Missha Super Aqua oxygen micro visible deep Cleanser review

What is this product?

short summary from Ebay (where I purchased this product)

• Cleanse dirts in pores with oxygen auto micro bubble system and get the clear skin with deep cleansing.
• O2 complex is composed of the purification plant such as Sanseveria to vitalize the tired skin condition. It makes moist skin by boosting effect through a massage.
• Swiss Alpine herb extract protects the sensitive skin with mild cleansing.
• Apply proper amount (2-3 pumps) on DRY face. Wait 30~40 sec for enough bubble, and massage gently from lip & eye area to all over face. Wash off with lukewarm water.

szzzzz... I love the sound of bubbles/foams forming, what better than to have these szzzz chiiiiiii sounds on your face while feeling them clean your pores? exactly, nothing else.

This cleanser is surprising gentle to my face. I didn't feel it stripping "everything" from my face... You must have a lot of patience using this cleanser, the first time I used this, I wasn't reading the instructions (oops) and it didn't really clean my face too well... (I thought when if the bubbles formed, then my face should be cleaned, but that is not the case)... the 30-40 second wait is a MUST, and it is worth it, you can feel the szzzz (!? how do you spell these sounds?) bubble start to form in your pores (it sounds cool doesn't it?), those "bubbles" can give you a slight itchy feeling though.

photo credits: missha.co.nz

This is a cleanser that is considered "strong" so please put on serum/moisturizer on your skin right after you wash this stuff away... your skin will thank you for it. However that being said, I find that this cleanser cleans your pores more than your actual skin... which is good.

I find it particularly strange why I wasn't able to find this product on their official website. I later discovered that this product is only available in New Zealand. The official name of this product is "SA Oxygen Micro Visible Deep Cleanser". I wonder why it is only available in New Zealand, if it is good, they should make it available in other places so others can enjoy it. Thank God for eBay!

---

Steps to using this product

1. Apply an adaquete amount to dry face. They suggest 2-3 pumps, but I guess it really depends on how "dirty" your face is and what amount you are comfortable with, I personally go with 1-2 pumps.

2. You will not really feel anything until after 30 seconds. If you have make up on, once the foam forms, you can put the foam on your lips and eyes (this helps remove the makeup gently).

3.Once you feel the foam has stopped forming and no more "szzzzz" sounds (no more itchiness) massage all of it to clean your "skin" then rinse off.

---

According to it's official website, it does wonders for make up too, since I am not a make up person, I don't really have a chance to try this... but here's an image of what it does to make up.

photo credits: missha.co.nz

Pros:
- really works
- smells really good
- the foam forming feeling, I like the feeling of being able to feel it working
- cleans your pores very thoroughly (did I mention pores?)
- for some strange reason, I really like the container


Cons:
- expensive
- long wait time for it to work!! >.< (you can tell I'm not a very patient person)

website: http://www.missha.co.nz/shop/SHOP+ONLINE/new/SA+Oxygen+Micro+Visible+Deep+Cleanser.html

McLobster at McDonald's review

In High School, Food and Nutrition class, my teacher told me about her trip to Nova Scotia, about how the McDonald's there served Lobster wraps for only a Canadian dollar! As a lobster fan, I have always thought about visiting Nova Scotia during their lobster season so I can try all these types of lobsters she talked about.

A few years later, turns out those "McLobsters" have made their way to Toronto! I was very excited, I mean... how often can you tell someone "I'm eating lobsters in McDonald's" ? Exactly, hardly... if any luck. Unfortunately, they did not cost a dollar... more like... 7 of those dollars and 67 cents.

I was definitely impressed with the freshness and the "meatiness" of the lobster. I didn't get to watch the TV commercial before hand so I didn't know what to expect. Turns out it was a Lobster salad bistro. With that being said, since salads are served cold, the lobster was cold. I was definitely impressed by the amount of lobster they had, there were main parts of the lobster; they mainly had claw/clamps (?) and tails, I really appreciated how they "chopped" the lobsters to the right size so that we are able to recognize which body part of the lobster  we are eating. This is very important, I want to know which part of the lobster I am chewing on. This also helps us taste the "juiciness" of the meat.

