Autumn Product Reviews

Hey everyone. Sorry it has been a crazy long time since I last posted. Honestly, I just haven't been using that many new products but in the few months that I haven't been blogging, I've managed to accumulate 3 noteworthy products so here are the reviews for them!

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream (No.23 Natural Beige) SPF 42

So on my everlasting hunt for a good, EVERYDAY foundation or BB cream, I managed to come across this Missha one. I actually tried it out at a friend's house and she ended up giving it to me because she doesn't really use any makeup at all. I felt bad taking the completely new bottle from her so I gave her $20. I managed to find out later that it retails at H-Mart for $24.99 (I can't say for sure that this will be the price at every H-Mart, but it is at the one where I live)

Consistency-wise, I really do like this BB cream compared to other ones I have tried. It's a bit oilier than the other ones I have tried but in my eyes, that just guarantees that it won't be super flaky or look clumpy on your skin. One thing, however, that I don't like very much with this BB cream is the fact that it takes quite a while to oxidize properly. I would not advise using this when you're in a rush out the door because you'll be walking around with a grey-ish coloured face for a while. Despite your 'grey-faced-ness', this BB cream does have some decent coverage. Way better than any other BB cream I have tried at least.

Overall rating: 8/10
Pros: Very smooth consistency, reasonably priced, above-average coverage
Cons: takes a long time to oxidize, scented (not that it smells bad but people with sensitive skin may not like it. I personally quite enjoy the smell but I don't feel that foundations need to be scented)

Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream (fair to light) SPF 30

So I had seen a lot of good reviews and heard a lot of good things about the Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer. I haven't gotten around to buying it yet (plus, it seems kind of expensive for a moisturizer: $18.99...?) So I saw this BB cream at Costco (yes, LOL) for 14.99 and I was like 'aw yee' and decided to give it a try.

So remember what I said above about foundations being too dry and making your face look flaky and patchy? That's exactly what this foundation does to me. It has a pump dispenser and you have to pump out that little bit that dries in the tip every single time you use it. (Missha BB cream was a pump too and didn't have this problem)

The BB cream does have a very natural feel to it so the coverage is definitely not that great but it's good for every day.
QUICK: Is it just me, or does this BB cream have a slight shimmer to it? I'm looking very closely at it and I can see very tiny bits of glitter. I'm thinking maybe it is to add a brightening component? I have no idea.

Overall rating: 5/10
Pros: light, not oily at all (perfect for people with oily skin), reasonably priced
Cons: tends to make your skin look dry (for people with not oily skin), this BB cream is also scented but right out of the bottle, it smells quite strange (once you spread it out on your face, the smell is pretty good), the pump dispenser could also use some work (I feel like I'm wasting a lot of product by wiping away that dry bit)

L'Oréal Lineur Intense (Carbon Black

I was wandering around Shoppers Drug Mart just 3 days ago and came upon this felt-tipped liquid liner. I was thinking how I've always used either the Stila, Dolly Wink, or Heroine Make felt tip liners and I should give other ones a try since: 1. The Stila one isn't really "reasonably cheap" ($26 at Sephora) and 2. Dolly Wink and Heroine Make isn't that accessible outside of Asia. It's not THAT expensive and I know I can get them for around $20 here but I can't justify that knowing how much cheaper I can get them back in Hong Kong or in Japan

This is my first time seeing a "dip" felt tip product. Is that even what you call it? It's like liquid liner in the sense that you have to dip it in the product but the applicator is a felt tip. Thought that was pretty interesting. K I lied. This eyeliner is NOT waterproof. Just a warning to everyone, it'll come off when you tear up/cry/sweat/get drenched in rain. Also, I think this product is coming to an end (UPDATE: so it lasted .....about a month)
Overall rating: 5/10
Pros: easy to use, cheap, easily accessible
Cons: Not waterproof, doesn't last long, smudges easily.

**** I'm sorry if I screwed anyone over with this purchase. It did seem like a good product the first few days I used it.

Hope these reviews have helped. Leave a comment if you have any questions. Other than that, I'll post again sometime later (hopefully not THAT much later)

~nyappy

L'Opera Macarons Review

So I heard about this new patisserie from my friend (she actually has a similar review right here) and I honestly had no idea that this place even existed.

Its in Richmond, British Columbia on 153-5951 Minoru Blvd. For those who don't know where that is, it's pretty much across from Flo (or across The Bay at Richmond Centre by the Marriott)

I saw they had macarons and knowing me, I had to try them out. Price-wise, it was pretty average $2/piece and they had $22/dozen so you save $2 haha. I actually split the dozen with my friend so we each just got 6 macarons.

(in order, these are Green Tea, L'Opera Special, Earl Grey, Coffee, Rose Raspberry, and Blueberry Fantasy)

So I had a massive fail in the morning and forgot my camera at home when I rushed out so I couldn't take pictures of the actual patisserie. You can go to my friend's review actually, she has quite a few pictures of the shop.

The guy working at the time was really nice and patient since we took forever to decide. He even offered us two boxes knowing that my friend and I were splitting the macarons. I'm sure most places would have just put all 12 in the same box (since that is how much the boxes were intended to hold)

So it comes in a simple looking box like this with a sticker of their logo on the top.

Open it up and there is the same sticker along with wax paper that covers the pastries.

 Picture of their logo. Love how intricate the detailing is

In regards to taste, I've so far only tried Green Tea, Earl Grey, and Rose Raspberry and they're all pretty good. I guess these macarons are a bit too chewy on the outside but it's not that big of a deal. I like how these macarons aren't too sweet compared to other places and the ganache inside is really soft and creamy. 

My favourite out of the three that I've tried so far would be the Green Tea, mostly because there is a really strong flavour to it.

(If you look closely at the Rose Raspberry, the filling inside has actual raspberries in it!)

It's safe to say that I'll probably be back again to try some of their other pastries. A lot of them looked pretty good. It's too bad I didn't get a chance to try them today.

~nyappy

Update: So if any of you guys were planning on checking out this place, I would definitely recommend the L'Opera Special. I forgot to mention what it was earlier in the post but according to the person working there, it is "bitter espresso and dark chocolate". It was very good. Apparently the Blueberry Fantasy also has blueberries inside the ganache. Can't wait to try it out.