I Dew Care Thirst Things First Revitalizing Vitamin C Mist Mask review

After having a great experience with face mists, specifically, Korean facial mists, I couldn't pass on this product! This mist retails for $29 (CAD)

Production Description: 

아이듀케어 써스트 띵스 퍼스트 I DEW CARE THIRST THINGS FIRST

Take skin from dull to dewy in just one spritz with this refreshing, bi-phase mist-mask featuring a water base formulated with Vitamin C-rich pomegranate extract and a moisturizing layer made with lemon peel oil.

DISTRIBUTED BY Memebox Corp. San Francisco, CA 94103

MADE IN KOREA

Benefits: 

• A Vitamin C brightening serum with a lightweight, jelly-like formula that gives skin a plumper look.
• Infused with nourishing Vitamin C to boost radiance, improve skin tone, and protect against environmental stressors. As well as Vitamin E and B5 conditions to help replenish moisture levels and relieve dryness. 
• Enriched with antioxidant-rich grapefruit extract to reduce visible signs of premature aging over time.

Ingredients:

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Seed Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Caprylyl Glycol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Tromethamine, Sodium Citrate, Cyanocobalamin, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Junos Peel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Menadione, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Thiamine HCl, Fragrance.

Directions:

Use throughout the day to take the complexion from dull to dewy

1. Shake the bottle to mix the oil and water into an emulsion. 

2. Close the eyes, then mist onto the face and neck daily.

As an alternative:

Use at night as a leave-on mask.

 impressions:

• has a very light lemony scent (but disappears in a matter of seconds)
• very refreshing (face felt plump)
• very light (no oily residue)
• spray dispenses product in a vertical line

I was a little disappointed that since it contains vitamin C, it is in a clear bottle (making the product vulnerable to sunlight and being spoiled) so I have saved its box and kept the bottle in the box right after I finish spraying my face with it.

I really like this spray, it makes my face feel very plump. I recommend applying a moisturizer afterward though. This spray paired with a moisturizer keeps your skin very happy and plump.... but without a moisturizer, I feel the moisture leaving my face within half an hour. A moisturizer will help lock the spray's goodness (e.g. vitamin C, oils, antioxidants, etc) into your skin allowing them to stay and penetrate not only the surface but also underneath.

This spray has definitely made my skin glow, dewy and plump... I highly recommend it!

Score: 9.2/10
Website: https://idewcare.com/products/thirst-things-first?_pos=6&_sid=fedbb6fa3&_ss=r

1 Day Acuvue define vivid style contact lenses review

packaging of 1 Day Acuvue Define Vivid tyle

I can't believe I didn't post this! I thought I did... but turns out it took this long to realize I haven't. This was written on September 3rd, 2014, and has been lightly edited for clarification and new findings. I also apologize for the lack of quality in pictures because I took these pictures with my Sony Experia phone.

(2014) I have been always intrigued and flirted with the thought of using contact lenses. These are the first coloured contacts I have used and I have loved them ever since, this is not to say I don't have anything to complain about, but they do keep my eyes on the happier side. 

I decided to use Acuvue because they are a bigger contact lenses brand (more trustworthy) and my first pair of contacts were Acuvue (Acuvue Oasis). I have had a great experience using their products (base curves, material, etc) and since most people have complained about coloured contacts (giving them terrible irritations, infections, etc) I wanted to go with a brand I could trust. 

the look and my experiences

I also prefer these because of the subtle look (work-friendly). I like how they slightly enhance your eyes. So if you are going for a drastic look, these will not be right for you. A close friend was hanging out with me the other day, (while I was wearing these contacts) and she kept staring at my eyes and she said she couldn't pinpoint what it was, but I looked "artificial" to her 😂 when I told her she did her "ah-ha", she thought my expressions were a little off (because the contacts didn't allow my eyes to be as "expressive" as I usually am and my iris looked slight... stranger (this friend is in ophthalmology, so she might have more experiences with iris shapes and sizes)

what do these contact lenses look like in their packaging

(2021) I've been in Tokyo for too long and the pandemic has made me slightly confused as to which colour lenses are trending. Throughout the years, I have had the chance to use other colour contacts (Japanese types) and all have given me positive experiences. (If I get the chance, I might do a review on them later). I have to emphasize that I have only chosen brands I could trust.

