Merry Wintertime!

 

 

 

 

To whomever is browsing the blog the next few weeks...I hope you're having a spectacular winter, celebrating whatever awesomeness you may!

 

(pic found on Pinterest. no idea where its from, sorry!)

Stylin'...

I'm a total control freak about my environment ESPECIALLY what's on myself, so I get in what many people would call style ruts but what I just call the Anna-form.

The past few years it's all been kawaii graphic tees, jeans and dessert-themed or 80's jewelry. I do like huge wedge heels but usually I wear flip-flops or Uggs. Pretty much casual/sporty-kawaii.

Now I've transitioned into giant tops and skinny jeans- soooo comfy!

Let me just say, Japanese styles are rocking my world. I've become a total Rakuten shopaholic.

I'm obsessing on about half the dolman/batwing tops on Rakuten! Srsly, I cannot find anything like these in the States. (I don't actually have the pink one yet but it's on its way.)They are so huge and baggy that they even *look* huge on me- success! If you're reading this and want to share, is there anything style-wise you LOVE but can't get in your area? I'd love to hear...

One go-to eye look...



 

Etude House Bling in the Sea Proof10 Auto Liner~ BR403

Etude House Tear Drop Liner~ #1 White Tear

Maybelline The Rocket mascara~ Very Black

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Love love love these eye staples! When I want easy-going neutral but with a little pick-me-up of sparkle this is it. The liquid tear liner takes some fiddling with- I had to experiment a bit, but I'm getting it where it looks good now. Since it has sparkle I don't want to actually line the inner rim but I try to get it as close to my lashes as possible.

Ramblings...

I don't have much to post at the moment (well, I do, but hell if I'm going to try to write up a coherent review or try to post many photos right now.) I have the tenacious-snot-crud that's going around and OMG I feel *blehhhgth* Seriously, this germ will fuck you up, SW Washingtonians. Fortunately, the offspring seems to be shaking his off at last. So I'm just going to chat a bit!

Recent purchases & first impressions...

In a desperate lunge toward better skin, I hauled A LOT the past month. I'll call them December hauls since they've arrived over the first week of.

 

As usual, my biggest order is from f2plus1. Their reliability keeps me coming back for new-to-me products and larger orders!

 

Untitled #34

Untitled #34 by asnowbunny featuring wrap boots

Tony Moly Clean Dew cleansing cream~ Olive...

 

With my beloved Broccoli Sprout cleansing cream going way up in price on evilbay, I've tried out another TM Clean Dew cleanser~ cream in Olive variety. The other two are Tea Tree and Lemon (massage cream, not cleanser but I suppose they're all cold creams.)

 

 



pic from etonymoly.com (TM official)

I feel guilty for liking this...

pic from Rakuten



Because nobody that can afford it needs bunny skin anything IMHO. But OMG I want to see the blue one in a winter lolita coord. SO. BAD.

Fairy kei krafts...

 Being a lover of pastels and 80's-childhood evocation, I'm a huge fan of fairy kei style! So since I was in Michael's craft store anyway for Sprout's Halloween costume parts, I checked out the polymer clay. Four packs for $6?? Hellzyeah! (They're usually $2-$3 each there.) I ended up with pale blue, mint, lavender, and pink plus a pack of "cookie cutters" that were the perfect size. Here's a sampling of what I've made so far:

 

 

Random Kitty: Danny...

Since I'm obviously not keeping up with weekly kitty appreciation posts, they're now "Random Kitty!"

 

This is Danny AKA Big D. Danny is a feral rescue. He was a gangly, awkward, shy kitten with a cleft lip and skin problems (he's never grown hair on the backs of his ears and he still doesn't like to have them touched.). Now he's a loveable, rotund beast with a head-butt-of-love that will knock you sideways. Which is why getting a pic of his face is so difficult- he wants his face *on* you.  Apart from his ear issues, there is no place that he does not want rubs. All. The. Time. (Srsly, even his belly. This belly is not a trap.)  When he's not carrying out cuddle attacks he can be found capturing shoes...

 

...spreading himself on his favorite spot...

 

...and epically hovercatting.

 



Ultimately unimportant...and totally EXCITING! *UPDATE*

Ok, so maybe this is something only a few people would be excited about. But that's what my blog is for- the exciting stuff nobody in my physical life actually gets! Anyway, the big thing is...I placed my first-ever Rakuten order! LOL. I feel like a worldly, global consumer. (Not a dumb 'merican that can't read any of the Japanese in the confirmation email.) Oh the things we get excited over, right? But there's enough English in there for me to see that yes, I have ordered this:



 

 

I ordered "aqua" (no surprise there), the bottom color. (They were sold out of a similar top in lavender or my bank account would have taken even more of a hit! LOL)The seller is osharewalker, and I couldn't find any of the stuff they carry anywhere else online. So I screwed up my courage and went for it, even though they're not a shop that specifically caters to global customers. (e.g. They don't promise to correspond in English.) But Rakuten has a lot of helpful ordering info, and as I said, the shop's confirmation email had enough English specs for me to see that I was ordering the right item and they had my name and address all correct.

