From Japan Pokemon Eeveelutions Haul

Almost a couple of months ago now, I decided to write about From Japan on my blog with a review of the proxy service, as well as showing you guys my haul from my second order. You can read all about that here.

I’m here again with yet another haul! This time it’s from my first order I made with From Japan in April, as well as my third order I made in June.

I know you guys loved when I spoke about From Japan before, so I knew when my first and third orders arrived I wanted to share what goodies I bought with you all!

I really hope you enjoy this post today, it’s such a hot weekend so grab a cold drink (or even better an ice cream!) and get in front of the fan as you read this post. 🙂

I mentioned on my From Japan review previously that I’d made my first order with them back in April and I was still waiting for my goodies to arrive! I’d decided to ship via surface mail, which is notorious for taking MONTHS. Alas, my order took almost 3 months to arrive, but better late than never and it was definitely worth it!

First things first, if you’re happy to wait ages for your goods to arrive, surface mail with tracking is fab… But I definitely prefer airmail! Your goods come within a week and they always usually have tracking too.

Anyhoo, the first item I want to talk about on my haul post is the Pokemon TCG playmat from the Eevee Sweet Choices collection. It’s so cute and it’s actually from me ordering this that I decided to get my own desk in our front room/office.

The packaging it came in was great and it even arrived in its original packaging! The playmat is in perfect condition and has now found it’s place on my desk, which I adore so much! It only arrived on Thursday but in the short time I’ve owned it, it looks great on my desk and I’m so glad I finally made the jump at not only ordering it, but using From Japan to get it.

As far as I’m aware this playmat was a Pokemon Center USA exclusive, so I can only imagine the person who owned it in Japan before me must have imported it. It’s been a longgggg way! 😛

Shortly after my second order arrived, I started to order items for my third order. I’ve been after the Eeveelutions Pokemon Dolls from 2017 for quite some time now. I bought Flareon back when they released, then Espeon and Umbreon a year or so later and finally Vapreon shortly after that through a Facebook group.

I was still missing most of the Eeveelutions and had been keeping my eyes peeled on Facebook groups, eBay and stores similar. When I was in Japan in January 2020 I looked in stores too, the only Eeveelution Pokemon Doll we came across was the Vaporeon one, which I already owned.

I’d already starting searching for the remaining Eeveelutions I was after on From Japan, with some showing loads of results, others showing very few and one not at all! It was definitely a challenge and I wanted to share with you some of the struggles I faced this time. FYI none of these struggles are any fault of From Japan!

To try and find the Pokemon Dolls I was after, I searched for just that both in English and Japanese. As I mentioned on the previous post about From Japan, you can use Google Translate to help you with getting the rough translation. This result showed not only plushies, but figures too. This took some time when trying to just locate certain Eeveelutions, but it made for something chilled to do whilst watching something on TV.

Whenever I found the Eeveelutions I was after, I would add to my watch list/favourites and order when the time was right! Sadly, some orders were cancelled and fell through. This could either be due to someone ordering the item(s) before me, or just because of proxy seller issues.

The Eeveelutions I needed to complete my collection were, Eevee, Jolteon, Glaceon, Leafeon and Sylveon.

Eevee was the easiest and cheapest out of the five to get hold of! Before shipping I only paid 800 yen for this, which in pounds is £5.36. Complete bargain!

Jolteon was the hardest to get hold of. I’d actually found someone selling the American version (tag was different) for £45! I was close to buying it, just because I was beginning to see no light at the end of the tunnel, but glad I didn’t. I was refusing to ship all of the Pokemon Dolls I’d bought to me until I’d found this one. You get 45 days to ship your goods to you, something I was starting to get closer and closer to. Alas one day I was randomly having a search around From Japan for this Pokemon Doll and low and behold… I found it! I didn’t hesitate to order and worried a few days after that it may get cancelled for reasons. Thankfully this didn’t happen and as soon as it arrived at the From Japan warehouse, I shipped my goods to me! This Pokemon Doll only cost me 2,200 yen, which in pounds is £14.72.

Glaceon wasn’t straight forward and if anything was kind of stressful. The person who had listed the cheap Eevee Pokemon Doll also listed a Glaceon for roughly the same price. However, the order got cancelled as someone else had snagged the bargain ice Pokemon quicker than I had. I quickly ordered a back up I had in my watch list/favourites, which was painful considering how much more it was. I paid 2,700 yen which in pounds is £18.15. It was worth it though!

Leafeon was one of the easiest I ordered alongside with Eevee as it never got cancelled and it seemed to be a popular Eeveelution Pokemon Doll for sale too, making it really easy to find. It’s such a cute Pokemon Doll, it’s one my friend Sarah (Raiin Monkey) owns so whenever I see it, I always think of her. I paid 2,600 yen which in pounds is £17.40.

Sylveon was fairly easy to get hold of, but it was also the most expensive! It appears whilst people love Sylveon, they also don’t seem to love it as much considering how many of them were listed on From Japan. The prices seemed to rise every time a new listing was made for it too, which is crazy! I paid 3,851 which is pounds is £25.77, quite the price jump from the previous Eeveelution Pokemon Dolls, but totally worth it!

These arrived a week after I paid for airmail shipping and they arrived in a bubble wrap style package. I expected a box to be honest with you, but due to them being plushies it worked out fine! Some of the plushies (as you’ll see from the photos above) had tags, which I didn’t expect from some of them!

As always, I’m really happy with all the goodies I bought from From Japan and they’ve all arrived in perfect condition.

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A post shared by Nat – Kawaii Nerd Blogger (@theremightbecoffeeblog)

I posted a reel on my Instagram page all about buying these and it has done SO WELL, which has really made me smile. I’ll pop it above so you can see it. 😉

A lot of people have already asked when I’ll be making a fourth order with From Japan… But I don’t know the answer to that question yet. I’m trying to be good with money since I bought my car. I am planning to use From Japan more in the future to buy my Pokemon goodies (old and new) as well as more! In the future, would you guys like to see a post of my From Japan wish list? 🙂

What do you guys think of the goodies I ordered and had arrive From Japan? What’s your favourite? Who is your favourite Eeveelution too? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

I know the UK is not only a very warm place right now, but a bit scary too with restrictions being lifted from tomorrow. So, until next time please take care all and feel free to drop me a DM on Twitter/Instagram if you ever need someone to talk to. ❤

Goodbye 2020!

Image taken from Pinterest

I can’t quite believe a whole year has flew past us as we prepare to go into 2021… Sorry but 2020 was a big year for me for so many reasons but of course it wasn’t a great year either…

2020 was the year I entered the 30-35 tick box and I don’t feel ready to turn 31 next week. :S It was also the year me and Dane travelled to Japan for the first time. It was amazing and I’m so glad we were able to go before COVID started to manifest. I remember my dad messaging me our second week into the trip and saying, “There’s a virus called coronavirus going around Japan. Be careful!” and us shrugging it off. Oh how times have changed, eh?

