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. 🙂

August Favourites ’20

It is finally my favourite month of the year and I can already feel autumn slowly making its way to us… I AM SO EXCITED!

August was such a strange month for me, but not in a bad way. I decided to go on a spending ban, venture out a little more since lock down in March and wait patiently for exciting purchases. August went by in the blink of an eye for sure and I’m glad we are finally into September now.

September is the month where I like to venture out into the countryside with Dane for walks, lunch in cafes and more. However, that will be very different this year and instead of going into cafes for lunch, we’ll pack a picnic and eat as and when. We did it yesterday for bank holiday Monday and it was amazing. We’ve already researched where we can venture to in the future and explore. I’m already really excited for our autumn adventures. Would you guys like to see where we venture to? Would you want to see here, or over on Instagram? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Image taken from The Latest Kate Twitter

For now though, it’s monthly favourites time!

• Childs Farm Hand Wash Grapefruit & Organic Tea Tree Oil.

I’ve mentioned this brand on my blog time and time again and it’s all because they deserve it. Their baby body lotion really helps my eczema on my hands so I thought I would give their hand wash a go as well, to see if that could help my hands even more. I definitely feel like I’ve noticed my skin not flaring up as much and cracking! This hand wash has such a light, uplifting scent to it, which I really love. It lathers up easily and doesn’t leave my hands feeling dry and sore afterwards. I’ve since bought another three of these, with the bottle used for the above image being my second bottle. The only issue I have with Child’s Farm is that it isn’t cheap, so I have to stockpile it up when it’s on offer to feel like I’m getting my “moneys worth”.

• Collection Velvet Kiss Lip in shade Cream Cotton.

This is a lip product I have had in my makeup bag for years, at least 8 years now. This is a new tube however, don’t panic! It’s just one of those that I think I’ll always repurchase until it’s discontinued and I can’t buy anymore. I ventured out a few times throughout August and wanted to wear a pretty colour, but didn’t fancy wearing a lip tint, or a lipstick, so I went for this. It’s a pretty candy pink colour which is really comfortable to wear and lasts for ages! It’s definitely been one I’ve reached for loads in August and I can see me reaching for it throughout September too.

• Sanctuary Spa Cloudberry & Lychee Blossom Body Mist.

This was an item I received in a gift set for Christmas last year and I’m surprised I still have any of this body mist left! When we had the hotter weather in August I was using this daily to try and refresh my skin a little, as I was very sweaty and wanted to make sure I was fresh throughout the working day… Even if I was just at home. Alongside that, I’ve used it on my skin before getting dressed and popping out for the day, as well as spritzing all over to add some more scent. It’s definitely a body mist I enjoy using and I’ll be a little sad when it’s finished, as this isn’t something you can find very easily. The scent lasts on the skin for ages and if you CAN find this, definitely pick one up!

• Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.

I have mentioned this cuticle cream time and time again on my blog this year and I’m here mentioning it again, because like Child’s Farm, it’s an amazing brand. Not only have I been using this loads on my cuticles but the reason I’m mentioning this product again this month is due to my eczema. My hand has been so dry and sore due to some potential dermatitis issues I have on my hand, which the cuticle cream has been helping with on and off throughout August. As the cuticle cream is so thick and buttery, a little goes a long way. I apply some to the sore part of my hand after washing my hands and it really does help to soften and help. I’m getting close to the end of the tin and I’ll be glad to get a new one… I swear though, when I bought this tin originally it was between £7-£9, but not this costs less than £5!

• Happy Place Cosmetics Buffday Cake Bath & Shower Whip.

This is one of the first Happy Place Cosmetics items I picked up and this is actually one I bought through someone on Depop. It was brand new and not used at all, which is awesome. I’ve been using this loads in August to as bubble bath, to wash with in the shower and as a shaving foam/cream too! It smells just like Lush’s Rock Star scent and is so damn yummy smelling. It smells of creamy vanilla and reminds me of back in the day when I first discovered Lush. I personally prefer to use Buffday Cake as a shave foam/cream and bubble bath, rather than to wash with. The bath and shower whips from Happy Place Cosmetics are AMAZING for shaving with and they’re by far some of my favourite products to use when in the bath and shower now. If you love Rock Star soap from Lush and want something multi purpose with the same scent, definitely check out Happy Place Cosmetics. Check them out anyway as they’re an amazing indie shower and bath brand!

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

Favourite TV Show – Pose.

I’ve had Pose saved on my Netflix watch list for ages now and finally decided to watch it. I fell in LOVE and was fast trying to find the second season on the internet, only to discover it was on BBC iPlayer the whole time. So, I binged both seasons and loved them both the same. Pose is set in New York in the late 80’s, early 90’s and is about African-American and Latino LGBTQ Houses that compete in competitions in an underground club. Alongside this you watch as characters grow in things they hope to do in the future and see how the aids virus affects various characters too. It’s a powerful TV show and one I cannot recommend highly enough for people to watch!

Favourite Movie – Angela’s Ashes.

I didn’t watch many films throughout August and to be honest, I feel like I hardly watch any newer ones lately… Maybe it’s due to binge watching TV shows? For years I’ve always been interested in watching Angela’s Ashes but never got around to watching it, until a few weeks ago. The film is based off of a memoir, which is set during the 1930’s and 1940’s and is about an Irish family who moved to America for a better life, only to be forced to move back to Ireland due to money issues. It tells the story of Frank McCourt and his family. It’s definitely worth a watch if you’ve never seen and fancy something different.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – Erm…

I’ve fallen off of the book reading bandwagon again… Oh dear… I’ve just felt like I’ve been so busy this month and every time I’ve wanted to continue reading my manga series, I’ve just… Not. I am going to try to read more, but at the same time I feel like if I work through all the remaining/current volumes I have for series, I’ll NEED to buy more and I’m trying to not buy manga for a while. Urgh, vicious cycle is vicious. 😛

Favourite Music – Ellie Goulding – “Lights” and I Prevail “Every Time You Leave”.

I feel like recently I discovered some golden oldies that I adore, as well as some newer songs. “Lights” by Ellie Goulding is one of my favourite songs and I cannot for the life of me tell you why… I just adore the lyrics, the tune itself and I especially love the bass line on the song. Fun fact, this is the first song I learnt on my bass and it was semi self taught too! I’ve listened to it almost daily since mid August and I have zero regrets.

I’ve also added I Prevail on here as whilst I discovered them last year and bought their album Trauma, I’ve not listened to it as much as I wish I could say… However, I recently rediscovered it and forgot how much I love “Every Time You Leave”, so much so after listening to it a few times during and after work, I had a dream about me and Dane singing it to one another!

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Game – Aggretsuko: The Short Timer Strikes Back.

Yes this has returned to my favourites for another month and it’s because it’s an amazing bloody game and I have quickly fallen in love with it! I feel bad that lately I’ve played this more than Animal Crossing: New Horizons but… I kinda have because it’s just easy to pick up and play, I suppose? You basically have to match up certain icons to remove blocks, etc etc. I’m currently borderline level 200 and I’ve loving it! This has become an app I play throughout the day as my hearts come back and I just love it. I also love how the more you play, you begin to unlock the original Aggretsuko mini episodes, which I love watching.

So there you have it guys, my monthly favourites for August!

I feel like August flew by, but in all honesty I also felt like I hardly posted in August and same for July too… I know I said at the start of 2020 though that I wouldn’t be writing on my blog as much as I once did, as my blog was becoming less fun and it’s so true.

I’m so much happier just writing once a week and I feel like I look forward to writing and getting that post out, you know? I’m also wary that I only get 3-4 posts out a month, when last year I was doing that in a week! It’s just strange, but I am so much happier.

Are you guys happier seeing one post a week? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Of course, also let me know what your favourites are from August, as well as what you think of mine, add comments!

Until next time all, take care, stay safe and see you soon!

Kawaii Face Mask Wish List

Guys we are less than two weeks away from September. Can you believe it? It has also nearly been a month since the UK were told to wear face masks in shops. That month has flew by and it only feels like yesterday I was panicking about buying some more face masks.

Well, that mini panic is what inspired today’s post, which is all about face masks and which ones I have on my wish list (as well as one I bought). I know a lot of people went into panic over getting face masks before the 24th July, which thankfully wasn’t me. I was just panicking about which one to buy! I didn’t buy any funky ones, just a couple of black ones for both me and Dane. However, I would still love some funky and fun face masks, hence the wish list. These are also all going to be reusable!

I really hope this list helps people who may want to get some fun masks to wear during (and after) these times we are facing at the moment. Whether you believe in it or not, wear a face mask if you can and keep yourself and others safe.

• Firebox Smoko Pearl Boba Tea Reusable Face Mask (link)

This is the first cute face mask I found and typical it was after I bought my face masks in July, boooo! This one is sold by Firebox but is by American brand Smoko (who also made my Elodie ramen bowl – which you can read about here) who I love! They have three different designs on the website – Little Bao Dumpling, Tayto Potato and the one I’m mentioning here, Pearl Boba Tea. The little bubble teas are adorable and some have cute smiling faces on them too. They sound and look really good quality and I would love to pick one of these up in the future, especially as I love (and miss) bubble tea. 😛

• Society 6 Igor Canova Shadow Sneak Face Mask (link)

This is a face mask designer my good blogger friend Sarah (Raiin Monkey) has bought herself and told me about. There are so many face masks to choose from, all with adorable Pokemon themed designs, 21 to be exact! Out of all of them, the ghost Pokemon design jumped out at me and I really would love to pick it up in the future. The design itself has various ghost Pokemon – including Gengar, Misdreavus, Shuppet, Litwick and Phantump. Alongside the Pokemon there are some ghost type moves dotted around, which make for a good print overall!

• PaperandPotionsArt Soot Sprite Face Mask (link)

It wouldn’t be a wish list on my post if it didn’t contain something Studio Ghibli related! I discovered PaperandPotionsArt years ago at Comic Con and straightaway followed them on Instagram. When I saw they’d created this Soot Sprite mask I knew I had to add it to this list. It’s nothing too elaborate and is a rather “simple” design, which I like! It works with it being white too, due to the Soot Sprite’s being black. I have some black face masks similar to this style and to be honest, they’re not the best due to how thick they are and with how warm you can get whilst wearing one of these, this may get a bit stuffy.

• Sunflower310 Japanese Shiba Face Mask (link)

My Instagram friend Emily (Meimi132) shared some face masks stores and designs with me and this is one of them. It’s a gorgeous Japanese inspired design that has various Shiba in different poses, Mount Fuji, sakura, geta footwear and dango. The design just screams Japan to me and reminds me of my trip there, as well as my love for the country. This is a face mask I would really love to pick up in the future, especially for any future trips to Japan.

• ClumsyCritters Animal Crossing Celeste Face Mask (link)

This is another face mask that Emily shared with me and it is so adorable! Celeste is so precious and I’ve always adored her since Wild World but I feel in New Horizons she’s so precious and adorable. Walking around, give you recipes and more to do with the stars. It makes me smile. Aside from the design, one of the things I like about this face mask is how the ear sections have adjustable beads on them, which I think is such a good idea.

• LenacchiStore Pikachu in Space Reusable Face Mask (link)

Finally we have another Pokemon themed face mask that I would really like to pick up  in the future! It’s a gorgeous space themed mask, but with Pokemon! Pikachu and Pichu are in space alongside various Pokemon including Mew, Jirachi, Clefairy, Clefable and various more! Both the Pikachu and Pichu are dressed in little astronaut outfits, which look so adorable! It’s just gorgeous, I love it so much.

I thought I would mention below the face mask that Dane bought for both of us as it’s amazing and deserves a recommendation!

• AALTRADE Resuseable Face Mask (link)

I didn’t want to add it onto the wish list but these masks come in various different colours, but we picked up the black one above. We got 2 each to ensure we had enough and we certainly do. You can pop filters inside, but when we’ve gone to do that it’s really awkward, so sadly we haven’t bothered. We both wear glasses and personally I haven’t had any issues with fogging, but I think Dane has from memory. If you don’t want to go for a kawaii design, you can always go for one of these plain black ones. 🙂

So there we have it! My kawaii face mask wish list! I know this weeks blog post isn’t anything special, but I thought it was both cute and important considering the planets current situation with COVID.

What do you guys think of the face masks I mentioned? Any you like, or already own? Do you have any face masks you recommend? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

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

Jenni Illustrations – Haul

August is the month of a very much needed spending ban… Which may go into September as well to be honest with you so I can try and save up some more monies ready for when Christmas is upon us.

I’ve mentioned before on my blog how during lock down I have saved and spent a lot of money on things I’d had my eye on for ages but never had the spare monies or urge to buy. I decided to on some things and have had zero regrets, even if my bank account doesn’t agree. One of the independent artists I finally took the plunge and bought from is Jenni Illustrations.

Jenni Illustrations is a Australian kawaii illustrator/designer who draws all sorts of designs from cute animals, some Ghibli inspired characters and even some of her own original characters, which I adore.

Jenni had recently closed her store and reopened it, just in time for me to make some purchases. I bought three things in total and I am here to show them off to you today in a little haul post. I really hope you enjoy it, as I’m so excited to share the goodies with you! 😀

As I mentioned before I picked up three items, a print, a sticker and of course an enamel pin.

• Soda Dog Sticker (link)

One of Jenni’s original characters that I have fallen in love with is her Soda Dog design. Not only do I love dogs but the colour of the soda being blue reminds me of Japanese ramune, which is what I think it’s actually meant to be. The sticker is a decent size and bigger than I thought it was going to be, as well as amazing quality. On the store it does tell you the size and about the quality, but I didn’t check to see how big or small it would be as I didn’t mind either way. 🙂

As you can see the design is of a soda bottle with some blue soda inside, a red lid and Soda Dog as the mascot on the label. There is some Japanese on either sides of the bottle too, which in all honesty I cannot read. I tried to see if the Google Translate app on my phone could help, but the only bit it could translate was the part on the left hand side which read “Soda Dog”. It struggled with the part on the right, but kept trying to say inu which I knew was wrong. After a lot of playing around with Google Translate I worked out that it says, “ramune”. Which makes sense! The Soda Dog design is so adorable, but I want to go into more detail about him when I talk about the enamel pin I picked up next.

So far I’ve not stuck my sticker to anything, as you can see. Instead I’ve stuck him on the side of my plushie bookcase.

This sticker cost $5.00 AUS, or £2.69 which I think is really decent for a sticker of this size and quality.

• Soda Dog Enamel Pin (link)

This is where I’m going to talk more about the Soda Dog design itself as I can’t not talk about it! I mean, look at it. 😀 Soda Dog is a little white puppy, but the bottom half of his body is blue ramune soda! He has a little red bottle top on his head, a floppy ear in the shape of a heart and massive pink cheeks. Oh and a red collar to match his hat red bottle top! This Soda Dog is of course supposed to be a bottle of ramune which has almost been finished and I think it’s such an amazing idea. When I saw that Jenni had an enamel pin design of this cute boy, I KNEW I had to buy it!

The enamel pin itself is really good quality! It’s on a gold enamel and has one back. The enamel pin itself cost $14.00 AUS, which is £7.54. I think this is an incredibly reasonable price for an enamel pin and I plan to buy more in the future from Jenni, which I’ll be showing at the end of this post.

• Kiki A6 Print (link)

First things first, at the time of me writing this post this print is currently sold out… I hope it comes back into stock because the Ghibli designs Jenni does are gorgeous! I’ve always liked Kiki’s Delivery Service, but I especially feel since my Japan trip in January that I really do love it. Japan especially love it, so whenever you go into a Ghibli store (or at least one that sells Ghibli goods) there will always be plenty of Kiki’s Delivery Service items to choose from. I actually regret not buying more. Before my trip to Japan I had my eye on this print, I love so much about it. The one thing I always love about Jenni’s designs is the eyes. They’re so three dimensional and gorgeous, I could stare at them for ages.

As you can see from the photo, it’s a design of Kiki holding Jiji, the overall design is adorable and it really brings joy to my day whenever I walk past it in the bedroom. Like the sticker, I have stuck it onto the side of my plushie bookcase. I would love to see more character from Ghibli movies drawn similar. I feel like Jenni did one of Chihiro from Spirited Away ages ago, but I can’t remember…

This print cost $8.00 AUS, which works out to £4.31, which is reasonable! If anything, I would have loved the option of having a bigger print. I would have definitely gone for an A5, maybe at a push an A4 as I honestly love this design.

So, those are all the goodies I picked up on my first order from Jenni Illustrations.

Due to COVID the items took just under a month to arrive to me. I have to be honest here and say I didn’t think shipping was cheap at £9.69, almost £10 for shipping from AUS to the UK. I didn’t care about paying the costs at the time as I really wanted the items but next time I make an order I’ll feel like I need to order plenty to make the shipping worth it.

This was a MASSIVE treat for me as I’d wanted these items for a while, but if you think the shipping is a little on the high side for you, it might be worth making an order with a friend whose also after these items and you can split the shipping fee.

Overall I am in love with my Jenni Illustration goodies and I’ll definitely buy from her store again and plan to in the future! I already have loads of items on my wish list that I plan to buy in the future and wanted to share them with you below.

Blue Clues Sticker Sheet – I loved Blue’s Clues growing up so these would be a nostalgic trip for me!

Animal Crossing Sticker Sheets – I don’t need to explain why I want these, but I do want them all!

Froggy Chair Sticker – I explained on my July Wish List ’20 post why I want this sticker.

JiJi and Lily 6×6″ Print – I would love this print to go with my Kiki print.

Dragon 6×6′ Print – This print shouts Haku from Spirited Away, who in turn is my favourite Ghibli character. I need this print in my life!

Lucky Kat Washi Tape – Whilst in Japan I discovered a love for washi tape. I would love to add this lucky cat washi tape my collection.

Chester Pin and Fern the Fox Pin – These are two more of the original characters that Jenni has drawn. Chester is a cute little red panda and Fern is an adorable fox. These are two of my favourite animals… What’s not to love, eh?

Soda Dog Keychain – I actually regret not ordering this at the time of my order, as I would have loved to add this onto one of my bags, or a set of keys. I definitely plan on adding him to my basket next time I make an order with Jenni Illustrations.

So there you have it guys! What do you think of Jenni Illustrations? Which item(s) are your favourite that I picked up. Plus, have you bought anything from Jenni Illustrations yourself? If you haven’t yet and plan to, let me know what you’re going to buy!

OH and don’t forget to check out Jenni Illustration over on Instagram too, where she shares new designs all the time. 🙂

Until next time all, take care stay safe and see you next time! 😀

June Wish List ’20

I still can’t quite believe it’s June! So much has already happened in June and I’m a mixture of excited for the rest of the month and dreading what it could bring.

Yesterday marked me and Dane owning our home for four years. This has honestly flown by and it only feels like yesterday that we put our offer down on the house and waited those anxious months until we had the keys in our hands! It’s a really lovely feeling and it makes me so happy.

As well as that, on Monday it is our 7 year anniversary. We can’t do much for it, but we may have a lazy morning in bed, play Animal Crossing together and order a takeaway of Japanese food, because why not! 😀 I’m excited to just chill out and cuddle with Dane for the day.

This months wish list was hard to write in a way. I’ve found that due to lock down and not going out at all, I’ve save a lot of money… So, I’ve been really bad and ordered things I’ve wanted for ages. I’ve calmed down a little now as I have made some big home related purchases lately and need to be good with money now.

However, that doesn’t mean I can’t have my wish lists! One of the items on my wish list this month I’ve actually ordered, but I couldn’t think of anything else to add to the list. 😦

Anyhoo, let’s talk about the goodies on my wish list for June!

• Pandora Poodle Puppy Dog Dangle Charm (link)

I do love my Pandora bracelet and when charms are released that shout out to me, I really do fall in love with them and want to buy them. This poodle puppy dangle charm is adorable and shouts me all over. When I was younger I owned two toy poodles, who I loved so much. I haven’t owned a dog for over 10 years now and whilst I would love a dog to come into mine and Dane’s lives, its not ideal right now. This charm is gorgeous and will definitely remind me of the dogs I had and have lost.

• JeanaDraws Animal Crossing Dom Enamel Pin (link)

If there is an Animal Crossing villager I have quickly fallen in love with, it’s Dom. He’s one of the newer villagers who joined through New Horizons and he is adorable! However, he also seems to be like Marmite… You either love or you hate him. I adore him and I need him on my island at some point in the future. I would love a Dom enamel pin to show my love, but at the moment I’ve not found any artists who are making one apart from JeanaDraws. I discovered them through their sakura otter Kickstarter, which I sadly never backed and regret. An Animal Crossing itabag I bought at the start of the year is due to arrive soon… So I would love to pop a Dom enamel pin inside it!

• Razer Kraken Gaming Headphones Quartz Edition (link)

I have been eyeing up buying a set of gaming headphones for quite some time now… But I don’t know why? I play a lot of games, but lately I am just purely playing Animal Crossing, with the occasional hour or so on Persona 5 Royal. However, at the moment with working from home, I would love a decent headset that I can use for both work and home that also looks cool. I know I can get a decent set of gaming headphones for a cheaper price, which is why I haven’t bought these and they’re just on my wish list at the moment. I shall see… I shall see…

• Sukari Moon I Don’t Give a Fluff Enamel Pin (link)

Another enamel pin and this one is bloody adorable! I actually discovered Sukari Moon through this enamel pin, but the limited edition version of it, which is white and shimmery. I would love this pin to wear on cardigans, jackets and hoodies to show how I’m adorable, but I don’t give a damn at the same time. Of course I would also use and wear this on itabags and my Kanken backpack too. They also do a sticker of this too, which I would love to get.

• Snotgirl Volume 3 (link)

This is the item I’ve actually ordered. I love Snotgirl and have already read volume 1 and 2. I’ve waited what feels like forever for volume 3 to come out, as it was due out October 2019, but it’s been delayed for reasons. I finally found it for sale through a third party on Amazon and knew I had to order before it sold out. I usually pick up my comics from Forbidden Planet, but due to lock down that isn’t an option. I also opt for Wordery for my manga and comics too, but they didn’t have this volume in stock. I am beyond excited for volume 3 of Snotgirl! It’s about an influencer with secrets about how she has allergies. Then she meets a girl and shit starts to hit the fan. I definitely recommend reading it, especially if you’re a blogger.

• Toaster Kiwi Animal Crossing Marshal Stickers 2 Piece Set (link)

Finally we have another Animal Crossing item on the list. This one is some cute Marshal stickers. I never got the hype around Marshal until he moved to my New Horizons island. He’s absolutely adorable and he loves coffee! He’s me in an Animal Crossing villager for sure! He randomly came to my campsite too, so it’s not like I added him to my game through amiibo. These stickers by Toaster Kiwi are adorable and really make me happy to see whenever they pop up on my Instagram feed. I’ll order them in the future for sure.

So, there you have it, my wish list for June! I know the items I mentioned weren’t anything special, but it’s all I could think of for this month.

I know May was a month where my blog was a little quieter as I wasn’t feeling great. However, during June I hope to have loads of content coming out every week, which I’m also hoping you guys will love!

Some sneak peaks as to what will be in store are – Redbubble haul, some enamel pin reviews (not sure which yet), Etude House lip tint review and more!

What are you guys excited to see on my blog? Also, what item(s) do you have on/in your wish lists? Make sure to let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, take care all and stay safe!

May Wish List ’20

I can’t believe it’s May already, can you? As we all know here in the UK, we are still in lock down and we are until the end of this month… Did I hear a mass sigh? 😛

Personally, I’m taking everyday as it comes and making sure to keep myself busy, including working, playing games, blog work/ideas and talking to friends. My usual really… I’m also trying not to shop too much, although that’s kind of hard at the moment as that’s another thing I’m doing to keep myself amused and busy.

Window shopping is amazing, isn’t it? I have to say though, when it came down to doing this months wish list, I kind of struggled a little bit… I don’t know if it’s because I’ve bought most of the stuff I’ve wanted, or if it’s because I’m now actually missing going out for clothes and such.

Either way, I FINALLY got something together for today’s post, it’s nothing special but I hope you enjoy it either way!

The Body Shop Banana Bath Blend (link)

This is a product that came out recently from The Body Shop. I LOVED their banana range that has released a few times now, but only as limited edition. Now they have bath blends out permanently and in a banana scent! I definitely want to give these a go, however, the one thing that puts me off right now in the price. £8 to me is definitely on the expensive side and when you can grab a Lush bubble bar for less than this… It’s a bit much. I’m a bit surprised by it to be honest, as The Body Shop can tend to be better priced than Lush at the best of times. Either way, eventually I will pick this up! I really love having baths after work at the moment.

Pandora Disney 101 Dalmatians Patch Charm (link)

I really love that in the UK we now have loads of Disney items coming to Pandora. Originally it was just Disney parks who seemed to have them, as well as America. I only own two Disney charms, Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp, so I’m always happy to own more, including this cute little Patch charm. I do love 101 Dalmatians, so this would make a nice addition to my Pandora bracelet. It’ll be something I treat myself to in the future, I’m sure.

Fearless Illustration Raincloud Cardigan (link)

I’ve been lusting over this cardigan for the past month, so much so that I even created the design in Animal Crossing to wear (which Bones has been wearing and breaking my bloody heart!). I love cardigans like this and it definitely reminds me of my rainbow “boring” Lazy Oaf cardigan. However, it isn’t cheap and the size I’m after isn’t in stock where it’s at a decent price. I can definitely see me picking this up in future, even to wear to work during the winter months.

NaomiLordArt Seasonal Autumn Fox Sticker (link) and Zodiac Capricorn Fox Sticker (link)

I really love Naomi Lord’s work and have always wanted to buy some of her prints and stickers in the past for myself, but instead I always bought them for friends birthday and Christmas presents. I’ve actually now ordered these two stickers for myself as I wanted something from her store and these two designs are by far my favourite. I’m a Capricorn, love autumn and they’re both fox designs… What isn’t there to love?! I’m so excited to receive them to show you guys in the future. Also, if you like the look of Naomi Lord, make sure to go and check out my best blogger friend Sarah’s (Raiin Monkey) post all about some goods she ordered from Naomi Lord.

My Neighbour Totoro LED Night Lamps (link)

First of all, these are not official items by Studio Ghibli and I never like to recommend fake items, but I really do love these to be honest with you. I’m due to have some shelves put up next to my bed and I feel like these would be a lovely addition to those shelves, or even downstairs with our Studio Ghibli items. I showed them to Dane recently and he actually wants them on a shelf in the hallway, so when people come into the house they will be greeted with these, which is such a lovely idea to be honest with you. I would want both of these, as they’re both just as cute as the other. I wouldn’t be able to choose either one. I don’t think I’ll be buying these this month as I feel like I’ve already spent a lot of money through YY Kawaii and more, so I’d like to try and be good for a while until the next payday!

So that is my wish list for May! Apologies that it’s nothing special, the majority of items I have seen, lusted after and wanted to buy are items that are mostly through Redbubble and Etsy and are heavily Animal Crossing inspired or themed. I mean, would you guys like to see another Animal Crossing wish list? Please let me know!

I have so much exciting content coming up for May, but I feel like I don’t have enough time haha! What are you excited to see? 🙂

What do you guys have on your wish lists this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below, as well as what posts you would like and are excited to see!

Until next time, take care and stay safe everyone!

 

Japan Haul #2 – Stationary

When you think of Japan, I’m sure the last thing you think of is stationary, right? I know some of you might, whilst others think of sushi, Geisha’s and sumo wrestlers.

Japan is CRAZY about stationary and for all the kawaii characters that you can find there, I’m not surprised why they are so mad about it. I know I had to take advantage of picking up some cute stationary whilst I was in Japan and I left with more than I intended to, to be honest with you! I’ve already spoken about the Pokemon related items on my Pokemon Haul (which you can read all about here), but I will be mentioning them here again, because why not. 🙂

A part of me wishes I’d picked up more stationary items, especially from the Sanrio store, but hey ho. 😛 I thought it would be nice to show you all my stationary items anyhoo, as I know a lot of my followers love stationary!

Washi Tape

I picked up quite a lot of wash tape on my trip, which took me by surprise considering I’d never bought washi tape until I ventured to Japan. I ended up picking up four different ones, which I will talking about below.

Tanuku & Kitsune Mounttain Theater Washi Tape – The washi tape that kick started off my mini addiction is this one from Tanuki & Kitsune and this tape is from the Mountain Theater collection. This was from a pop up shop in Character Street (Tokyo Station) which I regret not buying more items from to be honest before it left. The design on the tape matches what the image on the front shows, which is so adorable. You have Tanuki wearing a green cap, a dark brown cape and falling to sleep whilst it reads a script, whilst Kitsune is also reading a script as it wears a red cape. They’re adorable and clearly getting ready to act in their roles!

Studio Ghibli Kiki’s Delivery Duo Pack Washi Tape – After I went and picked up the Tanuki & Kitsune washi tape I decided to pick up this adorable washi tape double pack from the Studio Ghibli shop in Character Street (Tokyo Station). This is my favourite washi tape out of the four I’ve picked up as Jiji is absolutely adorable on both of the designs I got. There’s a pale blue design with daisies and blue flowers on, alongside Jiji sitting down and standing up. There’s also a dark blue design with Jiji’s face over daisy flowers. Honestly cannot wait to use these washi tape designs in my scrapbook!

Mofu Mofu Eevee Washi Tape – As I had already bought two washi tape designs anyway, I decided as I’m working on a scrapbook soon about our trip to Japan and wanted to pick up more kawaii patterned washi tape to make the scrapbook look pretty inside. Of course I couldn’t not pick up this cute mofu mofu Eevee design, which is just loads of cute Eevee’s running along the tape. I haven’t opened this yet and don’t plan to until it comes to me using it.

Nintendo Tokyo Animal Crossing Washi Tape – This is the final roll of washi tape I picked up on my trip to Japan. From memory there was this design and another one with the fruits on (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, Cherries and Pears). This washi tape design isn’t anything special and is pretty basic with the Animal Crossing design we all know and love! As well as the symbols we all know from Animal Crossing, there is also images of Isabelle and Digby too, which is what sold me to pick up the washi tape in the first place.

Mechanical Pencils, Pencil Lead and Pens

Ghibli Museum Mechanical Pencil – As I had bought my Eevee mechanical pencil by this point I didn’t actually need to buy another mechanical pencil… But considering it was from the Ghibli Museum, it was a souvenir I really wanted to pick up on my trip. This pencil is gorgeous and very minimal in comparison to some stationary you can buy in Japan. The pencil is a white design with silver metal, blue accent colours and of course an image of Totoro with his umbrella, raindrops and “Ghibi Museum Mitaka” underneath him. I really love this pencil and I currently use it for my D&D sessions.

Mofu Mofu Eevee Mechanical Pencil and Pen – The blue design is the pen, the red is the pencil. There were four designs/colours in total including the blue and red ones I own, as well as a brown (pencil) and green (pen I think). I didn’t really want anymore mechanical pencils as I have a pink one I really love (well… loved until I bought my new ones in Japan :P) to use so I didn’t need another mechanical pencil. I picked up the pen, which is black ink and was happy. When I went back to the Pokemon Center, I ended up picking the pencil up too and I don’t regret it! The pencil writes really well and I much prefer it to my pink mechanical pencil to be honest with you! The designs on them both are gorgeous with the fluffy, happy Eevee designs all over.

Studio Ghibli Kiki’s Delivery Service Frixion Pen – This was actually the first bit of stationary I picked up and I have ZERO REGRETS! This is a red pen, with gold images of Jiji and his girlfiend Lily. The way you get the pen nib to retract is by the clear part on the pen. I love a nice pen to write with, especially when I want to jot down blog notes and sometimes for D&D too (although I used to use a pencil previous to buying all my Japan stationary). I used to use Frixion pens when I was an undergrad at university 10 years ago (God I feel old saying that) as well as in my old job so these rub out pens aren’t anything new for me to use. However, the pen itself is amazing and this is by far one of my favourite items on this list that I picked up. This pen actually comes with red ink, but I bought some black Frixion refills whilst I was in Japan for this so I can use black instead of just red. I don’t know about you guys but I was brought up to not write in red ink (unless for myself) as it’s seen as rude.

Nintendo Tokyo Animal Crossing Isabelle Pen – I’d had my eye on this pen since before I went to Japan for my trip, as I’d seen most of the Animal Crossing merchandise that was for sale in the Nintendo Tokyo store. I didn’t know if I was going to pick it up or not but to be honest, some of the Animal Crossing merchandise I wanted was sold out, which sucks (although I have it now, yay!) so I made up for it with stationary… 😛 I picked up the Isabelle pen, as I love Isabelle and you can’t have enough pens, right?! This is a white pen with cream yellow accents, as well as some images of tulips along the grip area of the pen. At the top of the pen on one side is an image of Isabelle with some yellow tulips and on the other side it reads “Dōbutsu No mori” which is Animal Crossing in Japanese, as well as an image of Isabelle’s face and some yellow ears, which you also use to retract the black and red pens.

Sanrio Pompompurin Pen – This is the last piece of stationary I picked up on our trip. I bought it a few days before we left Japan and I actually regret not getting the Cinnamoroll version as well. This pen writes so smoothly, I love it! It’s definitely up there with my Kiki’s Delivery Service pen. This is a simple pen really, with mustard yellow colours and a Pompompurin mascot at the top of the pen (which is removable), as well as his cute little hamster friends all around the pen. I find myself using this pen a lot lately when I’m in my D&D sessions, as it’s such a smooth pen to write with.

Pikachu Mechanical Pencil Lead – Due to now owning a total of four mechanical pencils (aside from the two I bought in Japan I already have two back home that I use on and off), it’s always good to make sure to have plenty of pencil lead for these! I couldn’t get a mofu mofu Eevee design (they didn’t make one…) so instead I picked up a cute Pikachu design instead, which is kind of similar to the mofu mofu design. This came with quite a lot of 0.5 size led inside already, but as I owned some already from my first mechanical pencil, I decided to add them into this holder. I’ll never run out of led now!

Notebook and Pencil Case

Mofu Mofu Eevee Notebook – I have too many notebooks… I needed this one though. It’s adorable! I don’t quite know what I’m going to use it for as of yet… Maybe blog related stuff whilst I’m out and about? Dungeons & Dragons in the future? I don’t know… 😛 I just needed it! The designs on the front are adorable, with all the Eevee’s doing different things such as sleeping on books, holding quills in their mouths and sitting in teacups. Cute! There’s designs in the book too, with the Eevee holding the quill in it’s mouth again.

Mofu Mofu Eevee Pen Case – I didn’t need a pen case… But due to how much stationary I bought whilst I was on my holiday, I kind of had to! That and the pencil case I use currently for all my stationary items is from when I was studying my GCSE’s at school… Which was 15 years ago now! That pencil case is great, but I wanted something smaller and more refreshing! This one is a perfect signs for everything I bought on the trip, and I really enjoy taking it out with me. It’s so cute to bring out of my bag when I want something to write with. The image of the Eevee’s cuddling together on he one side is so kawaii!

Clear Files

Mofu Mofu Clear File – I bought quite a few clear files whilst I was in Japan, but this is my favourite one by far! I actually bought this to keep my files in for Dungeons & Dragons, but as of yet I haven’t had the chance to use it. The image on the front of the two Eevee’s is so adorable, I’d still like to frame it to be honest! 😛

Nintendo Tokyo Animal Crossing Clear Files – I can’t remember if I knew about these or not before I went to Japan, but I am so glad I picked them up, especially now Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out! You get two clear files in this set, one of which is a scene on both sides of the file of your town/island with various of the villagers homes and buildings such as Nook Cranny, the museum, town hall, Able Sisters, plenty of trees (including apple) and of course various villagers! The other file is simpler with it’s beige colour and on one side the same various villagers that are on the other file and on the other side the “Dōbutsu No mori” and Animal Crossing names.

Pokemon Cafe Clear Files – Me and my boyfriend knew we wanted to get some files for our trip in Japan, as a lot of places we ventured to (aka cafes) have the place mats that you fold/roll up and take home, so we wanted some files that we could do that with. We ordered these when we booked out seats at the Pokemon Cafe and we never actually got around to using them, or any of the other files that we bought for this purpose. Even so these files will be handy for D&D BUT, I have started to wonder if you could frame these and hang them up like prints! These would especially look great around the house and in the kitchen. I have to add, the first file is by far my favourite with the kawaii Pokemon Cafe mascots, although I am baffled about why Eevee isn’t there?! The other clear file in this double pack is meant to be a party style scene but with lots of different Pokemon eating and drinking items from the Pokemon Cafe menu, as well as the cute Pokemon Cafe staff. By the way, you can read all about the Pokemon Cafe here.

Fullmetal Alchemist Clear Files – These are actually some clear files that my boyfriend Dane picked up from the Fullmetal Alchemist Cafe that we visited during our trip (I plan to talk about it in the future!) and I’m really glad he picked them up as they’re so pretty. One of the files has an image of Edward and Alphonse Elric fighting together, this is definitely my favourite file of the two he bought. The metal arm and leg of Edward’s really do shine in the light, which was what appealed to me the most. The second clear file has the “good guys” on of Fullmetal Alchemist, which Dane had to have! I will honestly be surprised if we don’t end up framing these in the future and sticking them up in our office. 🙂

So, that is all of the stationary that I picked up from Japan! I thought this would be a nice little haul to share with you this week, especially as we went into lock down here in the UK this week too (well, Monday). I’ve been working from home and on my breaks and after work I have still been doing my writing.

Although we are in lock down here, my blog stuff will not change, I will continue to get my blog posts up every week. 🙂

So, which piece(s) of stationary that I picked up in Japan did you like? Also, what are you doing for the next couple of weeks during the lock down? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, take care, stay safe and I hope you’re having a lovely weekend. 🙂

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. 🙂

2019 Top 3 Favourites

It’s the first day of 2020 and I am spending it in the laziest way possible… Sat on my cuddle chair, in my pyjamas and wrapped in a blanket. I don’t think I can get any cosier to be perfectly honest with you. 😛

I decided to do an overall top favourites post for 2019, as December doesn’t have anything special on it that my January 2020 favourites won’t miss out on in a months time. I didn’t so a December 2018 favourites last year and no one missed it to be fair.

I really love writing my favourites post, I can reflect over the month on things I loved and I enjoy writing about them too and sharing with you all. However, 2019 wasn’t a good year for reading for me. I seem to have been too busy seeing friends or chilling on games, my phone or watching something on the TV… Which is a shame. 2020 is the year I will be trying to read a hell of a lot more! I do miss reading my favourite manga series as soon as the books come out in the UK, but at least 2020 means I will have more to read now… See, past Nat was doing future Nat a massive favour! 😛

Anyhoo, no more nattering, it’s time to show off my op 3 from 2019, as well as runner ups. 🙂 I really hope you enjoy the first post of 2020!

Beauty Top 3

1. The Body Shop Drops of Youth™ Youth Liquid Peel.

2. Laneige Two Tone Matte Lip Bar in Red Velvet (review here).

3. Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser with Shea & Cocoa Butter.

Runner Up – Lime Crime Wet Cherry Gloss in Cherry Bomb.

TV Shows Top 3

1. Inside No. 9.

2. Mr. Pickles.

3. Fruits Basket.

Runner Up – Stranger Things Season 3.

Movies Top 3

1. Detective Pikachu.

2. Spider-Man: Far From Home.

3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Runner Up – Avengers: End Game.

Books Top 3

1. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.

2. In Real Life by Cory Doctorow.

3. Persona 4.

Music Top 3

1. PVRIS – “Fire” (this is the single that got me into the band this year – who I now LOVE TO BITS!).

2. Litany – “Bedroom”.

3. Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”.

Runner Up – Grimes – “We Appreciate Power”.

Games Top 3

1. Yoshi’s Crafted World.

2. Untitled Goose Game.

3. Borderlands 3.

Runner up – Pokemon Sword & Shield.

So that’s all of the my favourite items of 2019! I honestly can’t believe it’s 2020 now! I’ve spent most of the day relaxing, writing and talking to my mom on FaceTime. Can it really get any better than that? 😛

What were your favourite items from 2019? I’d love to hear!

Until next time all, Happy New Year! ^_^

Christmas 2019 Wish List

Last Christmas I decided to do a wish list post about what I wanted as a teenager for Christmas in comparison to what I wanted now. I would love to do something like this now, but I honestly don’t think I can top what I did last year. That post was perfect and I loved it so much!

This year when I’ve been asked what I’d like for Christmas, it’s been kinda hard to decide… With our trip coming up soon I’m trying to save a lot of money for that and when it comes down to having anything for myself, I honestly can’t think of anything I want… So this year has been tough.

Not just for myself, but I’ve struggled to buy Dane’s Christmas presents this year! I wanted to make sure he had loads of exciting things to open, that he wouldn’t even think of buying himself, so I hope he loves what he’s been gifted with! 😀

Anyhoo, my list is very geeky and Japan heavy! 😛

• Nintendo Switch Taiko no Tatsujin.

This is a game I have wanted for quite a while now and I’m pretty sure it’s one I have mentioned on my blog from time to time on wish list posts. I am putting it on here for Christmas as I STILL want it! This is a game I have tried the demo of and loved, it was fun and I could see myself playing it both on my Switch Lite as well as on Dane’s Switch console with the drum attachment. I’m not crazily after it, but it would be nice to have. Sadly, it isn’t cheap and whenever I found it cheap I just couldn’t justify it. 😦

• Nintendo Switch Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy.

This is a game I discovered not long after I bought my Switch Lite back at the start of November and it’s one I am intrigued by. I do enjoy puzzles games and the Layton games are always a series that has intrigued me, but one I just never invested in… I have a feeling this is a gift I will be receiving for Christmas, which will be really nice! I always love getting games for Christmas as it’s sort of a tradition. My parents or brother(s) would always buy me a game for my console of choice at the time, so I always loved spending Christmas and Boxing Day playing them.

• Juniper: The Happiest Fox 2020 Wall Calendar.

Dane always buys me a calendar for the year ahead, no ifs or buts. It’s definitely a tradition we have now and it’s one I love! For a while he always bought me a Simon’s Cat calendar, then for a time it was Pusheen and now we have settled onto Juniper! I love foxes and Juniper is a fox I especially love, alongside her brother Fig, who is in this calendar! I can’t wait to write loads of stuff on it already of everything we have coming up during 2020.

• PlayStation 4 Persona 3 and 5 Endless Night Collection.

This isn’t a gift I’m SUPER psyched about having, but due to my love of the Persona series, it is a game I would enjoy having to play at home! It includes both the Persona 3 and Persona 5 dance games on the PS4, as well as a download code for the Persona 4 dance game for PS4 too! I actually already own this on the PS Vita, but having it on the PS4 would be so much better.

• Nichijou Manga Volume 9 and 10.

This is a manga series that now seems to have finished on volume 10. I only need 9 and 10 to finish my series for Nichijou, which is a manga (and anime series) that I love! This is a manga series that Dane has bought me since we got together and I do love receiving these from him each Christmas. I doubt very much I will get them this year, but even so in 2020 I will definitely pick these up for myself.

• Nendoroid Figures:
• Star Wars Han Solo
  
• Star Wars Luke Skywalker
• Star Wars Rey
• Star Wars BB-8
• Star Wars Princess Leia

I always ask for a Nendoroid figure (or two) during Christmas and my birthday, but this year I REALLY struggled! I’ve either pre-ordered or own the Persona 5 series and some I want are hard to find now. I do hope I get one, maybe even two of the Star Wars Nendoroid figures. Apparently I do have a Nendoroid figure for Christmas… But I can’t for the life of me think which one it could be!

I think that’s about it for my Christmas wish list this year! I feel like I’ve been rather boring, but to be honest I have been a bit stumped on what I would like for Christmas with my trip to Japan looming.

I’ve also struggled to buy for people this year for so many reasons! It’s really sucked to be honest. xD

What do you have on your Christmas lists this year? Jesty ideas are welcome too (aka new car, a pet etc).

Until next time, Merry Christmas all and I hope you have a lovely day whatever you do. 🙂