JILL STUART: Blush Blossom Review

As a k-drama fanatic, and l can't help but notice how soft and the cheeks of the female celebrities looked. I've always imagined people with those cheeks to stride along the fringe of a garden's stream with baby pink cheeks that pushes the morning midst, birds chirping at the innocent glow on the sides of the girl's face. Ok, before I get carried away (lol), this blush does gives you that magical feeling during application.

Design/Brush: 
     The exterior is designed with a princessy package, which is as beautiful as the other jill stuart products. Because this is limited edition, there are black lace-like patterns on the top and in white on the cap of the brush. The non-limited edition packaging will be exactly the same without the lace-patterns (you still get patterns on the brush), which is also very pretty. It comes with a nice soft brush with strong bristles, brushes with stronger bristles will give the powder a more pigmented effect. If you just want a light veil on your cheeks, you can brush the powder on with just the tip of the bristles (this works for me). However, if that doesn't work for you, you can always switch to a softer brush =) 

General Rule of Thumb: The bigger the brush, the less pigmented the colour will look. 

Here's what the normal packaging looks like (sorry, you can't really see the cover ><):  

102 classic camellia

Shade: 

 There are two colours in this blush pact, a tint shade(right) and a summer shade(left). The "directions" says to put the summer shade on before the tint shade. This will give the cheeks more colour yet feeling soft because of the summer shade base. However, I also like to switch that order and use the summer shade as a veil for a translucent effect. In my opinion both ways are beautiful, and it really depends on what makeup look I want that day and what clothes I'm wearing.

The colour of this blush is awesome. It is a very classic colour, hence the name classic camellia. It is
pink, girly, rosy with no hint or sheen of other colours. Pure pink radiance. Because of this, it matches well with the natural luster of the skin and is easy to match with clothes and other makeup. You can use this blush for a natural tint of the cheeks or a dreamy dolly look. Unfortunately, this is a limited edition colour, but they do have other colours that looks amazing as well :)

These are the other colours :)

Aren't they pretty??? ^^

There's also a faint sweet floral scent and makes it extra dreamy!

Texture: 

The powder texture is SO smooth and fine! I feel like i'm putting silk on my face ^^ I've never seen a blush with powder this fine before. It definitely glides onto the skin smoothly. Say bye bye to chucky powder cheeks! 

General Rule of Thumb #2: Because Loose Powder haven't been pressed, it blends into your skin better than pressed ones. 


For those of you who wants to see more of this product, here's the special movie jill stuart made for the blush (which is basically and ad. lol) It's short but beautifully made =) 
Special Movie: Jill Stuart Blush


Pros:
- beautiful colour
- princessy packaging 
- soft brush
- extremely fine and smooth powder texture!
- blends well
- faint sweet floral scent
- brings out natural luster of cheeks 
- looks amazing with just faint application or when build up

Cons: 
- um... because it is a loose powder... if you accidentally knock it off your makeup table.. it will spill.... does this count as a con? XD 
- Pricey

Price: $370 HKD
Rating: 5/5 

MANNINGS: Hello Kitty Facial Sheet Mask

<3 My Absolute FAV <3 

Cute Hello Kitty packaging <3 

One of the best things to shop in Asian beauty/drug/convient stores (like Mannings & Watsons) are the amount of new products you can come into. I stumble upon this low-price, CUTE-looking mask by mannings. They recently collaborated with Sanrio and produce a series of products (masks, lip balm, hand cream).

It was too cute to resist and with my love for face masks, I decide to try this out. It far exceed my expectations! The mask feels refreshing and delightful on my face. The solution absorbs quickly and easier. I was surprised with it's deep moisturizing and brightening effect for how light the solution feels. It does not leave any sticky residue at all! Furthermore, it is calming and helps with acne. It increases my skin's elasticity as well! This mask is like an multi-function face mask, that works in wonders in tackling various skin problems!

