Bite Beauty lab in soho

** this post has also appeared on www.museaday.com

On a recent trip home to New York I was able to snag an appointment at the hugely popular Bite Beauty Lip Lab in SoHo.  I have been wanting to duplicate a lip color that I saw in a picture online and I am also trying to transition to organic/natural  cosmetics, so this was perfect for me. Bite is a Toronto based indie brand natural lip care company that focuses exclusively on lip color.  The lip sticks are made out of a mixture of beeswax, argon oil, Shea butter and FDA approved colorants. After all anything you spread on your lips you’re likely to ingest.  The lipsticks are edible if you find yourself stranded on an island with only a tube of lipstick.

You sit with your lip stylist and together you come up with a lip color by mixing different pigments.  You can make one up on the spot or you can bring in color samples. After selecting your perfect color, you select your scent ( cherry, mint, vanilla, citrus, mango, violet, superfruit),  then you select, one of four finishes ( luminous, creme, sheer or matte) then  you get to watch the lab artist make your tube of lipstick, from the melting down of the pigments to a quick blend in a centrifuge and then a final pour into the mold.

TA-DA!!   My new perfect lip color.

I just need to bring in my recipe card whenever I need a new tube and they make it up for you on the spot.  

Henna Night

I treat myself to a henna tattoo every other month of so.  If I gathered a few friends and had Nikki come to house to do her thing.  It was a fun night I think we should do it again one day.

Cooking ! my favorite thing.. not so much but this kind of cooking is always fun. My friend Aida and I decided to check out the cooking class at our local  Sur La table.  Half off classes this week, a deal that could not be passed up.  We signed up for the Paris In Spring class and the menu consisted of ;

 Classic Frisée Salad with Poached Egg and Bacon Lardons 
 Seared Steak with a Red Wine Pan Sauce 
 Classic Frites with Aioli 
 Chocolate Madeleine Cookies

I am not a big fan of Kale but this was very good.  Probably had something to do with the bacon fat we use to make the dressing. 

I did learn how to perfectly poach an egg ( add vinegar, lemon, juice or white wine to the water this keeps the white from separating from the egg.)

Sealing in all the juices by searing the steak first

Perfectly seared, if I say so myself. 

Ingredients for our wine pan sauce

Dinner is served

Can I replicate this at home for my family?? probably

  We left with full bellies.  It was a great fun night.