St. Patrick's Day: The Black Velvet Cocktail

Forget the green beer this year, we're going for a more refined feel for St. Patrick's Day this year! I feel like most of the cocktails I've been gravitating towards lately all have champagne or prosecco...not sure why that is, but hey, sparkling wine is always fun. I wanted to do something other than the usual green beer or boozy milkshake for St. Patrick's day this year, and came across a simple and tasty recipe from Guinness: the Black Velvet. It's half Guinness (an Irish stout) and half champagne - that's it! The champagne adds a nice lightness and sweetness to the Guinness. And I garnished it with a sprig of mint to add an essential pop of green.

Black Velvet Cocktail:

• Coupe or champagne flute
• Pour Guinness until half full
• Top with champagne (I used Henkell sparkling wine)
• Garnish with a sprig of mint

Of course you know me, a good cocktail is to be accompanied by an equally good matching outfit. This green Chicwish dress (on sale right now!) is so cute, and is a nice thick material which is great, considering it's still March. It's not spring quite yet. If you want to see the full dress, you can check it out on this post from St. Patrick's Day a few years ago. Then I found these SUPER cute St. Patrick's Day nails from Kiss that are just perfect. If you weren't already aware, I'm obsessed with Kiss nails in general - they stay on for like 2 weeks (with a couple replacements). I always use the included glue, rather than the adhesive tabs. The St. Patty's style, with solid white, sparkling gold, and clover leaves are perfect for the occasion!

While things are starting to open up here again as Omicron wanes, I'm thinking this will still probably be another St. Patrick's Day spent closer to home, so I've been perusing food options that I could serve with this cocktail. I came across this yummy-looking Guinness, bacon, cheddar and barley risotto that I may try out.

What do you have planned for St. Patrick's Day this year?

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Spa Day at Home

Was in need of some R&R this weekend, so I pulled out a few of my favourite spa essentials, and 

whipped up a cocktail to match the refreshing vibe!

My other half found these great Sparkmouth tonics in the flavour cucumber mint, which are SO refreshing. I think you can get them at Safeway here locally. I thought they'd make a great spa-inspired cocktail, mixed with gin. I added 1 oz Tanqueray gin and topped with the Sparkmouth Cucumber Mint Tonic and then garnished with a slice of cucumber and a couple sprigs of mint. By the way, if you're curious what glass I'm using for this cocktail, it's the Edge wine glass from Crate & Barrel (these glasses are also similar). A nice elevated cocktail if you want something boozy instead of the usual 'spa water' infused with cucumber or lemon.

Sipping a spa cocktail is the perfect way to pass the time as you wait for your face mask to do its magic. I tried out the StriVectin Multi-Action Blue Rescue Clay Renewal Mask, and loved that it was a massage-activated and colour transforming mask. Once applied all over the face (in a light blue), you massage it into the skin, and it turns a deeper blue! Then just leave on for 10 minutes. The formula aims to reduce the look of fine lines, enlarged pores, rough texture and dullness. I can't speak for the fine lines, but my skin definitely felt glowy and smooth afterwards.

For the full spa experience, I have my Saje diffuser to make the whole apartment smell calming. The diffuser I'm using here is the Aroma Lift Kit - Uplifting Edition, and I used 10 drops of the Spa Spirit essential oils blend that is included in Saje's Relaxation Room Calming Diffuser Blend Collection. Spa Spirit is a purifying diffuser blend that has scents of grapefruit, eucalyptus, vanilla-spice and balsam. By the way, Saje's diffuser blends are 100% natural and vegan!

Do you have a calming ritual or spa must-have that helps you relax? I'd love to hear it in the comments below!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Cocktail Bombs: The Easiest Way to Make Yourself a Bellini!

I'm all for trying the latest cocktail trend - the latest of which has been 'cocktail bombs'. You've probably seen them on Instagram or Tik Tok. They basically work and look exactly like your classic bath bomb, except this one you drop in your favourite sparkling beverage (like sparkling water or sparkling wine). LegalLee Blonde got me a box from Cocktail Bomb Shop for Christmas, and I've been excited to give them a try. I figured they'd not only be a fun spectacle but would also make for a quick and easy cocktail.

I tried the Peach Bellini bombs, and dropped it in a glass of prosecco, with a few candy peach rings for garnish. While the blue colour didn't seem like what I'd expect for a Bellini, it tasted just like I expected it would!

They also have all kinds of other classic cocktail flavours like margarita, pina colada, mojito, and lemon drop, as well some tasty-sounding concoctions like raspberry lemonade, dreamsicle, and love potion. Depending on the cocktail bomb you choose, there's a recommended alcohol paring. But the great thing is, if you want it to be non-alcoholic, you can do any of them with any sparkling beverage of your choice.

Watch below to see how it works! What flavour would you try?

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A post shared by Vancouver Vogue 👠 Britta Bisig (@vancouver_vogue)

 

Bodysuit - SheIn | Nails - Kiss | Skirt - Kassinka

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta