Kawaii Box October '14 Review

Apologies for not getting a post up last week. My college work has been piling up and any free time has been used to catch up on TV shows, anime & YouTube. I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger! But I am back with another subscription box review!

You may remember that in my last review post I mentioned that I was going to change subscription boxes. That I have done and I'm so glad I made the switch. Not only is this box slightly cheaper but I much prefer the contents of Kawaii Box to Kawaii Monthly and feel like it's more worth the money.

I really liked how the box came with a postcard with a handwritten note on it! It wasn't even a photocopy. I feel sorry for the person who had to sit and write each note!

The difference between Kawaii Box and Kawaii Monthly is that this one has a lot more smaller miscellaneous items such as charms and stationary.

The first item was this furry little creature. I think it's meant to be a cat and it's just so soft and cute! There's a little hoop on the top of its head so I'm guessing you're meant to hang it somewhere. I don't really have anywhere to hang it so I've got it sitting on my shelf instead.

Next is this adorable cat sharpener. I never use pencils so I haven't actually tried it out. I get the impression that it might be like those plastic kiddy sharpeners that never work properly, but as I haven't used it I could be wrong. It does make a really cute addition to my desk though!

Pens always seem to disappear in my house so new pens are always welcomed with open arms, especially Hello Kitty pens! It has a little charm on the lid of what I think is meant to be a chocolate bar. Keeping on the topic of sweet treats, there were also these sweetie hair bobbles. They remind me of something I would've worn when I was younger.

This was probably my favourite item in the box. A Korilakkuma charm! I actually have a similar Rilakumma charm that my best friend got me. These charms are squishy and would make good stress balls. But I'd never take my stress out on these cuties!

Just like Kawaii Monthly, there's always a sweet treat included! Like most Japanese confectionery, these chew sweets aren't like your average Starburst or Fruitella. Oh no. The packet describes these sweets as a 'soft yoghurt candy' with small gummy pieces in. I've never been a huge lover of chew sweets, but these are decent. The gummy parts kind of pop out of the soft chewy part as you eat it! I received the grapefruit flavour but there are a number of other flavours available. And can we just appreciate how cute the packaging is?!

Next is this rather colourful flannel/face cloth/whatever you want to call it. It's always useful to have several of these bad boys around the house. I especially like this one as it has a little hook in the corner so you can hang it up instead of just draping it over the side of the bath. In saying that, there's no where around my bath to actually hook it so it'll still end up draped over the side.

This little note card is really handy for birthdays or any other gift giving occasion. Although I am tempted to not use it and just keep it for myself.

Naturally, no 'kawaii' subscription is complete without stickers! The October box came with these cute cupcake stickers. You are never too old for stickers! I also received these 'fashion stickers' which are pink peals that you can use to decorate your phone, iPod, laptop, pretty much anything you like. I'll definitely find a use for the cupcake stickers but as for the pearl stickers I'm not so sure.

And last is this cute pouch that could be used as a make-up bag or pencil case. I have so many of these things that I don't know if I'll put this one to use straight away but it's always useful to have things like this on hand, especially when you're travelling.

If you guys are interested in subscribing to this box yourself, you can do so HERE. It's a must have for any lover of cute things! If you read any of my Kawaii Monthly reviews, which box do you prefer? Feel free to let me know!
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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Etude House Haul & Review

One of my favourite places to browse for cute clothes is YesStyle, but it's only been recently that I've started to look at the beauty products on the site. Like any online marketplace, I've always been a little wary about ordering things in case they turn out to be really bad quality and are a hassle to return. I've ordered from YesStyle twice now and have yet to be disappointed! So, if you're looking for a place that sells quality Asian fashion and beauty products I highly recommend YesStyle.

My most recent purchases from the site were a number of products from the popular Korean beauty brand, Etude House. I had heard good things about the brand and being a complete sucker for cute packaging I just knew that I had to try the products myself.

The first product I bought was one of the nail polishes. Blue is my favourite colour and I do not have enough blue nail polishes in my collection! I only needed to apply one coat to my nails and it dried fairly quickly. However, I only had it on for about a day before it started to chip. It may last longer if you apple a base or top coat which I didn't do. Despite the chipping, I do really love the colour and the lace detailing on the packaging. It didn't break the bank either at only £2.81.

[Play Nail Colour 077]

I don't know about you, but when it comes to buying the essential basics I am the worst. I will go out with the intention of buying a pair of tights, or some plain leggings, or some make-up wipes and end up coming home with a bagful of stuff but none of it the stuff that I actually needed. I had needed a new pair of tweezers for ages, but every time I planned on buying some, I seemed to 'forget.' But when I saw these I knew that I HAD to have them. I instantly fell in love with these cat tweezers. Not only are they super cute but they do their job in helping me keep my unruly eyebrows at bay.

