A Ringo A Day: Johnny English Reborn

Trailer:



This isn't so much a review than a plug, really. Johnny English returns with a sequel almost a decade after its first title in 2003. Rowan Atkinson, once with a full head of black hair (as we remembered him from Mr. Bean), now sports salt-and-pepper hair. Atkinson's reprisal of the role of Johnny English is more subdued and mellow, as befitting his age, but full-blown facial gymnastics still abound (so fear not). The funny dance at the later half ought to be entered into the Ministry of Silly Walks.

There isn't much intricacy to the plot - the film is composed mainly of visual and slapstick humor. In fact, my friend and I missed the first ten minutes of the film but got through the movie without missing much plot-wise. Perhaps it might have been better if the jokes were a little more cerebral or better written (the 'cleaner assassin' bit had been reused a couple more times than it should have). But Atkinson's acting is a full-proof laugh trigger. (But I grew up with him on my screen so I'm a bit partial.)

For those looking for a simple movie to unwind, Johnny English is a decent choice, I think.

Bits of Chiharu : Nando's!

Okay. You can call me a mountain tortoise, a frog in a well, whatever you'd prefer but yes, I've never eaten Nando's before till recently. In fact, I never knew it exists! I'm the kinda girl who likes to chillax at areas near me and Nando's is nowhere near where I stay!

At the age of 20, I finally got my pudgy hands on it!

Yeap, apparently they are famous for their flame grilled Peri-peri chicken and their Peri-peri sauce. Not sure if I got it right!

Their sauces ain't no joke. It's fiery burning hot! I can't take the heat but I just like the excitement of something spicy. It just tingles your taste buds! If you're someone who can't really take the heat, you might want to take it easy on your first try.

Ordered the hot flame grilled Peri-peri chicken! I chose the drum side because to me, that's the most tender part of a chicken. I'm not really a healthy girl :/ I generally hate chicken breasts because it's really dry but Nando's proved me wrong. Theirs was surprisingly tender! Initially I thought the chicken would be hard and dry too because a lot of places cook that kinda chicken that I don't like.

Ordered Peri-peri chips just because the boy recommended it. Pretty okay fries, but yea they're just fries.

Their potato salad is my absolute favorite! Instead of chunky monkey big potatoes, they give you small baby potatoes! Call me crazy but I think small baby potatoes are adorable. You can just pop the entire thing into your mouth :D

I had to order a drink. I really had to. Otherwise I'd have melted from the heat and further evaporate~ This apple soda thingy is a really cool drink that just refreshes your taste buds :D And I love apple, they have little chewy bits in the drink to add texture.

This isn't really a food review, I'm just sharing what I thought. I hope the pictures are well taken enough to make you hungry :D And once I master my super easy to cook Cha Soba and Tsuyu sauce, I'll be posting it up here so all of ya can enjoy too~

Love,
Chiharu ❤

Product Review : My Beauty Diary Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub (我的美丽日记香草泡泡去角质舒芙蕾)

Ya know, I've always watched the Taiwan's very famous and popular beauty show, 女人我最大. One fine day, they happened to be talking about this My Beauty Diary Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub and it got me interested. I mean, vanilla souffle and scrub. How does that not sound tasty and intriguing?!

I also did a quick google search to find more reviews on this product. Surprisingly, there were only yays for this product, so I went ahead and got it.

Mine is the mini bottle, not the retail sized one. This My Beauty Diary Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub is otherwise known as the 我的美丽日记香草泡泡去角质舒芙蕾 in Chinese. What a handful isn't it!

This came along with a Chinese description, type of skin that this is suited for and how to use. It did not come with an ingredients list so there will be none. The way you should use this is just like your Cure or your Meishoku jelly! Dry your hands and spread all over dry skin before gently massaging to remove dead skin.

The nozzle is easy to control and you can easily get a small blob of mousse!

Just like how a hair mousse would look like, you can make this ultra fluffy and huge depending on how much you dispense. It's a nicely whipped texture and would not lose its peaks till you mush it.

After rubbing it gently into your skin, some of the bubbles fizz away and it's really super creamy. Slowly, white bits of your dead skin will start to appear. It feels like a really gentle scrub, on my hand.

My verdict? I HATE THIS. Yes, the very first My Beauty Diary Product that I HATE. Why so? Yes it's a super gentle scrub on your hand because your hand isn't really sensitive. When I used this on my face, there's a whole lot to complain about.

I don't know what kinda stuff they added into this scrub but I'm 100% sure that one of the major ingredients is ALCOHOL. It was SO STRONG that when I squirted it out, I could smell alcohol immediately. It was really strong and overpowering my entire bathroom! I made a really big mistake then, I assumed that the alcohol scent was strong because it was just dispensed.