 

Have y'all in the States ever ordered from Rakuten?

 

Has there been a "momentous" shopping experience in your life? (This is not my potential first. I've had many throughout my life where I thought, "Yeeeeessss, I have arrived." Where? Some happy place known only in my own psyche. LOL)

 

Novel-length Update after the jump...

Japanese flying squirrel is just...OMG



Kitty of the Week~ Pitti-Sing

 

Oh noes! I almost forgot a kitty this week. That's what happens when I'm busy putting the Offspring's Halloween costume together (more on that later.) It's still "this" week though so...

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Pitti-Sing! Pitti is a tiny, shy dear who sometimes loves too much. Her love nips draw blood! Here she is saying Happy Halloween (and maybe nibbling the centerpiece.) Pitti was part of a litter left on a porch by a feral mom. She was a tiny, palm-sized thing, but bottle-fed like crazy. She likes to hide most of the time, but she has lots of bigger brothers and sisters so that might be wise. In fact, there aren't many photos of her at all because she's so elusive!  

What's in my bag?...

I love when bloggers post a good ol' "What's In My Bag?" Well, here I am with the house to myself (and a cold, so I'm not going anywhere), so what better time to spread out all my stuff? The pics aren't perfect, I'm experimenting with my actual camera instead of my phone. But let's do this!

 

So here is said bag. It's HUGE. Not only is it exactly what I wanted, but I found it at TJMaxx with an insane discount! I have a lot of purses, but this one actually holds everything I want to have on me on a daily basis. Which means I really only carry *it*!

Tonymoly haul & first impressions...

 

Tonymoly Clean Dew Flower Rain mist~ Most Moist

TM Clean Dew Olive Seed cleansing cream

TM Aqua Aura Moist Finish Pact (pressed powder)

 

This is my little haul from ebayer rubyruby76. My first time ordering from them and I had zero problems. (Except for customs hanging onto it for ages and then USPS somehow routing it WAY north of me before it finally arrived- but that's not the seller's fault.)

 

Poor forgotton haul...

TM Tomatox, EH Wonder Pore Freshner, awesome samples

 

Well! I was looking back at old posts and realized I forgot to post this wee haul pic. I've reviewed Tomatox here and Wonder Pore Freshner  here . But here's the whole shebang from ebay seller worldmarket2012. I've ordered from them several times and have always been really pleased.

Kitty(ies) of the Week: India Rose and Zoubisou

 I had other kitties lined up but I just had to bump up these sweet girls!

 India was adopted from afar and overcame several health issues to be the loved and loving family member she is. Her humans had to pass a lot of screening before they could go get her- from HOURS away. She has a very interesting story! (What other kitty could survive living in a car engine?? o.O)

This is Zoubi, India's little sister. She LOVES to fetch and hoard milk rings. I think she might have been The Cutest kitten I've ever seen. And she's still a beauty!

She was adopted from The Itty Bitty Kitty Comittee in Seattle. IBKC is an amazing foster home and adoption agency that places kittens in the Seattle area. Zoubi's foster name was Zelda Lamm, and her baby pics can still be seen on their website .

I was excited to learn that India and Zoubi have their own blog- Rumble in the Asphalt Jungle . Head over there and learn more about these sweeties!

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint = yay!

**First of all, please forgive the pic below. It is NOT awesome. My phone camera washes everything out and I have to edit the heck out of it for color correction.  I still don't think the color is quite right, but here goes...**

EH Fresh Cherry Tint~ PK001

Here are my lips all cherrified. (Oh yeah, spellchecker? Well that's a word *now.*) The tint is true, Pepto pink but on my lips it becomes a darker, brighter pink. (Brighter and darker than the pic above too.)Your mileage may vary of course since the shade will depend on how pigmented your lips are. Mine are moderately pigmented a sort of rosey-brown, BTW

I am loving this lip tint and definitely would like a full size! The sample is really generous though and, barring it drying out, will last me a bunch more uses. 

Just finishing Bloglovin' setup...nothin' to see here...

