Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask review

Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask review
Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask contents
Happy New Year!!!

Either you are working hard to meet year end deadlines or you simply have been partying (a lot? *wink), either way, our skin must be tired from all those layers of make up or having the need to staying up so late, not to mention stress. And if you are living in a place where it is currently winter, your skin must have been drying from the dry weather or heaters. Good thing, we have masks to help us moisturize and relieve our dry and tired skin! My new year's resolution this year is to have better skin than I do now. Currently, I think my skin is in good condition, but there are still areas that are fairly dry, I hope by this time next year, those dry areas will be fully moisturized and smooth! What is your New Years Resolution?

It is quite fortunate I was able to receive this Skin79 Rose Moisture mask in time for this post! Let's put another Skin79 product to the test! This is the way to end the year... with a Skin79 product review!

The product contains a box, a sanded glass container and a plastic spoon. I really like the idea of using a plastic spoon. It is extremely hygienic, by keeping your mask clean, you can store it for a longer time without worrying about bacteria growing inside (eww).

Tagline: HYDRATING MASK FOR DRY AND TIRED SKIN. This mask contains refreshing rose petals, delivering the moisture and vitamins of rose petals to dehydrated skin to moisture skin from the inside to help maintain resilient and lively skin.


photo credits: official site

After you have cleansed your face, apply a thick layer of mask to the skin. Leave on for 20-25 minutes* then wash off with warm water. *the instructions say 10-15 minutes, but I like to leave it on longer, it seemed to be more effective if you leave it on longer.

Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask review
ingredient list
The QR Code brings you to the Korean Official website of this product. (http://m.skin79.com/product/product_view.asp?proNo=00096 but for some reason, only mobile phones can access this page only). I was slightly shocked at the list of ingredients, how can there be so many!

Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask review
inside of container
The moment you lift the cover, you can smell rose petals (like rose tea). Don't let the name fool you, if you look closely at the ingredients, you will notice that besides rose petals, there also contains Cocoa, Licorice, and extracts from cucumber and aloe. These ingredients will help moisturize and make your skin feel soft.

Skin79 Rose Moisture Mask review
close up of the product, see the rose petals. This is all you need to cover your whole face, you can use more if you like
if you take a close up look at the product, you will find that there are bits of rose petals contained inside the mask. The mask does not require you to use a lot of product, just a liberal amount. It may seem unrealistic, but when I scooped out half a spoonful (the spoon that they provide), it was enough product to cover my whole face. However, I suggest that if you really need intense hydration, you should use a bit more.

Benefits to skin:
  • purifies and Moisturizing
  • Toning and tightening
  • Hydrating
  • Softening
  • relaxing
  • stimulating

pros:
  • smells good (literally like rose)
  • effective - my skin felt hydrated, moisturized
  • attractive packaging
  • reasonable price
  • easy to wash off
  • you don't need a lot to cover your whole face
cons:
  • feels sticky when it is on your face (even when dried)
  • more effective during "milder" summer and spring months*
*Sadly, as good as it is. It is not very effective nor having a lasting effect during harsh winter months in North America. It does help to put more product on, but the effect is not as lasting as I have hoped.
rating: 8/10

check out my reviews on other Skin79 Masks by clicking here!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

OKF - Aloe Vera King Peach Juice Drink (Natrual & Fresh Aloe Vera pulp Drink) review

OKF Aloe Vera King Peach Juice Drink

I love peachy drinks, so when I found this I had to buy it (it was also on sale! ^^v) I love how there is a nice peachy taste to it along with a lot of Aloe pulp.

(caution: Due to Aloe being highly medicated (naturally) avoid taking aloe drinks during pregnancy, menstruation, if you have hemorrhoids or degeneration of the liver and gall bladder.)


OKF Aloe Vera King Peach Juice Drink
nutrition contents


pros:
nice peachy flavour
lots of Aloe pulp
quenches thirst

cons:
a little too sweet
peach is too sour (so they had to sweeten it a bit)

It contains 18 g of sugar per serving, it sounds like a lot, but it is a lot less than other "sweet drinks" I wished they chose a sweeter peach (the current one is too sweet)


So you might wonder, what's so beneficial about Aloe? Here are 12 reasons as to why (credits)


1.  Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.

Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids.

Alove Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids- HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and  stearic.

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

Aloe Vera is a well-known adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to external changes and resist illness. It is thought that aloe’s power as an adaptogen balances the body’s system, stimulating the defense and adaptive mechanisms of the body. This allows you an increased ability to cope with stress (physical, emotional and environmental stress like pollution)

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need.  It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance. Aloe is also a vermifuge, which means it helps to rid the body of intestinal worms.

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.

6.  Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits

7. Cardiovascular Health

There hasn’t been a lot of studies conducted in this but there has been some research to show that Aloe Vera extract injected into the blood, greatly multiplies the oxygen transportation and diffusion capabilities of the red blood cells.

According to a study published in the 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal, beta sitosterol helps to lower cholesterol. By regulating blood pressure, improving circulation and oxidation of the blood, lowering cholesterol, and making blood less sticky, Aloe Vera juice may be able to help lower the risk of heart disease.

8. Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System

I think given the stresses of our daily lives, every one can use a boost to their immune systems. The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses.

Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle) Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.

9. Aloe Vera is Great for the Skin

Because of aloe’s well-known healing properties for the skin, aloe is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetic industry. It is a known vulnerary, (meaning it helps heal wounds) and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, psoriasis and even to bug bites. Aloe acts as an analgesic, acting to help relieve pain of wounds. It’s feels especially good to cut a stem of aloe, place it in the fridge and rub it on sun burnt skin – the immediate soothing effect feels like an absolute lifesaver. Aloe is also an antipruritic: A substance that relieves or prevents itching. Aloe Vera is an astringent: which causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and fits within my general guideline: “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat!” Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.

10. Disinfectant, Anti-biotic, Anti-microbial, Germicidal, Anti-bacterial, Anti-septic, Anti-fungal & Anti-viral:

Wow, I think that covers all anti- bases. Okay, I admit, that was just a sneaky way to add in another 8 good reasons why you should keep Aloe Vera handy and incorporate it into your lifestyle. Aloe Vera’s active ingredients are sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol which are substances that prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections, also active against bacteria. It also helps to treat fungal and viral infections.

11. Aloe Helps Reduce Inflammation

Aloe Vera contains 12 substances, including B-sisterole, which can help to slow down or inhibit inflammation.  This may be able to help with painful joints due to stiffness and help improve joint flexibility.

12. Weight Loss – A Secondary effect

Improving your digestion, and detoxifying your will have a secondary effect in promoting weight loss because when we start to improve our digestion we naturally eliminate more efficiently, which is a primary way they we detoxify – through our bowels. This will lighten our toxic load on the body and will give us more energy.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Nicole by OPI I Do De-Claire! review

Who needs last minute nail polish ideas? We must all be getting ready and beautifying ourselves for Christmas! If you are like me, procrastinating to the last minute before deciding on what to wear for that special Silent Night parties or holiday parties, this post is definitely for you!

This Christmas holiday season, I want a nice subtle pink colour to enhance my nails, yet not enough to steal . This frosty soft rose pink colour is perfect, it reminds me of the frost outside our houses, yet the rose pink gives a feminine warm side setting the perfect swatch for my nails.

Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire! review
Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire!

OPI has always had a wonderful reputation for high quality nail polish, I learned that OPI has made themselves more affordable by introducing "Nicole By OPI" This is a drug store line to their popular brand.

Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire! review
bottom of a bottle of  Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire!

Thoughts

  • Wonderful colour
  • frost finishing (reminder of winter)
  • Lovely
  • Long lasting colour
  • Great for fall/winter
  • One dip can fill 5 fingers
  • versatile, you can match any style with pink and frost 

Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire! review
I only used one coat (I suck at taking pictures of my hands)

This nail polish lasted a week looking great without any top coat or needing to reapply. I only used one coat, and the colour was vivid enough.

Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire! review
the brush can pick up a lot of product (sorry for the blurriness, my camera just won't focus, grrr)
Like most OPI products, the Nicole by OPI line's polishes were very vivid and strong in colour. The brush was well made, I just needed to dip the brush twice to finish coating all my nails.


