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Earlier this month, the Glowbal Group’s newest initiative “Society” (1257 Hamilton Street) opened in Yaletown. With the tagline of “Opposites Attract. The Unexpected Reigns”, Society most definitely has unique, unexpected menu offerings!! Described as a “union of opposites”, the menu offers comfort food – but with a twist.

So for example, classic tomato soup accompanied by mini grilled cheese sandwiches (hmm, following the “tapas” trend?), Mac & Cheese balls (think crabcake style), apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a Nutella milkshake (spiked with Baileys). As for prices, Society’s express lunch menu is a pretty good deal. Less than $10 for sandwich-y types of food. Also, several of their menu items contain cotton candy as an ingredient, including on their drinks menu, the “Candy Collins” which is probably the most creative drink I’ve ever had. It came with a generous fluff of cotton candy on top, and I was advised by the bartender that I could either eat it plain, or melt it into my gin to sweeten as desired.

Surprise!! The GAP has literally turned its retail world upside down with the launch of its “SPRIZE” card. Last week, on a regular Thursday morning, the downtown Vancouver community awoke to upside-down logos, signs, mannequins, and even cars (!!) surrounding the GAP on Robson Street. All this “shopping turned on its head” in preparation to prepare the public for the SPRIZE offering.

With an easy one-minute in-store sign up … the SPRIZE card offers customers an incentive to purchase now, instead of waiting for an item to go on sale. How? If something you buy from GAP goes on sale within 45 days of your purchase date, you are notified by email and automatically given an in-store credit (called “Sprize Bucks”) of the difference in pricing.

Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation opened its first Murale store in Vancouver at Oakridge Centre. As I walked into the new venue (located near the food court, on the GAP and Aritzia side), the bright lights, white floor and neatly lined shelves of beauty products mimicked Shoppers’ Drug Mart’s beauty boutique – but much more spacious.

Brands which immediately caught my eye included Cargo, Smashbox, Benefit, Biotherme, Nars, Bobbi Brown…as well as your classic brands like Clinique, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

Apothecary & Apparel. Sounds catchy, doesn’t it? And that’s exactly what’s inside and online at Kiss & Makeup, a “friendly fashion and beauty resource”, newly relocated to West Vancouver’s The Village at Park Royal. Owned by Heather Huntingford, with her eye for niche products, Kiss & Makeup carries beauty lines that are “conscientiously made, original, organic, natural and amazing”.

Valentino: The Last Emperor has been premiering at film festivals and special events around the world since last summer. Last night, I had the opportunity to go to the FASHION Magazine Vancouver pre-screening of Valentino: The Last Emperor, an insightful “behind-the-scenes” documentary filmed by Vanity Fair corresopndent, Matt Rymauer.

Despite capturing the creation of handsewn full length gowns, paraded by elegant models on the runway, and seeing intricate show sets designed and brough to life, the documentary, surprisingly, focuses more on the relationship between Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s lover and business partner. A portrait of a business partnership and a romance. Despite being in the shadows of another man’s success, Giancarlo Giammetti describes his supporting role of Valentino as “happiness”.

For the past two years, the topic of “eyelash extensions” came up every once in a while in conversation. But none of us had actually gotten them done … until now. Like every upcoming trend, eyelash extentions have become more acceptable, more accessible and slightly more affordable. Although this was not my first time visiting Wink!, it wa the first time I tried their salon services. Vivian Ko of Wink! Beauty Lounge (67 East Cordova Street) offered me her services of a “natural eyelash set” (up to 30 lashes per eye for $80) last week and I LOVED IT.