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10906657/?claim=3qf2gbkp6bh">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

*fingers crossed*

So, I just started using Bloglovin' and while browsing blogs to follow I came across Misaraisu. Her blog is totally adorable, gyaru style AND turns out she's having a 500 follower celebratory giveaway of epic proportions. I've entered and, in the interest of full disclosure, posting here about her giveaway shoots a few more entries my way. But honestly, I was going to gush about it anyway, please believe!

Her entry page is here..., so go enter if you want a chance to be inundated in Etude House &Rose gorgeousness!

Yay! Happy surprises in my latest order...

Tonymoly Red Appletox Honey cream, a second innisfree Jejubija Anti-Trouble Spot Essence R

This is my latest order from ebay seller f2plus1-  I needed another innisfree essence R and have a feeling the Red Appletox will come in handy in the cooler weather. When I've used it long enough to form a solid review I'll post.

Sweet mother o' Ceiling Cat!!

www.sanrio.com

Available HERE.

HK...yeti...*passesout*

Kitty of the Week (Week...week.........week) #epicecho

It's no secret I'm a perpetual crazy cat lady (even though, at the moment, I have none.) Since so many people I know have awesome kitties, I'll be posting one a week for your viewing pleasure! =^..^=

My very first one has to be a posthumous shout-out. Abbey was a Texas barn cat until she was raised to the lap of luxury. She became very fat and shaped like a very ripe pod of peas. She was quite the elitist though and did not much care for her once-feral housemates or small children who stole all the attention. She was persnickety and wouldn't hesitate to thump you whenever she felt like it. She had an obsession with shopping bags so in her honor....

Happy International Translation Day!!

 pic from funimation.tumblr.com

For those who don't know, Funimation is a leading North American distributor of anime- the cute, the dark, the wtf...you name it! (And they're based in Texas of all places o.O)
Funimation's tumblr tells us that today is a day to be sharing our appreciation of the translators who make our fun shows so accessible. Click the link to see their translator blurbs!

Kickin' ass and makin' changes...pt.2

**Here I am at a whole new address**

I won't be adding to my blog at shootsandsprigs, but all its content is duplicated here with more to come! Enjoy!

Etude House Eye's Cream...UPDATE

 

EH Eye's Cream~ Mint Cooling

 Ok, first of all, the packaging is AH-dorbs. *breathes* But on to the practical...I've been on the hunt for an eye treatment stick for years after becoming secretly obsessed with Vichy's thermal water cooling eye area stick. The exact name of which I've forgotten and which is unbelievably expensive. I *also* needed an SPF something or other though. And it couldn't just sit on my skin and  glom up under concealer. #pickiness

Mint Choco nails...

Icing Mint Chocolate w/OPI Suzi Loves Cowboys (and Blue Bell Blackberry Cobbler)

Mint Chocolate np from Icing is a pale, blue-green base with two sizes of black glitter. The base is definitely green- not kinda-sorta blue like some "mints." It really does look like its namesake since mint chocolate chip chips are so dark. Icing's formula with this one is really good- opaque in three thin coats. The glitter doesn't clump together either. Sometimes I fish for large pieces but that's just because I'm a little obsessive about having close to the same amount on each nail :-s

My mom talked me into splurging on OPI Suzi Loves Cowboys since she knew I'd been hunting for the perfect chocolate sauce color. It works GREAT! 

innisfree Bija Anti-Trouble lotion...

The lotion is a little runny but still thick. (It's what Americans call 'lotion'- not a toner, as are many Asian 'lotions.')  Very light in texture. Its white in the tube but becomes invisible when applied. Even if I reapply later in the day when my face feels tight, it always absorbs with no film left behind. (My main issue with moisturizers.)  It doesn't really offer enough moisture for The Dry, but at the same time it's a lot more comfortable to use in hot weather then say, my beloved TM Broccoli Sprout. Since using it in combo with the spot essence R, the scattering of new breakouts I've had haven't grown to gargantuan proportions and have disappeared in days rather than weeks. My forehead breakouts are FINALLY starting to go away too!

My face, it has troubles...

 

Troubled skin. In big, gross 'murican terms- zits. And mine are, truly, 'murica-sized. I mean really, I cannot imagine a delicate flower of a Korean spokes-model with the monstrosities I wake up to. But, hey, the fact that I can't picture it means they have some AWESOME marketing!

Zoya Zenith...

Eeee! Here's a press pic of (most of) Zoya's Winter Holiday nail collex- Zenith! It's missing Dream, a dark blue with holo sparkle. I'm so excited to see the assortment of cool tones, esp. Mosheen. (I want to roll around in it- if it wasn't all chemically of course!) Yeah, I have tons of these go-to winter polar shades but they're still great to see.

pic from Zoya

Morning lattes are essential...