SO I APPLIED IT ON MY FACE. I could still smell the alcohol and it made me want to hurl. However, in order to do this review, I pushed through with it. THEN IT STARTED BURNING. It was friggin stinging my poor face. I still tried to be a hero and carry on but I didn't think my face could take it. Also I did not want to emerge from the bathroom looking like a lobster. So I rinsed it off.

The next day, I sprouted pimples :) That is how horrible it is. But me being me, after reading all the good reviews only, I had to try again to see if it's really that terrible. I tested it on my hand and yes, the smell was stinging my nose.

I will NEVER buy this again EVER. It's the first scrub that made me hurt and breakout. NO MORE. I trashed this after my second try.


Texture : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Well, it has a nice texture but it's prolly formulated with not nice ingredients.)

Scent : ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Alcohol stinks.)

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (It's supposedly gentle because not a lot.)

Overall : ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Exfoliates, but stinks, stings and breaks me out!!!)

Cheers,

Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : I bought this with my own money!

Product Review: Maybelline Hello Kitty x Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara

Got this as part of Maybelline's HyperCouture Fashion Show last month, and it presided in its little baggie since then, till at length yesterday I decided to take it out and break it in.

But you can probably see why, can't you? I'm not that much of a Hello Kitty fan but even I gotta admit that the packaging is gorgeous. Like many Hello Kitty collaborations, this one is limited edition as well. I'm pretty ambivalent about LE stuff -- on one hand there's the exclusivity, but on the other hand this means if you actually love the product, it wouldn't be readily available! The kicker? It's only available in Asia, so readers from other parts of the world would have to scour Ebay in order to find it. : C

That aside, the packaging is almost entirely in Japanese as well, but this volume-boosting mascara claims to create up to 5x more volume with a sky-high curl, even without using an eyelash curler. Its Curl-Lock Technology also helps lashes stay curly for as long as 18 hours.

Luckily for us, at least the ingredients list is in English.

And on to the mascara itself.

The mascara wand is a comb-type applicator common to a lot of lengthening mascaras. Personally I thought the applicator didn't really work that well with the formulation. Like most volumizing mascaras, the formulation tends to clump, and a comb-type applicator isn't well-suited to applying thicker mascara evenly.

The formulation itself is thick and dry, which does well at volumizing individual lashes, but inevitably clump on the second coat onwards. It is decidedly smudge-proof and waterproof on the lashes though, good news for those who routinely rub their eyes out or get caught in torrential rains.

It stayed on the entire day for me, though trying to remove it as gently as possible was rather a pain. But nevertheless, a small trade-off for its lasting power.

Before and after application, respectively. Pardon the messiness (I was barely awake).

Side and bottom view.

I prefer a softer look so this isn't my favorite mascara, but it's certainly a decent one. Clearly though, its main selling point is its feline mascot, the actual effectiveness of the product itself is almost secondary.

Ratings:
Volumizing effect: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (does volumize a little, but there are better ones in Maybelline's range)
Lasting power: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (hold its own)
Ability to hold curls: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Disclaimer: Product given as part of Maybelline's Hypercoulture Fashion Show 2011.

Product Review : Mandom Fusain Facial Wash

Hello my dearest Domokies! Apologies for the long-time-no-update! I was sick yesterday so my world was spinning! Thus no update! Then the day before that, I had to do stuff for my potential dream job! It's like super close now. Inches away from it, simply awaiting confirmation~

I've promised someone quite a long time ago to do a scrub recommendation. Here's one, my absolute favorite.

I don't think a lot of people know about this. This was a super random buy by my mother one day while she was out shopping. Mandomcorp has a line of make up removers too if I'm not wrong, the anti aging one, oil control blah blah. This however was hidden away at little beauty shops in the neighborhood!

Here's the description, take note of the special features because they work!!!

Honestly, I don't know half the stuff on the list but what I know is, my mom like Ringo, has super sensitive skin. She absolutely adored it. So most people should be fine with this facial wash/scrub unless you're really allergic to any of the ingredients?

Here's a blob of the product! It's greyish black and a little strange looking.

Can you spot those little black + white beads? If you squint even further, there are really even smaller greyish beads in the facial wash!

Foams up pretty beautifully. Not sure if you can tell but the foam's not all pure white, it's actually a really light shade of grey too.

I'm not sure how many of you have used this but my family <3 this! We've used like at least 10 tubes of this :) The scrubbing beads, though of different sizes, are really small so it really doesn't hurt at all on your face! At the same time while this is on your face, you'll be feeling a cool minty sensation that I find awesome in the mornings.

