Japan McDonald's マクドナルド BBQ Pork burger (バーベキューポークバーガー) review

Japanese name: バーベキューポークバーガー

English Translation: BBQ Pork Burger

For those who have been in Japan would know just how expensive beef is. Japan's McDonalds has come up with BBQ pork to minimize the use of beef. Their solution was Pork. BBQ Pork.

close up of burger

what's inside the burger (based on my tastebuds)

• lettuce
• ketchup
• pickle slices
• slice of melted cheese
• pork sausage patty (the one they put in their breakfast sandwiches!!!!)

I am quite impressed... when I ate this burger I didn't miss beef.  I really liked that they chose the breakfast sandwich pork sausage patty making it extremely flavourful. The combination was quite good.

I haven't seen this burger outside of Japan yet... so it might be a regional Japanese limited edition... if you get the chance, I would recommend you try this out :).

Score: 8.5/10
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/quality/basic_information/menu_info.php?mid=7080

Forever 21's Detangler Brush review

Forever 21's Detangler

I don't know about you guys, but whenever my hair is wet, it somehow feels much more fragile. Due to the thinness of my hair strands whenever I try to comb my hair, I hear 'snaps" resulting from certain hair strands giving in to the knots and tangles and breaking my hair! It is tragical... for both my hair and me.

I have heard of Tangle Teezer for a long time... but it isn't easy to find the original one. It wasn't available in Toronto.

impressions:

• gets rid of tangles
• didn't rip my hair out
• works and detangles my hair
• brush bristles are a little too short

bristles

The other day, I was walking into Forever 21 and found this Tangle Teezer knockoff. It is called Forever 21's Detangler. It looks almost identical to the original, all the way to the shape. The only exception is that there is a handle for Forever 21's version.

I also found the original Tangle Teezer at Tokyu Hands... and I discovered that the bristles for the Tangle Tamer was much longer and stronger. There were also variations in sizes making it catch every piece of hair easier.

Price differences:

Forever 21's Detangler costs around $8.75 USD
Tangle Teezer costs around $12.95 USD

Verdict:

Back to Forever 21's Detangler, I am definitely impressed... this is definitely not a gimmick product. I managed to get rid of all my tangles and my hair didn't snap because it was very gentle. The only drawback is that the bristles are too short (this is where the original Tangle Teezer wins) so I tend to miss sections of hair because it cannot grab onto most pieces properly. There isn't a huge difference in prices, however, if you are a penny pincher, Forever 21's Detangler will do the trick (and it has a handle!), but if you are looking for a quality product, you should definitely buy the Tangle Teezer.

Classification: not gimmick
Score: 8/10
Website: no website

How I use Vaseline

Sorry for being MIA... I had numerous visitors these past few months... So I didn't have the chance to write any reviews... However, since it is near the end of the year, I feel the need to write one final blog entry before we start fresh!

It's no doubt that one of the more "commonly" used products in the world would be vaseline. (please excuse any typos or grammatical errors)

It is not only cheap but also very safe and useful. (This post was not sponsored).

Obviously Vaseline has many uses... these are the ways I use Vaseline regularly:

sleeping mask
Every time I wake up from using a Vaseline Sleeping mask, my face feels so soft and moisturized. What I usually do is put: a layer of serum on my face, then my regular moisturizer then use a thin coat of vaseline to hold everything in.

What I like about this "sleeping mask is that I do not have to worry about my pores being clogged (that has never happened before) because Vaseline is made out of petroleum jelly it is non-comedogenic... it will not clog pores. According to Vaseline's website, Vaseline provides a good barrier between your skin and the elements without damaging the health or appearance of your skin while also keeping its moisture in.


DO NOT make a thick layer... not only will you attract dust and hair will stick to your face, but vaseline will be everywhere from your pillow to bed sheets. Do not over coat.

eye shadow base
one of my classmates in grade 7 told me about this... her mom taught her to use vaseline as an eye shadow base. Not only does it keep your eyelids well moisturized but it also helps the powdery eye shadow stay and last all day. Again, do not over use... a thin thin layer will do the trick!

lip therapy mask
During winter when we have our heaters on high and summer when we are blasting that AC, our skin gets dry.
As a lip therapy, I like to smother a slightly bigger layer before I go to sleep, the next morning my lips are so silky smooth!
I also like using Vaseline's Lip Therapy, it is a bit different (I'm not aware of the differences in ingredients since they are both Petroleum Jelly), but I wouldn't recommend using this as a lip mask... it was made for quick relief. I have tried using it as a lip mask but it didn't work as well as I thought it would...

lip gloss
Vaseline has a natural greasy shiny look if you are looking to make that lipstick slightly glossy (without overdoing it) Vaseline is a great option, as it moisturizes your lips and adds a slight shine to your lipstick/lip tint.

hand cream
I like to pair this with one of Crabtree and Evelyn's hand therapy creams. I like to use vaseline as an extra coating to seal up my Crabtree and Evelyn's Hand Cream, it

photo credits: istock.com

relieve open wounds
I actually "invented" this method by myself. I accidentally cut my finger and it hurt so much! I was desperate and found a jar of Vaseline lying around, so I decided to put some to cover the wound. To my surprise it felt less painful, in a few hours the wound shrunk a bit.