TonyMoly Latte Art Milk Tea Morning Pack

pic from TM, deco by me 

I think it's safe to say that TonyMoly is my favorite Korean brand. This facial pack is yet another win. It's a thick cream meant to be used in the morning before makeup. (I use it on no makeup days too though.) TM says it will moisturize, soothe irritation, de-puff and give a smooth, primed surface for makeup. And guess what? It does! I warm a small blob between my hands, smooth it on until it feels liquidy and then pat it a little. I wait about 5min for it to absorb all the way before I use EH Goodbye Pore Ever essence and then BB.

The cream is a pale tan (like milky tea), has a cool, instantly soothing feel on my sensitive skin, and absorbs with zero residue left behind. It used to come in a super-cute coffee mug-shaped container, like all the Latte Art line, but now it's a tube which is less cute but way more practical. Honestly, if I didn't already have scrub and pore treatments that I love I'd want to try the whole line! 

The best toner EVER...

pic from Etude House, deco by me

 Ok. I've always thought of toner as a cleansing thing. It gets rid of excess oil, traces of makeup, might help breakouts. Definitely to be used sparingly if you suffer from The Dry.

OMGOMGOMG...

 

 

pic from modcloth.com

 

This is miiiiiiine! I feel all fancy-designer-kawaii wearing Funky Catzterz for Japan LA. And like a crazy-cosmic-catlady which is all kinds of awesome.

 

 

 



A hit and a miss for Skinfood pt 1...

Skinfood Wildberry Cleansing Cream (Moist)

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash-off

Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Cream is the moisturizing option from the Milk line. There's also a Green Tea Milk (Fresh) for oily skin. Now, this product works great- it removes all makeup including waterproof mascara which makes it more effective than TM Broccoli Sprout.

But, it's not nearly as enjoyable to use. Instead of melting into a natural-feeling oil on my face it feels more like a slick of silicone. I don't know why either because I'm pretty certain they have the same main ingredients. It also smells plasticky to me, and increases my blackheads. Do not want. On the other hand...



A little haul...

 

Here's a recent little haul...the pic is horrid but I love the Tonymoly perfume ears peeking over LOL.

 

 

 

 

 Skinfood Foodtherapy perfume stick~ Steam Milk

EH Jelly Lips~ JPK004

Lioele Seaweed Multi Gel

EH Bling in the Sea eye pencil~ BRsomethingorother (it's brown)

Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage peeling cream...

pic from Tonymoly, deco by me

 

*whew* That name is looooooong. But descriptive! Appletox is an exfoliant cream that contains apple polyphenols and other extracts to remove dead skin. It's like Pretty Feet & Hands...for your FACE. So awesome.

 

Tony Moly Tomatox Magic Massage pack...

 

pic from Tonymoly, deco by me 

Check it out- another produce win from Tony Moly! LOL *happy dance*  Tomatox claims to be anti-inflammatory (!!!), moisturizing, balancing and brightening.

Chouououx, baby...!

pic from Etude House, deco by me

EH Baby Choux Base~ mint choux
 

Yes! I've dipped my toe in the Sweet Recipe waters...the whole line is adorbs but I managed to limit myself to this base and a Jelly Lips that'll shortly appear in a haul pic. (Oops, forgot about my one Ice Cream Nails polish I got much earlier!)I actually wanted this sooo badly but did NOT want the clunky jar- now it comes in a tube! Glory!

 

My perfect primer...

EH Goodbye Pore Ever Pore Primer Essence

I just got a second tube so I figured I better get off my ass and review...!
Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever essence, how I love you so!

Good Afternoon pt.2...

Skinfood Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB #2

 

Yep, ordered it and....love it! (Also from f2plus1 on ebay.) It's coverage and application are just like Berry Berry Tea but Honey Black Tea is a touch cooler in shade. It's excellent camouflage for dryness/rough patches. My skin is even less dry after I take it off, proving its worth as an actual moisturizing product. Texture-wise it's different from the other BB's I've tried- it's sticky but not in an obnoxious way. It's like it's hugging your skin...I don't know how best to describe it- gah!

 

Ah, Skinfood, how I love your scents- this one reminds me of L'Occitane's old honey line! Sweet, floral honey.

 

I'll go back to using the Berry Berry Tea and other BB's from my first order once my skin is balanced and less dry. I really am pleased with all of them that I ordered!

 

Spring nails...

 

 

 

Little Twin Stars-inspired~ I loved these so much I made a fake set combining the designs.

Goood Afternoon....

Out of all the BB's (including samples) from my f2plus1 ebay order, this is the one that works best for me.

