• First Impressions with Miniso Makeup

    Hi Everyone!

    I finally got the chance to go to Miniso Canada the other day and I picked up a few things. I got a blush, two lipsticks and an eyeshadow pen.

    I got the Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink for $2.99! It was Made in Taiwan, but that’s okay since I probably won’t be using this every day and I mean, $2.99?? Check out my blog post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?

    20180409_213224Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink

    Richly pigmented and highly buildable, the beautiful matte and shimmery shades of baked blusher are the perfect cheeky pop of colour for every skin tone.

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    RATING: 5/5

    If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I rarely give ratings of 5/5. This is a beautiful, subtle pink and it was such an amazing price, so it gets two thumbs up and a 5/5 from me! They also had a baked bronzer that was beautiful too, but it wasn’t matte. It could probably make a really pretty eyeshadow though!

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    Magic Eyeshadow Pen in 01 Shimmer Brown – I got the eyeshadow pen for $4.99. At the store, the tester was much more pigmented.

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    It’s really interesting because the sponge applicator is just an applicator and it dips into a pot that’s in the lid. It has a spring action so you pump the shadow onto the sponge applicator. It’s a bit disappointing because you don’t get a lot of product. Other eyeshadow pens that you sharpen or twist up give you a lot more product.

    I tried dipping a brush into it. It’s like a really small pot of cream eyeshadow. A very small concealer brush or an eyeliner brush works. It looks great as an eyeliner.

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    You could probably use this as a highlight too. The sponge applicator gives a very subtle swipe of the product and you can blend it out with a brush.

    As you can tell from the swatch on the left, the sponge may have absorbed too much or I didn’t pump it long enough to pick up a good amount of product and the swatch is very subtle. On the right swatch, I used an eyeliner brush which was much more pigmented. So, depending on the look you’re going for, you can use the sponge on your eyelids and then line your waterline with a brush.

    Obviously, the staying power isn’t amazing because it’s a name brand. It easily smudged off my hand, so I don’t have high hopes for when I use it on the eyes. Hopefully using a primer underneath and setting it with some powder on top will help.

    RATING: 3/5

    Since you don’t get a lot of product for $4.99, I’m going to have to give this a 3/5. Also, the fact that it’s a sponge applicator turns me off because you have to constantly clean it to prevent bacteria and especially since this is an eye product, you have to be even more cautious. I don’t think I would repurchase this, but it was cool to try out!

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    Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink – For the lipsticks, one is more like a light pink tinted balm and the other is more full coverage. Both have no scent.

    Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink for $2.99. This is interesting because you click the bottom to get more (like a YSL Touche Éclat pen). The only problem is that you have to be careful not to click it too much because you can’t push it back down.

    High-pigmented formula. Moisturizing and long-lasting. Enhance the lips and bring out their natural colour. Leaves lips fresh, full and radiant.

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    It starts off as a sheer pink colour, but as I was wearing it, it started to get brighter and tinted my lips to a Barbie pink. Even after taking it off with a makeup wipe, my lips were reddish-pink. I can’t imagine what the darker shades do since this was the lightest one I saw at the store.

    RATING: 2/5

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    Silky Soft Lipstick in 05 Berry Red

    This lipstick you twist the bottom to get more. It’s a nice tube because it’s black and quilted- it sort of looks like a nice pen. It does have the feel of a matte lipstick. When you first apply it, it has a satin finish, but then as you wear it, it has a matte finish. It’s definitely not transfer proof.

    Effortless application. Matte texture and lightweight feel. Formula with Vitamin E to prevent colour fading or smudging. Deeply nourishes and moisturizes lips.

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    RATING: 3.5/5

    This one gets a higher rating because it didn’t stain my lips like the other one.

    Here are swatches of  the two lipsticks.

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    Top: Sakura Pink, Bottom: Berry Red

    They’re both very pretty shades, but I think I’d rather pay a bit more for a drugstore brand. The problem with lipsticks from Asian brands is that they rarely have a nude lipstick, usually they have lip tints or lipsticks that are pink, coral or orange-red. I prefer nudes and nude-pinks instead of bright pinks.

    Have you tried Miniso makeup?

    Love,

    jen

  • mamie clafoutis montreal

    Montréal Eats | Part 2

    Hi Everyone!

    Here is Part 2 of Montréal Eats! Click here for Part 1!

    Let me start by saying that I’m sure there are tons of bakeries that have even better almond croissants, but we tried out three bakeries and these are my thoughts on them.

    I got the idea to do a blog post on the almond croissants on the second last day. So, my rating of them is based on how good they taste after travelling on a bus for 6 hours and eating them the day after. I wish I had thought of the blog post earlier, then I could have tried them all fresh. I did get to try a pistachio croissant (Mamie Clafoutis) and an almond croissant (Première Moisson) while we were there and both were amazing.

    Mamie Clafoutis

    On our first morning, we went to Mamie Clafoutis to get breakfast. I had a pistachio croissant and a tea. It was delicious, but also very rich and filling. It probably would’ve been better to share one between two of us. I got full after eating 2/3 and instead of bringing the rest home (which I should’ve done), I decided to finish it (which I regretted a bit later). It was to die for and I would definitely get it again despite feeling a bit sick for an hour after.

    Première Moisson

    On our next morning, we decided to grab something quick. I got the almond croissant and it was delicious. I was able to finish it without feeling sick and it didn’t make me too full. According to KN and BM, the focaccia was also really delicious.

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

    KN wanted to go here to get a ‘kouign amann’ (butter cake) and butter croissants. I decided to get the almond croissant, but according to KN, the butter croissants and cake were amazing. It is their specialty after all, so I should’ve gotten one, but I already had several croissants and a dozen bagels to bring home.

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

    Mamie Clafoutis’ almond croissant had the most icing sugar out of the three. The pistachio croissant also has icing sugar. Because of this, I think it’s the sweetest almond croissant of the three. The filling was different than the other two- it had something dark in it, which made me think that they used real, crushed almonds in their filling.

    Both the almond and pistachio croissant were delicious, but I would say it’s the best to get when you’re having a coffee and sitting down to chat.

    JENCAT’S RATING: Best afternoon snack with coffee or tea

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    Première Moisson is a chain of artisanal bakeries, but I think this was the best almond croissant to eat for breakfast. It wasn’t too sweet and they have more locations so you can easily hit one up on your way to work.

    JENCAT’S RATING: Best breakfast croissant and most accessible in terms of locationsPâtisserie Au Kouign Amann(2)

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann is best known for their butter cakes, so I think it would be best to stick with what they’re known for. This almond croissant was the flattest and therefore the densest almond croissant of the three. KN assured me though that the butter croissants and cake were amazing and flaky.

    RATING: Cheapest for an almond croissant, but probably best to get the butter ones

    Overall, I think my favourite was the Première Moisson almond croissant which is kind of ridiculous since it’s a chain of bakeries. The filling was good and it was also the most buttery of the three, but not overly buttery. Also, I think it travelled the best and tasted the best when lightly toasted. I would definitely do anything to find a good pistachio croissant in Toronto like Mamie’s though.

    What are some good bakeries you’ve tried? (Doesn’t have to be in Montréal, but don’t forget to mention the city when you name one!)

    Love,

    jen