Caffe Afogato

Matchaccino

Hello Everyone! It's been awhile both Jeys and I have been extremely busy. However, now that summer is here expect to see more posts *fingers crossed. With that being said, this first 'comeback' post won't necessarily be a review but more of an overview of a recent place that I (Tin) went to.

Last Friday May 13, Jeys' brother and I went to Ripley's Aquarium. If you're heading to downtown Toronto I suggest checking it out. It's great for families, friends, couples and if you just simply want to see what's going on. Jeys' brother and I bought tickets for the Shark's After Dark Session which apparently is more cheaper. This does not simply mean there will be an event dedicated to sharks! We initially thought that there would be some soort of show specifically for Sharks, but there wasn't. But, there are definitely sharks swimming around in the Dangerous Lagoon area :).


So, our situation was slightly different Jeys' brother had a work discount so we were able to attain tickets for a much cheaper value. There was specified times (ours was set for 7 till closing) when purchasing the tickets online, but we managed to get into the aquarium around 6 40 pm. Which was great!  There wasn't that much people and quite frankly the aquarium is quite spacious, unique, eye-catching, family oriented, and most importantly educational.

Touching sting rays was super super smooth!

What was so amusing and cool was that you get to touch and feel some of these sea creatures :D. Ek, I forgot the name of this one.

Nurse Shark :D

There was a conveyer that moved for you allowing you to look around while it moves you throughout the water tunnel. However you can always hop off it easily too. Here I am looking right above and I see a nurse shark and a saw fish.

These are anemone. These were displayed throughout. The very pink one is called a strawberry anemone, don't be fooled though they are deadly!

Here they show how they maintain the aquarium and how much water is being used for each section of the aquarium. I guess this is their way of saying why the price of the tickets can be pricey.

A small play area to play around with the machine (not real machines). There are small machines throughout to play around and tinker around within the aquarium.

The aquarium took about an hour and 15 minutes I believe. And we are very fortunate because we could've actually gone through the museum till it closed due to the time of our tickets. We did actually go back to view the jelly fish, it was just honestly surreal.

Although there are mixed opinions regarding animal and sea creature life in regards to aquarium. But if you personally aren't bothered by it I'd suggest trying it.

While shopping for some cosmetics at Tony Moly, I stumbled upon this product. Since it was only for $5 (CDN). I decided to purchase it. For a girl like me, who has little knowledge for pedicure and manicures, I thought this was the best alternative without spending $20 towards nail treatment. I wasn't expecting much from this product to be honest.

A couple months ago our family went to Dragon Pearl on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. Our family loves eating at all-you-can-eat buffets, so we thought we'd give this new restaurant a try. The restaurant is located 865 York Mills Rd, North York. For each individual it costed $21.99 for that particular day.




This is the front entrance of the restaurant. Our family went crazy over pictures haha.

I don't actually have that much pictures of the restaurant because it was so dark. I think that would probably be the only draw back of the restaurant. It is quite dark, kinda like Hollister lighting 2.0. However, the interior design of the restaurant had a touch of ancient modern Chinese feel with hints of red throughout the restaurant. Once you enter the entrance you'll be welcomed with glass displayed sculptures of Chinese zodiac signs (and free book marks!), as well as bamboo wood seating to stay seated while waiting for your table.

Entering the buffet portion there is a wide selection of foods (seafood lovers you will not be disappointed!).  The eating area (aside from being fairly dark) had a very nice ambiance. There were a lot of tables designed to carry up to 10 people. Our family is quite huge, so not every one could fit in one table. Nonetheless, most of us fit into one huge bamboo table.

The room right next to the general eating area, was a room designed for family events. So if you're interested in having a family party and you're into doing family video montages, you'll be pleased to know they have a large projector ready.

Overall thoughts:
- Place was very clean
- Food selection was great
- Food taste better than most all-you-can-eat buffets that we go to (Super Buffet)
- Place is a bit dark, so those who love to pull out their phone cameras mind find that lighting can be very poor
- Servers were really friendly and welcoming

Look how cute the tea set was! We have never seen tea served like this in buffets.

This was actually my first plate haha.

So, if you're in the North York region or in the Scarborough region head down to Dragon Pearl with some families and friends if you like all-you-can-eat buffets. You won't be disappointed!

I recently received Face It Aura Color Control Cream SPF30/PA++ as a gift from Tin. I have been eyeing out this cc cream from The Face Shop for awhile now. It retails for about $40 CDN. Since it was a boxing day sale season she got it for a discounted price of about 50% off. What a steal! Yay! It comes in three shades: 01 light beige, 02 natural, 03 medium beige. I am reviewing the 03 medium beige shade.

It's very compact, which can be easily carried around your purse.

You can see the sponge applicator/puff resting on top of the separator.

A swatch of what the shade 03 medium beige is against my skin. During the summer this shade blends in well with my skin tone.

What it claims to do:

• It creates a radiant and brighter skin tone. 
• It has a darkening-proof formula that last 12 hr long
• It has a silver vine complex which creates a skin brightening effect

Directions:

1. Pump 1-2 times to release the formula.
2. After skincare, apply evenly onto the face in a light tapping motion using the enclosed CC puff.
3. Do the same for touch-ups.

Before I start, I would like to say that my skin is not perfect. My skin complexion varies on the season. It can get really dry during harsh winter climates and very oily during the summer. I have tried this during winter, at both times when my skin reached its peak of dryness and oiliness.

I recently took a trip to my local Tony Moly Store. I ended up purchasing the new concealer they recently released which was the Face Mix Long Lasting Concealer retailing for $9.99 CDN.  It comes with two shades 01 Light Beige & 02 Natural Beige.

What it claims to do:
An All day long lasting concealer.
Multi-proof from water, sebum,  and sweat
It claims to be smooth and easy to use.
Claims to cover up blemishes.
(as per amazon - I don't understand Korean Hangul so I had to look it up...)

It feels like a cream to powder finish.

The concealer blended with flash. Pretty good.

PROS
It's retractable  which allows you to control the amount of product.
Easy to blend!
The price is pretty reasonable for the amount of product you are getting.
Packaging of the the concealer stick is really chiq and cute in my opinion.

CONS
Only two shades are available. The chances of more colours being released is very unlikely.
When applying it to an area where I purposely didn't moisturize, such as my blemish on my nose it fell into the dry patch of it.

My Final Thoughts
Although I did say it is blendable, I think it also helps to apply a good moisturizer before use so the concealer doesn't fall into the fine lines and dry patches of the face. Would I buy it again? Yes! I like how much product you are given for the amount you are paying. I'd definitely recommend this to students who are looking for a pick me up concealer that is quick and easy to apply for days you don't want to slap on so much.