Going back to that trip, it was amazing and I have clutched onto the memories we made and photos we took to get me through 2020 when I felt rubbish. I’m really hoping 2021 will be better COVID wise as I would love to return back to Japan in 2022, maybe even 2023 if that’s the case.

Image taken from GIPHY

Me and Dane have already said we’d like to go around March/April time to see the cherry blossoms, travel around more (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima) and especially go for Dane’s birthday this time around. We’ve also discussed going for Christmas/New Year at some point too as that would be lovely. We could eat KFC, stay at a private onsen for a few days and again, travel around and have the perfect kawaii/otaku Christmas… But we don’t know when this will be. It’s just an idea.

I wanted to briefly do a bit of a chat about how 2020 was for me overall (including my favourites), mention how December has been and of course talk about 2021 and what I’m looking forward to so far.

I need to get this off of my chest out of the way because it’s still semi ongoing and it’s pissed me off something awful.

I mentioned back in September 2019 on a post (8 Games I’m Excited To Play) about being excited for a game I’d backed on Kickstarter called Calico. The game released 15th December 2020 and was announced on the Nintendo Indie World Showcase. As someone who had backed the game I was pretty meh to discover that people who HADN’T backed the Kickstarter had access to the game before we did and may I add, for less monies… Just felt like a bit of a punch to the stomach. I’m on the Discord channel and started hearing nothing but bug complaints/feedback from people who had been playing the game. Turns out not much testing had been done… Not good! I waited a week for my game code on the Switch, but no sign and I was given excuses of, “we’re new to this, wasn’t aware how long it would take.” etc. Then North American codes were being sent to people in the EU, which of course wouldn’t work. It was just a bit of a shit show to be blunt. I asked for my money back on Sunday, which has been processed and I’m waiting for. I can’t be arsed to play Calico now. It sounds like a rushed out mess and I just don’t want to support a game like that. I’ve heard nothing but complaints from friends about it who have played. I’m happy to have supported the game and help it come to life, but I’m not happy to wait and constantly feel mugged off. The developers have now advised for UK backers to ask for refunds so they can go and buy it themselves on the eShop.

It’s just so poor and clearly rushed out. I was really excited for this game and especially when they announced it as coming out a few weeks back. Dane was away with work and with the game coming out I thought, “Awesome, something to keep me going until he’s back home!” which of course wasn’t the case.

If you’re thinking about getting Calico, get it on Steam if you can. The console versions are full of bugs (I think some may have been fixed?) and from what has been said it can take a while to get them fixed. Or just wait a while for it to go down in price, as I’m sure any bugs will have been amended by then too. I’m not saying don’t support the game, but be wary of the bugs…

I’m sorry if that above has come off as bitchy but I was so frustrated for those two weeks that I just had to be honest with you guys on my experience. I’ve got two other games backed via Kickstarter and from the start I’ve definitely had a better experience with them, so I have very high hopes for how the games will be when they release. 🙂

Now that little rant is out of the way, I thought I would mention some stuff I have loved this year!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Okay, who DIDN’T love this game in 2020? For some it was a sort of lifeline during the start of COVID, I know it was for me. I don’t play it daily now, but when I do pick it up it just relaxes me straight away and it’s also a game I love playing with my friends online. The Toy Day event on Christmas Eve was so lovely and started to get me in the Christmas spirit. I know a lot of people who ended up buying a Switch/Switch Lite due to the need to play Animal Crossing on it, I even helped two of my friends get a Switch/Switch Lite of their own so they could play!

The Mandalorian – I’ve honestly loved this series in 2020 and it’s actually one me and Dane binge watched over the Christmas period. I couldn’t get into it last year, especially with our Japan trip coming up so we just… Didn’t get into it. Season 2 is AMAZING though and I was all there for it. I highly recommend watching The Mandalorian even if you aren’t a huge Star Wars fan, as it’s just good all around show that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus some of my favourite Star Wars characters make appearances in season 2, which made me so happy!

PVRIS Use Me (Deluxe) – Use Me released this year and I had been excited for this album since it was announced. I discovered PVRIS when I started my job in April 2019 and I have since fallen in love. This album is one I’ve found myself listening to time and time again, whether I’m out and about driving/walking or working in the house. I’ve found myself dancing in the kitchen whilst making a cup of coffee, that’s just how much I love it. My top three tracks from the album are – “Gimme a Minute”, “Stay Gold” and “Loveless”. They’re all such amazing songs, with “Stay Gold” being my favourite on the album… And the one I danced to in the kitchen whilst grabbing coffee. 😛

Lyonsleaf Calendula and Marshmallow Balm – This balm has to be mentioned here because it really has helped with my hand in 2020. My eczema/dermatitis is still ongoing and hasn’t improved at all and I’m still waiting to see a specialist. Since about August I’ve been using this balm and it really does help with the dryness and cracking and since using it religiously, my hands haven’t cracked and bled for as long as I can remember. I’ll be continuing to use this for as long as I can as it really does help. 🙂

Aveeno – I’m just going to add Aveeno as a whole, as this is another product that has really changed my life since purchasing it, in so many ways! I use the intense body lotions on my hands, which has really helped recently and I even bought the shower cream to see if that would help too. It smells delicious and makes my body feel lovely and soft. I highly recommend Aveeno in general, let alone if you have really dry skin like myself.

There are a few things in 2021 that I’m excited to have come up!

31st Birthday – This is actually a week from today and yeah it’s scary how quickly it’s come around! I think for the day I’m going to bake some red velvet cupcakes, play with my new resin molds and get a takeaway. At the time of writing this post, Birmingham has actually gone into tier 4 and I’m gutted. Good job I’d planned to do something at home, eh?

Eight Year Anniversary – I can’t believe me and Dane have been together eight years in 2021… It’s really flew by and I hope we can do something for it in 2021. For our seven year anniversary we went for a drive around the countryside and grabbed a Japanese takeaway on our way home. Who knows what we’ll do this year, but I’m sure it’ll be good. 🙂

My Chemical Romance in June – That’s if COVID doesn’t come along and cause it to be postponed/rescheduled like it was this year.

Potential planning for Japan trip #2 – This would be amazing to do! I really hope it can be done towards the end of 2021…

Maybe a puppy(?) – We were really close to getting a dog in 2020 but due to the issues we faced with adopting we gave up and said we would wait and either try to adopt again (although doubtful…) or get a puppy in 2021. If we go for the latter, I already have a breeder in mind that we want to go with… We shall see what happens. Getting a pet is a big thing and we need to make sure we’re ready and able to do it.

Speaking of 2021, I also  wanted to mention what posts I am hoping to bring to you guys in 2021, these are just some ideas of what I have swirling around my head. This isn’t definite, as it never is but it’s ideas I would like to get down on my blog eventually. At the moment it’s mostly independent stores I’ve discovered/known about for years and bought from! There are a lot of USA based independent stores mentioned here as due to the changes in the UK with VAT, a lot of them have stated they aren’t able to sell to the UK anymore, so I went all out!