[Cat Tweezers]

I also decided to try the Green Tea cleansing foam. I'm rubbish when it comes to skin care routines and looking after my skin in general and I really want to try and change that. All you need to do with this is simply wet your face, lather the product up and apply onto your skin. After rinsing it off, my skin feels soft and clean! It's also suitable for people with sensitive skin. There are other products with different purposes in the range, this being number 5 - Fresh & Clean.

[Every Month Cleansing Foam 05 Fresh & Clean - Green Tea]

I'm one of those people who gets rather excited about anything pumpkin flavoured. I'm not entirely sure why as I've never actually tried pumpkin itself. I blame the Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks! But something I had never come across before was a pumpkin flavoured/scented beauty product. As soon as I saw this I knew I had to try it! Despite not actually stating it, I think this a face mask. You've to apply the product in an even layer on your face and then rinse after 10-15 minutes. I've still to try it so I'm not sure how good the product is yet, but I love the idea of it being in a mini pack! I'm a sucker for minis.

[It's Real Mini Pack - Sweet Pumpkin]

The final product I bought is by far my favourite. It is just too cute! It's pretty much just your bog standard hand cream but it's the packaging that makes me squeal with joy. IT'S A PANDA! Cutest hand cream ever. There's a picture of a peach on the front of it which makes me assume that it's meant to be peach scented, however, there's no real scent to the product at all. It just smells like a basic hand cream. However, the packaging totally makes up for it!

[Missing U Hand Cream - #03 Panda Story]

I can definitely see myself buying a few more Etude House products in the future. I'm also desperate to try some Tony Moly products which is another Korean beauty brand you can find on YesStyle. Let me know if you've tried any products from Etude House or Tony Moly, or if you've purchased anything from YesStyle and whether you're a fan of these online Asian fashion stores!
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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September '14 Favourites

It is officially my favourite time of the year! These last three months are my absolute fave! I love Autumn, Pumpkin Spice lattes, candles, cosy jumpers, fireworks and of course, Christmas! And with the beginning of October it means that it's time for me to share my September favourites. I will admit that there aren't really any new beauty favourites this month. It's been a month of using the same products over and over again. However, I do have a number of random favourites to share with you all.

Nakd. Bars

I have an addiction other than caffeine and it comes in the form of these raw fruit and nut bars. I've been eating these for a few months now, but it's only been in the past month that I've really been hooked on them. It's got to the stage that I'm having one pretty much every day. These bars are super healthy and are literally just a mixture of fruit and nuts! They come in a whole range of different flavours including Cocoa Delight, Cashew Cookie and Rhubarb & Custard. They have recently launched two new flavours, Bakewell Tart and Christmas Pud, which I'm excited to try (if I can get hold of them. I still haven't managed to find the Caffe Mocha flavour which I am pretty distraught about). Who needs a chocolate bar when you can eat these bars of goodness?!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER! Yes, I am one of those avid lovers of the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Every year I shed tears at the end of the season. The PSL is my favourite Starbucks drink of all time. Yes, I even prefer it to the Chai Tea Latte. I was super excited when I found out that they were launching them a month earlier this year! It's clear that these bad boys are high in demand and naturally I have been taking every opportunity to treat myself to one before they are replaced with the Christmas drinks.

MCM Comic Con '14

At the beginning of the month I went to Comic Con for the first time and it was AMAZING! One of the best weekends of my life. I won't speak too much about it here as I made this post a few weeks back talking about my experience. I'm so ready for next years event and am eagerly waiting for the tickets to go on sale.

Attack On Titan Hoodie

I have pretty much lived in this hoodie ever since I bought it at Comic Con. It's so soft and comfy and I am refusing to put it in the wash in fear that the softness will be lost. Does anyone else only put their hoodies in the wash like once a year? I feel like it's a completely normal thing to do and is in no way frowned upon. I have no regrets about spending £32 on this.

Doctor Who
It would be an injustice if I did not include Doctor Who in my favourites this month. September saw the 12th Doctor explode onto our screens and I have to say, so far Capaldi is doing a fucking fantastic job. I was unsure about how I would feel since Matt was my favourite Doctor (yes, I preferred him over David. Don't shoot). But I seem to have taking a shine to the new Doctor. I love how they decided to keep the Scottish accent and wish they did the same with David. The story lines still aren't the best. Much like a lot of Whovians, I prefer the stories of the Russell T. Davis days, but the series has still managed to hold my attention and continues to be one of my favourite TV shows.

[Photo credit to BBC]

And so another favourites post comes to a close. Let me know what you guys have been loving this month or if you've been loving any of the same things I have!
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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