The salad composed of 100% Atlantic lobster meat and a lemon mayonnaise type sauce with celery, green onions and shredded lettuce. I wished they would tone down on the ingredients and focus more on enhancing the lobster, the celery and green onions kind of "stole" the lobster fresh taste.

I find the price for a McLobster quite high for 2 reasons: 1. this is McDonald's 2. there wasn't enough lobster or ingredients to be charging that much.

I look forward to more McLobsters and different types of McLobsters next year! I do hope they will be introducing different kinds of lobster "meals" and new pricing to attract more people. I also hope they will have better quality control over their food, with reference to the 2 McLobsters photos I took, you can tell that the serving size was not equal.

Overall speaking I thought this McLobster was well made... however, I feel it will be very beneficial if they were able to provide a "hotter" (temperature wise) version of a lobster meal, since I think that lobsters are a lot tastier when they are served hot. I think many people will agree with me on this. This was definitely fun to try but in order for me to buy another one next time/next year, they will need to be more creative.

(sorry for the late review, I had been extremely busy, I learned that McLobster actually ended on Aug. 23, 2013, I hope this can be reference for those who will get a chance to try it next year)

Avenue Diner on Davenport Diner review

Avenue Diner Menu

The reviews for Avenue Diner are at 2 extremes: either you really like this place, or you hate it to bits, I was confused as to why there was such extremities. 

John from Urban Spoon says: "Biggest dump ever!!! Most overpriced breakfast I've ever seen.. And the food isn't even good!... Tiny tiny portions, miserable workers.. All they care about is money, stay far away from this dive."

while Jojo2772 from Urban Spoon says  "I love this place!! Great atmosphere, location (steps from Yorkville) and the best breakfast in town. The staff are super friendly and service is very quick. On any given day, you don't know which major celebrity could be dining at this fine establishment."

I had to give this place a try and see why there were such different reviews for this diner. My first visit was after lunch time (1:30PM), the place is quite small and was almost half full... a lot of people were coming in to order burger and fries. 

The Diner opened in 1944, you can tell by their interior. On one of the walls, it will filled with photographs, those were photographs of celebrities, rock stars, hockey players, etc  (taken with the owner) at the diner. The servers were not friendly nor rude, they were just there to take your orders and serve food.

Avenue Banquet burger

I scanned the menu, there isn't a lot of you can choose from, they range from All Day Breakfast, to fries to burgers. I usually like getting foods that are "special" and "unique" so the Avenue Banquet burger caught my eye, I asked the owner what it was and he explained that it was a Bacon Cheddar Burger. That sounded like something I wanted, so I ordered it.

I was surprised at how large the piece of  "burger" was. Overall speaking, I think this is a "fair" burger, I liked how it is quite filling, and the taste is ok. The pickles were not sour (I like that it is not sour like some pickles that causes you to "winch" when you eat them); I was a little disappointed with the overall taste... since it was a "Bacon and Cheddar" burger, I expected the bacon and cheddar to be more tasteful and be more present. Unfortunately, I found it quite difficult to "taste" them. The bacon was too thin and the cheese was too "tiny", so they were not able to make their presence known. Also, be warned, eating this burger can be quite messy.

I think I would give this burger a 2.8/5 since I could hardly taste the ingredients (in the name). I really liked how filling it was, I really appreciated that. I think the price was sort of reasonable ($7.86/tax included) for a burger in Yorkville.

Keep in mind, if you want to visit this place, they are only opened till 4:00PM every day and during the months of July and August they do not open on Mondays & Tuesdays.

I am surprised they don't have a website, so no website this time.

Binggrae Banana Flavoured Milk Drink review

Lately, due to the popularity of Minions 2, I have discovered that people are becoming more and more interested (ahem, obsessed) with Bananas! This isn't such a bad thing since Bananas are really good for you! 

A friend told me that Binggrae's Banana milk is really popular in Korea, the tour guide in Korea recommended this drink to them and my friend loved this drink, he was very excited when he found this in a grocery store in Toronto. He offered me one to try. 

The drink is heavily flavoured in banana and milk. Unfortunately, as expected the banana flavour tasted a bit artificial. (Not as worse as other foods, but still quite artificial). I was actually surprised that the milk tasted so "milky" (-___-) it is what made this drink taste better. I do warn you, if you do not like milk flavoured things, I don't think you will like this drink very much.