Quirkory – I’ll be writing a review of the Mostari Mystery Pack, as well as the Animal Crossing Gimme my Joycon 2 enamel pins I’ve pre-ordered. They won’t arrive until January/February.

Lunaticgumis – I’m planning to talk about the Puppycat Amigurumi, stickers and enamel pin I picked up a month or so ago. I wanted to talk about the goodies I picked up before Christmas but I just didn’t have time, sadly.

Pikarar – I only discovered Pikarar in October/November time and I’m already in love with their designs and items! I’ve so far made two orders, one being a pre-order for after Christmas. When my pre-order arrives, I’ll be showing you all what I bought! It’s mostly clothes. 😛

SleepingWolvesArt – Review where I’ll be talking about some notebooks (which have arrived) and enamel pins (literally just ordered) I’ve bought.

Sugar Bunny Shop – It’s still on it’s way to me but I ordered the Doki Fox sweater I’ve wanted for MONTHS.

So there is a sneak peak of what I will be sharing in the future on my blog! Of course I will talk about other things in between, but until the weeks/months come I won’t know 100% what may come up to discuss. As always I’ll have my monthly favourites and wish list too.

I can’t quite believe 2021 is just around the corner and we’re entering it with practically in lockdown, which sucks. Whatever though, it isn’t going to affect me much in regards to work, or my social life. I’ll just miss not being able to be closer to some form of “normality”.

I’m not feeling glum about 2021 and if anything I’m hoping to grow some of my hobbies, as well as see some of my friends again who I haven’t seen for ages.

What are you excited for in 2021? Is there any specific content you would like to see more of on my blog in the New Year? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, Happy New Year for tomorrow/Friday and I hope you’re all safe. 🙂

September Favourites ’20

Wow, did September fly by or what?! I can’t quite believe it’s October and I’m still saying and writing September down when referring to this month.

As I mentioned this time last month, September is my favourite month of the year, for autumn and it’s always the month I have associated with as a “fresh start”. This is down to starting education in September and preparing myself for that. I was one of those teenagers who started a new year of school with a “new year, new me!” approach… But never really changed much. xD

However, September 2020 for me has been… Shit. Due to lockdown I haven’t been able to do stuff I usually would in the run up to autumn, which sucks, but without saying too much, I’ve been grieving during September and I can only see October being the same. This is also why there wasn’t a blog post last week.

Aside from that September was just bland really. I had to “take a stand” and look after my mental health. I’d found being part of group chats and Discord chats to be too much for me and I’ve ended up muting them for the foreseeable future. That “new year, new me!” stance I’ve always had since the age of 13 appears to have been used this year for sure! xD

This months favourites are strange. I found that a lot of beauty related items I’ve loved have been holy grails for me, especially for my hand, which flared up with my dermatitis. SO, I hope the one product mentioned may help others out there who have dermatitis like myself, or eczema.

Image taken from The Latest Kate

Anyhoo, enough of me waffling and being depressing (ha! xD), on with the monthly favourites for September!

• Happy Place Cosmetics Wild Child Body Scrub.

I got this body scrub towards the end of July/start of August in my Happy Place Cosmetics monthly box. This is my favourite item that was in the box, but I was wary I wasn’t going to like the scent after reading the description on the website. It’s described as being a dupe of Lush’s 29 High Street scent. This is a definite dupe, but back in the day when I was a Lushie, 29 High Street wasn’t a scent I particularly liked. However, it’s really grown on me and actually reminds me of Christmas! It’s a warm foral, but fruity scent! Lush say that 29 High Street is said to be the scent of a Lush shop when you walk in. I think this has changed the past 8 years however…

Honestly though, the Happy Place Cosmetics body scrubs are AMAZING and by far the best I’ve ever used. They’re really scrubby, but they also foam up too depending on how much water you add. I don’t feel like I’ve had a body scrub work as well as these do. I use them once a week and they make my skin lovely and soft. At the time of writing this post (evening of 30/09/2020) there are some body scrubs available on the Happy Place Cosmetics website, so if you’re interested in them, go and check out the website.

• Lyonsleaf Calendula and Marshmallow Balm.

When I say this product has been a lifesaver, I really mean it. I’ve mentioned on and off on my blog how my eczema/dermatitis is really bad on my hand the past year and at one point over the past month it got so bad and uncomfortable. So much so, it was waking me up in the night due to how itchy it was. I decided to research what products I could buy and use on it after washing my hands and in between the ointment my doctor had prescribed me. Lyonsleaf came up and after doing a lot of reading and watching of reviews on YouTube, I decided to order myself a little tub. It’s honestly amazing stuff! It’s greasy in consistency but a little goes a long way. It doesn’t have a scent or taste when applied to the skin, but in the jar it does remind me of a Sunday dinner/gravy sort of smell, which is so odd! I really do recommend this though if you have really dry skin and need something to soothe it, especially if it’s just patches like what I have.

• Doll 10 Doll Skin Perfecting Treatment Powder.

This is something my mom bought me as a gift quite a while ago. I’ve only really started to use it during lockdown whenever I’m popping out for the day, or fancy wearing doing myself up as if I’m going out for the day. Lately I’ve been venturing out a little more, whether it’s going for a shop, getting my nails done or running errands out and about. This is a light translucent powder which goes on pretty straight forward. It’s been my go to really to remove any excess oil on my t-zone. I couldn’t say if it actually keeps the oil at bay all day but it works for me enough at the moment during “lockdown” and whilst I’m working from home. I’m never usually a fan of loose powders as I find they often don’t get picked by the brush (if that makes sense?) which can wind me up a little as I feel like I’m constantly trying to get an even coverage on my face. This being said, this powder is pretty good for that!

• Nivea Blueberry Blush Lip Butter.

I mentioned this a couple of months on my monthly favourites and I’m mentioning it again! This lip butter by Nivea is so lovely to use and as sad as it sounds, it’s a treat for me to use throughout the week during work. It’s buttery, creamy and a little goes a long way. It feels really nice and moisturising on the lips and it smells absolutely gorgeous! I love blueberries and especially love blueberry scented things so this is right up my street. I usually go to Vaseline when it comes to lip balms, but I’m really loving the Nivea lip butter lately, so this is definitely a product I’ll repurchase in the future. I highly recommend it is you want a good lip butter/cream. It’s not greasy or sticky, yet it lasts ages on the lips!

• Bath Bake Love White Cocoa Fluffy Whip Soap.

The final product I want to talk about for the beauty side of my monthly favourites is Bath Bake Love, an independent beauty brand I have fallen in love with during lockdown. I’d like to write a blog post about them in the future, but I don’t know when it’ll be. Anyway, this is the first and only fluffy whip soap I’ve tried by them and it smells of white chocolate/white hot chocolate. It’s divine and it isn’t just me who loves it too, my boyfriend has really taken to this and has been using is everyday to wash with in the mornings. It’s a thick creamy soap, it looks more like a buttercream than soap and it smells like it too. A little goes a long way and when used in a sponge or a shower puff it really foams up and leaves you with loads of lovely smelling lather/bubbles. This can also be used in the bath, which my boyfriend has done. Bath Bake Love has definitely become a must have for our shower and I cannot wait to try and own more of their products in the future. They currently have their Halloween range on their website, so make sure to go and check them out. 🙂

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Gif taken from GIPHY

Favourite TV Show – The Boys.