Hot Pink: Moisturizing & Whitening Rose Mask
Baby Pink: Hydrating & Whitening Hyaluronic Acid Mask

***Hyaluronic Acid has emerge to be a very important ingredient in skincare products.
- repairs damaged tissue 
- remarkable ability that locks in moisturize thus prevents aging and increase youthfulness
- increases elatiscity
- protects against UVB rays that cause sunspots
Click here to view the source


Pros:
-Absorbant
-Moisturizing and Hydrating
-No sticky, light.
-Increases elasticity
-whitening
-brightening
-Has hyaluronic acid as an ingredient 
-Cheap
-Increase youthfulness
-Good for sensitive skin
-Cute packaging~~<3

Cons:
Can't think of any XD 

Rating: 5/5

Price: $35 HKD

DIORSNOW: Light Veil White Reveal Silky Veil Makeup

Hi everyone! As winter approaches (arrived in my city lol, it is snowing so hard in my city already ><), it's time for me to introduce some winter makeup. Dior generally (I've seen exceptions...:( ) have very fine powders =)

The first impression I got was the nice packaging. It has a sturdy case, a little pocket/bag (what do you call it?) the dark blue thing in the picture to put the your powder case in. It has both a BRUSH and sponge applicator, and a rubber band to fasten everything to keep it things from slipping out. Great to just slip into your purse! The brush is very soft and easy to store.

Product Description: Dior creates Diorsnow Light Veil White Reveal Silky Veil Makeup for ultra-natural transparency and infinite well-being all day long. White Reveal foundation: incomparably light. Ultra-fine powders, specially coated for optimal absorption into the skin, and the new transparent Diamond Prism pearl makeup fuse into an invisible veil with a transparent, ultra-natural finish.
White Reveal Foundation: extreme comfort. The T.E.C. whitening technology is enhanced with a new, high moisture agent providing endless comfort for hours on end while maintaining the freshness of the makeup effect.

     After the elegantly written product description by the company, I can say that they did not exaggerate the goodness of this powder. It is truly the most lightweight, natural, transparent powder I have ever encountered. It does not leave your skin cakey AT ALL. It fits the skin so well, that it feels and looks like you do not have powder on!! It also does not dry up the skin and leaves your skin extremely comfortable=) SPF 20, PA+++ is a huge plus for any face powder. It has medium coverage, a bit to the light side. In my opinion, it does a really good job of coverage in consideration of it's amazing feather weight transparency! =)


     The things I don't like about it is that it doesn't have very good oil-absorbing properties. But this problem can be targeted if you add a primer, (costal scent's rice powder review coming soon) to it before your foundation or BB cream. I am a combo-oily, and I still get by with this powder. It is not oil-absorbant as some powders who specialize in that property, but it doesn't clog your pores and make your skin secrete more oil. 

Color - 021
SPF 20 PA +++

     This shade is a very natural shade that I think will fit many skin tones. It's a safe shade to bet on and since it's very transparent, it doesn't add too much colour on your face. It looks very natural on my skin, not too white or dark; fits just nicely =) There are 3 other shades to this product.

Pros: 
-Transparent
-Lightweight
-Doesn't dry up skin
-SPF 20, PA +++
-Natural, looks like your own skin
-Feels comfortable on skin
-Very fine powders
-Good packaging and includes tiny brush

Cons: 
-Not high on oil-absorbing properties.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

LIOELE: Help Me Dark Circle Eye Cream

Another review on the princess brand! Lioele is more famous for it's makeup products, and I don't see as much reviews on it's skincare products yet. Generally, I also think that their makeup are more outstanding, but I want to share this eye cream with you cause it's really not bad =) 

Lioele Help Me Dark Circle eye cream has a nice thick texture. Usually for eye creams, you don't want to choose one that is too watery. A watery eye cream have a higher chance of getting into your eyes =( If you don't like thick texture creams, try applying less and patt it in. That makes a big difference =)

Product Description: With light massage, it releases tired eye area and lightens skin tone by absorbing  deeply into sensitive eye area with soft texture. It helps to ease dull dark circle by including Lioele's patent ingredient which is called Phytowhite and with and with botanic ingredients. 