I have been using these Acuvue contacts for over 7 years and here are my impressions.

impressions:

• they move around quite a bit (I wish they had more base curves to choose from)
• there is no indication of the proper side (e.g. 123) - more on this below
• they are very thin and comfortable (once they have settled in your eyes)
• they provide a very nice enhancement (this is good if you are into the subtle look)
• if you turn your head too quickly, though, the edge of the coloured contacts might interfere with your vision (nothing serious, just a slight blurry edge)
• these lenses dry up easier than non-coloured contacts, I usually start feeling dryness at 10-12 hours of wearing them, but this can be fixed with adding a few eyedrops into your eyes)

putting them on

one of the things that annoyed me the most is that there is no indication of whether your contact lenses are inside out or not. They say it looks like a bowl, but because of the thinness of the material, sometimes it is not as obvious. I also didn't like how (because of the thinness) the lenses cupped too much water making it difficult for the already shallow lenses to put on.

The other indication they provide is the "wrong" side will feel very slippery and move (it won't affect the way you see but you will feel very uncomfortable).  AND! I wanted to emphasize that since the material is so thin, there is a huge chance that the contact lenses got flipped before you touch the contact lenses, so you really have to eyeball it and guess whether it is the right way or not.

you can subtlety see how one eye (the right side) has the contact lenses on

2021 me thinks this picture might not be as obvious.

So here is an updated one:

you can see clearly how my eye on the right is a bit magnified and bigger because the iris is slightly enhanced. Also, notice that different lighting will make the contacts slightly more obvious than others.

both eyes with Vvid Style contact lenses

keep in mind if you are matching makeup with these contact lenses, you need only use warm colours (e.g. gold, purple, red, etc)... I tried using cold colours to match these contact lenses and they turned out terribly.

contact lenses

Please note that all coloured contacts dry up easily (compared to regular contact lenses), this is one of the better coloured contacts I have used (I have used others that dry up quicker, 5-6 hours of use) but they still dry up easier than regular contacts, it would be wise to bring along some eye drops because you will most likely need them. 

score: 9.5/10

website: https://www.acuvue.ca/contact-lenses/acuvue-define-1-day

Heijin Black Gold Rice Cracker (黑金鍋巴) review

黑金鍋巴

I wanted to try was this crab roe and salted egg flavour because I love both! After doing some research, I discovered that this is/was trending on the Chinese internet. 

黑金鍋巴 details

These "crackers" are actually overcooked rice that becomes crispy and forms at the bottom of traditional Chinese rice clay pots. These are cheap and healthy snacks that the Chinese enjoy. 

I love scraping the Chinese rice pots whenever we make clay pot rice dishes so I was very very excited to try this!

individually packaged

 impressions:

• why are these sweet? 
• no crab roe taste, salted egg is barely there
• rice cracker has a nice crispiness
• why are the rice crisps black
• individually packed to maintain crispiness

I enjoyed the crispy rice/cracker taste but was confused as to why salted egg and crab roe end up being sweet. I didn't like the sweet taste, I felt it ruined the taste. I will be looking for other flavours and hopefully, they will taste better. 