I recommend using this once a day because even though the beads are gentle, you don't want to over exfoliate the skin! Personally, I like this in the mornings because after the slight exfoliation, the skin will be slightly brighter and more prepped for make up! Everything will go on smoother, even skincare~ So that means? Yes, really clean feeling skin! Fresh, invigorating sensation check! If I'm not wrong, my skin was pretty acne free while using this too ^________^

This smells awesome to me despite the fact that it's not fruity or flowery. It's a menthol kinda scent, more manly than girly but it pleases me. Very calming yet fresh! Best of all, this scrub costs ONLY $4.50 at Watsons! Yea they finally brought it in! If you want it even cheaper, the neighborhood beauty shops sometimes sell these for $4 ONLY!!! Like mega cheap much? You only need a little to foam up so one tube, $4/$4.50 goes a superbly long way.

I say? AWESOME MUST GET.

The ratings? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★!!! For sure, you don't need to know more. FIVE GOLDEN STARS from me!

Love,
Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : I bought this myself and I LOVE IT!!!! Review based on my own experience and results may vary with individuals!

Product Review : CandyDoll Liquid Foundation in #1

Hooray for CandyDoll! Awhile ago, CandyDoll came out with a new liquid foundation that comes in 3 shades. Being a huge CandyDoll fan, I had to lay my fatty hands on the product!

Got it in shade 1!

The back! Okay I'm not going to be gushing about packaging anymore because we all already know how kawaii CandyDoll products are!

Do not be fooled by the shade of the foundation here. The bottle makes it look a little wonky!

No ingredients list... Sorry about that!

Instead of your usual squeeze tube/pump, this one comes with a dropper like opening. So I advise one to drip about 6 drops and go back for more if it isn't sufficient.

This foundation is one with very strong yellow undertones. It is ever so slightly too yellow for me but that can be corrected with a lil bit of purple loose powder!

That's the swatch! In reality it's a little more yellow than orange.

L - Before / R - After

Coverage test! Okay if you're not happy with the coverage of this, scroll down a little further.

L - Before / R - After

Please ignore the difference in lighting, the after picture was taken when it was about to rain already so it's somewhat darker and less warm. I had a few zits and redness that day because it was nearing that time of the month. Can you see the vast difference?!

Initially when I saw that the foundation had a really watery / runny texture, my expectations fell. I thought it would be a really sheer foundation. To my greatest pleasure, this performed like my Lancome Teint Miracle! Lightweight, perfect coverage and beautiful finish. This finishes semi matte so you don't look like some plastic mannequin. In fact though all my pimples/scars/undereye circles are covered nearly completely, I feel nothing on my skin! I also did not detect any scent.

Oil control wise, I'd say my face starts to shine in about 3 hours so I recommend setting this with your favorite oil control powder! I do have to say, because this foundation doesn't contain shimmers like the Lancome Teint Miracle, it will emphasize dry skin. So you have to make sure your skin's nicely pampered and moisturized before applying this.

In short, I will DEFINITELY buy this again once I've run out. This costs $38.90 and is a lot cheaper than my other favorite foundation that costs about $60-70. And I swear, Japanese stuff are really of great quality. I love this as much as my other CandyDoll face stuff and all of them are my absolute favorites!

You can get this from BlingAlways for only$38.90 and a bottle will last you a really long time. Also if you want to sheer this out, you can always just add a lil moisturizer to it and mix it up! I get my eyeliners, face powders, blushers and stuff from BlingAlways and I've loved them all :) She was an absolute dear to deliver this to my home!


Texture: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Super lightweight~)
Coverage: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (It's a miracle in a bottle too!)
Oil Control: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Average for most people, below average for those with EXTREMELY oily skin.)
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (Definitely repurchasing! One of my only two favorite foundations!)

Cheers,
Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes. This does not affect the honesty of my review in any way. Review is based on my own personal experience with the product and may vary with individuals!

Product Review : Kinohimitsu BB Drink

Hi my Domokies! Apparently my kick to Ringo has been unsuccessful because I'm back and she's not! She's still busy with work unfortunately but I've managed to date her for Glee the 3D movie! Mega excited and I can't wait to see Lea! She's my idol~ Her voice is absolutely incredible!

Must not let review post mutate into Gleeky post! I shall gleek out in another post so that those who are not interested in that aspect can sit out on it!

Today's post will be on...

The Kinohimitsu BB Drink!

6 bottles to consume for a period of 6 days :D

So what's this BB drink all about?

"The key to gorgeous looks is to have healthy, glowing skin. Kinohimitsu J’pan BB Drink is a functional, instant drink that helps restore your skin’s natural glow and clarity - not only on the face but the entire body, including the back, hands and legs.


