I was preparing to revive back my haul posts after not doing it for so long, and then I realised that I never posted the second part of my Jan & Feb 2020 Haul. Leave it to me to forget about things like this, huh ┐( ̄∀ ̄)┌ oh well, let's just pretend that I purposely saved this post until now. 가자!

1. Enamel Pins and other gifts by Joonseason


Michelle (@joonseason) is the closest friend that I have in the pin-making community, and she often showers me with gifts whenever she feels like doing it. This time she sent me the Namkook Virgo Stars enamel pins (my memory is very bad, but I think I traded these two with two of my own enamel pins?) and gifted me with a Jungkook Wings enamel pin, Jungkook acrylic keychain and a smol enamel pin by one of my favourite artists, @alumandink! All of these are accompanied by a handwritten letter that is very personal to me, so I won't be able to share it here.

A lot of times, Michelle's care-packages had been the reason I could go through my days without feeling down, and I'm grateful that I befriended such an amazing person like her. Thank you Michelle for always bringing smiles to my days 💖

+ Gifted by @joonseason

2. Bangtan Hand Pins by Jhihiro


I'm not sure if this would sound weird, but I have a major love for hands. I'm obsessed with hands with beautiful fingers 👁👄👁 It should not be a surprise that I love to collect hand pictures of Bangtan, given how much I love the boys. So when Jing (@jhihiro) came up with these wooden hand pins, I actually screamed. Broke or not, I needed the whole set! 

My best friend, Joe, would remember how I freaked out when these pins went up for pre-orders; I was having an event where I was selling my pins at that time, so the time clashing between both things made me panic. But thanks to her help, I got my hands on the whole set 💜

On a serious note though, these pins are so pretty! I love them with my whole heart 💜💜💜 Jing, you deserve the whole world for all the hand arts that you draw! 👁👄👁💜

+ Purchased from @jhihiro

3. BTS Jungkook and Namjin Art Prints by Jackispainting


I don't think I can say anything much aside from MAD LOVE FOR THESE PRINTS ♡\( ̄▽ ̄)/♡ Jacky (@jackispainting) is definitely on of my favourite local artists, her art style is always super soft and pastel-ish 💖 Looking forward to hanging these on my room's wall soon!

+ Purchased from @jackispainting

4. GOT7 Bambam and Yugyeom — Spinning Top Preorder Benefit Postcard


I don't actually collect GOT7 merchs anymore these days, but I saved these two from the postcard sets that I bought as freebies for those who purchased my GOT7 enamel pin, since there are extras and both Bambam and Yugyeom are my biases 💚

+ Purchased from Carousell (the seller already deactivated)

5. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo


I was sent this review copy in exchange with an honest review, thank you so much Pansing! The Ghost Bride is a historical fantasy young adult novel (and slightly paranormal) based in the 1890s Malaya. I enjoyed reading it, and gave it a 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 You can read my review for it: here

This book has also been adapted into a Netflix series! You can watch it here if you're not into reading much.

+ Gifted by Pansing (@definitelybooks), now available in all good bookstores 

6. Kaison Vanilla Aroma Room Spray


My favourite scent will always be vanilla, and this aroma room spray has a really good scent of vanilla! It's not overpowering at all, and has a calming effect on me whenever I'm using it for my room ♡( ◡‿◡ )

+ Purchased at Kaison

7. BTS 2020 Season's Greeting


I've made a whole unboxing post for everything inside of this Season's Greeting earlier in February! You can check it out here 💜

+ Purchased from Peachychimmy on Carousell

8. BT21 Mang Wrist Cushion


My second favourite BT21 character is Mang (after Cooky); I just adore Mang's colours so much! We don't have any LINE stores here in my country, so when I heard that there was a VT Cosmetics and BT21 pop-up store coming to one of the malls here, I didn't hesitate to go of course. This wrist cushion is one of the cheapest BT21 merch available then, and although I don't think I'll ever use it for my wrist, I'm so glad I bought it. It's just the cutest (💜˙︶˙💜)

+ Purchased at a BT21 pop-up store

9. Heart Shaped Sticky Notes


Just another one of my impulsive buys when it comes to cute sticky notes ( ̄▽ ̄*)ゞ

+ Purchased at Mr. DIY

10. Blank Notebooks


I forgot to take the picture of how these two books looked originally, but this is how I end up decorating them 💜✨ The white one will be used as a journal, while the black one is for a sketchbook! I have yet to use both of them until today, but hopefully soon!

Purchased at Mr. DIY

11. Mermaid Eyelash Curler


I'll just admit right away that I bought this because of its mermaid-shaped handle (*ノ∀`*) In terms of design, it's really pretty  But in terms of usage, I don't think it's amazing, maybe decent enough. Sometimes I can barely even see the difference with my eyelashes after using it. Either that, or I'm just bad at using an eyelash curler haha!

