Selling my LIZ LISA dress!

[SOLD]

Hello! I want to sell this beautiful LIZ LISA dress. It's really pretty, but it doesn't really suit me, so I decided to give this gorgeous piece a new home.

It's from their past Chambre à coucher collection. I got it second-handed from Yahoo Auction, still in mint condition. Size Free. If you're busty, I'm afraid the chest part would not fit.

Here are some photos with indoor lighting!

Front

 Back

 Collar part. Ugh, somehow the color got altered on this one.

The lace is my favorite part! I hope they will use this lace again in the future.

On model. Lena Fujii and Yui Kanno wear the red version. Wait, is mine the brown or red version? I think the brown one has brown laces instead of white. Oh well, I think mine is red.

Price is Rp 637.000,- or $55 (shipping fee not included). Payment can be accepted through local bank, Mandiri or BCA, and internationally through Paypal or Western Union (I think I prefer the latter, I don't have experience with receiving money on Paypal...). Domestic shipping will be done via JNE and international shipping with EMS or any cheaper international shipping service you want me to use for you. I ship from Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia.

If interested, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at contact@cottonkuma.net!

Maru Mise Buying Service Review

It's finally holiday! Only one week or so though. I'm supposed to be doing my assignment but I'm a huge procrastinator--OH HEY let's not talk about assignment.

Are you guys into Japanese trend? I'm really into the marine theme! It's uber cute, I want to have everything marine-themed with sailor collar. Plus, they are for summer so I can wear them here! Humid Jakarta is humid.

I fell in love with this simple sailor one piece from Ank Rouge.

When I was browsing through Shoppies, I found the white version of it! Turns out I like the white version better than the navy one.

The cordiform buttons are red. To me, the white piece looks more appealing as it has three colors while the navy one only has two. Now, time to go to a buying service! I decided to try a buying service I had been eyeing for a while, Maru Mise.

(Facebook page here)

In the past, I have used Kawaiikkuma. There is a huge difference I noticed between Maru Mise and Kawaiikkuma. To make it easier to compare, I will write down the differences in bullets :

Kawaiikkuma

• When asked for price estimation, they will calculate the item's price and domestic shipping fee. International shipping fee estimation comes after they received the item in Japan. Their rate is 1 JPY = 135 IDR.
• Payment is done twice. Deposit for the item's value and domestic shipping fee, then international shipping from Japan to your place with EMS.
• Their service fee is 5% × overall transaction for every transaction you make + 1000 JPY for every different seller.
• The item will be either directly sent to you, or forwarded to them in Indonesia then sent to you. With EMS, you will get your item super fast.

Maru Mise

• When asked for price estimation, they will calculate everything up until you receive the item. Their rate is 1 JPY = 165 IDR (for beauty products and fashion items, they have different rate for different kind of items).
• Payment can be done once or twice. You can pay for all at once or deposit half of your item's value + domestic shipping fee and complete your payment later.
• Their service fee is unknown, they take profit from their high rate.
• Your item will be gathered together with other buyers' items, once they receive it in Indonesia they will notify you or send your item to you immediately if you have paid everything when you ordered it. You need to wait approximately two weeks for your item to arrive.

Huge difference! I don't even know how Maru Mise deal with the international shipping from Japan to Indonesia. My guess is they use cheaper international shipping service with money gathered from combining people's order. That is why it takes more time for you to get your item.

So, after waiting with patience and excitement, my Ank Rouge dress arrived safely!

(I actually forgot to take photos of them when they were still being wrapped, I was too excited)

Oh yeah, I also bought Ank Rouge's cherry hairpin. I asked my boyfriend if it's cute and he said that 'it is not suited to be worn here' because, uh, I know it's a bit too fancy, people will notice my hairpin (let's try beating my self-consciousness here) but its cuteness is irresistible. I love wearing hair clips!

They are my current favorite hair accessories! The gold hair clips are from daytime shooting star (Hirunaka no Ryuusei) × earth music & ecology Japan Label. I absolutely adore everything from this collaboration line.

Closer shots of the sailor one piece!

The fabric feels very soft! When I first saw it on the site I was afraid the material would be stiff, but it's not, I like it. The ribbon somehow always covers the (decorative) buttons, it's disappointing because the buttons are even cuter IRL! By the way I hate taking photos in my room, the lighting is terrible.

Are you wondering if the ribbon is detachable? It is! Here is the secret!

Tadah! I wish they could put some more buttons higher though, the ribbon looks a bit loose and if I could 'fasten' the ribbon, it would not cover the cordiform buttons.

Back collar!

I love little details!! I'm so in love with this dress and DID I MENTION THAT IT SMELLS SO SO SO GOOD? It's a second-hand piece, so the seller probably have used and washed it. And I need to know what kind of detergent or clothes perfume that the previous owner used because IT SMELLS FREAKING NICE LIKE SWEET STRAWBERRY. The smell is so nice and lingering I could be sniffing at it all day! No kidding!

Anyway, here is more about the two buying services (I can't help but compare).

Maru Mise is very practical if you want to buy a lot of items from different shops. Feel free to buy socks from Tutuanna, clothes from LIZ LISA, toilet papers from Amazon and so on. Kawaiikkuma charge 1,000 JPY per seller so--you can imagine how your wallet's situation will be if you want to do so.

And the best thing from Maru Mise is you can first pay half of everything!! You can pay for the deposit, wait for the item to arrive as you save up some more money. Doesn't it feel better to pay $50 then another $50 after some more time than paying all $100 at once? And their price calculation is precise, with Kawaiikkuma sometimes you could have a light heart attack when they notify you about the shipping fee.

Communication with Maru Mise was smooth. I personally recommend Maru Mise if you want to buy some stuffs from multiple sellers. I recommend Kawaikkuma if you want to buy many items from one store only and you want them quick. My recommendation doesn't apply if you want to buy heavy things like bags and shoes though.

Okay, see you, guys! Have a good day, I'm going back to procrastinating (only to regret it later but still do it every so often)!

Secret Key Sweet Glam Tint Glow Review

Hi, guys! WOW I HAVEN'T POSTED FOR MONTHS. Ew, this freaking human *mumbles*. I promised myself to write at least three posts every month, now see how I'm doing. Things got real hectic, but ouch, I have no excuse, guys.

I came to this blog and some of you commented how you checked this blog to see if there's a new post, when you didn't find one you sort of protested (and 11k pageviews? Last time I checked it was still 9k or something). Thank you so much! Those comments surprised me and I can't believe myself. 'What? People actually revisit my blog and they are eager to see some updates--when I can't even write properly.' Again, thank you! It really made me super happy!! I won't abandon this blog (but oops, I did forget that I have a blog), buying the .net domain was a form of my commitment to the blog. I pay it yearly, so even if I forget that I own a blog, the bill will still come to me and be like, 'sup you still have that stupid cottonkuma thing of yours.'

Today I'm going to do a review of this one product--which, wait, looks very familiar.

IS THAT DIOR ADDICT LIP GLOW?

Nope. A dupe, obviously. A wonderful-looking dupe. Guys, guys, I don't want to spend $32 on a damn lip balm, okay? I have always been lusting on Dior Addict Lip Glow, but god knows my wallet is so thin I'm afraid it could disappear into thin air whenever it feels like going poof! Bye, loser.

First, what is this Dior Addict Lip Glow thing?

(or Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm, to be exact. It's this one.)

(The one I want is this one, the packaging is prettier.)

It's a lip balm with sheer, natural pink color that comes in a beautiful packaging from the high-end brand Dior (actually, who doesn't know Dior?). It has SPF 10 and is supposed to 'awaken and enhance the natural beauty of your lips'. It will look like your lip color--just much nicer! How does that sound? Not to forget that it's a lip balm, it's as moisturizing as lip balm and bonus SPF (not very helpful, minimal SPF for lips is 15, but better than nothing, no?). The color will also vary on different person. Yeah.

(In the photo above, the plastic cap appears more pinkish. The first photo of this post shows you the true color. I hate editing the photos of this one product, somehow the colors in every photo are inconsistent.)

Secret Key is a Korean brand that I have heard few times because of their snail products. This is the first Secret Key product I purchased. I was excited when I first saw this product, I didn't wait to buy one.

They do a great job in replicating the packaging. I feel good carrying this around with me, makes me feel sassy.

The twist mechanism works well and when you close the cap it produces 'click' sound. I like how it has lip bullet shape. Because, uh, it feels cool and very womanly. I had great time laughing when my clumsy friend tried to put it on her though, 'how the heck do you apply this?!' since lipsticks feel so foreign to us. I also struggled with it at first, but *cough* none of you will get to see that.

Swatched on arm, the color is nice sheer pink. When first applied on lips, it may appear too red. After a while, it will turn to be reddish on me and on my friend, very cute milky peach color. My friend complained how it was too red after application, but we chatted for a few minutes and I noticed the change. She went to look on the mirror and surprised herself. I'm really sorry I can't show you some photos to prove, no one liked the idea of being my model! (I don't like taking photos of myself too lol) I will come back to this post with some swatches.

First few days of using the lip balm, I felt wonderful, it felt very moisturizing and--just fabulous. But after two weeks or so, I found myself stopped raving it. The lip balm lasts only for few hours and leaves my lips dry, or worse, sometimes chapped. Even with another lip balm underneath. I like the color it gives on my lips, but as a lip balm, it doesn't do its job well.

As it's drying, it's logical to reapply as often as you can. However, after reapplying every two hours, I scared my boyfriend with my extreme red lips. When the moisturizing effect runs out, the stain stays. It's fine if you're a fan of red lips, though.

At the end of the day, will I say that it's a perfect dupe of Dior Addict Lip Glow?

No. It's drying, it's a huge con. How could a product claiming as a lip balm be so drying?

