7-11 Toy

Free Gaspard et Lisa toy gift from a 7-11 in Taiwan by collecting 6 points for buying coffee.

Mcdonald's, 7-11, Burger King, Family Mart, etc... all keep coming out with such cute and attractive gifts/toys. I'll freaking miss this when I have to leave. It's like when I was a kid and liked to collect toys at fast food joints.







-hatai-sa ;)
愛小玩具

Hair Accessories

I found some cool hair accessories at the night market. Especially the purple double sided bow. You can use it to tie your hair in a bun!





Like so




And did my nails again. This time with solid white and a couple Swarovski crystals. Classy ;P

Ice cream

I use to see a lot of Vienetta ice cream cake commercials and they always made me drool. But for some reason I never tried it until lately when I saw the ice cream bar.

And it tastes just like I imagined!! Vanilla chocolately goodness and its soft and airy. I love it!





But speaking of ice cream in general, I like chocolate chip mint flavor the best!




And I would LOVE to try this chocolate chip mint ice cream cake!!!




Strangely, ice cream always seems to tastes better in the winter.


-hatai-sa ;)
愛冰淇淋

Red tipped nails

I experimented with gold nail polish and different patterns in red on the tips with mediocre results. I think it looks all right. Not my favorite though.

It's all about the Package

When I buy products, packaging is super important. If there are small differences in quality, what sets apart the competition?


For example, some recent make up purchases:




There are many blushes out there, but this Jill Stuart one is the prettiest. So I bought it.

A little pricey. But in Asia, even the drug store cosmetics are great quality. Shiseido, Kanebo, etc. all have many sub brands.

I bought this two-way foundation case (by Majolica Majorca -a sub-brand of Shiseido). A pretty gold case with intricate design:




Lucky for me, I can buy the case separately. I ended up buying a different product to put inside.



It didn't fit exactly, but a little 3M tape does the trick.


And they also sell an eyeshadow/blush compact.




The cosmetic product itself is in my opinion, average, but I love the packaging and the fact that I can personalize my colors. I much prefer this over pre-selected color palattes.




My next example/obsession, is buying magazines. I love free gifts! I've only seen this in Asia. And I'm so spoiled by it that I won't buy it if there isn't a gift. Here's my recent collection:


Marie Claire Taiwan with free Mineral Powder Blush, kabuki brush and tinted moisturizer:



Sweet Magazine from Japan with free Jill Stuart pouch:



And I had mentioned my InRed magazine already in my Okinawa post with the free Marc Jacobs wristlets.



Jessica magazine from Hong Kong with free ostrich print/texture pouch. I use it to hold my passport. It fits exactly.



Beauty magazine from Taiwan with many many product samples for skin care. I've used some, so it's not all shown here.



TopShop magazine with clutch purse. Ok, this one is cheating a little bit because it's more of a fashion catalogue for this brand.



Since there are so many choices. I've tried to become more practical and buy the magazines with the freebies that I'll actually use. I've seen a lot of nice stuff like mirrors, make up pouches, hair accessories, etc. And once in awhile I see name brand products including Coach and Chloe. Sometimes it's really tempting to buy them all!

But I don't


Third example,

Hey you...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!


Here's a little something I got you...




are you curious, excited and drooling all at the same time?

No?

Why not? There could be a brand new ipod video in there for you.



Because, this is more like it!




This has happened to me before. Someone hands me a gift that couldn't bother to be wrapped other than in the bag from the store they bought it from or some bag sitting around at home so that I wouldn't know where they bought it from.

I'd say mostly men do this as it's not in their nature to pay attention to detail.

My point is, to me and a lot of people, packaging is VERY important. First impressions are important. Even if all that's inside is a lipstick or some chocolates.


They say, don't judge a book by it's cover. But I do, literally.

I'll buy a book if I like the cover. Of course I also read the back to make sure it sounds interesting. But the cover should capture the essence.

In a world where there's so much competition, detail is important!

-hatai-sa ;)
愛包裝

Monopoly

This is one board game that I'll never get tired of.





Probably because most games involving dice feel like they don't require skill and it's more about luck (like Trouble, Sorry, etc.).

I like the game of Life but even though you get to control some things, it's a glorified and more complex game that still comes down to the roll of the dice.






But the marketing of Monopoly is GOOD. I love how they come out with different versions for everybody.

You can find one for your own country, city, favorite cartoon (Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.)




(haha, imagine picking up a "what the deuce?" card)



and they've even got designer labels!





Check out the Juicy Couture version! With a puppy, crown and other accessories as game pieces.




*Sigh* I've got to admit, they got me good.


Because I own three different versions! Probably more if I had more money :P


Well 3 and a half. The classic, a city version, and I just bought the Here and now version. It's updated for the new century. Instead of paper cash, you've got credit cards! and property values have gone up to the millions.





I've played this while having lunch in Subway and I get all kinds of curious people and jealous kids coming up to take a look at my electronic gadget.

"Damn right kids! My toy rules!"



And the half... well, it's a downloaded java version for my phone of the Here and Now version. Fun to play during a long commute.



Innovative marketing genius. I hate/love it. Since its start back in 1935 I really think Monopoly is here to stay.

-hatai-sa ;)
愛地產大亨

Nails and eyelash extensions

I tried to do my nails again. But It took so much time to get the white tips just right that I got tired and only did one hand.



It's inspired by a poster I saw while in Okinawa.



It looks so elegant! I know I didn't do as good a job but I'll attempt it again later with a solid colorwhen I buy some crystals and grow my nails a bit longer.

My friend told me about this place that does eyelash extensions. So I thought I'd try it.



And I really like it! It's convenient and natural looking.

Let's see how long it lasts.

I started researching about it after. Most reviews say that it makes your natural lashes thinner :O

I guess that's if you constantly get extensions and keep refilling them every couple weeks.

So... after mine fall out. I don't think I'll get them redone. But it's a wonderful experience.


-hatai-sa ;)
愛漂亮

Pink + Black Nails and Taiwan's 7-11

I changed my nails again. This time I used a pink base + black flower design + sparkly top coat combination.


***************

In my travels, its nice to see some franchises that seem to pop up no matter where I go. For example McDonalds, Starbucks and 7-11's. And each country seems to add its own flavor. But what they sell is not always the same. I've been to many 7-11's. But in general:

Asian 7-11's kick North American 7-11's asses


Sushi/lunch boxes/milk teas/pocky/cute stationary
vs.
Hot dog/chips/sandwiches/cola






Inside a 7-11 in Taipei, Taiwan








and I wore out my Okinawa Marc Jacobs wristlet.






-hatai-sa ;)
愛新包包