Skinfood Good Afternoon Berry Berry Tea BB #2

 

 

When I ordered, I went for middle-of-the-road types of BB's, neither moisturizing nor clearing. I wanted care but didn't want to risk breakouts. This is the Good Afternoon line's anti-aging BB. It's thick, smooth and easy to blend. Shade #2 adjusts really well to my skin tone. Some dryness shows through, but not nearly as much as with any of the other BB's I've tried. I'm very impressed with all the Skinfood products though so I risked ordering the moisturizing Honey Black Tea variety...

Belated winter nail posting...

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



My very first BB cream is...

Skin79 Vital Orange! *wooo* The crowd goes wild...
My mom very generously bought me a big bottle from H-Mart. She said I knew so much about BB's and we so enjoyed talking with the SA that she really wanted to treat me to one. I picked Vital Orange because the shade was my best match.

It adjusts fairly well to my skin tone but is still lighter than my neck. It covers extremely well and lasts all day without smudging or being rained off. So excellent! Unfortunately, it REALLY accentuates dryness and lines. My mom tried it on her hand and it looked pretty bad- and her hand is smoother than my face! So I'll be saving it for later when my skin is balanced again. It has SPF50 which I love, especially since it stays on so well. The whitening is actually noticeable after I take it off in the evening, though the effect is lost if I don't use the cream every day.

You can pump out as little or much as you need which is convenient and hygienic. (I'm getting anal about skin hygiene since I have so many issues.)

Overall, I can see why Skin79's BB's are so widely known and used. This one is excellent and I'm so glad to have it. (All 40g O.O)

 

Haulin' and guiltin'...

I finally pulled the trigger on an order from ebay seller f2plus1 even though the timing turned out to be not so great. (The guilt.) I should have saved my fun money for necessities to keep things from being quite so tight . But the order shipped before I knew how tight the finances would be and sometimes things just come up all at once that we can't foresee :-/ Anyway...

This seller is The Best. I will stick with them for LIFE.

• Prices on Korean cosmetics that are lower than most American drugstore brands? Check.
• US$2 flat shipping w/tracking? Check.
• Shipped in two days (on a weekend)? Check.
• Arrived in 10 DAYS (not business days- ALL days)? OMGCHECK.

Ok that last one may be Korean airmail kicking ass, but still...

Here're the goods...

 

(L to R) Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly Make-up Fixer

Skinfood Red Orange Face Mist ~ Glossy

Lioele Seaweed 90 Trouble Care Mist

Holika Holika Petit BB ~ Essential

Skinfood Good Afternoon  BB ~ Berry Berry Tea

Skinfood Red Orange Sun Stick BB

Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Essence

Etude House and Innisfree BB samples

 

Broccoli, get on my faaaace...!

 

Tony Moly Clean Dew Broccoli Sprout

cleansing cream

Sweetest packaging~ the leaves on top are rubber and you can make them go *boing*! OMGsquee...anyway...
I love this stuff enough to deco its pic- fareals. It's basically a cold cream- multipurpose cleanser/moisturizer, though it's only marketed as the former. I'd eyed it online but when I found it at H-Mart, as one of two Tonymoly items they carry, I figured it was meant to be. *PS~ I don't know if Tony Moly is officially spelled as one word or two...*

The cream is white with tiny green 'beads' that dissolve instantly. I use it primarily as a night cream/pack,  (it gets very greasy once it melts,) and in the morning my skin is AMAZING. Why does this super-moisturization result in invisible pores too? Don't know, don't care, it's amaze-balls.

It *does* break down base makeup pre-wash, but I need something separate for mascara. At first I thought it smelled very old-ladyish. But after awhile I got used to it and realized I LOVE IT. Overall, Korean skincare scents are a lot more pleasing to me!

H Maaaaaaart!!!....

I got to go to H Mart OMGeeeeeee! H Mart is a (mostly) Korean supermarket in Houston. It's been there 30 years and I NEVER knew. I wasn't sure what to expect since I'd only heard about it's grocery, but when I walked in I swear a choir of angels descended. So big...so clean...so much of everything. A bakery/tea/smoothie counter, several food court style lunch counters, amazing produce and seafood, premade foods like tofu and mochi. And the markup was so much lower than other places as to possibly be nonexistent! (Yeah, Uwajimaya, this hairy eyeball's aimed at YOU.)
My mom even said she wants to go back and she only shops at, like, three places when I'm not in town. Sprout wasn't thrilled with the hour+ we spent, but once he discovered the snack aisle (Asia-exclusive Cheetos flavors!) his 'tude settled down.
I saved the beauty and housewares for last!

Solar Flower~ it wiggles in the sunlight!

$2.99 O.O