Nicole by O.P.I. I Do De-Claire! review
colour of bottle versus colour on my nails, see how similar they are
This is a very versitile colour, that you can match with most styles. If you want a subtle swatch colour that is elegant and simple. This is the nail colour for you!


Monday, December 16, 2013

sick :(

photo source: historymike.blogspot.com

Hey my lovely readers,

I was sick with a throat infection (which lead to flu, sinus problems) this past week. This means reviews will be delayed. I am feeling much better now, but I still need to rest.

Hope to be back soon,

Steph

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Yorker Crackers review



I think the name lost something in translation, they aren't exactly "crackers" more like munchies. These were made in Malaysia.

thoughts:
  • savory
  • a little oily (the "crackers")
  • love the peanut bits (they are coated in some hard cracker mixture)
  • variety of taste
  • very subtle taste



Yorker Crackers
a look at a handful of their bits and choices
The "cracker" or solid dough bits are very oily, I could literally see and wipe oil off my fingers just touching it.

The peanut and green peas (which are covered in a dough coating) are much better. THey are not oily, but are "hard" (texture-wise)

These are good small simple snacks, but watch out for the vast amount of oil (in the solid dough bits). They can be quite addicting since they are small, oily and have "SOME" flavour

rating: 6.5/10

these don't seem as popular... so no website

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Étude House kissful tint choux red review


Étude house kiss full tint choux Red colour - container
Étude House kiss full tint choux Red colour - container

I always like Etude House products because they are really girly and are good quality. I heard a few beauty bloggers blog about this so I decided to make a purchase and give it a try. I actually have been using this for over 6 months now.

I decided on the Etude House Kissful Choux Tint in #1 Red

thoughts:

  • delicious cherry smell (no, I didn't taste it)
  • vivid colour
  • long lasting tint
  • moisturizes
  • natural looking
  • hard to apply (need to apply with finger)


Étude House kiss full tint choux red review
Étude house kiss full tint choux Red colour - contents and "applicator"

I really wished there was an applicator, this product forces you to use your hands which can be very messy. I end up with a pink/red stained finger every time I use this product. 



The product is really thick, you don't need a lot of it to fill your whole lip. It also smelled really yummy, like artificial cherry candy (but in a good way), for those who don't eat candy, this lip tint reminds me of Escada's Cherry in the Air perfume (which is the smell of artificial cherry candy).

Étude House kiss full tint choux red review
me with Étude House kiss full tint choux (Red) right after application

As mentioned, the product is thick but once you blend it out, it is is less pigmented. It looks dark pink more than red. When it dries, it is really dry, the thick product is no longer sticky. It even has a glossy finish (I know the photo doesn't show this too well).

Étude House kiss full tint choux red review
me with Étude House kiss full tint choux Red colour - after dinner (please excuse the background and my messy hair)
I really love how it moisturizes my lips and enhances them at the same time. Because the look is so natural, it keeps people wondering whether I have even applied anything on. It is really great that it is long lasting, so I don't have to "give away my secret" every time I need to reapply some more product.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Watson's Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel Hand Sanitizer review

Watson's Anti-bacterial Hand Gel

Sorry for the picture quality, when I was writing this review, all I had was a half used bottle and I wasn't able to find a picture online.

There has been a lot of flu and germs going around... (as with most typical winters)... I have a slight case of Automysophobia, so hand santizers are very important for me.

If I had to choose a most favourite hand santizer it will definitely be Watson's Hand Sanitizer.

Several reasons:
  • very affordable
  • cleans so well
  • gentle on skin
  • smells good
  • leaves a clean feeling to your hands 
The last time I checked, it only costs 14.5 HKD, if you are in Hong Kong or planning to go... get some! This hand sanitizer does such a great job cleaning skin, it doesn't strip away all "oil" to make your hands feel overly cleaned (it doesn't make them dry and sensitive). I have tested this hand sanitizer on really dirty hands and it cleaned my hands so well!

rating: 10/10!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

魔漫相机 MomentCam app (android & iPhone) review

playing with different templates on Moment Cam
playing with different templates on Moment Cam

I recently came across an app called Moment Cam. It is a app that allows you to take a head shot (or upload a picture) of yourself. It takes your headshot and transforms it into a drawing. (It is a Chinese App, but I am SO GLAD it has an English interface)