Vaseline is amazing!! :D

Saborino's Morning Mask 朝用マスク review

32 pack

info:

Contains 32 sheets/pack
Price: ¥1300/pack
Producer: Styling Life Holdings BCL Company
Manufactured in Japan

Type: Cotton mask sheets

A new revolutionary product seems to have hit the shelves lately in Tokyo drug stores and I was glad to find it. This is an awesome product which claims to be "breakfast for your face" it is suppose to include cleansing, skin care (Japanese English) and moisturizing. It also preps your skin for make up. All this can be achieved in 60 seconds!

directions

impressions:

• very cool and minty
• calmed my skin (from dryness)
• my skin felt refreshed
• I didn't want to take this mask off... (is it possible to leave it on longer?)
• the fit isn't perfect... (I had to adjust and readjust several times)
• so... we have to leave it on our faces for more than 60 seconds... (I usually leave it on till the mintiness has disappeared... (approximately 15-20 mins)).
• it made my t-zone break out... after using it for 2 days...

boo!!! did I scare you? :D

I LOVE this mask... seriously LOVE it! I love the cool sensation it produces because it really wakes me up in the morning. The cool sensation also helps calm my skin so it can properly absorb the nutrients.

Here is a list of how the ingredients help our skin:

• Cleansing: Apple fruit acid
• Tightening: Peppermint extract, Cucumber extract, Tea Tree leaf oil, Grapefruit leaf oil
• Moisturizing: Collagen, Hyaluronic acid, Orange oil, Avocado extract, Honey

Pros:

• refreshes my skin
• mintyness!!!
• you can cleanse, skin care and moisturize your skin all in one step
• lovely smell
• hygienic
• quality of mask (material) was very good, it might contain cotton
• handy... they were like a box of wipes... saved table space!

Cons:

• made my t-zone area break out
• need to apply on face for 15-20 minutes (not 60 seconds)
• the mask shape did not fit my face
• mask was not "moist" enough

Verdict:

This is a lovely mask. I love the mintiness and I love the conveneince, but it made my t-zone area break out... over all this is a really good mask... but I wouldn't recommend using it every day.

Score: 8/10

Website: http://www.stylinglife.co.jp/groups/bclabo.html (company website)

My Beauty Routine overview Sept. 2016

hey everyone,

so let's kick off September (my birthday month) with some skin care routine (I call these my beauty products because I don't use make up as much as other girls... I believe in taking care of my skin rather than covering up blemishes).

Sometimes I feel like I just keep talking but I haven't really explained what types of items I use to keep my skin hydrated... so here is a bit of an overview of the products I am using right now.

I emphasize "NOW" because I alternate products. A chemist friend told me that if you keep using the same products over and over again, your body will adjust to its properties and they wouldn't work as well.

• IMJU Naturie Skin Conditioner (Japanese)
• Clinique's dramatically difference moisturizing lotion + (French)
• It's SKIN Power 10 Fomula CO EFFECTOR with Phyto Collagen (Korean)
• Padina's Eye Lash Conditioner (American)

Whoa... so before I wrote this post, I had no idea that all my products came from different countries...

I will talk about each product briefly and then if I feel that it can be a post on it's own, I will do so in a future post.

1. IMJU Naturie Skin Conditioner (Japan)

IMJU Skin Conditioner

This product is heavily advertised around drug stores in Japan, it is almost impossible to miss this product in any drug store... and because of that... (in a small voice) I am a sucker when it comes to advertising, I bought this product.

This product has multifunctions: first, it can be used for both your body and face and secondly it can be used as 1. a toner and 2. a mask.

I use this as a toner by using it right after I cleansed my face, since I am not a fan of Cotton pads, I just pour some onto my hands and pat it on my face.

I haven't used this as a mask yet, so I can't comment as to how useful it is (when I make a full post on this product, I will do so.

As a skin conditioner for my body, I just apply it like lotion to my arms, legs and body and apply my usual vaseline or Crabtree and Evelyn body lotion over. This conditioner really helps my skin absorb the lotion better.

2. Clinique's Dramatically Difference Moisturizing Lotion + (France)

This was my mom's favourite product and it quickly became mine's too. I used to hate this product as a kid because it was scentless and it looked boring.

