Lady Merry Heart Line mask review

Lady Merry Heart line mask review

Made in Korea

Price: ¥3240/box (5 masks per box)

(please comment below if you would like to purchase)
When I first heard about V Line masks, I was dying to try one, but to my disadvantage, I couldn't find any online or locally. So when my friend introduced me to Lady Merry and gave me a few masks to try I was extremely excited to try their Heart Line Masks!

My friend told me that the Heart Line Mask is:

 A typical youthful, ideal facial shape is said to have a V lined, or even better, heart shaped roundness. Our product is capable of creating such effect on its user, therefore the name ‘Heart Line Mask’.

《Cause of facial sagginess》 Buccal fat, a fat mass that exists on both side of the human cheek. It gets loose as age grows and is the main cause for sagginess in the cheek and jawline. Although there are various reasons that causes the buccal fat to loosen and start sinking, the biggest factor is none other than gravity. It had been a fact that there are demand for cosmetic surgeries to remove buccal fats in order to improve cheek sagginess.

So, apparently, I have a lot of Buccal fat... so this mask will definitely help me make my face shape more "heart" shaped.

[Heart Line Mask] is a product that helps prevent the sagginess due to gravity, and elevates the skin naturally.

claims:
◯Natural Face Lift Effect
◯ Relieves swelling and edema effect from after a proper facelift surgery
◯ Helps maintain the result from a facelift surgery
・Moisture retention for the skin
・Helps prevent sleep disorder such as mouth opening, snoring and dry mouth if used during sleep
・Relieves swell from after tooth extraction

back of packaging

According to the packaging:

major ingredients list:

原料名	English ingredient name
グリセリン	Glycerin
ゼラチン	Gelatin
ポリアクリル酸Na	Polyacrylic acid Na
ポリビニルアルコール	Polyvinyl alcohol
PVP	PVP
異性化サフラワーグリセリズ	Isomerization safflower glyceryl's
アセチルヘキサペプチド−８	Acetyl hexapeptide -8
ベタイン	Betaine
BG	BG
加水分解コラーゲン	Hydrolyzed collagen
酸化チタン	Titanium oxide
ポリソルベート８０	Polysorbate 80
レシチン	lecithin
リゾレシチン	Lysolecithin
アデノシン	Adenosine
ヒアルロン酸Na	Hyaluronic acid Na
カフェイン	Caffeine
EDTA-2Na	EDTA-2Na
フェノキシエタノール	Phenoxyethanol
メチルパラベン	Methylparaben

how mask looks

Product Features

• Heart Line Mask uses material similar to poultice that are elastic and highly adhesive, giving a firm elevation of skin around the cheek and jaw area. 
• Maintains the elevated skin for a long period of time
• Helps prevent sleep disorder such as mouth opening, snoring and dry mouth if used during sleep.
• Embedded collagen and hyaluronic acid gives a moisturizing feel to the skin area wrapped within.
• Doesn’t leave any visible marks immediately after usage, so it can be used anytime of the day

mask unveiled

How to use:

1. Thoroughly clean your face with cleansing foam or gel. 
2. With the markings facing down, fit in the center of your jaw to the middle of heart line mask.
3. Pull over the mask to fit into the hook of your ears. 
4. Keep mask in the position for 15-20 minutes before removal. 

*Remove mask slowly and gently to avoid overstretch of your skin. 
*Recommended to be used twice a week 
*Should you feel any abnormal skin reaction, stop using immediately and consult a dermatologist or your family doctor

I have spoken to a representative at Lady Merry and he told me that I can leave this mask on overnight. Since this mask is "dry" it would not be osmosis (stripping away the moisture in my skin). Instead, it will act as a protective mask to help you retain moisture.

actual mask

impressions:

• very tight (hard to talk while the mask is on face)
• it works! :O (instant results!)
• effects last for 3-4 days
• a bit hard to apply (easy to get hair onto mask)
• easy to use (after you get the hang of it)
• very clean, no messes (not watery)

how mask looks on face

Unlike most face masks I have used, this mask was very sticky and not watery. I didn't have to worry about it dripping. The self adhesive layer was perfectly... adhesive and did not hurt when I removed it.

before and after

pros:

• works very well
• no dripping, messy watery liquids
• very clean
• effects are long lasting
• the material is comfortable
• you can wear it overnight!
• many features

cons:

• a bit pricey
• you can't talk when you use it
• you can't multitask (e.g. eating, talking, etc), the mask will move and be misaligned

instant results! :O

Where to buy:
some tax free drug stores in Japan carry these masks...
If you can't find it or not located in Japan and are interested, please comment below and I can help you order it.

Price: ¥3240/box (5 masks per box)

score: 8.5/10
website: http://nandt.net/

FU Ryu 博多風龍 ラーメン review

store front

In the midst of the busyness of Tokyo, you can find gems and jewels everywhere. And today, I found a great ramen place! The shop was very small, so it is quite hard to notice it. I think I have walked by this place at least 100 times and I didn't notice it.

it looks from across the street

Here is the list of addresses: http://fu-ryu.net/en/shop/area/shibuya (This should be the one located near Shibuya Street Basket Ball). How you can find it, when you get to Labi Shibuya turn into the street adjacent from it then keep walking till you reach McDonald's (McDonald's is a great indication that you are walking the right way), continue walking and you will find this shop.