It could work, but here is how to :

1. Apply.
2. After around two hours, apply lip balm. Don't reapply Secret Key Sweet Glam Tint Glow.
3. Watch out, don't wait until your lips are chapped. Always apply another lip balm beforehand.
4. Reapply Sweet Glam Tint Glow only if the color is gone.

Don't you think it would be such a hassle?

Price :
Rp 119.000,- (approximately $10)

Where to buy :
I purchased mine from Chic Princessa.

What I like :

• Elegant packaging.
• Beautiful color that varies on every person. It's just fun.
• Moisturizing--when it's still there.

What I dislike :

• YO IT'S DRYING.

Repurchase? Only if they do something with the drying part. Until then, no.

Brb, I have a lot of catching up to do!!
(Edit : OH NO my brother is downloading 10GB++ movies!!)

UPDATE : I'm truly sorry, I think I misjudged this product. I tried switching back and forth to other kinds of lip balm and I think it's MY LIPS' DRYNESS THAT CAN'T BE HELPED (I'm that type of person who doesn't drink water much). I will edit this post properly once I'm done with my work! I specifically went online to edit this post so people won't immediately list this product as a no-no. See you now, I will be back soon!

UPDATE II (whaaat) : Yeah, I think it's just me always being not hydrated enough. I'm really sorry, I can now claim that this lip balm is not drying! It's just like any other lip balm, I'm using this product again! It is moisturizing and not drying. The only con on this product is that if you often reapply it, the color will probably be too much. That is all!

Whoa this post is such a mess--finals are near, I think I'm on the verge of losing my sanity.

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Dulce de Leche Review

I love this color, somehow I really do. It's O.P.I, so I would not be disappointed---would I?

To my surprise, it takes FOREVER to dry and IT CHIPS VERY EASILY, even after topped with the great Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Top Coat (very recommended!). In a day or two, you should expect it to crack. I couldn't believe myself, so I gave it another few tries. And it still sucked.

My mom owns few O.P.I nail polishes, they all work great, so I kept wondering how this one failed to impress me. If you are questioning its authenticity, I will answer that I'm certain it's authentic, my mom bought it from the O.P.I counter directly for Rp 190.000,- (around $16)

This post has been sitting on my draft for months. I apologize for not showing how the color would look like when painted on nails. Every time I wanted to take a photo of it on my nails I feel highly unmotivated--then I decided I wouldn't do it. I know it's not going to be worth-it, I don't want to spend time beautifying my nails only to be disappointed the next day.

I love the shade, but the quality is poor and truly disappointing. I will not repurchase unless they make changes to the formula.

Anyway, I bought some items, I'm quite happy with my purchases and I want to review them! But I have 'use for at least three weeks before posting a review' rule I made for myself. Noooooooooo oh well can't wait to post! Have a good day!

Discover New Blogs

Hello! What have you guys been up to? These days I'm--still busy--playing--with my cuties. Yeah, I'm still playing Fire Emblem: Awakening. I'm a bit disappointed that my husband prince doesn't call me with pet names. In Harvest Moon, you can choose how you want your partner calls you; Darling, Honey, or Dear.

'The people need to be saved! Wifey, let's go!' Probably like that. I want Chrom to sound badass and still dorky at the same time.

Guys, are you still there? Okay, I don't want to tire you out with my unnecessary gaming comments either.

Kind Melanie nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award! Thank you, Melanie! Please do check out her blog! The Cherry Blossom World.

The Versatile Blogger Award rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
2. Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy
3. Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly and then nominate these blogs.
4. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Can you guys tell that I'm excited with this opportunity to introduce you some amazing blogs?!

Here you go, the blogs I'm nominating/tagging!

♡ kitten cuddler ♡ 
** J U N N I K U ** ★★★★ A fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog! ♡
Amour  de ma vie
Biffsquiggled
Emily Marisia
MangoRabbitRabbit - Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle Blog
moeri's story
My Glossy Affair
Naomi Aria's Blog
Oh Dear Bumblebees

And seven things about myself :

1. I'm indecisive and--slow-paced. I take minutes to decide if I want to buy something. I panic when someone tells me to 'just decide quickly'.
2. I have social anxiety. I like the advantages blogging gives me, I like sounding like I'm a bright and cheerful person. I don't feel guilty after blogging either.
3. I can sleep for ten hours (or more) straight. But I definitely don't enjoy being called kebo (or water buffalo).
4. I have obsession with neat handwriting and perfectly-made paper. My favorite stationary brand is Kokuyo! I'm proud of my handwriting and it's probably the only thing I'm proud of.
5. I haven't been studying French again, it's getting rusty--and I don't know if I'm going to do something with it (like majoring on it or something) in the near future.
6. Oh by the way my skin type is combination, leaning more to oily, and is acne-prone.
7. I'm now sick because three days ago I drank three glasses of instant ice lemon tea in one go. I'm an idiot. Don't you ever do this.

My head is throbbing, brb resting. Have a good day, guys.