Infused with hydrolysed bird’s nest, chicken cartilage (a source of hyaluronic acid) and fermented yeast (a source of co-enzyme Q10, CoQ10), Kinohimitsu J’pan BB Drink is a healthy and effective solution to nourish, hydrate and rejuvenate every single cell in your body by giving rich, healthful nutrients to promote a baby-like rosy complexion." - Taken from Kinohimitsu.

The ingredients list as usual! I was posed with a question some time ago with regards to the bird nest in this BB drink. Logically, if you wanted to drink bird nests, why should you get this instead of those normal bird nest drink?

Well the bird nest powder you see in the ingredients list isn't just like any other bird nest. It's HYDROLYZED bird nest.

"Hydrolyzed bird nest is a Japan-patented ingredient (Patent No.: JP2003-095961; JP2005-206547; JP2002-068988). Bird’s Nest is rich in Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), sialic acid (200 times higher than royal jelly), amino acids and minerals which are essential to promote skin cell regeneration, enhance skin healing and promote youthful-looking skin. It is produced via an enzymatic process at a small molecule size for effective and optimum absorption without using any chemicals and bleaching agents." - Taken from Kinohimitsu.

I was also rather mystified at the presence of chicken cartilage in the ingredients list. I know what it is but I had no idea what its purpose was! Let me enlighten all of you now. Chicken cartilage is a source of Hyaluronic Acid!!! ━━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━━ I did not know that either! Now we've all learnt something haven't we? If ya'all need a more elaborate explanation of what Hyaluronic acid is, drop by the Kinohimitsu website to take a look!

Okay I don't want to blabber on and on about the ingredients list when you can see more detailed information on their website. I'm sure that you can see for yourselves all the different goodies in the ingredients list.

Personally I prefer consuming this at night on an empty stomach because firstly, I think it'll absorb better. Secondly, all the collagen and bird nest can work its magic at night during the skin regenerating/recovery period! Lastly, I also think that BB drink + Sleep = The ultimate winning combo as you get your dosage of rest too. So yes, drink it at night, let your skin rest, recover and regenerate in your beauty sleep!

I wanted to pour it into a shot glass for a nicer picture but I lost it so a wine glass will have to do! I love mine chilled for a tasty treat before I head off to bed.

It took me a lot of courage to put this photo up. It's my defenseless, makeup-less, circle-lens-less face!!! And both the before and after shots are taken in the morning while I'm still groggy and giving this weird wonky smile + eyes. However for the sake of Domokie, here's my face. Don't scream :)

L - Before / R - After 6 days consumption

Say hello to my groggy face. Okay all wonkiness aside, if you look at the area between my nose and my mouth, you'll see a little acne scar there. And once you see that, compare the before and after picture and you'll know it's fading! Point proven, it does speed up the healing process of the skin :D Of course this effect came with daily consumption of the product. Another thing I noticed that was a lot more obvious was that my dry lips went poof! Finally, days when my lips aren't cracked or peeling~

If it weren't for the before and after pictures, I wouldn't have really noticed but as you can see, my after picture looks more radiant than that of the before. Although the lighting is slightly different, I look more awake in the after photo. I think it helps with reducing the yellow dull complexion for to really see the effects, you really have to stick to consuming this regularly.

In simple summarized terms, this product works for me. BUT, I have to drink a bottle a day for better results!

What does this product taste like? This is a really hard one to describe. Initially I was afraid it'd taste like cherry juice but I was hoping for it to be like your usual sweet bird nest drink. It turned out as something like no other. It's sweet, fruity with that slight hint of a medicinal taste you get with drinks that has collagen in it. For the strangest reasons, it actually tastes pretty appealing to me and like I've mentioned above, it's like tasty, healthy and non-fattening treat for me to enjoy before I head off to bed.

A box of 6 bottles costs $39.90 so it's about $6.65 per bottle. Honestly, I think it's kinda expensive. Yet at the same time, if you have a stable income, I think you should get this. You only need to consume a bottle a day for 6 days if you're a first time user. Afterwards, for maintenance, you can drink a bottle every three days so just scrimp about $2.20 a day and you can afford this drink! Cut down on your snacks and fizzy drinks, get this healthy one instead. I've seen this at various Watsons outlet and you can get it there so you can earn points with your member card ;)

I can't judge this like I would do with our normal rating system but if I had to give it stars, this will be FOUR stars. One off for the pricing but other than that I have nothing else to complain about this product!

P.S. It's now buy 2 get 1 free at Watsons!

P.S.S. Remember to like their FACEBOOK PAGE to know about more promotions, new launches and discounts!!!

Love,

Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes by Confirm Trading. This review is based on my own experience with this product and is absolutely honest. Take note that effects may vary with individual especially when we are of different ages.