(But there are a lot of locations along the Yamanote Line: http://fu-ryu.net/en/index#section2)

vending machine

Like most ramen places in Japan, they use a vending machine. All you have to do is put in money, choose what you want and the machine will produce a ticket. When you get into the shop, choose your seat and give the server your ticket.

this sign tells you that you can order 2 additional ramens (just the noodles, not soup) for free

I was amazed when I read this sign! You can order up to 2 additional ramen servings (just plain ramen) for free! You can choose between Extra Hard, Hard, Medium and Soft. They recommend Hard... but I always get medium.

they have a lot of condiments for you to personalize your ramen and other items like Gyoza

I was surprised by the amount of condiments they had. Everything from pickled veggies to ginger to sesame. The list goes on.

this pickled veggie is actually from Hakata (博多)

different noodle "hardness"

Their Famous Tonkotsu Ramen for ¥550

Tonkotsu Ramen

So I was not deceived, the ramen in the picture is exactly how the bowl of ramen looked!

impressions:

• very rich and creamy broth
• not much garlic flavour (no smelly breath)
• did not like the pork (cha siu pork)
• thin "noodles/ramen"
• lots of green onions and fungus strips

I loved how milky and creamy the broth looked... it was very rich. Unlike most Ramens, this broth did not contain a lot of garlic (it is good if you are meeting someone later... no garlic breath!).

However, I was quite disappointed in the pork (cha siu). The first time I tried it I thought they gave me an old piece of pork... but after ordering this ramen a few times, I realized that it was the way they made this pork that tasted old and dry. I didn't like it, so I didn't mind if there was only one slice. >___<

see how thin the noodles are

Compared to other Ramen shops, this place has very thin ramen to accompany their broth. I can't say whether it is a good or bad thing though. It just gives a different experience of eating. The noodles did not absorb so much broth but since the broth was thick, there was a certain amount of broth "stuck" to the ramen.

I liked the green onions and fungus as they made the bowl of ramen so much more healthy and added a lot more texture to the ramen.

I finished it all! nothing left!

It was tough as there was a lot of ramen... but I finished it! I finished it and drank all of the broth! :P

I have tried this at their Shinjuku shop (East Exit) and it was as good... I'm glad they have quality control across their shops!

Atmosphere and Seating

Since this is a small shop, be prepared to have to wait for a seat. This place is not only small but also very popular... thus, it can be quite crowded. But, that being said, most who eat ramen only stay for a short time... and they eat quick, so the wait shouldn't be too long (my longest wait was 8 mins).

score: 10/10
website: http://fu-ryu.net/

Canmake Tokyo Colorful Nails #80 Berry Sherbet review

Canmake Tokyo Colorful Nails #80 Berry Sherbet product and look

This is one of my first Canmake products! I somehow managed to avoid using them (not intentional).

Since it is almost close to Valentine's Day, I decided to go with the theme and do a review on a very lovely nail product.

Name: [80]ベリーシャーベット☆
translation: #80 Berry Sherbet
price: ¥360 +tax

see the similarities? it looks more similar in real life than in this picture

impressions:

• thin layer
• just one layer to see the pattern (2 is perfect)
• needs top coat
• illusion of lengthened fingers/nails
• takes a while to dry (for the second layer)

So the first time I applied this product with the brush to my nails, I was surprised by the amount of the white/red/pink sparkles that has ended up on my nails (this is usually not the case with most sparkle nail polish products). I also loved how thin the layer was, so it was easy to dry and I was able to build up the constellation of product onto my nails.

I also noticed that this nail polish really gives an illusion that lengthens my fingers slightly and makes my nails look girly. Absolutely love it!

Drying Time:
While I was impressed with the short amount of time it took the first layer to dry, I was disappointed that it took way longer for the second layer to dry... (I'm not sure why). The first layer only took 1 min to dry while the second layer took 20 mins (not normal... usually second layers are only 3 times the amount of time... not 20 times lol).

close up of nails

Valentine's Day:
I think this look is perfect for any Valentine's Day event (or any dates, girls night, etc) because of its subtleness and girly design, it is extremely versatile. It's just lovely to have with its nice red, pink sparkles along with white to remind you of the chilly weather.

I hope you enjoyed this review :) Have a Wonderful Valentine's Day/Weekend <3

score: 9/10
website: http://www.canmake.com/nail/item_nail008.html

I'm still alive!

Hey my lovely friends and fellow reviewers,

I apologize for disappearing for a few weeks... I was busy heading home to Toronto, with a mini trip to the US and then back to Tokyo.

When I got back to Tokyo, I had a few things I had to deal with... thus, I wasn't able to write reviews for a few weeks...

I'm writing to tell you that I am STILL ALIVE and will continue writing reviews again!

xoxo,
Steph