Although I don't see a significant decrease in dark circles, the cream is very moisturizing. Fine lines lessen and eye areas are more tightened. I am impress with tightening properties. =) However, disappointed that it doesn't help my dark circles (it is hard to tell at times because sometimes I will sleep late and you eat more salty stuff and these adds to the dark circles. So maybe the cream did help a bit, but not too much)

As you can see, the texture of the cream is thick and not watery. However, I do not feel like there's a layer of grease on my face after application =) It spreads easily and soothes your sensitive eye area =)

<3 Eye Cream Application Tip <3 :
Apply your eye cream from the outer to inner corners of your eye. Your skin is thinner in the inner areas of your eye and does not require as much cream. The first part the cream touches highly correlates with where the most percentage of the cream goes. Any unabsorbed cream may lead to whiteheads! 

Pros:
-Good texture, not watery
-Soothing
-Tightening
-Reduce fine lines
-Easy to spread 

Cons:
-Doesn't reduce dark circles

Overall Rating: 3.7/5

JILL STUART: Lip Jewel (BEST BRUSH!!!) Review

I find JILLSTUART to be one of the most prestigious girly makeup brands out there. It has very glam packaging that brings out the diva inside every girl <3 I have to say jillstuart lip jewel is the best lipgloss I have come across so far!!!!!!!! It is glossy and light in weight without being sticky. It spreads evenly on the lips without leaving any parts clumpy.

When I pull this gloss out of my makeup pouch, I feel that chic hot pink colour reminds me all the good things of being a girl <3 <3 <3

Thick glossy look + light texture + beautiful colour = <3

Description: Liquid lip colour to drench your lips in a dewy veil of translucent color. Creates full, lustrous lips with jewel-like shimmer and shine. (The description is very accurate with no company lies!)

The lipgloss has really pretty packaging with a pink gem on top. The tube is also designed with a gem-like appearance that makes me proud to bring it around =) Cause it's so pretty!!!! <3 <3 <3

 

There best thing about this gloss is its' brush!! The picture doesn't capture it fully, but you can see it is fuzzy. This design is the best so far in all the lipgloss brushes I've used. (Similar prestigious branch like Dior have a pretty good brush, but that brush whips out too much product in one go). 

This brush: 

-whips out the appropriate amount of gloss 

-wide enough to apply gloss evenly on lips while also allowing easy buildup 

- It is more flat than most bushes, and that increases the surface area of the brush on your lips. 

-Hard enough to glide on your lips, Soft enough for you to fall in love with it ^^

-Looks cute (at least I think so! agree? haha XD)

Color: 03- ruberite dazzle

As you can see, the hot pink ISN'T that out there when you apply it on your lips. It isn't earth tone like nude or beige, but it is pretty natural for a hot pink suitable for everyday use! It has a gloss finish with tiny, very fine sparkles in it.

I would recommend this for..... EVERYONE =) 
But especially those who wants to try a bolder colour yet wants a relatively more natural finish. 

So to sum this up.....

Pros: 

-GOOD BRUSH!

-Nice bold yet natural colour

-Glossy yet lightweight!

-Pretty packaging  

-Spreads evenly

-Sticks to it's product description! 

Cons: 

-um.... it could be cheaper? Jill Stuart cosmetics are more on the expensive side. The quality (personal opinion) fluctuates from product to product. Stay tune for more Jill Stuart reviews =) But generally, I like the brand <3

According to sasa.com it is around $30ish USD.

This lip jewel series is from the 2011 spring makeup. They have a creative and beautiful website, click to check it out!

Rate: 5/5

HIP SUSHI: Japanese Cuisine

This restaurant was my favourite Japanese restaurant, and it still is sorta... They use to have a good deals for afternoon tea (which can serve as a dinner because of it's big portion!) and good eel rice bowl.... until they cancel the afternoon tea deal and shrink the eel in the eel rice bowl. (Note: it is still way bigger than Mikado's eel rice bowl.) But it doesn't fill the whole bowl anymore.  But it still have $9 dollar sushi and the food isn't too bad either. So overall, it's still a nice place :)

The seating might be a little crowded, but they have very comfy chairs. It is an open area where there's only a short fence separating the restaurant and the mall. It is at a quieter part of the mall so the noise level isn't that high :) Still a pretty decent place. 

