Hello hello ♡ It's been a while, but I'm finally back with a monthly haul post! I miss editing a bunch of pictures and being stressful about not getting the same lighting/shade in each picture of all the things I have hauled (ᇂ∀ᇂ╬)

April's haul are mostly pins and pink things, everything that screams me! I apologise beforehand if your eyes are going to be attacked with all the pink shades.


1. 花樣年華 (HYYH) The Notes 1 - English ver.


I guess it's safe to say that everyone knows that I love BTS with all my heart, and books are a major part of my life, right? So, when Big Hit (BTS' company) finally decided to come out with their own official novel, set during the HYYH era, we all know just how ecstatic I felt. I mean, c'mon, did any boy bands you ever known ever came up with a fictional world in a novel, inspired by the concept of music videos? 

Big Hit released three versions of this book: Korean version, English version and Japanese version, and this is only The Notes 1. Which means that we are definitely in for another book anytime soon! If it was up to my impulsive set, I would have purchased all three versions, for the sake of "improving my Korean and Japanese skills" (🌚), but I know that that's probably what I may not do anytime soon. I decided to be (a little) smart this time and only ordered the English version.

It felt very good when I received the book, it is truly one of the most beautiful books that I've ever owned. Unsurprisingly, I haven't started reading it yet, but this time not because I have loads of other books to read. I can promise that my heart really wants to start this book right at this very moment, but I'm scared. Only those that knows what HYYH is all about will understand the reason why I'm afraid to start reading it. I can already sense all the pain and angst coming my way.

I have decided to buddy-read this one because I know I won't be able to contain the intense emotions waiting for me in between the pages. Currently, my friend Aleli (@soyguk on Instagram) will be reading it with me (soon!).

If you have a copy too and would love to buddy-read with me too, you are more than welcomed. I'd love to have more people to buddy-read with!

— Ordered from a G.O. by @chimchimairways on Twitter

2. Floral Spaghetti String Top from Cotton On


Am I getting bolder in the way I dress? Maybe, or maybe I just love to try new ways to style my clothes. I purchased this one in a Cotton On store while they were having a clearance sale, getting it for only RM15 (approximately $3.50). Definitely a good purchase, and I also get to try a new style! I've come to realise that I love wearing layers, and this one is worn on top of a long-sleeved blouse.


Here are two looks on how I prefer to wear it!

— Purchased from Cotton On

3. Mermaid Tail LED Lamp


I'm a real sucker for LED lights and fairy lights, so it's about time I finally get my hands on a mermaid-shaped one! I'm happy that I managed to snag this one at a local store for a super cheap price, around RM10 only (approximately $2.40). It lights up very prettily and it makes an amazing decor for my bookshelf 🐚✨

— Purchased from Mr. DIY

4. Clear Sticker Pad


I don't think I'll ever get over my "let's buy all cute stickers" phase because, well let's face it, it is not a phase. I don't use all the stickers I purchased, but collecting them makes me feel very happy. This one has six sheets of cute semi-transparent stickers, the kind of stickers that I love to use most while journalling. 


Will you just look at the holographic surface, reflecting light very prettily? Just my kind of thing.

— Purchased from Mr. DIY

5. MY FIRST SELF-DESIGNED ENAMEL PINS (Fish Cookie Pins)


This is definitely the highlight of my haul. The things that I'm proudest of. 

For those that have not known yet, I've started an enamel pin business since the start of this year, and these four pins are the first designs that managed to be produced as enamel pins. From my previous haul posts, you'd know just how much I love collecting enamel pins, so I believe I made the best decision to venture into the enamel pins business too.


It still feels surreal that the designs that I made were able to be produced into these pins, they're just too gorgeous (I hope I don't appear as being vain, I just wanted to share my joy with you guys). I have no idea if I'll be able to produce more pins in the near future as one of my previous pre-orders have been cancelled recently, but I'll work harder to release more pins soon!

P.S: If you're a SHINee World, do check out my pin shop because I'm currently taking pre-orders for their anniversary pin!

— Instagram: @fishcookie_ | Twitter: @fishcookie_pins

6. Books

Mermaird's haul post will be incomplete without the presence of books; so here are four of them! \(´°౪°`)/


Yup, you guessed it. I definitely purchased The Summer of Chasing Mermaids because of the title, but that's not all the reasons. I love the cover, I love the synopsis of it and I do hope that I'll love the story as much as well. Thanks to my friend, Jessica of @endless_chapters, I managed to get the book for a cheap price. I guess Jess hadn't touched the book much at all, because it looks as new as a new book in a bookstore!

The Boy Who Steals Houses is the second book from C.G. Drews. I've loved her debut book, A Thousand Perfect Notes, immensely, so I can't wait to dive into this one too. The book cover is absolutely stunning (the yellows are so pretty!), and I already love the fact that it's also an autistic rep book. I've been warned that a lot of tears are going to be involved, which excites me so much more!