Due to the artificial banana taste, I do not recommend this drink to be served any other way other than cold though.

I think this is an interesting drink, I can't say I really like it, but it isn't extremely bad... if you are interested, why not give it a try? try something new every day!

日出茶太 Chatime review

Brewed Oolong Milk Tea with Pudding

Chatime... Global Brand with Local Flavour

Recently, the talk of town is "Chatime"!
Whenever it's after dinner... "let's go Chatime"
or After a movie "let's go to Chatime"
or to talk "let's talk at Chatime"

How can I ignore such a significant place? I have learned that they have already opened 2 tearooms in Toronto and from what I heard, there will be more coming.

Upon arriving to the store, you will notice that there is a line... there is always a line, I passed by this place at least 5 times already and every time there is a line... the line moves quite quick, so don't be scared. Once you enter the shop, you will be invited by their sweet milk tea flavor scent. The atmosphere is very casual I would not recommend coming to this place if you are a party of more than 5, as there aren't a lot of seats. This place is not designed for you to stay for more than one hour, it is a drink and go place. (wait time is not too bad)

photo credits: http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/chatime-toronto#HsBHP3qunw96PhFP4spueA


Their drinks are more on the pricey side (approximately $5/bubble tea), it is worth it, but still considered pricey (especially when you aren't served, you just get a take out cup, and there is  but they can be quite pricey due to the uniqueness of their drinks menu. You can click here for their updated drink's menu. Quality is also a factor in their pricing, they do put powder in their drinks but you can taste a difference between their drinks compared to other places who fully rely on powder and other chemicals. The drinks here taste much more "natural" and "real"

I find it interesting how they have unusual additives to their drinks such as: Red Bean, Coffee Jelly, Grass Jelly, Aloe Vera and Pudding.  I was interested in the pudding and coffee Jelly... I chose pudding in the end.

Another very interesting feature of this place is that you can choose how much "Sugar", "Ice" and "Topping" you would like to add to your drink. There is a range for example:

100% - normal sugar dose
70% - less sugar dose
0%  -  no sugar at all

(the same applies to their ice and topping)

I assume because it is located in downtown, they only service "take out" so you can only get your drinks in a take away/out cup.

Additional information:
if you would like to access their free WiFi, the password is their phone number

Overall, I like this place, not so much the atmosphere (it is too loud and not "comfortable" enough, since they call themselves a tearoom I would expect a more "tearoom" environment (unless of course there is a lost in translation? I'll give them the benefit of the doubt)). I like their unique drinks and quality so I guess I will be coming here again.

rating: 4.5/5

website: http://www.ichatime.com.tw/index.php

Question: Difference Between Serum and Moisturizer

photo credits: Clinique.com

 I have always wondered what are the differences between serum and moisturizer.They both "seem" to do similar things, yet Serums tend to costs so much more than moisturizers. I always thought serums were a concentrated moisturizer. After starting to use more skincare products, I was determined to learn about the differences so I know what it was I was putting on my face. I have found the answers and I want to share them with you. I will try to keep this post as short and as simple as I can.

First, to make things clear, serums and moisturizers are meant to be used together. You can't "choose" which one to use. If you just use one, you aren't making use of the product to it's fullest capabilities. In fact, you will be wasting the product since you can not utilize it fully. (Although, I do not recommend those who are 24 and under to use serums since your skin is able to produce the nutrients needed already (unless you have really bad terrible skin), over nourishing your skin can cause your skin to "stop" helping itself... and the formula might be too strong for your skin and end up making the condition of your skin even worse). If you feel you need one, I recommend you to go visit the store and ask if there are serums that are more suitable for younger skin)

photo credits: lancome.com

Serums are to enhance your skin-care routine and it is much more concentrated (you should never put too much on, once you put serum on your face, your skin will immediately absorb it all, so don't "over saturate" it, not having reside on your face is good, it means your skin has absorbed it all. Serums are very different than other creams/moisturizers/lotion. This is one of the reasons why a small bottle costs so much, and you can still "afford" it, a little goes a long way...) A 50 ml Serum can last you 5-6 months. 

If you read the "types" of serums and moisturizers you will notice their differences between the two immediately.