Moment Cam template
Moment Cam template
Thoughts:
  • English Interface ( if you are Chinese, there is a Chinese version)
  • Very User Friendly
  • Light App (won't drain your battery, won't lag your device)
  • lots of templates
  • Would be good if you can smooth out blemishes (due to lighting issues)
  • cool
  • free


Moment Cam
You can choose to edit yourself with different "background" templates (where you can do crazy, silly and interesting things). Some times the photos are very accurate or they can be very wrong, making you look very different, silly... or... weird.


face edit feature on moment cam
face edit feature on moment cam
Please excuse the weirdness of the "original photo". As you can see, because I had a bit of hair near my face, the app captured it as some dark spot, causing every picture to have a "dark spot". I had to use their "hair" to cover up.

You can see how I look different in some of these pictures that were generated, it is because of the lighting, and the angles I have used for different pictures. Just because a picture of you looks good "in real.. normal mode" doesn't mean it will look good in the app. (you will see what I mean when you look at these pictures)


Moment Cam: face edit mode: glasses
Moment Cam: face edit mode: glasses
In Face Edit Mode, you can choose
  • face shape (pointy chin, long chin, short chin, larger cheeks, square face, etc)
  • Hair Style (different types of hair style, from ancient Chinese to punk hair, long hair, short hair,etc)
  • Glasses (there is quite a variety of glasses to choose from)
  • Eyebrow (I didn't know your eyebrows can make you look so different prior to using this app)


Moment Cam: Face Edit, eyebrows
Moment Cam: Face Edit, eyebrows
After you have selected a headshot (or if you took a picture of a close up), the app will ask whether you a boy or a girl, this will bring you to different templates.
Moment Cam: random shot
They have a "signature feature" that allows you to draw freehand. I don't really like it, since I found it extremely difficult to do that on a mobile device. They should have a selection of fonts and stickers to choose from, that would enhance the user experience.

moment cam: this picture makes me look like Lilo from Lilo and Stitch DX
This is definitely a fun app, fun to play with and fun to share. I also really like how you can test different hair styles on yourself to see what fits your face. This is really helpful if you plan to do a whole new makeover. Sometimes, in default, it will choose the perfect "settings" (hair style, eye brows, face shape) for you that it feels will best fit you.

Moment Cam template
Moment Cam template
 For those who use Facebook or Weibo, you might probably notice that a lot of people are using this app, and list most people, I think I got a little obsessed by saving all the photos I did. You will know why when you use it.



They give you the convenience of uploading your "finished" product on your favourite social media networks such as: facebook, Weibo, Twitter, and virtually any others you can think of. You can also add some other apps that you want to upload to. 


*I have also noticed they are starting to have celebrity templates (take pictures with celebrities).

I will definitely give this App 10/10 because there are no crashes, freezes or battery drains. It is also really easy to use, and best of all, it is available on BOTH Android and iPhone. And the #1 reason... IT IS FREE!

App Name: 魔漫相机MomentCam
Apple IOS App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/momentcam/id687624831?mt=8
Google Play Store, Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.manboker.headportrait

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Comparing Browsers:Google Chrome Vs. Mozilla Firefox

image source: http://mashable.com/2009/09/21/web-browser-faceoff/

I was debating whether this should go in my personal blog or my reviews blog... in the end, I chose the reviews blog... so here it is:

I think they are both really great browsers, but lately, I have discovered that using Chrome seems to have more user-friendly advantages over Mozilla Firefox, here are the advantages I have observed:

Advantages of using Google Chrome:
- fast
- directly type search items in address bar to search in Google
- when zooming in and out, I know what is the percentage of the view I am viewing (e.g. zoom 110%, 150%, 80% of original view)
- incognito window (for private browsing, won't save history, cookies, etc)
- open image in new tab option (very useful)
- automatically asks to translate a page for you when it is in a different language other specified in your browser)
- Chrome's autofill is so convenient when it comes to filling long forms (while you need to click on each field in Firefox, Chrome allows you to autofill with one click)

Advantages of using Mozilla Firefox:
- plugin/extensions to view live CSS/html changes (Chrome has a similar feature, but Firefox's extensions have more options and easier to use)
- extremely stable
- lots of extensions and plugins (lots of customization options)


both are great, really (they are both the most used browsers) I use both of them, if a webpage did not work in one, I would use the other browser to view that web page. But in terms of usability and user experience, I would choose Google Chrome.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Greg's Ice Cream - Candy Cane Flavour review

Greg's Candy Cane Ice Cream
Greg's Candy Cane Ice Cream

It's Christmas Season at Greg's Ice Cream!