All We Could Have Been and Girl. Boy. Sea are review copies that I received from Pansing (@definitelybooks) in exchange for honest reviews. As of now, I've only read All We Could Have Been and it definitely lived up to my expectation. I've been delaying for some time, but a full review of it will be uploaded soon here.

I also cannot wait to read Girl. Boy. Sea. because I terribly miss going to beaches. It would be nice to at least read something related to the sea. 

7. Pan-Pan Plushie


This was a surprise gift from one of my best friends, Joe ♡ I love watching We Bare Bears, so receiving this little one makes me absolutely ecstatic. Here's to another addition of my plushie family 🙌

8. Jungkook Artwork & Bookmark


The artwork and bookmark are both hand-painted by my talented junior, Ain (@itsme.tengku). I adore everything that she draws and paints; it's a real honour to become her first customer! The dedication that she poured in all her artworks, combined with the details to the littlest parts of the arts are truly beautiful. I could not capture it well in these picture, but the gold shines wonderfully, especially under direct light.

I love the bookmark the most. It was inspired by one of my favourite pictures of Jungkook of BTS, and Ain simply painted him very prettily. The freckles definitely own my whole heart ♡ If you're reading this, Ain, I hope you'll continue to make more beautiful arts and also sell them 💸💸💸

— Purchased from @itsme.tengku

9. Young Forever Photocard - Jimin


I'm going to be honest: I don't really collect photocards. I generally buy unsealed albums of BTS without the photocards and posters to lessen the cost, because well, I did purchase the albums mainly for the photobooks anyway. I've sold away some of the photocards that I pulled from sealed albums, but decided to keep seven photocards only for now. 1 for each member of BTS. 

I have photocards of other members; I pull a lot of RM and V photocards, had to trade for Jungkook's photocard, but never managed to get any of Jimin's. So I've decided to simply buy one. I was torn between You Never Walk Alone and Young Forever photocards because he's adorable in both, but in the end I chose this one because I didn't own a photocard from Young Forever's album.

— Purchased from @zulaika.zainal on Carousell

10. Chronology of Love Yourself Era: Jimin & Jungkook Enamel Pins by Epiphapins


These two pins are the first pins produced by my dear friend, Epiphapins a.k.a Mir. The pins are bigger than I expected, which is not a problem at all because they turn out wonderfully. Thank you for the freebies and the sweet letter too, Mirmir! You definitely made me want to tear up. 


I especially love the details on the flower crowns and the glitters. The dangling charm of a bunny and a butterfly are cute too!

— Purchased from @epiphapins: Instagram / Twitter 

11. Rap Line Light Bulb Series Enamel Pins by Electro Cutz


When Electro Cutz a.k.a Han released the light bulb series for hyung-line of BTS, I just knew I had to get all of them. And I'm utterly glad that I did, because they turn out amazing! They are also my first ever pins that are coated with epoxy, so they have this wonderful glossy and smooth look, just like true light bulbs. 

I love the freebies included too; the lomo cards are of some of my favourite pictures, and the "I Purple You" button badge is a nice surprise freebie!


My personal favourite of this series is J-Hope's Daydream version, because the colours are more vibrant compared to the other two. But oh, who am I even kidding? All three mixtapes own my whole heart. I can't wait for Han to release the remaining vocal line light bulb pins!

— Purchased from @electro_cutz: Instagram / Twitter  

12. Idol Enamel Pin by Genius Lab


So far, I believe that Genius Lab gives out the best packaging and freebies for their pins (at least in this one). I waited the longest for this pin, compared to other enamel pins that I've purchased before, but the wait is absolutely worth it! The envelope packaging itself looks elegant, definitely fitting the pin's look that is rather traditional. In case you didn't know, the pin is based on J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook's performance on Melon Music Awards last year.

The "Legends Never Die" stickers are a need, especially the black + holo version. The postcards are a marvellous surprise; the minimal and simplicity of the artwork makes them very beautiful. I also love the Idol keyring, which is now hanging on my car keys.


The best part is of course the enamel pin itself 🔥🔥🔥 I normally prefer hard enamel, but the fact that this pin is soft enamel makes all the details more prominent. This pin is now officially one of my favourites from my pin collection.

— Purchased from Genius Lab: Instagram / Twitter  

13. Ddaeng Series, BTS x Grammys, Fallen Angel V & Golden RKive Enamel Pins by Joonseason


Hands down the best package of pins that I received for the month ♡♡♡ Joonseason a.k.a Michelle is one of my closest friends in the pin making community (considering the amount of my rants that she had to suffer going through, it's ironic that we haven't been able to meet up 🌚), and whenever she sent me her pins that I bought, I always receive extra things. This time is obviously no exception.