But, a few years ago, after washing my face the skin became so dry that I had a terrible skin tightening feeling (felt like my skin was going to rip apart. This was because of the Canadian dry climate making my skin feel so dry), my mom gave me 2 pumps of this lotion and it instantly relieved the dryness and pain. Ever since then, I fell in love with this product.

3. It's SKIN Power 10 Formula CO EFFECTOR with Phyto Collagen (Korea)

This product claims it is SKIN SAFETY TESTED and that is is "Clinical Skin Solution".
I actually have bought almost the whole set (picture will be uploaded later) because the price is affordable and it has a glass container (did I ever tell you that I was obsessed with glass containers?). I think this is a fair serum for the price you pay but it could be improved... the effects are not long lasting.

4. Padina Eyelash Conditioner (USA)

Padina Eyelash conditioner

This product was sent to me by Padina. The product claims that if you use this product for 3-4 weeks your eyelashes will grow to be fuller. The concept is putting nutrients to your eyelash follicles and help your eyelashes grow better. Unlike other similar products, this product claims to use only natural and organic ingredients.

You use this like an eyeliner and apply it as if you are drawing an invisible line on your waterlines.

Etude House Tear Eye Liner #WH901 review

Hey Everyone, I sincerely apologize for the lack of reviews... I have been stressing over a lot of things lately (personal, work, etc). So I wasn't able to focus on writing reviews (I have a lot of drafts sitting in my drafts folder waiting to be written...). But at last... I finally completely a review! :D

product

The other day, I was shopping at Lumine in Shinjuku, and I came across Etude House (I love Korean Cosmetics). I decided to walk in and see what new products they have. I saw their Tear Eye Liner and was curious... the description said it was an eye liner for your tear and under eye water line. Because this product was so intriguing, I bought it.

photo credits: etudehouse.com

Since the best selling one seemed to be #WH901, I bought it! We have all been waiting for a product like this, some times, we try to put some light shimmery eye shadow at the bottom of our eyes to brighten them... BUT... the shimmery does not last so long. This is the perfect solution, it literally stays on as long as eye liner.

applicator

The applicator was very fine, it made it easy to apply! (in fact, much easier than regular eye liner). The applicator made precise strokes.

with product

You can instantly see results... I don't have to say much... :P It really brightens up the eyes and makes you look so much more awake. You can also see how my dark circles are less obvious.

without product

Before discovering this product, I would always use eye shadows to brighten up my eyes, but after using this product, I realized how the effect is so much better than a regular eye shadow. I highly recommend it!

how product looks...

All you need is one stroke.

impressions:

• very easy to apply
• makes eyes look so bright!
• love this product
• easy to remove with eye make up remover (even with the sparkles :D)

This is a special product and a very innovative one. Who knew that one thin stroke can make such a huge difference on our overall finished look! It was very easy to apply but I also found it annoying to get rid of the sparkles... but all that can e fixed with using an eye make up remover!

score: 9/10

website: http://etude.jp/eye/eye_liner/211030155.html

McDonald's マクドナルド - LOCO MOCO (ロコモコバーガー) burger review

Loco Moco burger (ロコモコバーガー)... is heavily advertised everywhere! If you are in Tokyo, it is hard not to see it. It is no hidden fact that the Japanese are obsessed with anything Hawaiian, so it makes sense that McDonald's would create a Loco Moco Burger (ロコモコバーガー) in Japan!

meal combo

Of course, as a blogger, why would I miss the chance to try this limited edition burger? The first things which attracted me to the burger was 1. the poster (who can resist the Hawaiian beaches?) 2. 2 burger patties, 1 slice of cheese and an egg... enough said... take my money! (:P)

this is one messy burger x.x

After doing some quick research (e.g. Google) I discovered that Loco Moco is a traditional Hawaiian dish which consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. (source: wikipedia). That explains the egg and the brown gravy contained in this hamburger.

impressions:

• very filling
• sauce had a spicy element (but it wasn't spicy...)
• gravy was not flavourful enough (a bit bland)
• the gravy and the mayonnaise complimented each other very well
• the burger was well stacked (everything was put together in a perfect ratio and amount)
• the slice of cheese did not play a big role
• quite messy... the sauce kept dripping

If you are planning to try this burger, prepare to get your hands messy... the gravy is very runny making it challenging to eat this burger without getting your hands and clothes dirty. I really liked this burger... but I think it needs a slight improvement: I wish the sauce was more spicy and flavourful and that the cheese had a stronger presence. Other than that... I really liked this burger!

score: 8/10

website: http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/quality/basic_information/menu_info.php?mid=7000