First of all, sorry for the C word being used on the gif… Butcher is one of my favourite characters for the way he is, so I had to include that gif. 😛 We are already six episodes into season 2 of The Boys and so far I’m really enjoying it! There’s been loads happen since season 1 finished last year, which is always good. One of the episodes so far felt really slow and I know I wasn’t the only person saying this. Monday morning meetings are spent with my team discussion the episode of The Boys from the weekend and what we thought of it. We’ve all had the same feelings about it and so far we are all loving it! I really do look forward to spending Friday night or Saturday morning watching the latest episode with Dane. The Boys reminds me of Preacher, which ended last year, just after The Boys began. They’re both based off of comics of the same dark comedy, so they’re good in my books! I definitely recommend checking out The Boys and Preacher if you have Amazon Prime, as that’s where they’re hosted.

Favourite Movie – I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Although we watched this film at the end of start of September it’s the only film I’ve really watched lately that I could think of adding to my monthly favourites this month. This is one that Dane had watched the trailer for, heard about online and really wanted to watch. We popped it on and I swear throughout we were constantly questioning what the fuck was going on. It’s a psychological drama about a young woman who is contemplating ending the six week relationship with her boyfriend as they drive to his parents house so she can meet them for the first time. It spirals from there, but I don’t really want to say much in case it reveals any spoilers but it’s based off of a novel and is directed by Charlie Kaufman the guy behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If you have Netflix or are able to watch it another way I highly recommend it. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – Oops…

Oops indeed. I didn’t read anything this month. I really need to just have an evening off of my phone, Nintendo Switch and laptop and just read! Sometimes though I just don’t feel like I have time. I’m always trying to make way for everything and reading takes a back burner. Earlier today I ordered Aggretsuko Vol. 1 comic book! I love Aggretsuko so I’m rather excited for that to arrive tomorrow or Friday to read over the weekend… If I’m able to! Honestly though, I have so many manga volumes and comics to read. I really need to get on it!

Favourite Music – PVRIS – Use Me.

PVRIS new album Use Me came out at the end of August and it’s one I’ve been listening to on and off throughout September, but I definitely need to listen to it a lot more. I wanted to share one of the songs from the album that I’ve already fallen in love with, starting with “Loveless”. This song is clearly about a breakup but it’s got such a lovely acoustic melody behind it, as well as powerful lyrics that a lot of people who have or are going through a breakup can relate to. I just love it so much and after I heard it for the first time, I replayed it a few times and got the lyrics up to read as it played and sing along to. Who else does this? 😛

Overall I really love Use Me but I think it’s one that will have to grow on me. I love PVRIS’s previous two albums so much, but that isn’t it. I think due to the fact 5/11 songs on the album have come out gradually the past year as singles and EP’s, nearly half of the albums isn’t a “surprise”, if that makes sense? Even so, I still love it! PVRIS has fast become one of my favourite bands the past year and a half and that’s not going to change.

Favourite Game – Not Tonight: Take Back Control Edition (Nintendo Switch).

I only bought this game about a week ago but it’s already earnt it’s place on my monthly favourites for September due to how much I’ve played it already! The week I bought this was when I received some bad news and I looked on the eShop for something simple to play, but not for a lot of money. I picked Not Tonight up for a BARGAIN price of £1.94! I think it was 90% off so the game was roughly £19? Crazy how cheap this was, but totally worth it! It’s set after Brexit and you’re playing a bouncer with European in their blood. You live in a dump, work for shit money and have loads of bills and taxes to pay. You have to check the ID of people coming in pubs, clubs, festivals, events and even on the border of the UK. I love it, it’s such a “relaxing” game to play which has a dark sense of humour about it. Some people I’ve spoken to about the game said it sounds depressing. It’s really not. If it’s still on offer on the eShop I highly recommend it, I’m sure you won’t miss £1.94 eh?

So, there we have it, my favourites from September. I’ve had to write this post the day before it’s due to be out and I honestly can’t believe tomorrow is going to October. This year has flew, even with the circumstances of COVID. I wish September hadn’t gone by so quickly and I wish myself and my family hadn’t received the news we did… I’m kind of glad for a new month due to that, but at the same time, I don’t know what October will bring. Fingers crossed something good, eh?

What have you been loving throughout September? Are you excited for autumn, the nights starting to draw in and Halloween? I’m excited for Halloween! I’m going to try and use October as the month to watch Halloween movies I’ve always meant to. 🙂

Speaking of, what’s your favourite Halloween movie? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, stay safe and take care all. 🙂

May Favourites ’20

It’s safe to say that May was weird and really shitty… For me at least anyway!

As many of you may or may not have noticed, I was quiet on my blog this past month and the reason for that being that I just didn’t feel up to writing any content… Which makes me feel incredibly sad. I wanted to write, but I just didn’t have the mental energy to. Most evenings after work I found myself crawling into bed (yes, even during the hotter days) with my laptop and Switch Lite and did nothing constructive. I binged TV shows, played Animal Crossing and that was about it.

Image taken from The Latest Kate

I’m not meaning to start off this months favourites with a sop story but I just want to be honest as to why my blog was so quiet this month. I’m hoping that June will be better and I can continue to bring you all the geeky, kawaii content that I know you all love!

Aside from May being rubbish, May was also a month that seemed to fly by and I discovered some new things, as well as remembering and enjoying some old.

• Molton Brown Fiery Pink Pepper Bath & Shower Gel.

I recently discovered that I had a bottle of this in my bathroom cupboard and was delighted! In May we had some water damage from our bathroom to the kitchen and I was and still am gutted. So, this has been lovely to rediscover and use every other day in the shower. The scent left behind on the skin is strong and lingers around for ages after you get out of the shower, which I don’t often get after I’ve had a shower. I know Molton Brown isn’t cheap, so I don’t know when I’ll ever buy a bottle of their bath & shower gel again. I think I might treat myself in the future, but it’ll depend. I highly recommend though if you love your showers and want a real treat!

• Nails Inc Ocean Ever After Nail Polish.

I have been blown away by this nail polish the last couple of weeks of May! It has lasted over a week without chipping and I am so pleased. I really miss having my nails painted with gel and I honestly can’t wait for my nail tech to be open again so I can go and get pampered. Whilst I wait for my nail tech to open her salon, I’ve been painting my nails again, which honestly I have somewhat missed. As I write this post I’m still wearing this gorgeous blue/green shade is still intact and I love it so much. It’s the perfect shade for summer due to the mermaid effect and whilst I’m not getting comments on it due to isolation, I know when I’ve worn this in the past, people have always commented. This was part of a duo set, which I have a feeling Nails Inc don’t sell anymore. 😦

• Nivea Blueberry Blush Lip Butter.