We had a warm day last week, so while passing Greg's, we decided on getting ice cream. To see all the "Greg's Ice Cream reviews I have written, please click here.

Greg's is quiet this time of year, since it is getting cold. There were a few visitors but no long lines. One of the advantages was that almost all the ice cream available that day were there (not sold out), I think there were about 10 different flavours to choose from.

The one that caught my eye and I really wanted was the Candy Cane flavour. And why not? It is cold, with about a month's time to Christmas, who wouldn't want some Candy Cane? Besides, I was really fascinated as to how it would taste.

thoughts:
  • very minty
  • quite sweet
  • candy cane bits can be smaller
As weird as it sounds, I did not really like the large Candy Cane bits in the ice cream, I understand that they needed to be there, but they were too big and were stealing the (taste?) attention from the ice cream. It was a very minty ice cream, so minty that I was craving for more a few hours later.

It is definitely a really good tasting ice cream, however, next time when I get this, I would probably pick out the larger bits/pieces before eating. If you love minty stuff, this is defnitely the ice cream for you, it will also satisfy your sweet tooth too!

website: http://gregsicecream.com/scoophappy/

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Etude House Dear Darling Tint review



tagline: Jelly Lip Tint for Rouge Colored Lips

I find this product very interesting and fun, I wouldn't recommend you to use this if you are in a hurry, it takes a while for the "jelly" to dry, and  if you don't wait, it will be as if you haven't applied on any lip colour in the first place.

I got the Dear Darling Tint "No.2 Real Red"


 you can see what it looks like before and after product is still wet here

I think this is a fun product, but not a very practical one. As it is jelly based, you basically need to use quite a lot of the product when you use it once. They smell like grape but taste disgusting.
close up shot (sorry, took this picture at a different time, so product is on (left side) other side (compared to other picture)

Pros:
  • lip stain
  • nice colour
  • new and innovative way to apply lip colour
  • applicator makes it very easy to apply and control (the colour).

Cons:
  • bottle does not last long
  • long wait time
  • dries out your lips
  • product does not last very long on your lips
  • product colour is not very strong (I guess that why it is called a "tint")

don't be afraid to put on too much (I was a bit freaked out when I first applied this), the jelly will dry and the product's colour will be less apparent. The Jelly made it really hard to smooth out, Thank goodness the applicator was really precise to apply colour on.

wand/brush of Dear Darling Tint
wand/brush of Dear Darling Tint (sorry for the picture quality)


I really like that it works like a lip stain, I don't like the "jelly" stickiness (of the product even when it has dried). When it dries it mattifies, there is no glossy finish (despite that, you can still feel the stickiness from the "jelly" ).

after the product dries on your lips, see how subtle the colour becomes after (I have applied the product all over my lips in this photo)


If you are looking for a subtle lip colour (as if you aren't really wearing any lip colour products) then this is a really good product for you.

After heading out for dinner, you can see that there is a little (30%) of the product left (it is more apparent in real life)


product rating: 7/10

website: http://www.etudehouse.com/eng/product/product_view.jsp?prdtCd=215056002

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Montana's Cookhouse food review

It has been a while since I've been to Montana's. The last time I was there, I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures of their food, thus, my review was mainly on the atmosphere. This time, I was sure to take pictures and write a better review.

regular pork back ribs with Texas Bold sauce with Southern Baked Beans and Rice Pilaf & Corn Bread- $20.99
Since Montana's is known for their South Western US of A food, we decided to settle for some ribs.
Smokehouse Pork Ribs. The menu described them as:

Rubbed, smoked, basted and grilled to finger licking perfection

It was REALLY good, the description was very accurate. We were sitting there wondering how did they make the pork so smooth yet it can be so thoroughly cooked. It was really good! For the sauce, we decided on Texas Bold since it seems that this place specializes in Texas Bold. The dish was literally grilled to perfection. The meat was so tender and was well marinaded. This entree included Corn Bread and 2 sides of our choice. It was very filling. ( we decided on the southern baked beans and rice... the sides were very filling, but we thought they could have tasted better. They both weren't very tasty... if you want something really good, I would recommend the mashed potatoes, they were really good!)