I have a love-hate relationship with the individual packages because the quantity is compromised (there were only 6 of these crackers inside) and it is not environmentally friendly. However, I understand that they are there for convenience (these crackers can get very crummy and messy) and to preserve their crispiness. 

score: 7.5/10

website: no website

I'Milky Peanut and Sesame Milk Ice Cream Stick with Boba review

小農沐白 花生芝麻牛奶珍珠雪糕

My tastebuds instantly knew they wanted this the moment I saw these! This is from a Taiwanese brand called I'Milky. This is a peanut milk and black Sesame milk ice cream bar with boba. 

actual product

The peanut milk is on top and the black sesame milk is on the bottom. The sweetened boba is only on the sesame milk side. Both the peanut milk and black sesame milk are not sweetened. I liked how less sweet it is... but if you have a sweet tooth, you might not enjoy it as much as I did (the boba is the only ingredient that is sweetened and makes the bar sweet).

 impressions

• the peanut milk has a strong Asian mild peanut taste
• the sesame milk has a strong black sesame taste (but not sweet)
• the boba is the only agent making the popsicle sweet
• the boba is very VERY sweet and unlike "real" boba, it is very soft and a bit slimy

I would recommend this if you do not have a sweet tooth but enjoy (Asian) peanut and black sesame taste. I stress Asian for peanuts because Asian peanuts have a less "peanutty" taste compared to "western" or "North American" peanuts (if you are looking for something like Kraft's/Jif's creamy peanutty taste, then you will not enjoy the peanut milk side)

That being said, I liked it because, without the sweetness, I was able to fully enjoy and explore the black sesame taste and peanut taste... I liked how the boba's gave me a nice sweet touch which paired really nicely with the black sesame.

Score: 8.8/10

Website: no website

keywords: 小農沐白 花生芝麻牛奶珍珠雪糕

Philong Tempura Shrimp Heads Snack review

Shrimp heads have also been one of my favourite parts of a shrimp. If cooked right, I like to indulge the heads in full. I found these at my local super market and had to try them! 

There isn't a lot but there is enough to satisfy my craving. I made sure the first ingredient is shrimp heads. 

impressions:

• the heads are smaller than expected
• all the heads have been gutted and cleaned
• there is a very satisfying crispyness to each shrimp head/bite
• the savoury seasoning makes it taste so good :P
• it doesn't seem like a lot, but it is enough to satisfy one's craving
• it pairs nicely with beer :D

I love them! I am so glad I found them and I will definitely be stocking up on more. Each bag is $3.00 CAD... and contains approximately 40 small shrimp heads. I wish the shrimp heads were a bit bigger though. 

score: 10/10
website: http://philongfoodexport.com.vn/en/product/crispy-shrimp-heads/crispy-shrimp-heads--original--40gr.html

McCafe's Peppermint Mocha short review

McDonald's Peppermint Mocha in their holiday cup

I'm so sorry it took this long to write about this Peppermint Mocha... I was planning to and then I got distracted by the holiday season (with Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales, and such 😞) That being said, as I'm writing, I checked McD's website, and thank goodness, it is still available! (apologies in advance for any grammatic, typos, spelling mistakes, I'm rushing through this short review to make sure it is published before this drink disappears from their menu)

McDonald's Peppermint Mocha with peppermint bits

Firstly, for those who don't know what is a mocha, it is a blend of coffee and chocolate. (You will either like it or hate it)... in my case, I prefer hot chocolate to mocha. (but this is irrelevant... haha).

This is McD's description of the drink:

A cozy peppermint mocha made with espresso beans that are sustainably sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, steamed whole or nonfat milk, peppermint chocolate syrup, and topped with whipped topping and chocolate drizzle. The perfect holiday drink for warming up to chilly weather, with rich chocolatey and refreshing mint flavor.

impressions:

• minty (but not overpowering) 
• mintiness made drink seem sweeter than it really is (a good thing)
• addicting
• good chocolate/coffee ratio (but I still wish it was either or)
  
• didn't contain a lot of sugar yet sweet (pro for most of us)
  
• creamy, the whipped cream was already blended with the drink by the time I got home

I liked this drink! It is my first Peppermint Mocha, but it will certainly not be my last. I loved how the mintiness gave a false sweeter-than-it-really-is taste, and the peppermint really made me enjoy this mocha more than I thought I would. The coolness gave the drink some depth (it was hot) so I could feel the different levels of taste.

score: 8.4/10
website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/mccaf-peppermint-mocha-small.html