+ Purchased at a local shopping mall

12. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream


I've heard a lot of good reviews with this moisturizing cream from many beauty/skin experts, so I thought I'd give it a try. And I shall say that this is now a holy grail of mine; I'm never ever changing  to a different moisturiser ever again! My skin is sensitive and quite dry, prone to breakouts as well, and I'm so happy that this moisturiser works so well with my face. It keeps my skin moisturised and become softer.

The downside of it is that it's quite expensive since it's imported, and it's not available in our local drugstores so I have no choice but to purchase it online every time. Not really complaining though, I love this product so much  I'll do whatever it takes to have it.

+ Purchased from thyevilqueen on Shopee

13. Moonchild Enamel Pin by Heartune.co


Traded this beautiful moonchild Joon pin with Rina (@heartune.co)! I'm absolutely head-over-heels with it 👁👄👁💜✨✨✨ The details of all parts of it, the chains, the smol moon, Joon's face itself—everything is just honestly so wonderful! Perhaps I will never get over the beauty of this pin (💜˙︶˙💜)

+ Traded with @heartune.co

14. Healing Enamel Pin by Kazel_


When I first saw this enamel pin, I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's absolutely beautiful and adorable at the same time! I've also always think that flowers in tall boots are very pretty for some reasons. I wear this pin on my bucket hat (the one below) 

I bought this at a local vendor, but I managed to find the artists Instagram page and I love her works so much! I'm hoping that I can snatch some of her other enamel pins too someday.

+ Can be purchased at @kazel_'s Etsy

15. "I'm glad to hear that" Bucket Hat


Bought this when I was playing tourist around George Town, Penang, with a friend of mine. It was a typical hot day that day, so I impulsively purchased this hat to protect myself better from the heat. No regrets, definitely.

Fun fact: I used to hate bucket hats, but somehow I end up being obsessed with it now. I need more bucket hats ♡\( ̄▽ ̄)/♡

;

And so, that's it! This post is almost six months overdue, but I had fun editing and writing it anyway. Let me just prepare my haul post for July soon and hope that it won't end up only popping here on my blog next year or something (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄) 


Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

Resources:

PSD Colouring (base) - Play Nice by Wildfireresources

Fonts -





Title: Raybearer
Series: Raybearer #1
Author: Jordan Ifueko
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: August 18th 2020
Pages: 496

Synopsis (Goodreads): Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood.

That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

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My rating: 5 / 5 ★

Oh. My. God. Reading Raybearer was such an intense ride, I don't think I'll be able to recover from it anytime soon (and I'm saying this after reading it almost three months ago). It felt like I've read an entire series, instead of a single almost-five-hundred-pages-of-book. Everything was super packed, but in a very good way. I've had my fair share of reading fantasy books, and they can get predictable at times, but Raybearer seems to be an expert in proving me wrong so many times!

I'm going to start with how gorgeous the book cover is 🔥 The bold colours on top of black are just stunning to look at, and the fierce lions just made it a thousand times better. And perhaps I'm the only person dumb enough to not notice a face staring back at you in between the lion and lioness. I only noticed it while editing the picture above, after accidentally inverting the colours. The way the leaves and branches were played as part of her face, I think it's just so brilliant!

As for the plot, I'd say that it's definitely a whirlwind of emotions being involved. The plot is solid, with characters and cultures and magical beliefs that I really enjoyed learning about. I'm not very familiar with fantasy books based on Nigerian culture and folktales, so reading Raybearer at first was a bit difficult, but I was easily hooked into the story as well! Tarisai is such a strong and bold character, and I loved how her character grew from a girl who only longed for her mother's love to a lady wise enough to lead. I love her interaction with Dayo, Sanjeet and Kirah. The whole idea of having a council, where you're bonded with your council members, feels so intimate and intriguing to read about. This book also talked about how everyone deserved to be treated fairly, and I loved the message it brought in the end which said that women and men should work side by side instead of fighting which gender is better.

The main characters are also written so well! While Tarisai herself is fierce, passionate and will always do her best for the sake of others, Kirah is kind-hearted and protective, constantly there for Tarisai whenever the former needed the latter. I love how Kirah always tries her best to believe in Tarisai, despite the misunderstanding that happened in one part of the story. Dayo is like the softest prince ever, and I love him so much for loving Tarisai so much. Dayo and Tarisai absolutely complement each other; I'm looking forward to how they're going to be side by side in the sequel! I love Sanjeet a lot too, my heart just softened for him as people tend to misunderstood him due to his looks and power, when in reality he's very gentle. The relationship that bloomed between him and Tarisai surpised me, but I have no complaints about it at all!

Overall, Raybearer is one of the best fantasy books that I've ever read. It has a solid plot that kept me scrambling to the next pages, that made me scream I need more when it ended; characters that are very well-written and so easy to love, making me want to learn more about them; and the culture and magical beliefs in it are also something that I truly enjoyed reading. If you're a fantasy lover, I strongly recommend reading Raybearer because you definitely don't want to miss such a magnificent story!

Happy book birthday to Raybearer 💖 Thank you Pansing for sending me this book in exchange with an honest review. It's now available in all good bookstores!