Signature dish - Oven-Baked Antojitos - $9.99
For the appetizer we order one of their signature appetizers, Oven-Baked Antojitos. They described this as:

A spicy blend of cheese, jalapeno, onion, and red pepper, rolled up in a flour tortilla and oven-baked till melted.
served with pesto sour cream dipping sauce

I really appreciated that it was oven baked (yet it was very crispy, like the fried ones, but healthier). This can be very filling, so I highly recommend that you share this dish with others... or you won't be able to try the other foods available.

Signature dish - mile high mud cake - $8.49
For dessert, we got their signature dessert, Mile High Mud Cake. 

A mountain of layers. Expresso chocolate chunk ice cream, creamy peanut butter, and chocolate ice cream on a crunchy chocolate cookie crust. Topped with Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce.
I think they got every irresistible cake flavour on this cake. It was huge... the picture doesn't reflect that though.
side view of mud cake $8.49
I totally failed at taking a clear picture of this I didn't want to look awkward taking a picture but look at how huge it is! It took us nearly 45 minutes to finish this. It was really delicious. There is a "half" cake option for this item, so if you want to try it but is already full, try that. (I'm sure it will be more than enough).

I would definitely come back to Montana's again. Their food, service, quality and quantity are all good.

I would give this place 9/10 (that's a very high score)

website: http://www.montanas.ca

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Joey's at Eaton Centre restaurant review

photo credits: www.torontoeatoncentre.com 
I have heard countless reviews about this restaurant, at Places at Don Mills. People like to come here to celebrate birthdays, reunions or simply just to come here to drink and chillax. A few months ago I ran into their other restaurant at Eaton Centre, decided to give this place a try.

Before I go into my review about this place, here's a little checklist as to what I think:
  • great atmosphere
  • service is ok (I'll talk more about it in my review below)
  • food is good
  • quite pricey

menu
I was quite disappointed in their lack of selection in their menu. 


service: some waitresses were very friendly while others were... trying to be friendly. I find the setting very odd, I can tell they were trying very hard to make this place a very friendly, casual environment, but it seemed to be very forced.
lobster sandwich

the first thing which came was the lobster sandwich. This was very delicious but also was a very small portion. I was shocked when the waitress/server settled it on our table. I thought the wrong food item came because it was so small... looked like a starter more than an entree. I have to comment it was really good and tasty, the fries were also good... but... seriously... too expensive.



Florentine ravioli

The Florentine Ravioli was served with seared scallops and prosciutto. The Ravioli's were filled with Artichokes and spinach with a tomato salad. This dish was a bit bigger and it was also very tasty. Good thing we have ordered this or we would probably be starving.

Service was quite bad, as I mentioned earlier, they "tried" to be friendly, food took a really long time to come too. So we were absolutely starving.

I do not think I would be visiting this place very often, and I realized that I must do my research before deciding what to order. I wished they also had a better selection as well. I do not understand how they can make Sushi, Ravioli, and steak in the same place and be good at each one (thus this was why I choose these 2 dishes). I would also much appreciate it if their waitresses were more sincere as well.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Dettol's Hand Sanitizer review

photo source: http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au
I have been meaning to do a review on this product for a very long time... I have used Dettol's Hand Sanitizer for almost 3 years now. I was actually shocked that not a lot of places offer this product though. Luckily, Hong Kong seems to be equipped with almost every good product in the world!

The brand, Dettol, has been around before 1950s and has been known for its amazing ability to disinfect products.

I was really excited to see this product though I must confess I was a bit scared that it would be too strong (like their other products) for my hands, but it isn't at all.

I don't think this hand sanitizer works so well if you have really dirty hands, but it works if want to have cleaner hands before you eat (in a restaurant).


thoughts:
  • mild on hands
  • does not irritate sensitive skin
  • mild cleaning
  • great smell (it smells like lime)
  • long lasting (one bottle lasted me 4 months)
couldn't find a website, so no website.

LinkWithin