This is another product I recently rediscovered as I needed another lip balm. I used to use this one loads during a period when the corners of my mouth were prone to infections (I know that’s gross, but it’s true!), and for some reason I discontinued use. I think this was down to Vaseline working better at the time alongside the steroid cream I was given. However, it’s back out and being used daily and it is amazing! First of all, I love blueberry scented (and flavoured) things and this smells so fruity and yummy. This really is a lip butter, it’s thick and a little goes a long way. It feels really nice on the lips when applied and like it’s actually moisturising. I especially love to use this before bed, so I can wake up with soft lips in the morning. Although it’s pink in the tin, it doesn’t tint or change the colour of your lips, which is great too. I definitely recommend this.

• Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover.

As I mentioned previously above, due to COVID I’m not able to go and get my nails done by my nail tech, so I’m doing them myself at home. I decided to buy myself a cuticle remover from Amazon so I could do my nails properly. I hadn’t touched my cuticles over a month and they were pretty bad. I couldn’t wait for this remover to arrive, as well as the cuticle remover tools I’d ordered too. This works amazing and it only takes 15 seconds for it to work it’s magic as well. A little goes a long way and it doesn’t hurt or sting when applied. I even did Dane’s nails with it too to see what it could do. The results were amazing. I use this once a week when I paint my nails, I don’t know if that’s too much or not, but it’s what I’m doing. 🙂

• The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray.

With us in the UK being graced with warm weather at the moment, both me and Dane have been using this cooling foot spray at the moment. It’s so refreshing to use throughout the day whilst we’re at home, especially when you’re feeling really warm! They always say if you’re feeling either hot or cold, you need to cool/warm your feet up for your whole body to cool/warm up. This definitely applies to me, so when I’ve been really warm in the day, I’ve sprayed some of this on both the tops and bottoms of my feet, let it dry and then gone about my day. It’s so quick drying and due to the size of the bottle it’s handy to take out and about with you if need be. I always forget how much I love this foot spray!

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite TV Show – Jackass.

I’ve been binge watching a lot of shows this month, especially as I needed to cheer myself up after a few crappy things happening. I haven’t binged Jackass for a while now, so I decided now was a good time to do so. So far I’ve only watched season 1 and 2 of the show but I always forget how much I love it, certain scenes and how much I miss Ryan Dunn (who died almost 10 years ago). The guys are currently working on Jackass 4, which I am so excited for. I am wondering what will happen however, as this will be the first film without Ryan Dunn. Nonetheless, I am still really excited and will continue to binge watch the rest of the show, as well as the movies.

Favourite Movie – Unbroken.

This is a film that Dane popped on one evening for us to watch and I ended up finishing watching it on my own (as he had things to do). This film is amazing and I loved every moment of it. It’s directed by Angelina Jolie and is all about an American man fighting in the Second World War. He is captured by the Japanese and sent off to various prisoner of war camps. It’s all based on a true story and it’s a really emotional watch. It’s on Netflix and I can’t recommend it enough to watch. I might watch it again soon in the future, as I loved it that much.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – Skinema.

Yes. I actually read a book! Well, part of a book anyway. I read and I haven’t done that for months… If not years at this point. This book was actually kindly bought for me from Estelle (go check out her blog over at Estellosaurus!) after sharing my Amazon wish list (which I’ll link here). I was so happy when it arrived as I have wanted this book for years! I actually bought it from Amazon before Christmas but it got lost in the post so I had to get a refund. I even tweeted Chris Nieratko telling him I’d ordered the book and he replied! Told me it’s probably going to be shit so to be prepared. So far, I love it and it was a mixture of what I did and didn’t expect it to be. I highly recommend reading if you’re a fan of Jackass, as well as have a dark sense of humour and open to anything.

Favourite Songs – Bush – “The Sound of Winter” and Institute – “When Animals Attack”.

I’ve been binge listening to Radio Bam since lock down began over two months ago and I’ve now finished it. Two of the songs I discovered years ago through the episodes and now love are my two favourite songs this month. They’re both bands fronted by Gavin Rossdale by the way. Out of the two I love “The Sound of Winter” the most as it has such a great sound behind it. These are just songs I’ve found myself listening to almost everyday whilst working and doing things in my own time (such as writing and playing Animal Crossing). Go and give them a listen if you like rock music and haven’t heard them before. 😀

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Game – Still Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Is it really odd for Animal Crossing to be here again this month? I’ve not played anything else in all honesty and I think it’s obvious why. This game is going to be on my monthly favourites for quite some time now due to how excited I still am to play it. For the whole of June there will be a new event coming called Wedding Season Event, which I am really excited for! We haven’t yet seen Reese and Cyrus yet in New Horizons so I’m excited to see them both soon! It is getting to a point at the moment with Animal Crossing where I would like some more events to come, as well as the introduction to some old and very loved characters. I’m really missing The Roost and Brewster right now, so I hope we hear about it from Nintendo soon. 🙂

So there are all my favourites from May! I can’t believe we’re already in June. June is always a momentous month for me. It’s the month we got the keys to our house, but most of all it’s mine and Dane’s anniversary. We’ve been in our house for 4 years and together for 7 years. All that time has really flew by and I can’t quite believe it to be honest with you. I’m also excited for June to come along as May was shit. June will hopefully be the month we get things done and sorted… Which I may talk about more in the future. 😀

So, what were your favourites from May? Are you going to check out any of the things I mentioned in mine? Let me know in the comments! 😀

Until next time, take care and stay safe. 🙂

April Favourites ’20

Can you believe that it’s May already? Damn where is 2020 going, apart from down the pan due to Coronavirus… Sorry for the negativity at the start of my post, but come on… I’m sure you’ll all agree? 😛

How are you all doing during the lock down, both in the UK, as well as where you’re from? Personally whilst I’m enjoying being and working from home, it’s starting to get to me a little. I miss seeing my family and friends, as well as going out for leisure without a care in the world. It sucks feeling anxious whilst going out to buy milk and bread.

However, there are some plus sides to this. I’m getting to spend a little bit more time with Dane, I’m saving money but most of all I am starting to do things with my friends (especially my best friend) and that makes me happy. 🙂 Every cloud has a silver lining.

Image taken from The Latest Kate

Before I start this months favourites post, I just want to say that I’m her for you, as a friend if you need to talk. Right now we are living in uncertain and scary times and my own mental health is being affected right now. I don’t wish to think people are suffering alone in silence. Remember, my email is always open, as well as my DM’s via Twitter and Instagram. We will get through this, we will. 🙂

Anyhoo, on with this months favourites! I’m not going to lie… I kind of struggled. 😛

• Imperial Leather Shake Your Bambootay Shower Gel.

I’m sorry I have another Imperial Leather shower gel up this month, but I bought quite a few before the lock down, okay? 😛 I much prefer this one to the unicorn one I spoke about in my favourites last month, purely for the scent. This has a fruity and fresh scent, which I’ve really been loving using in the mornings before I start work as I find it wakes me up and gets me ready for the day. Plus both me and Dane have found this really moisturising on the skin, which has been really nice. I’m glad I bought a couple of bottles of this now, as I really do like it. 🙂

• Boots Eye Drops for Dry & Irritated Eyes.

I’ve owned these eye drops since my trip to Japan and I still have loads of product left in the bottle. I love using eye drops everyday before I start work/the day in general as I feel it really wakes me up and refreshes my eyes. These have been so essential during the lock down, as I find it just makes me feel that little bit more ready for the day… Especially as I’m working from home. I honestly recommend eye drops to everyone, especially if your eyes feel tired when you wake up in the morning. I find a couple of drops make a huge difference.

• L’Oreal Paris Hydra Genius Aloe Moisturiser for Combination Skin (review).

I honestly love this moisturiser so much and I’m hesitant to change from this to something else, as I feel like I’ve found something that works so good for my skin. My morning skincare routine has changed during the lock down and I have gone from doing a full routine, to under half of it. I’m only really using my moisturiser, and occasionally my serum and eye gel if I feel I need them. I don’t see the point in using all my products up everyday… This moisturiser has really helped my skin out lately, as my face has felt so tight and dry. I’ve actually had to buy another bottle of this, as I’m really close to this one running out now. I’ve linked back to my review of this from back in 2017. Yes, I have been using this product for 3 years now and I have zero regrets.

• Peacci Nail Varnish in Ophelia.

I couldn’t not mention this nail varnish this month as I have loved it so much. I actually get my nails painted with gel by my lovely nail tech, but obviously due to the lock down, this hasn’t been an option for me… I get my nails painted with The Gel Bottle, who also have a sister company called Peacci. Peacci created the same gorgeous colours that The Gel Bottle do BUT in a nail varnish formula. I can’t get my nails done by my nail tech, so I’m doing myself with the nail varnish alternative for the time being. I picked up two colours, Valentina and Ophelia. Valentina is a pink holographic shade, whilst Ophelia is a dark nude pink colour. I’ve worn these two shades together in their gel form and it’s probably my favourite nail manicure I’ve had to date, hence why I bought their nail varnish versions. I’m currently wearing Ophelia and it’s gorgeous. It’s lasted ages and compliments my skin tone. I’m hoping to do a review of these and Peacci in the future. Would you like to see it? If not on a blog post, maybe an IGTV video?

• Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser.

I’ve mentioned this baby moisturiser before on my blog and here I am again, sharing it with you all and why it’s amazing. I have said many a time on my blog, I have eczema on my hands and it would seem that the older I get, the worse it has gotten. It got to a really bad point before my trip to Japan in late 2019 when I had a massive rough patch on my right hand. I ended up going to the doctors as peoples comments on it were upsetting me. It turned out to be dermatitis and I still need to go to a special doctor for more tests in case there is more to it. Although this patch has cleared up at the moment, it was around at the start of April. The Body Shop hand lotion I was using wasn’t enough and I started using my Childs Farm moisturiser again. This has really helped my hands and at the time of writing this, they’re lovely and soft. 🙂 I honestly cannot recommend this enough! It isn’t just for hands either, it can be used all over the body.

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

Not going to lie. Tiger King was something I had to watch twice and I’m glad I did. Everyone and their cat (ha!) has watched Tiger King and discussed it in full. It’s a Netflix series all about the breeding of tigers in America and some crime that happened during that time revolving around Joe Exotic. I watched it once and I was very much “What the fuck did I just watch? I don’t actually understand what happened.” A week later, I watched it again and understood (kind of…) what had happened. I was surprised though. I have to say here, I am pissed off at anyone who is making merchandise from this and selling. Don’t sell shit based on animal cruelty, potential murder and all around crime. It’s not cool.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Movie – The Cat Returns.

As we all know, all the Studio Ghibli films are now on Netflix, which is amazing! Me and Dane own them all on DVD anyway, but it’s nice to have them on Netflix to watch as and when we fancy watching them. We recently put on The Cat Returns to watch together, as this is one of Dane’s favourites. I always forget how much I love Natoru (in the gif), as well as many other characters. I was surprised there wasn’t more merch in Japan to do with The Cat Returns.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – Urgh. I don’t read anymore haha.

Nope. I didn’t read again this month. Honestly guys, I’m just not finding the time between working, playing games, chilling on video chats with friends and more. 😦

Favourite Song – “Gimme a Minute” – PVRIS.

PVRIS released a new single from their upcoming album this month and I haven’t stopped listening to it to be honest with you. I love everything about it, including the lyrics and the electropop/alternative rock sound that I adore. I only discovered PVRIS a year ago and I have really fallen in love with them. I honestly can’t wait for their new album to come out in July. It was meant to be out today but that was pushed back due to coronavirus… 😦

I honestly love Bones so much 🙂 #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/6bhAMN4bml

— Nat 🐱 (@MayBeeCoffee) April 27, 2020

Favourite Game – Still Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Of course this is going to be here for another month… I mean, why wouldn’t it? It’s officially been a month since the new Animal Crossing game came out and I am still playing it everyday. I have all my villagers on my island now, as well as 4 I moved in thanks to amiibo cards. I have started to terraform my island now and I’m starting to get into the swing of things. I really do love this game and I especially love playing with my friends. 🙂

So, those are my favourites from April! Again, I can’t believe we are already into May. It’s crazy how quick the past month has flown by, but I’m honestly going to blame coronavirus for that. I don’t mind how quick it’s going. The sooner things can go back to normal, the better.

What were your favourites from April? Also, how are you all doing during this time? What are you doing to keep yourself sane? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time all, take care and stay safe!

February Favourites ’20

I know I mentioned on my life lately post that I would only be uploading/posting on Saturday’s moving forward, but my monthly favourites have always gone up on the 1st of each month. This isn’t a tradition I’m letting go of anytime soon! PLUS I didn’t see the point in having a post up on the 29th February and then one on the 1st March. It just seemed really pointless at the time…

I know February is a short month anyway, but damn did it fly by! Although to be fair, waiting for payday to come around felt like forever… 😛

February was a bit like a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs, but overall it was okay… I ended up having flu towards the end of the month, which sucked. I’ve come out the other side into March though, so it’s all good!

I’m so damn excited for this month. There are three games coming out that I’m excited for AND of all my favourite game franchises too! Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Persona 5 Royal. So yeah I think March will be a busy one for me. 😛

After coming back from Japan I’ve felt a little down with some post holiday blues, but I’ve tried to get back into the norm again and I’m okay… 😛 Until I go on another holiday! 😛 Speaking of Japan, I know since I’ve come back I’ve only done one post but I’m trying to pace them out nicely. I don’t want to flood you guys with Japanese content and as I would like to write more about Japan on my blog in the future, this isn’t exactly a bad thing!

Anyhoo, enough of me waffling away… On with my favourites from the month!

• Original Source Tropical Coconut & Shea Butter Shower Gel.

Okay I’ll be honest with you guys… I originally had a different product here for my favourite this month but that has been removed, scraped and GONE! Why? Because I learnt how shit the product actually was! The shower gel in question was Treacle Moon Gentle Powder Love Bath & Shower Gel. This shower gel smelt great, wasn’t cheap and ended up leaving my skin sore, dry and flakey… Which sucked! I had lovely soft skin during my trip to Japan, so the fact I came back and my skin had dried out, I put it down to a mixture of the products in Japan being better and the cold weather in the UK. Alas, this wasn’t the case. It turned out that the Treacle Moon shower gel is just… SHIT. I picked up this Original Source shower gel as to be honest, their products are always good. Not even a week into using the product and my skin has already improved, which I am so happy and relieved about. I get bouts of eczema and I started to panic this was one of them. This shower gel is amazing, not just for it’s ability to bring my skin back to life… It smells of creamy coconuts, which in turn always remind me of Fuerteventura and sunshine, but it’s cheap! This bottle cost us a £1, whilst the Treacle Moon cost me £3! I think I’m going to write a complaint as I’m annoyed at what it did to my skin. Sorry for the ramble by the way… 😛

• Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask.

I picked this face mask up on the plane home from Japan. I’ve wanted to try this face mask for a while now, but just never got round to picking one up. I didn’t realise how expensive it was until I checked out how much it retails for… £40 and up! Shocking price to be honest with you… So when I saw this for sale on the plane for £35, I thought I would treat myself. I’ve used it a couple of times now and I really love this! I find if I’ve broken out and I used this face mask, it really does help my spots to calm down and go away! I use this once a week/fortnight due to using other products, or my skin not needing a face mask. However, due to the price, I don’t know if I will repurchase… 😦

• Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tint in shade PK003 Sweet Potato Red.

After picking up the Etude House Dear Darling tint in Japan, I knew I had to get another one. I’ve had the sweet potato red shade on my wish list for quite some time now, so I found one on eBay and ordered! I am so glad I picked up this shade for so many reasons. The shade itself is gorgeous and reminds me of a colour I could call “my lip colour but better” if that makes sense? Also this is the newer packaging and product formula for this tint and this is SO MUCH BETTER! You don’t get loads of product on the applicator, it’s not as watery and it’s just great. I’ll definitely be reviewing these tints very soon!

• The Body Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub.

I picked a new one of these foot scrubs up from The Body Shop as I was in DIRE need of one! I’m going to put it down to that bloody Treacle Moon shower gel again, as my feet were so soft and smooth during my trip to Japan… My feet needed some major TLC this month so this foot scrub has been really good to use on my feet a couple of times a week, just to give them a good scrub over! I like to use this in the shower as the last thing I do before I get out and then before I put my socks on I’ll slather my feet in my favourite lotion. My go to at the moment is the Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser with Shea & Cocoa Butter – which you can read about on one of my previous favourites posts here.

• Maui Moisture Smooth and Revive Vanilla Bean Shampoo.

I picked this shampoo up just before I went to Japan and I have no regrets! I was after a shampoo that would lather easily, smell amazing, give my hair all the benefits we seek from a shampoo AND not contain any sulphates. This shampoo ticks all of the boxes and I couldn’t wait to talk about it on my blog this month. This shampoo goes a long way and you only need a little because of how thick it is, which is perfect for me. I hate shampoos where you needs loads in order to get a decent lather behind it. This smells so creamy and to be honest with you, I wish Maui would create a shower gel that smells just like this! I would be in heaven. 😛 This shampoo is for smoothing and reviving your hair… I don’t know if I need these benefits for my hair, but even so I really love this shampoo. It isn’t cheap at £5.99 BUT when you can buy Head & Shoulders for a £1 less… FYI Head & shoulder is one of the WORST shampoos out there that you can buy!

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Image taken from Tumblr

Favourite TV Show – O Maidens in Your Savage Season.

This is an anime me and Dane binge watched not long after we got back from Japan. Dane is great at finding new anime series to watch together and this is one I fell in love with. It’s about a group of girls in a literature club who are going through puberty. You see the view from both the girls and the guys and how they’re all impacting each others sexual feelings… And awakenings if you will. It just reminded me of being a teenager and it’s a typical coming of age anime, which I LOVE.

Favourite Movie – 1917.

I loved this film so much. I was intrigued by it, but not fussed about watching it in the cinema… However, after someone I work with went to watch it and told me how amazing it was, I soon changed my mind. That and everything I had heard about it, I knew I had to see it for myself. Me and Dane booked it in the week after work and we’re so glad we did. We fell in love with this film for so many reasons. The way it is filmed, the editing, the acting, the story, just everything about it. I ended up crying at the end too… If you haven’t been to watch it yet, I recommend you do so as soon as possible before showings stop.

Image taken from Tenor.com

Favourite Book – Guys…

Guys I’m sorry. February was a bizarre month of being hella busy after Japan (both social and work related), as well as me being poorly with flu/chest infection… It sucked and reading was the last thing I wanted to do. It sucks because I said to myself that once I returned from Japan I would catch up on my manga so far as well as read new manga series. This hasn’t happened and I’m annoyed. 😦

Favourite Album – Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

I decided this year that I wanted to listen to more music. I find I listen to the same stuff all the time and there are a lot of artists out there I would like to discover more of. Billie Eilish is an artist that blew up and I admit, I do like a couple of her singles (“Bad Guy” and “Lovely”) so, why not listen to her album? I didn’t fall head over heels in love with it, but I did enjoy listening to it whilst driving to and from work, as well as whilst I was at work. I especially love the song “Bury a Friend” which I haven’t been able to stop listening to since I first heard it! I definitely recommend giving this album a listen. It reminds me of a new genre of “depressing pop” and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing…

Image taken from Amino Apps

Favourite Game – Neopets and Pokemon Shield.

Okay… Hear me out. Since before Christmas I have wanted to play on my old Neopets account. Sometimes I just want to play something simple, but I couldn’t get into my account due to email and password issues. I reached out to Neopets for months for help, but I didn’t receive any. After some digging around I finally managed to get into my account and since then I’ve been playing it for a few hours everyday! I forgot how shit, but addictive the games are, how you can grab a free slice of omelette and jelly daily and basically how the website hasn’t changed since I last went on in about 2016/2017… This being said it has really cheered me up to play after work when I’ve been feeling blue. It especially kept me entertained when I was poorly with my flu too, which isn’t a bad thing. Next month I will be super busy with games, so Neopets won’t have as much attention… 😛

Towards the end of the month I was really poorly (still am NGL!) and had to have some days sick at home. Due to the boredom of not being able to do much (apart from binge watch episodes and clips from Would I Lie to You? I decided to pick up Pokemon Shield again and try to finish the game, as well as complete my Pokedex. Well, this has now become an addition for myself AND Dane, who said he wouldn’t pick Pokemon back up until June when Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra are released. We are both working together now to complete our Pokedex’s and we’ve really been enjoying it!