;

"I choose the girl who walks through fire," he said. "I choose sunshine."



Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

"Love cuts deeper than any blade."


Title: Chain of Gold
Series: The Last Hours #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: March 3rd 2020
Pages: 624

Synopsis (Goodreads): Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.

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My rating: 5 / 5 ★

How do I start this review? From where do I even start? My love for Chain of Gold is too immense that I can hardly come up with decent coherent words to write this review. I don't usually go for thick books, but if it's from Cassandra Clare, I feel that the thicker the book is, the better it is. I never want it to end honestly, even if it's painful (oh the bitter joy of reading any of the Shadowhunter's series).

I'll have to admit that I have yet to read The Infernal Devices trilogy, which took place before Chain of Gold. But I've read the manga/graphic novel of Clockwork Angel (the first book from TID) and have enough friends that are fans of the Shadowhunter series, so I know almost enough about Jem, Will and Tessa to not make my progress of reading Chain of Gold to be confusing. In case you haven't known, Chain of Gold takes place after TID, about their friends' and their own children.

Honestly, I just love everything about Chain of Gold. The plot, the characters, the twists, the romance (oh yes, the romance is almost intense but not too intense), the frustration—as much as I love this book, I'm also absolutely frustrated with it. Since the book reached 600+ pages, there are bound to be a LOT of things going, and certain times I literally forgot what had happened in the several previous chapters, but they never bore me and I kept flipping the pages forward eagerly. All the fights and actions are fleshed out in details that I can almost see them. And the ending? Oh the ending. It definitely left me screaming agonisingly for more.

What I like about Clare's writing style is that it's very easy to read; it wasn't overwhelming at all. The characters are mostly witty and interesting enough for me to want to know more about them. Despite being told from the third person point-of-view of more than one character, I don't think it made the story messy at all. In fact, I had wanted to know the feelings of each of the main characters without being influenced by them (I'm easily influenced by the characters when the story is written through a first person point-of-view), so the writing style of this book is absolutely perfect for me.

I fell in love very easily with the characters in Chain of Gold, especially Cordelia Carstairs. From the moment she first appeared in the book, I knew she's going to have a special place in my heart, and she did! She has the sweetest and kindest heart, yet at the same time her courage is probably so much bigger than the rest of her friends. She wouldn't hesitate to help those in need, and when she's in action with Cortana, she absolutely slays everything. Literally. I just love this girl too much (°◡°♡).:。 

I kinda have a love-hate relationship towards James Herondale. He's a wonderful person, calm, mostly rational, pretty much the leader of his friends, a protective brother, gorgeous—he's almost perfect. Almost. The fact that he has some dark powers related to his origin of being the grandchild to a demon, and the way he struggled to work with his newfound power made me love him more. But every single time he's with Grace Cartwright, I hated him. I know for a fact that there was a reason as to why he acted the way he did whenever Grace was present, but I still felt like smacking some senses into him. That one particular scene during the party where James did something to Cordelia because of Grace, I was absolutely fuming. Despite my frustrations over James, he's still a good person and I'm looking forward to have more of him and Cordelia in Chain of Iron soon.

Other characters that I loved are Matthew Fairchild, Lucie Herondale and Anna Lightwood. Matthew is James parabatai, and oh man, I just love this boy. There's something mysterious about Matthew; he's often found to be drunk without actually appearing to be drunk, but I felt like there's more to him than meets the eye. He's very protective of his parabatai, which is a given because that bond is closer than anything else, but I just appreciate his presence a lot. Lucie is the sweetest little soul and I loved her more for being a passionate writer. Just like James, Lucie is learning about her own power as well and I'm curious to see how she's going to use it. As for Anna, I don't actually know how to describe her, but I love her personality a lot. She wears menswear all the time and only date girls, and her personality is very fun and interesting. I like how fond she is of James and his friends, including Lucie and Cordelia. She reminds me of Magnus Bane, in a female form.

I could go on and on about how much I love Chain of Gold, but I would love to leave this review spoiler-free and urge you to read this book to experience the intense journey yourself. If you're a fan of the Shadowhunter series, what else are you even waiting for? But if you haven't read any books from the Shadowhunter series, I'd still recommend Chain of Gold if you're into young adult fantasy. That's the fun thing with the Shadowhunter series, despite having multiple trilogies/series in one huge series, starting any of them not in the right order will not affect your reading at all. Cassandra Clare is good in writing the world in details in each trilogy/series, so you won't miss out anything!

This review is honestly a mess, but that's exactly how I felt after reading Chain of Gold. A good and satisfying kind of mess that leaves me wanting so much more.

Thank you Pansing for sending me this review copy in exchange for an honest review. Chain of Gold is now available in all good bookstores!

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Do not let those who cannot see the truth tell you who you are. You are the flame that cannot be put out. You are the star that cannot be lost. You are who you have always been, and that is enough and more than enough. Anyone who looks at you and sees darkness is blind.



Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'