The movie was okay, it was pretty dull at sometimes and the acting wasn't great. Fares has done better!

Does anyone know about this website?

deb156 — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:37:15 -0700

I found a really cute new site that sells super hot short stories as mp3 downloads. I wanted to know what you thought about it. I tried out Private Lesson and listened to it on my commute on Friday. Very sexy, I'll definitely be back for more.

www.mymoodmaker.com

I enjoyed reading your recommendations for books, so I thought I'd share this. New here, but love Sugar!

Thai Kitchen Noodle Cart Single Size Thai Peanut Gluten Free

tdsollog — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:39:45 -0700

I found this on a shelf in a "discount store" for $1.20 for a package. Surprise... it was fresh & in date, so I bought it. I've had this before, but I usually "doctor it" for dinner... I've added peanut butter, veggies and chicken. Today, I ate it as in was for lunch, with a side of yogurt and a Luna Bar Tea Cake, orange blossom flavor (also GF).

http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=12...

I poured in hot water from the company cooler, let it sit for 4 minutes, drained it and added the flavor packet. Yum!!!

The description from Thai Kitchen:
http://www.thaikitchen.com/
Now you can enjoy classic Thai peanut taste at home, work or school. Made with a delicious sauce of roasted peanuts and mild spices combined with 100% rice noodles, this flavorful treat can be prepared in 4 minutes using boiling water or a microwave.

Thai Kitchen Peanut

Mineral Makeup Bandwagon: Everyday Minerals

melizzle — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:49:12 -0700

So a lot has happened since I first pondered whether or not I should jump the Chanel ship and give mineral makeup a whirl. A lot of it has to do with my ailing bank account (and angry husband), as well as a healthy curiosity, which can be expected of any BPJ!

After thoroughly enjoying the free sample kit, I decided to take the plunge and order some Everyday Minerals products- at $32 for the six product Personal Custom Kit (which, by the way, is still less expensive than Chanel concealer... eeeek!), I figured it was worth a shot.

First, let me tell you that I am EXTREMELY impressed with the speed of service- I ordered on a Friday afternoon and a package was sitting on my desk Monday morning. Awesome!

Here is what I ordered and my thoughts:

Olive Medium Original Glow Foundation: Why didn't I know about this product before? Like I said in my last post about Everyday Minerals, I have NEVER found a color that matches my skin tone precisely... the blessing and curse that is olive skin. Olive Medium is my perfect match and the great thing is that I can just blend it with a more tan color for the summer time. I was getting frustrated with application the first few times, but I read up on it and found that continually buffing with a kabuki is key- I just keep thinking I'm waxing a car or something! I'm still pretty slow at it, but I'm sure I'll get better. Also, it's super easy to change the amount of coverage you want by adding layers. The product goes on smooth and feels very light and not as mask-like as some liquid foundations.

Multi-tasking Concealer: A light, bright concealer that is perfect for under the eyes. I also use it to highlight my brow bone. Great product, but it does not do the job for significant blemishes- will stick to liquid concealers for that!

Mint Concealer: Not 100% satisfied with this. I thought it would be great for getting rid of redness and blemishes, but it results in a very chalky, obvious look on my face. I'm thinking green isn't exactly the best option for someone who already has green undertones.

Red Wine Blush: Love it! Gives me that perfect "I just went running or did something naughty" flush. It is VERY dark and VERY pigmented, so a little goes a long way.

Finishing Dust: At first, I looked at this and thought "Why would I need setting powder if my foundation is powder?" It actually is a fabulous product, really giving that smooth, polished appearance that I like.

Long Handled Kabuki Brush: I love this kit cause you can order almost any product you want, including brushes. The brush is okay and I use it primarily for finishing dust. However, it didn't do a satisfactory job of helping me buff my foundation in. I'll stick to my old, huge kabuki for that.

Overall, a very positive experience. I still make a mess of myself when applying; I'm working on it. I think I might be a mineral convert, I've been using it all week. The other night, I put on my Chanel Sun Illuminator and I couldn't even recognize myself!! It looks completely different. The minerals are much more natural and match better than any other foundation I have tried. It may have just become my "everyday" foundation...

Sephora Nailpolish & Remover

x_juicyfruit — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:26:16 -0700

This review won't be very lengthy, as my thoughts are pure and simple: I.did.not.like.this. It didn't last for even two days without chipping. I thought I'd go a little bold with the blue, do something fun, but that didn't really last. I'm not very hard on my hands at all, so the fact that the nailpolish chipped so quickly was a bit shocking to me.

The nailpolish remover isn't great, either. I really had to rub and rub, and reapply several times to get it off just one fingernail. I think I'll be sticking to the drug store brand of nailpolish remover from now on, and I won't be using Sephora's nailpolish again.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Sephora, just not their nail polish.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer

romaniagrl — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:58:06 -0700

I bought this from Sephora a few weeks ago, (see my previous post). I was interested in it because I had heard so many great things about it, and I always try to find THE product to make my skin looks great.
At first I was not getting why there was so much buzz about it. But after using it consistently for a few weeks I am addicted to this product. When you first apply it it makes your skin look luminous, glowy and it actually covers very well for a Tinted Moisturizer. You will still need a bit of concealer for those darker blemishes, but overall it makes the skin look so healthy! And the best thing, is that the glow lasts. You know how with some products you put them on and they look good at first but then they sink into you skin? The wonderful thing about this TM is that it has lasting power!
I have breakout prone skin and it has not made me break out. LM also makes a non oil free TM but I went with this one because I thought it would suit my skin better. I really really love it an recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone.