My New Phone – (Product) Red iPhone XR

It’s been about 2 weeks since I decided to bite the bullet and get myself an upgrade on my iPhone 6.

There wasn’t really anything wrong with my phone per say, but the battery life was pretty shocking and it was gradually getting worse. I love playing Pokemon GO daily and if I played that and did personal and blog related stuff on social media it was causing me to need to charge my phone max 5 times a day. Crazy, I know!

So I waited for the newest iPhone’s to be announced before deciding whether to change. I had eyed up the red iPhone 8 for a while as I noticed it was in the sale via John Lewis and Argos. But this just seemed silly considering there were plans for a newer phone to come out.

So when the iPhone XR was announced and in different colours, I got just a little bit excited.

I rang my network provider to see if I could strike a bargain with them, but that wasn’t happening! I did get given a semi decent offer at the time, but looking back it was actually pretty shit. I was pretty disappointed and pissed off but meh.

So I started wondering whether it was worth saving up or doing some sort of finance. The more I thought about it, the more I WANTED the new phone.

After doing some research I found out that Apple actually do their iPhone Upgrade Programme which means you can pay for one of the newest iPhone’s with no extra charges aka 0% interest. It’s all sorted by Barclays as well so you know it’s legit, if that makes sense. 😛

I popped into the store, had a chat with a member of staff and discussed all my options. If you decide to do the Upgrade Programme the monthly price you pay for your phone also includes Apple Care. You can do it without that which works out about £6.00 cheaper but I went for the Apple Care too, I mean why the hell not for such a small price?

I didn’t use it for a few days after I got it as I wanted to make sure I had a good and sturdy phone case for it. I finally got my phone case through and as I wasn’t very well that day I literally spent the whole day in bed sorting out my new phone playing with it. It was fun to be fair.

I am in LOVE with my iPhone XR and it has been such a game changer for me in so many ways.

I decided to get the red version as I have always loved the look of the red iPhones and I love that they donate some of the profits from the red coloured devices to their (RED) charity which has supported HIV/AIDS for the past 11 years. It’s amazing!

I decided to up my game and go from a 16GB to a MASSIVE 128GB! No more worrying about having too many photos on my phone, as well as deleting apps I haven’t used for a fortnight to make way for another one. It’s nice to be able to have apps for everything I would want and need, which is great. It’s what I’ve wanted and to be fair needed for God knows how long now.

The battery life is amazing and it lasts all day without a charge. I don’t think I’ve hot the red line on my battery yet, which I’m so chuffed with.

The phone is also a bit bigger than my iPhone 6 and at first this was so odd to get used to, but I’ve fast gotten used to this and I actually rather like having a bigger screen. Dane still has the iPhone 5s which is tiny, so whenever I go to use his phone for anything I feel alien to it, especially the screen.

The quality of the screen is superb and it’s definitely making the little things like playing games and watching YouTube videos perfect for me and I’m really loving it. It does take looking at Dane’s phone to realise what leaps and bounds Apple have gone to to make sure to bring us the best phone from them out.

Of course this phone has Animoji which is a lot of fun to use, but something I haven’t found myself using as much as I thought I would. I rather like using it to message Dane silly little things. There’s loads of things you can do with it, but as of yet I haven’t tried them. This is something I’ll have a play with on a lazy Sunday morning.

So I thought I would show you my new phone, as well as the phone cases I ordered, as well as my PopSocket I ordered for it too.

The original phone case I ordered isn’t anything special and was just something to keep me going until the case I arrived from Redbubble arrived.

I really liked it though and will definitely use it again in the future. I’ll probably pop some stickers on it and make it unique and my own.

Image take from Daily Mail

I also ordered myself a PopSocket when I ordered the case and it has seriously been a game changer for the way I hold my phone. I used to rest my little finger under the phone, which not only hurt but woud cause a ridge/dent in my little finger. Not good! It’s actually a thing now, so much so there are people who have badly bent fingers due to it. You can read about it in the photo source link above.

I decided to pick up the nebula PopSocket and I do really like it. I have my eye on another one I’d love to get, but we shall see. Even Dane has rather liked how good PopSockets are, so I may, MAY be getting him one for Christmas… We shall see. 😛

Finally the phone case I ordered from Redbubble for my phone arrived and I LOVED it so much! It’s a Spirited Away phone case which has a childlike looking drawing of Haku and Chihiro. I miss my old phone case so much for my iPhone 6 with the Mew asleep amongst the pink flowers, so I wanted to find a good replacement. I knew I wanted to get something with Haku on and this was the nicest one I found.

The quality of Redbubble tough cases are amazing and you would think they wouldn’t be, but honestly I never had an issue with my iPhone 6 case.

What do you think of the design?

I’m not a massive phone case collecter the older I’ve got. I hate the ones with the liquid glitter in and I especially hate obnoxious massive ones that case your phone to look stupidly awkward to hold… Oh and stupid! 😛

So yeah any phone cases I decide to get are usually from Redbubble or the Pokemon Center.

Overall I LOVE my new iPhone and I’m so glad I waited and got this one. It’s perfect for me to be honest and I don’t feel like I can complain about anything.

Are or do you have a new phone? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear which one you have and also which one(s) you’d love to get.

Until next time, take care all and have an amazing weekend! Last full weekend now until December.

March Wish List 17

I should really call this wish list the “Japanese and geeky shit” wish list as apart from the two 101 Dalmatians mugs that’s pretty much all it is!

I’m not going to lie I haven’t made this months picture for my wish list look all that great… It just looks so clumpy and I hate it. BUT I blame all the manga books I put into it. I mean come on there’s 7 volumes clumped together there! 😛

So I’ll just run with my wish list this month. I am still on my spending ban however and if I buy anything off of it it’ll be the manga as currently manga is quite a big percentage of my life right now.

• Pokemon Center Easter Pikachu Plush (Sadly no link right now and prices vary)

This collection was announced not long ago and as soon as I saw this little cutie I just fell in love! I know it’s childish but I need her in my Pokemon collection so badly. I just love how it isn’t in your face Easter either. The cute little flower crown and kawaii eyes. You cannot go wrong! I don’t know how big this is though, but I would like to think it’s a decent size.

• A Silent Voice manga Vol. 1-7  – £8.99 each (link)

This is a manga I discovered through looking at the adverts in the back of Your Lie in April manga books. It’s about a deaf girl who starts at a new school and is bullied by one boy in the class and his friends. She leaves and years lately he’s being bullied himself for what he did to her. He bumps into her and learns how to say sorry in sign language. From there they become close and I think it’s a whole love thing. I love manga like this and when I heard that it had been made into an anime movie it made me happy! It’s out this month and me and Dane are going to try and see it at the cinema. I’ve linked the trailer above.

• Disney Store Disney Animators’ Collection 101 Dalmatians Mug – £8.99 (link)

I love Disney mugs and even though I don’t need anymore (nor do I have the room for them!) I would still love to get more of these. I just like being able to have a nice collection in my cupboard, especially considering most of my Disney mugs are 101 Dalmatians related. This one is really nice and it looks huge! I like how Pongo and Perdy are the main characters on the mug with sketches of their puppies around the rest of it. I’ll definitely be having a look at this mug when I go into a Disney Store next.

• Sword Art Online Progressive manga Vol. 5 – £9.99 (link) (OUT 21/3/17)

Another manga and a volume I’ve been waiting to have come out for about a year now! It won’t be out until the end of the month but it’ll be worth the wait, especially as I’ll pre order it when I get paid next week. I love Sword Art Online and I especially love the Progressive manga, which focuses around Asuna instead of Kirito. I just hope they don’t wait another year for the next volume to come out…

• Pokemon Center Easter Pikachu Phone Case (Sadly no link right now and prices vary)

This is probably the main thing I actually really want (besides from manga!) on my wish list this month! The Pokemon Center phone cases are amazing and very sturdy for what they are. Plus how cute does the Pikachu look on it? I mean COME ON?! The only issue I am having with it at the moment is the price… I’ve found that it’s been a tad pricey on places like eBay. We’re saying between £30-£50 which is of course a joke! I love my Redbubble Mew case that Dane bought me and that only cost about £20. We shall see what happens basically….

• Disney Store 101 Dalmatians Glazed Mug – £9.99 (link)

Finally we come to another 101 Dalmatians mug and one I have mentioned before on my blog. This one isn’t as nice at the other in my opinion but of course I still want it for the same reasons as the other. I would want to buy myself one of these mugs and one for Dane so that we sort of match. But even so these mugs with the glaze on the bottom are really sturdy from when I’ve seen them in store beforehand. You can’t go wrong with a sturdy mug! 😛

So that’s my wish list for this month! As I mentioned before I am still on my spending ban and don’t really intend to buy anything I don’t need. I have been a little naughty on and off this past month but meh. I’m not as bad as I was before so it’s not going all too badly. 😛

What do you have on your wish list for this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time take care all and have a lovely weekend.

YY Kawaii iPhone 6 Case – Review

Oh boy have I been excited to write this review! For quite a long time I have wanted a custom case for my iPhone (both the 5 and the 6) from the amazing YY Kawaii store!

The store has been open on Etsy since 2012 and is still going strong. I browse the store every other month and I can easily tell that it has gained interest through the amount of activity on its Instagram page. It is based in the UK and it’s become very popular with lovers of anime from all over the world.

As I mentioned before I had wanted a customised case from YY Kawaii for as long as I can remember but every time I settled on what I wanted I also thought, “Meh better save my money.”

Recently they posted something for sale on their Instagram page which I messaged them straight away about. We discussed the item in particular and how I could have it on a phone case and a couple of weeks later my case had arrived and I was using it on my phone. So I thought I would be pretty cool to write a review about it, as well as my experience with buying a custom case from YY Kawaii.

The first thing I will say is how lovely and friendly the seller is. I don’t actually know her name otherwise I would call her by that. Sorry. 😦 I approached her about the design I wanted to get and even though she had stated on Instagram that she was going to bed she messaged me back straight away. Half an hour later we had agreed on a design and a payment had been sent.

There are various ways you can customise your case including the colour of the whip, if you want to add extra figures to the case, the type of case, etc. I like how you can really create something unique, which is what I think is one of the best things about YY Kawaii.

When creating my case I was shown what it would look like before the whip was applied (it acts like a glue to hold everything together) and I wasn’t keen on a bow that the seller had added to the design, so she changed it for a macaroon for me!

Money wise I will say that these cases are quite pricey for what they are in my opinion for various reasons… But they’re nice as a treat. Of course I will get into why I think they’re pricey…

As you can see I went for a case with a Pokemon card on, the card obviously being a Flareon, the fire evolution of Eevee. Regular readers of my blog will know I am a huge Pokemon nerd and that the Eeveelutions are my favourites (alongside Mew, Cubone and Ampharos).

Beforehand I had wanted a case with an Eevee and Mew figure on… But I sadly changed my mind due to money and other reasons. If any cute figures of these two go up for grabs via Instagram in the future I may ask to have a jewellery box made up instead.

I waited what felt like forever for this to be made and arrive and I was so excited when it did! It came in a little purple pouch and even included some Love Hearts sweets, which I gave to Dane as I’m not a fan of them.

After wresting to take my Mew phone case off I finally managed to get my Flareon one on and to be honest I loved it but I had a few mixed feelings about it. My Mew case is very sturdy as it’s built to protect your phone from bumps, scratches and especially from the screen smashing. Due to this the Mew one feels good to hold. Sadly although the Flareon case looks beautiful it doesn’t feel like it’s going to prevent my phone from getting damaged if I accidentally drop it.

When taking the case on and off my phone I worry various times that it might crack on the sides. This has happened to phone cases I have owned in the past, which is a shame. I didn’t realise at the time of ordering my case that you could pay extra to have a more secure feeling to it… If I’d have known I would have upgraded to that.

The case is really easy to put onto the phone as it just clips into place but taking it off is a bit of a struggle. I guess it means it’s secure and won’t fall off or break off easily, which is nice really. I guess I just want to be able to take it off just as quickly and easily as it takes to put it on.

Another issue I have encountered is putting it down on a surface (a table being a good example). It’s not exactly easy to lie the phone down on its back when it’s covered in bits and pieces. So sadly I’ve had to place the phone on the screen… Which isn’t nice to think about as I constantly worry it’ll get scratched! Also because of how chunky this case is you can’t put it in your pocket as easily.

Although I love this phone case and have so far used it a handful of times, I don’t like leaving it on my phone. I much prefer to use my Mew phone case.

The YY Kawaii cases are gorgeous and I love mine to bits, but they aren’t practical at all. I don’t know if it’s my age, my job, or just because of the phone case I have had for so long being so good but I guess my excitement for this case has been let down because of its impracticality.

In total this cost me £18 for the case and £4.50 for the postage. As I said, not cheap but nice if you want something unique, different and eye catching. If anything these are great for presents for Christmas and birthday as you can really put a lot of thought and effort into making a friend or loved one a more personal gift.

It has been made beautifully and I really do love and appreciate that. I feel like I’m sounding as if I’m bashing YY Kawaii but I’m really not! Their cases are gorgeous and hell I would gladly buy another one but they aren’t cheap and as I said they are great as a treat, or even as a gift. I do put it down to me being in my late 20’s and in a job where I don’t get to have my phone on me to show it off and due to that it does suck.

If you love anything cute and kawaii then definitely give YY Kawaii a look over on their Etsy page! They don’t just make phone cases, they’ll also customise cases for laptops, iPads, mirrors, jewellery boxes, etc. I know I would love to get a mirror and box made by them in the future. Their pieces are unique and beautiful and there is nowhere else on the market that will make products like this as good as YY Kawaii do.

What do you think of the Flareon phone case I had made? Would you use it or not? Make sure to let me know your opinions in the comments below.

Until next time take care all and I hope you had a lovely weekend.

September Wish List

Boy time is flying for 2014! Soon enough it’ll be 2015, woohoo! So with another month, I bring to you another wish list. This one has certain themes to it, some holiday themed, some just nail themed. Either way I need to save money, only a few little treats now! There are some other bits and pieces I want to get my hands on but when I will is another story.

•  Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Melange (from the Once collection).

This nail polish is stunning and one that I know already that I need in my collection! It’s described as a “golden teal, matte finish” and something beautiful that I don’t have in mu collection. It’ll be gorgeous to wear for autumn and winter and with the matte finish it’ll look even better in my opinion! I’ve only owned one Illamasqua nail polish, Raindrops (review here) which is a gorgeous shade. Illamasqua’s formula for their polishes are great and I’m really surprised I don’t have more of their polishes. This isn’t cheap at £14.50 but I’m sure it would be worth every penny and I really can see this becoming a permanent shade to their collection.

• Superdrug Croyde Cable Cardigan.

I spotted this cardigan a couple of weekends ago when I went to visit my friend Gabriella and we both awed at how beautiful it was. Soft, warm and a gorgeous burgundy colour we both fell in love… Luckily I restrained myself from buying it, or asking my boyfriend to lend me the money for it! I know I will buy this eventually as I just can’t help but need it, my friend Poppy even wants it now after I shared it on Instagram! This isn’t cheap and I’ve found it on websites for well over £50! I’m sure it wasn’t this much in the shop that my friend and I found it in. Either way, I’m going to be good and save my money up for a while… To buy this of course! No I joke! But with autumn upon us in less than 20 days, I’ll probably need this for those chilly evenings that will soon be upon us.

• Matalan Spot Print Tankini Style Swimsuit.

As I’m due to go on holiday at the start of January I’m after some new swimwear, especially a costume as whilst I may look okay with clothes on, I don’t look so pretty without them and quite frankly I hate my stomach! For swimming and such I want to invest in a nice swimsuit to paddle around the pool in, and what better way to go than with a swimsuit that has tummy control! Melon Lady recently shared this in a haul on her YouTube channel and I fell in love with it, it looks vintage and gorgeous and I can rock this with a pair of shorts whilst walking around the shops too if I really want to. At £15 this is a bargain and I need to get my arse to a Matalan soooon if I’m in any hope of picking this up.

• Loungefly Disney Ariel Turquoise Glitter Embossed Bag.

This bag is beautiful and since I set my eyes on it, I want it. However this isn’t available in the UK… Yet! I have wanted one of these bags for a while, but with the Hello Kitty print on it, however I never found one I actually really wanted so I left it. However this bag is beautiful in many ways. Ariel is a mermaid and thus already amazing and the fact this is glitter AND turquoise makes it double amazing! I would love this bag in time for my holiday, as from seeing them in the flesh, these bags are HUGE and you could probably fit everything in there. I really do hope this comes over to our English soil, as soon as it does I’ll be buying it!

• OPI How Is Your Dane? Nail Lacquer (from Nordic collection).

I won’t lie, I only really want this nail polish because of the name… Well that’s the main reason anyway! Otherwise the shade of this nail polish is beautiful and one I’ve been after since the summer, ready for autumn and winter. My boyfriends name is Dane (as regular readers and people who know me will know) so when I saw the name of this it made me giggle like a little kid but when I saw the shade, it’s like OPI knew I was after a chocolate-brown. OPI’s description for this shade is “Pass up this cinnamon coffee? You’re barking up the wrong tree!” which is really nice in a weird way. This isn’t cheap, like most OPI polishes but I want some staple shades for autumn and winter this year and I think this could be one of them, it’d look gorgeous with some glitter over the top!

• Loungefly Hello Kitty Mustache Coin Purse.

I have wanted a coin purse for a while, but one that matched my wallet… My old wallet that is. However now I have my new one, there is a chance for me to get the coin purse to match my current wallet. However I fancy a change and when I saw this coin purse online in Beadesaurus’s sale I thought it looked gorgeous and reminded me of a Hello Kitty wallet I wanted ages ago! As I’ve already mentioned my holiday is coming up in the New Year and I don’t really want to take my huge wallet with  me abroad, so I’m thinking of picking up something like this instead. Something I can just keep my money, cards, receipts, etc inside with no worries.

• LiP SMACKER Red Velvet Lip Balm.

I recently found out that Lip Smackers cake flavoured lip balms will finally be coming out in the UK and I’m quite excited. You can’t go wrong with a flavoured lip balm and for anyone who doesn’t know me, I LOVE red velvet and quite frankly anything and everything that tastes and smells just like it. I don’t really need another lip balm, but what would another one hurt to keep in my hand bag or on the side of my bed, huh? There are loads of flavours from this Cupcakery collection coming out, such as Strawberry Sprinkle, Birthday Cake, Berry Buttercream, Vanilla Coconut, Salted Caramel, as well as Red Velvet. I’m excited for this collection and I’m sure I will mention more about it in the future.

• OPI Peanuts Collection Mini Pack.

I’ve made a post about the Peanuts collection that OPI will be bringing out for Halloween, you can read that post here. I am SO excited for this collection to come out! As soon as it becomes available to buy, I’ll for sure be picking it up.

• Adventure Time Jake Phone Case.

I spotted this on eBay when I was having a look through all the Adventure Time bits and pieces listed on there. I love this phone case, it has a quote from Jake on it which says, “Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something” and I LOVE it! I’ve been feeling pretty down the past year and it hasn’t really gotten any better, but this quote does make me feel like it’s not just me who is out there struggling to get things right first time around. I’d love to have this case to look at everyday, every time I feel crappy and hopeless. It’s less than £8.00, which isn’t bad really when you think about it. My boyfriend wants the same case too, so if we were both to pick them up we would match, which is always nice.

So that is my wish list for September! I really wish I could buy everything off of the list right now, but money. xD

What’s on your wish list this month? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and have a great weekend.