Out of all the pins I received, this Ddaeng series is the only ones that I actually bought. Inspired by one of the best songs by the rap line of BTS, I couldn't pass the chance of getting the full set once pre-order was opened for them. They turned out gorgeous, the combination of red and black make them very striking. As a Ddaeng enthusiast, this pin series is the greatest!


When we decided to trade pins, I knew I wanted Joonseason's BTS x Grammys pin! The boys being invited to one of the biggest award ceremony for the music industry in United States was one of the proudest moments for them and ARMYs; to have a special pin as dedication and reminder of this achievement is definitely a need, and I'm more than happy to have Michelle's creative take on it. 

The bright red glitter creates a beautiful contrast from the boys ♡ Also peek at the family photo at the back (∩´﹏`∩) the softest and the most adorable!


My first pin with stained glass ✨ When pre-ordering the Ddaeng series, I was rather torn that I could not pre-order this Fallen Angel V pin too, because this look of V during the Blood, Sweat and Tears is one of my favourite looks of him (blonde V comes right after red-haired V). Michelle captured the scene from the music video beautifully, and the actual pin turned out beautiful too! It looks exquisite especially when placed against direct sunlight. 


This. THIS. I never expected to receive this pretty RKive pin too, because we're supposed to only trade two pins. But being Michelle (who is the most awesome person), she decided to surprise me with it anyway. The pin is extremely reflective that it was rather hard to capture its beauty in a picture. I definitely didn't do justice to it, but I did the best I can. It's very minimalistic, a cute smol  golden version of RM's wooden plate for his studio.

Thank you so much for the wholesome package of pins, Michelle ♡ You know how much I love you, even if you don't spoil me this much (*・ε・*)

— Purchased from and traded with Joonseason: Instagram / Twitter   

14. Facial Products


Because somehow I left my facial cleanser at my grandma's house, I decided to purchase a new one. I never planned to change the product that I used, but Simple recently released this Water Boost Micellar series, and it tempted me real bad. I've used this cleanser for more than a month, and I quite like it. It didn't make my skin breakout at all, and it left this lingering soft feeling on my skin. Definitely a good product for my dry skin!

Also, if you know me, you'll know that aloe vera gels are my holy grail products when it comes to my daily skin care routine. I've tried a lot of products for aloe vera gels, and this time I'm going to try the one from my local drugstore, Guardian. I've heard multiple good reviews of it, claiming that it even work wonders for strengthening the hair. Haven't tried it yet, but we'll see soon if it's actually a great product like most people said.

— Purchased from Guardian 

15. Washi Tapes


"I see watermelon, I take."

Technically, that is the reason why I bought these washi tapes. I wanted the watermelon washi tape, but the tomato and strawberry tapes are cute too, so no regrets.

— Purchased from Mr. DIY 

16. Mini Makeup Brush & Silicone Facial Cleanser


I don't really wear much makeup except for the basic ones, but I recently bought new eyeshadows and blusher, so I might as well get a new set of basic makeup brushes. These ones are small enough to bring during travels.

As for the silicone facial cleanser, well, I've always wanted to try one! I haven't tested this one yet because I've changed a few skin care products and I'm still trying to see if they're suitable for my skin, so I don't want to overwhelm it with testing this silicone facial cleanser. I'll probably test it after Eid, maybe?

— Purchased from Miniso 

17. Map of the Soul: Persona Albums - BTS


I have actually vowed to myself that if BTS released multiple versions of an album, I would only buy half of them (meaning that if there are two versions, I'd buy one; if there are four versions, I'd buy two). But when Map of the Soul: Persona was released, and every version is a different shade of pink, I truly lost it. I decided that I should succumb to the guilty pleasure and purchase all four versions, because they would make me absolutely joyous. 

To make matters better (or worse?), all versions of the photobook are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to look at, so I know that I need all of them. Although I did purchase unsealed albums, without the photocards and postcards, as per usual. It's a teeny-bit upsetting that I didn't get the postcards and photocards, because they're adorable, but I'd rather not get them if it means getting the albums at a cheaper price. 


Apart from the posters (which I didn't include in the pictures), the only thing that came along with the album is this photostrip. It's designed to resemble the negative of a film, and I love it so so much ♡ This photoshoot (from the version 1 of the album) is my most favourite, because they're just being their dorky selves (♡ >ω< ♡)

— Ordered from a G.O. by @yg.126 on Carousell 

;

I can't believe I'm only posting this by the end of May (*゚ー゚) I got constantly distracted by so many stressful matters, it was rather hard to focus on one thing. If you're reading this until the end, please comment your favourite emoji below (•‾⌣‾•)و ̑̑♡ I'm really grateful for your attention!

To my readers that are Muslims, Ramadhan Mubarak and Happy Eid to all of you ✨


Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

Resources:

PSD Colouring (base) - Play Nice PSD by wildfireresources

Fonts -