Cute Menu

These are the 9 dollar sushi I was talking about. I think they have other kinds as well, but these three are the best deal. Squid and torch salmon sushi (What is the official name for this?) are usually more expensive on average, um... around.... $ 15-20? but it is only $9.00 for a plate (two sushi) here. Although are egg sushi

Torch salmon sushi:

This sushi uses a torch/ lighter to grill the top of the fish yet leaving it mostly raw. It leave the fish with more fragrance compare to normal salmon sushi. This method allows the fish oil to drip onto the rice, making the sushi more flavorful. It is used commonly with other fish as well.

If you're interested in HOW torch sushi are made, here are some videos:

Click for Video of torch rolls, but the concept is the same.

Click for A clearer version of how the torch is used, but with beef this time (however the beef is fully cooked and torched salmon and most of other fish aren't)

Egg & Torch Salmon Sushi: 4.5/5

Squid: 3.5/5 (for the price, it's pretty good)

Soft shell crab tempura!!! (You can eat the shell ;))

One of my favourite dishes! A MUST for crablovers!

Rating: 5/5

I feel that this Bento is average. The side dishes aren't very attractive and there aren't that many fish either. The taste is good, but the choice of food I receive doesn't seem that good. There are lots of cucumber on rice so that they won't have to give me that much sashimi. It is OK, but I probably won't order it again.

Rating: 3/5

This is a also a side dish. The steam egg is very good, and the mushroom is good too.

Rating (Egg): 4.5/5
(Mushroom): 4/5

Overall I still love this restaurant for the 9 dollar sushi. If you know what to order, this restaurant can provide a wonderful dinning experience for you and your peers =)

OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY: Western cuisine

I had dinner at this restaurant in West Edmonton Mall. I felt like pasta that day so my friend and I decided to eat in a restaurant specialized in spaghetti. The design of the restaurant environment is a classic Western design. I went there a bit late so there weren't too many people. They close pretty early... around 9? we were the last ones there. So I recommend that you go earlier =)  

Their menus puts the diner in an nostalgic mood. There are photographs that describes the history of this restaurant, which makes it a good place to take anyone that is visiting Edmonton =) 

Overall, I think this restaurant is a good place to take your friends for a dinner table chat if you aren't too picky with your food =)

Sorry I don't know how to rotate this after I upload it and I already deleted the one in my iphone ><

 Most meals are served with a salad and bread. 

 

The bread is just normal bread, but they are served with whipped butter and whipped garlic butter. I loved it! <3 Whipped butter is more creamy and light (in texture) compare to ordinary butter. 

 

The steak in this restaurant is very good! It is served with pasta, mushrooms and veggies. The steak is done just right (my friend picked medium rare), and it is juicy and tender.  

Price: Around $30 CAN

Rating: 4/5

Spaghetti in clam sauce

With this semi-historical setting, I naturally expected an authentic plate of spaghetti... which turns out to be not the case..... The pasta is still good. But personally I like thinner spaghetti (not referring to capellini or other types of pasta, yes, there are different thickness of spaghetti even WITHIN the catagory itself, many people misunderstand me when I bring up this point haha). My friend commented on how Old Spaghetti Factory is like a factory that mass produce spaghetti and in turn sacrifice the authentic taste of spaghetti. It might be too harsh to call it cafeteria spaghetti, but that's the feeling it gave me. I still like the plate, and must be Way better than what you ate in cafeteria back in high school. But I think the sauce is pre-made then top over the pasta and serve.

Price: Around $10 CAN (for this price, it's an acceptable plate of spaghetti =))

Rating: 3/5

Glimpse of their menu. You can also take away this paper menu.