Serums tend to focus on a really specific skin problems e.g. wrinkles, discolorations, renew skin, etc. If you notice, these are "deeper skin problem.

Moisturizers are, well, used for moisturizing. (for oily skin, to rehydrate dry skin) These are solving the more "surface" part of the skin. They are also meant to "protect" you from environmental/climate factors (e.g. air pollution, UV rays, dry weather, hot weather etc) which prevent your skin from being healthy.

photo credits: http://lacedinleather.com

Remember: Moisturizers are meant to seal nutrients and prevent moisture from evaporating while serums are the nutrients to replenish your skin. 

When you use Moisturizers and serums together, you are putting nutrients into your skin (which are penetrating the depths of your skin, and the moisturizer seals it, making sure the serum can work properly, while protecting your skin from dryness and climate factors which can affect the skin (e.g. pollution).

(I will make a post that talks about serums since I realized there are a lot of things that need to be covered)

奶蓋咩 Latte Mei review

photo credits: Lum. V. from yelp.ca

After a shopping trip to Eaton Centre, a friend and I walked along Dundas looking for a place to chat. We were both attracted by the greenness of this shop, so we decided to go in. The shop is quite small and simple. After going in the shop, we discovered it was "Taiwan's No. 1 Tea". I was so excited to learn that I can try something authentically Taiwan in Toronto. However, that being said, this place isn't as busy as you would expect (no long lines). Most come for take out and hardly stay.

my friend and I decided to order Jelly Noodle White Gourd tea, since it was one of their recommended drinks. I was very curious as to what "Jelly" Noodle was. The wait time (from paying to getting our orders) was quite lengthy. 

After taking the first sip, I was a little disappointed with the "Jelly Noodle", it was nothing more than some sort of chewy tasteless... "noodle". It didn't impress me at all.

On the other hand, the drink itself, the Gourd tea was quite a surprise. It was good!! The gourd here is a winter melon. Not too sweet or too dull (?). Over the years I have almost given up on getting "melon" type teas because of the large amounts of sugar they put into it. I am glad I have FINALLY found a place that does not overdose their Winter Melon Tea!

The prices at this place is quite reasonable. For $3.99, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, this is definitely a deal, HOWEVER, keep in mind there is NO SERVICE and wait times can be pretty long.

website: http://www.lattemei.com.tw/

Yesstyle Free Shipping Extended to Aug. 31st 2013!!! (Expired)

For those who thought you had missed out on the free shipping... I went on Yesstyle today and discovered their promotion has been extended!!! :)

Who is up for some Free Shipping from Yesstyle.com again? If you have either This is available for both yesstyle.ca and yesstyle.com customers!)

Offer ends August 31st now!!!


For those who have never been to Yesstyle, it is an online shop (it is quite reliable and can be trusted), it is known for it's variety of fashion from designers coming from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

Click here to learn more about shopping at Yesstyle (this is a guide written by my friend Lisa, who is a fashion guru)

Question: What is the difference between Greek Yogurt and "Regular" Yogurt

image source: http://danone.ca/

 I am obsessed with Greek Yogurt, who isn't? It is always better to learn about what you are eating and I have been curious as to what are the differences between yogurt and Greek yogurt. There should be more to the differences between Greek Yogurt and regular yogurt other than it's thicker and creamier texture.

image source: http://danone.ca/

The major difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that Greek yogurt contains less: sugar, carbohydrates and twice the amount of protein. I also discovered that because it was strained a lot more than regular yogurt, it is easier to cook with, it will not curd like regular yogurt.

In this chart, I have summarized some other differences I found (the ones highlighted indicate it is "better" than the other):

	Greek Yogurt	“Regular” yogurt
Protein	Twice the amount of protein then regular yogurt	______________________
Sodium	Half the sodium of regular yogurt
Calcium	___________________	Contains three times the calcium of Greek Yogurt
Calories	Almost same as regular yogurt	Almost same as Greek yogurt

So, after comparing some of the differences, which would you choose? I think Greek Yogurt offers a lot of great nutrients and you can cook with it. It is ideal for those who would want to loose some weight and for those who are diabetic (since there is less sugar). However, if you are looking to eat yogurt to get the calcium, Greek Yogurt might not be your most ideal snack.