Monday, July 16, 2018

Fuwa Fuwa

Restaurant: Fuwa Fuwa
Address: 408 Bloor St. W
Phone: 647-618-2868
Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 AM - 7:30 PM, Fri 11 AM - 10 PM, Sat 10 AM - 10 PM, Sun 10 AM - 7:30 PM
Website: www.fuwafuwapancakes.com


Interior



Menu


Raspberry and Caramelized Banana Pancake, $13.80


Creme Brulee Pancake, $15.80



Review

Fuwa Fuwa, which translates to Fluffy Fluffy in Japanese, is one of the latest Toronto food hypes. Fuwa Fuwa is the only fluffy Japanese pancakes place I've been to so far. I got there at 4 PM on a Tuesday with a couple of friends. The place had a decent number of customers but luckily there were seats and tables available so we didn't have to wait.

We ordered the Raspberry and Caramelized Banana Pancake and the Creme Brulee Pancake. They were indeed super fluffy and delicious! All three of us preferred the Creme Brulee flavoured pancake between the two. You can definitely share one plate between two people. It would also help cut down on the cost as well since the pancakes are quite pricey for dessert.

For my first experience with Japanese pancakes, I was quite pleased. The hype was definitely worth it. I would recommend checking the place out if you are in the area!

Friday, July 13, 2018

[Product Review] Ahoy Lashes

Lashes and Santorini!

Shop: Ahoy Lashes
Address: 216 Ossington Ave.
Phone: 647-326-3688
Operating Hours: Mon 12-8 PM, Tues - Fri 11 AM - 8 PM, Sat-Sun 11 AM - 6 PM
Website: www.ahoylashes.com


Interior





Review

Ahoy Lashes is a semi-permanent lash extensions shop at Ossington and Dundas. I had the pleasure of getting a full set of lashes done by the co-owner and senior technician, Bella. I got them done just before my Greece trip in June because I thought it would be the perfect time to get glam. I wore my lashes throughout my trip (8 days) plus a couple of weeks on top. With the length of time I had them on, I'm confident to give my honest thoughts.

I went into the shop three days prior to my flight. I adored the vacation-themed decor, which was definitely in tune with the name Ahoy Lashes. It's a small but quaint shop with music that would transport you to a tropical island.

Bella did a full consultation with me before she started. I was very happy that she was very thorough and patient because I wasn't familiar with eyelash extensions. She showed me photos of previous clients so I had a visual guide as she explained the different types of looks. She was honest about everyone's eye shape being different. So even if I got the same set and style as another client, it wouldn't necessarily look the same on me. She gave suggestions based on my eye shape and made sure to cater to what I wanted. I loved the personalized consultation because it made me trust her capabilities and gave me a more comfortable experience.

I went for a full set with medium dramatic volume in thickness. They were D-curve lashes and were between 9 to 13 mm in length. By varying the lengths, it created a more cohesive look. I opted for a cat eye look to see how it would turn out on me. I thought I might as well go all out if I'm going on vacation. Bella coated my lashes with a protecting mascara at the end of the session. The lashes and products used are from Korea.

I fell asleep when I was getting my lashes done because it was sooo therapeutic! An hour flew by so quickly that the next thing I knew, I had new lashes on. Bella went over how to care for my lashes and when I should expect them to fall out.

Prior to this, I only had eyelash extensions done once before a couple of years ago. However, they started falling off immediately the day after I had them applied. I think most of the lashes came off by the end of the first week. So my first experience was a complete fail. Bella told me that the eyelash extensions should last for at least three weeks. She ensured me that I should not be expecting fallout during my trip. So for three weeks I monitored my lashes.

The lashes were very long and it took some time for me to adjust to them. Once I did though, I felt pretty bare once they all came off at the end! The unfortunate part was that I couldn't wear any eye makeup during that time as it would affect the integrity of the lashes.

There were a couple of things that occurred when I was wearing the lashes. I noticed that about 2-3 days afterwards, my eyes would tear up randomly. I soon realized that it might have been the glue affecting my eyes. I was unsure if my body didn't like the specific glue used or just all eyelash glues in general. This happened about 4-5 more times in the first week where my eyes would sting for about a minute or two randomly. By the end of the first week, it stopped. I also found that my right eye was a bit tender with where the lashes were attached to. This only happened if I touch that area, otherwise I didn't feel it. The tenderness unfortunately did not go away until most of the lashes came off. However once off, the tenderness disappeared and there were no other problems to the eye.

Other than those two problems I ran into, the lashes held on amazingly. As promised, there were barely any fallout when I was away in Greece. I only went into the beach once but they held up no problem. The lashes did not start falling out slowly until mid second week. I think the glue is quite strong because the last few lashes stayed on so stubbornly towards the end of the month!

I give the lashes a 4/5 stars due to the times where I had tenderness and some tearing, but they stayed on like a champ. The lashes definitely became an added feature to my face and I got used to having fluttery long lashes. The customer service deserved a perfect 5/5 stars! I loved the customization and the wonderful experience I had in the shop. Bella was a joy to work with and I would recommend booking her 100%. Overall, I give Ahoy Lashes 4.5/5 stars.

Ahoy Lashes also only charges a set rate for the extensions. Bella did not think that it was fair people were being charged by the number of lashes used because everyone is born with a different number of lashes. Therefore, if you are someone who has been paying too much for lashes, you should take a look at Ahoy Lashes! I do recommend that if you know what eyelash glues your body is averse to, you should inquire with the shop before booking.

Woo, lashes!