There you have it guys, those are my favourites from February! Again, I honestly cannot believe how quick this month went by. I am so fucking hyped up for March for so many reasons! All the games, being able to go to Birmingham Comic Con, a blog related event I’ll be attending and more! 😀

What were your favourites from February? Do you have any exciting things coming up in March? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, take care and I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend so far. 🙂

January Favourites ’20

Guys we are officially into 2020 now and I can’t believe it’s already February! January flew by for me due to being in Japan for 2 weeks but even so, still can’t believe how quick the month went by!

I know for a lot of people however January was very slow… 😛

January’s favourites are going to be a bit odd due to being away in Japan, but at the same time they’re going to be good, I know they are! I’m not changing how I write my favourites at all. I’ll still be sharing 5 beauty related products I have been loving as well as my favourite TV show(s), movie(s), book(s), music and game(s). 🙂

I hope the start of 2020 has been great for you guys, my readers and I hope it hasn’t been rough at all.

On with the favourites!

• Japanese Character Bath Bombs.

Whilst I was in Japan I used quite a few of the character bath bombs they had for sale in the shops. They didn’t cost much (Between £2-£4 depending on the character and store) and were really nice to have handy in the hotel room if we’d had a long day of walking and needed a soak. Dane actually used and had more baths than me, which was a massive shock! We’ve brought loads of these back to the UK with us, as we loved them so much. They often come with the characters inside that is on the cover. For example I picked up a shiba dog bath bomb and hence got a little white shiba dog inside, so cute! These weren’t bad for the price and one bath bomb was definitely enough to feel pampered. I felt soft and smooth after using one of these in the bath. I honestly recommend them if you’re in Japan! I feel like they’re better than Lush to be honest with you… 😉

• Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tint in shade RD302 Dracula Red.

I bought this lip tint whilst I was out in Japan and I honestly regret not buying more! It’s a gorgeous dark red shade I have had my eye on for years! It wasn’t expensive either, which was even better. Aside from my Laneige lip bar, this lip tint (review here) was my go to lip product the duration of my holiday! It’s really easy to apply and a little bit of this product goes a long way. I mostly like to use it to give a bitten look to my lips, which wasn’t easy to do with this lip tint at first, but the more I have done it, the easier it has gotten. I will be writing a review on this lip tint, as it’s too good not to share on my blog!

• L’Occitane Zesty Lime Hand Cream.

I haven’t used this hand cream for quite some time, which is mostly down to using up other hand creams first! This is a gorgeous thick hand cream that smells of limes, yummy!  I remember stocking up on loads of these during my MA in 2015 so I have a lot to use up! I decided to take one with me to Japan to use during the day and it really was a treat to use in the mornings before we ventured out for the day, as well as whilst we were out and about. I’ve stopped using it since we got home, but this really did help my hands when they were feeling dry and sore. I was recently diagnosed with having a form of dermatitis on my hand, which kept flaring up during the trip. This hand cream really did help it on bad days, alongside my dermatitis creams.

• Tepika Hand Sanitiser.

I know this is a strange one to add this month to my favourites but I just need to mention it for so many reasons! First of all look at the packaging… It has a cute little happy raccoon on it! Due to this me and Dane called this the “happy raccoon” whenever we wanted to use it. Aside from the cute raccoon on the front, this was also really good because it didn’t smell overly alcoholic, was gentle on my eczema skin and the packaging was handy for how you get the product out… I feel like that last part didn’t make sense! Either way this stuff is amazing and I honestly need to try and figure out a way to ship some over to the UK!!!

• Marc Jacobs Decadence EDP.

This is a perfume I keep reaching for at the moment and it’s the one I took with me to Japan too. The scent is perfect for any time of year and any occasion. My brother bought it for me quite a while ago now and it was so funny how this perfume came to be my gift. Just before Christmas in 2015 I went to Fuerteventura with my dad for a few weeks. This perfume was quite new so I decided to give it a try and see what I thought of it. I loved it and was close to buying it… But instead me and my dad went to a bar for some drinks. Just as we sat down with drinks my brother called my dad and said, “I’ve given mom Nat’s Christmas present.” Fast forward to Christmas Day… My brother bought me Decadence… Which I had nearly bought! How crazy is that?! So yeah, this is one of my favourite perfumes and I always wear it when I fancy something unique and different. I also love the bottle is comes in, which is in the shape of a handbag, strap included… 😛

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.

I actually watched this documentary towards the end of December but thought it was worth a mention as I really enjoyed watching it. What you think is a documentary about a cat killer, actually turns out to be a human murder. I remember Dane telling me about the murder not long after we got together, so when we discovered what the documentary was about, we were even more interested whilst watching it! This documentary is very triggering in various ways and upsetting due to that. I love watching stuff like this, so I really enjoyed it. Definitely go and watch on Netflix if you can!

Favourite Movie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I watched this film on the flight home from Japan and it was really good! I don’t recall if me and Dane wanted to go and watch it in the cinema when it came out here, but either way we got to both watch it for free! It’s about an actor and his stuntman, as well as some other characters throughout. It’s all based around true events, as well as fictional characters. Whilst it’s a great film, I did start to wonder halfway through, “Where’s this going? What’s the point?”. This was quickly answered however, in such an amazing way! I honestly recommend you watch this film if you get the chance to! It’s not the best from Quentin Tarantino, but it’s still decent. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – …

I didn’t read anything as I was on holiday… This was not a holiday where I could lounge around and read… I swear I am going to start reading more now I’m back from Japan. I have so much manga to catch up on. I need to make a monthly list of which series/volumes I plan to read!!!

Favourite Album – My Chemical Romance – “Welcome to the Black Parade”.

With the announcement of My Chemical Romance coming to the UK for 3 dates in June, I have been listening to them loads both during my time in Japan as well as when I got back home. I tried to order tickets to the first 2 shows My Chemical Romance announced, but was unsuccessful, which sucked. I was definitely in a sulk about this… UNTIL my friend Claire brought it to my attention that they had announced a third show! I managed to get tickets which I was SO HAPPY ABOUT!!! That day I did nothing but listen to My Chemical Romance during my shift at work. It was bliss and I loved every moment of it. 😛 I’m so excited for June now, I’ll be going with Dane too and it’ll also be the third time seeing them live… YAY!

Image taken from Polygon.com

Favourite Game – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.

I know this game is only a demo at the moment but I have been LOVING it so much! I played both of the original Mysery Dungeon games this one is based off of and I was beyond excited to give the demo at go. I played a little of it on my way to Japan on the plane, but I played more of it on my way home whilst we waited to board out flight, as well as on the plane. It looks amazing and plays really well. I’ve already pre ordered the game and cannot wait for it to arrive! I’m going to finally be kept busy on my Switch again in March and I am beyond excited for that!

So my first favourites post of 2020 is complete! I cannot believe it is already the start of February. Can you guys believe how quickly 2020 is going by already?!

How was the first month of 2020 for you guys? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below, as well as what your favourites were this month!

Until next time all, take care and have an amazing weekend. 🙂